Today is Martin Luther King (MLK) Day. The man was an incredible leader & speaker. But this email isn’t going to be a dry account of MLK’s life. That’s what the History Channel is for. Instead, I’m going to talk about the leadership & sales lessons you can take from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and apply to your business today.

Here are the 3 MLK principles of sales :

1.) Connection with Your Audience 

 Dr. King had a rock-solid connection with his audience. MLK engaged so much with his followers that he could tune into the energy of the room as he was speaking. This made any presentation of his more than a mere speech–it was an experience.   An experience that moved people to risk their lives and take action.

If you take this principle to business, you’ll notice that the top sales reps close more revenue per deal. They are better at learning how much each prospect can buy and get paid that much. These reps can do this because they make an effort to learn as much about their prospects as possible. Discovery in a sales interview is something the richest salespeople take seriously.

2.) Have A Backbone 

MLK was arrested 30 times over the span of 12 years. He continued to write and speak for the  Civil Rights Movement from jail. It wasn’t just racist politicians who opposed him, either. MLK got criticized by other Africa American  leaders  who thought his non-violent approach was weak. But he was also criticized for allowing children and families to be in harm’s way if a protest turned violent. Still, MLK didn’t let the critics stop him from doing the right thing.

The best businesspeople are also resilient.  Take a  look at good salespeople. You’ll find they tend to discount less. The top sales reps are confident in what they are selling. And bad reps fall back on the only tactic they are good at  — discounts.  But slashing prices often creates more harm than benefit.

3.) A Powerful  Drive 

Dr. King had intense motivation as the leader of the Civil Rights Movement.  He never gave up. His vision and drive continued to move his followers even after his death.

The application to business should be obvious. The top salespeople are serious and direct. They know how to deal with objections and answer difficult questions. They don’t just rely on canned scripting from their sales manager. Instead, the best reps close better and faster because they are motivated to understand each prospect and situation—and act accordingly.

P.S. My book shows business owners and entrepreneurs the exact steps for using creativity to make lots of money. It costs around $30 everywhere else, but if you join my daily email list by clicking the link below, you can have a digital copy for free. Get it here: https∶//powerpersuasion.net/