Customer Reviews

The Salesman of the Century

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If the rather egotistical title of this book doesn't put you off, you'll find a fascinating story that's really two books in one. Ron Popeil's infomercials are the stuff of pop culture legend; if you never got a chance to see them during the '60s, '70s or '80s, you surely have seen their parodies. But what's the deal behind Popeil and his "as seen on TV" success?

The first part of this book is Popeil's inspiring autobiography. Surviving a childhood filled with abuse and neglect, he discovered his gift as a salesman as a young man and went on to make a fortune. At the dawn of the television age, he saw TV's potential as an unparalleled marketing tool and grew his marketing empire even further. Ron Popeil's great contribution to retail, therefore, wasn't the myriad of gadgets he sold, but his style of selling on TV -- namely the infomercial.

The second part of the book is essentially a how-to guide for starting a business similar to Popeil's. Even if you have no intention of starting a retail business, the details of how such a business works are fascinating. Topics as arcane as patent protection, TV time buying, negotiating with retail stores for shelf space and financing (which forced Popeil into bankruptcy at one point) are all covered.

As a fan of inventors and salesmanship, Ron Popeil was at the top of his game for decades... this book demystifies some of the qualities, tenancity, and cleverness that someone needs to succeed in the world of marketing ones self and their products. The first half of this book is phenomenal because it reveals some of the secrets of Ron's success - although it would hard to emulate or recreate exactly what Ron did to start his amazing career... it illustrates that you don't have to wait for opportunity to knock, you need to create your own path, using your own talents and ingenuity. The second half is a like taking a course in basic tv marketing 101 and is a must read for those harboring fantasies of seeing their product in a infomercial or on the home shopping networks.
I highly recommend this read for anyone looking to market their own product via television.... and as someone who has hosted more than 75 infomercials myself, I put my stamp of approval on this tome!
forbes riley

Ron's book gives one a good overall insight into what it takes to get a product to market. His insights into selling to retail chains..., Infomercials, and getting a product on QVC are invaluable.

It's a great read with many pictures and short stories about his past hit products like The Pocketfisherman, Mr. Microphone, and GLH9 etc.

It also includes a great overview of his early life going through the school of hard knocks.

Ron Popeil tells the story of how he started with nothing and grew to become a leader in the direct marketing business by developing innovative products. While some of the information is dated, the basic message is not - anyone who chooses can work for themselves by starting small and grow their business. Ron shares step by step details about how to develop products, protect them with patents and trademarks, price them, sell them, get them made, and advertise them. This book offers a rare glimpse into the how-to of a successful company by the man who built it from scratch. Along the way, Ron shares his failures as well as his successes and reveals poignant details about his personal life that help the reader to understand the man behind the story of The Salesman of the Century.

I loved the biography and all the related content that showed the hardships and what it took for Ron to become the master of the infomercials. This is a great read for any person in the sales area to see that by going the extra yard that you can achieve great things. Ok ,I never did catch anything with that pocket fisherman!