One of the greatest sales lessons come from Etymology. From the dead language of Latin we gain the phrase “nōn omne quod nitet aurum est”, which literally translates to “not all that shines is gold”. Like me you likely learned this as a kid from your Aesop’s coloring book . The phrase is thought by etymologists to pre-date the 12th century, when it was shared in the common vernacular interprets to “all that glitters isn’t gold.” Clearly the implication is that “not everything that looks precious is precious.”
From contemporary songs to historic poems like Shakespear’s Merchant of Venice (Act II Scene VII) the Prince begins All that glisters is not gold; Often have you heard that told: Many a man his life hath sold… this wise line teaches us to look beneath the surface of people and things. Most people know that raw gold is observably dull compared to fools gold of lesser value which is catches your eye. For the sales person the moral of the story is that enthusiastic and good talkers may not be the brightest bulb in the tool box or those with true depth.
I get reminded of this month after month at an event, which always seems to select the beautiful and bold in its competition. To the intuitive, it appears they have paid more into the system, which earns accolades, but when you sit next to them in the following weeks, critical listening reveals fundamental sales 101 concepts have not been mastered… The people who should get votes are the ones who had to go thru a true transformation, the authentic underdog(s). Professionals who have to grow beyond a psycho-emotional barrier to implement and grow their business get my vote. Those who take a risk to invest in themselves sooner rather than later get my vote. The reason is that most authentic business folks,ages 35-60, are more like the old tortoise and hare story, slow and steadily moving forward.
Folks that steadily progress implement what they can, while praying they can implement all the ideas that come to them around the unseen barriers they over-come in day to day living. These folks are worth discovering helping to discover heir brilliance and unearthing their far more valuable gold. Cause real gold doesn’t come out of the mountain in the pretty little bricks we see in the movies. Real gold has rough edges that must be forged into something more moveable and shiny.
