2. Its organization and the personnel of the organization 3. The true significance of your place in the organization D. Knowledge of human nature 1. Of yourself 2. Of the more general human traits of char acter, instincts, likes, dislikes, desires, ambi tions, emotions, and so on E. Knowledge of selling principles.
This analysis is necessarily incomplete, but is ade quate for the present purpose.
11. Human nature and selling first thought, it may seem strange that knowledge of selling principles is placed last, since effective letter writing is primarily a matter of good salesmanship. But if the correspondent is well supplied with the kinds of information placed above selling principles in this analysis, he will be in a position to formulate his own principles.
In nearly all cases, a sound selling principle is based upon some trait in human nature. Take, for example, the fact that it is wise to make the reader realize that you appreciate his point of view. Con fidence is inspired by those who possess sufficiently broad and sympathetic intelligence to enable them to see and appreciate another's position. Therefore, in order to gain the reader's confidence, it is even ad visable now and then to admit derogatory facts. We naturally distrust claims of perfection. Thus, selling principles must be based on traits of human nature, and these are the kind of selling principles referred to in the foregoing analysis.
Many would put knowledge of human nature first in this chart; but the sections preceding it constitute information of greater practical value to the corre spondent than a general knowledge of human na ture, valuable as this is. From one point of view, however, the first three divisions are knowledge of human nature practically applied.
12. Market and product.—It will also be ob served that there is no clear line of demarcation be tween sections A and B, knowledge of the market and knowledge of the product. One supplements the other. Knowledge of the product from the point of view of the market is most essential.
An important point here is that complete technical information concerning a product is not sufficient and might even be undesirable. Knowing all about a product is desirable only in so far as the intensity of this knowledge does not lessen knowledge of the prod uct from the reader's point of view.
But these two kinds of knowledge are not neces sarily antagonistic. It is possible to have the minutest technical knowledge of products and processes of manufacture and because of this knowledge even more thoroly to appreciate the reader's standpoint. Such complete knowledge is often necessary to enable the writer to supply the reader with such facts concerning the product as will cause him to think and act as de sired. Yet there is always the possibility that the correspondent may know so much about a product that he fails to appreciate how little the reader knows about it. Knowledge of the product or service in its
relation to the market is the most important kind of information in salesmanship, and, therefore, in bus iness correspondence.
13. Writer's mental altitude.—Additional knowl edge that might well be included in an analysis of most desirable information is a concrete idea of what constitutes the most favorable mental attitude on the part of the writer. Many written messages fail because the writer's attitude in general, and toward the reader in particular, is awry. Often half the effort in volved in writing an effective message is saved by a deliberate change from the wrong to the right mental attitude toward the addressee. At this point the value of an attitude of willingness to learn from ex perience is to be emphasized; constant interest in the results of all letters written and constant effort to find out the "why" of the results achieved. A feeling that there is no limit to the development of one's skill in writing effective letters is as important as knowledge and practice of the right mental attitude toward in dividual addressees.
The proper mental attitude is really a matter within the control of the writer. To attain it, he must some times go thru a complete change in his moral make up as well. If he would impress the reader that he is sincere in his statements, he must first be actually sin cere in his own convictions. The easiest method of gaining the confidence and good-will of a reader is ac tually to merit this reward. Yet, a correspondent cannot well rise above the level of sincerity and integ rity as they are practised in the policies of his house by men high up in the organization. It is not always the fault of the correspondent when his letters lack con viction.
14. Letters that are effective; a summary.—An ef fective letter is always written, either consciously or unconsciously, with keen appreciation of the reader's point of view. It may or may not be correct in form or grammar or rhetoric, tho it is usually technically correct. It is always an example of good salesman ship.
Only men whose selling sense is highly developed write invariably effective letters. Such men, as a rule, could tell why their letters make good. They know the basic principles of successful correspond ence. They constantly add to their fund of the kind of information that enables them better to know the reader's point of view. They have the necessary knowledge and ability to make effective use of what they know.
'With reference to knowledge which underlies abil ity to appreciate the reader's point of view, corre spondents might be divided into these classes (1) those who know less than they should know about their addressees; (2) those who know their addressees fairly well, but do not take advantage of their knowl edge; and (3) those who both know the addressees' point of view and take full advantage of their knowl edge.