Excerpt from "How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling"

按：看Frank Bettger 的 How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling，獲益良多。謝謝您，Bettger 先生！

Gentlemen, after all, this business of selling narrows down to one thing - just one thing... seeing the people! Show me any man of ordinary ability who will go out and earnestly tell his story to four or five people every day, and I will show you a man who just can't help making good!

The best way I ever found to help overcome fear and rapidly develop courage and self-confidence is by speaking before groups. I discovered that when I lost my fear of speaking to audiences, I lost my fear of talking to individuals, no matter how big and important they were. This training and experience in public speaking got me out of my shell, opened my eyes to my own possibilities, and widened my horizons. It was one of the turning points in my career.

Whenever he talked about it being too much money for him to pay out, I talked more, asked more questions, about the wonderful work his foreign missionaries were doing.

The most important secret of salesmanship is to find out what the other fellow wants, then help him find the best way to get it.

"Mr. Booth, if you were my own brother, I would say to you what I'm going to say to you now."

Then that small voice whispered in my ear: "Tomorrow morning, nothing! You'll do it right now! You know how you lack confidence when you go out unprepared. This man has agreed to an appointment with you, Bettger. Let's prepare! and go over there with a winning attitude!"

In preparation for the interview, I imagined myself a salaried employee of Mr. Booth's company. I assumed the role of "assistant buyer in charge of insurance."

People don't like to be sold. They like to buy.

"If you can't boost, don't knock" is always a safe rule. I've found it is one of the quickest confidence-gainers. Try to say something good about the other fellow.

in answering I began by observing that in certain cases or circumstances his opinion would be right, but in the present case there appear'd or seem'd to me some difference

In 62 percent of the cases, the original objection raised against buying was not the real reason at all. I found that only 38 percent of the time did the prospect give me the real reason for not buying

A man generally has two reasons for doing a thing - one that sounds good, and a real one... Eventually, I hit on a simple little phrase ... That phrase is: "In addition to that..."

the importance of being a good listener, showing the other person you are sincerely interested in what he is saying, and giving him all the eager attention and appreciation that he craves and is so hungry for, but seldom gets!

Benjamin Franklin: "I will speak ill of no man - and speak all the good I know of everybody."

I find that people love to hear that they have helped you.

Here is a question I have used countless times: "How did you ever get started in this business, Mr. Roth?"

After I leave him, I make notes of many of these things: where he was born, his wife's name, names of his children, his ambitions, and hobbies. I have these records on cards in my files dating back twenty-five years.

Before entering a man's office I would pause for an instant and think of the many things I had to be thankful for, work up a great big, honest-to-goodness smile, and then enter the room with the smile just vanishing from my face. It was easy then to turn on a big, happy smile. Seldom did it fail to get the same kind of smile in return from the person I met on the inside.

I've found it pleases people when I pass them on the street to give them a big, cheerful smile, and merely say: "Mr. Thomas!" It means so much more to them than the usual, "Good morning...

to forget myself, and concentrate as hard as I could on the other person, his face, and his name. This helped me overcome self-consciousness when meeting strangers.

if you want to make sure that he remembers your name, you can usually find an opportunity to repeat your own name -perhaps something like this: "... and he said to me, 'Mr. Bettger, we've just had one of the best years.'"

When meeting anyone we haven't seen for a long time, I think it is best to mention our own name immediately.

In my work as a salesman, I've found it a great asset to remember not only the names of clients and prospects, but names of secretaries, phone operators, and other associates. Speaking to them by name makes them feel important.

When you're scared... admit it!

They dislike salesmen who keep them in suspense about who they are, whom they represent, and what they want... They admire the salesman who is natural, sincere, and honest in his approach, and who comes right to the point about the purpose of his call.

If the salesman calls without an appointment, they like him to ask if it is convenient to talk now, rather than start right off on a sales talk.

If I should drop in on a man, without an appointment, I simply say: "Mr. Wilson, my name is Bettger, Frank Bettger, of the Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company. Your friend, Vic Ridenour, asked me to stop in and see you the next time I was in your neighborhood. Can you talk for a few minutes now, or would you rather I call later?"
Usually he will say: "Go ahead" or, "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"You!" is my reply.
"What about me?" he generally asks.
Right there is the critical moment of the approach. If you're not prepared to answer this question immediately, and satisfactorily, you had better not make the call at all!
If you indicate that you want to sell him something that will cost him money, you are virtually telling him that you want to increase his problems. He is already worrying about how to pay all the bills in his desk drawer, and how to hold down his expenses. If you want to discuss some vital problem of his, he is anxious to talk with an open mind about any idea that may help him solve that problem. The housewife doesn't have time to talk to a salesman about buying a new refrigerator, but she is worried about the high cost of meat, butter, eggs, milk. She is vitally interested in hearing about how she can cut down waste, and reduce the cost of food. A busy young man is not interested in joining the Junior Chamber of Commerce, but he is tremendously interested in making more friends, in becoming better known and more highly regarded in his community, and in the possibility of increasing his income.

"In my twenty-five years of selling," he went on to tell me, "the best approach I ever found was to first find out about a prospect's hobby, and then talk about that hobby."

I find that I get into the questions more smoothly by waiting until my prospect is answering my first question before removing the questionnaire from my pocket. I do this while I am looking straight at him and listening with great interest...
Here are some of the intimate questions that I do not hesitate to ask:
What minimum monthly income would your wife need in the event of your death?
Minimum monthly income for yourself at age sixty-five?
What is the present value of your estate?
Stocks, bonds, other securities?
Real estate? (mortgages)
Cash on hand?
Earned annual income?
Your life insurance?
How much do you pay out each year for insurance?
..
I put the paper back in my pocket in the same manner that I take it out. My last question is (with a smile): "What do you do when you are not working, Mr. Kothe? In other words, do you have a hobby?"...
While he is answering that question I return the questionnaire to my pocket. I never show it to the prospect in the first interview. His curiosity in the meantime will develop to such an extent that it will improve my chances in the second interview. After I complete the information, I get out as soon as I can. I say: "Thank you for your confidence, Mr. Kothe. I am going to give this some thought. I think I've got an idea that may be of value to you, and after I work it out, I'll give you a call for an appointment. Is that satisfactory?"

he invariably asks: "What is it you want to see me about?"
There is the critical moment of the approach. As sure as I indicate that I want to sell something, I'm licked right there, and the chances of getting an appointment later are ruined. The truth of it is, I may not know whether he needs what I am selling.
..
Me:.. Dick suggested that I ought to know you. I know you are busy but I wonder if I may see you for about five minutes one day this week?
...
Me:.. If I try to sell you anything, it will be your fault, not mine. May I see you for a few minutes tomorrow morning, say, about nine o'clock?
...
Me: Well, if I take longer than five minutes, it will be your fault, not mine.
...
The next morning as I shook hands with him in his office, I took out my watch and said: "You've got another appointment at nine-thirty, so I'm going to limit myself to exactly five minutes."..."Well, my five minutes are up. Is there anything else you would like to tell me, Mr. Aley?"

Difficult men to see
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"Mr. Brown, is there any best time to see you - early morning, or late afternoon?"
"Is early in the week, or late in the week better?"
"May I see you this evening?"

"What time do you go to lunch? Let's have lunch together one day this week. Will you have lunch with tomorrow at the Union League, say about twelve or twelve-thirty?"

If he is extremely pressed for time, but sincere about being willing to see me, I sometimes ask: "Have you got your car in town today?" If he says "no," I offer to drive him home in my car. I say: "it will give us a few minutes together."

I've been surprised how many men who are unwilling to make a definite appointment will agree to see me if I set the time far enough in advance. For example, on Friday mornings when I am planning my week's work ahead, if I phone and say: "Mr. Jones, I will be in your neighborhood next Wednesday; do you mind if I stop in and see you?" he will generally agree. Then I ask him whether morning or afternoon is better, and sometimes he will name an hour.
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"Miss Mallets, good morning! This is Mr. Bettger. I wonder if you could work me into Mr. Hawshaw's schedule for twenty minutes today, or sometime this week?"

Most salesman find it necessary from time to time to submit figures to customers. I've found it far more effective when I can get the customer to do the figuring.

"New customers are the best source of new business. ... New customers are enthusiastic and happy about their new purchase, especially a new convenience they are using. Usually they are excited about it, and proud. They are anxious to tell their friends and neighbors about it."

When is the best time to follow a referred lead? Within six days? Or six weeks? Six minutes, I've found best, or just as soon as it is possible for me to get there.

Closing sales
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In my eagerness to sell, I had been using closing points too early in the interview. I learned that the average successful sale goes through four steps: (1) Attention, (2) Interest, (3) Desire, (4) Close. When I began holding my closing points back for the close, it enabled the prospect to judge my plan with an open mind... I found that suppressed excitement is most effective in arousing the prospect's enthusiasm at the close of the sale.

I discovered that a good summary affords the best basis for climax in selling

After presenting the plan, and summarizing it, I look at the prospect and ask: "How do you like it?"
It is surprising how frequently he answers: "I think I like it." I assume this means he is going to buy, so I don't wait another moment. I begin to ask the necessary questions and write his answers on the application form. I always begin with unimportant questions. Once he starts giving me the answers, he seldom balks.

For example: "I can't afford it... See me in January... See me in the spring... I want to think it over... I want to talk it over with my wife... Your price is too high. I can do better than that." I learned that objections like these are not turndowns.
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