Mr. Zig Ziglar, One of a Kind

I loved listening to Zig Ziglar.  I first learned about him from my dad.  My father loved him.  Being in the sales profession until the day he died, my dad loved Zig Ziglar all of his personal and professional life and quoted him often!  He didn't just believe that the words of Zig Ziglar were beneficial for a sales career, but also for life in general.  My Dad was from the "old school" days of sales, the door-to-door knocking kind and he loved the concept of straight commission.  It drove him crazy when people complained about it.  His motto was, "I get paid exactly what I've earned" and he liked it that way.  People these days could learn a thing or two about the work ethic of those before us.  Today we live in a society that wants something for nothing.  It's pathetic.  But, hey, that's another blog.

Traveling with my dad on Saturday mornings knocking on hundreds of doors demonstrating and selling Electrolux vacuum cleaners, I was sure of three things.  #1) We'd sell vaccuums, #2) We'd be listening to Zig Ziglar cassettes!  And always, without fail, #3) I could count on Dad to quote Zig Ziglar throughout the day.

Here are some of my favorite Zig Ziglar quotes used by my own father.  And he always started them with this, "Baby Girl..............

"If you think you can or you think you can't, you're right."
“Remember that failure is an event, not a person.”
"You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”
“People often say motivation doesn’t last. Neither does bathing—that’s why we recommend it daily.”
“There has never been a statue erected to honor a critic.”
“People don’t buy for logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons.”
“Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.”
“If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.”
“A goal properly set is halfway reached.”
“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”
“If you can dream it, you can achieve it."

As far as I know, my Dad never got to meet Zig Ziglar in person, but just last month, I had the honor of meeting his daughter, Julie, at an event we were both speaking at.  I was beyond excited and thrilled to meet her.  I told her how much my father admired her father.  We had our picture made together, along with another friend, and I'll cherish it and my time with Julie for the rest of my life.  I know my father would have been beyond ectastic that I'd met one of his heroes daughter.  I'm looking forward to seeing her again in the near future as we continue working together fighting for the causes we both believe in.  We were blessed.  Our father's weren't perfect, but I can safely say that both of us would credit our father's for instilling our drive for success and being the best we can be.

Like I had to do seven years ago, I'm thinking about Julie today as she bids farewell to her own father, the greatest motivational speaker of all time, Mr. Zig Ziglar. 

I have a strong feeling my Dad and Zig have already met by now and they're having a blast:).

                                            Victoria, Linda Cochrane and Julie Ziglar