Two weeks ago, I read Frank Bettger's classic book, "How I
Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling." Written
in 1947, it is one of the GREAT books on selling, and I was
stunned when my MasterMind group talked about it and I had
never heard of it.
I've probably read around 100 books on sales, marketing and
persuasion over the years, but this one had slipped past
me. I ordered it and discovered one of the best, wisest and
gentlest books I've ever read on the art of making sales by
creating win-win partnerships. A great book!
And here is just one of the key points Bettger makes:
Learn from the experts!
Back in 1935, Napoleon Hill wrote about it in "Think And
Grow Rich." Bettger wrote about it in 1947. More recently,
Tony Robbin's talks about it in his famous phrases that
"Success leaves clues" and that if we "do what successful
people do, we will get the results successful people get."
Bettger, however, also points out that he borrowed the idea
from people before him, notably Benjamin Franklin.
As Bettger points out, almost everyone has heard of
Franklin's formula for changing his life, but here's the
key point: Bettger writes that NOT ONE PERSON he talked
to had actually TRIED IT!
Unfortunately, I have to say the same thing.
This simple formula transformed Franklin from an obnoxious,
arrogant young man who was in debt and had limited
prospects, to one of the most famous, respected and admired
men of all time! Franklin described it in his
autobiography, saying he hoped others would use the
formula, and indeed it has taken on a variety of forms and
wordings as motivational speakers, coaches and teachers
have re-worded it for the past 200 years.
But, as Bettger points out, how many actually TRY IT?
Here's the formula: Create a list of virtues or qualities
you want in your life, and write them down. Then, take pick
ONE and focus on it for an entire week. At the end of the
week, choose another item from your list, and focus on THAT
one for the following week, and so on through the entire
list.
Franklin listed 13 such qualities, noting that he could
then rotate through his list four times per year.
I imagine that as an egotistical young man, the first few
weeks probably had little impact on Franklin's personality
or his bank account. I imagine that even the first 13-week
cycle may not have created measurable results. But Franklin
kept at it, and within a year he saw that the qualities,
habits and virtues he most admired in others were showing
also up in his own life.
So here's the simple challenge: What handful of virtues
and habits would help you become the person you want to be?
Write them down, create a short list (perhaps with 13 items
on it) and then focus on them, one at a time, week by week
for a year.
What have you got to lose? It worked for Franklin. It
worked for Bettger. I suspect it will work for you and me.
Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling." Written
in 1947, it is one of the GREAT books on selling, and I was
stunned when my MasterMind group talked about it and I had
never heard of it.
I've probably read around 100 books on sales, marketing and
persuasion over the years, but this one had slipped past
me. I ordered it and discovered one of the best, wisest and
gentlest books I've ever read on the art of making sales by
creating win-win partnerships. A great book!
And here is just one of the key points Bettger makes:
Learn from the experts!
Back in 1935, Napoleon Hill wrote about it in "Think And
Grow Rich." Bettger wrote about it in 1947. More recently,
Tony Robbin's talks about it in his famous phrases that
"Success leaves clues" and that if we "do what successful
people do, we will get the results successful people get."
Bettger, however, also points out that he borrowed the idea
from people before him, notably Benjamin Franklin.
As Bettger points out, almost everyone has heard of
Franklin's formula for changing his life, but here's the
key point: Bettger writes that NOT ONE PERSON he talked
to had actually TRIED IT!
Unfortunately, I have to say the same thing.
This simple formula transformed Franklin from an obnoxious,
arrogant young man who was in debt and had limited
prospects, to one of the most famous, respected and admired
men of all time! Franklin described it in his
autobiography, saying he hoped others would use the
formula, and indeed it has taken on a variety of forms and
wordings as motivational speakers, coaches and teachers
have re-worded it for the past 200 years.
But, as Bettger points out, how many actually TRY IT?
Here's the formula: Create a list of virtues or qualities
you want in your life, and write them down. Then, take pick
ONE and focus on it for an entire week. At the end of the
week, choose another item from your list, and focus on THAT
one for the following week, and so on through the entire
list.
Franklin listed 13 such qualities, noting that he could
then rotate through his list four times per year.
I imagine that as an egotistical young man, the first few
weeks probably had little impact on Franklin's personality
or his bank account. I imagine that even the first 13-week
cycle may not have created measurable results. But Franklin
kept at it, and within a year he saw that the qualities,
habits and virtues he most admired in others were showing
also up in his own life.
So here's the simple challenge: What handful of virtues
and habits would help you become the person you want to be?
Write them down, create a short list (perhaps with 13 items
on it) and then focus on them, one at a time, week by week
for a year.
What have you got to lose? It worked for Franklin. It
worked for Bettger. I suspect it will work for you and me.
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