Zig Ziglar
Born 1926 · Age 99
American salesman, motivational speaker and author best known for his books and seminars (See You at the Top) and for founding Ziglar, Inc.
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Life & Career Timeline
Birth in Coffee County, Alabama
Hilary Hinton Ziglar born prematurely in Coffee County, Alabama; tenth of 12 children to John Silas and Lila Wescott Ziglar.
Nearly died as an infant and revived
According to obituaries, doctors declared him dead nine days after birth but he revived in his grandmother's arms.
Early childhood entrepreneurship (selling peanuts / working as grocer)
As a child/adolescent he sold peanuts and later worked as a grocer to help his family (approximate timeframe: primary school through adolescence).
Family moved to Yazoo City, Mississippi
Family moved when his father took a management position at a Mississippi farm; Ziglar spent most of early childhood in Yazoo City.
Father died of a stroke; sister died two days later
His father died of a stroke and his younger sister died two days later; family left in care of his mother.
Entered U.S. Navy V-12 College Training Program
Participated in the Navy V-12 program at the University of South Carolina (part of WWII-era training, 1943–1945).
Met future wife Jean Abernathy
Met Jean Abernathy while at University of South Carolina during the V-12 program.
Married Jean Abernathy
Married Jean (they married late in 1946); the couple later had four children.
Dropped out of college and took first full-time sales job
Dropped out of college and moved to Lancaster, South Carolina to work full-time as a cookware salesman for the WearEver Aluminum Company.
Mentored by P.C. Merrell at WearEver
Divisional supervisor P.C. Merrell encouraged Ziglar and gave advice that changed his outlook and sales performance.
Promoted to field manager and divisional supervisor at WearEver
Moved up to a larger sales territory (Florence, S.C.) and was promoted to field manager and then divisional supervisor.
Charter member: American Salesmasters founded
With Richard 'Dick' Gardner and Hal Krause, Ziglar was a charter member establishing American Salesmasters to raise the image of salespeople via seminars.
Major speaker for NASE and Mary Kay trainer (approx.)
Spoke extensively for the National Association of Sales Education (NASE, founded by Dick Gardner in 1965) and became a major sales trainer for Mary Kay Cosmetics.
Became VP & training director at Automotive Performance Company
Accepted role as vice president and training director for Automotive Performance Company and moved to Dallas, Texas.
Automotive Performance Company bankruptcy
The Automotive Performance Company went bankrupt roughly two years after his appointment (company failure affected his corporate role).
Left sales to become full-time motivational speaker
Transitioned from a corporate sales role to a full-time career as a motivational speaker and trainer.
Published Biscuits, Fleas & Pump Handles
One of his early books (listed in bibliographies) published in 1974.
See You at the Top published after 30 rejections
Pelican Publishing accepted See You at the Top after ~30 rejections; it sold more than 250,000 copies and became his signature work.
Founded Zigmanship Institute (later Ziglar, Inc.)
Founded the Zigmanship Institute, which later became Ziglar, Inc., focusing on training, seminars and licensing Ziglar programs.
Published Confessions Of A Happy Christian
Published a religious/self-help title in 1978 as part of his growing bibliography.
Published Secrets of Closing the Sale
Released one of his best-known sales books (Secrets of Closing the Sale).
Published Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World
Published parenting/self-help title (1985).
Published Top Performance
Released Top Performance: How to Develop Excellence in Yourself and Others (1986).
Son Tom Ziglar became CEO of Ziglar, Inc.
Tom Ziglar took over as CEO of the company, formalizing a next-generation leadership transition.
Published Goals (audio) and other materials
Continued publishing audio and print titles throughout the 1990s (e.g., Goals audio in 1995); maintained an active training/media portfolio.
Active speaker schedule (~50 presentations/year)
Reportedly giving about 50 presentations per year around 1999; also received the National Speakers Association 'Master of Influence' award that year.
Received NSA Master of Influence Award
Awarded the National Speakers Association's Master of Influence Award for contributions to public speaking.
Coached and employed other speakers including Will Harris
Through Ziglar, Inc. he employed and trained several speakers, including Will Harris (training/mentoring role during corporate period).
Bibliography milestone: over 30 books and multiple bestsellers
By the early 2000s Ziglar had authored over 30 books, with around ten listed as bestsellers and translations into dozens of languages.
Received Silver Buffalo Award (Boy Scouts of America)
Received the Silver Buffalo Award—the BSA's highest national-level award—for services to youth.
Received Cavett Award from National Speakers Association
Awarded the Cavett Award by the National Speakers Association for lifetime achievements and mentorship.
Inducted / honored by speaker organizations (Council of Peers / Hall of Fame references)
Recognized by speaker organizations (Council of Peers Award for Excellence / Speaker Hall of Fame noted in sources around this era).
Autobiography published (Zig: The Autobiography of Zig Ziglar)
Published a detailed autobiography recounting his life and career (publication date reported July 2002 in some sources).
Published Selling 101
Published Selling 101: What Every Successful Sales Professional Needs to Know (2003).
Published multiple titles (Autobiography listed 2004 in some bibliographies)
Bibliographies list several 2004 titles including The Autobiography of Zig Ziglar and Courtship After Marriage (dates vary by source).
Published Better Than Good
Published Better Than Good: Creating a Life You Can't Wait to Live (2006).
Sustained a serious fall causing memory problems
A fall down a flight of stairs in 2007 left Ziglar with short-term memory impairment, affecting his ability to work.
Public political endorsement (Mike Huckabee)
Endorsed former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.
Moved to Plano, Texas
After retirement he and his wife lived in Plano, Texas.
Retired from active speaking and Ziglar, Inc.
Officially retired in December 2010 after a decades-long career; Ziglar, Inc. had grown to approximately 60 employees.
Legacy: 'The Ziglar Way' and company succession
His seminars, books and Ziglar, Inc. continued under family leadership (Tom Ziglar and others) as an ongoing legacy after his death.
Career travel milestone: over five million miles
Over a 40-year speaking career Ziglar reportedly traveled more than five million miles and consulted for Fortune 500 companies and world leaders.
Reported net worth estimate at time of death
Contemporary biographical sources and later profiles estimate Ziglar's net worth around $15 million near end of life (estimate from secondary sources).
Died of pneumonia in Plano, Texas
Zig Ziglar died on November 28, 2012 after a brief bout with pneumonia; he was buried/resting in McKinney, Texas.
Key Achievement Ages
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