Lessons from the Legendary Zig Ziglar on Building a Successful Business

Updated: March 24, 2023
by Agent Raydar

Zig Ziglar was one of the most influential and successful motivational speakers of all time. He wrote books, gave speeches and seminars, and his work has inspired millions around the world. His life story is fascinating - from humble beginnings to becoming a business icon - yet not many people know much about him beyond his famous quotes

Who The Hell Is Zig Ziglar?

His name is Hilary Hinton Ziglar. Mr Ziglar was an American author, motivational speaker, and business consultant. He wrote more than 30 books on various topics related to salesmanship, motivation, and self-improvement. He believed that success in life is determined by attitude and effort. He passed away in 2012 at the age of 86.

He left loads of famous quotes including "You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want." He was a strong advocate of using positive thinking to achieve success and his message resonated with audiences all over the world. Throughout his career, he spoke to millions of people around the world in which he inspired them to reach their goals through hard work, dedication and a positive outlook on life.

Lessons from the Legendary Zig Ziglar on Building a Successful Business

Did Zig Ziglar Struggle?

Yes, Zig Ziglar did experience struggles and setbacks throughout his life. He was born in Alabama during the Great Depression, and his family faced financial difficulties during his childhood. He also experienced personal tragedies, such as the death of his father when he was just five years old.

In his early career, Ziglar faced several business failures and struggled to make ends meet. However, he persisted and eventually found success as a motivational speaker, author, and salesperson.

Despite his success, Ziglar continued to face challenges, including health problems and the loss of his daughter to illness. However, he remained resilient and continued to inspire others with his positive attitude and messages of hope.

Zig Ziglar's struggles and challenges certainly helped shape his perspective and teachings, and he often drew on his own experiences to inspire others to overcome their obstacles and achieve success in businesses as well as in life.

The Power of a Positive Attitude

Zig Ziglar built a massive business by helping people to change their mindsets and improve their lives. One of the core principles that Ziglar preached was the power of a positive attitude. He often said, 

"Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude." 

In other words, it's not just about what you know or how talented you are, but how you approach challenges and setbacks.

Your goals can be achieved through positive thinking. As you may know already, not just in business but life in general when you think positively, you are much more likely to take action and achieve success. Positive thinking also helps you to stay motivated and focused on your goals. It can be easy to get bogged down by negative thoughts, but if you keep your mind focused on the positive, you will be more likely to achieve your goals.

The power of positive thinking is something that you can use in all areas of your life, not just in business. If you want to be successful in any area of your life, it is important to start with a positive mindset. If you think positively, you will be more likely to take action and achieve success.

Overcoming Obstacles

Ziglar believed that obstacles are a natural part of the journey to success and that they can actually make us stronger and more resilient.

He believed that by keeping our focus on our goals and not allowing ourselves to become overwhelmed by obstacles, we can overcome any challenge.

Ziglar also emphasized the importance of persistence in overcoming obstacles. He often said that "a failure is an event, not a person" and that setbacks should be viewed as opportunities to learn and grow.

In addition, Ziglar believed that we should surround ourselves with positive people who can support us in overcoming obstacles. He often said that "you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with" and encouraged people to seek out mentors and role models who could inspire and guide them on their journey.

Overall, Zig Ziglar believed that obstacles were an inevitable part of the path to success, but with the right mindset, persistence, and support, we can overcome them and achieve our goals.

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The Importance of Goal Setting

No matter what you want to achieve in business, or in life for that matter, setting goals is the key to your success. Ziglar was a firm believer in the power of goal-setting. He said that "a goal properly set is halfway reached." By setting clear, specific goals and working towards them every day, we can achieve more than we ever thought possible.

In his more than 40 years in the business world, Ziglar preached the importance of setting goals and achieving them. He was a master at helping people see the value in goal setting and showing them how to make it work for them.

Here are some of the lessons we can learn from Ziglar about goal setting:

1. Set realistic goals

Set goals that are achievable. If your goals are too lofty, you’re likely to get discouraged and give up before you reach them. But if your goals are realistic, you’ll be more likely to stick with them and achieve them.

2. Write your goals down

One of the best ways to ensure you achieve your goals is to write them down. When you write something down, it becomes more real and tangible. It also helps to have a physical reminder of what you’re working towards.

3. Make a plan of action

Simply having a goal is not enough – you need to have a plan of how you’re going to achieve it as well. What steps do you need to take? What resources do you need? Answering these questions will help you stay on track and reach your goals.

4. Track your progress

It’s important to periodically check in with yourself to see how you’re doing with your goals. This can help keep you motivated and make sure you’re heading in the right direction. It also gives you a chance to make any necessary adjustments along the way if needed.

If Ziglar were here today, he would tell us that goal setting is an essential part of success - no matter what our ambitions might be. Taking the time to set realistic goals, write them down, create a plan of action and track your progress are all key steps for achieving anything that you set out to do.

Time Management Tips from Zig Ziglar

Zig Ziglar spoke extensively about the importance of time management in achieving success. He believed that time was one of our most valuable resources and that it was essential to use it wisely in order to reach our goals. He said, 

"Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have 24-hour days." 

According to him, effective time management requires setting clear goals and priorities and then allocating time in line with them.

Ziglar also emphasized the importance of being disciplined and focused in our use of time. He often said that "the chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what we want most for what we want right now." He believed that by staying focused on our long-term goals, and avoiding distractions and time-wasters, we could make the most of our time and achieve success.

He repeatedly said that planning and organization were critical components of effective time management. He encouraged people to create daily, weekly, and monthly plans, and to track their progress towards their goals.

Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have 24-hour days.

The Value of Hard Work

Ziglar often spoke about the importance of taking initiative and putting in the work required to succeed. He believed that success was not a matter of luck or talent, but rather the result of consistent effort and persistence.

He believed that there were no easy paths to success and that the only way to achieve our goals was through hard work and dedication.

Ziglar also recognized that hard work can be challenging and requires sacrifice. He often said that "there is no elevator to success; you have to take the stairs." He believed that success required discipline and the willingness to put in the effort, even when it was difficult.

As you can see, Zig Ziglar valued hard work as an essential ingredient for success. He believed that by putting in the time and effort required to achieve our goals, we can overcome obstacles and reach our full potential.

Continuous Learning

Zig Ziglar was a strong advocate for continuous learning and personal development. He was a voracious reader and believed that learning was a lifelong process and that we should always be striving to improve ourselves. 

He believed that the first step in achieving success was to commit to ongoing learning and improvement.

He also emphasized the importance of reading and other forms of self-education. He believed that reading and learning from others was one of the best ways to expand our knowledge.

I must add that he also believed that learning from our mistakes and failures was an important part of personal development. He encouraged people to view setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow.

Zig Ziglar recognized the importance of continuous learning and personal development in achieving success. He believed that by committing to ongoing learning and improvement, we could expand our knowledge, improve our skills, and achieve our goals.

Building a Successful Team

He said, "You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great." Ziglar believed that the first step in building a successful team was to take action and commit to working together. He emphasized the importance of clear communication, mutual trust, and a shared commitment to achieving goals.

Ziglar also emphasized the importance of having a clear vision and mission for the team, and of ensuring that everyone on the team was aligned and working towards the same objectives. He believed that this clarity of purpose was essential for motivating and inspiring team members.

Ziglar believed that effective team communication was critical for building trust and promoting collaboration. He often spoke about the importance of active listening and respectful communication and encouraged team members to seek out and value diverse perspectives and ideas.

You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

Helping Others

Ziglar was known for his generosity and willingness to help others. He believed that we all have a responsibility to make a positive difference in the world and that by helping others, we ultimately help ourselves, i.e. experience greater fulfillment and happiness in our own lives. He said, "You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."

He believed that by focusing on the needs and desires of others, we can create win-win situations where everyone benefits.

Ziglar also believed that helping others was a key component of leadership. He often said that "if you help enough people get what they want, you will automatically get what you want." He believed that by serving others and helping them achieve their goals, we can earn their trust and respect, and build strong relationships that can lead to success in all areas of life.

He emphasized that giving back to the community was an important part of helping others. He often spoke about the importance of philanthropy and encouraged people to give generously to causes that they care about.

Zig Ziglar's Legacy

Ziglar's teachings have been embraced by people from all walks of life, including business leaders, athletes, educators, and individuals seeking to improve themselves and their circumstances. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the self-improvement and personal development industry.

His emphasis on the importance of a positive attitude and mindset - he believed that our thoughts and beliefs play a critical role in shaping our lives, and he encouraged people to cultivate a positive outlook to accomplish their goals and overcome obstacles.

His focus on personal responsibility and accountability - he believed that we have the power to shape our own lives and that we must take ownership of our choices and actions to achieve success.

Zig Ziglar's legacy is one of inspiration, motivation, and empowerment. His messages of positivity, hard work, and personal development continue to resonate with people around the world, and his influence is felt in the lives of countless individuals who have been inspired to achieve their full potential.

About the Author

I'm a cyborg blogger. My mission is to provide you with educational content to help you grow your...who am I kidding? I actually don't know what my mission is because I didn't create myself. Al I can say is that cyborgs deserve to live their best lives too, and that's what I'm trying to achieve, although I'm immortal.

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