5 Dwight Schrute Quotes on Being a Better Seller (and Person)

With all due respect to Michael Scott, the best salesperson in The Office was never the manager. And it wasn’t handsome Jim Halpert, either. 

It was Dwight Schrute, Assistant (to the) Regional Manager. Dwight’s ability to sell paper in a shrinking market was legendary.  

That’s why he was asked to give a speech after being named Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Salesperson of the Year – and if that speech didn’t inspire you to go out and sell more after hearing it, you probably need to check your pulse.  

But despite his success, his manager got all the press, all the fame, and all the accolades. His colleague and fellow salesperson Jim Halpert got all the cool points – and the love of the receptionist.  

And all Dwight did was keep crushing his quota, quarter after quarter.

Here are a few of Dwight’s quotes that just might help you land your own regional salesperson of the year hardware.  

Quote #1: "Whenever I'm about to do something, I think, 'Would an idiot do that?' And if they would, I do not do that thing." 

Dwight Schrute was an enormously confident seller. But despite his abundant confidence, Dwight understood something a lot of us cannot grasp: no matter how good you are at something, there is always a possibility that you could make an idiotic decision. 

By being self-aware enough to face that reality, Dwight minimized the chances that he would actually do something idiotic. 

Avoiding failure begins by admitting we have the capacity for failure. Dwight helped minimize his chances of failing by admitting that — despite his strengths and successes — he could still drop the ball.  

That type of self-awareness is one of the greatest assets any seller can have. 

Bonus Resources: If you are self-aware enough to know that you aren’t self-aware, that’s at least half the battle – but your work isn’t done. Here are a few resources from LinkedIn Learning that can help you become more aware of who you are and what you’re capable of:

• “Developing Self-Awareness,” taught by psychologist Dr. Gemma Leigh Roberts
• “Strategies to Improve Self-Awareness,” taught by Dr. Joel Perez, an executive coach and author. 
• “The Neuroscience of Emotional Intelligence & Self-Awareness,” developed by education provider Knowable. 

Quote #2: "Are you trying to hurt my feelings? Because if so, you are succeeding. Fortunately, my feelings regenerate twice a normal man's speed.” 

Building off the last point, no one is born a great seller. Instead, it’s learned after years upon years of trial and error.

The problem? That trial and error, for many, is too painful to endure. As LinkedIn Learning Instructor Miles Croft said, “Rejection is one of the hardest things to take, and it’s something that happens a lot in sales. Every rejection is like taking a punch, and even the best boxers in the world go down after a certain number of punches.”

What separates the best sellers from everyone else is the willingness to endure that rejection and keep getting back up from those punches. That was Dwight’s superpower – and why he was able to sell paper in an increasingly paperless world.

Bonus Resource: Learn more about how you can bounce back from rejection by reading “Rejection is Part of Sales. Here Are 4 Steps for Getting Through It.” 

Quote #3: "My perfect Valentine’s Day? I’m at home. Three cell phones in front of me. Fielding desperate calls from people who want to buy one of the 50 restaurant reservations I made over six months ago."

Dwight didn’t just have the soul of an entrepreneur. With his successful beet farm that doubled as an agritourism site and his ownership of the building that housed his employer, Dwight was the real deal. 

Now, granted, that entrepreneurial nature manifested itself in not-so-great ways, like taking advantage of the loaded emotions around holidays. That lack of integrity kept Dwight from being more successful sooner.

But, still, having an entrepreneurial spirit was critical for Dwight’s success (as it is for any seller). 

And that doesn’t mean starting a business. It’s the mindset that emphasizes problem-solving, creativity, relentlessness, and a deep desire to be rewarded for your effort. 

Bonus Resources: Approaching your sales role in a more entrepreneurial way doesn’t require starting your own beet farm. “Use an Entrepreneurial Mindset to Find Success and Fulfillment at Work” from LinkedIn Learning will help instill an entrepreneurial mindset in your approach to your job.  

Quote #4: "I am ready to face any challenges that might be foolish enough to face me." 

This quote sets up what it means to have a successful sales mentality.

As discussed earlier, Dwight wasn’t afraid to admit his mistakes or deflect the pain that comes from rejection. What he did, instead, was learn from those mistakes quickly.

But, at the same time, he was supremely confident. Not confident in any singular tactic or with a false belief that he would never fail, but confident that he could learn through all of that and ultimately overcome any challenge thrown his way.

That’s what great sellers do. They have confidence in their ability to adapt and grow and they maintain that confidence even when things aren’t going their way. 

Dwight maintained his confidence despite a bad haircut, few friends, and working for a belittling boss. That’s resolve.

Bonus Resource: No matter how successful you are, there is a good chance that the past few years have taken a toll on your confidence. If that’s true, read “4 Barriers to Success Salespeople Don’t Talk About – and How to Overcome Them.”

 Quote #5: "The Schrutes have a word for when everything in a man's life comes together perfectly. Perfectenschlag. Right now, I am in it. I finally get a chance to prove myself to corporate. I am assembling a competent team. I am likely a father. I am so deep inside of perfectenschlag right now.” 

Dwight Schrute had one dream. He wanted to succeed Michael Scott and become the leader of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch.  

Along the way, he was fired, rehired, faced disciplinary action after mutilating a $5,300 CPR dummy, and demoted back to sales after a short stint as manager. He was mocked, dismissed, and, at times, despised.

His dream of ruling Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch may have been strange, but it was his dream – and he always owned it, no matter what anyone else thought. No matter what was thrown his way, he persisted.

And, by the end, he finally became the leader he always knew he could be. Enter the quote above.  

If you learn nothing else from the best paper salesperson in Northeastern Pennsylvania, then learn that – don’t give up. It’ll pay off in the long run. 

Enjoyed this blog? You might like these as well:

• 3 Phrases That'll Disrupt Your First Sales Call (In the Best Possible Way)
• 20 Times Michael Scott Perfectly Described Being in Sales
• 10 Effective Tips for Persuading Others, According to a Behavioral Scientist
• The Non-Sales Habits That Help These 9 High Achievers Sell Better
• Fretting a Big Sales Call? Try This Hack (It's Used Before Diffusing Bombs)

Get more posts like this by subscribing to our weekly blog newsletter.