If you’ve ever read any of my stuff, attended my webinars, speeches, or public presentations, you know of my strong belief in the power of positive language and the destructive nature of “no,” negative language, and negative thinking. 

This is a story about one of the most remarkable salespeople I ever worked with and learned from in my life, Andy Johnson. 

Andy’s story is quite remarkable. He never finished high school. His first job was moving boxes in the shipping department of the Music Den in downtown Philadelphia in mid-20th century. 

One summer there was a brutal flu outbreak that affected thousands of people. In fact, so the story goes, at the height of the epidemic, just a handful of employees showed up to run the five-story Music Den’s downtown headquarters store. Andy was assigned to the first floor – where both sheet music and small electronics, such as radios, were sold. 

Andy was instructed by Mr. Schmitt, the founder, to only sell boxed radios and not the display units that belonged to the vendor company. When Mr. Schmitt checked in a couple of hours later, he was stunned to see that all of the radios in the display cases were gone. Before talking with Andy, he took a slight detour and checked the storage rooms where new merchandise was waiting to be sold. Turns out that those rooms were empty, too. Mr. Schmitt then went looking for Andy, who was on the sales floor talking to customers.

Instead of chewing Andy out, Mr. Schmitt asked a question that changed Andy’s life, “What are you doing in the loading dock hauling boxes when you can sell so well?” Andy answered simply, “Nobody asked me.” Andy’s career was a bit meteoric after that.

When I met Andy in 1966, he was selling stereo components and breaking all previous sales records in the department. After reading his personnel file and reviewing his sales records, I was very curious about his award-winning sales methods and being the busy father of seven children.

Andy’s approach was quite simple. At the beginning of each year, he sat down with his wife and figured out how much income they would need. Andy would write that number at the top of a sheet of paper, and using a formula the company gave him, he converted the commission rate into a gross sales number for the year. Seven and a half percent commission from every sale – from a $25 headset to a $3,000 stereo system – was subtracted from the big sales number he had to reach. When I saw this, I made the remark that it was a pretty negative way to motivate himself to make his sales goals. I was 24-year-old learning how to be a department manager. I will remember his response for the rest of my life.

Andy said that every single year, he made his sales quota and his commission quota by the end of August. That left September, October, November, and December, the heaviest selling months for musical instruments and musical anything. His way over-the-top sales in the last four months of every year made him the super salesman that he was.

Despite his truly amazing and systematic approach, and great memory of his customers, his batting average at the point of sale was average for retail sales, about 10% to 15%. I asked Andy how he handled all the “no” responses he got as a salesperson. His answer was quick. With a laugh he said, “I believe that a no is simply a short stop on the way to yes.”

Andy had learned that he could have a longer-term relationship with many customers. Even those who said “no” were likely to buy from him eventually. He stayed in touch with everyone he talked to periodically. Andy Johnson showed me that even “no” can become a powerfully positive and constructive “Yes!” “No is just a short stop on the way to yes,” has been a major driver of my career, my attitude about life, and my optimism about most everything that happens to me and those I care about. Who knows, it could probably work for you.

©2026, James E. Lukaszewski. Contact the copyright holder at jel@e911.com for information and reproduction permissions. Editing or excerpting is forbidden.