The Salesman of the Century

by Ron Popeil

Book Overview

The television pitchman and creator of such products as the Veg-o-matic reveals the secrets behind his enormous success and offers practical advice for succeeding in the home shopping business or in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385313780
• ISBN13: 9780385313780
• Release Date: October 1995
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Length: 306 Pages
• Weight: 1.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Great insight in the mastermind of a salesman

As a fan of inventors and salesmanship, Ron Popeil was at the top of his game for decades... this book demystifies some of the qualities, tenancity, and cleverness that someone needs to succeed in the world of marketing ones self and their products. The first half of this book is phenomenal because it reveals some of the secrets of Ron's success - although it would hard to emulate or recreate exactly what Ron did to start his amazing career... it illustrates that you don't have to wait for opportunity to knock, you need to create your own path, using your own talents and ingenuity. The second half is a like taking a course in basic tv marketing 101 and is a must read for those harboring fantasies of seeing their product in a infomercial or on the home shopping networks. I highly recommend this read for anyone looking to market their own product via television.... and as someone who has hosted more than 75 infomercials myself, I put my stamp of approval on this tome! forbes riley

Great autobiography *and* how-to guide

If the rather egotistical title of this book doesn't put you off, you'll find a fascinating story that's really two books in one. Ron Popeil's infomercials are the stuff of pop culture legend; if you never got a chance to see them during the '60s, '70s or '80s, you surely have seen their parodies. But what's the deal behind Popeil and his "as seen on TV" success?The first part of this book is Popeil's inspiring autobiography. Surviving a childhood filled with abuse and neglect, he discovered his gift as a salesman as a young man and went on to make a fortune. At the dawn of the television age, he saw TV's potential as an unparalleled marketing tool and grew his marketing empire even further. Ron Popeil's great contribution to retail, therefore, wasn't the myriad of gadgets he sold, but his style of selling on TV -- namely the infomercial.The second part of the book is essentially a how-to guide for starting a business similar to Popeil's. Even if you have no intention of starting a retail business, the details of how such a business works are fascinating. Topics as arcane as patent protection, TV time buying, negotiating with retail stores for shelf space and financing (which forced Popeil into bankruptcy at one point) are all covered.

Great insight!

Ron's book gives one a good overall insight into what it takes to get a product to market. His insights into selling to retail chains..., Infomercials, and getting a product on QVC are invaluable.It's a great read with many pictures and short stories about his past hit products like The Pocketfisherman, Mr. Microphone, and GLH9 etc.It also includes a great overview of his early life going through the school of hard knocks.