Zig Ziglar (courtesy of Decisive Minds)
Zig Ziglar (Hilary Hinton) may be 85 years of age, but he sure packed a lot of punch in his speeches.
A highly respected motivational speaker grounded in Christian values, Zig is known for his fiery workshops and power-packed programmes focused on motivation, success and salesmanship. He is also a champion sales trainer, having mastered the art of selling.
In a recent podcast I listened to, Zig spoke about the story of the pump.
Also known as the Parable of the Pump, here’s the man himself speaking to a life audience for your viewing and listening pleasure:
What are the key lessons from the story of the pump?
Prime the Pump
First, you’ve got to prime the pump. In pump-speak, this means that you need to pour some water in first before the pump can continue to suck water out from a well.
In any endeavour in life, work, school or other circles, you need to put something in first before you can get anything out. Contribute your fair share of effort, invest time, energy and money – especially during the initial stages. This priming process is needed long before you can expect any reward.
Sweat At It
Second, you’ve got to sweat at it and pump away for some time before expecting the water to flow. This means putting in enough hard work pumping away until the water comes all the way up to the top and beyond before it cascades downwards from the tap to the pail.
Similarly, if you work hard enough, long enough and enthusiastically enough, rewards may flow. However, make sure you choose the right pump in the first place. In this regard, perseverance and determination are timeless virtues that are relevant in any age.
Enjoy the Sweet Flow
Finally, once you’ve managed to get the water to flow, it will continue to flow on its own, allowing the pump to supply the sweet nectar of life for some time. That source of water would help to quench parched throats, energise exhausted horses, or refresh dirty bodies.
In our work, this would be the fruits that we harvest after we have finally hit the jackpot.
What do you think of this little anecdote? Does it get your blood “pumping”? 🙂
