Joseph Samuel Girardi (November 1, 1928 – February 28, 2019), better known as Joe Girard, was an

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salesman, motivational speaker and author. Girard sold 13,001 cars at a

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dealership between 1963 and 1978, and was recognized by the

Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

as the seller of the most cars in a year (1,425 in 1973). Girard later became a successful motivational speaker, and gave regular presentations for corporate clients including

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, and

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. He resided in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, until his death.

Early life

Girard was the son of Antonino Girardi, "an extremely poor man of Sicilian birth" and his wife, a homemaker. Girard worked from early childhood on. A high school dropout, he started working as a shoeshine boy, then worked as a newsboy for the

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, dishwasher, delivery boy, stove assembler, and home building contractor.

Career

The then 35-year-old Girard walked into a Detroit car dealership and begged a skeptical sales manager for a job as a salesman. He sold a car on his first day and, by the second month, was so good some of the other salesmen complained, and got him fired. His next job was at Merollis Chevrolet in Eastpointe, Michigan. There, he set consecutive sales records over a 15-year period. He then became an author and public speaker, using books and in-person presentations to share his sales techniques. As described in ''How to Sell Anything to Anybody'', Girard decided early in his sales career to adopt the name "Girard" for business purposes as a way to avoid confrontations over his ethnicity or losing customers who might be prejudiced against Sicilians and Italians. Girard appeared on ''

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'' in 1974 and '' To Tell the Truth'' in 1973. Girard died on February 28, 2019, from medical complications after a fall.

Published works

*''How To Sell Anything To Anybody'' *''How To Sell Yourself'' *''How To Close Every Sale'' *''Mastering Your Way To The Top'' *''Joe Girard's 13 Essential Rules of Selling''

Awards and honors

Girard's awards include The Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement, and he was nominated for the

Horatio Alger Award The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is a nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, that was founded in 1947 to honor the achievements of outstanding Americans who have succeeded in spite of adversity and to emphas ...

by the late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and the late Lowell Thomas. In 2001, he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Notes

References

External links

JoeGirard.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Girard, Joe 1928 births 2019 deaths Accidental deaths from falls American automobile salespeople American motivational speakers American people of Italian descent People from Detroit People from Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan