The Nature of Success
by Mac Anderson
An excerpt:
"In 1972 I had just accepted a position as vice president of sales for Orval Kent Food Company, a small enterprise that manufactured fresh-prepared salad products selling to delicatessens and restaurants. I had come on board to hire and train new sales people, but I knew absolutely nothing about the salad business. So Sid Caisman, who had spent most of his career selling to delicatessens, was assigned to show me the ropes. Sid was a pro, and he loved what he did.
I'd been there about two weeks when Sid came in smiling ear to ear. He said, "Mac, I've been trying to get an appointment with this large grocery chain for over two years and I finally have it next Friday. Do you want to go with me?" My response: "You bet I do!"
The big day arrived, and on our way out we picked up our refrigerated samples. When we arrived at their corporate headquarters I could tell Sid was pumped. The buyer came out and introduced himself, and we followed him back to his office. We sat down and he looked across his desk at Sid and asked, "What makes you think your product is any better than your competitors?"
That was Sid's cue to perform. He began to tell the buyer about why our potato salad was superior to anything on the market. He went into great details about the quality, the fresh-diced vegetables, our special dressing and our state of the art manufacturing plant. Then he said, "Bob, I've saved the best for last...you're going to love how it tastes!"
With great fanfare, Sid popped open the lid of the sample container, and...I couldn't believe my eyes. Sitting right on top was a large, black, rotten potato about the size of a quarter. But Sid, seeing the potato before the buyer did, reached down and popped it in his mouth and said, "Bob, I just can't get enough of this stuff!" And with that, the buyer reached down, grabbed some salad, and said, "Sid, you're right. It tastes great!"
It was a magical moment. I had just witnessed a sophisticated buyer eating potato salad with his fingers and he didn't even know it! And it was all for one reason...Sid's unbridled enthusiasm.

Mac Anderson is the founder of Simple Truths and Successories, Inc., the leader in designing and marketing products for motivation and recognition. These companies, however, are not the first success stories for Mac. He was also the founder and CEO of McCord Travel, the largest travel company in the Midwest, and part owner/VP of sales and marketing for Orval Kent Food Company, the country's largest manufacturer of prepared salads.

His accomplishments in these three unrelated industries provide some insight into his passion and leadership skills. He also brings the same passion to his speaking where he speaks to many corporate audiences on a variety of topics, including leadership, motivation and team building.

Mac has authored or co-authored nine books: 212°...The Extra Degree, Change is Good...You Go First, You Can't Send a Duck to Eagle School, The Power of Attitude, The Essence of Leadership, The Nature of Success, The Dash, Charging the Human Battery, and Finding Joy.
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