Ever write anything on a napkin? An idea? A phone number? Something to do? A note to yourself? Maybe even a sales pitch? Sure you have.

I picked up a book in an airport titled, "The Back of a Napkin," by Dan Roam. A book about napkin scribbling. I do it all the time and wanted to see what someone had to say in 275 pages that I hadn’t thought of or understood.

I skipped around the book, trying to find something that suited me, but it was as if I were in a classroom where students were being instructed on how to draw pictures on a napkin to solve problems.

I don’t use napkins to solve problems. I use them to write thoughts of the moment. I started writing in the margins of the book to expand or clarify Roam’s thoughts. I was using his book as a napkin.

Note, this is not a criticism of Roam’s book; rather it’s my take as a napkin user of 40-plus years. It’s not "how to" but rather "how I do."

For me it’s not just the idea, but detail of what the idea entails. And I don’t do it for other people, I do it for myself.

Here’s an example of what I mean: I met my friend Ray Bard of Bard Press for lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Austin. Ray published my book, "Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless."

"I have an idea for a book and I think you’re the perfect person to write it," Bard told me. "Are you familiar with Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book of Golf?"

I nodded yes, not wanting to interrupt his words with mine.

"‘The Little Red Book of Golf’ has sold more than 2 million copies," he said.

"Wow," I interrupted.

"Jeffrey, I think you should write The Little Red Book of Selling. It’s a natural for you," Bard told me. "Write it in your edgy style, and you could outsell Harvey Penick. What do you think?"

"Waiter! Can I have a large paper napkin please?" I bellowed.

I wrote the title at the top of the napkin. The ideas for a table of contents came fast and furious.

"‘Kick your own ass’ is chapter one!" I said with enthusiasm. "Salespeople are always looking for someone else to motivate them, and I believe they need to take responsibility for motivating themselves."

Ray smiled.

I continued, "The last chapter is definitely, ‘Resign your position as general manager of the universe.’ Just focus on yourself and your own situation, and stay out of other people’s drama."

Ideas began flowing. I began filling in the blanks with my red Sharpie. Chapter One was at the top of the napkin. And the last chapter was at the bottom of the napkin. I wrote more thoughts and content about preparation, asking questions, networking, delivering value, relationships, and other elements that would create a buying mood rather than a selling tone.

I decided the book would be about why people buy, not how to sell. And the opening quote of the book would be my trademarked phrase, "People don’t like to be sold, but they love to buy."

The napkin was filled to the edges with content, clarification, and other thoughts.

I looked up at Ray and said, "I’ll do it!"

That was in Spring 2002. Two years later, the book idea that began on a napkin was complete, edited, and ready to print. I still have the napkin.

Because of that collaborated idea, because the two people at the table had mutual respect and mutual trust, because the waiter brought me a napkin, and because of readers like you, The Little Red Book of Selling just passed 750,000 copies sold and that’s just for the English version.

Napkins and their big brother, flipcharts, have played a major role in my ability to generate ideas, clarify them, and turn them into reality, and money.

Got idea? Get napkin!

Last month I was in Austin and passed by the Mexican restaurant where Ray and I met for lunch. I smiled.

Want to know what I wrote in the margins? Go to www.gitomer.com, register if you’re a first-time visitor, and enter the word "margins" in the GitBit box.

Contact Jeffrey Gitomer at salesman@gitomer.com or (704) 333-1112. Gitomer is president of Buy Gitomer in Charlotte, N.C., and the author of The Little Red Book of Selling. He gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts Internet training programs on selling and customer service at www.trainone.com. Sales Moves appears weekly.