The Greatest Salesman In the World – Augustine “Og” Mandino
About Book
Mastering any skill is a learning process. When your life is based on strong principles, there is greatness in the way you look, react and act. In this book, you will learn about those ten lenses with the help of which a camel boy became the greatest great salesman in the world.
About the Author
Augustine “Og” Mandino is a successful author and motivational speaker. Earlier he was an alcoholic. And once he even tried to commit suicide. But after that when he started reading self help books, his life changed. Mandino read many books and then started writing his own. Greatest Salesman is his most famous book which has now become an international best seller.
Introduction
Have you ever thought of doing something great? Something that the world will remember. Like becoming the greatest doctor of this world or becoming the greatest mimicry artist. Let’s ask another question. Have you ever thought that you have such a skill or skill that people will remember you for centuries, your name will appear in school textbooks?
We all want to achieve a position in life. We all want that we should have an identity, people should give us respect, we should have a name in the country and the world. Whether your name appears in the history text books or not, whatever your achievements in life will definitely make you feel that you are a successful person. Try asking the people of your neighborhood what is the meaning of success for them, then you will get many answers.
The meaning of success may be different for everyone, but the meaning of failure is same for everyone: Failure means not being able to achieve your goals in life. In this book, you will read the life and struggle of a great salesman and learn how he achieved great success in his life.
In this book you will read about those principles which he followed in his real life. His dream was to become a great salesman, he not only fulfilled his dream but also got a lot of love, happiness and peace of mind in his life. You will read in this book how our hero achieved his goals and lead a successful life.
Chapter I
Hafid was a very rich old man. He had a big mansion. Whoever went to his palace-like house was amazed to see the beauty inside. Everything in his palace had gold or silver workmanship and the walls were studded with diamonds and jewels. Seeing his pomp and show, anyone could say that Hafid is the richest man in the world and a very successful salesman.
Apart from a luxurious house, he also had a warehouse where he used to store things brought from different countries of the world like Greece and Egypt. Then he used to sell these things in trade emporium where there was a crowd of people for shopping. The things of Hafid’s emporium were very famous. Whatever goods he used to sell was of very good quality. In fact, people were very fond of the foreign things brought by Hafid and that is why people from all over the city used to buy goods from his store.
One day Hafid went to meet his old friend Erasmus. Erasmus was a book keeper. But Erasmus was surprised when Hafid told him, “I want to convert all the goods of my warehouse into gold and distribute it among the poor and want to give my business to someone who can run it properly.” You keep my palace and I am giving you some gold along with it.
Erasmus could not understand why Hafid was doing this but he fulfilled his friend’s wish and did what Hafid said.
Chapter II
And Erasmus kept a little gold for Hafid’s survival and distributed it among all the poor. The warehouse was empty. Hafid took his friend to a room which was closed since Hafid’s wife had died. Many types of talks and rumors were famous among the people regarding that room, but Hafid used to laugh after listening to all those things. Both went to the friends room. There was nothing else inside that room except a box. There were leather scrolls inside that box.
These were the same scrolls because of which Hafid considered himself the greatest salesman in the world. Those scrolls taught him the principles due to which he got so much money, fame, happiness, success, love and peace of mind in life.
Hafid asked Erasmus, “Would you like to stay with me until I hand over this precious treasure to someone who is capable of it”. And Erasmus, who was a loyal friend of Hafid, agreed and stayed with him.
Chapter III
Hafid was not born rich. In his childhood, he used to graze camels of a rich and intelligent salesman. That rich man had brought up Hafid. One night, Pathros, a wealthy salesman, was surprised when Hafid told him that he wanted to be a successful salesman like him. Patrons could not understand how Hafid suddenly developed the passion to become a great salesman. So Hafid told him that he wanted another salesman’s daughter named Lisha and if he had a lot of money then only he would be able to marry Lisha.
Pathros understood his point. He fully supported Hafid but he also advised Hafid that Hafid should not focus only on success and money but his target in life should be love, happiness and peace of mind. Pathros said that he would train Hafid. Pathros gave him the first task of training salesmen that he would have to go to Bethlehem. Pathros gave him a very valuable and very fine quality shawl and said, “You will have to go there and sell this shawl”. The problem was that no salesman had ever tried to go to Bethlehem because the people there were very poor. But Pathros said to Hafid, “Don’t return until this shawl is sold”.
Chapter IV
Hafid stayed in Bethlehem for four days. He used to go out everyday to sell that priceless shawl in the streets of the city, but no one was listening to him and even if someone had listened, he would not have had the money to buy the shawl. Hafid tried hard but the shawl did not sell. Defeated, he thought that he should return, then he remembered the goal of your life, then his courage returned.
His life’s dream was to marry that beautiful girl Lisha. Hafid was living in a cave in Bethlehem. One day when he returned to the cave, he was surprised to see a couple and their new born baby there. The couple and their baby were shivering with cold, the clothes on their bodies looked very tattered.
Hafid was feeling sorry for his condition. He took out the same priceless shawl from his luggage and showered it with great love on the couple. Hardly anyone in Bethlehem had such an expensive and fine shawl till date. Hafid came out of the cave and walked away, oblivious to the fact that the bright stars in the sky above were walking alongside him.
Chapter V
Hafid returned to Pathros. He could not complete his task and was very hurt by this. Pathros quickly took her to his tent. He wanted to know how was Hafid’s experience selling shawls in Bethlehem. Hafid told him everything while crying. He apologizes to Pathros for failing in the task. Pathros looked at the stars shining in the sky, whose brightness made the night as bright as day.
Chapter VI
Pathros suddenly fell very ill. He called Hafid to his chamber and asked him to open a box kept under his bed. Pathros told Hafid that it was because of this box that he became a great salesman.
Ten scrolls were kept in that box because of which he had so much knowledge. Pathros also told Hafid how the box came to him. When Pathros was young, he saved a man from a robber. After that both became very good friends. Then one day the man gave Pathros a box. The man said, “There are scrolls in this box, you will have to read them until you remember them by heart and understand them completely.”
Pathros started reading those scrolls everyday and then slowly it became his habit. The man also asked Pathros to give this box to someone who deserves it after him. And Pathros knew that no one could be more worthy than Hafid because the good he had done in Bethlehem had made the stars follow him here. Pathros had understood that Hafid is the only person who is capable of that box. And Pathros gave that box to Hafid and told him that after today we will never meet again.
Chapter VII
After that last meeting with Pathros, Hafid went to Damascus. He saw many salesmen in the markets there. Hafid felt a little insecure seeing him, he thought to himself “How can I dare to dream of becoming a great salesman being a humble camel boy”. Feeling sorry for himself, he went to an inn. He took a room on rent and went to his room and looked closely at the scrolls.
When he woke up in the morning, he saw a flock of birds flying in the sky outside the window. A bird came to his room and sat on top of that box. Hafid was surprised to see that little bird which came inside without any fear. He put bread and cheese pieces in front of the birds. Then he remembered what Pathros had told him before going to Bethlehem. “If your intention to be successful is firm, then nothing can spoil you.”
Hafid got a new courage as soon as he remembered the words of Pathros. He slowly opened the first scroll and started reading.
Chapter VIII: The Scroll Marked One
The beginning of a new life was written in the first scroll. Forget every mistake of your past and start a new tomorrow. Although there are many opportunities for success in a salesman’s career or in any career, but at the same time, many times one has to face disappointments and failures. However, despite all these difficulties, we have to maintain our courage and self-identity. You have a scroll to guide you that will help you achieve wealth, happiness and peace of mind in life.
Experience is not given in scrolls because experience has an expiry date. It is possible that some experience may be of great use today, but it is not necessary that it will be equally effective tomorrow. Such valuable principles are written in the scrolls which are evergreen i.e. they never get old. These principles are as relevant as they were yesterday and will remain so in the future as well.
There is a principle written in each scroll which rids us of bed habits and inculcates good habits in us. But for this you have to read every scroll for 30 days and only after that you will have to move towards the next scroll. Because what we repeat becomes our habit one day.
When you wake up, read each scroll in your mind. After lunch or before going to bed during the day. To become successful in life, you need to cultivate good habits and follow them strictly. Don’t be a victim of your bad habits because they will never let you move forward. But the question is, how will you inculcate the habit of good habits?
How to make the things written in the scrolls an essential part of your life? Because after that you will handle every situation of life, every problem in the same way as mentioned in the scroll. By practicing continuously, it will become very easy for you to perform. And from this only good habits will come in you. When you follow your good habits, you will become their slave.
Chapter IX: The Scroll Marked Two
The principle of Second Scroll is to start each day with love. Love everything that makes you happy. Love the rising sun in the sky that warms you, love the raindrops that soak you deep inside. Love the happiness that fills your heart and love the sadness that touches your soul.
Show the love you have in your heart. Be kind to whoever you meet. Give compliments to those you don’t like and one day they will also become your friends. Always support your friends, they will become more than your family. Never talk bad about someone behind his back, but always appreciate people for their good things.
Your respect will increase even more in their eyes. Whatever work you do, do it with all your heart and with love. Love is such a thing that a person can win anyone’s heart. Love is that thing by which we can win the trust of others and remove the distance between hearts. When you give love to someone, he will give you the same amount of love in return. Love is the thing by which hatred and anger can be won, so react with love in every situation. Your love will also save you from the bad habits of others.
When you have love in your heart, you will start loving yourself too. The person who loves himself, takes full care of his mental and physical health. Whatever such people do, they do it in a limit, so they never become a victim of any bad habit like drugs or alcohol, anger or hatred. When there is only love in your heart, then there will be no place for hatred in your life. And your every heart will be filled with love and peace.
Chapter X: The Scroll Marked Three
You will persist until you succeed.
If you keep trying and keep moving forward, you will definitely succeed one day. Remember you did not come in this world to lose and defeat is not in your blood. Every journey of life will give you a reward. And no one knows how much you will have to walk to reach that reward, but it is sure that your every step will take you closer to your destination.
Remember our small actions only give us big achievements one day. We may have to face defeat many times, but even in defeat there is a lesson which gives us victory in the next chance. Keep trying everyday, whether you get the result or not, but your effort should never decrease. Because failure is not your destiny and it cannot be. If your efforts continue, you will definitely win one day.
Chapter XI: The Scroll Marked Four
You are nature’s greatest miracle.
You are unique in yourself. There is no one like you in yesterday, today and tomorrow and will never be. Because God has made us all different. Maybe someone speaks, walks or behaves like you, maybe you have some things in common with others, but no two people are exactly the same.
That’s why you should be proud of your uniqueness and take maximum advantage of it. With this uniqueness of yours, you can create a different identity in the crowd and can do whatever you want. But you have to bring continuous improvement and development in yourself so that you do not become useless sitting idle. The only way to preserve your knowledge is to use it. Keep practicing what is written in the scrolls and apply it in every aspect of your life.
Chapter XII: The Scroll Marked Five
You will live this day as if it is your last
Don’t carry the burden of the past. Forget what happened because you cannot change it. Leave your every defeat, every failure behind. And you don’t need to take tension of future because no one has seen tomorrow. Then what to fear? You cannot change what has happened or not happened.
So we have to keep all the focus on our present, we have to give time to our today because only this is in our control. Enjoy every moment of life. We have got only one life so do something that the world will always remember.
Chapter XIII: The Scroll Marked Six
Today you will learn to control your emotions. Everything in this world is just opposite to each other. The sun rises and sets in the evening. Flowers wither after blooming. Similarly, your mood is sometimes good, sometimes bad. It is possible that while talking to your customers, your bad mood is visible on your face, then the customers may leave without buying anything. But if you welcome them with a smile, then they will definitely want to buy your product. So how to learn to control your emotions?
Remember, people who cannot control their feelings are weak. A strong person is the one who does not let his emotions dominate his actions. We should know about our moods that when we are happy and when we are sad. The person who has learned to control his moods, understand that he can control his actions, and this is the point in life from where you start writing your own destiny.
Chapter XIV: The Scroll Marked Seven
You will laugh at the world
It is not necessary to take yourself seriously all the time. Being serious will not solve any of our problems, but keeping smiling keeps our mood good and we can keep others happy as well. Despite this, if you are in a bad mood or someone makes you angry, remember the words:
“This too, shall pass.”
“Everything is temporary.”
So enjoy every moment of life and be happy because we cannot keep happiness closed for the future. When you are happy, you enjoy everything in life that you have, that you have got.
Chapter XV: The Scroll Marked at The Scroll Marked Eight
Today you will increase your value manifold.
Being a human, you can become whatever you want. You can write your own luck. You can choose any path and walk on it. And your willpower will increase your value many times as a human being. You can achieve them by setting goals. No matter how many difficulties come.
Just keep reminding yourself that even the biggest of problems cannot stop you from achieving your dreams. Difficulties mean that you are being sent towards your goals through a different path. That’s why always keep your goals big. Your target should be that today is better than yesterday and tomorrow is even better. Those who sit happy with small success cannot move forward much.
Chapter XVI: The Scroll Marked Nine
Your dreams will remain only dreams, your plans are useless and your goals will never be achieved unless you take action on them. Of course you have resources from all over the world, best advisors of the world are sitting ready to give you advice, you have the best technology, but unless you take action yourself, everything is useless.
Action means our actions which are very important for success. When you are determined to do something, then the fear of failure will automatically go out of your mind. It is better to fail by doing something than to sit idly by in fear. Of course, you will also make mistakes, you will also get challenges, but you have to keep moving forward in any situation. Your eyes should only be on your goal. Treat success like food, that is, you cannot sit peacefully until you get success.
Chapter XVII: The Scroll Marked Ten
No one person can do everything alone. Don’t ask material things like money and money from God. If you want to ask something from above, then ask for guidance that you can get everything that you need in life. We need guidance and discipline to achieve success on our own terms, only then we can live our life on our own terms.
Chapter XVIII
Hafid, along with his friend Erasmus, was waiting for someone who would be worthy of those scrolls. And both of them waited patiently for three years. Then one day a strange looking man came to collect those scrolls. He was walking with a limp and his clothes were also torn. There were marks of wounds all over his body. That man came and stood in front of them and told his name as Saul.
He was a resident of Tarsus and Rome (Saul, a citizen of Tarsus and also Rome). Many people also called him Paul. Four years ago Paul went to Damascus because he wanted to punish the followers of Jesus by tying them in chains. His heart was filled with hatred for them. But one day a lightning flashed in front of Paul and a voice came from the sky “My child! Why don’t you believe me? Hearing that voice, Paul realized his mistakes. He went to Jerusalem and there he started telling people about the son of God.
Paul continued to preach to them, although no one would listen to him. People were afraid of him because the man who earlier used to criticize those who believed in Jesus, today he was praising Jesus. Then many days passed, one day again Paul heard the same heavenly voice. That voice ordered Paul “If you want people to listen to you, you have to guide them by going to the World’s Greatest Salesman.
Hafid asked Paul to tell him more about Jesus. Paul took out a red shawl from his pack and placed it on Hafid’s lap. It was the same priceless shawl he had given to the couple in the cave of Bethlehem many years ago. Paul told him that it was the most precious thing in the world that Jesus had left behind. Hafid had tears in his eyes, he hugged Paul. Hafid said to Erasmus, “Bring that box, we have found the right person who can handle it.”
Conclusion
In this book you read about those principles which can give you happiness, love and peace of mind. Our goal in life is not to acquire material things because these things can be snatched away from you at some point or the other. If something has to change, then change your attitude, your way of seeing, reacting, and handling things. remember these ten scrolls
forget the past
love for all in your heart
try till you get success
Appreciate your strengths.
Live your every day as if it is the last.
Learn to control your emotions.
Meet the most laughing. laugh a lot and laugh
Increase your value..
try to make your dreams come true
do not extend your hand to anyone except the one above
Finally, if you have reached the end of this summary, then Congratulations, there are very few people who invest time on knowledge, otherwise you could have wasted time elsewhere.
Thanks………