Sam Gave No Excuses

February 16, 2023

Sales Success Stories – No Excuses

Success Takes Daily Effort, But Excuses Last Forever.

Sam’s dad was an Ohio tanner. (For you city slickers,

that means his dad took animal skins and turned them into leather.)

It’s rather hard work today, let alone 180 years ago.

Suffice it to say, Sam was raised as what the politically correct today would call “working class.” (Excuse 1)

At the age of 17, Sam got into college, but they got his name wrong.

When he tried to change it, they told him to either live by the wrong name in college or go home with his true name.(Excuse 2)

Sam was middle of the road in college. (Excuse 3)

But he excelled as a horseman.

Upon graduation, he joined the Army, but instead of being placed—logically—into the cavalry, he was ordered to work in supplies and logistics (yawn!). (Excuse 4)

After a relatively successful 11-year career where he actually saw a little action on the front lines, he got sideways with a superior officer and was forced to resign immediately despite having a wife and two children to support. (Excuse 5)

For seven years, he struggled as a farmer, a bill collector, and another failed business, only to end up, at the age of 38, working as an assistant to his dad. (A whole lotta good that college degree did him!) (Excuse 6)

Then war broke out. (Excuse 7)

(THIS IS WHERE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPECTED AND UNDERSTOOD IF SAM HAD GONE ON A DRINKING BINGE AND KILLED HIMSELF. I MEAN, COME ON, HE HAD 7 KILLER EXCUSES TO QUIT, RIGHT? RIGHT?)

But Sam loved his country and fought for her.

In fact, he fought so well that he was made Commanding General of the United States Army in less than three years.

Four years later, he was elected President of the United States.

Four years later, he was reelected President of the United States.

“Sam” was the nickname Hiram Ulysses Grant was given by his West Point classmates after Thomas Hamer, the Congressman who appointed Grant to West Point, forgot Hiram was his first name. (Wow, a politician making a mistake!? Some things never change.)

Hamer knew that Grant’s mother’s maiden name was Simpson and mistakenly assumed Simpson was Ulysses Grant’s middle name.

Therefore, Hamer filled out the application in the name of “Ulysses S. Grant”.

So when “Lyss” showed up at West Point, his classmates took the initials of U.S. from “Uncle Sam” and applied it to U.S. Grant, ergo, “Sam.”

Perseverance Takes Effort. Apply The Effort.

Create your own Sales Success Stories.

Sam got back up every time he was knocked down, right up to the day he died.

You should, too.

You can.

Would you like a little help?

If you’re in sales, you’ll persevere “more better” with the help of this program…

Here Is What You Need To Do Next

Education without action is worthless.

A good plan executed today beats a perfect plan scheduled to be executed next week.

The choice is yours.

If you’re an action taker—and are since you’re reading this—here’s what I encourage you to do next:

  1. Brainstorm the excuses you’ve been making and/or accepting as to why you can’t do what you want to do.

  2. Put them on paper.

  3. Burn the paper.

  4. Once the fire is out safely, get to work doing one big, crazy, scary thing you’ve avoided for however many months or years.

  5. Contact me and let me know how it feels to be free of non-productive, bullshit excuses.

  6. Finally, if you haven’t subscribed to The Weekly Whisper, please do that now. I’ve got a new issue coming soon, and if you’re not subscribed, you may miss it. And trust me, you don’t want to miss this one. It may be the best one yet.

Market like you mean it.Now go sell something.