Albert E. N. Gray’s pamphlet-style book The New Common Denominator of Success provides simple but all-encompassing advice for what it takes for you to become successful. According to Grey, in order for you to be successful, you need to have a purpose in life.
Although you need something to strive for, that purpose can’t just be a desire for success or to have your needs met. Those goals will not drive you into becoming successful because they do not provide a strong enough purpose. They don’t have enough power behind them to keep you going when you don’t want to do something anymore because it is hard or because you feel as if your needs have been met.
This is important because Grey states that another key factor in becoming successful is building habits around doing things you do not want to do. It is only when you are willing to do things that you do not want to do that you will be able to achieve the things you want to achieve. In life, you have to work to see results.
Grey relates this concept to the sales industry by explaining how each aspect of your sales technique is structured by these kinds of habits. If you are willing to work hard calling people who don’t want your product and don’t want to listen to you, then you are willing to put yourself in a position to be most successful.
Grey further explains that in order to motivate yourself into building those kinds of uncomfortable habits, your purpose must be both “practical” and “sentimental and emotional.” Once you have a purpose that is practical, sentimental, and emotional at the same time, you will find the strength to do the things you do not want to do and become successful. Otherwise, you might give up if you do not start seeing immediate results when you first start doing things you do not want to do.
The book is also full of motivational quotes which will help you think about your achievements, goals, and purpose. Anyone reading this book will be left with a deeper understanding of themselves and what it will take for them to become successful in their sales, life, or more.