_Skill In Selling Your Best Self_
[Sidenote: Practice Of the Art]
If you have developed real capability and first-class manhood, you have
"the goods" that are always salable. But you realize now that the mere
_possession_ of these basic qualifications for success will not insure
you against failure in life. You cannot be _certain_ of succeeding
unless you _know how to sell_ true ideas of your best self in the right
market or field of service, and until you develop _sales skill_ by
continual correct practice.
We will assume that you have had little or no selling experience. You
are conscious that you entirely lack sales art. Therefore, though in
other ways you feel qualified to succeed in life, you may be dubious
about your future. Perhaps you realize that _skill in selling_ true
ideas of your best capabilities is all you need to make your success
certain. But you question, "Can I be _sure_ of becoming a skillful
salesman of myself?" You have no doubt of your ability to _learn_ the
selling process, but very likely you do not believe you ever could
_practice_ it with the art of a master salesman. Consequently you are
not yet convinced of the certainty of your success.
[Sidenote: Success Proportionate To Sales Skill]
Of course success cannot be absolutely assured in advance unless _every
element_ of the secret we have analyzed can be mastered. Hence it is
necessary that you now be shown _certain ways_ to sell ideas--ways that
_cannot fail_, that are adaptable to the sale of _any_ right "goods,"
and that _you_ surely can master. You need to feel absolutely confident
that _if you follow specific principles and use particular methods, you
can impress on any other man true ideas of your best capabilities_. When
you become skillful in making good impressions, you certainly will be
able to sell yourself into such chances to succeed as fit your
individual qualifications.
_Your success with the best that is in you can be made directly
proportionate to your skill as a salesman of "your goods_." Mastery of
the art of selling will enable you to cut down to the minimum the
possibilities of failure in whatever you undertake. Remember that
_success does not demand perfection._ There never was a 100% salesman.
To be a success, you need only _make a good batting average in your
opportunities_ to sell. It is not necessary to hit 1000 to be a champion
batsman in the game of life. Ty Cobb led his league a dozen years with
an average under .400.
[Sidenote: Technique And Tools]
The _foundation_ of sales art is _knowledge of selling technique_. So
the first step in the process of developing your skill as a salesman of
yourself is the study of the _right tools_ for making impressions of
"true ideas of your best capabilities." You must know, also, the
scientific rules that govern the _most effective use_ of these right
tools. Technique, however, is only the _basic element_ of salesmanship.
On the foundation of your sales _knowledge_ it is necessary to build
sales _skill_ that will completely cover up your technique. Your
perfected sales art should seem, and really be _second nature_ to you.
Your salesmanship probably will be crude until you overcome the
awkwardness of handling unfamiliar tools, or familiar tools in ways that
are new to you. But "practice makes perfect." The use of the right
technique in selling true ideas about your best self will soon become
natural.
[Sidenote: Making Success Easy]
The _skillful_ sale of ideas is accomplished _without waste of time or
energy in the selling process_. The unskillful, would-be salesman not
only fritters away his own time and effort, he also wastes the patience
and power of the man to whom he wants to sell his "goods." The sales
artist, however, gets his ideas into the mind of a prospect _quickly_,
with the least possible _wear and tear_ on either party to the sale. No
one appreciates a fine salesman so thoroughly as the best buyer. Skill
in selling true ideas about your particular qualifications will not only
_assure_ your success, but will make it _easy_ for you to succeed.
[Sidenote: Docking Your Sales-man-ship]
The skillful salesman is the captain of his own sales-man-ship. But in
order to make certain of landing his cargo of right impressions he takes
aboard the pilot Science to begin with, and then concentrates on four
factors of the art of selling ideas:
First, _discovering and traversing_ the best channel into the prospect's
mind;
Second, _locating the particular point of interest_ upon which the
salesman's cargo can be most effectively unloaded;
Third, _maneuvering alongside_ this center of the buyer's interest;
Fourth, _securely tying to_ the interest pier so that the shipload of
ideas may be fully discharged.
The primary aim of the skillful salesman _when making port_ is to get
safely to the right landing place as soon as possible and with the least
danger of failure in his _ultimate purpose_ of completing the sale. At
this initial stage of the selling process, however, he concentrates his
thoughts on the _skillful docking_ of his sales-man-ship. The _nature of
the cargo_ a sailor ship captain brings to port has little or nothing to
do with the art of reaching and tying up to the pier. Similarly,
whatever his "goods of sale," the skillful _salesman_ uses the same
principles and methods to dock his salesman-shipload of ideas most
effectively in the harbor of the prospect's mind. So the _art_ you are
studying is _standardized_. When you master it, you can apply it
successfully to the sale of your best self or any other "goods of sale."
[Sidenote: Reasoning And Argument Are Wrong]
Before considering the methods of selling that are most effective, it
will be well to get rid of a mistaken idea that is all too common. A
great many people regard reasoning power, or the force of pure logic, as
an important selling tool. There are so-called salesmen who attempt to
"argue" prospects into buying. Unthinking sales executives sometimes
instruct their representatives to employ certain "selling arguments."
But the methods and language of the debater have no place in the
repertory of a _truly artistic_ salesman or sales manager.
One debater never _convinces_ the other. At best he only can _defeat_
his antagonist. In a skillfully finished sale, however, there should be
neither victor nor vanquished. The selling process is not a battle of
minds. There is no room in it for any spirit of antagonism on the part
of the salesman. So in your self-training to sell true ideas of your
best capabilities, do not emphasize especially the value of logic and
reasoning. If you use them at all in selling yourself, disguise their
character most skillfully. _Never suggest that you are debating or
arguing your qualifications_ with prospective buyers of your mental or
physical capacity for service. You cannot browbeat your way into
opportunities to succeed.
Most employers buy the expected services of men and women in order to
satisfy their own _desires_ for particular capabilities. Few will buy
against their wishes. In order to sell your qualifications with certain
success, you first must make the other man genuinely _want_ what you
offer. Almost always _mind vision_ and _heart hunger_ must be stimulated
to produce desire. Therefore the most skillful salesman of himself does
not use the words, tones, and actions of argument. In preference to cold
reason and logic he employs the arts of _mental suggestion_ and
_emotional persuasion_.
[Sidenote: The Force of Suggestion]
Suggestion is especially effective in producing desire; because an idea
that is merely _suggested_, and not stated, is unlikely to provoke
antagonism or resistance. A suggestion is given ready access to the mind
of the other man. Usually it gets in without his realizing that a
_strange_ thought has entered his head from outside. When he becomes
conscious of the presence in his mind of an idea that has been only
_suggested_ to him, he is apt to treat it _as one of his own family of
ideas_ and not as an intruder. Naturally he is little inclined to oppose
a desire that he thinks is _prompted by his own thoughts_. However, he
would be disposed to resist the same wish if he realized it had been
_injected_ into his consciousness.
All of us know the great force of suggestion; but there are very few
people who so use words, tones, and movements as to make the _most_ of
their power of _suggesting_ ideas in preference to _stating_ them.
Probably no tool of salesmanship will be of more help in _assuring_ your
success than fully developed ability in suggestion, which is the
skillful process of getting your ideas into the minds of others
_unawares_.
[Sidenote: Words Are Doubted]
The _words_ we use are intended to convey pretty definite meanings to
listeners. If we are entirely honest in our words, we expect whatever we
say to be taken at its face value as the truth. Yet each of us knows
that his own mind seldom accepts without question the statements of
other men, however well informed and honest they are reputed to be. You
and I mentally reserve the right to believe or to doubt the written or
spoken _words_ of someone else; because they always enter our minds
_consciously_. We know that the words we hear or read come from _outside
ourselves_.
The skillful salesman proceeds on the assumption that his words will be
stopped at the door of the prospect's mind and examined with more or
less suspicion of their sincerity and truth. Therefore the selling
artist employs words principally for one purpose--to communicate to the
other man information about such _facts_ as cannot be introduced to his
consciousness otherwise. Some facts can be told only in words. But a
master of the selling process uses as few words as possible to convey
his meaning. He depends on his _suggestive tones_ more than on what he
says. He reenforces his speech with accompanying _movements_ and
muscular _expressions_, to get into the mind of the other man by
_suggestive action_ the true _ideas behind the words_ used.
Similarly when you bring your full capability to the market of your
choice, you should not rely upon a mere _declaration_ of your
qualifications; and upon _word_ proof, written or spoken, that you are
_the_ man for the job. Your words are unlikely to be taken at their face
value. Any claims you have a right to make will be discounted heavily if
you _say_ very much about your own ability. You run the risk of being
judged a braggart and egotist when you _talk_ up your good points;
though you may be telling no more than the plain truth.
[Sidenote: Tones and Acts Are Believed]
However, if your _tones_ of sincerity and self-confidence denote really
big manhood; and if your every _act and expression_ indicate to a
prospective employer that you are entirely capable of filling the job
for which you apply, he probably will consider himself very shrewd in
sizing you up. Really _you_ have suggested to him every idea he has
about you, but he will think _he_ has _found_ in you the very
qualifications he desires in an employee. You can do more to sell
yourself by the way you walk into a man's office than you could
accomplish by bringing him the finest letters of introduction or by
"giving him the smoothest line of talk about yourself." He is able to
read the principal characteristics of the real You in your poise and
movements and in the manner of your speech. _He will believe absolutely
any characteristic he himself finds in you_. _What_ you say to him may
have little real influence on his judgment of you. But be sure that he
will note _how_ you speak; and will make up his mind about you from your
tones and actions, rather than from your words. He will think the ideas
you suggest to him are _his own original discoveries_.
[Sidenote: Suggestion By Tones And Acts]
Evidently, before you attempt to achieve success, it is very important
that you study the _art of suggestion_ by tones and actions. When you
know the principles, you should practice this art until you make
yourself a master of skillful suggestion.
You need to know precisely the _effects_ of tone _variations_, the exact
_significance_ of the _various_ tones you can use. It is necessary also
for you to comprehend not only that "Every little movement has a meaning
all its own," but _just what that meaning is_. When you are equipped
with thorough knowledge of _how_ to suggest particular ideas through
tones and motions, you should practice using the principles and methods
of suggestive expression you have learned, until it becomes second
nature _always to speak and act with selling art_. Then you will be a
skillful salesman, sure of your power to sell true ideas of your best
capability wherever you are. Your success will have been made certain
through your sales _art_ built on the foundation of your sales
_knowledge_ by your fully developed sales _manhood_.
[Sidenote: Discriminative Selective Method]
Your increased selling _skill_ will result _naturally_, just as we have
seen that you will _grow_ naturally in sales _manhood_, if you employ
the discriminative-selective method when training your human nature in
the art of suggesting your best self. You need first to recognize the
exact _differences_ of significance among the various tones and
movements at your command. Then your self-training in suggestive
expression should be concentrated on the _particular ways_ of speaking
and acting that will best demonstrate your qualifications for success.
Of course it is equally important to _eliminate all tones and movements
that might suggest unfavorable ideas_ about you. To make sure of your
success, be certain that everything you do and say tells "the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth" about your capabilities. It is
necessary to make sure no word, tone, or movement carries the least
suggestion that might possibly leave a false impression of the real You.
Let us make a brief analysis now of words, tones, and acts--_the three
means of suggestive expression which are the natural equipment of every
man for conveying his ideas to the minds of others_. You cannot employ
the discriminative-restrictive method to develop your selling skill
unless you know very definitely just _what_ your different tools of
expression are, and the almost infinite variety of _uses_ to which they
can be put.
[Sidenote: Four Rules About Words]
For the reasons already explained, words are of much less value than
tones and movements in suggesting ideas the other man will admit to his
mind unawares. But the sales efficiency of words can be very much
increased if they are chosen with intelligent _discrimination_, and if
the choice is _restricted_ to words that have four qualifications.
First, they should be _common_ words.
Second, _short_ words are more forceful than long words.
Third, words of _definite meanings_ are preferable to mere
generalizations.
Fourth, words that make _vivid_ impressions are most effective in
suggesting ideas.
[Sidenote: Common Words]
When you employ words to sell true ideas of your best capability, choose
words that everybody understands. Do not "air your knowledge" in
uncommon language. Unless you are seeking a position as a philologist in
a college, restrict yourself to every-day common speech when selling
your personal qualifications. An important element in the skillful sale
of ideas is making them as _easy_ as possible for the other man to
comprehend. If you use unfamiliar words, it sometimes will be hard for
him to understand what you mean. _The truly artistic salesman avoids
introducing any unnecessary element of difficulty into the selling
process_. So you should discriminate against all unusual expressions and
restrict yourself to the _common_ words that are easy for any man to
comprehend.
[Sidenote: Short Words]
A long word or phrase may convey your idea clearly, but _force_ is lost
in the drawn-out process. Remember that your _words_ will meet the
intuitive resistance of the other man's mind before they are admitted to
his full belief. You cannot afford to sacrifice the driving-in power of
the _short_ word. Therefore, when your opinion is asked, it will be
better salesmanship to say, "I think" so and so than "It is my
impression--"
[Sidenote: Definite Words]
The _definite_ word conveys a _particular meaning_ to the mind of the
other man, not merely a vague or general idea. Never say, when you apply
for a position, "I can do anything." That tells the prospective employer
simply _nothing_ about your ability. Particularize.
[Sidenote: Vivid Words]
It is of the utmost importance to make _vivid impressions_ with your
speech. You should employ words skillfully to produce in the mind of the
other man _distinct and lifelike_ mental images. He may not credit the
words themselves, taken literally and alone. But he will believe in _the
pictures the words paint in his mind_; because he will think he himself
is the mental artist. He will not be suspicious of his own work. If you
apply for a situation in a bank, and the cashier seeks to learn whether
or not you are safely conservative in your views, you can suggest in
vivid words that you have the qualification he requires. You will make
the desired impression if you say to him, "I always carry an umbrella
when it looks like rain."
[Sidenote: Tone Meanings]
Our analysis of the three means of self-expression turns now to _tones_.
Rightly selected words are tremendously augmented in selling power when
they are _rightly spoken_. Most men employ but a small part of their
complete tonal equipment, and are ignorant of the _full sales value_ of
the portion they use. The master salesman, however, practices the gamut
of his natural tones, and utilizes each to produce particular effects.
Thus he supplements his mere statements with _suggestive shades of
meaning_. The _way_ he says a thing has more effect than the words
themselves.
Conversely tone _faults_ may have a disastrous effect on one's chances
to succeed. For illustration, ideas of mind, of feeling, and of power
can be correctly expressed by the discriminative use of particular
_pitches_ of tone. But a wrong pitch, though the words employed might be
identical, would convey a directly opposite and false impression.
[Sidenote: Mental Pitch]
Suppose you are appealing only to the _mind_ of your prospective
employer--as when you quote figures to him--you should restrict your
tone temporarily to the mental pitch. You are just conveying facts now.
Therefore the "matter-of-fact" tone best suits the ideas expressed.
Since it fits what you are saying, the way you speak impresses the other
man with the suggestion that _your tone and words are consistent_.
Therefore his mind has no inclination to resist the mental pitch on this
occasion. He admits your figures to his conscious belief more readily
than he would credit them if spoken in an emotive or power tone. Such
tone pitches would strike him as out of place in a mere statement of
fact.
[Sidenote: Tone Faults]
If your prospective employer asks how old you are, and how many years of
experience you have had, and you reply in a tone vibrant with emotion or
in a deep tone of sternness, the wrong pitch certainly will make a bad
impression on him. By employing an inconsistent pitch when stating
facts, you might "queer" your chances for the position you most desire.
The tone fault in your salesmanship would lie about your real character.
The man addressed would think you were foolish to use such a pitch in
merely imparting a bit of _information_ to his mind. He would expect you
to employ for _that_ purpose simply a _head_ tone, not a chest tone nor
an abdominal tone. The head tone, when used to convey matters of _fact_,
aids in convincing the _mind_ of the other man because _it is the pitch
that fits bare facts_--the tone of pure mentality.
[Sidenote: When Mental Tone Should Be Used]
This mental, or head tone, is most effective in gaining _attention_, in
conveying _information_, in arousing the _perceptive faculties_ of
another mind. _Restrict its use to these purposes only._ The mental tone
is not pleasing to the ear. It is pitched high. It suggests arguments
and disputes. It is the provocative tone of quarrels. So it should be
employed most carefully, with every precaution against giving offense by
its _insistence_.
Avoid its use for long at a time. Its very monotony is apt to irritate.
The high pitch suggests a mental challenge to the mind of the other man,
and hence arouses his mental tendency to opposition. The unskillful
_over-use_ of head tones may ruin a salesman's best opportunity to gain
a coveted object.
There are times, however, when it is necessary that you should
insist--briefly. If you do so _artistically_, and do not persist in the
high, mental, rasping tone; but change to the lower, emotive, chest tone
very soon after your insistence on the other man's attention, you will
not hurt your chances. It is the _continued_ use of the head tone that
is to be avoided.
[Sidenote: Emotive Pitch]
The _emotive_ (chest or heart) pitch dissipates opposition as naturally
as the mind tone provokes a quarrel. Even a hot argument can be ended
without any lasting ill-feeling if the disputants conclude with hearty
expressions of good will for one another. The same words spoken in head
tones would increase the antagonism by suggesting sarcasm or
insincerity. The resonant chest tone suggests that it comes from the
speaker's heart. The _hearer's_ heart makes _his_ mind believe the heart
message conveyed by the emotional pitch of the other man's voice.
Therefore if you want your ideas to penetrate a man's _heart_, don't aim
your tone _high_ at his head. _Lower_ it to the pitch of true
friendliness, of comradeship, of human brotherhood. Aim at _his_ breast
with _your_ breast tone. Do not fawn or plead, however, when selling
ideas of yourself. You can persuade best by suggesting that you have
brought all your manhood to render the other man a real service. This
suggestion will induce a feeling of _respect_ for you, which will
certainly be followed by willingness of the prospect to let you show him
you are able "to deliver the goods."
[Sidenote: Danger of Over-using Head Tone]
Some people suggest by the over-use of head tones that they depend
altogether on what they _know_ to achieve success. They make the
impression that they expect their high degree of _mentality_ to open
chances for them to succeed. "They know they know" their business; so
when they secure opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities, they
emphasize too much what they _know_. They are apt to use the mental tone
continually. Perhaps the prospective employer needs a man of exactly
such knowledge as is possessed by the candidate he is interviewing. But
if when presenting his qualifications the applicant rasps the ears of
his hearer for a long time with high-pitched head tones, the listener
intuitively becomes prejudiced. He is impressed with the suggestion that
the speaker is a "know-it-all" fellow. The employer is likely to turn
down his application because of the unskilled tone pitch in which it is
made.
[Sidenote: Sing-Song Parrot Talk]
When a man has talked glibly and fast about superior qualifications he
knows he possesses, it dazes him if his exceptional capabilities fail to
win him the job for which he is particularly fitted. He cannot
comprehend why another applicant who plainly is not so well qualified
should be chosen. But his voice has suggested to the employer that
everything he said was just "parrot talk." Thousands of bright "parrots"
remain failures all their lives for no other reason than their utter
inability to get inside the _hearts_ of other men. The ordinary
canvasser who trudges from house to house with his "sing-song" patter
has grown into the bad habit of using head tones almost exclusively. As
a natural reflex of the unpleasant impression he makes with his voice,
it is a common experience to have a door slammed in his face.
[Sidenote: Getting Around Mental Barrier]
The master salesman comprehends that the _mentality_ of a prospect is a
barrier to his _emotional_ expression. That is, the mind is an alert
sentinel on guard to protect the _heart_ from its own impulses to
unthinking action. So the skillful salesman when making his "approach"
_goes around_ the mind side of the prospect to the emotional side, where
there is no hostile guard. He knows that "the hearts of all men are
akin," and that "the hardest heart has soft spots." He realizes it is
bad salesmanship to challenge the sentinel mind of the prospect in a
mental tone. So the salesman artist makes _his_ tone resonant with chest
vibrations that stimulate the direct response of the _other_ man's
heart. _He works at first to draw out fellow feeling, not to drive his
ideas into the head of the prospect._
[Sidenote: Talking Like a Brother]
The mere presentation of _thoughts_, or _mental pictures_ of goods, is
not enough to induce a prospect to buy. The master salesman comprehends
that he has to deal with the _dual personality_ of the individual he
plans to sell. Therefore from the very beginning of his interview he
works to open the mind of the other man by first establishing a unity of
human feeling between his own heart and the heart of his prospect. He
uses the _emotive_ tone. He "talks like a brother." Of course he is
careful not to exaggerate this show of fellow feeling. He uses a
"hearty" tone without appearing in the least degree hypocritical. When
their _hearts_ are in accord, the other man is prepared to agree
_mentally_ with the salesman.
[Sidenote: Power Pitch]
The third pitch of your voice as a salesman is the _power_ tone. It can
be used skillfully to suggest that you have the force required to
succeed. It is the pitch that comes from deep down and that calls into
play the powerful abdominal muscles. It is not necessarily a loud tone,
however. Often it is low, with a suggestion of immense reserve strength
behind it. With the power pitch you can _command_ in a simple request
which, spoken in a higher tone, might be refused because it would lack
the suggestion of force. In order to succeed, you sometimes must employ
power. When a situation requires a demonstration of your strong
personality, augment the force of your words and acts by using the tone
pitch that suggests the power of the big muscles of your waist.
[Sidenote: When to Use Power Tone]
Employ the emotive tone to convey ideas of your truthfulness and honor.
Show your courtesy and kindness with the heart pitch; use it to manifest
your real desire to be of service to your prospect. But suggest your
solidity and capacity for good judgment by employing the pitch of power.
With its aid you can convince your prospect of the enduring quality of
your best characteristics; you can deny disparagement or doubt of your
ability; you will be able to brush aside unfounded objections; you can
compel respect.
[Sidenote: Tone Units]
The discriminative use of various _units_ of tone is as helpful in
making suggestive impressions as is the employment of character pitches.
The one-tone voice does not augment the force of words. "Yes" said with
but one tonal unit is not nearly so powerful as "Y-es" in two tones, the
second pitched low. A two-tone "Y-es" with the second unit high-pitched
suggests the very opposite of plain "Yes." It implies "No," or a
question instead of an affirmation. Sometimes it is advisable to suggest
"No" when the word itself if spoken bluntly would give offense. You can
convey the idea of skepticism or denial by using two tone units
skillfully pitched in saying "Y-es."
While you ordinarily can double the effectiveness of your tone by using
two units, and you may treble the effect if you employ three (as in the
exclamation A-ha-a!), if you attempted to use more than three units of
tone in any ordinary circumstances you would be likely to appear odd or
fantastic, if not foolish. So be careful not to over-do the employment
of multiple tone units to stress your meaning.
[Sidenote: Placing Tones]
There is selling value, too, in the _placing_ of tones in your mouth. A
tone placed far forward indicates lack of thought and instability. It is
the tone we associate with "lip judgments." On the contrary, hidden
thoughts, unwillingness to tell all you know, are suggested by tones
placed far back in your mouth. The middle-of-the-mouth tone makes the
impression that the voice is properly balanced, and suggests the
associated idea of mind balance. Avoid the extremes in placing your
tones, if you would make certain of the most effective use of your voice
in selling ideas. Convince and persuade by employing the secure,
trustworthy tone of the "happy medium."
[Sidenote: Bad Habits]
_Undoubtedly you have little bad habits that tell lies about
you_--habits in the use of words, habits of tone, and especially habits
of action. When you fully understand the significance of _what_ you say,
and of _how_ you say it, and of the things you _do_--the effects
produced on other men--you will _start changing your bad characteristics
into good factors_ that will certainly help you to succeed. So study
yourself most carefully, in order to learn what your habits are, and
their meanings.
[Sidenote: Significance Of Movements]
Ordinarily a man is conscious of his words and tones, but he often
_does_ things unconsciously. Probably you realize only vaguely or not at
all just what your various _actions_ suggest to people who observe you.
Therefore it is of the greatest importance that you study the
significance of _discriminated movements, gestures, and facial
expressions_ as aids or hindrances to the making of true impressions of
your best capabilities. You should _restrict yourself to acts that make
the best impressions._
Movements, and their results, may be analyzed under three heads: _Poise,
Pose_, and _Action_.
[Sidenote: Poise]
It is a phenomenon of psychology that the balancing of the body suggests
mental balance. Conversely, if the body is out of balance, there is the
suggestion that the mind is no better poised. That is, if a man cannot
keep his balance physically, we have an intuition that he is mentally
off his equilibrium. Correct poise of course involves correct body
support, and suggests a rightly supported mind. _Hence you can make the
impression, merely by the way you stand and walk, that you are a person
of well-poised judgment_. You may hurt your chances very much if it
seems necessary for you to prop your body with your legs. The man who
stands with his feet wide apart is out of balance, and is easily tipped
over. The impression made by the incorrect poise is that such a man must
be unable to stand by himself like normal men. The law of the
association of ideas then immediately suggests that his thoughts are
similarly unable to stand unless propped.
Incorrect poise of the body has another bad effect in the sale of ideas.
It makes the impression of _abnormality_. Being unusual, it distracts
attention from the salesman and his capabilities, and turns it to his
lack of balance. You realize that in order to sell your ideas
effectively you need the _concentrated attention_ of your prospect. It
will help you to succeed in life if you perfect yourself in the
skillful poising of your body and its members so that you will be able
to appear perfectly balanced in any normal position.
If you teeter from side to side, or rock back and forth on your heels
when you are talking to a man whom you want to impress with your
stability of character, you will undermine everything you _say_ by what
you _do_. Of course you should not stand stiffly. Your leg posts are
designed to serve as a flexible pedestal for your body. Your ability to
shift your weight from one foot to the other easily without losing your
balance suggests associated capability of your mind to keep your
judgment in balance. If you have a correctly poised mind, it _can_
balance your body.
[Sidenote: Pose]
The _poses_ of your body, too, are suggestive of ideas about your mental
make-up. The quiet pose aids in making impressions of the qualities of
solidity of purpose, of calmness, of confidence, etc. The active pose is
suggestive of enthusiasm, force, hustling, and the like. Your pose
should be suited to the vocation you have chosen. In a bank, for
instance, the quiet pose of assured efficiency perfectly suits the
atmosphere of safety and security. In a factory, on the other hand, you
are likely to make a better impression with a much more active pose that
matches the energy and speed of manufacturing operations.
You should not, however, take any pose as a _pretense_. Whatever poses
you employ to augment the things you say should be used as _means for
the better communication of truth, not to falsify_ in any degree. And
you will need to be extremely careful lest you over-do a particular pose
and suggest affectation. Doubtless you have characteristic poses.
Analyze yourself. _Determine what your habits of pose mean to other
people_. Then make such changes in your characteristic poses as will
signify only the best traits you have.
[Sidenote: Action]
Next we will make a brief study of _actions_ from four viewpoints.
First, the _lines_ of action;
Second, the _directions_ of action;
Third, the _planes_ of action;
Fourth, the _tension_ or the _laxity_ of action.
[Sidenote: Lines of Action]
All movements are in straight, single curved, or multiple curved _lines
of action_. Each of these classes of movements creates a _particular
impression_ when it is perceived--an impression very different from that
produced by movements of either of the other classes. It will help you
greatly in your ambition to succeed if you understand the _exact
significance_ of your every action along the various lines, and if you
employ intelligently the right movements to suggest the particular ideas
you wish to convey.
The straight gesture always indicates an appeal to mentality. Use it to
aim ideas at the other man's _mind_.
The single curve, or wave movement, invariably denotes feeling. Employ
it to reach into the breast of the other man and influence his _heart_.
The gesture of double curves signifies power. It should be employed to
_dominate_ both the mind and actions of the prospect--to _make_ him
_think_ and _do_ the things you will.
[Sidenote: Directions Of Actions]
The different _directions_ of actions also suggest various ideas. Your
selling purpose is to get ideas over from your mind to the mind of the
other man. It is especially important that the direction of your
gestures should conform to your sales intention. Every movement you make
to aid your purpose should suggest your mental action _toward_ the
prospect, or _away from_ yourself. It should signify that you are taking
something out of your mind and offering it to his. Of course you don't
_break into_ his head with your idea and force him to receive it. You
just bring it to the front porch of his mind. Then, if you have been
skillful in your salesmanship, _he_ will open the door of interest after
_you_ ring the bell of attention, and will permit your idea to enter his
thoughts. But he is unlikely to admit it unless by some indication
_from_ you _to_ him he knows what is expected of him.
If you gesture toward yourself when expressing your thoughts, you do not
suggest to the other man that he take in your ideas. Instead you
concentrate his attention on your selfishness and your individual
opinion. The characteristic gestures of the typical old peddler are
displeasing because they are made in the wrong _direction_. He holds his
arms close to his body and gesticulates toward himself. He makes the
impression that he does not have your interest at heart in the least,
but only his own.
[Sidenote: Affirmation And Denial]
An up-and-down movement suggests something standing. It has the
associated significance of vitality or life. Conversely, a side-to-side
gesture suggests similarity to things lying down, lack of vitality, or
the death of ideas. By holding yourself erect you make a very different
impression of your energy than would be made were you to lean to one
side. You can affirm a statement by an up-and-down movement of your hand
or by a nod of your head. You deny suggestively with a horizontal
gesture or by shaking your head from side to side.
[Sidenote: Levels of Action]
The significance of action on different _planes_ or _levels_ is seldom
appreciated. The level of eye action is of especial importance in
suggesting particular ideas.
When you look another person in the eye, you convey to him the idea of
direct mental energy. You suggest the straight action of your mind in
team-work with his. Your eye action on the same level indicates to him
that you are thinking on the _practical_ plane.
[Sidenote: Lifting Prospect's Thoughts]
But if your eyes repeatedly focus above the level of the other man's
eyes, you make the impression that you are an _idealist_ rather than a
practical person. What you say will not seem to him to apply directly to
his case. He will not feel the personal, or man-to-man contact of your
thoughts. Sometimes, however, it is important to lift your eyes when
talking to a prospect, in order to suggest that he lift his thoughts
from the level of mere selfishness. By your suggestive eye action on the
upper plane you may stimulate in him a higher vision of possibilities or
an insight into the future, if he seems inclined to take a strictly
practical view of his present needs only.
When you look below the eye level of the other man, you indicate (1)
modesty, if the movement is directly down; (2) shame, if the movement is
a little to one side and downward; (3) disgust, if your eyes look far
down and far to the side.
[Sidenote: Tensity and Laxness]
The _tensity_ or _laxness_ of your muscles when you are in the presence
of a prospect will suggest to him very diverse ideas. Both tensity and
laxity of muscles can be used to good effect in selling. Your muscles
should appear somewhat tense when you are _presenting_ ideas, in order
to make the impression that your mind is fully active. Conversely, by
normal relaxation of your muscles when you are _listening_, you suggest
the receptivity of your mind and your entire readiness to take in ideas
from outside. When you show your muscles are relaxed, you also indicate
that you are perfectly at ease and unafraid of objections or criticism.
If you were to sit tense under criticism, you would suggest that you
felt the necessity of fighting back. But you disarm disparagement of
your capabilities when you appear entirely at ease while you listen.
[Sidenote: Introduction To Study of Sales Art]
The brief outline in this chapter of fundamental principles of selling
_skill_, and of the methods by which ideas may be conveyed through
artistic suggestion, is just an introduction to your study and
comprehension of the successive steps of salesmanship practice which are
to be analyzed in the remaining chapters of this book. The limitations
of our present space have made it impossible to do more than summarize
here the chief factors of art in selling ideas. You will need to master
the remainder of the book in order to amplify and to apply most
effectively in practice the general principles and methods that have
been outlined.
Surely you now are convinced that skill in selling is not a vague
mystery, not a natural gift, not something impossible for _you_ to
attain. Every element of sales art can be analyzed in detail. You are
learning _exactly how_ to sell the true ideas of your best capability.
Practice of what you learn will perfect your salesmanship.
[Sidenote: Success Certain]
There is absolutely no doubt that you can master the right principles
and methods. By continual practice you surely can become skillful in
their daily use. When you make yourself adept in the art, you
_certainly_ will be able to sell your particular qualifications
successfully.