TITLE : SECRET OF THE WORLD'S TOP SALES PERFORMERS.

How this book was written and why

I can't remember a six-month period of my life that has been as continually stimulating as this. Before leaving London last week, I sent a card to Frances Kelly, my agent, which had a phrase printed inside saying `Thank you rightening up my day' I crossed out `day' and put `year' in its place.

`Thanks for helping me make this book happen,'I told her. `This has been a most fascinating and rewarding experience.'

To talk to ten top achievers of the world, to exchange ideas and philosophies to hear their life stories, and to probe for what really makes them tick, has kept me constantly motivated.

I first had the idea for a study like this 12 years ago when I was in Sales and marketing management in the computer industry.

I walked into the MD's office in London where I was based and said `Dave, I've got a great idea. We have some real high flyers in this company selling in different parts of the world.

I want to find out how one woman in Miami can earn three times the commission everyone else is earning, every year. What makes her consistently do it?'

I suggested to him that we get the support of the company president and carry out a study. `We'll follow the high flyers for two days. We'll find out their strategies. We'll document exactly what they say. We'll find out how they do their planning, etc., etc.'

I reasoned from my own experience in selling that this would give everyone in sales a short cut to success. Why not learn from the best and stop trying to reinvent the wheel in our own microcosm?

The MD liked the idea, but his fears held him back. `What will the president think? After all, we have people whose job it is to train salespeople. Maybe he'll think we're not doing our job right.'

The idea has played on my mind ever since. Wouldn't it be useful to prove the universal truths about excellent salesmanship which others could follow?

Wouldn't it be interesting to see how these same principles are applied by people in all industries to get the best results?

Following the success of Your Pursuit of Profit in England, which went into seven foreign editions within two years of release (Dutch, French, German, Swedish, American, Australia and Japanese), my agent had been `gently' persuading me to do another book. (When you work with Frances, the word `gentle' takes on a new perspective.)

`I do have one great idea. But, Frances, I'm up to my eyes in seminars,' I told her as I explained the idea. 'I'm going to Australia for one seminar next month and then to Singapore for another. When I'm back, I've got speaking engagements. And my husband and I have promised ourselves more vacation time.'

`Never mind,' she said, 'the idea is great. You can do the interviews as you travel, between your seminars. You know how you are, you can't stand a dull moment anyway. You'll love it.'

The next thing I knew, she was on the phone again saying Century Hutchinson loved the idea too. They thought it had tremendous worldwide appeal.

When could I start, she asked. That was eight months ago and it seems like yesterday. The people I've met are the most positive and inspiring you'd hope to meet. Their principles are high. Their ethics are high. Their hopes for mankind are high. Their enthusiasm is contagious.

As I wrote the final chapter I reflected on what I, myself, had gained.

I thought about what Michael Renz kept saying to me during the Mercedes interview: `To teach is to learn.' He was referring to his own experience in training other people to sell.

I thought about myself and my role as the 'interpreter' between what my high flyers said and how I put it across to you.

I had to absorb it, to rehash it and then to teach it. And each time I learned.

I thought about what Micheline Notteboom said in Chapter 4 about the finesses of things. It's really the fine points that make the difference.

The more you delve, the more you see. The more profound the principles become.

It's been a wonderfully rewarding experience to see the principles, which Bill Sykes and I profess in our first book and in our seminars, come alive in so many ways, in so many countries, in so many industries.

It's been wonderful to create a new circle of friends around the world and to share in their lives. I had a call at midnight last week from Australia. It was Bob Broadley: `What time is it there? I've been trying to get you all week,' he said. `I've read the chapter, it's great.'

`Thanks, Bob,' I said. 'How are Maree and the kids?' 'Maree's up north getting some sun. Everything's great,' he said with the enthusiasm that only an Australian can put across.

`Aren't Australians terrific,' I said to my husband Tom, as I hung up, still half asleep. `That must have been Bob Broadley,' he said. It made me think about how much the book and its people had become so much part of both our lives - in fact the lives of everyone we know.

My hope is that it will become a significant part of your life, too. I hope that the people and their personalities will come alive for you - that their techniques will jump out at you, either in the chapters or the action sections, and that you'll be able to adapt them to your life to achieve the positive results you're looking for.

As I'm putting the final touches to the manuscript and getting ready to board the plane - this time for Australia to run a motivation seminar - I'm thinking over Frances Kelly's words. She's right. I can't stand a dull moment and I did love it.

Christine Harve 19 November 198