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I sat down to talk with Drew Brown, the first African-American jet fighter pilot in the Navy, a decorated war veteran, who was raised on the streets of Harlem. He went to school at Southern University, played basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters and wrote a book called “You Gotta Believe!”

Subject of our discussion? Boxing.

More specifically, Muhammad Ali.

“When I was a kid, my father made me sit in the corner,” Drew said with an all-knowing smile. “Oh, not the corner you’re thinking about. I’m talking about the corner that Muhammad Ali sat in while he was winning or defending the heavyweight championship of the world.”

Drew’s dad was “Bundini” Brown. Bundini was Ali’s assistant trainer, and in Ali’s corner with Angelo Dundee for every major fight of Ali’s career. So was the young Drew Brown. Drew was there at the fights and at the gym where Ali got ready and trained to become a world champion.

Can you imagine being ringside for the career of the greatest boxer of all time? I wanted to hear every story. Liston, Frazier, Foreman and Norton. I wanted to hear about the fights.

Like most boxing fans in the ’60s and ’70s, I loved Ali. His style, his speed, his swagger and his confidence. Yes, he was controversial, but that did not detract from his skills. He fought like no other. He was a warrior. And still today, he is the most recognized name in the world.

After about a half-dozen stories, I challenged Drew to take the stories and convert them into lessons. “What did you learn from sitting in the corner? What did Ali’s career teach you?”

Drew began to talk, and I began to write. Here are the lessons he learned sitting at the feet of Muhammad Ali and observing his actions. Think about how you might be able to model Ali’s habits in your sales career:

1. He got ready to win. He trained to be a champion, not just win the fight.

2. He simulated the fight environment for months before the fight. He had sparring partners who pushed him to the limit. Many later became his opponents in the ring.

3. He had a victory strategy that he prepared and practiced every day.

4. He was healthy. He ate right and exercised right.

5. He psyched himself up every day. Winning starts with your mental attitude and self-belief, way before your punching power.

6. He was the master self-promoter for his sport and for himself. He proclaimed that he was “the greatest of all time.”

7. He always believed he would win. Self-thought and self-belief were his secret weapons. (His jab and powerful right hand came in handy as well.)

8. At the fight, he psyched his opponent. His pre-fight stare-down was without peer. He often used his mental advantage to gain a physical advantage.

9. During the fight, he was not just punching or boxing; he was a student. When the bell rang, Ali was looking for the weakness of his opponent and exploiting it.

10. His mantra was: Punch hard, punch fast and dance.”Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” was not just a slogan; it was a style. His style.

11. Even though he would predict an early knockout, Ali was prepared to go the distance.

12. He had passionate, loyal fans. Still does.

Drew Brown has become a speaker, taking his life lessons into corporate America and into high schools. He calls his talk “The Facts of Life.” No, it’s not about the birds and the bees. The real facts of life occur when you get your business card printed and you realize that your mommy and your daddy are not always able to come to your rescue, and that you must rely on yourself.

How have you learned your facts of life, and how are you taking advantage of those lessons?

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com. © 2008 Jeffrey H. Gitomer