HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO
BECOME A SUCCESS?
^Mr HEN you GIVE me the formula you are preparing me for,
how soon can I expect it to work ?," you ask me.
Again I go to the Spanish for an answer:
"He who wants to grow rich in a year will be hanged in
a month!'
This old Spanish proverb reminds me that a person can
"hang himself' in many ways these days.
The increasing cost of living makes it unlikely that any of
us will be "rich in a year" but, as we try to meet the mount-
ing bills, all of us may be tempted to try to "make a killing"
in order to ease the pressure.
When we are facing such a temptation, we must guard
doubly to avoid foolish and costly mistakes. We mustn't let
the problem of debts and ever-higher taxes upset our judg-
ment.
One Good Rule to Follow
A good rule to follow is this: If I had plenty of money,
would I still make this deal?
Usually you will lose if you take too big a gamble. The odds
are against you or the gamble wouldn't promise such a big
reward.
Isn't it better to make a little progress surely, than to risk
a great deal in the hope of gaining even more ?
Next time you sit down with your checkbook to pay a
month's bills and you begin to wonder whether there isn't
some way you can add to your bank account overnight, re-
member this old proverb. And, remember, too, most of us
are in the same boat and that if we all work hard enough
day-by-day we'll still reach shore safely.
Four Steps to Make Success Work Even Faster
You'll speed up the time it takes for my formula to "take"
on you if you understand people around you. In this way you
can work this formula on them better and more effectively.
To help you take the hit and miss, guess and gamble, out
of understanding people, try these four steps:
1. Win the confidence of the people you meet. Being a
good listener until you know the other fellow's interests is
the most important step in winning confidence.
2. Try to find a common ground where your interests are
the same as his.
3. Don't forget your friends. It's as important to keep in
touch with a friend as it is to make a friend in the first place.
4. Forgive and forget. Life is not smooth. The best of
friends will not always agree. You be the one to say, "Oh,
well, let's forget it!"
Secondary Rules to Win People
These four points are the main ones, but these secondary
qualities are important too.
Be patient and be fair. Keep your promises and be con-
sistent, and be available to people. A snooty person can
have no real friends.
There's one further quality I very much recommend. It's
so important that we begin and end every Wheeler class in
sales training, public speaking or human relations with the
practice of it.
In these classes, all of us stand and shout, "Boy, am I en-
thusiastic!"
As our most important success secret for the day, let's say
it this way: Be Enthusiastic!
Ten Things to Speed Up Success
Many of us are afraid to give more than usual attention to
people because we fear they will misunderstand.
But the habit of doing the extra-pleasant thing can be
acquired if we try.
The secret of a growing personality and even of happiness
is to be found in our own minds. All we have to do is make
up our mind to improve our habits. And then we can do it.
It's that simple.
Want to remember names? You can do it. All you need to
do is to practice.
Want to learn how to remember birthdays ? Just practice it.
Want to learn how to smile? That's really easy. Just prac-
ticeand watch yourself in the mirror.
In addition to practice, you need only one thing to help you
acquire a truly exceptional personality,
YouVe got to be honest "with yourself!
The things you say and do must help and please others
even when you have to sacrifice your own desires in the act.
Don't put your new personality on a cash-register basis or it
will wear off instead of pay off .
Here are ten things to do that will make your life better:
Go out and perform one kind act. And do it ten times.
Success Drip by Drip
Take it easy!
Too many people try to accomplish too much, too soon.
One of the finest success stories I know illustrates the wis-
dom of careful planning and a slow but certain advance.
About 25 years ago a young man whose friends call him
C Wink" learned how to fly. At that time he had barely
enough money to get along but this young man did have fore-
sight.
In the early days of aviation, he "flew for his supper," carry-
ing passengers and mail. Later he sold airplanes. Then he
bought his own planes for resale after he had repaired them.
Finally he built this business into a fine private airport near
St. Charles, Mo.
Next he headed up a small airline, and helped to sell it to
one of the larger lines.
When World War II came along he volunteered and with-
in a few months was one of our first night-fighter experts,
serving in both the Pacific and European theaters.
After the war he returned to his private airport business,
then went into public relations as a consultant on aviation
matters.
Today W. W. Kratz - still "Wink" to his associates - is an
official of the Hughes Aircraft Company in Culver City,
Calif., helping to build and to fly some of the aircraft we*!! be
reading about and flying in during the years to come.
His success secret?
Perhaps it is in remembering that the drip, drip, drip of the
rain always wears away even the hardest stone in time.
The Success Story of Charles R. O'Neill
Charles R. O'Neal came to America from Ireland in 1912,
He brought his wife, two children and $92 all of the money
borrowed. On the fourth day after he went to work in a mid-
west department store, Charles O'Neill was sent for by the
president of the firm employing him. He had broken the
sales record of his store.
Ten years later he had his own company, selling direct to
the consumer a full line of linens.
Today his company is worth over a quarter of a million
dollars and is one of the largest of its type in the country.
Charles O'Neill did it because he was a good salesman
and I asked him recently to jot down for me the simple suc-
cess secrets that he felt were responsible for the growth and
prosperity of his business.
This is what he wrote me:
"First, sell something you believe in enough to sell on com-
missionand convince your customer the item is as good as
you think it is.
"Second, win the customer's confidence by treating him or
her as you'd like to be treated.
"Third, sell what the customer needs first, then show him
or her something they might want.
"Fourth, spend most of your time selling, not travelling.
"Fifth, don't buy anything you can't sell at least for cost
(if worst comes to worst).
"Sixth, extend credit most people are honest. (In 29 years
the O'Neill Linen Damask Co. has had less than l / 2 of i per
cent bad debt.")
Don't you agree O'Neill's success platform is a good one
for all of us?
You've Been "Conditioned" Enough
I think by now you've been conditioned enough to be
ready for the Master Formula of them all.
You've seen that luck doesn't count with my 1,000 success
stories; nor education, climate, or age.
These 1,000 men and women who have become a success,
just in recent years, millionaires in happiness, health and
money, had a definite pattern they followed.
What is this pattern ?
While each man tells you "side-line" rules, such as Charlie
R. O'Neill, when you finally analyze their basic rules and
secrets, they are all alike.
Success is no mystery.
Success is not "different" in everybody's case.
Success has a definite pattern as definite as math, as the
path of a disease.
What is that path ? That pattern ?
I think you are ready now to get it.
Success Is Not a Patented Formula
