8/28/2024-On this day, MLK “had a dream”

MLK was a great salesperson. His passion and conviction defined his legacy; he is a model for sellers to study. You can have a great product, but without a reservoir of stamina, you’ll not succeed.

On this day in 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech to an estimated 250,000 people at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

While the speech called for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in America, King’s rhetoric applied broadly and included widespread freedoms.

For a competitor like you dealing with headwinds and limitless challenges, honoring King might include celebrating your opportunity to compete in a meritocracy.

What’s your dream?

It doesn’t have to be as monumental as King’s; it doesn’t have to try and move societal conventions and codes.

It only has to be yours. And it has to drive you.

Sellers need dreams that propel them through the undulations of the seller’s life, a turbulent sequence of endless pitches and struggles.

Today, work on your dream. Try to make it bigger than aspiring to buy a Tesla or a beach house! (Those things are fun, but they are just that…things.)

MLK entered college at 15, attending Morehouse College in 1944. He graduated in 1948 with a B.A. in Sociology at 19.

Interestingly, King earned a C- in public speaking while at Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, PA. Despite that, MLK was elected student body president and graduated valedictorian of his class in 1951.

At the age of 25, King, Jr. was awarded his Ph.D. at Boston University.

The man worked hard in the classroom. But he worked harder on the streets.

In essence, King was a salesperson; he was selling his dream of an ideal society built on freedom for all. If he were alive today, he’d probably admit that his unrelenting passion and conviction for his cause was a fire that burned deep inside.

Passion and conviction! Those are wonderful ingredients for all who are committed to a worthy cause, whether social movements or business goals.

The words "I have a dream" weren’t originally a part of the script King and his aides wrote for his big moment in D.C.

This History Channel summary of what transpired on that hot August afternoon in 1963 offers significant and interesting facts about this important moment in time.

It’s important to honor and learn about those who fought in the past so that you can fight today.