Page 51 - One Thousand Ways to Make $1000

Ritchie is a hustler. Making an average of sixty-seven calls daily keeps him
on the go from early morning until almost dark. But he declares that if you
want to make money you have to get out and work for it.

To get started with a small specialty, such as Ritchie is selling, requires no
capital investment. The product may be sold anywhere. A search for many
new uses for the product broadens the possibilities of its sales, and is
rewarded by increased profits.

Selling Protection Against Death

I

N DENVER , Colorado, T. J. Devers startled his friends when he earned a
thousand dollars in five months by selling memberships in a mutual benefit
association. When he started, Devers was broke. He had answered an
advertisement and received instructions on how and where to get new
members. Devers thought little of the “canned sales talk,” as he styled it,
which the company sent him. However, he did need cash badly, and since the
proposition offered a way to get it, he decided to give it a chance.

“Don’t let anyone tell you it was easy,” he said, talking about his first sale.
“It was anything but easy to find a man who was willing to pay five dollars to
join this benefit association. That membership fee, collected at the time the
application is made out, was my commission. At first I made the mistake of
overselling my prospects. I was talking with an old man and promising him
everything I could think of, when he said sharply: ‘Young fellow, you’re a
liar. You might sell me if you’d stop lying and tell the truth.’ I said, ‘All
right. I’m starting out with this proposition. I don’t believe you’re in good
health. If you are, and you want to join this association, sign the application
and give me five dollars.’ He didn’t sign. He said no doctor in the county
would say he could live more than a week, but if I saw his son, I might get an
order. Although I had no assurance the boy would buy, I located him,
explained that his father sent me, and this time, told the truth about my
company. The boy took one of my policies, and paid me the initial
membership fee. That was my first sale. I had learned one important thing.