process and that selling could be done with honesty and done successfully, that is, when one has the knowledge of the steps to do so.

When I asked to have my old sales position back he responded with, “We don’t want you, you can’t sell anything.”

I responded, “I have an idea. I will take everything I own, pack it up, move across three states back to your company, take out a six-month lease on an apartment, all to come and sell at your next four-day expo. If I am not number one in sales by the end of the fourth day, I will quietly leave. My only request is that you pay me straight commission for the product that I do sell.”

He said, “Come on out and give it another try!” (Translation: after four years chances are good this will be five years in a row without any sales at an expo event. I think this was the second half of his motivational speech).

I arrived at the company and was greeted in a unique way. He said, “I just wanted you to know that we hired a professional salesman that travels the country and sells at expo events. He is extremely good and will be part of your competition.”

This owner just kept piling it on. It was a bold move to suggest that I would be the top salesperson at a show in which I had never sold anything previously. And now, he went and hired this professional salesperson to compete for that first place title.