How to Sell Yourself by Joe Girard & Robert Casemore

Author:Joe Girard & Robert Casemore
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9780446559089
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2009-07-31T18:30:00+00:00

PROMISES—THE MEASURE OF SINCERITY

There is a book which I’ve been told about—I have not read it—called The Hucksters. I understand that it is about an advertising man who wanted to make a good impression. He was out to sell himself just as you and I are. He chose his clothes carefully. He shined his shoes mirror bright. And, he put on what he called his “sincere” tie.

Bunk! There is no such thing as a sincere tie or suit or shoes or hat. The only thing that can be sincere is you.

And one of the chief qualities of a sincere person is the ability to keep a promise.

If you want to sell yourself successfully you must never go back on a promise. Never. A promise keeper is a person who means what he or she says. Promise keepers are people you can trust without question.

I know a young man who works in the service department of a nearby automobile dealership. He is a write-up man whose job is to fill in the repair order when someone brings a car in for service. Now, a repair order is also a promise. That RO promises to do the needed service and, in some states, it promises a “not to exceed” price and “not to do additional work unless authorized.” Write-up men make promises: “Your car can be picked up at four o’clock, Mrs. Jarvis,” or “I’ll call you if it’s not ready or if we hit a problem, Mr. Mason.”

Simple promises. Yet, this young friend of mine sometimes failed to keep his. The car would not be ready when he promised. Or, the telephone call was forgotten. Before long his sincerity rating hit the cellar. People heard his words but they found them to be empty. Customers lost confidence in him and, in time, the service department where he worked. He failed to sell himself, and important service business—even future new car sales—went down the drain.

He had lunch with me one day and poured out his troubles. “Joe, I’m in hot water. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be let out.”

“What’s the problem, Alex?” I was pretty sure I knew, but I asked him anyway.

“My mouth gets me in trouble. I promise something and then wind up with egg on my face.” He gave me the details.

So, over a ham and Swiss on rye, I showed him how he could gain a reputation for sincerity that would change his course and save his job. “Alex,” I said, “there are two things I’m going to ask you to do, and I want you to do them faithfully for thirty days.” These are the two rules I gave him:

1. Force yourself at no matter what the cost to keep the promises you’ve made to date. No one can force you to do this but yourself.

2. Think first before you make any future promises. Ask yourself, “Can I really do what I’m promising?”

He thought about these rules quietly and then wrote them down on the paper napkin beside him.

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