HOW I RAISED MYSELF FROM FAILURE TO SUCCESS IN SELLING

 

"How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling" is a classic 1947 book by Frank Bettger, one of the most influential sales books ever written.Frank Bettger was a failed professional baseball player who became a broke, discouraged insurance salesman. At age 29, he was on the verge of giving up when he accidentally discovered a few simple principles that completely transformed his career. Within a few years, he became one of the best-known and highest-paid salesmen in America.Key Ideas and Lessons from the Book (the core principles that turned Bettger from failure to success):

1. Enthusiasm is the #1 sales tool
   Bettger discovered that forcing himself to act enthusiastic (even when he didn’t feel it) dramatically increased his results. He quotes William James: “Action seems to follow feeling, but really action and feeling go together… by regulating the action, we can regulate the feeling.” → Smile, speak faster, act energetic on purpose.
2. Ask questions instead of arguing
   He learned from Benjamin Franklin: Never contradict people, even if you know they’re wrong. Instead, ask questions that lead them to discover the truth themselves.
3. Find out what the customer really wants — then help them get it
   The turning point in his career: Stop trying to “ "sell" people and start sincerely trying to help them solve their problems.
4. The power of a definite schedule and self-organization
   He started planning every day in advance, setting specific call goals, and treating selling like a disciplined profession instead of “hoping” for sales.
5. Show genuine interest in other people (Dale Carnegie’s influence is strong here)
   Remember names, listen more than you talk, make the other person feel important and appreciated.
6. How to handle discouragement and fear
   • Fear of people → He forced himself to speak in public (joined Toastmasters) until the fear disappeared.
   • Rejection → He kept detailed records and realized his batting average improved dramatically when he made more calls.
7. The single most important secret he learned
   “To be successful in selling, find out what the other person wants, then help him find the best way to get it.”
8. Weekly “success meetings”
   He met every week with other top salesmen to share what worked and what didn’t — accountability and idea-sharing.

Famous Frank Bettger Quotes from the Book:

• “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.”
• “Enthusiasm is by far the biggest single factor in successful selling.”
• “I no longer worry about being a brilliant conversationalist. I just try to be a good listener and ask questions the other person enjoys answering.”
• “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.”

The book is short, very readable, full of real stories from Bettger’s own failures and comebacks, and still 100% relevant in 2025 despite being written in the 1940s.If you’re in sales (or any kind of persuasion/business), it’s one of the top 3–5 books people still recommend alongside How to Win Friends and Influence People and The Greatest Salesman in the World.Highly recommended — you can finish it in a weekend and it will probably change how you approach people forever.