Good-Bye to the Master of No-Bull Selling

This afternoon I was saddened to receive what was labeled as the “Final No Bull Shot” email newsletter from master salesman Hank Trisler.  His family sent out the email to his legion of fans and subscriber with a brief message stating that Hank had quietly passed away early this morning.

Trisler’s book No Bull Selling was one of the very first books I bought and studied on the subject of professional sales. I’d been kind of prodded into the role of sales and wasn’t looking forward to participating in role that I’d perceived as less than desirable and maybe more than a little oily (telemarketers, door-to-door salesmen, and use car salesmen consistently rank high in the top ten most-hated jobs.)

No Bull Selling turned my head on the idea of what sales could be. Trisler’s sense of humor was undeniable and as the reader I could feel his joy in whispering these secrets to someone new to the profession and his valuable advice was always combined with personal stories told with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

Years later when I’d advanced in the professional far enough to be offered a role as a sales manger, Hank was there again offering his advice, wisdom, and guidance to me within his second book, No Bull Sales Management.

I’ve been thankful for many of the great things that participating in social media have brought me, but few as much as the opportunity it gave me to connect with Hank personally.  I seized the chance to tell him just how much his book had meant to me and my career, and I even had a chance to trade a few ideas with him via email, Twitter, and Facebook.

So long, Tris…
Thanks for everything.

In the last email his family sent the email list on Hank’s behalf, they shared a short poem from Robert Louis Stevenson which Tris used to close his live presentations. How fitting they would use it to close out his time with us.  Here it is for you to share and remember a guy who had fun at what he did and made many friends along the way.  And that’s no bull.

THAT MAN IS A SUCCESS
who has lived well,
laughed often and loved much;

who has gained the respect
of intelligent men
and the love of children;

who has filled his niche
and accomplished his task;

who leaves the world better
than he found it,
whether by an improved poppy,
a perfect poem
or a rescued soul;

who never lacked appreciation
of earth’s beauty
or failed to express it;

who looked for the best in others
and gave the best he had.

~Robert Louis Stevenson