How to Sell Your Way Through Life - Napoleon Hill

How to Sell Your Way Through Life - Napoleon Hill

Discover the secrets and techniques that will lead you to success in sales and life.

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Never miss a sale again! See the lessons from Napoleon Hill, author of the book "How to Sell Your Way Through Life", that can be applied to business and different areas of our lives.

We have the vendor spirit at all times, whether in setting out an opinion, defending some argument or simply to establish a dialogue. To be able to sell your idea and succeed in all these situations, you will need a lot of training and preparation.

So, keep reading this summary to know the powerful techniques and teachings of Napoleon Hill to help you become a sales master!

About the book "How to Sell Your Way Through Life"

The book "How to Sell Your Way Through Life" was written by Napoleon Hill and first published in 1939. Its main objective is to offer a set of strategies, exercises, and practices that help boost sales.

The work is divided into 4 parts, among them are the practical psychology adopted in negotiations, the art of selling applied to personal marketing, methods employed by Henry Ford, and reports of people who were successful in sales.

The content presented is very rich, and it is possible to learn through thousands of experiences lived in about 25 years of study.

About the author Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill was born in 1883, in the United States. He began his career at the age of 13 as a reporter, and consolidated it based on the principles of success, studying and investigating big winners and their respective careers, sharing these teachings and influencing thousands of people worldwide.

He was an adviser to two presidents of the United States and also wrote best sellers in the area of personal achievements, such as:

To whom is this book indicated?

The book "How to Sell Your Way Through Life" presents an ideal content for anyone who wants to succeed, but needs encouragement, and also for those who want to discover the main truths about sales.

The author Napoleon Hill brings a series of strategies and practical exercises to help the readers achieve success.

Main ideas of the book "How to Sell Your Way Through Life"

  • Deliver more than you receive;
  • Have a goal;
  • Have a persistent and determined mind;
  • Have confidence in yourself, your product, and your customer;
  • Apply the golden rule.

Keep reading this summary to know more about these ideas!

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[Book Summary] How to Sell Your Way Through Life - Napoleon Hill

Overview: The principles of psychology adopted in negotiation

At the beginning of the book "How to Sell Your Way Through Life", the author Napoleon Hill presents us with the true definition of selling.

As he explains, the master salesman is the one who can decipher what goes on in the mind of the buyer and can draw conclusions by facial expression, silence, and words.

Strategies for the formation of the master salesman

Master salespeople can create an image of the thing they are offering for sale in the mind of the buyer. At this stage, they don't disregard any detail and build the whole idea upon a foundation, usually the buyer's need.

The artist responsible for building this image is not born prepared, he/she acquires certain characteristics over time. The most important and that serve all areas are harmony and charisma, according to the book "How to Sell Your Way Through Life".

One of the main teachings of this topic is the author's defense that customers buy ideas and personalities much faster than products. He explains that, at the time of sale, the clients are influenced by feelings and emotions, and not by reason.

Thus, it is suggested that you set aside a daily time to train and become skilled in the sales area.

The qualities needed for the master salesman

The author Napoleon Hill brings a long list with the qualities needed for a successful salesperson. The 5 main ones are:

  1. Courage: an essential and obligatory characteristic in time of the competition and market crisis;
  2. Imagination: it is critical to understand the customer's needs and goals and align them with your product. Always try to anticipate the doubts of the client and answer them;
  3. Speech: have a clear voice, with a firm tone that indicates enthusiasm and determination;
  4. Confidence: know all the benefits of your product and believe in it, because distrust generates fears to those who want to buy something from you. Also, have confidence in you, your customer, and the closing of the sale, always believe that the customer will buy;
  5. Ability to neutralize the buyer's mind: open the mind of the customer and be clear about the reason for the purchase, only then begin to strive to sell. To do this, try using the question method so that you can discover the important points.

It is important to emphasize that these characteristics are acquired slowly, over time, and with great dedication.

The art of closing a sale

Napoleon Hill also shares, in the book "How to Sell Your Way Through Life", some tips for closing the sale:

  • The clients are always right, never disagree or try to impress them with your knowledge;
  • Always specify a value above the exact one. After all, it is better to reduce the price, than to have no room for negotiation;
  • Try to stay focused on the conversation about the product or service, don't let the buyer take you away from the sales plan;
  • Don't give the customer time to think, be persistent and help them to reason, unless they have a concrete reason to postpone the purchase;
  • Appearance does not define the purchase, make the presentation of your product equally for everyone.

Overview: The art of selling applied to personal marketing

Choosing the type of work

According to the book "How to Sell Your Way Through Life", you have to make your job a goal to be pursued.

The first step is to choose an occupation based on your background, principles, skills, and what you like. Subsequently, on how much you want to earn, if you want to start at the top and have only one direction or at the bottom of the ladder and progress.

The most important thing is to analyze and make a decision. After all, nobody can be happy without an occupation.

The vast majority of people think of making money and don't think of ways to guarantee that value, affirms Napoleon Hill. Working with what we don't like is one of the worst nightmares.

The habit of doing more than receiving

In order to take advantage of your personal service, it is essential to do more than what you were paid for.

It is necessary to assume more responsibilities, to have "goodwill", and thus receive more, remember that those who serve better are benefited the most.

How to manage time

The author Napoleon Hill suggests a way of managing your time:

  • 8 hours of sleep;
  • 8 hours of work;
  • 4 hours for leisure and health;
  • 2 hours for study and preparation;
  • 2 hours for voluntary service.

In this way, you tend to be more productive and take actions in a way to achieve enrichment.

As the author emphasizes in the book "How to Sell Your Way Through Life", everyone has bad habits and they can be discovered and solved through self-analysis.

Overview: Henry Ford's teachings

Purposefulness

One of Henry Ford's motto was that no one can achieve success without organizing efforts and working on the central purpose.

As the author Napoleon Hill explains, the central purpose, when sent to the subconscious with faith, is accomplished in physical actions. Thus, it is necessary to have good thoughts, persistence, faith, and courage for the desire to be fulfilled.

Ford, the master salesman

The basic principles of Henry Ford's success are:

  • Saving: one of the great secrets is to have good management of time and budget;
  • Imagination: systematic use is the best medium for imagination;
  • Leadership: don't wait for someone to come up with a plan and help you put it into practice. Take the initiative and put your ideas to work and develop excellence;
  • Enthusiasm: keep enthusiasm for both words and actions;
  • Pleasant personality: have a personality that can make people want to follow you, always being loyal and harmonious;
  • Learn from failures and mistakes: don't give up because of a mistake, create solutions, and focus your efforts to correct it.

Personal initiative

Napoleon Hill tells in the book "How to Sell Your Way Through Life" that all the achievements made by Henry Ford were only reached thanks to his initiative. He failed numerous times, but it was so much better than failing for not trying. After all, at some point, something will turn in your favor.

To overcome the obstacles and succeed, Henry Ford evolved:

  • Knowing what he wanted;
  • Planning what he wanted;
  • Having persistence in planning and its changes;
  • Focusing efforts and resources on his primary goal.

Golden Rule

The golden rule - treat others as you would want them to treat you - is a human conduct that offers equal benefits to all people affected by the operations carried out, since, in the process of enrichment, many people are involved.

Also, the author Napoleon Hill suggests that the golden rule should be translated into actions and not into words.

What do other authors say about it?

In the book "The Psychology of Selling", Brian Tracy warns that the impression you make is important. Successful salespeople project a relaxed and confident professional image.

Jeffrey Gitomer, author of the book "The Sales Bible", advises that the most important and fundamental tool for any sale is your mind. Self-confidence is the key to controlling it. If you do not believe in yourself, no one will.

And in the book "The 25 Sales Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople", the author Stephan Schiffman says that you must feel proud and confident about your work, but avoid being arrogant. Demonstrate success, confidence, and flexibility, which are marks of professionalism.

Okay, but how can I apply this to my life?

Applying the techniques presented in this summary of "How to Sell Your Way Through Life" is the first step to reach the results, always with faith and persistence. After all, it's a slow process.

See what you can start doing from now on:

  • Choose your type of work;
  • Manage your time better;
  • Mentalize your central purpose;
  • Follow Henry Ford's rules of success.

Did you like this summary of the book "How to Sell Your Way Through Life"?

We hope you enjoyed the work of Napoleon Hill and that you can apply his teachings! Leave your opinion in the comments, your feedback is very important!

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Book “How to Sell Your Way Through Life”