An American Salesman
My Story
by
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I started thinking on how I was going to approach Jack Walsh about my decision to go back into the field. What would he say? It was just two years since he brought me down to
He looked at me for the longest time before he spoke. He said, “Duke, I’ve been watching you carefully for the last few months and I could see you anguishing.” “You have been the best of all the young executives on staff in your work and your results.” He continued by saying, “You must never be sorry for looking after yourself.” Then he said something I will never forget. He said, “Your trouble is that you are better than you think you are.” I thought about that phrase often in the years ahead. Then he said that when I chose to leave I would have his blessing and respect. What a relief! Jack had been my manager, friend and mentor for so long and I did so want to honor him. He said the only way I would let him down was not to succeed in what I chose to do.
After a lot of thinking and soul searching we chose to move to
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About the Book
An American Salesman is a story about the journey of a young mid-westerner who was raised and educated in rural
He began a career in Sales at a very young age and he was told he wouldn’t be a success at it. Married young he had a lot of motivation being the Father to 2 Sons before he was 21 years old. Hard work and perseverance brought him to the top of his Company’s leading salesmen in just 4 years. But, he had these achievements stripped away in just one day and he fell to the bottom, was fired, and had to change companies in disgrace. Feeling sorry for himself and being broke he nearly threw in the towel. A manager with the new company told him of a “principle” that literally saved his sales career and in just two years he was back up on top of his sales leader board.
Soon after, he was recruited to join a fast moving sales company in
He learns from his mistakes and you will also learn to apply the many unfailing principles he learned to not only become successful in sales but how to stay there. It is a book of principles. This book is about “what not to do” in business as well as “what to do”. With heartwarming Chapters about his Grandmother and growing up in a dysfunctional family thrown in, this book will be difficult to put down.
About the Author
Duke Adamson
“As a 14 year old boy, I started caddying at an exclusive Golf Club on the North Shore of Chicago. Through this activity I met many Millionaires who had a great impact on me. When I entered full time sales at age 20, I decided I wanted to be debt free by age 50 with enough money invested to live well without having to work.”
This was Duke’s motivation throughout his 30 year sales career. At age 50, he was in fact retired and living in
Some facts about Duke Adamson:
¨ His sales career began in 1962 in Life Insurance. By 1973 he established American Investment Services, Inc. of
¨ Recipient of all of the life insurance profession’s highest national honors for quality, professionalism and achievement.
¨ At age 35, Duke acquired a leading retail frozen food/distribution company. He brought sales up over ten fold before divesting of it in 1993.
Duke is a consultant and speaker on the subject of salesmanship as a profession and the importance of the free enterprise system.