Zig Ziglar
Dallas Business Journal - by Glenn Hunter Staff Writer
CARROLLTON -- Just outside Zig Ziglar's office here, the internationally known motivational speaker has hung photographs of nearly two dozen people who influenced his life.
The "Wall of Gratitude," as Ziglar calls it, begins with his mother and continues with the men who gave him jobs and told him how to sell and how to believe in himself.
One photo is missing, however: that of his first-grade schoolteacher, Mrs. Dement Warren, who taught young Zig to read when he was growing up in Yazoo City, Miss.
"That's the one picture I wish I had, and I tried everything I could to find one," he says one recent morning, standing by the wall in a dark chalk-striped suit. The famous voice is deep and raspy, with just the hint of a Southern accent.
"I wrote to the superintendent of education down there to see if they had a picture of Mrs. Warren. I even put an advertisement in the local newspaper. But, so far, nothing has turned up."
The omission bothers Ziglar, because reading has played a big part in his life. And he's still grateful to Mrs. Warren for her help.
"Grateful" is a word you hear a lot in talking with friends and associates about 71-year-old Ziglar. Almost as much as the word "humble."
Ironic to think they're talking about a guy who, in 1997, was named one of the world's five best speakers by Toastmasters International.
Ziglar is a man who pockets tens of thousand of dollars for a two-hour speech -- a multimillionaire who has rubbed shoulders with presidents, written nine best-selling books and taught hundreds of major companies how to improve their bottom lines.
When you meet him, you realize that gratitude just might be the secret of Ziglar's success. That, and a winning combination of advice-giving and Christian evangelism -- the gifts of an energetic teacher who's never stopped learning himself.
"I don't know a more sincere individual than Zig," says Dallas businessman Fred Smith, a lay preacher who first became acquainted with Ziglar in the 1950s. "When we met, I was a little skeptical of his `positive' attitude. I waited for it to break, but it never did. There's not a bit of phoniness in him, and I've never met a more grateful person.
"He also hasn't got the `celebrity syndrome,' " Smith adds. "I've got a place over in East Texas, and Zig and I often go to this catfish restaurant there, a place where real country people eat. And Zig is just as comfortable there as anywhere, even though I don't think we've ever gone anywhere that he wasn't recognized."
Peter Chantilis, a Dallas attorney, mediator and counselor, agrees. "When you're as humble as (Ziglar) is, that's extraordinary in these times," Chantilis says. "He's not a tom-tom thumper, but he's enthusiastic and positive and honest, and he speaks from the heart.
"He's a Ronald Reagan type of person -- motherhood and the flag and apple pie. That's what Zig Ziglar represents."
A family affair
The Zig Ziglar Corp. has its headquarters in a modern office building off Midway and Earhart, where the ambiance is cheerfully upbeat. The receptionist greets telephone callers with, "Hello, it's a great day at Ziglar Training Systems!" Visitors are given name tags identifying them as "super guests."
The 26-year-old company employs about 35 people, including Ziglar's son, Tom, who serves as president and CEO. Ziglar's son-in-law, Richard Oates, is chief operating officer, and Ziglar's daughter, Julie Norman, works for the company as an editor.
The privately held firm has two divisions. One attends to Ziglar's personal activities, including his appearance at some 25 "Success" seminars put on each year by Tampa, Fla., promoter Peter Lowe.
Ziglar is paid $30,000 each for these seminars (one of which is coming to Dallas on Sept. 29). He gets even more ($50,000) for each of 25 speeches he makes annually to public and private companies.
The firm's other division oversees the sale of books, tapes, videos and customized training programs. These products are sold or licensed to individuals, companies and colleges, which use them to enhance sales, customer service and team development.
By year's end, Ziglar's company will move to another space and hire half a dozen additional employees. "We're in an expansion mode," he says. "But we don't need a lot of room, because 98% of our business is done over the phone and through the mail."
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