Zig Ziglar – Motivational Speaker Author

Zig Ziglar was a motivational speaker, sales trainer, best selling author and faithful follower of Jesus Christ. Zig, real name, Hilary Hinton Ziglar, came from extremely humble beginnings, raised during the Great Depression in rural Mississippi by his widowed mother along side 10 siblings (his father and 11th sibling younger sister died within two days of each other in 1931). He started his career in sales but at the urging of a mentor, he turned his charismatic speaking as well as inspirational and witty story telling abilities into a full time motivational public speaking and corporate sales training career. In 1975, he organized his thoughts, speeches and stories into his first book, See You At the Top, which went on to sell more than 2 million copies and is still in print today. And, for nearly 40 years, Zig Ziglar remained at the top of the motivational speaking, book and corporate sales training world. Zig went to be with the Lord on November 28, 2012.

Zig was a devout Southern Baptist and throughout his career, he weaved Biblical truth into his speeches, books and trainings, indirectly sharing the Gospel to millions. Even though his audiences varied greatly, from corporate behemoths like GE and AT&T to small business luncheon crowds, and the topics he spoke and wrote about ranged from personal success to closing the sale, he was able to infuse Christianity in a professional and unobtrusive way. Rather than keep his faith quiet, Zig was able to share it with the world and reach an audience where the Gospel was not as prevalent; business, personal development and sales training.

For far too many successful entrepreneurs and business leaders, while their careers blossom, their personal lives suffer. Routed in Christ, Zig Ziglar’s personal life was as fruitful as his business life. He was happily married to his wife Jean, since age 18, and they had 4 children, Suzan, Tom, Julie and Cindy. Tom and Julie now carry on the Ziglar success training torch. His daughter Suzan tragically passed in 1995, prompting Zig to write the book, Confessions of a Grieving Christian.

Zig Ziglar is perhaps best known for his quotes. Some were iconic pieces of success wisdom, such as, “You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.” and “Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.” Others infused his wonderful sense of humor, such as, “This book is filled with adult language; honest, trust, character, integrity,” and, “People often say motivation doesn’t last. Neither does bathing — that’s why we recommend it daily.” Here are some other great quotes by Zig Ziglar:

– “Remember that failure is an event, not a person.”
– “There has never been a statue erected to honor a critic.”
– “If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.”
– “A goal properly set is halfway reached.”
– “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”
– “If you learn from defeat, you haven’t really lost.”
– “Money won’t make you happy… but everybody wants to find out for themselves.”
– “If God would have wanted us to live in a permissive society He would have given us Ten Suggestions and not Ten Commandments.”

Zig Ziglar was a true rags to riches Horatio Alger success story. He was an extraordinary communicator and a mighty man of God. He made an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of countless business and sales professionals and thankfully, the timeless wisdom he shared is being carried on by his family into the next generation. To learn more about his wonderful life, read ans savor the book, The Autobiography of Zig Ziglar.