Bill Gates An Improbable Sales Hero - 1150 Words

William â€Å"Bill† Porter – An Improbable Sales Hero Many if not most professionals have current or historical figures, universally accepted as models in their field, from whose example they may glean insight and draw inspiration. For a few examples, Statesmen have George Washington or Lincoln; Scientists may look to Louis Pasteur or Marie Curie; Tech Entrepreneurs may look to Steve Jobs or Bill Gates; and the list goes on and on. One might say that the sales profession is a curious exception to the rule. Certainly, there are many speakers, authors and leaders in the sales profession who have taught and motivated multiple generations in the field – to name a few, Dale Carnegie, Zig Ziglar, Tom Hopkins, and Jeffrey Gitomer. Taking nothing†¦show more content†¦Would anyone consider these portrayals to positively demonstrate the qualities and value of sales professionals? Have these movies inspired anyone to pursue a professional sales career for noble reasons? I dare say the questions answer themselves. These sland erous characterizations, among many others, have denigrated the profession, and doubtlessly have deterred from understanding the true nature and value of this field (and kept many from considering this career as an option). The many unassuming, principled, service-minded professionals who perform their roles with integrity deserve much better than these scathing portrayals. With apologies to Tina Turner, you might say, â€Å"We DO need another hero! We need a champion!† With that thought in mind, we come to Bill Porter. Most of you reading this post will no doubt be unfamiliar with Mr. Porter. Many who saw him walk his daily door-to-door sales route in Portland, Oregon did not think much of this relatively non-aesthetic man. Anyone familiar with the sales profession knows instinctively that the determination to persevere through obstacles is essential for success. Few in the profession started their career with more challenges to overcome than Bill Porter. As a result of an injury sustained at birth in 1932, Bill was a lifelong sufferer of Cerebral Palsy. This left him with a speech impediment, the inability to drive, difficulty walking, andShow MoreRelatedCrossing the Chasm76808 Words   |  308 Pagesbook was published in 1991 by HarperBusiness, a division of HarperCollins Publishers. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Marie Contents PREFACE TO THE REVISED EDITION FOREWORD ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PART I Discovering the Chasm INTRODUCTION If Bill Gates Can Be a Billionaire 1 High-Tech Marketing Illusion 2 High-Tech Marketing Enlightenment PART II Crossing the Chasm 3 The D-Day Analogy v vi Contents 4 Target the Point of Attack 5 Assemble the Invasion Force 6 Read MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pagesmerchandise management. His first textbook, Marketing: Management and Social Change, was published in 1972. It was ahead of its time in introducing social and environmental issues to the study of marketing. Other books, Marketing Fundamentals, Retailing, Sales Management, and Marketing Research, followed. In 1976 the first Marketing Mistakes book was published and brought a new approach to case studies, making them student-friendly and more relevant to career enhancement than existing books. In 1983Read MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesTraining for International Projects 555 Summary 558 Chapter 14 Project Closure 504 Chapter 16 Oversight 564 Project Oversight 511 565 566 Importance of Oversight to the Project Manager Portfolio Project Management 566 Project Office 566 Phase Gate Methodology 568 Types of Project Closure 506 Wrap-up Closure Activities 507 Creating the Final Report 510 Post-Implementation Evaluation Team Evaluation 511 Individual, Team Member, and Project Manager Performance Reviews 514 OrganizationRead More65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays 2nd Edition 147256 Words   |  190 Pagesthis author clearly captures the hearts and minds of her readers. 19 AVin bansal This past summer, the VP and the only other associate on my team left Summit. The associate, my mentor, had been instrumental in helping me build financial and sales abilities in sourcing new oppor.. tunities..Without his and the VPs support, I knew that I would be called upon to step up and that my leadership would be tested in new and unforeseen ways. This quickly proved to be true when two new associatesRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagespeople—that is, they implemented effective people management strategies and demonstrated personal competency in management skills—had, on the average, a decrease in turnover of more than 7 percent, increased profits of $3,814 per employee, $27,044 more in sales per employee, and $18,641 more in stock market value per employee, compared to firms that had less effective people management (Huselid, 1995; Pfeffer Veiga, 1999). In a follow-up study of 702 firms, shareholder wealth was an amazing $41,000 per