The first thing, then, is that you must (a) know and (b) be sure of your want. Next, when your wants are more than one, you must lay down your priorities. Thirdly, avoid contradictions, by which I mean want of your should not clash with another. It is better to have one aim at a time. It will help you to concentrate your efforts, energy and thoughts. Lastly relate your aim to the resources you have and you can muster. No doubt you must aim high. But to reach the hill top, you have to start climbing from the base. Therefore, have your main aim and then set immediate objectives, so that you can advance steadily and slowly. As you progress you will find that you are able to take rapid strides and even extensive jumps.
What is it that enables some people to gain whatever goal they set for themselves while other do not succeed? What makes some men winners in the world and other the losers? If you want to win, we must find the right answer to this very important question. Are there certain qualities or techniques which a person can use to achieve success regardless of his goal? To confirm this we must carefully study the lives of successful men of the past as well as the present day. No doubt there are certain characteristics which are commonly found among all these great People. But an academic or college education is not necessarily one of them. Such an education perhaps could be an asset. But then considering how many of our educated youth are keen to take on a job of clerk and end up their lives as clerks one may even doubt whether the college education is really an asset. Let us remember this. College education by itself is neither good nor bad. It all depends as to what use you put it. The important thing is, if you happen to possess it you can use it to advantage. If you do not have it there is no real cause to worry. Many have succeeded not only in Pakistan but also in other industrially advanced countries having attained great success without college education. For instance, Thomas Edison had taken only three months schooling. The great Abraham Lincoln was practically self educated. Benjamin Franklin did not attend the school at all. The Wright Brothers were not scientists but bicycle mechanics by their basic profession. Success also does of necessarily depend upon one’s birth, environment, wealth etc. H.G. Wells was born in poverty and had to fight ill health continually. An American survey of about 150 successful men showed that practically all of them began their life with a wage of less than 3 to 10 dollars a week.
The study of the great, successful, self made men all over the world, whether of the past or of the present spotlights very important common factors. They knew how to get along successfully with others. They knew how to sell themselves to strangers and friends, to their employers and employees, to their neighbours, families in fact to every one with whom they came into contact daily. They knew how to set their ideas, knowledge, talent and service. They knew how to get along with men, influence and motivate them. They knew how to kindle the interest and arouse the desire of people. The secret is that directly or indirectly other people have to help you to attain your goal. The greater their cooperation the sooner and bigger your success. If you cannot sell yourself to others, you cannot attain your goal. Since you have to depend on other people for ultimate success what you have alone will not do. Success depends to a great extent on what you say and what you do with your ideas, talents or gifts. Invariably it is not what you know but what you do about what you know. For instance Mozart was undoubtedly one of the greatest creative artists who ever lived. He had his remarkable talent or the precious goods’ but did not know how to sell them. He was so wretchedly poor that he was unable to afford a fire in his bed room cum drawing room cum kitchen and he had to dance with his wife just to keep both of them warm. Yet, after his death, those who knew how to sell greatness have made millions from his music. The world will buy a mediocre product that is properly advertised than the perfect one which remains under cover. The college student with his head full of knowledge but with no understanding as to how to sell himself and his knowledge to others is like a manufacturer with a new useful product without a selling plan. Therefore, it is not what you have, but what is done about it that spells the difference between success and its opposite.
It is no magic or trick to sell yourself to others, to make them take interest in you, to cause them to sit up, really notice you as well as what you have to offer for their business, home use, friendship, entertainment, fun or profit. Dr. Albert observes: The biggest thing in education, in fact, in all human life is not selling things but selling yourself. Real salesmanship is taking some one or a group or nation into doing something they don’t want to do, and then making them glad they did it. According to Charles Schwab, We are selling our ideas, our plans, our energies, our enthusiasms, to those with we come into contract. Thus the man of genial personality is bound to accomplish more than the man without it. No matter who you are and what your qualifications as well as accomplishments happen to be, your success in life will greatly depend on your ability to sell yourself to others. Mother wants a new saree; sister wants a sewing machine; brother needs a motorcycle: and father wants a big promotion at the office. Whether or not they get what they want depends on how well they sell their ideas to the other party concerned.
Every human individual is always and ever thirsty and hungry for one thing. He wants to feel important. He craves to be recognized and appreciated genuinely and sincerely. He wants affection, warmth and friendship. He likes to be heard. He mellows when the other person displays a keen, sincere and genuine interest in him. This is a standing hunger and thirst on the part of one arid all. It is no seasonal demand. People for ever every hour of the day, every day of the week, every week of the month, every month of the year and every year of their lives crave for importance, appreciation, recognition and fellowship. There are no exceptions whatever. This makes your task easy. You don’t have to create this thirst or hunger. It is already there. Learn to cater to this thirst and hunger first. Master the art of meeting them fully and completely. Then the doors will be opened wide. The hearts will be laid bare. They will pour out their needs, wants, aspirations ambitions and hidden desires into your willing ears. Then harmonise your wants with their wishes and hopes. You will be giving them what they desire strongly. You will also get what you want.
To get what you want, them, think first in terms of what he wants. Talk in terms of his interest. Never try to force them nor ask for favours. Meet their thirst and hunger first and know their minds. Then arouse a desire for what you have to offer. Make them thirsty and hungry for your service, goods or for whatever that you wish to offer. Ideas ultimately rule and you can sell your ideas by enthusiasm, persistence, persuasion and above all, by proper motivation.