A Man of Firsts: How Johnson Achieved Success
A Man of Firsts: How Johnson Achieved Success
He Beat the Odds: Johnson was a black man living in poverty at a time of racial upheaval throughout the U.S. Nobody except his mother had any faith in him; nobody thought he could succeed and many didn’t want him to. Instead of succumbing to their disbelief, he used it to fire his desire to achieve his goals even more.
He Identified with his Consumer: Johnson had a special knack for getting into the heads of other people. Trusting his instincts, Johnson felt that there was a need to create a black presence in the mainstream media and he set out to fill that need. By hiring black staff, using black models and focusing on black-oriented content, Johnson was able to connect with this new market of black consumers in a way that no one else had yet been able or willing to do.
He Took Risks: Johnson created a cosmetics line when, not only would he be competing against giants like Estee Lauder and Revlon, but they had also actually told him that his idea was a bad one and would not succeed. He didn’t listen – he did it anyway and Estee Lauder and Revlon were left trailing in his dust. Johnson was willing to stick to his guns and do what he thought was right, however unpopular or risky it might have been.
He Knew How to Sell: “Failure is a word I don’t accept,” Johnson used to say. He knew how to connect to people in a way that made them want to see things along his lines. By approaching the art of selling from the point of view of what he could do for the customer as opposed to vice-versa, Johnson was able to close even the hardest deal. He mastered the art of the sale and thrived on the energy he got from doing it.
He Communicated Effectively: Johnson knew how to share his vision with people so that they would soon be yearning to come onside with him and achieve it together. By being prepared, passionate and confident, Johnson used his communication skills to take his company to the top.
On the 50th anniversary of the launch of Ebony, U.S. President Bill Clinton awarded Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honour. Clinton said that Johnson gave “African Americans a voice and a face, in his words, ‘a new sense of somebody-ness.’” In doing so, he also became one of the most successful entrepreneurs in recent history and broke down numerous barriers along the way.
A Man of Firsts How Johnson Achieved Success
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“Retirement is not in this company’s vocabulary,” Johnson once said. “If you are well and able to work, you can stay at the company and that’s what I plan to do.” And, that is exactly what he did. Right up until the time of his death, Johnson continued to play an active role in the company. Although he named his daughter, Linda Johnson Rice, CEO of the company, he remained the inspiration behind its every move. He rose from the despair of welfare to become named the Greatest Minority Entrepreneur in U.S. History by Baylor University in 2003. A true rags to riches story, how did Johnson achieve the American Dream?
He Beat the Odds: Johnson was a black man living in poverty at a time of racial upheaval throughout the U.S. Nobody except his mother had any faith in him; nobody thought he could succeed and many didn’t want him to. Instead of succumbing to their disbelief, he used it to fire his desire to achieve his goals even more.
He Identified with his Consumer: Johnson had a special knack for getting into the heads of other people. Trusting his instincts, Johnson felt that there was a need to create a black presence in the mainstream media and he set out to fill that need. By hiring black staff, using black models and focusing on black-oriented content, Johnson was able to connect with this new market of black consumers in a way that no one else had yet been able or willing to do.
He Took Risks: Johnson created a cosmetics line when, not only would he be competing against giants like Estee Lauder and Revlon, but they had also actually told him that his idea was a bad one and would not succeed. He didn’t listen – he did it anyway and Estee Lauder and Revlon were left trailing in his dust. Johnson was willing to stick to his guns and do what he thought was right, however unpopular or risky it might have been.
He Knew How to Sell: “Failure is a word I don’t accept,” Johnson used to say. He knew how to connect to people in a way that made them want to see things along his lines. By approaching the art of selling from the point of view of what he could do for the customer as opposed to vice-versa, Johnson was able to close even the hardest deal. He mastered the art of the sale and thrived on the energy he got from doing it.
He Communicated Effectively: Johnson knew how to share his vision with people so that they would soon be yearning to come onside with him and achieve it together. By being prepared, passionate and confident, Johnson used his communication skills to take his company to the top.
On the 50th anniversary of the launch of Ebony, U.S. President Bill Clinton awarded Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honour. Clinton said that Johnson gave “African Americans a voice and a face, in his words, ‘a new sense of somebody-ness.’” In doing so, he also became one of the most successful entrepreneurs in recent history and broke down numerous barriers along the way.
A Man of Firsts How Johnson Achieved Success
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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