Learning success from the masters

 (Second of three parts)

Like victory, success has many fathers. While successful people are smart and self-driven, they are, however, not self-made. In short, success is not just a product of one’s personal effort alone but a result of the efforts of others. “I did not understand steam machinery, but I tried to understand that much more complicated mechanism—man.” asserts Carnegie. As a man of humanities, author Tom Butler-Bowdon describes of Carnegie as transparent and “generous to his employees.” that many of them have become rich with just their salaries alone!

Carnegie likewise believes that cultivating friendship with “interesting people” offers more than just the honor and the “connection” to be in their circle of friends. Such types are highly enthused to share what they know from experience and may be able to give you a wealth of advice about your plans. A few of Carnegie’s list of friends included Judge Mellon, Matthew Arnold, James Blaine, William Gladstone, President Harrison, Mark Twain, and Herbert Spencer.

Fabulist George Clason notes in his famous book, The Richest Man in Babylon the unchanging principles that every person should know to achieve financial success:

1. Money comes to those who save.

2. Money multiplies for those who invest it.

3. Money stays with the person who entrusts it to wise people.

4. Money is lost when invested in things with which you are not familiar.

5. Money is lost at a fast rate by pursuing get-rich-quick schemes.

To be successful in the art of selling, here’s what Frank Bettger author of How I Multiplied My Income and Happiness in Selling has to say about it -- “Selling is the easiest job in the world if you work it hard—but the hardest job in the world if you try to work it easy.”

Bettgger, lost his baseball career after an injury to his arm ending up as a collector for a furniture company in his hometown in Philadelphia. He tried selling insurance but failed miserably owing to his lack of speaking skills and that he was “never cut out to be a salesman.” Desperate to rid himself of such inadequacy, Bettger tousled to learn public speaking that in time his problem was how to stop talking. His exceptional comeback in the insurance business brought him to become the most sought-after resource speaker in insurance selling that later catapulted his rewarding sales career at IBM.   

Bettger’s wisdom in the art of successful selling is well encapsulated by Bowden’s audio book in which I have culled a few compelling suggestions.

• The best salespeople do not “sell”—they find out what the other person wants, then help them find the best way to get it.

• When trying to sell something, talk mostly in terms of “you” and “your.” This lets the other person know you are thinking mainly of their interests.

• Forget witty conversation—be a good listener instead.

• Invest in increasing your knowledge of your own industry. You can’t afford not to.

• Praise your competitors. It shows clients you are even-handed and won’t hide anything from them.

• Use “witnesses” (i.e., satisfied clients) to sell your product to new clients. Then you can say, “Don’t listen to me, listen to them.” 

• Be like Abraham Lincoln and master the art of brevity When you greet someone, say their name.

• For 30 days, smile frequently and watch it transform your life.

Bowden believes that even if you think that you’re not cut out for sales it is important to widen one’s outlook about selling. After all, we all have to persuade others to buy into our ideas and ourselves everyday.

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