Billy Graham – the best salesperson I ever met
Other ministers told funnier jokes than Billy Graham, did a better job of illustrating Bible passages and organizing sermons, but no one was more effective than Graham in getting people to step forward in front of the congregation and make a commitment.
Translated from evangelism, that is what I call closing the sale. It’s no wonder since he started his career as a Fuller Brush salesman.
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), which was headquartered in Minneapolis, was instrumental in helping me get started in the envelope manufacturing business in the 1960s. No one I’ve ever done business with has ever cared about me the way the Billy Graham organization did. And I’m Jewish. They were one of the largest envelope users in the country and were one of my biggest customers until they moved their headquarters to North Carolina 40 years later.
The BGEA earned loyalty that no amount of money could buy. They recognized a business principle that is so elementary – If you expect the other person to care about you, show that you care about them. It’s the Golden Rule of business. Because of this relationship, the BGEA got the best quality, the best delivery and the best prices. They paid promptly, many times before I even shipped the product – absolutely unheard of in the envelope business.
No wonder I was proud to call Billy Graham a friend. Billy even honored me by providing an endorsement for my first book, “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.”
Graham’s personal qualities set him far apart from other evangelists. He was a man of utmost integrity and concern for people. He was always quick to point out that he was just one member of a team.
How true! Billy was the quintessential Mr. Outside. He embodied the image of the organization, both to the outside world and to the people who work at BGEA. The late George Wilson was Mr. Inside. George passed away in 1999, and I was privileged to be asked to eulogize George, along with Billy. While Billy provided the inspiration for the BGEA,
George kept the place humming. As Mr. Inside, George was low-profile, low-key, tireless, with an eye for talent and detail.
Most organizations need both these talents – the salesperson who brings in the business and the manager who knows what to do with it. Surprisingly many businesses don’t understand this or that those two talents seldom are found in the same person. Selling is not a function of grandiose personalities and paraphernalia.
For decades, Billy Graham was on a list of the 10 most respected Americans. He maintained his status and high visibility by sticking to the qualities that got him there – sincerity and moral integrity. While others in his …read more
Source: Harvey Mackay
