The buyers would remark how uncanny it was that I discovered the defective piece of merchandise. It wasn’t uncanny at all; I was just more observant than they were and had less tolerance for mediocrity.
In Selling the Dream, Guy Kawasaki tells a story of diamond-seller Harry Winston: Winston saw one of his salesmen lose the sale of a large diamond. Just as the customer was about to leave the story, Winston quickly stopped him, described the beauty of the stone, and sold the diamond. The customer asked Winston how he convinced him to buy the diamond when the salesman couldn’t. Harry Winston told him, “That salesman is one of the best men in the business. He knows diamonds–but I love them.”
Just like Harry Winston loved diamonds, Stanley Marcus loved the buying and selling of quality items more than anyone who worked for him. His love made him the most critical purveyor of his merchandise, and unwilling to accept even the tiniest flaw.
Without loving what you do, you’ll never be the best you can be in your business. And, there will always be someone who can outperform you, because they love it more.
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