Great Throughts Treasury

"Southwest Airlines is successful because the company understands it's a customer service company. It also happens to be an airline."

"Talent is God-given; be humble. Fame is man-given; be thankful. Conceit is self-given; be careful."

"The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your relationships. The quality of your business is no different."

"The life of a startup is full of ups and downs, an emotional roller coaster ride that you can't quite imagine if you've spent your whole career in a corporation."

"The sale begins when the customer says yes."

"The service leaders hire one out of 50 applicants, sometimes one out of 100, but they're very, very careful. You can't afford not to be extremely choosy when you hire."

"The sooner you accept the fact that you will have both successes and failures, the easier it will be to get your business and personal life headed in the right direction."

"The annals of business are filled with stories of companies that thought they had it made and could milk their enterprises without having to bother about improving their products or services. It's amazing how fast they found their markets disappearing."

"The cost of praising someone is nil - but every psychological study shows the payoff is huge."

"The employees who share innovative ideas may also be the folks who have some hidden talents that would help incorporate their suggestions."

"There is a time to provide advice and offer an opinion, and there is a time not to. Don't be too quick to offer unsolicited advice. It certainly will not endear you to people."

"There is no shame in taking pride in achievements or position. But nobody gets to the top alone."

"There's a place in the world for any business that takes care of its customers--after the sale."

"To be a champion, you have to learn to handle stress and pressure. But if you've prepared mentally and physically, you don't have to worry."

"To me, job titles don't matter. Everyone is in sales. It's the only way we stay in business."

"Too often, sales reps simply regurgitate their presentations and expect to land the sale. It doesn't work."

"We will move mountains to keep the team here."

"Unless you work in demolition, don't burn bridges."

"When a person with money meets a person with experience, the person with the experience winds up with the money and the person with the money winds up with the experience."

"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but"

"We all start out in life with one thing in common; we all have the same amount of time. It's just a matter of what we do with it."

"When an employee asks why the company does things a certain way, and you can explain the logical reason, then the employee knows what she's doing is valid."

"When you have a dream that you can't let go of, trust your instincts and pursue it. But remember: Real dreams take work, they take patience, and sometimes they require you to dig down very deep. Be sure you're willing to do that."

"When advice is freely given, the receiver is free to use it as he or she sees fit."

"When you wake up every day, you have two choices. You can either be positive or negative; an optimist or a pessimist. I choose to be an optimist. It's all a matter of perspective."

"You can win more friends with your ears than with your mouth. People who feel like they're being listened to feel accepted and appreciated. They feel like they're being taken seriously and what they say really matters."

"Worrying about the past or the future isn't productive. When you start chastising yourself for past mistakes, or seeing disaster around every corner, stop and take a breath and ask yourself what you can do right now to succeed."

"When you're fired, you're rejected. It's as simple as that."

"You do not get what you want. You get what you negotiate."

"When you're thirsty, it's too late to think about digging a well."

"You don't need a big close, as many sales reps believe. You risk losing your customer when you save all the good stuff for the end. Keep the customer actively involved throughout your presentation, and watch your results improve."

"You can't buy a good reputation; you must earn it."

"You learn how to be book smart in school, but you better not forget that you also need to be street smart."

"Your workforce is your most valuable asset. The knowledge and skills they have represent the fuel that drives the engine of business - and you can leverage that knowledge."

"You're as old as you behave."