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Frank Bettger

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How I Raised Myself From Failure To Success In Selling Kindle Edition

by Frank Bettger (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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A business classic endorsed by Dale Carnegie, How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling is for anyone whose job it is to sell. Whether you are selling houses or mutual funds, advertisements or ideas—or anything else—this book is for you.

When Frank Bettger was twenty-nine he was a failed insurance salesman. By the time he was forty he owned a country estate and could have retired. What are the selling secrets that turned Bettger’s life around from defeat to unparalleled success and fame as one of the highest paid salesmen in America?

The answer is inside How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling. Bettger reveals his personal experiences and explains the foolproof principles that he developed and perfected. He shares instructive anecdotes and step-by-step guidelines on how to develop the style, spirit, and presence of a winning salesperson. No matter what you sell, you will be more efficient and profitable—and more valuable to your company—when you apply Bettger’s keen insights on:

• The power of enthusiasm
• How to conquer fear
• The key word for turning a skeptical client into an enthusiastic buyer
• The quickest way to win confidence
• Seven golden rules for closing a sale

Print length

39 pages
Language

English
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Touchstone
Publication date

November 19, 2009
File size

955 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale This book has helped me immeasurably, and anyone who wants to be a successful person should read it.

Dale Carnegie How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling will be helping salesmen, regardless of whether they are selling insurance, or shoes, or ships, or sealing wax, long after Frank Bettger has passed away.

About the Author

Frank Bettger was the author of the best sellers How I Multiplied My Income and Happiness in Selling.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

HOW ONE IDEA MULTIPLIED MY INCOME AND HAPPINESS

Shortly after I started out as a professional baseball player, I got one of the biggest shocks of my life. That was back in 1007. I was playing for Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in the Tri-State League. I was young and ambitious -- wanted to get to the top -- and what happened? I was fired! My whole life might have been different if I hadn't gone to the manager and asked him why he fired me. In fact, I wouldn't have the rare privilege of writing this book if I hadn't asked him that question.

The manager said he fired me because I was lazy! Well, that was the last thing I expected him to say.

"You drag yourself around the field like a veteran who has been playing ball for twenty years," he told me. "Why do you act that way if you're not lazy?"

"Well, Bert," I said, "I'm so nervous, so scared, that I want to hide my fear from the crowd, and especially from the other players on the team. Besides, I hope that by taking it easy, I'll get rid of my nervousness."

"Frank," he said, "it will never work. That's the thing that is holding you down. Whatever you do after you leave here, for heaven's sake, wake yourself up, and put some life and enthusiasm into your work!"

I had been making $175 a month at Johnstown. After being fired there, I went down to Chester, Pennsylvania, in the Atlantic League, where they paid me only $25 a month. Well, I couldn't feel very enthusiastic on that kind of money, but I began to act enthusiastic. After I was there three days, an old ball player, Danny Meehan, came to me and said: "Frank, what in the world are you doing down here in a rank bush-league like this?"

"Well, Danny," I replied, "if I knew how to get a better job, I'd go anywhere."

A week later, Danny induced New Haven, Connecticut, to give me a trial. My first day in New Haven will always stand out in my memory as a great event in my life. No one knew me in that league, so I made a resolution that nobody would ever accuse me of being lazy. I made up my mind to establish the reputation of being the most enthusiastic ball player they'd ever seen in the New England League. I thought if I could establish such a reputation, then I'd have to live up to it.

From the minute I appeared on the field, I acted like a man electrified. I acted as though I were alive with a million batteries. I threw the ball around the diamond so fast and so hard that it almost knocked our infielders' hands apart. Once, apparently trapped, I slid into third base with so much energy and force that the third baseman fumbled the ball and I was able to score an important run. Yes, it was all a show, an act I was putting on. The thermometer that day was nearly 100$#176;. I wouldn't have been surprised if I had dropped over with a sunstroke the way I ran around the field.

Did it work? It worked like magic. Three things happened:

1. My enthusiasm almost entirely overcame my fear. In fact my nervousness began to work for me, and I played far better than I ever thought I was capable of playing. (If you are nervous be thankful. Don't hold it back. Turn it on. Let your nerves work for you.)

2. My enthusiasm affected the other players on the team, and they too became enthusiastic.

3. Instead of dropping with the heat, I felt better during the game and after it was over than I had ever felt before.
par

My biggest thrill came the following morning when I read in the New Haven newspaper: "This new player, Bettger, has a barrel of enthusiasm. He inspired our boys. They not only won the game, but looked better than at any time this season."

The newspapers began calling me "Pep" Bettger -- the life of the team. I mailed the newspaper clippings to Bert Conn, manager of Johnstown. Can you imagine the expression on his face as he read about "Pep" Bettger, the dub he'd tied a can to three weeks before -- for being lazy?

Within ten days, enthusiasm took me from $25 a month to $185 a month -- it increased my income by 700 per cent. Let me ???epeat -- nothing but the determination to net enthusiastic increased my income 700 per cent in ten days! I got this stupendous increase in salary not because I could throw a ball better -- or catch or hit better, not because I had any more ability as a ball player. I didn't know any more about baseball than I did before.

Two years later -- two years from the time I had been hoping to get $25 a month in that little Chester outfit, I was playing third base for the St. Louis Cardinals and had multiplied my income by thirty times. What did it? Enthusiasm alone did it; nothing but enthusiasm.

Two years after that, while playing a game in Chicago against the Chicago Cubs, I had a bad accident. Picking up a swinging bunt while on a full run, I attempted to throw in the opposite direction. Something snapped in my arm. That accident forced me to give up baseball. This seemed like a great tragedy to me at the time, but I now look back on it as one of the most fortunate events of my life.

I returned home, and for the next two years made my living riding around the streets of Philadelphia on a bicycle. I was a collector for an installmeat furniture concern; one dollar down and the balance in "uneasy" weekly payments, After two dismal years of collecting installments, I decided to try selling insurance with the Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company.

The next ten months were the longest and most disheartening months of my life.

A dismal failure at selling life insurance, I finally concluded that I was never cut out to be a salesman, and began answering want ads for a job as a shipping clerk. I realized, however, that no matter what work I tried to do, I had to overcome a strange fear-complex that possessed me, so I joined one of Dale Carnegie's courses in public speaking. One night, Mr. Carnegie stopped me in the middle of a talk.

"Mr. Bettger," he said. "Just a moment...just a moment. Are you interested in what you are saying?"

"Yes...of course I am," I replied.

"Well, then," said Mr. Carnegie, "why don't you talk with a little enthusiasm? How do you expect your audience to be interested if you don't put some life and animation into what you say?"

Dale Carnegie then gave our class a stirring talk on the power of enthusiasm. He got so excited during his Talk, he threw a chair up against the wall and broke off one of its legs.

Before I went to bed that night, I sat for an hour thinking. My thoughts went back to my baseball days at Johnstown and New Haven. For the first time, I realized that the very fault which had threatened to wreck my career in baseball was now threatening to wreck my career as a salesman.

The decision I made that night was the turning point of my life. That decision was to stay in the insurance business and put the same enthusiasm into selling that I had put into playing baseball when I joined the New Haven team.

I shall never forget the first call I made the next day. It was my first "crashing through" session. I made up my mind that I was going to show my prospect the most enthusiastic salesman he'd ever seen in his life. As I pounded my fist with excitement, I expected every minute to have the man stop me and ask if there was anything wrong with me, but he didn't.

At one stage of the interview, I noticed he raised himself to a more erect position and opened his eyes wider, but he never stopped me, except to ask questions. Did he throw me out? No, he bought! This man, Al Emmons, a grain merchant in the Bourse Building, Philadelphia, soon became one of my good friends and best boosters.

From that day on, I began to sell. The Magic of Enthusiasm began to work for me in business, just as it had in baseball.

I would not want to give anybody the impression that I think enthusiasm consists of fist-pounding...but if fist-pounding is what you need to arouse yourself inside, then I am overwhelmingly for it. I know this: When I force myself to act enthusiastic, I soon feel enthusiastic.

During my thirty-two years of selling, I have seen enthusiasm double and treble the income of dozens of salesmen, and I have seen the lack of it cause hundreds of salesmen to fail.

I firmly believe enthusiasm is by far the biggest single factor in successful selling. For example, I know a man who is an authority on insurance -- he could even write a book on the subject -- and yet he can't make a decent living selling it. Why? Largely because of his lack of enthusiasm.

I know another salesman who didn't know one-tenth as much about insurance, yet he made a fortune selling it, and retired in twenty years. His name is Stanley Gettis. He now lives in Miami Beach, Florida. The reason for his outstanding success was not knowledge -- it was enthusiasm.

Can you acquire enthusiasm -- or must you be born with it? Certainly you can acquire it! Stanley Gettis acquired it. He became a human dynamo. How? Just by forcing himself each day to act enthusiastic. As a part of his plan, Stanley Gettis repeated a poem almost every morning for twenty years. He found that repeating it helped him generate enthusiasm for the day. I found this poem so inspiring that I had it printed on a card and gave away hundreds of them. It was written by Herbert Kauffman and has a good title...

VICTORY

You are the man who used to boast

That you'd achieve the uttermost,

Some day.

You merely wished a show,

To demonstrate how much you know

And prove the distance you can go....

Another year we've just passed through.

What new ideas came to you?

How many big things did you do?

Time...left twelve fresh months in your care

How many of them did you share

With opportunity and dare

Again where you so often missed?

We do not find you on the list of Makers Good.

Explain the fact!

Ah no, 'twas not the chance you lacked!

As usual -- you failed to act!

Why don't you memorize this poem, and repeat it daily. It may do for you what it did for Stanley Gettis.

Once I read a statement made by Walter P. Chrysler. I was so impressed by it, I carried it in my pocket for a week. I'll bet I read it over forty times, until I knew it by heart, I wish every salesman would memorize it. Walter Chrysler, when asked to give the secret of success, listed the various qualities, such as ability, capacity, energy, but added that the real secret was enthusiasm. "Yes, more than enthusiasm," said Chrysler, "I would say excitement. I like to see men get excited. When they get excited, they get customers excited, and we get business."

Enthusiasm is by far the highest paid quality on earth, probably because it is one of the rarest; yet it is one of the most contagious. H you are enthusiastic, your listener is very likely to become enthusiastic, even though you may present your ideas poorly. Without enthusiasm, your sales talk is about as dead as last year's turkey.

Enthusiasm isn't merely an outward expression. Once you begin to acquire it, enthusiasm works constantly within you. You may be sitting quietly in your home..an idea occurs to you...that idea begins to develop...finally, you become consumed with enthusiasm...nothing can stop you.

It will help you overcome fear, become more successful in business, make more money, enjoy a healthier, richer and happier life.

When can you begin? Right now. Just say to yourself, "This is one thing I can do."

How can you begin? There is just one rule:

To become enthusiastic -- act enthusiastic.

Put this rule into action for thirty days and be prepared to see astonishing results. It may easily revolutionize your entire life.

Stand up on your hind legs each morning, and repeat with powerful gestures and all the enuthusiasm you can generate, these words:

Force yourself to act enthusiastic, and you'll become enthusiastic!

I urge you to reread many times this chapter by Frank Bettger, and to make a high and holy resolve than you will double the amount of enthusiasm that you have been putting into your work and into your life. If you carry out that resolve, you will probably double your income and double your happiness.

Dale Carnegie

Copyright © 1947 by Prentice Hall Press --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002XQAAWW
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Touchstone; 1st Fireside ed edition (November 19, 2009)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 19, 2009
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 955 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 39 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #117,722 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #14 in One-Hour Business & Money Short Reads
- #28 in Sales & Selling Management
- #49 in Business Office Skills

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4.7 3,597 ratings

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Frank Bettger

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Franklin Lyle (Frank) Bettger (1888-1981) was a salesman and self-help author. He was the father of longtime actor Lyle Bettger. He played Major League baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1910 under the name Frank Betcher.

After his brief baseball career, Bettger returned to his native Philadelphia, where he started collecting accounts for a furniture store on a bike. He then started selling insurance, but was not successful and considered quitting after 10 months. Finally, Bettger succeeded and later became the author of the best-selling books How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling[1] and How I Multiplied My Income and Happiness in Selling.

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Amazon Customer

Highly recommended

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2023

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Classic, timeless book. I read this book when working. Wrote down each to do in a list and read the list Every Single Morning before work. It took several months to turn them all into habits, but it paid off.

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The Truth

A must read for anyone who needs a little push

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2007

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When I first saw this book, I thought to myself, "why would I buy a book that is so small compared to the others, and includes the word failure in its title"? Thankfully I purchased it anyway because it was one of the best books I've ever read. One that didn't even lull me to sleep since that's what happens when a book gets long winded. I was reading Tom Hopkins' book "How to be a successful salesman" and finished reading this book first! It's truly an amazing book because so much of the principles in it were written over 60 years ago, and it still can be applied today. I'm sure that many of those self help "gurus" such as Anthony Robbins or Robert Kyosaki (I think that's how you spell his last name) have read this book and basically plagiarized it's most important principles while calling it "there own ideas". It truly is one of the better books out there and believe me, there are plenty to choose from. Unfortunately, many of them are real losers but not this one. Mr. Bettger (pronounced bet-cher) uses some his own life experiences which is what makes this book such an easy read because he explains it with so much inspiration and enthusiasm. I guess it's because he uses some of the principles he learned from reading books by the REAL INSPIRATIONAL, if not the original gurus of self help, Napoleon Hill & Dale Carnegie. I tell you, when I started reading this book, I just couldn't put it down. It makes you want to do something right away just as soon as you finish reading it. For example, I've been meaning to loose a little weight (ok maybe alot) for some time, but I never got around to doing it. As they always say, something would always come up. If it wasn't one thing it was another. Well after reading this book, I would've ran to the gym and signed up except that it was about 12 in the morning. So I signed up the next day. I am proud to say that I have lost about 10-12 pounds so far and I'm feeling like a melting snowman. You see my friends, reading this book isn't just for people who are looking for a career in sales. It's a book that inspires anyone who is looking to do something with his life that should have been done ages ago! You just needed that little push and this book can help give you that push. So for anyone who feels his life is in a rut or needs to get a little inspired, or if you're a litte broke and don't have the $10.40 for this book because you just spent $25.00 on the last Anthony Robbins book,(man there's so many of his books) borrow it from someone! I urge you to get this book. As I said before it's an easy read and you can even read it to your children because since it was written 60 years ago, it contains no foul language. And you can "bet your life" on that!

19 people found this helpful

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Maria B.

Inspiring

Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2023

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When I first got this book, I didn’t know if it would still be applicable to today’s market. Frank Bettger was a salesman in the early 1900s. When I tell you every bit of advice is still relevant and applicable I mean it! Some things may need to be modified to work for a more digital society, but still relevant! The biggest takeaway is that this man applied all advice he was given and then published what was successful and what was not. I plan on taking his advice myself and I hope to be at least a bit as successful as he was!

2 people found this helpful

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Stephan Sorger

How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2018

Verified Purchase

This book is positioned as a Dale Carnegie-approved introduction to attitudes to develop for more sales. The book contains the following parts. Each part contains several chapters and key ideas. It is my intent that the discussions of the content kindle your interest and spur you on to buy the book.

Part 1. "These Ideas Lifted Me Out of the Ranks of Failure"
In this part, the author recommends increasing one's enthusiasm in order to increase sales. The author also recommends keeping careful records of each sales call (visit). Through the records, the author discovers that 70% of the sales are made on the first interview, 23% on the second, and 7% on the third and after. And yet 50% of his time was spent going after the 7%. I could relate to the futility of such an approach.

Part 2. "Formula for Success in Selling"
In this section the author recommends finding a prospect's inner motivation in order to increase sales. He also recommends asking questions to learn more about the prospect. Based on the stories in the book, the author is a master at the FUD technique of sales (instilling fear, uncertainty, and doubt in others to manipulate them into buying).

Part 3. "Six Ways to Win and Hold the Confidence of Others"
In this part, the author recommends not speaking poorly about your competitors. He also mentions the power of customer testimonials.

Part 4. "How to Make People Want to do Business with You"
In this section, the author stresses the importance of remembering names, and not talking too much.

Part 5. "Steps in Sale"
In this part, the author stresses the importance of selling the interview (meeting), not the product. He also recommends using appointments to manage time more effectively.

Part 6. "Don't Be Afraid to Fail"
In this section, the author recommends increasing one's effort (such as increasing the number of sales calls) in order to generate more sales. He closes the book by listing the 13 subjects (Temperance, Silence, Order, etc.) Benjamin Franklin discusses in his autobiography, and recommends the reader find his or her own 13 subjects on which to focus.

Overall, I found the book interesting with useful elements for traditional relationship-based salespeople. The part I appreciated the most was on effectiveness, such as reviewing sales records to discover that he had been essentially wasting 50% of his time on lackluster prospects.

65 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Anand Mestry

Best for salespersons

Reviewed in India on October 12, 2023

Verified Purchase

Best for salespersons whether they sell products, services or any other thing.
It will help anyone to get good results.

Lokesh

Good

Reviewed in India on April 18, 2023

Verified Purchase

Excellent and awesome book

Shyam Sailus

Frank Bettger’s Thirteen Secrets

Reviewed in India on October 3, 2016

Verified Purchase

So here are Frank Bettger’s Thirteen Secrets To Success In Sales:

#1 – Enthusiasm
If you don’t FEEL enthusiastic, ACT enthusiastic. Soon, you’ll BE enthusiastic. Double your enthusiasm and you’ll probably double your income.

#2 – Order (self-organization)
Set aside time to plan how you will spend your time. Think about what’s most important. Then do those things first.

#3 – Think in terms of others’ interests
Find out what your prospect wants. Show him or her how to get it.

#4 – Questions
Questions get you further than comments. Let your prospect talk while you discover his or her wants.

#5 – Key issue
Find the prospect’s basic need or main interest. Then focus solely on it! Ask “why” and “in addition to that” to discover the key issue.

#6 – Silence (listen)
Good listening works magic in selling. Listen intently intentionally!

#7 – Sincerity (deserve confidence)
If you don’t believe in what you’re selling, neither will your prospect. Give your prospect the service you would want.

#8 – Knowledge of my business
Keep your mind young by continuing to learn about your business.

#9 – Appreciation and praise
Show people you believe in them and expect great things. Don’t go overboard – just give them your honest appraisal.

#10 – Smile (happiness)
Smile your best smile at everyone you see. Think about all the things you have to be thankful for … and smile. The world will smile with you.

#11 – Remember names and faces
Take a mental photograph of the person’s name. Repeat it immediately in the conversation and then silently to yourself. Associate his or her name and profession.

#12 – Service and prospecting
Take care of them and they will take care of you. Follow-up on all leads immediately.
Set up for your next contact on this contact.

#13 – Closing the sale (action)
Proceed through the sales process – Attention, Interest, Desire, Close. Conclude your presentation with the magical question, “How do you like it?” Welcome objections. Don’t be afraid to ask for the money.

These are Frank Bettger’s thirteen secrets. I highly recommend that you read the whole book. It will inspire you and help you reach big success in selling!

18 people found this helpful

Nathal

Frank suggestions

Reviewed in India on February 13, 2022

Verified Purchase

This book is well written, concise and offers loads of insights for sales people in all aspects of selling (B2C, B2B, etc.). Provides advise on personal development as well as improvements on each step of the sales process. I have read it twice and would definitely keep it in easy reach for future reference.

typhonblue

Excellent advice on becoming a success in sales

Reviewed in Canada on January 30, 2016

Verified Purchase

In World War Two fighter pilots would come back to base with bullet holes in their planes. In an effort to reduce losses engineers started to reinforce those parts of the planes that were riddled with damage from having been under fire.

Despite the reinforcement the number of losses to enemy fire did not go down.

The engineers were at a loss until one realized that those damaged areas were where planes had survived being hit.

The engineers immediately switched strategies, armouring up those areas on planes that weren't riddled with bullet holes. Because when the enemy hit those areas the planes didn't come back at all.

Many self help books make the mistake of focusing on the successful and telling their audience to emulate them. Much more helpful in my opinion is looking at failure and figuring out what to do to avoid it.

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