How I Work: Jeffrey Gitomer, the international King of Sales

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If you close deals for a living, chances are you’ve come across the Little Red Book of Selling.

Jeffrey Gitomer’s compact guidebook is nearly required reading for the industry. But you probably didn’t know that the King of Sales has crafted his empire right in the heart of South End for the past two decades.

His reach has further expanded with the “Sell or Die” podcast, recorded in a studio just down the hall from Gitomer’s condo on Arlington Avenue with partner Jennifer Gluckow. The show pulls roughly 70,000 downloads per month.

The bestselling author, international sales trainer and corporate speaker is currently booking a new run of sales seminars across the country. You can catch him in Charlotte next week at the Mint Museum Uptown. Tickets run $149 for the salesperson seminar, $249 for the sales leader training and $298 for both.

The Agenda stopped by his South End abode to find out what powers his sales empire.

Office location?

310 Arlington Avenue

Job title?

KING of SALES

Phone type?

iPhone X

Workspace?

My office and library are right in my condo building, right down the hall from my studio.

Computer?

I’ve been a Mac user since 1984 – loyal Apple everything.

To-do list manager?

Self-texts or Word file.

Gadgets you can’t live without?

Keyless locks, Keurig, microwave.

Apps you can’t live without?

MSWord, FilemakerPro, Word Cookies (game), Dragon for Mac

Social media habits?

Instagram – @jeffreygitomer
Twitter – @gitomer
linkedIn – Jeffrey Gitomer
YouTube – BuyGitomer
Facebook – JeffreyGitomer

Podcast – Sell or Die

Sleep routine?

Sort of none…down by 1 a.m. – up by 6.

Music at work?

My download list spans music from the 50s to present.

Commute? What do you do during it?

30 seconds. I just make sure I don’t trip – or make sure I can still beat my 9-year old daughter in a race down the hallway.

How do you spend the first hour of your day, starting from when you wake up?

My 25-year success formula: Read, write, prepare, think, create.

What do you eat for breakfast?

Fresh stuff, coffee, fresh squeezed OJ, and well-done bacon.

What do you actually do? Walk us through a day in your life.

No two days are alike. Because I write and speak, I am often at the airport flying someplace. If I’m in the office I’m meeting with people about promotions. I meet with customers, opportunities, friends, and interesting people in my home and studio.

Maybe I’m in the podcast studio on Sell or Die day. Maybe I am in my library writing. Always working. Always thinking. Always laughing. Always having fun.

What are some unusual habits you have and why do you have them?

• Family first. I am a dad, granddad, and (soon-to-be) husband.
• I talk to EVERYONE. You never know who is around you unless you talk.
• I never “settle.” If the store or the vendor, doesn’t have what I want, I pass.
• I thank police, fire and service people – every time.
• I eat at Lupies Café on Monday nights – meatloaf and mashed potatoes
• I eat at Roasting Company on Wednesday or Thursday – pot pie and dumplings

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What everyday thing are you really good at?

Thinking, deciding, being funny, communicating, conversations, collecting, writing, helping others.



Best time-saving shortcut or life hack?

I’m always texting myself or using Dragon for Mac.

What’s the best thing about your job?

I love what I do, I do what I love, and I do it with people I love and respect

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Where do you go around Charlotte to get away from the office?

Charlotte Knights baseball games, various coffee places, dinner. My favorite places are Cajun Queen, Lupie’s Café, Sauceman’s BBQ, Wan Fu, Futo Buta, Nikko’s, Belle Acres, Roasting Company, Two Scoops Creamery, Resident Culture, and Suarez Bakery.

What’s your favorite side project?

Scanning the vintage books in my library and creating a subscription-based library card to my rare and out of date sales, personal development, and business books.



If you weren’t doing your current job, what would you be doing?

I’d be dead.

What’s the best investment you’ve ever made?

Real estate in Charlotte, traveling to Paris every year, my library, spending time with my family and friends.

What’s a purchase of less than $100 that’s most improved your work output or life?

Death Wish Coffee K-cups

Other than the Agenda, what media brands do you consume?

All things online – info sources like owler.com.

Advice to your 30-year-old self?

Document lessons, read more, write more.

Best job advice you’ve received?

Arrive early, stay late, work your ass off in the middle.

Book you gift the most?

“How to Sell Your Way Through Life” by Napoleon Hill and “The Little Engine that Could” by Watty Piper (to newborns).

What’s one thing people don’t know about Charlotte that they should?

Charlotte is a city that you can affect.

What other Charlottean would you like to answer these questions?

Jennifer Gluckow, Nikita Koloff

Anything else that we didn’t ask that you’d like to tell our readers?

My personal CLT recommendations:

• Best restaurant: Cajun Queen
• Gifts: Paper Skyscraper
• Donuts: Suarez Bakery
• BBQ: Sauceman’s
• Hot dog: JJ’s RedHots
• Guests in town: Marriott Courtyard Uptown
• Ice cream: Two Scoops Creamery
• Balanced Body Center, Dr. Phil Arnone