Sales Love Cat - Elmer Leterman

Today's post again comes from Ron Willingham of Integrity Solutions and his great book The Inner Game of Selling. He tells about a chance meeting he had with Insurance Sales Great, Elmer Leterman. At that time, Elmer had sold more insurance than any one else in the history of the business. In fact he sold more than most companies of his day. He sold a million in his first week, which Willingham estimates would equate to nearly 25 million today.

At a lunch Elmer shared that he didn’t have that much knowledge of the industry, but he did have 15 CLU’s (Chartered Life Underwriter’s) back at the office. Again, like Larry Merritt, their were no magical sales tricks or slick closes. In fact, he never even discussed his business in the first meeting with people. He just helped other successful people get to know one another. He reserved a table for 6 guests, for 5 days each week at the Four Seasons Restaurant, inviting business people, athletes, show business people, writers, news people, and others. His only objective was to help his guests get to know each other.

Afterward he’d put each guest on his list and mail them ideas. In fact, he had a full-time secretary that did absolutely nothing but send articles, books, and references to these folks. Elmer insured world champion fighter Jack Dempsey, and even Jimmy Durante’s nose and Betty Grable’s legs.

The specifics are different, but the common denominator is simple. These great salespeople were just out to help folks. In spite of the 40 closes you learn at the sales seminar and the hypnotic techniques you read about in the books, great salespeople are really great love cats, as Tim Sanders would say. They genuinely want to be of service. They are intentional about it, they are systematic about it, but so is the Red Cross and The Salvation Army.