THE MIND OF THE BUYER
The second important element in a sale is the Mind of the Buyer. In the
mind of the buyer is fought the battle of the sale. Within its
boundaries are manifested the movements which win or lose the day. As a
writer on the subject has said: "The buyer's brain is the board upon
which the game is played. The faculties of the brain are the men. The
salesman moves or guides these faculties as he would chess men or
checkers on a board." In order to understand the ground upon which your
battle must be fought, and the mental elements which you must combat,
persuade, move, push or attract, you must understand the various
faculties of the mind, as well as the mind as a whole. Let us,
therefore, consider the various mental faculties which are employed
actively by a buyer in the mental process of a purchase.
I. _Quality._ In the first place, let us consider that which the
phrenologists call "Quality," by which they express the various degrees
of fineness or coarseness in a man's mental make-up which is usually
indicated by his appearance and physical characteristics. This "quality"
in a man is akin to what we call "class," "breeding," or "blood" in the
higher animals. It is difficult to explain, but is universally
recognized. At one extreme of "quality" we find those individuals who
are fine-grained, refined, high-strung, intense, and inclined to be
susceptible to emotional or sentimental influence, poetry, music, etc.,
and are apt to be more or less impractical and out of harmony with the
material world of men and affairs. At the other extreme we find those
individuals who are coarse-grained, of coarse and unrefined tastes,
animal, gross, unrefined, and generally "swinish." Between these two
extremes we find many degrees in the scale. The outward physical signs
of the person, such as the coarseness or fineness of his skin, hair,
nails, ears and facial features, as well as his general form and
characteristics, will usually give the careful observer the key to the
degree of a man's "quality." It will be well for the Salesman to
acquaint himself with these characteristics, for they throw much light
on the general character of people.
Next in order come what are called the Temperaments, by which term
phrenologists designate the general classes into which individuals fit.
As a rule, however, an individual manifests the elements of several of
the temperaments--that is, they blend in him. The best phrenological
authorities classify the temperaments as follows: (1) The Vital; (2) The
Motive; (3) The Mental; the characteristics of which are described as
follows:
_The Vital Temperament._ This temperament is indicated by a predominance
of the purely physical or "animal" propensities. Those in whom it
predominates are distinguished by a round head, wide space between the
corners of the eyes and the ears, side-head full, broad forehead (not
necessarily high). They are generally fleshy with a "well-fed"
appearance, inclined to be broad shouldered and deep chested and with a
"bull neck"--splendid animals, in fact. Their mental characteristics
are love of eating and drinking, and animal comforts; impulsiveness,
impetuosity, heartiness, quick temper, zeal and ardor, often shrewd and
cunning but without great depth, susceptible to flattery and appeal to
selfish emotions and prejudices, and loving pleasure. They are generally
selfish and grasping toward that which caters to their pleasure and
physical welfare. Try to "get all that is coming to them," and yet at
the same time tend toward conviviality and are desirous of being thought
"good fellows." Are usually excitable, and are easily thrown off their
balance. Those in whom this temperament is deficient manifest physical
characteristics opposite to those above mentioned, and are more or less
anaemic, or bloodless, and show a lack of vitality and physical
well-being. Those in whom this temperament predominates make good
butchers, hotel-keepers, captains, locomotive engineers, traders,
politicians, contractors, etc. They are reached through their feelings
rather than through their intellect.
_The Motive Temperament._ This temperament is indicated by a
predominance of muscular strength, endurance, toughness, and powers of
action. Those in whom it predominates are distinguished by a general
leanness and spareness; strongly marked and prominent features, usually
with a large nose and high cheek bones; large and strong teeth; large
joints and knuckles--the Abraham Lincoln physical characteristics, in
fact. Their mental characteristics are determination, persistence,
combativeness, destructiveness, endurance, thoroughness, management,
executive ability, creative power, stubbornness, powers of resistance,
and often an indomitable spirit. Their emotions are not on the surface,
but when once aroused are strong and persistent. They are slow to wrath,
but are good fighters and will stay to the finish. They are generally
canny and shrewd, instinctively. They are the active and persistent
workers of the world. It is this temperament in one which supplies his
motive power--his ability and taste for work. Those in whom this
temperament is deficient manifest physical characteristics opposite to
those above mentioned, and accordingly are averse to work or exertion of
any kind.
_The Mental Temperament._ This temperament is indicated by a
predominance of nervous force, mental activity, reasoning power,
imagination, and a brain development rather than bodily strength or
physical activity. Those in whom it predominates are distinguished by a
slight build, small bones and muscles, general fineness of structure,
quick motions, signs of nervous energy, sharp features, thin lips, thin,
finely shaped, and often pointed nose, high forehead, and expressive
eyes. Their mental characteristics are activity in reasoning processes,
active imagination, susceptibility to disturbance from uncongenial
environment and distasteful company, love of mental activity and often a
distaste for physical activity, sensitiveness, extremes of feeling and
emotion, eager and enthusiastic, and the general traits popularly
designated as "temperamental." Those in whom this temperament is
deficient manifest characteristics opposite to those above mentioned,
and are averse to mental activity.
_Blended Temperaments._ Nearly every individual possesses the three
temperaments blended in various proportions and combinations. In some,
one temperament predominates largely and gives us the distinctive
characteristics of that class. But in others, often two temperaments
will predominate, leaving the third scarcely manifest. In others, the
three are so well blended and balanced that the individual is known as
"well balanced" temperamentally--this being considered the ideal
condition.
Prof. Fowler, one of the old authorities in phrenology, says of the
blended temperaments: "Excessive Motive with deficient Mental gives
power and sluggishness, so that the talents lie dormant. Excessive Vital
gives physical power and enjoyment, but too little of the mental and
moral, along with coarseness and animality. Excessive Mental confers too
much mind for body, too much sentimentalism and exquisiteness, along
with greenhouse precocity. Whereas their equal balance gives an abundant
supply of vital energy, physical stamina, and mental power and
susceptibility. They may be compared to the several parts of a steamboat
and its appurtenances. The Vital is the steampower; the Motive, the hulk
or frame-work; the Mental, the freight and passengers. The Vital
predominating, generates more animal energy than can well be worked off,
and causes restlessness, excessive passion, and a pressure which
endangers outbursts and overt actions; predominant Motive gives too much
frame or hulk; moves slowly, and with weak Mental is too light freighted
to secure the great ends of life; predominant Mental overloads, and
endangers sinking; but all equally balanced and powerful, carry great
loads rapidly and well, and accomplish wonders. Such persons unite cool
judgment with intense and well governed feelings; great force of
character and intellect with perfect consistency; scholarship with sound
common sense; far seeing sagacity with brilliancy; and have the highest
order of both physiology and mentality."
The Salesman should thoroughly acquaint himself with the characteristics
of each of the three temperaments, and should also learn to analyze them
when found blended and in combination. An understanding of a man's
temperament will often give one the key to his general character and
disposition, which will be of the greatest advantage to the Salesman.
Many students of human nature devote their entire attention to a study
of the several faculties of the mind, ignoring the force and effect of
the temperaments. We consider this to be a mistake, for a thorough
knowledge of the temperaments gives one a general key to character, and,
as a fact, it is generally found that given a certain temperament or
combination of the same, a good phrenologist will be able to indicate
just what faculties are apt to be found in the ascendency in such a
character. And as the average Salesman cannot spare the time to become
an expert phrenologist, it will be seen that a correct knowledge of the
temperaments gives him his best working knowledge of the subject of
character reading.
Let us now consider the various groups of mental faculties which are
manifested by the buyer in his business, and which should be understood
by the Salesman in order that he may successfully meet the impulses
arising therefrom in the mind of the buyer. Our consideration of these
groups of faculties must necessarily be brief, but we shall include the
essential features.
_The Social Faculties._ This group of faculties includes _Amativeness_
or Sexuality; _Conjugality_ or Marital Inclination; _Parental Love_ or
Love of Offspring; _Friendship_ or Love of Companionship;
_Inhabitiveness_ or Love of Home. Phrenology teaches that this group of
organs occupies the lower back portion of the head, giving the
appearance of bulging behind the ears. _Amativeness_ or Sexuality when
highly developed causes one to be at the mercy of the attraction of the
opposite sex. While normally developed it plays a worthy part in life,
its excessive development manifests in licentiousness, and when
deficient manifests in an aversion to the opposite sex or a coldness and
reserve. Persons in whom this faculty is in excess will neglect business
for sex attraction, and will allow themselves to be "sidetracked" by
reason thereof. In selling a man of this kind, keep him away from this
particular subject, or he will not give you his attention. _Conjugality_
or Marital Inclination when highly developed causes one to be largely
influenced by one's companion in marriage. A man of this kind will be
largely governed by his wife's wishes, tastes and desires, consequently
if his wife "says so" the battle is won. Some men, however, while having
Amativeness largely developed, have but small Conjugality, and if one
love is not found satisfactory, another is substituted--an "affinity"
takes the wife's place. _Parental Love_ or Love of Offspring when highly
developed causes one to idolize his children and to be capable of
influence through them. Such men are prone to relate anecdotes regarding
their children and to bore listeners with recitals of infantile
brightness and precocity. They generally have photographs of their
children about their desks. An appeal to the interests of the children
always reaches the attention and interest of these people. _Friendship_,
or Love of Companionship, when highly developed causes one to seek
society, form attachments of friendship, enjoy social pleasures, do
favors for those whom they like, enjoy entertaining and being
entertained. Such a man will be more apt to base his business dealings
upon likes and acquaintance rather than upon reason or judgment, and are
comparatively easily persuaded by those whom they like. An appearance of
sociability generally attracts them to those manifesting it. The
quality of "good fellowship" appeals to this class. _Inhabitiveness_ or
Love of Home when highly developed causes one to become _attached to
places_, localities and associations. Such a man will be full of
patriotism, local pride and prejudice and provincialism. He will resent
any apparent "slur" upon his locality, and will appreciate any favorable
comment on his home place and locality. These people are like cats who
are attached to places rather than to people. Their township is usually
their idea of "my country."
_The Selfish Faculties._ This group of faculties includes
_Vitativeness_, or Love of Life; _Combativeness_, or Love of Opposing;
_Destructiveness_, or Love of Breaking Through; _Alimentiveness_, or
Love of Appetite; _Bibativeness_, or Love of Drink; _Acquisitiveness_,
or Love of Gain; _Secretiveness_, or Cunning; _Cautiousness_, or
Prudence; _Approbativeness_, or Love of Praise; _Self Esteem_, or Self
Reliance. Phrenology teaches that this group of organs occupy the sides
of the back part of the head. _Vitativeness_, or Love of Life, when
highly developed causes one to manifest a determination to live, and a
great fear of death. Anything promising increased health or long life
will greatly attract these people, and anything arousing a fear of ill
health or death will influence them greatly. These people are excellent
customers for health appliances, books on health, etc. _Combativeness_,
or Love of Opposing, when highly developed causes one to desire a
"scrap" or an argument or debate. These people can best be handled by
seemingly allowing them to win in argument, and then leading them to
suggest the thing that the Salesman has had in his mind all the time.
These people may be led, or coaxed, but never driven. With them it is
always a case of "sugar catches more flies than vinegar," or of the hot
sun causing the man to drop the cloak which the fierce north wind was
unable to blow away from him. A man of this kind will be so pleased at
beating another in an argument on a minor point, that he will forget the
main point and will be in a humor to be persuaded. Always avoid a direct
argument or dispute with these people on important points--they will let
their pride of combat obscure their judgment. But they will be ready to
bestow favors on those whom they believe they have worsted in argument.
_Destructiveness_, or Love of Breaking Through, when highly developed
causes one to take great pleasure in doing things in new ways; in
breaking precedents and defying authority, and in breaking down
obstacles. If you can arouse this spirit in such a man, by showing him
how he may do these things with your goods, he will fall in line. A man
of this kind may be interested at once in any proposition whereby he may
be enabled to do something in a novel way here--to defy opposition or
established custom--or to break down opposing obstacles. The keynote of
this faculty is: "Make Way." _Alimentiveness_, or Love of Appetite, when
highly developed causes one to incline toward gluttony and gormandizing,
and to place undue importance upon the pleasures of the table. A man of
this kind "lives to eat" instead of "eating to live," and may be reached
through his weakest point--his stomach. To such a man a good dinner is
more convincing than a logical argument. _Bibativeness_, or Love of
Drink, when highly developed causes one to manifest an inordinate taste
for liquids of all kinds. In some cases, where alcoholic drinks are
avoided by such people, they will run to excess in the direction of
"soft drinks" such as ginger ale, soda water, etc. It does not follow
that these people are fond of the effects of alcohol, the craving
seemingly being for liquids in some form. Such people, if their
appetites are not controlled, will let their taste for drinks run away
with their judgment and reason.
_Acquisitiveness_, or Love of Gain, when highly developed causes one to
be very grasping, avaricious, and often miserly. But, when not so highly
developed, it causes one to manifest a keen trading instinct, and is a
necessary factor in the mental make-up of the successful merchant. Those
in whom it is highly developed will be interested in any proposition
which seems to them to promise gain or saving. In selling such a man,
the effort should be to keep the one point of _profit or saving_ always
in evidence. In some cases this faculty, too highly developed and not
counterbalanced by other faculties, will make a man "penny wise and
pound-foolish," and will focus his mental gaze so closely on the nickel
held close to his eye that he will not see the dollar a little further
off. The "money talk" is the only one that will appeal to these people.
_Secretiveness_, or Cunning, when highly developed causes one to incline
toward double-dealing, duplicity, trickery and deception. It is the
"foxy" faculty, which, while useful to a certain degree, becomes
undesirable when carried to excess. In dealing with a man of this kind,
be on guard so far as accepting his statements at full value is
concerned. Accept his statements "with a grain of salt." Those who wish
to "fight the devil with his own fire" can reach these people by
allowing them to think that they are overreaching or getting the best of
the Salesman. The Salesman who is apparently defeated by these people,
is very apt to have discounted their methods in advance, and has mapped
out his line of retreat in advance so that the defeat is really a
victory. These people often will sacrifice a real advantage concerning a
big thing for the sake of tricking one out of a small advantage. To
trick another causes them to feel a glow of righteous well-being and
self-satisfaction, and makes them forget the main point in the deal. A
small victory thus won acts on them like the good dinner to the
Alimentive man, or flattery to the Approbative person. A faculty
developed to excess is always a weak point which can be used by others
who understand it.
_Cautiousness_, or Prudence, while an admirable quality when normally
developed, becomes, when highly developed, an undesirable quality. When
highly developed it causes one to be over-anxious, fearful, afraid to
act, liable to panic, etc. These people must be cultivated carefully,
and led to acquire confidence and trust. One should be very careful in
dealing with these people not to cause suspicion or alarm. They should
be treated with the utmost fairness, and given full explanations of
matters of which they are in doubt. As a rule they are very slow in
giving confidence, but when they once place confidence in a person they
are very apt to stick to him. Their very fearfulness acts to prevent
their making changes when confidence is once secured. These people
cannot be "rushed," as a rule--they require time in order to gain
confidence. They are, however, subject to an occasional "rush" by reason
of their panicky disposition, if they can be made to fear that if they
do not act some competitor will be given the chance, or that prices will
advance if they do not order at once. These people must be handled
carefully, and the Salesman who masters their nature will be well repaid
for his trouble and pains.
_Approbativeness_, or Love of Praise, when highly developed causes one
to be susceptible to flattery, desirous of praise, fond of "showing off"
and displaying himself, vain, sensitive to criticism, and generally
egotistical and often pompous. This quality when highly developed is a
weakness and gives to an adversary a powerful lever to work. The
Salesman, while secretly detesting this quality in a buyer, nevertheless
finds it a very easy channel of approach and weapon of success, when he
once understands its characteristics. These people can be reached by an
apparent "falling in" with their opinion of themselves, and a
manifestation of the proper respect in manner and words. These are the
people to whom the "soft soap" is applied liberally, and who are carried
away by an apparent appreciation of their own excellence. They will be
willing to bestow all sorts of favors upon those who are sufficiently
able to "understand" them, and to perceive the existence of those
superlative qualities which the cruel, cold, unfeeling world has
ignored. These are the people for whom the word "jolly" was invented,
and who are ready to absorb the available world-supply of that article.
_Self Esteem_, or Self Reliance, is a very different quality from that
just described, although many people seem unable to make the
distinction. Self Esteem when highly developed causes one to appreciate
one's powers and qualities, while not blinding oneself to one's faults.
It gives a sense of self-help, self-respect, self-reliance, dignity,
complacency, and independence. Carried to an extreme it manifests as
hauteur, superciliousness, imperiousness and tyranny. It is a
characteristic of the majority of successful men who have made their own
way by their own efforts. These people insist upon having their own way,
and using their own minds--they resent apparent influence or
suggestions, and often deliberately turn down a proposition simply
because they think that an effort is being made to force them into it.
The best way to deal with these people is to frankly acknowledge their
right to think for themselves, both in your manner, tone and
actions--and to present the proposition to them in an impersonal way,
apparently leaving the whole matter to their own good judgment. A
logical appeal appeals to them providing you do not make the mistake of
pitting yourself against them as an opponent in argument. You may play
the part of the lawyer to them, but remember always they want to play
the part of judge, and not that of the opposing counsel. If a matter be
subtly suggested to them in such a way as to make them think that they
have thought it themselves, they will favor it. Always give them a
chance to think out the point themselves--they like it. One need not
cringe to or flatter these people. All that is necessary is to maintain
your own self-respect, but at the same time let them walk a little ahead
of you, or stand just a little bit higher--that is all they need to make
them feel comfortable. They much prefer being a little higher or ahead
of a strong man than a weakling--it is more complimentary to them. They
appreciate the one who forces them to use their heaviest guns--but who
finally allows them to claim the victory.