The Guinness Record That Changed My Approach

Joe Girard sold 6 cars per business day for 15 years. Not because he had the best cars or lowest prices.

Because he mastered a repeatable system:

• Make prospects feel safe before pitching
• Volume drives results (more conversations = more wins)
• Problems are trust-building opportunities
• Follow-up separates winners from everyone else
• Every interaction affects 250 people

Here's how to apply his 10 rules to IT pre-sales.

1. Put Prospects at Ease First

Girard's rule: You can't sell to a scared person.

Before your demo, eliminate fear:

• Start human: "How's your week going?"
• Set expectations: "No pressure today just exploring fit"
• Give them control: "If this isn't right, I'll tell you"

Why it works: Anxiety blocks decision-making. When prospects feel safe, they share real pain points. When they feel pressured, they ghost you.

Action: Add a 5-minute warm-up to every discovery call. Ask about their day, their team, their biggest win this quarter. Then transition to business.

2. Volume Always Wins

Girard's rule: The more people you talk to, the more sales you make.

He didn't wait for inbound. He:

• Made cold calls daily
• Handed out business cards everywhere
• Sent direct mail relentlessly

In IT pre-sales: Consistency beats cleverness. Book 3 discovery calls per week, minimum. Track activity, not just outcomes. One call per day compounds into 250+ conversations per year.

Action: Block 2 hours every morning for outreach. Protect it like a client meeting.

3. Let Them Experience It

Girard's rule: People don't buy specs they buy how it makes them feel.

He let customers sit in cars, adjust seats, imagine themselves driving.

In IT: Give hands-on access early.

• Live demo, not slide deck
• Let them click, test, break things
• Sandbox environments beat feature lists
• Invite them to participate in your team's project ceremonies

Why it works: Ownership feeling starts before the contract. The more they touch it, the harder it is to walk away.

4. The Law of 250 (Your Exponential Reputation)

Girard's rule: Every person knows 250 people who will hear about you.

In IT, this multiplies:

• 1 happy client → referrals to 250 people
• 1 case study → 10 inbound leads
• 1 unhappy client → 250 people warned away

Action: Treat every implementation like 250 people are watching. Because they are.

5. Follow Up Like Girard (Not Like Everyone Else)

Girard's rule: Most salespeople disappear after closing. Winners stay present.

He sent postcards every month for years. Customers remembered him when they needed another car or when their friends did.

In IT:

• Quarterly check-ins (not just renewal time)
• Share relevant blog posts or feature updates
• Celebrate their wins publicly

Why it works: The fortune is in the follow-up. Repeat business and referrals come from staying top of mind without being annoying.

Action: Set a recurring calendar reminder to reach out to your top 10 clients every quarter. No ask. Just value.

6. Handle Problems Same Day

Girard's rule: Fast problem-solving turns critics into advocates.

A customer with a resolved complaint often becomes more loyal than one who never had an issue.

In IT:

• Respond to support tickets within 2 hours
• Escalate blockers immediately
• Follow up after resolution: "Is this working now?"

Why it works: Everyone has challenges, risks, bugs, performance issues. What separates you is response time and honesty.

7. Know Your Numbers (Daily Targets Drive Action)

Girard's rule: Track obsessively. He knew his cars-per-day target and hit it.

In IT pre-sales: Set clear metrics:

• Discovery calls per week
• Demos to close rate
• Time from demo to decision

Action: Create a simple scorecard. Review it Friday afternoon. Adjust next week's activity based on what's lagging.

8. Use Time Ruthlessly

Girard's rule: Don't join the club. While others gossiped, he was selling.

In IT: Time is your only non-renewable resource.

• Decline meetings without agendas
• Batch admin work
• Protect prospecting hours

Why it works: Every hour on activities that don't move deals forward is an hour you'll never get back.

9. Win-Win or Walk Away

Girard's rule: If the customer doesn't benefit, it's not a sale it's a reputation killer.

He refused to sell cars to people who couldn't afford them.

In IT:

• Say no when your solution doesn't fit
• Point them to a better option if it exists
• Prioritize long-term trust over short-term commission

Why it works: You lose one deal. You gain a trusted advisor relationship. They'll come back when the fit is right or send referrals.

10. Trust and Work Ethic Beat Talent

Girard's rule: "Salesmen are made, not born. If I did it, you can do it."

He started with no advantages no education, no connections, no money. He had work ethic and integrity.

In IT: Sales isn't about charisma. It's about:

• Showing up consistently
• Following a repeatable process
• Treating people with honesty

Girard sold 13k+ cars because he understood human psychology, tracked his activity, and stayed present after the close.

You can do the same in any industry.

Make them feel safe. Show up consistently. Follow up relentlessly.