On Why the High Ground is always the cheapest ground; Memories of Don Sheehan-Dale Carnegie Superstar

Don Sheehan was a world famous Dale Carnegie trainer, and in fact won the Carnegie salesman of the year once in the 80's. He was a legend in training business owners in Minnesota, and also trained many in Wisconsin, doing seminars at the Holiday Inn on East Washington for almost a decade. I knew him as a mentor, trainer, and friend.

In his seminars, he would chant out, " Who has the best chocolate? We would all yell out "Hershey". Who has the best ketsup? We would yell, "Heinz". "Yes," he would say, "How interesting that you all agree on this without any discussion. "
He would then go on to show that the best and most profitable way to sell is to be the market leader. To have the HIGH GROUND. To have the highest standards of business conduct. To treat employees the best in the industry. To treat customers the best etc.

Then he went on to cars. What is the best car? We all yelled out "Toyota". He then told a story about one of the cars that he bought that was the cheapest available. ( Insert your own experience here.)
"When you buy the best, he went on, it only hurts once. When you buy the worst, it keeps on hurting forever." Amen.

Just when I thought he would go on to a moral discussion, since I knew him to be a very devout man, he said, "It has NOTHING to do with morals. It is just BUSINESS. It is the CHEAPEST and most efficient thing to do". He would say," When you tell the truth, you never have to try to remember what you said last time. When you do the books straight, you never have to be afraid of anything."


When we take the high ground, build on the high ground, conduct business on the high ground, we become winners according to Don Sheehan. We avoid the water and snake pits of the lower ground. It has nothing to do with morals. It is just the most economical thing to do.

Don Sheehan was the author of "Shut up and Sell," and "The Price Book."