"Tender-handed grasp a nettle, and it stings you for your pains.Grasp it like a man of mettle, and it soft as down remains."
"Tender-handed grasp a nettle, and it stings you for your pains.Grasp it like a man of mettle, and it soft as down remains."
"Tender-handed grasp a nettle, and it stings you for your pains.Grasp it like a man of mettle, and it soft as down remains."
"Tender-handed grasp a nettle, and it stings you for your pains.
Grasp it like a man of mettle, and it soft as down remains."
When it comes to the psychological moment, banish fear from your mind. Show spirit and be "game." You have got to make the plunge, and take the risk of "the proposal" some time—why not now? You have done your best, then go ahead. Stand up and take your chance like a man. But never act as if there is any chance about it—preserve your mental attitude of confident expectation, for these mental states are contagious.
If, in spite of everything, the Decision be against you, do not be discouraged. If you think you can reverse the decision by a little further persuasion, do so by all means. Many a battle is won, after it has apparently been lost. Few maidens expect their gallant laddies to accept the first "No" as conclusive—and the minds of many buyers work in the same way. There is a certain coyness about maids,and prospects, which seems to call for a little further coaxing. Many prospects yield only at the final appeal—they are like Byron's heroine who "saying she would ne'er consent, consented."
But if the "No" is final, take it good-naturedly, and without show of resentment, and assuming an "I will call again another day" spirit, bid the prospect good-bye, courteously, and take your departure. Many subsequent sales have been made in this way—and many have been lost by a show of ill-nature. The average man likes a game fighter, and respects a "good loser." Don't give up at anything short of a "knock-out," but, that given, shake hands with the victor good-naturedly, and then proceed to lay plans for another interview. Good nature and cheerfulness under defeat never fail to make friends, and to disarm enemies.
As we have said in a previous chapter, there is sometimes a hitch between Decision and Action. The spirit of procrastination creeps in, and the prospect tries to put off the actualorder. Try to overcome this by "taking down" the order at once. Do not allow any wait at this stage. If no signed order is necessary get the order down in your order book as quickly as possible. Have your order book handy so that no awkward wait arises. Avoid these intervals of waiting as far as possible. Get through with the thing, and get out.
If a signed order is required, approach the request as a matter of course. Do not assume the air of asking any further favor, or of needing any argument regarding the signing. Treat it as a matter of course, and as if the matter had been agreed upon. Do not say "I will have to ask you to sign," etc., but say simply "sign here, please," placing your fountain pen at the "suggestive slant," and in his direction, indicating the line at the same time. Some salesmen even touch the pen to the line, starting the ink flowing and the suggestion operating with the one movement. Others proceed, calmly, like this: "Let's see, Mr. Blank, what is your shipping address (or street number)?" adding, "We can have these goods here by about such-and-such a date." And while he is saying this they arefilling up the order blank. Then, in the most matter of fact, business-like manner they lay the order before the prospect, indicating the line for signature, and saying: "Now, if you will kindly sign here, please, Mr. Blank." And it is all over.
Always have the order blank, or book, and the fountain pen handy. Avoid fiddling around after the pen or the book, or both—this is suggestive in the wrong direction. Some salesmen lay the pen on top of the order book, and place them easily before the prospect while talking. Others lay the pen by the side of the book, in the same way. Collins says: "One of the leading newspapers in the Middle West has a school for the canvassers who solicit subscriptions. A set of books is sold in connection with a year's subscription to this paper, and the solicitors are drilled in old fashioned bookselling tactics, learning their argument by rote. At the precise point where the signature of the prospect is to be secured the salesman is taught to take his pencil from his pocket, drop it on the floor apparently by accident, stoop over and pick it up as he finishes his argument, and put it intothe prospect's fingers as a matter of course. Six times in ten the signature is written without more argument." The psychological point employed here is evidently that of distracting the prospect's mind from his ordinary objection, and attracting his attention to the recovered pencil. A similar proceeding is that followed by certain salesmen who carry a large fountain pen with a rubber band wrapped around the handle. Talking cheerfully, they drop the pen on the prospect's desk, close to his hand. The rubber band makes it fall noiselessly, and prevents it from rolling. The prospect is said usually to involuntarily pick up the pen, and move it toward the order book which has been deftly placed before him, and, then, still absorbed in the talk of the Salesman, he signs the order blank. These methods are given for what they are worth, and in the way of illustrating a psychological principle. Personally, we do not favor these methods, and prefer the orthodox fountain pen, courteously handed the prospect, at the "suggestive slant," with possibly the point touching the line as an illustration of the "on this line, please," which accompanies it.
The principle to be observed in all cases where orders have to be signed, receipts made out, etc., is to make the process as easy as possible for the prospect. Let him work along the line of the least resistance. Avoid giving him the adverse suggestion of "red tape," formality, "iron-clad contracts," etc. Act upon the principle of the young man who when he asked his father for money would say it very smoothly andrapidly"twenty dollars please," as if it were twenty cents. Smooth away every item of delay and friction, and adopt the "rubber tire and ball bearings" mental attitude and mode of procedure.
Regarding the much disputed and vexing question of the interval between Decision and Action, and the frequent failure of Decision to take form in Action—which question, by the way, is very important in the Closing of the Salesman—we ask you to read the following from the pen of Prof. William James, the eminent psychologist:
"We know what it is to get out of bed on a freezing morning in a room without a fire, andhow the very vital principle within us protests against the ordeal. Probably most persons have lain on certain mornings for an hour at a time unable to brace themselves to the resolve. We think how late we shall be, how the duties of the day will suffer; we say, 'Imustget up, this is ignominious,' etc.; but still the warm couch feels too delicious, the cold outside too cruel, and resolution faints away and postpones itself again and again just as it seemed on the verge of bursting the resistance and passing over into the decisive act. Now how do weeverget up under such circumstances? If I may generalize from my own experience, we more often than not get up without any struggle or decision at all. We suddenly find that wehaveto get up. A fortunate lapse of consciousness occurs; we forget both the warmth and the cold; we fall into some reverie connected with the day's life, in the course of which the idea flashes across us, 'Hello! I must lie here no longer'—an idea which at that lucky instant awakens no contradictory or paralyzing suggestions, and consequently produces immediately its appropriate motor effects. It was our acute consciousness of both the warmth and cold during the period of struggle, which paralyzed our activity then and kept our idea of rising in the condition ofwishand not ofwill. The moment these inhibitory ideas ceased, the original idea exerted its effects. This case seems to me to contain in miniature form the data for an entire psychology of volition."
Prof. James, in another place, gives the following additional hint of the process of transmuting the Decision into Action: "Let us call the last idea which in the mind precedes the motor discharge, 'the motor-cue' * * * There can be no doubt whatever that the cue may be an image either of the resident or the remote kind."
It will be seen then that the "motor cue" which releases the spring of Action—the mental trigger which fires the gun of will—may easily be some remote ideasuggestedto the mind, as for instance the sight of the slanted fountain pen and order book. The man wants to, but does not feel like getting out of bed, and his mind becomes inactive on the question. If some friend had said to him, "Come, get out old fellow;" or if he had had his mindsuddenly attracted by some outside sound or sight, he would have sprung out at once. As we have said, elsewhere, the placing of a piece of twisted paper in the ear of a horse will cause him to forget his balkiness—it changes his current of thought. Any new impulse will tend to get a man over his period of "I want to but I don't" mental hesitancy. We may have given you the psychology of the thing here—you must work it out in the details of application to suit your own requirements. Learn to show your prospect something that will cause him to spring out of bed. Learn to stick the piece of twisted paper in his ear, to overcome his balkiness. Give him the "motor cue" by supplying him with a mental image "either of the resident or remote kind." Like the boy shivering on the brink of the stream, he needs but a "little shove" to make him take the plunge. Then he will call to others: "Come on in, the water's fine."
And, now in conclusion: You have the signed order, but you must continue your Mental Attitude until you fade from the prospect's sight. Do not gush or become maudlin, as we have seen salesmen do. Maintain yourbalance, and thank your customer courteously, but not as the recipient of alms. Keep up his good impression of and respect for you to the last. Leave the prospect with this thought radiating from your mind: "I have done this man a good turn." The prospect will catch these subtle vibrations, in some way not worth discussing, and he too will feel that he has done well. Avoid the "Well, I landed this chap, all right, all right!" mental attitude, which shows so plainly in the manner of some salesmen after they have booked an order. The prospect will catch those vibrations also, and will not like it—he will resent it, naturally. In short, you would do well to follow the homely but scientific advice of the old salesman who said: "Keep your sugar-coating on to the last—leave 'em with a pleasant taste in their mouths." Make a good Last Impression as well as a good First Impression.
But—and remember this also—get away when your work is over. Do not hang around the office or store of the prospect after the sale is made. Do not place yourself in a position where some newly discovered objection will cause you to do your work all over again. Youhave got what you came for—now get out! As Macbain says: "When the close is made the customer should be left in the shortest possible time that may not be characterized as abrupt. Having 'talked a man into a sale,' the salesman should be careful not to talk him out. The old adage, 'Stop praising the goods after the sale is made,' is as true as it is trite." Collins very aptly says on this point: "The explainer type of salesman may actually sell goods to a customer and then, by staying and talking, unsell him without knowing it. * * * One afternoon not long ago, for instance, a salesman sold eleven thousand dollars' worth of fabrics to a prominent merchant and, by staying for a friendly chat after the order had been secured, gave the merchant time to think twice and cancel it. An excellent rule is that of a salesman who built up a business to a quarter million in competition with wealthy competitors, doing this by sheer selling ability. 'Take the first train out of town after you sell your man,' was his rule. If there was no train for several hours he excused himself the moment a deal was closed, and disappeared. 'Just as sure as I stayedaround after that order was in my pocket,' he says, 'part of it would be cancelled or modified by the buyer, or some of my work in selling undone. If it were nothing else the buyer would play on the fact that I felt good about getting that order, and squeeze something extra out of me.' When you land your man get out of sight."
And, taking our own advice, kind reader, we, having said our say and "closed," will now take our departure. We thank you for your kind attention, and feel that we "have done you a good turn."
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:Obvious typographical and printer errors have been corrected without comment. Other than obvious errors, the spelling, grammar, and use of punctuation are preserved as they appear in the original.In addition to obvious errors, the following corrections have been made:1. Page 22: a missing quote mark was added to the end of the sentence beginning, "Geo. Dyers, in the same journal says: "Advertising...."2. Page 34: extra "the" removed from the phrase, "as Kipling says: "The...."3. Page 53: a missing quote mark was added to the end of the sentence beginning, "People are all after money...."4. Page 139: "Voluntary" changed to "Involuntary" in the phrase, "Involuntary attention, on the contrary...."5. Page 228: "salesman" changed to "salesmen" in the phrase, "Veteran salesmen gauge...."6. Page 237: "hereby" changed to "here by" in the phrase, "We can have these goods here by about such-and-such a date."Other than the above errors, no attempt has been made to correct common spelling, inconsistencies in punctuation, grammar, etc. The author's usage is preserved as printed in the original publication. Unconventional spelling which has been preserved includes, but is not limited to the following:advisibilityargumentiveirrefragiblepropogandistInconsistencies in hyphenation include:baseball/ base-ballpocketbook/ pocket-booksidetrack/ side-trackstraightforward/ straight-forward
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:
Obvious typographical and printer errors have been corrected without comment. Other than obvious errors, the spelling, grammar, and use of punctuation are preserved as they appear in the original.
In addition to obvious errors, the following corrections have been made:
1. Page 22: a missing quote mark was added to the end of the sentence beginning, "Geo. Dyers, in the same journal says: "Advertising...."2. Page 34: extra "the" removed from the phrase, "as Kipling says: "The...."3. Page 53: a missing quote mark was added to the end of the sentence beginning, "People are all after money...."4. Page 139: "Voluntary" changed to "Involuntary" in the phrase, "Involuntary attention, on the contrary...."5. Page 228: "salesman" changed to "salesmen" in the phrase, "Veteran salesmen gauge...."6. Page 237: "hereby" changed to "here by" in the phrase, "We can have these goods here by about such-and-such a date."
1. Page 22: a missing quote mark was added to the end of the sentence beginning, "Geo. Dyers, in the same journal says: "Advertising...."
2. Page 34: extra "the" removed from the phrase, "as Kipling says: "The...."
3. Page 53: a missing quote mark was added to the end of the sentence beginning, "People are all after money...."
4. Page 139: "Voluntary" changed to "Involuntary" in the phrase, "Involuntary attention, on the contrary...."
5. Page 228: "salesman" changed to "salesmen" in the phrase, "Veteran salesmen gauge...."
6. Page 237: "hereby" changed to "here by" in the phrase, "We can have these goods here by about such-and-such a date."
Other than the above errors, no attempt has been made to correct common spelling, inconsistencies in punctuation, grammar, etc. The author's usage is preserved as printed in the original publication. Unconventional spelling which has been preserved includes, but is not limited to the following:
advisibilityargumentiveirrefragiblepropogandist
advisibilityargumentiveirrefragiblepropogandist
Inconsistencies in hyphenation include:
baseball/ base-ballpocketbook/ pocket-booksidetrack/ side-trackstraightforward/ straight-forward
baseball/ base-ballpocketbook/ pocket-booksidetrack/ side-trackstraightforward/ straight-forward