Podcast appearances and mentions of harry maziar

This week’s guest Harry Maziar. Harry served as President of Zep Manufacturing Company for 27 years and during his tenure, Zep became an international leader in the specialty chemical industry. As a sales representative, Harry was so successful he was named the company’s first director of sales and he led 2,000 salespeople to produce double-digit growth for 25 straight years. Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot called Harry one of the greatest salesmen of all time. Harry eventually retired as Chairman of the Chemical Division of National Service, then a publicly traded NYSE company.    Where to follow Harry: To find Harry’s book, Story Selling, go https://www.amazon.com/Story-Selling-Advice-Common-Success/dp/1683504100 (here).   In this episode we cover the following topics with Harry: [3:30] minute: What was life like for you growing up and what were the beliefs around money and success that were instilled in you as a child? First generation American growing up with an air of expectation and personal responsibility. Self disciplined and staying on the straight and narrow was a part of life. [4:20] minute: The idea of “I’m not going to hold your hand, you’ve got to get this done,” that helps make a great salesperson would you agree? Ten two letter words: “If it is to be, it is up to me.” You need teachers, coaches, a pat on the back, but it comes down to your commitment.  [5:30] minute: How did you get into sales at the start of your career? Began selling coca-cola on his front lawn (from Atlanta, home of Coca-Cola).  Always was selling things. Didn’t know what he wanted to do but knew he didn’t want to wear an apron as lots of adults around him growing up did. Sales was an entry to something else. No prototype to a salesperson, not born that way, just need to be committed.  [8:00] minute: What was the transition like going from a salesperson yourself to managing a team of 2000 salespeople instead. Was that difficult going from leading yourself to leading others to the same results? A lot of the principles still applied; treating people well and setting them up for success. Was good enough to recognize what worked for sales and what didn’t, and while he may not have been the top ranked salesperson he was capable of creating those people. [10:50] minute: What did you see missing from the landscape of selling that you wanted to bring to the conversation with your book? Selling is passion, emotions, building friendships.  Wrote a weekly newsletter that laid the groundwork and the audience for a book. Each chapter of the book has a purpose. “It’s not a how-to sell a product, it’s a why to sell a product.” [13:15] minute: For practitioners turned business owners who feel a little icky about selling, how would you recommend they get comfortable with sales? No simple success pattern.  If they are uncomfortable it’s likely because they don’t recognize the importance of what they are doing to the people they are calling on. “People that don’t get carried away, should be.” [16:00] minute: What tips would you have around how to differentiate yourself in the marketplace when you are selling? When they could get so many similar products, how do you show you are differentiated? There is no such thing as a commodity.  The interest in the customer should be paramount; prove the value to the customer. [19:00] minute: I’ve found it valuable to hold back the urge to talk about features and benefits until I’ve asked plenty of questions, any thoughts around that? 80/20 is a good measure of how much you should be listening (80) and talking (20) during a sales meeting. This way you learn the customer. [21:00] minute: In your experience in leading such a massive salesforce, what are one or two of the most common pitfalls sales people fall into and how do you avoid that? Most fail because of lack of focus. Most are just not willing to pay what

Harry Maziar may not be a technology professional as you and I would describe it. I don't care. He knows more about helpful selling than I'll ever know, which is why I wanted to talk to him on Helping Sells Radio. After a successful career in sales, then running sales, then as president, then as chairman of a publicly traded NYSE company, Harry wrote a book called, Story Selling: Sage Advice and Common Sense About Sales and Success. The book is full of memorable and useful advice, like "I must do something" will always solve more problems than "something must be done" and "self discipline is the original do-it-yourself job." After you read Harry's book, you can't help but call a customer and try to be helpful.  Learn more about Harry: Get his book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071GB716T/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1   We write about all of our podcasts! Check out the full posts and learn what we learn from our guests at helpingsells.com.  Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to “Helping Sells Radio" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Spotify Follow us on Social Media: ServiceRocket YouTube Twitter Facebook Linkedin Instagram Bill Cushard Twitter Linkedin Instagram Tell us what you think of Helping Sells Radio We'd love it if you'd: Write a review where ever you get your podcasts. Tweet us using the hashtag #HelpingSells. Comment below. Thank you for listening to the show. Get on the email list at helpingsells.substack.com

Harry Maziar is an author and philanthropist whose career has combined family, business, and community. He served as President of Zep Manufacturing Company, a division of National Service Industries, for 27 years. During his tenure, Zep became an international leader in the specialty chemical industry. As a sales representative, Harry was so successful he was named the company's first director of sales and he led 2,000 salespeople who produced double-digit growth for 25 straight years. Harry retired as Chairman of the Chemical Division of National Service, then a publicly traded NYSE company. Harry jokes that he has failed retirement as he has busied himself with both for-profit and non-profit endeavors. He serves on various business and community boards, and has been active in a variety of philanthropic and social programs, including Junior Achievement of Atlanta, the Atlanta Humane Society, United Way of Metro Atlanta, and Kennesaw State University, where he continues to serve as the first Executive in Residence of the Coles College of Business. One of his proudest achievements in retirement has been completion of his book Story Selling: Sage Advice and Common Sense About Sales and Success, a  passion project aligned with Harry's mission of inspiring and empowering anyone to pursue their purpose in life (and succeed while doing it).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you love quotes, you’re going to love this episode! Harry Maziar, a seasoned sales expert, shares with us how he built up empires not only using sales strategies, but also an awful lot of straight forward common sense. But this is not just another episode on how to sell. Tune in for an episode peppered with genius quotes, some humorous, some discerning and some that will stick with you as you go about your day.   My Guest: Harry Maziar Harry Maziar (pronounced like “Frasier”) is an author and philanthropist whose career has combined family, business, and community. He served as President of Zep Manufacturing Company, a division of National Service Industries, for 27 years. During his tenure, Zep became an international leader in the specialty chemical industry. As a sales representative, Maziar was so successful he was named the company's first director of sales and he led 2,000 salespeople who produced double-digit growth for 25 straight years.   Maziar retired as Chairman of the Chemical Division of National Service, then a publicly traded NYSE company. Maziar jokes that he has failed retirement as he has busied himself with both for-profit and non-profit endeavors. He serves on various business and community boards, and has been active in a variety of philanthropic and social programs, including Junior Achievement of Atlanta, the Atlanta Humane Society, United Way of Metro Atlanta, and Kennesaw State University, where he continues to serve as the first Executive in Residence of the Coles College of Business.   One of his proudest achievements in retirement has been completion of his book Story Selling: Sage Advice and Common Sense About Sales and Success. A passion project aligned with Harry's mission of inspiring and empowering anyone to pursue their purpose in life (and succeed while doing it). Articles by and about Maziar have appeared in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and he has been featured on Delta Air Lines' “Flight Talk.” Maziar earned a BBA degree from Georgia State University. Above all, Mr. Maziar and his wife, Sherry, treasure their family. Their three children and eight grandchildren have brought them unparalleled blessings and joy.   Episode Highlights:   [7:59] Sales people are not born. You don’t pick up birth announcements and see “Born today a salesperson”   [11:49] Estie: Where do you draw the line between persistent and harassment? Harry: Oh, it’s a very good question. And again, there’s not a hard and fast rule. You have to listen. If you sense that the prospect or the customer is impatient is saying that’s enough, whether he says it directly or not, then you know, it’s time to fold your book and say, “Look, I’ll be back in 30 days, I want to bring this to your attention. In the meantime, we’ll leave you this little brochure, or you’ll send a follow-up note or email. Let them know it’s not over, it just wasn’t now.   [18:33] Each letter ended with a little box at the end with a Harry’s hint, tagline. And in it was a little adage a little saying, some I would make up, some I stole off of church bulletin boards. Little catchy phrases, like “Selling is a trick but it isn’t trickery” or like, “The safest gamble of all is to take a chance on yourself” or “fight truth-decay”, or “When you put a limit on what you will do, you put a limit on what you can do” and “the only thing to try when all else fails, is try again”   [30:13]: You need to make sure you communicate with them. Morning, noon, and night, whether it be emails, whether it be letters, whether it be Twitter, I don’t care what you’ve got to stay in front of your reps. You’ve got to be accessible. So many people build barriers that shouldn’t be built.   [33:01] Estie: What should someone...

If you love quotes, you’re going to love this episode! Harry Maziar, a seasoned sales expert, shares with us how he built up empires not only using sales strategies, but also an awful lot of straight forward common sense. But this is not just another episode on how to sell. Tune in for an episode peppered with genius quotes, some humorous, some discerning and some that will stick with you as you go about your day.   My Guest: Harry Maziar Harry Maziar (pronounced like “Frasier”) is an author and philanthropist whose career has combined family, business, and community. He served as President of Zep Manufacturing Company, a division of National Service Industries, for 27 years. During his tenure, Zep became an international leader in the specialty chemical industry. As a sales representative, Maziar was so successful he was named the company's first director of sales and he led 2,000 salespeople who produced double-digit growth for 25 straight years.   Maziar retired as Chairman of the Chemical Division of National Service, then a publicly traded NYSE company. Maziar jokes that he has failed retirement as he has busied himself with both for-profit and non-profit endeavors. He serves on various business and community boards, and has been active in a variety of philanthropic and social programs, including Junior Achievement of Atlanta, the Atlanta Humane Society, United Way of Metro Atlanta, and Kennesaw State University, where he continues to serve as the first Executive in Residence of the Coles College of Business.   One of his proudest achievements in retirement has been completion of his book Story Selling: Sage Advice and Common Sense About Sales and Success. A passion project aligned with Harry's mission of inspiring and empowering anyone to pursue their purpose in life (and succeed while doing it). Articles by and about Maziar have appeared in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and he has been featured on Delta Air Lines' “Flight Talk.” Maziar earned a BBA degree from Georgia State University. Above all, Mr. Maziar and his wife, Sherry, treasure their family. Their three children and eight grandchildren have brought them unparalleled blessings and joy.   Episode Highlights:   [7:59] Sales people are not born. You don’t pick up birth announcements and see “Born today a salesperson”   [11:49] Estie: Where do you draw the line between persistent and harassment? Harry: Oh, it’s a very good question. And again, there’s not a hard and fast rule. You have to listen. If you sense that the prospect or the customer is impatient is saying that’s enough, whether he says it directly or not, then you know, it’s time to fold your book and say, “Look, I’ll be back in 30 days, I want to bring this to your attention. In the meantime, we’ll leave you this little brochure, or you’ll send a follow-up note or email. Let them know it’s not over, it just wasn’t now.   [18:33] Each letter ended with a little box at the end with a Harry’s hint, tagline. And in it was a little adage a little saying, some I would make up, some I stole off of church bulletin boards. Little catchy phrases, like “Selling is a trick but it isn’t trickery” or like, “The safest gamble of all is to take a chance on yourself” or “fight truth-decay”, or “When you put a limit on what you will do, you put a limit on what you can do” and “the only thing to try when all else fails, is try again”   [30:13]: You need to make sure you communicate with them. Morning, noon, and night, whether it be emails, whether it be letters, whether it be Twitter, I don’t care what you’ve got to stay in front of your reps. You’ve got to be accessible. So many people build barriers that shouldn’t be built.   [33:01] Estie: What should someone...

If you love quotes, you’re going to love this episode! Harry Maziar, a seasoned sales expert, shares with us how he built up empires not only using sales strategies, but also an awful lot of straight forward common sense. But this is not just another episode on how to sell. Tune in for an episode peppered with genius quotes, some humorous, some discerning and some that will stick with you as you go about your day.   My Guest: Harry Maziar Harry Maziar (pronounced like “Frasier”) is an author and philanthropist whose career has combined family, business, and community. He served as President of Zep Manufacturing Company, a division of National Service Industries, for 27 years. During his tenure, Zep became an international leader in the specialty chemical industry. As a sales representative, Maziar was so successful he was named the company's first director of sales and he led 2,000 salespeople who produced double-digit growth for 25 straight years.   Maziar retired as Chairman of the Chemical Division of National Service, then a publicly traded NYSE company. Maziar jokes that he has failed retirement as he has busied himself with both for-profit and non-profit endeavors. He serves on various business and community boards, and has been active in a variety of philanthropic and social programs, including Junior Achievement of Atlanta, the Atlanta Humane Society, United Way of Metro Atlanta, and Kennesaw State University, where he continues to serve as the first Executive in Residence of the Coles College of Business.   One of his proudest achievements in retirement has been completion of his book Story Selling: Sage Advice and Common Sense About Sales and Success. A passion project aligned with Harry's mission of inspiring and empowering anyone to pursue their purpose in life (and succeed while doing it). Articles by and about Maziar have appeared in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and he has been featured on Delta Air Lines' “Flight Talk.” Maziar earned a BBA degree from Georgia State University. Above all, Mr. Maziar and his wife, Sherry, treasure their family. Their three children and eight grandchildren have brought them unparalleled blessings and joy.   Episode Highlights:   [7:59] Sales people are not born. You don’t pick up birth announcements and see “Born today a salesperson”   [11:49] Estie: Where do you draw the line between persistent and harassment? Harry: Oh, it’s a very good question. And again, there’s not a hard and fast rule. You have to listen. If you sense that the prospect or the customer is impatient is saying that’s enough, whether he says it directly or not, then you know, it’s time to fold your book and say, “Look, I’ll be back in 30 days, I want to bring this to your attention. In the meantime, we’ll leave you this little brochure, or you’ll send a follow-up note or email. Let them know it’s not over, it just wasn’t now.   [18:33] Each letter ended with a little box at the end with a Harry’s hint, tagline. And in it was a little adage a little saying, some I would make up, some I stole off of church bulletin boards. Little catchy phrases, like “Selling is a trick but it isn’t trickery” or like, “The safest gamble of all is to take a chance on yourself” or “fight truth-decay”, or “When you put a limit on what you will do, you put a limit on what you can do” and “the only thing to try when all else fails, is try again”   [30:13]: You need to make sure you communicate with them. Morning, noon, and night, whether it be emails, whether it be letters, whether it be Twitter, I don’t care what you’ve got to stay in front of your reps. You’ve got to be accessible. So many people build barriers that shouldn’t be built.   [33:01] Estie: What should someone...

Story Selling with Harry Maziar #276

Harry Maziar is the consummate sales professional. He was the CEO of a sales organization with more than 2,000 representatives. He is the first Executive in Residence at Kennesaw State University and was instrumental in developing their Center for Professional Selling.

Storytelling is one of the first forms of communication to have existed. It's one that's intimately human. It has power for connection few other forms provide, yet it's often misunderstood and rarely executed well. So how does one understand the power of story and leverage it in sales? How does it support the belief that sales is an honorable profession? How does it help you become memorable? Listen in as Harry Maziar, author of Story Selling: Sage Advice and Common Sense About Sales and Success, shares some of his own stories. He's a quote machine and an incredible storyteller. You won't want to miss this one.

Storytelling is one of the first forms of communication to have existed. It's one that's intimately human. It has power for connection few other forms provide, yet it's often misunderstood and rarely executed well. So how does one understand the power of story and leverage it in sales? How does it support the belief that sales is an honorable profession? How does it help you become memorable? Listen in as Harry Maziar, author of Story Selling: Sage Advice and Common Sense About Sales and Success, shares some of his own stories. He's a quote machine and an incredible storyteller. You won't want to miss this one.

Harry Maziar is an author and philanthropist whose career has combined family, business, and community. For 27 years, he served as President of Zep Manufacturing Company, which grossed nearly a billion in annual revenue. You may be familiar with some of their automotive brands, such as Armor-All, Black Magic, and Rain-X. Originally a sales representative, Maziar was so successful he was named the company’s first Director of Sales and he led 2,000 direct salespeople who produced double-digit growth for 25 straight years. Maziar retired as Chairman of the Chemical Division of National Service, then a publicly traded NYSE company. Maziar jokes that he has failed retirement as he has busied himself with both for-profit and non-profit endeavors. One of his proudest achievements in retirement has been completion of his book "Story Selling: Sage Advice and Common Sense About Sales and Success."

Harry Maziar’s career as a business leader has been long, successful, and storied. Harry served as the President of Zep Manufacturing Company, a division of National Service Industries, for 27 years. Prior to his role as President, Harry served as the company’s first director of sales, where his leadership helped to create double-digit growth consistently for two and a half decades. In recent years, Harry has served on a number of business and community boards for both for-profit and charitable organizations. He is also the author of Story Selling: Sage Advice and Common Sense About Sales and Success, where he offers a collection of entertaining and informative stories as a mechanism to teach the key principles of sales in a memorable and engaging way. Harry’s passion is to inspire and empower others to pursue their life’s purpose and find true success. Harry Maziar’s wisdom, experience and talent for sales and leadership can be valuable tools for your own pursuit of being the most effective leader you can be. I hope you will listen to the episode and absorb Harry’s teachings. — As leaders, we’re always looking to better ourselves, strengthen our leadership, and inspire those around us. That focus and drive to constantly be improving is a key ingredient in becoming a great leader. And one of the many ways that we can learn important lessons is through stories Today I’d like to introduce you to master storyteller Harry Maziar. Harry is a business leader and salesperson with a proven track record of success. As both director of sales and, later, President of Zep Manufacturing Company, Harry led his company through an incredible period of growth and prosperity over the span of his career. Harry is also the author of Story Selling, in which he shares powerful, entertaining and inspiring stories of sales and leadership. In this episode of Absolute Advantage, Harry discusses the importance of storytelling as a way to transfer knowledge in a memorable way. He talks about the qualities of a leader and the critical role that clear communication serves in leading others and bringing them to your way of thinking. And he shares his thoughts on mentorship and the importance of paying it forward. Harry Maziar is a thoughtful, genuine and entertaining storyteller and a truly exceptional leader. Additional Resources: Story Selling by Harry Maziar: https://amzn.to/2VxzjaO

Get the show notes and bonuses for all episodes here ( https://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/topic/podcast ). Join The Cool Kids Club ( https://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/30-day-sales-growth ) * Failed at retirement * Why do apples turn brown? * "Pop, are you talking to me?" * "Cool Hand Luke" * Failure to communicate * Should you always be closing? * The carnival barkers and hucksters * The close is an integral part of the conversation * Make the horse/customer thirsty * Make friends and build relationships * People want to buy from their friends * Most salespeople fail to ask for the order * They fear rejection * Cold calls are no longer needed if you're not lazy * There's no such thing as a commodity * Differentiate yourself * "Harry's Hints: the best tips don't work unless you do" * Consistency vs. Creativity * Show up on time, in time, enough times * Have trinkets to leave behind * Make friends with the receptionists and gatekeepers * Be a good listener * Talking is sharing. Listening is caring. * The main problem all companies have centers on attracting, training, motivating, and retaining great people * People will have 12 jobs today * Recognition and Reward are fundamental * Involve your people. Don't ignore them. * Money is not #1 but it's important * Keep doors open. Keep your people included in what is happening. * Smart companies promote from within * He wrote a 3-page sales letter every week for 27 years, each with a "Harry's Hint Get all of the show notes for every episode of The Sales Podcast ( https://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/podcasts/ ) with Wes Schaeffer, The Sales Whisperer® ( https://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/ ). Use these resources to grow your sales: * Sell More This Month ( https://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/30-day-sales-growth ) * Hire Better Salespeople ( https://talentgenius.simplybook.me/v2/ ) * Hire The Best Keynote Speaker ( https://www.wesschaeffer.com/ ) * Find Your Best CRM ( https://info.thesaleswhisperer.com/best-crm-quiz ) * Join the Free Facebook Group ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/theimplementors/ ) Check out early episodes of The Sales Podcast: * Episodes 1 to 10 ( https://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/sales-podcast-episodes-one-to-ten ). * Episodes 11 to 20 ( https://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/the-sales-podcast-episodes-11-20 ). * Episodes 21 to 30 ( https://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/sales-podcast-episodes-21-30 ). * Episodes 31 to 40 ( https://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/sales-podcast-episodes-31-40 ). * Episodes 41 to 50 ( https://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/sales-podcast-episodes-41-50 ). Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-sales-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy