_The Goal of Success_
[Sidenote: "Nearly Succeeded" Means "Failed"]
After an applicant for a position seems to have the coveted opportunity
almost in his grasp, he is sometimes unable to _clinch_ the sale of his
services. He does not get the job. His failure is none the less
_complete_ because he _nearly_ succeeded. _No race was ever won by a man
who could not finish._ However successful you may have been in the
earlier stages of the selling process, if your services are finally
declined by the prospective employer you have interviewed, your sales
effort has ended in failure.
When one has made a fine presentation of his capability, and therefore
feels confident of selling his services, it shocks and disheartens him
to have his application rejected. "It takes the starch out of a man." He
is apt to feel limp in courage when he turns his back on the lost chance
to make good, and faces the necessity of starting the selling process
all over again with another prospect. It is harder to lose a race in the
shadow of the goal than to be disqualified before the start. The
prospect who seems on the point of saying, "Yes," but finally shakes
his head is the heart-breaker to the salesman.
[Sidenote: Making the Touch Down]
Of course, as you have been reminded, even the best salesman cannot get
_all_ the orders he tries to secure. _But he seldom fails to "close" a
real prospect whom he has conducted successfully through the preliminary
steps of a sale._ Each advance he makes increases his confidence that he
will get the order. The master salesman does not falter and fall down
just before the finish. He is at the top of his strength as he nears the
goal. All his training and practice have had but one ultimate object--a
successfully _completed_ sale. He knows that _nothing else counts_. He
does not lose the ball on the one-yard line. He pushes it over for a
touchdown. He cannot be held back when he gets that close to the goal
posts. You must be like him if you would make the "almost sure" victory
a _certainty._
[Sidenote: Don't Fear To Take Success]
Perhaps the commonest cause of the failures that occur at the closing
stage is the salesman's _fear of bringing the selling process to a
head_. He is in doubt whether the prospect will say "Yes" or "No." His
lack of courageous confidence makes him falter when he should bravely
put his fortune to the test of decision. He does not "strike while the
iron is hot," but hesitates until the prospect's desire cools. Many an
applicant for a position has talked an employer into the idea of
engaging his services, and then has gone right on talking until he
changed the other man's mind. He is the worst of all failures. Though he
has won the prize, he lets it slip through his fingers because he lacks
the nerve to tighten his hold.
[Sidenote: Keep Control At the Close]
Doubt and timidity at the closing stage, after the earlier steps have
been taken successfully, are paradoxes. Surely each _preliminary_
advance the salesman makes should add to his confidence that he can
_complete_ the sale. His proved ability to handle objections and to
overcome resistance should have developed all the courage he needs to
_finish_ the selling process. Closing requires less bravery and staunch
faith than one must have when making his approach. Now he knows his man,
and that this prospect's mind and heart can be favorably influenced by
salesmanship. Is it not a contradiction of good sense to weaken at the
finish instead of pressing the advantages already gained and crowning
the previous work with ultimate success? Yet there are salesmen who seem
so afraid of hearing a possible "No" that they dare not prompt an almost
certain "Yes."
When you have presented to your prospective employer a thoroughly good
case for yourself, _do not slow down or stop the selling process_.
Especially avoid letting _him_ take the reins. Thus far _you_ have
controlled the sale. _Keep final developments in your own hands._ Go
ahead. Smile. Be and appear entirely at ease. Look the other man in the
eye. Ask him, "When shall I start work?" _Suggest_ that you believe he
is favorable to your application. _Even speak his decision for him_, as
though it were a matter-of-course. If the previous trend of the
interview justifies you in assuming that he has almost made up his mind
to employ you, pronounce his probable thought as if he had announced it
as his final conclusion. _He will not be likely to reverse the decision
you have spoken for him._ His mental inclination will be to _follow your
lead_, and to accept as his own judgment what you have assumed to be
settled in his mind.
[Sidenote: Reversing a Negative Decision]
A stubborn merchant made a dozen objections to hiring a new clerk. The
young man cleared them all away, one after another, as soon as each was
raised. But the employer leaned back obstinately in his chair and
declared, "Just the same, I don't need any more clerks." This was but a
repetition of an objection already disposed of. The applicant concluded,
therefore, that he had his man cornered. The salesman smiled broadly at
the indication of his success. He stood up and took off his overcoat.
"Well," he said, "you certainly need one less than you did, now that I'm
ready to begin work. I understand why you have been putting me off. You
wanted to test my stick-to-it-ive-ness. I'm sure I have convinced you on
that point. You needn't worry about my staying on the job. Shall I
report to the superintendent, or will you start me yourself?"
The merchant drew a deep breath; then emptied his lungs with a burst of
astonishment mixed with relief. He could not help laughing.
"I meant to turn you down, but you say I've made up my mind to hire you.
I didn't know it myself, but you're right. I believe you are the sort of
clerk I always want."
[Sidenote: Expect the Prospect to Say "Yes"]
Remember, when you face your prospect at the closing stage, the _motive_
that brought you to him. You came with the intention of rendering him
_services from which he will profit_. You want your capability to be a
"good buy" for him. Your consciousness that your motive is _right_
should give you strengthened _faith_ in yourself and in the successful
outcome of your salesmanship. It should fill you with the courage
necessary to close the sale.
_Neither hesitate nor flinch. Confidently prompt the decision_ in your
favor. Believe that you _have_ won and you will not be intimidated by
fears of failure. Your prospect is unlikely to say "No" _if you really
expect to hear "Yes."_ Even if he speaks the negative, still _believe in
your own faith_. I know a man who, a minute after his application was
flatly rejected, won the position he wanted. Unrebuffed, he came back
with, "Eventually, why not now?" His evident conviction that he was
_needed_ gained the victory when his chance seemed lost.
[Sidenote: Don't Be Afraid to Pop The Question]
We all laugh at the young swain who courts a girl devotedly for months
and uses every art he knows to sell her the idea that he would make her
happy as his wife; but who turns pale, then red, and chokes whenever he
has a chance to pop the question. Often the girl must go half way with
prompting. When, thus encouraged, he finally stammers out his appeal for
her decision, she accepts him so quickly that he feels foolish. Women
are reputed to be better "closers" of such sales than men.
You smile at the comparison of courting with salesmanship. Yet the
selling process is as effective in making good impressions of the sort
of husband one might be as in impressing an employer with the idea that
one's services in business would prove desirable.
[Sidenote: Selling a Future Husband]
The young man bent on marriage needs to prospect for the right girl, to
secure an audience, to compel her attention, to regain it when diverted
to other admirers, and to develop her curiosity about him into interest.
He must size up her likes and dislikes; then adapt his salesmanship to
her tastes, tactfully subordinating his own preferences to hers. If she
is athletic, he will play tennis or go on tramps with her, however tired
he feels after his work. If she is sentimental, he will take her
canoeing and read poetry to her, though he may prefer detective yarns.
Throughout his courtship he will do his utmost to stimulate in her a
desire to have him as a life partner. Whatever objections she makes to
him, he will get rid of or overcome.
Suppose he has taken all these preliminary selling steps successfully,
and at last the time comes for pinning the girl down to a definite
answer to the all-important question, is there any likelihood that it
will be a refusal? Of course not! If his earlier salesmanship has been
masterly, the reasons why she will be inclined to accept him in the end
are of much greater weight and number than any causes for rejection that
she may have thought of previously.
[Sidenote: Never Weaken At the Finish]
He should not fear to close the sale. He has been "going strong" until
now; why should he weaken at the finish? The master salesman does not
quaver then, or doubt his success. He asks his prospect's decision
bravely and with confidence, or he assumes it as a matter of course and
kisses the girl. His heart beats faster than usual, but he is not afraid
of hearing "No."
_You should feel the same way_ after leading your prospective employer
successfully through the preliminary stages of the process of selling
your services to him. Do not falter now. _Promptly emphasize the idea
that the weight, amount, and quality of your merits are fully worth the
compensation previously discussed._ If you are _sure_ of that, if you
have valued your services from _his_ standpoint, and not just from
_your own_, you will feel no doubts about the acceptance of your
application. You will put your prospective employer through the process
of decision as courageously and confidently as you first entered his
presence.
[Sidenote: Getting the Decision Pronounced]
Sometimes a prospect will be convinced, but will not express what is in
his thoughts. Therefore _it is not enough to bring about a favorable
conclusion of mind_. Until this has been _pronounced or signified_, it
may easily be changed. Hence the _effective process of decision includes
both the mental action of judgment and its perceptible indication_.
Often a prospect who is _thinking_ "Yes" will not _say_ it until he is
prompted by the salesman.
[Sidenote: A Lawyer Sums Up the Case]
When a lawyer is trying a case, he endeavors to bring out the evidence
in favor of his client and to make the jury see every point clearly. He
shows also the fallacies and falsities of opposing testimony. But after
all the evidence has been given, the case is not turned over
_immediately_ to the jury for decision. If that were done the lawyer
would miss his best chance to influence the jurors to make up their
minds in his favor. They are not so familiar as he with the facts and
their significance. They would be apt to attach more importance to some
details of testimony, and less to others, than the circumstances
warrant. So, to assist the jurors in arriving at their verdict on the
evidence, the lawyer _sums up the case_. He lays before their minds his
views, and tries with all his power and art to convince them that his
word pictures are true reproductions of the facts in their relation and
proportion to all the circumstances surrounding the issue.
[Sidenote: Preponderance Of Evidence]
The _object_ of the lawyer when he addresses the jury is to make the
convincing impression that _the testimony in favor of his client far
outweighs the evidence on the other side_. He adjures the twelve men
before him to "weigh the evidence carefully." He declares the judge will
instruct them that in a lawsuit the verdict should be given to the party
who has a "preponderance" or greater weight of proof on his side. _At
this closing stage of the case the lawyer acts as a weighmaster._ He
wants to make the jurors feel that he has handled the scales _fairly_,
that he has taken into consideration the evidence _against_ him as well
as the facts _in his favor_; and that the preponderance of weight _is as
he has shown it_--so that they will accept _his_ view and gave him the
verdict. If he feels a sincere conviction that he is right in asking for
a decision on his side, he makes his closing address with the ring of
confidence. He looks the jurors in the eye and asks for the verdict in
his favor as a matter of _right_. He does not beg, but claims what the
weight of the evidence _entitles_ him to receive.
[Sidenote: Treat Your Prospects As Jurors]
The jury that will decide on your application when you apply for a
position will usually consist of but one man, or will be composed of a
committee or board of directors. Treat him or them _as a jury_.
Remember that your capabilities and your deficiencies are _on trial_.
Close your case with the same process the skillful lawyer uses when he sums
up the evidence and weighs it before the minds of the jurors. Do what
he does _as a weighmaster_. Avoid making any impression that you
are not weighing your _demerits_ fairly, though you _minimize their
importance_; also miss no chance to impress the _full weight_ of your
_qualifications_. The essence of good salesmanship at this stage of the
process is _skillful, but honest weighing_. That means using _both
sides_ of the scale, to convince the prospect that _the balance tips in
your favor_. He will not believe in the correctness of the "Yes" weight
unless you show the lesser weight of "No" _in contrast_. Then he cannot
help _seeing_ which is the heavier. _Decision on the respective weights
is only a process of perception._
[Sidenote: The Process Of Perception]
Let us suppose the employer has asserted the objections that you are not
sufficiently experienced to earn the salary you want, and that you don't
know enough yet to fill the job. It would be poor salesmanship to try to
convince him that you have had a good deal of experience. If you
exaggerate the importance of the things you have learned, he almost
surely will judge you to be an unfair weighman of yourself. So you
should tacitly admit your inexperience and treat the value of experience
lightly by reminding him that his business is unlike any other. Then
bear down hard on your eagerness to learn his ways and to work for him.
Thus you can make him perceive the two sides of the scale _as you view
them_.
[Sidenote: Tipping the Balances Your Way]
It is possible for you so to tip the balances in your favor, though
previously the mind's eye of your prospective employer may have been
seeing the greater weight on the unfavorable side. _It is legitimate
salesmanship to influence the decision of the other man in this way._
Your weighing is entirely honest; though you sharply reverse the
balances. Certainly you have the right to estimate the full worth of
your services, to depreciate the significance of points against you, and
to picture your desirability to the prospect as you see it, however that
view may differ from his previous conception. _If your picture of the
respective weights is attractive and convincing, the other man will
adopt it as his own and discard his former opinions about you._ Not only
will he accept the idea of your capabilities that you make him perceive;
he also will see that your deficiencies are much less important than he
had before considered them.
[Sidenote: Serving Hash For Dessert]
Beware of a mistake commonly made by applicants for positions who do not
understand the art of successfully closing the sale of one's services.
When they try to clinch the final decision, _they just repeat strongly
all their best points. They make no mention of their shortcomings._ For
dessert, in other words, they serve a hash of the best dishes of
previous courses. Is it any wonder that such a close takes away any
appetite the prospect may have had?
What would you think of a lawyer who had closed his case by simply
reading to the jury all the testimony that had been given on his side,
but who had made no reference to the opposing evidence? If you were a
juror, would you vote for a verdict in favor of the side so summed up?
Of course you would have heard the testimony of both parties to the
case, but _you would not feel that the lawyer who ignored the evidence
against his client had helped you to arrive at the conclusion that he
had the preponderance of proof on his side_. On the contrary, you
probably would be inclined to attach to the opposing evidence _greater
weight than the facts justified_, and would discount whatever the lawyer
claimed for his client. You, yourself, would act as weighmaster; and
would give the other party to the suit the benefit of any doubt in your
mind as to the contrasting weights of the testimony pro and con. _The
lawyer's failure to weigh all the evidence before your eyes would make
the impression on you that his view of the case was unfair to his
opponent._ If you felt at all doubtful, you would be likely to vote
against him in order to make sure that the other side received a square
deal.
[Sidenote: Weigh Both Pros and Cons Before Jury]
_The jury that is to decide favorably or unfavorably on your application
for a position will feel similarly inclined to reach a negative
conclusion if in closing you omit the process of weighing the pros and
cons, and emphasize only your strong points._ It is good salesmanship to
stress these at the finishing stage, but they should be pictured _in
contrast with lighter objections_ to your employment. In order to
_convince_ the prospect that the reasons for employing you outweigh the
reasons for turning you down, you must show his mind _both sides of the
scale_. If you fail to do this, his own imagination will do the weighing
and is certain to bear down with prejudice on every point against you.
It will also depreciate your view of the points in your favor. The other
man will make sure that _he_ is getting a square deal on the weights,
since he will believe _you_, too, are looking out only for Number One.
[Sidenote: To Make Certain Do The Weighing Yourself]
The _certain_ way to make your prospect perceive that the reasons for
accepting your proposal are of greater weight than any causes for
turning down your application is to _do the weighing yourself_. First
be sure the heavier weight _is_ on your side. When you fully believe
that, use all the arts of salesmanship to _make the other man see the
balances as you view them_. Then he can come to but one conclusion, that
the "preponderance" is on your side. _Just as soon as you make the
respective weights clear to his perception, he will be convinced._ He
cannot deny what his own mind's eye has been made to see.
[Sidenote: Get Prospect Committed]
Therefore bringing about a favorable _mental conclusion_ is not at all
difficult. The judgment that your services would be desirable is no
harder to gain than a decision that the weight of one side of a scale is
greater than the other. Any one who looks at the balances sees at once
which way they tip. The rub is not in getting the decision _made_ but in
getting it _pronounced_. The sale is not completed until the prospect
has _committed_ himself.
[Sidenote: Now is the Acceptance Time]
He feels that his mental processes are his own secret, which you cannot
read; so he will not guard against the conclusion of his _mind_ that you
would be a desirable employee. But for some reason he may be unwilling
to _express_ his thoughts to you just then, however thoroughly he is
convinced. He naturally prefers not to say "Yes" at once; so that he may
change his mind if he wishes. _You will endanger your chances of success
if you let him put off action on his decision._ To-morrow he is likely
to see the weights in a different light and to imagine less on your
side and more against you. _Now_ is the time to close the sale, when he
cannot help seeing things _your way_.
[Sidenote: Two Stages Of Closing]
You know that sometimes a juror will be convinced in his own mind,
yet cannot bring himself actually to vote according to his mental
conclusion. Perhaps he is a "wobbler" by nature. So a girl may decide
in her thoughts that a certain suitor would make a good husband, yet
she may hesitate to accept him just because that step is _final_.
These illustrations impress the importance of _discriminating between
the two stages of closing a sale_. The success of the salesman is
made certain only by his knowledge and skillful use, first of the art of
_vivid weighing_, and second of the art of _prompting the prospect
to action on his perception of the difference in the balances_. At the
closing stage we have encountered again our old acquaintance, "the
discriminative-restrictive process."
[Sidenote: Closing a Procrastinator]
A friend of mine who has an advertising agency wanted to secure the
business of a prominent manufacturer who was inclined to vacillation.
The prospect was always timid about acting and had the reputation of a
chronic procrastinator. My friend went ahead with the selling process in
ordinary course until he had proved the desirability of his service and
had shown that there was no really weighty reason why the contract
should not be given to him. He knew he was entitled to the decision
then, but he did not wait for the timid man to pronounce it. The
advertising agent knew the characteristics of the prospect and had
planned just how he would handle the finishing stage of the selling
process so as to get the order promptly.
[Sidenote: The Clincher Held in Reserve]
He held in reserve a closing method that a less skillful salesman
probably would have used earlier in the sale instead of reserving it
especially for the end. As soon as he had completed the weighing process
my friend took from his pocket a sheet of copy he had prepared for a
first advertisement along the line he had proposed. This had been worked
out carefully in advance, just as if the order had already been given
for the advertising service. My friend laid the sheet of copy before the
prospect, who was taken completely by surprise.
"I knew you would want this service as soon as I explained it to you,"
said the salesman. "Therefore I prepared this ad for the first
publication under the plan I have submitted, and which I am sure you
approve. There is no question that you will get much better results from
this copy than you have been receiving from the advertising you are
doing now. Naturally you want to begin benefiting from my service as
soon as possible. I'm all ready to deliver the goods. Just pencil your
O.K. on the corner of this copy. I'll do the rest."
[Sidenote: From Pencil To Pen]
With a smile of confidence the salesman held out a soft lead pencil.
_The moment the other man involuntarily obeyed the suggestion by
accepting the tendered pencil, he was started on the purely muscular
process of pronouncing his approval of the proposition likewise tendered
for his acceptance._ The informality of the off-hand request that he
"pencil his O.K." kept him from being scared off. He did not feel that
he had yet committed himself fully. Probably, with characteristic
timidity, he would have shied from signing a formal contract at that
moment. But he hesitated only slightly before he scribbled his initials
on the corner of the proposed ad. Then he handed the pencil back to the
salesman. The advertising agent picked up the approved copy, and at once
laid before the prospect a formal contract. Simultaneously he tendered
his fountain pen. _He had started the advertiser to writing his name,
and did not let the process stop._
"Now just O.K. this, too," he directed, "and the whole matter will be
settled to your complete satisfaction." Then, to prevent the
procrastinator from backing up, the salesman reached for the telephone
on the advertiser's desk. "With your permission, I'll call up
the----magazine and reserve choice space for this ad. It won't cost any
more and by getting in early we'll make the ad most effective."
[Sidenote: Decide For, Then Commit The Prospect]
My friend manifested complete confidence that the sale was _closed_. By
continuing the process of affirming the decision, he prevented the
prospect from backing up after making his pencilled O.K. Being thus
committed informally, the usually vacillating advertiser could not well
avoid using the pen put into his hand to sign the formal contract laid
before him. Without speaking to him, the salesman pointed to the dotted
line while he called the telephone number he wanted. _The prospect wrote
his name before he had time to stop the impulse that the advertising
agent had started._ The salesman had both _induced_ the mental
_decision_ in his favor, and _impelled_ its _pronouncement_. Really he
first _made up the prospect's mind for him_, and then _committed him to
the decision so made_ without the other man's volition.
[Sidenote: Both Processes In Right Sequence]
_Only by performing both processes in right sequence at the closing
stage can a sale be finished under the control of the salesman._ If the
_favorable conclusion_ as to the respective weights of negative and
affirmative is not first worked out before the mind's eye of the
prospect, anything done to _commit_ him to a decision will likely kill
the salesman's chances for success. The prospect whose mind is not yet
made up favorably, who does not clearly perceive that the preponderance
is on the "Yes" side of the scale, will almost surely say "No" if his
decision is _prematurely_ impelled.
[Sidenote: Discriminate And Restrict]
Hence it is important that the salesman discriminate between the two
closing stages, and that he restrict his selling methods at each stage
to the selling processes that are effective then. He must not get "the
cart before the horse," as the ignorant or unskillful closer is apt to
do. The poor closer does not understand the "discriminative-restrictive"
process. He lacks comprehension of the distinction that should be drawn
between the methods he _previously_ has used and what is now required to
_finish_ the sale. Let us be sure we know how to discriminate; so that
our work at the closing stage may be restricted to the processes that
are required to assure success in taking the particular step necessary.
[Sidenote: New Process Necessary To Close]
Throughout the series of selling steps that precede the closing stage,
the continuing purpose of the salesman is to make the prospect _see_ the
proposal in the true light, as the salesman himself views it. When the
selling process draws to a conclusion, the purpose of the salesman
changes. Now he wants the prospect to _decide_ and then _act upon_ what
has been shown to his mind's eye. If the salesman is to control the
close, he must do something _new_ to prompt decision and to actuate its
pronouncement.
The unskillful closer, instead of changing his previous sales tactics,
nearly always devotes his final efforts to making the prospect _see
more clearly_ the pictures already laid before his mind. He tries to
impress the prospect with a _re-hash of perception_, by emphasizing more
strongly than before the favorable points brought out clearly at earlier
stages. Of course it is important that at the close of the sale the
prospect have all these points in view, but it is not good salesmanship
to emphasize only the appeal to his _perceptive_ faculties. The guest
who has had a good dinner does not need to be told just afterward what
he has eaten, or reminded of the courses by having them brought in
again.
[Sidenote: Logic and Reason Won't Win]
As it is a mistake to serve at the close of a sale only a re-hash of
favorable points; so is it bad salesmanship to rely on a dessert of
"logic and reason" for the finishing touch. _Logic and reason provoke
antagonism. They are ineffective in bringing about either a favorable
conclusion of mind or action on such a decision._
If you have presented your capabilities fully to a prospective employer,
do not wind up by marshalling reasons why he should engage you. Avoid
the use of the "major premise, minor premise, argument, and logical
conclusion." _You cannot debate yourself into a job_, for the judge is
made antagonistic by your method, which puts him on the defensive. It is
human nature to resist a decision that logic tries to force. No man
arrives at his conclusions of mind by putting himself through a
reasoning process. A normal person does not need to reason about things
he knows. _He knows without reasoning._ He attempts to use logic only
when he is _uncertain_ what to think. If logic is used by the salesman
to convince the other man, it will be ineffective because it is an
unnatural means that the prospect almost never employs to convince
himself, and of which he is suspicious.
[Sidenote: Why Reasoning is Futile]
A major premise is but an assumption unless it is already known. If it
is known, why should it be proved? Since the correctness of the
conclusion depends entirely upon the validity of the premise, it is
evidently absurd to attempt to prove a truth from the basis of an
admitted assumption. The reasoning process that starts from a truth
already known, and arrives at a truth that must similarly have been
known, is utterly useless and a waste of time. Hence, _if you use the
reasoning process you will either fail to convince your prospect by
starting from a premise that he does not know, or you will irritate and
unfavorably impress him by seeming to reflect on his intelligence when
you prove to him something he already knows_. That is the wrong way to
bring your man to a "Yes" decision.
If the whole process of the sale could be summed up in just one logical
statement at closing, it might occasionally be practical for the
salesman to apply reasoning with good effect to help him secure the
decision. But the four steps, first and second premise, argument, and
conclusion, must be applied to every point that is made with reasoning.
Since the force of the conclusion is largely lost unless the major
premise is an absolute truth recognized by everybody, there is danger of
confusion, and no possibility of convincing the prospect by such
methods. Besides, a multitude of reasoning processes would be necessary
to cover all the points presented by the salesman and all the objections
raised by the prospect. Moreover, as we have seen, the whole procedure
of "a logical close" falls back upon itself unless everything the
salesman hopes to prove was known and admitted to be true before he
began to reason it out.
[Sidenote: Favorable Decision Defined]
_Favorable decision is the prospect's mental conclusion that it is
better to buy than not to buy; better to accept than to refuse._ The
process of securing decision is not complex; it is very simple. As has
been said, the salesman needs only to weigh before the mind's eye of the
prospect the favorable and unfavorable ideas of the proposal. _Any
weighing of two mental images always results in a judgment as to which
is preferable, or that one course of action would be better than the
other._ The mind is never so exactly balanced between contrasting ideas
that it does not tip at all either way.
[Sidenote: Weighing Ideas of A Steak]
The skill of the salesman weighmaster, used legitimately before the
mind's eye of the prospect to tip the scales of decision to the
favorable side, is illustrated in the story of a butcher who had been
asked by a woman customer to weigh a steak for her. He knew that the
weighing process _in her mind_ included more than the balancing of a
certain number of pounds and ounces on the scale. Against the reasons
for her evident inclination to take the selected steak, she would weigh
its cost, her personal ideas of its value, and other factors of the high
cost of living.
[Sidenote: Skillful Close of The Sale]
The butcher wished to bring her quickly to a favorable decision. He
wanted to make up the customer's mind for her in such a conclusive way
that she would be prevented from hesitating over the purchase. As a
weighman of pounds and ounces he only wanted to show the prospect that
he was honest. But in order to tip _the buying scales in her mind_ he
put into the balances, on the side opposite the cost of the steak, the
heavier weight of buying inducements. First he did the actual weighing
of the steak; then he added on the "Yes" side of the scales of decision
_ideas of the excellence and desirability of the meat_. He followed
immediately with a _suggestion of action that would commit the prospect
to buying_.
"Two pounds and five ounces, ma'am! Only a dollar and forty-three cents.
It's the very choicest part of the loin. You couldn't get a cut any
tenderer than that, or with less bone. Would you like to have a little
extra suet wrapped up with it?"
[Sidenote: Three Effects Produced]
The butcher thus combined in his close _three effects_. He brought about
_judgment of the prospect's intellect_, plus _increased desire_ for the
goods, plus the _impulse to carry the desire into action_.
First, by emphasizing, "Two pounds and five ounces!" in a _heavy_ tone,
and by depreciating the cost, "Only a dollar and forty-three cents,"
spoken _lightly_, he implied that the _value_ of the steak far
outweighed the _price_. Thus judgment of the prospect's intellect was
effected.
Second, to stimulate increased desire for the steak, the butcher
skillfully put on the favorable side of the scales of decision the
weight of _a suggestion of excellence_. He said temptingly, "It's the
very choicest part of the loin." At this point he also employed
_contrast_, to make the prospect's desire stronger still. "You couldn't
get a cut any tenderer than this, or with less bone."
Third, this skillful salesman prompted _the immediate committal of his
customer to a favorable decision_. He impelled her to this affirmative
action by suggesting, "Would you like to have a little extra suet
wrapped up with it?" He put a question that was _easy_ for the prospect
to answer with "Yes." Once she accepted the suet offered free, she
tacitly accepted the steak at the price stated. _It is skillful
salesmanship to make it easy for the buyer to say "Yes" or to imply the
favorable decision indirectly_. The butcher might have been answered
with "No" if he had asked, "Will you take this steak?" But he himself
nodded when he made the proposal that he wrap up the extra suet. The
woman was thus impelled to nod with him. The sale was closed,
artistically, in a few seconds.
When you plan how you will close a sale of true ideas of your best
capability, _work out in advance a similar weighing process, followed at
once by an indirect prompting of acceptance of the decision you
suggest_. Shape and re-shape your intended "close" in your mind until it
includes the three effects the butcher produced.
[Sidenote: Put a "Kick" Into the Close]
Put a "kick" into your stimulation of desire at the closing stage.
_Paint the points in your favor brightly and glowingly, though in true
colors. Conversely paint all objections to your employment
unattractively._
Suppose you are applying for a secretarial position. It would be good
"painting" to close something like this:
"I am going to learn to do things _your_ way. You would not want a man
in the position who was _experienced_; because he would do things some
one else's way, not yours. My inexperience really means I am adaptable
to your methods. I'd become exactly the sort of secretary _you_ want.
For instance, how do you prefer to have your mail brought to you--just
as it is opened, or with previous correspondence and notations
attached?"
Such an alternative question, _answered either way_, leads the prospect
through the stage of favorable decision and implies his committal to
acceptance of the services offered. It can be followed by the direct
proposal, "All, right, I'll bring your mail that way." _Such a close is
practically sure to succeed_.
[Sidenote: Using the Negative Positively]
A man who was not at all prepossessing applied to me one day for a job.
He conducted the sale of himself very skillfully, but I meant to put him
off. It was our dull season, and his looks didn't make a hit with me
anyway. However, he realized there was a good deal on the negative side
of the scale, and he weighed his disqualifications honestly; though he
depreciated the importance of his unprepossessing appearance. Then, in
contrast to the negative side, he showed me very weighty and attractive
reasons for employing him. He started by grinning good-humoredly.
"I'm not a prize beauty," he remarked. "But the other day I was reading
about Abraham Lincoln, and the book made me feel encouraged about
myself. I don't believe I'm any homelier or any more awkward than he
was. I don't expect to be a parlor salesman, anyhow, or to rely on my
good looks to get orders. I plan to succeed by work. I'm going to be on
the job early and late and every minute between. I'll believe in what
I'm selling--down to the very bottom of my heart. I'll make anybody see
I'm in dead earnest. I look honest, and I am. I'll be square with
customers and with you. I guess that out in the field a reputation for
always being willing to help, and for telling the truth straight, will
count more than anything else. I know I'm inexperienced, but that's a
fault I can cure mighty soon." He grinned again. "I'll start right away
to get the greenness off, if you'll tell me where to hang up my hat."
His good nature warmed me into smiling with him. I could not help
feeling inclined to try this man. I decided to give him his chance at
once. He started my impulse to accept his services, and I pronounced the
decision in his favor that he prompted. Of course he made good. That was
a foregone conclusion. He had mastered the selling process, and was an
especially fine closer. He succeeded in getting more than his quota of
orders the first year. Selling never seemed to be hard work for him.
[Sidenote: Two Ways To Prompt Pronouncement]
The pronouncement of the prospect's decision can be prompted, his
favorable action can be brought about, in _two ways_. First, as we have
seen, _the salesman can suggest, directly or indirectly, the action he
wants the other man to take_. Second, _the salesman himself can do
something_ that the prospect will be impelled to _imitate_.
[Sidenote: Impelling Imitation Of Action]
For example, when you apply for a position, and have completed the
process of weighing the points in your favor in contrast with the less
weighty reasons for not employing you, lean forward slightly in an
attitude of easy expectancy. _The prospect's mind will be inclined to
imitate your physical act_. He will lean toward acceptance of your
services. Your act will tend to bring you together. Your magnetism will
draw his.
Or you might extend your hand. He will have an impulse to reach out his
in turn. It is natural for a man to take a hand that is courteously
offered. The moment after you reach toward the prospect say, "Let's
shake hands on it." Once his fingers start moving toward yours in
imitation of your action, it will be easy for him to commit himself.
[Sidenote: Five Essentials Of Good Close]
Now let us review the essentials of good salesmanship in closing, which
we have been analyzing. We can summarize under five divisions the entire
process of completing a sale most effectively and with the practical
assurance of success.
First, _the salesman must have definite, certain knowledge that the mind
of the prospect has reached the closing stage_; that it is time to _end_
the "testimony" and to _begin_ weighing the evidence. If the salesman
has kept control of the selling process throughout all the preceding
stages, he will know when the selling point is reached, _for he will be
there himself_, with the prospect he has "safely conducted" thus far.
Second, at this "right time" it is necessary to _change former sales
tactics promptly_, and to _start contrasting_ the affirmative and
negative ideas that have previously been brought out.
Third, the salesman should weigh these contrasting ideas so _vividly_
that the mind's eye of the prospect will _see_ the scales and _perceive_
the greater weight on the "Yes" side, _as the salesman pictures it_.
Fourth, it is important that the salesman _color_ the affirmative
ideas very _alluringly_, and increase the contrast by painting
_unattractively_ everything on the negative side of the scale; so
that "No," besides appearing much _lighter_ than "Yes," will seem
_uninviting_.
Fifth, the selling process should be brought to a climax by the
salesman's _suggestion_ or _imitation_ of some _act_ designed to
_commit_ the prospect to _acceptance_ in an _easy_ way.
[Sidenote: Unbalancing The Process]
Nothing so _unbalances_ the process of securing a favorable decision and
its pronouncement as any indication of fear, doubt, or hesitancy in the
attitude of the salesman. Therefore, even though you may be uncertain as
to the outcome of your selling efforts, _do not show it_. Long before
you came to the decision point, you passed the worst dangers on the
road to the end of the sale. Surely your courage should be _strongest_
at the closing stage.
[Sidenote: Light Dissipates Fear and Doubt]
Fear usually arises from something _unknown_; it is due only to
_darkness_. Since you _know_ now just what closing involves, and _light_
has been shed on the problems of getting the prospect's "Yes," your
fears and doubts should be dissipated. _You should not hesitate to end
the sale you have controlled successfully throughout previous stages_.
Our analysis has revealed that closing is no more difficult than winning
attention to your proposition in the first place. As a result, your
present attitude toward closing is _positive_. Your courage and
self-confidence have been built up. You realize just _how_ success in
finishing a well-conducted sale can be made practically _sure_.
[Sidenote: Negatives Must be Avoided]
Certain _negative_ attitudes at the closing stage should be avoided.
Especially do not throw into the scales of decision any little pleas for
_personal favor_, with the hope that in so doing you will increase the
weight on the "Yes" side. Such tactics almost invariably tend to tip the
balance _un_favorably. A plea of this sort is equivalent to an admission
that the ideas you have presented _for_ buying do not _themselves_
outweigh the prospect's images _against_ buying. You suggest to him that
you are trying to push the balance down on your side by putting your
finger on it, by "weighing in your hand," as unfair butchers sometimes
do with a chicken they hold on the scales by the legs.
[Sidenote: "As a Personal Favor to Me"]
The prospect will instantly perceive your action. _His mind, acting on
the principle of the gyroscope, will resist by greater opposition any
push of the personal plea_. If you ask a decision as a personal favor,
your prospect will lose confidence in the true weight of the ideas on
your side that you have already registered in his mind. You are much
more likely to hurt than to help your chances for success by making a
personal plea. Even if it should prove effective, what you get that way
would be alms given to a beggar, and not the earned prize of good
salesmanship. _Never buy success at the cost of self-respect_. To be a
successful _beggar_ is nothing to feel proud of.
[Sidenote: "Treating" At Close]
Do not attempt to "_treat"_ your prospect by flattering him at the
closing stage. Such "treating" is a tacit admission that your goods of
sale, your best qualifications, have not sufficient merit to sell at
their intrinsic value. Or you practically confess that you are not good
enough salesman to win out with just your goods and your ability to sell
yourself for what you claim to be worth. _Flattery is a call for help_.
It is like the bad salesmanship of trying to buy an order with cigars or
a dinner. Never "treat" at the closing stage, for to do so is to admit
_weakness_ when you should be your _strongest_.
[Sidenote: "No" Seldom Is Final]
Of course you should not take a first or second "No" as a _final_
answer. Even if the prospect indicates that he is inclined to decide
against you, _continue confidently to heap images in favor of buying on
the "Yes" side of the scale until you have used all the honest weight
you have to put in the balance_. He will not respect you as a salesman
if you quit at his first "No." _It is up to you to tip the scales of
decision your way_. Remember that you should not bring the other man to
the judgment point _until after you have aroused and intensified his
desire to a very great degree_. If you have made him want you at all,
you will disappoint him if you then fail to put enough weight on the
"Yes" side of the scale to win his decision to employ you.
When you receive a "No," understand it to mean, "No, that is not yet
enough ideas for buying your services." Keep right on putting weight
into the "Yes" side of the balance until it tips your way. _Do not
consider any "No" final until you have run out of both contrasting
weight and attractive colors; so that you cannot change the scales_.
[Sidenote: Stick it Out Here and Now]
If it is possible for you to "stick," don't be put off when you come to
the closing stage. _All the weighing you do at the present time will be
valueless lost effort unless you complete the selling process here and
now_. When your prospect tries to put you off, he tacitly admits your
weights are right. Otherwise he would say "No" and be done with you.
You really have won his mental decision. A continuance of skillful
salesmanship will enable you to get him to act favorably without delay
or further evasion.
[Sidenote: Entertainment In Court Room Out of Place]
Some salesmen make the mistake of mixing _entertainment_ with the
closing process. Earlier in the sale you may be able to secure excellent
results by entertaining the prospect with clean jokes and good stories.
But the close is the stage at which he arrives at his mental conclusion
as to the "preponderance" of the evidence. _Jests and light conversation
are out of place when the judge is performing his functions in the
courtroom of the mind._ An amusing remark or a witty quip at this
juncture would suggest that the scales of decision in the salesman's own
mind were somewhat unbalanced. Your attitude when you are weighing "Yes"
and "No" before the prospect should be _pleasant_, but _quiet_ and
_serious, as is becoming to a convincing weighman_.
When you work to secure a favorable decision, you are weighing evidence
with the purpose of impelling the prospect to take your judgment or to
weigh the evidence just as you do. It is necessary all through the
process that he be made to feel you realize you are aiding in the
performance of a _judicial_ function. He must have complete confidence
in your intention and ability to handle the scales honestly and with
serious pains to determine what is the right judgment about your
proposition. Your levity at the closing stage would lessen the effect of
honest, serious, painstaking weighing of the images for buying in
contrast with the images against buying. So get the funny stories out of
your system before you come to the decision step of the sale, or else
keep them bottled up inside you and don't pull the cork until you are
safely at the celebration stage.
[Sidenote: Tones and Acts When Weighing]
Do not forget when closing to add _force_ to your words by _tones and
gestures that emphasize ideas of the contrast in weights_ between the
two sides of the scale. By your light tone you can indicate the
triviality of objections to your proposition. With the heavier tone of
power you can suggest the great weight of the favorable ideas. If you
use _broad gestures of your whole hand and full arm_, you can seem to
pile a large heap of points on your side of the scale. Conversely you
can indicate the smallness of objections by moving _your fingers only_,
as if you were picking up a tiny object. Demolish unfavorable points
with a strong gesture of negation, as by sweeping your arm horizontally.
Give life to the ideas on the favorable side of the scale by
accompanying your words with up and down gestures that signify
vitality.
[Sidenote: Do Not Show That Closing Is Hard Work]
Your physical condition or outward appearance will help or harm your
chances for success at the closing stage. You should not manifest the
least indication that you are under a strain of anxiety as to the
outcome, or that you lack the strength to control the completion of the
selling process. Why should you not have a feeling of ease when you
reach the close? _If your bearing suggests your self-confidence, it will
give the other man confidence in your capabilities._ When a salesman has
to "sweat blood" to finish a sale, he indicates that it is usually
mighty hard work for him to get what he wants. This impression suggests
to the other man that there must be something wrong with the proposition
or it wouldn't take so much effort of the salesman to put it across.
_Any element of doubt at the final stage will almost surely delay or
kill the salesman's chances to close successfully._
[Sidenote: Make Sure of A Good Batting Average]
Recall once more that the measure of success in selling is not 100% of
closed sales; every possible order secured and none lost. _Success is
made certain when failures are reduced to the minimum and successes are
increased to the maximum of practicability._ There can be no question
that if you use the _right processes_ in closing, your chances for
success will be so greatly increased that your batting average of actual
sales should take you far above the failure line. Your career as a
salesman involves _continual_ selling. You must make sale after sale.
However skillfully you employ the right process at the closing stage,
you may not accomplish your purpose the first time you try. _But if you
keep on selling your services in the right way, you will be as
absolutely certain to succeed as the master salesman of "goods" is sure
of closing his quota every year he works._