How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success: From Rock Bottom to Triumph

Have you ever found yourself staring at a crossroads in life, feeling utterly defeated and unsure of how to move forward? Trust me, I’ve been there. My journey from failure to success was far from a smooth ride, but it taught me invaluable lessons along the way.

In this article, I want to share my personal story and the strategies I employed to raise myself from the depths of failure to the heights of success.

This isn’t a corporate success story; it’s a tale of resilience, determination, and the power of embracing setbacks as opportunities for growth.

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So, if you’re anyone else this book and ready to discover how I turned my failures into stepping stones towards a fulfilling and successful life, buckle up and join me on this transformative journey.

Contents

The Journey Begins: From Failure to Success

Life Before Success: The Failed Insurance Salesman

In my early twenties, much like Frank Bettger, I found myself floundering in the tumultuous sea of insurance sales. I was an aspiring, yet failed insurance salesman. The experience was trying, as I felt a constant burden to make ends meet. to raised myself from Failure to success was not an immediate transition, but a grinding process.

Bettger, who’d experienced a similar stint of struggle, went on to become one of the highest paid salesmen of his time. As a young man, he found himself out of luck and low on confidence, often questioning his ability to sell. What turned Bettger’s life around were not innate talents or exceptional charisma, but practical skills and a set of foolproof principles that he developed and honed over time.

Unearthing the Selling Secrets

Despite my initial failures, my journey into the world of sales was not without its sparks of promise. There were moments when I felt like I was onto something, that I had discovered certain selling secrets. These were tiny insights into the minds of my customers, small realizations about the art of selling.

It was at this point that I chanced upon Bettger’s masterpiece, a business classic endorsed by none other than Dale Carnegie himself. This book, brimming with Bettger’s keen insights and his personal experiences, was to become my bible. Bettger reveals how he raised himself from failure to success in selling life insurance, a story that resonated deeply with me.

Embracing the Bettger Philosophy: The Art of Enthusiasm

Reading Bettger’s story, the key word that emerged was ‘enthusiasm’. He fervently advocated for salespeople to both act enthusiastic and feel enthusiastic in their work. His advice was not about faking an emotion, but genuinely feeling it, for an enthusiastic buyer can sense an honest-to-goodness smile.

At twenty-nine, Frank Bettger was the most enthusiastic salesman he’d ever known. His enthusiasm began when he was a professional baseball player, where he learned the importance of enthusiasm in his brief major league baseball career. The same enthusiasm that made him the most enthusiastic ball player in his played major league baseball leagues translated to his selling career, as he realized that enthusiasm works constantly, giving you the energy to overcome hurdles.

The Seven Golden Rules

Bettger’s book, apart from being a memoir, also serves as a manual. It provided me with step by step guidelines on how to succeed in sales. He outlined seven golden rules, each an invaluable piece of advice drawn from his personal experiences. The most powerful one was ‘high and holy resolve’, a principle that goes beyond selling and delves into the realm of self-belief and determination. These golden rules were a gateway to my transition from failure to success.

In the first part of this journey, I’ve explored the early struggles and selling secrets, and how I applied Bettger’s keen insights.

The Turning Point: Embracing Change and Making Progress

Creating Confidence with Enthusiasm

As I started to apply Bettger’s keen insights, I realized that selling is not just about showcasing a product or a service, but also about creating confidence in the prospective buyer. To win confidence, you need to exhibit a certain level of trust in what you’re selling.

Frank Bettger’s enthusiasm wasn’t confined to his attitude alone; it became a cornerstone of his sales talk. He found a way to generate enthusiasm in his clients, and that, in turn, helped him win over even the most skeptical client. He was able to create such a reputation of trust and reliability that people sought him out, firmly planting his feet on the path from failure to success.

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Building a Fortune: Selling Houses and Mutual Funds

Embracing the principles of successful selling, I expanded my horizons. From a failed insurance salesman, I was now selling houses and mutual funds. Just like Bettger, who built a fortune selling life insurance, I found myself thriving in these new arenas.

Applying Bettger’s selling secrets, my success in selling began to grow. My early struggles as an insurance salesman seemed like a distant memory. I was finally starting to see the fruits of my hard work, and it was clear to me that my high and holy resolve was paying off.

The Power of Personal Experiences

One of Bettger’s most significant teachings revolved around the use of personal experiences in sales presentations. By sharing instructive anecdotes from his life, he was able to win his clients’ trust and establish a strong rapport.

Bettger’s book is filled with such anecdotes, each one serving as a valuable lesson in the art of selling. His stories served as reminders of his journey, from his days as a professional baseball player to becoming one of the highest-paid salesmen in the country.

Following Bettger’s example, I began sharing my personal experiences with clients, relating my journey of how I raised myself from failure to success. This not only made my sales talk more authentic but also allowed my clients to see the person behind the professional, creating an even stronger bond.

The Road to Unparalleled Success

As my journey from failure to success unfolded, I saw a clear path to becoming a successful person. Bettger’s teachings played a major role in this transformation, helping me understand the most vulnerable point in the selling process – the point where the buyer’s decision is made.

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My Rise: Breaking Boundaries and Setting Records

The Rise to the Top: Becoming a Successful Salesperson

With Bettger’s teachings in mind and a burning enthusiasm ignited within me, twelve fresh months, I began to see a major shift in my selling career. I noticed that my conversion rates were steadily climbing and that my interactions with clients became much more fluid. I was transforming into a successful salesperson, and the journey of how I raised myself from failure to success to winning salesperson was now in full swing.

Bettger often stated that success in selling is not about the product but the person behind it. The most successful salesperson is not the one with the most knowledge about the product, but the one who genuinely cares about the client’s needs. I took this to heart, focusing less on the technicalities of what I was selling and more on the people I was selling to.

Expanding Horizons: Selling Insurance and More

My newfound success wasn’t confined only three letters, to selling houses and mutual funds. Remembering my early struggles, I ventured back into the realm of selling insurance. This time, however, I approached it with the same enthusiasm and principles that had brought me success elsewhere. I was now not just a successful salesman, but a versatile one.

Bettger’s own journey is testament to this versatility. After his breakthrough success in selling life insurance, he applied the same principles to selling everything from real estate to mutual funds. Just as he did, I was experiencing success in selling across various domains, a testament to the universal applicability of the principles I had learned.

Earning a Place Among the Highest Paid Salesmen

Thanks to the selling secrets I had uncovered, and the foolproof principles I was employing, my earnings began to skyrocket. I was starting to see myself among the highest-paid salesmen in my field. This was no small feat, considering my humble beginnings as a failed insurance salesman.

Achieving Personal Success: The Country Estate

Professional success, however, wasn’t the only result of my hard work and perseverance. I was also starting to see the benefits of my successful selling career in my personal life.

Much like Bettger, who turned his life around and ended up living in a country estate, I too was able to drastically improve my living conditions. From struggling to make ends meet, I had come a long way. I was now the proud owner of a beautiful country estate, a testament to my successful selling career and a symbol of the journey of how I raised myself from failure to success.

Join me in the next part of my journey, where I’ll share the invaluable lessons I learned along the way and the critical role played by Mailarrow, our cold email outreach software, in my journey. With Mailarrow, I was able to manage my email outreach effectively, making my selling efforts more streamlined and impactful.

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The Strategy: Principles and Practices that Brought Success

The Bettger Approach: Seven Golden Rules

Much of my success in selling can be attributed to the seven golden rules that Frank Bettger expounds in his business classic. These rules aren’t just business tactics; they’re a way of life. They’re step-by-step guidelines to be a successful person, not just a successful salesman. And I was steadfast in my application of these rules.

The Role of Enthusiasm: The Key to Success

One of Bettger’s golden rules revolves around the power of enthusiasm. “Act enthusiastic and you will be enthusiastic,” he said. I took these words to heart and found that this newfound enthusiasm wasn’t just affecting my work life; it was transforming my personal life as well.

With this enthusiasm, I became not just the most enthusiastic salesman but the most enthusiastic ball player, friend, and family member. This idea multiplied into every area of my life, infusing each day with so much energy and positivity.

Facing Fears: Overcoming Obstacles

Facing and overcoming fear is another key principle that Bettger espoused. For me, a key word for this came to the fore when I was twenty-nine, dealing with a string of failures and grappling with the fear of never achieving success. Bettger’s insights helped me to overcome fear and view it as a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block on my journey from failure to success.

Creating a Winning Sales Presentation

The importance of a solid sales presentation was another key insight from Bettger’s book. I learned to tailor my sales talk to the individual needs and preferences of each client, making each interaction a unique experience for them. More importantly, I learned to listen and respond to their hidden objections, ensuring a more effective and productive sales interaction.

The Principles in Practice: Sustaining Success and Expanding Impact

Implementing the Principles: Continuous Improvement and Growth

After my initial success, the challenge was to sustain the momentum and continue to grow. It was here that I found Bettger’s principles particularly valuable. These principles weren’t just useful in achieving initial success; they were instrumental in continuous improvement and growth. By consistently applying these principles, I ensured my progress was steady on my path from failure to success.

The Benjamin Franklin Secret: An Idea Lifted

One of the many key insights I gathered from Bettger’s book was what he called “Benjamin Franklin’s secret of success.” This was a simple but powerful idea that Bettger had lifted from Franklin’s life. The secret lay in the power of self-organization, meticulous planning, and a clear, strategic focus.

Turning Objections into Opportunities: Addressing Vulnerable Points

Bettger’s teachings also offered valuable guidance on how to address objections from clients – what he referred to as the most vulnerable point in a sales interaction. Instead of viewing these objections as barriers, I learned to see them as opportunities to understand the client better and further tailor my offering to their needs. This ability to win confidence by effectively addressing objections played a significant role in my success in selling.

Embracing Enthusiasm: The Most Enthusiastic Salesman

Among Bettger’s teachings, the importance of enthusiasm held a special place. Much like Bettger, who was considered the most enthusiastic ballplayer during his brief baseball career, I strived to be the most enthusiastic buyer and salesman in my field. This enthusiasm was not a facade; it was an honest-to-goodness smile that reflected little enthusiasm and my passion for my work.

The Long-lasting Success: An Unparalleled Journey

A Reputation Built on Trust: Deserving Confidence

As I applied Bettger’s keen insights, I began to understand that my success in selling was largely due to the confidence I inspired in my clients. It wasn’t just about selling a product or a service; it was about building a relationship based on trust. This understanding transformed my approach to sales, and I focused on earning such a reputation that clients felt they were in capable and caring hands.

Personal Experiences and Instructive Anecdotes

My journey was not just about applying principles and guidelines. It was about learning from personal experiences, making mistakes, and growing from them. Each experience was a new chapter in my journey from failure to success. I found that sharing these personal experiences and instructive anecdotes with clients helped build a stronger rapport and facilitated more meaningful conversations.

Applying Enthusiasm Constantly

The constant application of enthusiasm was another element that played a significant role in my unparalleled success. This enthusiasm wasn’t forced or fabricated; it was a genuine expression of my passion for my work. I found that when I approached each client interaction with enthusiasm, it created a positive energy that was contagious, turning a skeptical client into an enthusiastic buyer.

Staying Ahead with Mailarrow

A vital part of maintaining my success was staying organized and on top of my outreach efforts. This was where Mailarrow, our cold email outreach software, played an essential role. With Mailarrow, I was able to streamline my outreach efforts, organize my contacts efficiently, and track responses in real-time, making my sales efforts more effective and fruitful.

The Result: From Selling Insurance to a Successful Estate

Leveraging Bettger’s Insights in Selling Insurance

As my journey from failure to success progressed, I decided to apply my new-found selling secrets to selling insurance. Taking the principles and lessons learned from Bettger, I approached selling insurance with the same enthusiasm, the same step-by-step guidelines, and the same commitment to build relationships based on trust.

The Most Fortunate Events

One of the most fortunate events in my journey was the decision to venture into selling life insurance. I realized that the principles I learned from Bettger were not industry-specific; they were universally applicable. Whether I was selling houses or insurance, the key was to understand the client’s needs and present my offerings in a way that resonated with them.

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Reaching New Heights: The Country Estate

My success in selling led to some of the most significant achievements in my personal life. My dream of owning a country estate became a reality, a testament to the hard work, dedication, and perseverance that characterized my journey from failure to my success in selling. The estate was not just a symbol of my financial success; it was a reflection of the personal growth and development I experienced along the way.

The Role of Mailarrow in My Success

Throughout my journey, Mailarrow, our cold email outreach software, proved to be a game-changer. It helped me manage my outreach efforts efficiently, keep track of my interactions, and build relationships with my clients. With Mailarrow, I had all the tools I needed to succeed in my hands.

The Legacy: Inspiring Others to Achieve Success

Sharing My Story: Encourage Young Men

Having made how i raised myself from failure to success before, my story became an inspiration for many who were in the same place as how I raised myself from failure to success and once was. I made it a point to encourage young men and women entering the field, sharing my personal experiences and the selling secrets that helped me along the way.

Spreading Enthusiasm: A High and Holy Resolve

As I climbed the ladder of success, my enthusiasm was not contained to my work alone. It bled into every aspect of my life. I saw it as my high and holy resolve to spread the same enthusiasm that had so profoundly impacted my life. Whether through how enthusiasm affected my work or personal interactions, I sought to share this energy, instilling in others the belief that enthusiasm works constantly to bring about success.

Endorsing the Business Classic: Bettger’s Principles

My journey would have been incomplete without the invaluable insights I gleaned from Bettger’s business classic. His teachings played a significant role in my life, transforming a failed insurance salesman into one of the highest-paid salesmen in the industry. This book, endorsed by Dale Carnegie, offers foolproof principles and shares instructive anecdotes that can turn anyone’s life around, much like it turned Bettger’s life and mine.

Championing Mailarrow: A Tool for Success

Mailarrow, our cold email outreach software, was more than just a tool; it was an ally in my journey from failure to success. Whether it was managing my outreach efforts, tracking responses, or organizing contacts, Mailarrow provided an efficient solution for all my needs. By taking the labor out of laborious tasks, Mailarrow helped me focus more on what I do best – selling.

As I conclude my journey, remember this: Everyone faces failures. What matters is how we respond to them. Learn from them, grow from them, and use them as stepping stones to your success. And remember, with tools like Mailarrow to support your efforts, you’re already one step closer to success. Sign up for Mailarrow today and embark on your own journey from failure to success.

Frequently Asked Questions

How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success summary?

My journey from failure to success was a transformational experience. After a failed stint as an insurance salesman, I discovered Frank Bettger’s selling secrets from his business classic. I applied Bettger’s keen insights and step-by-step guidelines to my career, eventually becoming one of the highest-paid salesmen. Using Bettger’s teachings on creating enthusiasm, winning confidence, and addressing the most vulnerable points of a sales interaction, I experienced unparalleled success. My journey took me from selling houses and insurance to owning a country estate. Mailarrow, our cold email outreach software, played a significant role in managing my outreach efforts and contributed to my success. I now strive to share my story, inspiring others to achieve similar success.

Throughout this journey, key principles such as Benjamin Franklin’s secret of self-organization, Bettger’s emphasis on the power of enthusiasm, and his guidance on dealing with objections played a significant role in outstanding success. As did the teachings on building relationships based on trust, sharing personal experiences, and the power of enthusiasm. My story is a testament to the transformative power of these principles when applied consistently and with dedication.

Serge Shlykov is the founder of Mailarrow. Rotterdam Business School graduate and a long-time software engineer he has been running his own agency and SaaS business before realizing how many people are struggling with cold email outreach. This made him create Mailarrow, the cold email outreach software that helps you build great relationships at scale. Find him on Twitter and LinkedIn