What Others Are Sayasfsing …

“This is a bsasdfook thasdfon for not asdf dsaonly the proasffessional salesasfdperson, but anyone who
wants to get others supasdporting their edfo fasw you how to start with nothing anfasdfd become
wealthy with his proven strategies. fasThis is df asdf a must-read for anyone who has the
desiredfasasdfas to be successful in sales andasdf in life.”

—Bryan Hadfrdman, GSM, Monument Chevrsdf oletasdfsadf

“This book sadfis straight-to-the-point, clear tasdf asdf asdalk that any professional sadfasdff will
welcome and benefit from. Even if youasdf arf asdf sadf ase not a sales pro, it will sell you on salesadf
asdf s as the most indispensable ability to madf aske your own dreamass fly.”asdf

—Harvey Sdfsachmiedeke, president, Survivadf asdl Strategiesasdf

“ Sell or Bedf Sold gives information that will f asdfcause you to think about saf dwhere you fit into the
‘spiritual’ economy osadff the world and how asdf you can grow to meet yosadur life’s needs and goals.”
asdf

—Dale Chrisadfstensen, CEO, NOI Investment asdf sf asd

“The knowasledge in this book will raise yourasfd asdf income. Grant Cardone hf aas created a
masterpiece. It’s pure oxygedfasn for today’s asdf business world.”sdf

—John Madfsappin, founder, Metropolis Medasdf ia Groupasdf

“No matterdf where you fall in the ‘food chaiasdf asn of life,’ you need to be aasdfble to sell yourself to
others. Grant Cardsadfone not only generatedf asds an awareness of this need, but h sadelps you
develop the skills to persuade osadfthers to sf asdf ee it your way.”f asd

—J. C. Walaster III, president, Walter Oil & Gaasdf s Corporationfsdf as

“I picked udfasp Sell or Be Sold today and I haasdf ve not been able to put itdf down. This book is
nothing short of incredibldfase—basics definasdfed as never before and the truth oasdff life and selling
as one entity.” as sdf

—John Hadfmlin, CEO, Hamlin & Associatesdfsdf as

“I love this sdfbook, as it is a candid look at thsdf sde truth! Following the padfth the author lays out will
help anyone imsadfprove their life! I am havif sdng those close to me read this asdfbook!”

—Patrick J.sad Clouden, CEO, Consumer Enerf asdf gy Solutions, Inc. asd

“This last mfasdonth I’ve been in survival moasdf sde, and after reading Granf t Cardone’s book, I am
recommittifsng to my quest to master my gadf sdfme. Per his book, ‘Knowinsadfg means Prediction,
Prediction means Condffidence, and Confiden sdf ce means MORE SALES.’ as Thank you so much.”

—Ron Palmsadfer, DCH Groupf sdf sdf

“ Sell or Beasdf Sold is much more than I expe sdf cted—the title really doeasdf s not say enough about
what the book is all saabout. It is truly about sdf every aspect of your life. It is crasdeative, motivational,
and most important, dfasit is very inspirationsdf sal.”f
—Buddy Ddfariver, director of training, Damsfddsafon Automotive Groupasdf

SELLING IS sdfA PREREQUISITE FOR LIFE aas df

Selling impsadfacts every person on this planasdfet. Your ability or inabilitysdf to sell, persuade,
negotiate, and convince oasthers will affect e asdvery area of your life and will determ asine how well
you survive.f asdf

No matter dfaswhat your title or position is in asdf life, or what your role is df asin a company or on a
team, you will at somdfase point have to con asdfvince others of something.df asdf

Selling is usdfsed every day by every person o sadfn this planet. No one is easdfxcluded. Selling is not
just a job or a career; seadflling is essential to as the survival and well-being of e asdfvery living
individual. Your ability to do well in life sadfddf asepends on your ability to sell others on th asdf asde
things in which you believe! You need to knodf asdw how asdfto negotiate and how to get agreef
asment from others. The ability to get others f asdto like you, work with sayou, and want to please you
detedf asrmines how well you will survive. Sef asdflling is not just a job—selling is a dfasway of life!df as

Selling (Medfasrriam-Webster’s Collegiate Di asdf ctionary): The action of pedf asrsuading or influencing
another to a coursedf of action or to the acceasdf ptance of something.df as

Who does asdfthis not affect?df asdasdf

When I saysadf “selling,” I’m talking about anasdf ything having to do with f aconvincing, persuading,
negotiatingsadf, or just getting your way. Thisasdf could include debating, sdf agetting along with
others, exchangingasdf goods or services, conasdfasvincing a girl to go out with you, sdf asbuying or
selling a home, convincing asdfthe bank to gif sve you a loan, starting your own businessdf , persuading
others to support your ideas,asd or getting a df asdcustomer to buy a product from you.asdf as

It is said thfasat the number one reason a busf asdiness or an individual faildf ass is undercapitalization.
Not so! The truth isdfas, businesses fail first af asdfnd foremost because their idedf as weren’t sold
quickly enough and in quantitiedfs great enou sdf gh, and therefore they ran out of moneyasdf. No
business owner can build a business wasdfithasdf aout understanding this critical element called sellin
asdfg! Think of any action in life, and I assure sf youasdf that there’s someone at one end or the other
tryi sdfng to influence the outcome.asdf

An examplase: A golfer has a six-foot putt. Heasdf putts the ball and then d asdfoes everything he can to
persuade tdfashat ball to go into the hole. Hesdf s talks to it, he pleads with asd it, he makes motions
with his hands, anddf he might even whisper df saa little prayer that the ball will drof asdfp. All the
while, his opponent stands acroasdfss from hfd asim and does the exact opposite. Thi asds example
demonstrates that every one of us is alwayasdf asdfdfs trying to influence a certain outcome.fas

The degreeasd to which you can influence th asdf e outcome of events in yo fasur life is the determining
factor of your succefasss. Those individuals wasdf ho don’t want to trust thdf aeir fate to pleading,
wishing, praying, and hoping mudfasst learn tsdf sdo persuade, convince, and negotiasdfte successfully.

No matter dfwho you are or what you do, yof sdfu’re selling something. It d aoesn’t matter whether or
not you call yoasdfurself a salesperson becau sdfse you’re either selling sometdfa hing or someone is
selling you. Either way,asd one of the parties sdf is going to influence the outcomdfe, and it will either
be you getting your way or the fasother guy gsdf etting his way.sf

THE COMMdfISSION sdsdf

Speaking oasdff commissions: Every time yousadfa get your way, you’ve justs been paid a commission.
Not all payments asdare monetary. Some of tsdfhe greatest achievements I’ve haad in my life had
nothing to do with monefasy. Recognition for s a job well done is a commission. A raissdfe or a
promotion at work is a commissiodfasn. Gaindfasdfing new friends is an incredible commission. Gett
sading votes for a project you’re pushing ford sadffward is a commission.fsa

I find it comasdfical when people tell me, “I caf ould never be a salesperssdf sdaon because I could never
work on commissioasdn.” I’m like, “What do asf you mean? Your entire liff asdfe is a commission.
There’s no salary guaranteedfas in life. The washole world is on commission and s fasdf sasafd asdf dthe
whole world is required to sell!”dfas

It’s been sadfid that the best things in life aredf free, but I don’t agree with that. The best things in life
are those that asdcome in the form of a comasdmission for some extra, well-done effort! Happiness,
security, safety, a grfaseat home, a great famf asdily, love, confidence, friends, your church, your
community, and on and on—ardfae all commf asissions for someone’s hard work at selling others on a
better way of life.df

True love, tsdfhe ultimate commission, is earasdf asned by those who find the right partner, take care of
him or her, continasdue to create the relationdf ship, and keep it growing. There’s no guarantee that a
relationshifsdp will get you love. First, you’ve asdfgot to persuade the person to take an interest in you.
Then you have tfao find out what they want a nd what makes them happy. Then you have to produce it
and keep produsdfcing it. But somewhere aloasdf ng the line, you have to sell the other person on the
idea that you’re the asdone that he or she casad fasdn trust to create a life with. If you succeed and
exceed the person’s expectatiofasdns, you wif asdf ll get the commission of love.

Health is nfasot guaranteed in life. Health is a sad commission for taking care of yourself and your mind.
When a pedfrson successfully sells himself onfasd eating right, working out, and taking care of his
attitude, he gets a casdfommission of having asdgood health.

The great basdenefit of children is also a comfa mission of sorts and is not guaranteed to every
marriage. You still hafsave to convince your psf aartner to have sex with you, and even marriage doesn’t
guarantee you sex. If fdayou can’t close your sdf partner on wanting to have sex with you, then you
won’t get the great commissiosdfn of childresdf n. Once you have the kids, you have to continue to sell.
Concepts such as discipline, swork ethic, edusdfcation, good manners, and homework all have to be
sold. If you don’t do the selling, thedfy will se asdll you. Kids are the best salespeople on the planet.
They’re passionate, relentless, and persistsdfef asnt closers, able to break down their parents’ resistance
until they get what they want!df a

The point isds, selling is about life, and every sdf area of life involves selling. The more consistently you
can win at sellifsang, the more commissions yasdf ou’ll get rewarded in life!

sdfdfaSo get it! Everyone on this planet is involved in sales. There are no exceptions to this law. You’re
inv sdfolved in selling almost every minute of every day. If this is somehow distasteful to you, then you
havasdfe some misunderstandings about selling. When I say “selling,” do you think of a fast-talking
swiasdndler who can sell anything to anyone? Maybe you immediately get a picture of some guy who’s
a conffrontational, high-pressure type? Both of these images are negative extremes of selling and in no
wasdfy describe the skills of a true salesperson. Confrontation BEWARE OF FALSE DATA

sThe subject of selling, like any other subject, is full of false information that has been perpetuated over
tdfhe years. This false data may be partly responsible for the poor impression of this profession and very
ndffassddfasdfeeded life skill. “False data” is information that is not factual but is accepted as truth and
passed aslong.

sadfFor instance, most of my life I wanted to own real estate and had a particular interest in buying
aparastment buildings. When I first got started, most of the people I talked to about apartments
immdfediately told me that owning apartments was a nightmare and that I would have difficulties with
tenaaasdfnts at midnight when the plumbing sprang a leak. Though tenants would obviously get upset if
therasdfe was a plumbing leak, it is false data about owning apartments that actually causes people to
loseasdf interest in buying apartments. I’ve owned more than 2,500 apartments and, trust me, the
rentsader is not the problem with owning them. Not having renters is a problem; leaky faucets are just
an isfasdfsue to deal with. Of course there are problems with owning apartment buildings, but so what?
I asssadure you that the problems are minuscule compared to the rewards. People who knew very little
abofasdfut buying apartments used this false data as an excuse for me to not buy these buildings.

The asdfwhole subject of money is full of false data, most of which are passed on by people who give
adviasdfce on money, but don’t have any themselves.

Wheasdfn I was starting my first business, almost everyone told me how difficult it was going to be, how
mucsadfh money it would take, how risky it was, and how few businesses make it. None of these people
had asdfever actually started a business themselves, but they had plenty of advice for me. You see, this
is daasdfta that disregards all the successful stories of people like me who started their own business. I
latesdfr started another company that required me to take on a partner. Multiple people suggested to
me sdthat most partnerships don’t work out. Well, I can only tell you that while partnerships may be
diffifasdcult, this business would have been impossible for me to operate without a partner. By the way,
thatfas particular partnership, which we closed on with a handshake, has lasted for almost fifteen years.

dfsaPeople tend to form opinions, give advice, and pass on myths when they don’t actually have any
persdfasonal experience. Much of the data they pass along hasn’t been fully inspected for truth even
thoudfasgh it’s been passed on as truth.

dfTake urban legends, for example. A guy will swear to you that it was a friend of a friend’s sister who
diasdfsappeared on prom night twenty years ago and that her ghost now hitchhikes along the lonely
roasfad between town and the old cemetery. You’ll hear that same story in multiple cities across the
cosdfuntry. If you ask the guy to give you specific names and dates, he won’t be able to provide them,
yeasdt just moments ago he was passing on this falsehood as though it were truth.

Mfsadany years ago, I was told not to move to California because “it was so expensive and the people
wfasdere very strange.” People who had never lived in California told me this!

Thfasde same phenomenon occurs with sales, and it’s given the whole profession and the skill itself a
bafasd name. It’s a shame because everyone needs the skill of selling to get along in life, and the
prdfasofession itself offers so much freedom and so many financial benefits. People continue to pass on
thdfase false information that selling is hard, that it’s difficult to depend on commissions, that selling is
sldfaseazy, that you’ll have to work long SELLING—CRITICAL TO SURVIVAL

Redfasgardless of your preconceived opinions, ideas, or evaluations regarding sales and salespeople, you
nedfsed to fully adopt the idea that you’re going to have to sell no matter what your position or job is in
lifdfase. Whether you’re rich or poor, male or female, on salary or on commission, you’re always selling
sodfasmething to someone in order to advance. There is no exception to this rule and no way to escape
it.df But that doesn’t mean that you have to start wearing polyester slacks and white patent-leather
shsdfoes and talk fast and pressure people to do what you want them to do.

sdTake a moment to consider all the different roles you play in life. Let’s say you came up with wife,
pafasrtner, employee, mom, teacher, church member, neighbor, friend, writer, and PTA president. I
wdfasant you to look at each of these roles and observe how selling is involved in it. Maybe selling isn’t
yodfur full-time career and maybe you don’t get paid a monetary commission to sell products, but I
assdfsure you that you’ll see how selling will affect your success in each role more than any other single
abasdfility that you possess.

sdfThe receptionist who wants a raise, the actress who wants the part, the guy who wants the girl—all
relay on selling themselves, whether they know it or not. A professional salesperson who depends on
saldfaes for his livelihood definitely needs to know how to do this thing called selling. When you’re
drisdfving to work and want to get off the freeway, you have to negotiate and sell the other drivers so
yosdu can access the off-ramp. When you find yourself buying a house and trying to convince the seller
to fasdsell at a lower price, you’re selling. When you go to the bank to get a loan, you’ll be selling the
loafasn officers on why they should give you a loan. When the actor goes to an audition and hopes to
getdfa the part, no matter how well prepared he is, he’d better be able to convince the director that not
onlsdfy can he act, but he is the right guy for the part! Start preparing now because there’s no way to
avoiasdfd the fact that you’ll need this skill to do well in life.

Thasdfe skill of sales is so critical to a person’s survival that I don’t understand why it is not required
stuasddy at school. The fact that it isn’t taught in school, that it isn’t required, or even offered, only
furfsdther indicates the immense value of those who do learn this skill. It’s my observation that the most
imfasdportant skills needed in life aren’t taught in school. I spent seventeen years getting a formal
edfasducation, and I can tell you that I have learned more from seminars, audio programs, books, and
fstalking with other successful businesspeople at conferences than I learned in all my formal education.
Nodfsd successful businessperson would exclude basic selling, persuasion, and negotiation skills from a
listfs of those things that helped him or her along the way.

A pdfserson’s ability to persuade another is the only thing that will ultimately ensure a position in the
madfasrketplace. Academic records, grades, and résumés won’t guarantee you a promotion or
addfsdfasvancement in life, but the ability to sell will. All students should be required to learn basic
perdfsuasion skills, basic negotiating, and basic closing techniques, as these are fundamental to life. No
othsdfer set of skills will better determine the likelihood of a person getting a job, much less being a
sucasdfsdfsdfacess in life, than the ability to persuade,