Inspirational Bruce Barton story
I finally found the story that I heard Brian Keith Voiles refer to in an interview with Michael Senoff. He said reading this story convinced him to become a copywriter.
Anyway, it's from the JOE VITALE book: The Seven Lost Secrets of Success: Million Dollar Ideas of BRUCE BARTON, America's Forgotten Genius
One of Bruce Barton's books was the 1927 volume What
Can a Man Believe? In it Barton tells a story that sold me
on an idea--nearly 70 years after Barton told the story!
"Some years ago a crumpled and dejected citizen came
to my office," Barton begins. The man was a sales man-
ager with a reputation for writing effective sales letters.
But suddenly this man was out of work and depressed--
even suicidal. Barton led the man to a window.
"Look out there at those buildings," Barton said. "All
filled with offices. Business offices. Offices of people
who have goods to sell and most of whom don't know
how to sell them."
Then Barton challenged the man (another Barton
tactic).
"You say you can write sales letters. This is your great
chance to prove it. Write those people a letter that will sell
them the idea that they need you to help them sell their
goods."
The man accepted the challenge. He was soon earning
more than $25,000 a year--in the early 1920s!
That's a powerful story. When I read it, something
awakened in me. I realized I could do what Barton
advised that man to do. Somehow Barton's message--and
his challenge--reached across seven decades and out of
the pages of an old book to touch me. 50 The Seven Lost
Secrets of Success
And months later, when a young copywriter came to
me complaining that he couldn't get work, I led him
to an open window, pointed at all the buildings outside,
and told him the story I just told you.
It's the power of a parable. And it works.
Anyway, it's from the JOE VITALE book: The Seven Lost Secrets of Success: Million Dollar Ideas of BRUCE BARTON, America's Forgotten Genius
One of Bruce Barton's books was the 1927 volume What
Can a Man Believe? In it Barton tells a story that sold me
on an idea--nearly 70 years after Barton told the story!
"Some years ago a crumpled and dejected citizen came
to my office," Barton begins. The man was a sales man-
ager with a reputation for writing effective sales letters.
But suddenly this man was out of work and depressed--
even suicidal. Barton led the man to a window.
"Look out there at those buildings," Barton said. "All
filled with offices. Business offices. Offices of people
who have goods to sell and most of whom don't know
how to sell them."
Then Barton challenged the man (another Barton
tactic).
"You say you can write sales letters. This is your great
chance to prove it. Write those people a letter that will sell
them the idea that they need you to help them sell their
goods."
The man accepted the challenge. He was soon earning
more than $25,000 a year--in the early 1920s!
That's a powerful story. When I read it, something
awakened in me. I realized I could do what Barton
advised that man to do. Somehow Barton's message--and
his challenge--reached across seven decades and out of
the pages of an old book to touch me. 50 The Seven Lost
Secrets of Success
And months later, when a young copywriter came to
me complaining that he couldn't get work, I led him
to an open window, pointed at all the buildings outside,
and told him the story I just told you.
It's the power of a parable. And it works.
BenPalmerWilson Copywriting