( CNN ) -- Motivational speaker and author Zig Ziglar died Wednesday in Dallas `` after a short bout with pneumonia , '' his spokesman said . He was 86 . The self-described `` Undisputed King of Motivation '' was known for his seminars , which grew into large gatherings held in packed arenas . Ziglar wrote more than two dozen books on salesmanship and motivation over five decades . He spread his message of positive attitude , motivation and success through stories punctuated with short quotes that became legendary among his followers , such as : . â€¢ `` Failure is a detour , not a dead-end street . '' â€¢ `` Success is the maximum utilization of the ability that you have . '' â€¢ `` Of course motivation is not permanent . But then , neither is bathing ; but it is something you should do on a regular basis . '' After suffering injuries in a fall in 2007 , Ziglar continued his tour schedule with fewer events and help from his daughter onstage . He was born Hilary Hinton Ziglar in Coffee County , Alabama . His family moved to Yazoo City , Mississippi , and later to New York City . In his autobiography , Ziglar described a challenging childhood that taught him to connect with people . Ziglar was 'simply the best ' He began speaking in public as a salesman in the 1950s , although his professional speaking career did not start until the 1970s . A collection of Ziglar quotes pulled from social media users is displayed at the top of this story . If you are unable to see the quotes , please click here .
Self-described `` Undisputed King of Motivation '' was known for his seminars . He wrote more than two dozen books on salesmanship and motivation . His most famous book is " The Power Of Habit, " which has sold over a million copies worldwide.