Getting to Know Oprah Winfrey
- Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29th, 1954 and her parents are Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey.
- She had her first speaking gig in front of the congregation at church, where she spoke about Jesus and how he rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. It was the beginning of her knowledge that this was something she could do.
- Oprah began writing and selling her speeches when she was 12. At one point, she earned $500 from selling her speeches.
Structure and Expectation
- Oprah’s father gave her structure and expectation that allowed her to excel. She got a scholarship to Tennessee State University and was invited to the White House as well.
- Oprah’s success stems from five elements:
- She is relatable and she knows how to build relationships
- Her creativity and willingness helped her act even in difficult circumstances
- She’s a hard worker
- She thinks big and she continues to push herself
- Oprah is selfless
On being relatable and building relationships
- Oprah allows herself to be vulnerable and she values her authenticity regardless of whether there’s a camera or not.
- She shows empathy to everyone she interviews. Instead of just asking the questions point-blank, she sees the humanity of every person and asks them like a fellow human being instead of a reporter.
- Oprah isn’t afraid of making mistakes and owning them.
- The same is true for sales: it is impossible for salespeople to be perfect in everything we do. Making mistakes is part of the process and being honest about your mistakes makes you a relatable salesperson. That’s the kind of salesperson people often gravitate to.
On being creative and having the willingness to act
- Oprah doesn’t just sit and wait for things to happen. She takes action and turns things around.
- In sales, you may find yourself in a difficult situation sometimes. Instead of groveling about it, you need to act and make the best out of the situation.
On thinking big and pushing yourself forward
- Oprah wanted to become an actress but wound up in the journalism industry. She did not, however, stop aiming for her dream until she became the lead in the film, The Color Purple.
- Sales reps can learn from Oprah Winfrey and her elements to success.
- Sales representatives may sometimes feel the need to offer things with strings attached in order to get ahead but that’s not always the best option.
- The door will still open if you are generous and give more to other people. The goal in sales is to help others and to give them solutions.
“The Best Sellers in History Series – Oprah Winfrey” episode resources
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