Frank Bettger
Encyclopedia
Franklin Lyle Bettger (1888 – 1981) was a salesman and self-help author. He was the father of longtime actor Lyle Bettger
. He played Major League baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals
in 1910 under the name Frank Betcher. He was demoted from playing time. Very disappointed, he went to the manager and asked why he was demoted. The manager told him had no enthusiasm. Bettger told the manager: "I'm just trying to hide my nervousness." The manager replied: "try something else. That's not working." From that moment on, he played with vigorous enthusiasm. His baseball career was cut short because of an arm injury.
After his brief baseball career, Bettger returned to his native Philadelphia, where he started collecting accounts for a furniture store on a bike. He then started selling life insurance for the Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Co. of Pennsylvania; but was not initially successful and considered quitting after 10 months. During a moment of reflection, he remembered what his baseball manager told him about his lack of enthusiasm. So he made a commitment to himself to start acting enthusiastic in his insurance presentations. He met a successful salesman who told Bettger to read the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. So he did. A light went on in his mind when he realized that Franklin's Socratic method of asking "key" questions might work with selling policies. So he tried it and it worked. He began to perfect his technique with great enthusiasm. After succeeding in life insurance sales; and becoming the Top Salesman for 20 years with Fidelity Mutual, he met Dale Carnegie. Carnegie encouraged Bettger to write his first best-selling books How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling and How I Multiplied My Income and Happiness in Selling. How I Raised Myself... was translated into over a dozen languages, including Hungarian, Portuguese, French, Danish, German, Polish, Swedish, Spanish, Serbian, Japanese, Dutch, British English, Norwegian, Italian and Finnish.
Bettger also gave a series of lectures to Jaycees organizations nationwide with Dale Carnegie
.
Bettger had insurance policies that would have benefited his wife after he died, but he lived into his 90s. As a result, Bettger and his wife outlived their assets. Members of the National Speakers Association contributed to the couple to help them meet financial needs. After Frank died, Mrs. Bettger repaid the money from insurance proceeds. The money was then put into a fund that would be available to others in need – thus providing the original funding for the Professional Speakers Benefit Fund (PSBF). The mission of the PSBF is to help other members who may be indigent, face catastrophic health emergencies or losses, or outlive their assets.
Frank Bettger wrote a last book, entitled "How I learned the secrets of success in selling" in 1960. More of an autobiography, it focus more on his life and the lessons he learned during his short career in baseball. He reflects how these lessons learned at an early age helped to mold him into the success that he was to become.
Lyle Bettger
Lyle S. Bettger was a character actor known most for his Hollywood roles from the 1950s, typically portraying villains...
. He played Major League baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in 1910 under the name Frank Betcher. He was demoted from playing time. Very disappointed, he went to the manager and asked why he was demoted. The manager told him had no enthusiasm. Bettger told the manager: "I'm just trying to hide my nervousness." The manager replied: "try something else. That's not working." From that moment on, he played with vigorous enthusiasm. His baseball career was cut short because of an arm injury.
After his brief baseball career, Bettger returned to his native Philadelphia, where he started collecting accounts for a furniture store on a bike. He then started selling life insurance for the Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Co. of Pennsylvania; but was not initially successful and considered quitting after 10 months. During a moment of reflection, he remembered what his baseball manager told him about his lack of enthusiasm. So he made a commitment to himself to start acting enthusiastic in his insurance presentations. He met a successful salesman who told Bettger to read the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. So he did. A light went on in his mind when he realized that Franklin's Socratic method of asking "key" questions might work with selling policies. So he tried it and it worked. He began to perfect his technique with great enthusiasm. After succeeding in life insurance sales; and becoming the Top Salesman for 20 years with Fidelity Mutual, he met Dale Carnegie. Carnegie encouraged Bettger to write his first best-selling books How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling and How I Multiplied My Income and Happiness in Selling. How I Raised Myself... was translated into over a dozen languages, including Hungarian, Portuguese, French, Danish, German, Polish, Swedish, Spanish, Serbian, Japanese, Dutch, British English, Norwegian, Italian and Finnish.
Bettger also gave a series of lectures to Jaycees organizations nationwide with Dale Carnegie
Dale Carnegie
Dale Breckenridge Carnegie was an American writer, lecturer, and the developer of famous courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal skills...
.
Bettger had insurance policies that would have benefited his wife after he died, but he lived into his 90s. As a result, Bettger and his wife outlived their assets. Members of the National Speakers Association contributed to the couple to help them meet financial needs. After Frank died, Mrs. Bettger repaid the money from insurance proceeds. The money was then put into a fund that would be available to others in need – thus providing the original funding for the Professional Speakers Benefit Fund (PSBF). The mission of the PSBF is to help other members who may be indigent, face catastrophic health emergencies or losses, or outlive their assets.
Frank Bettger wrote a last book, entitled "How I learned the secrets of success in selling" in 1960. More of an autobiography, it focus more on his life and the lessons he learned during his short career in baseball. He reflects how these lessons learned at an early age helped to mold him into the success that he was to become.
