Seeds of Greatness - The Fourth Seed

Dennis Waitley has authored a few more books than me. And he's sold a few more, too. Maybe 1000 times as many. But who's counting? In his 1983 best seller, which is still selling quite nicely today, he listed 10 Seeds of Greatness.

"The Fourth Best-Kept Secret to Total Success is that of a large vocabulary - which implies broad, general knowledge, characterizes the more successful persons, regardless of their occupation."

He goes on to stress the importance of reading everything you can get your hands on to enhance your knowledge of your industry, your occupation, and the general information about our culture that will lead people to think you are wise.

No sales professional goes on a call with unkempt clothes, but even the sharpest looking dresser can undo the first impression when they open their mouth and display their poor verbal skills. (By the way, that goes for foul language, too.)

Impress them with your knowledge and your ability to fill their needs, of course. But make sure that you get the chance. Speak using good grammar and with the appropriate vocabulary for the occasion.