A great sales manager has said that there are three kinds of salesmen : Men who always say the right thing at the right time and know their reasons for doing so--they are big, steady producers; men who occasionally say the right thing at the right time, but who have no definite reason for saying it—they are spasmodic producers; men who never say the right thing at the right time because they have neither in tuition nor tact—the few sales they make are made by main strength.
Some fortunate people are born with tact highly de veloped ; others have it, but allow it to fall into disuse; still more must acquire it ; and there are a few who are neither born with it nor acquire it. Lack of tact, however, is largely a matter of thoughtlessness and selfishness—of being so self-centered as to be unable to get the other person's point of view.
Tact should be cultivated, for. it is as essential to success as knowledge. As a matter of fact, without tact a great deal of knowledge goes for nothing. A simple, practical and effective rule for developing tact and the personal magnetism that goes with it, is for the salesman to strive to do or say something in each interview that will leave the prospect feeling better for having met him and influence him to give the sales man a warm, friendly reception when he comes again.
10. Concentration.—The sun's rays do not burn until they are brought to a focus. The success of the salesman results not so much from effort as from an intelligent direction of effort, which, in turn, presup poses concentration—concentration on the acquiring of desirable habits; concentration on the planning of the work ; concentration on the goods to be sold, and concentration on each individual sale. This is a qual ity that must be acquired by constant practice. David Graham Phillips, a close student of human nature, said: Most of us cannot concentrate at all ; any slight distrac tion suffices to disrupt and destroy the whole train of thought. A good many can concentrate for a few hours, for a week or so, for two or three months ; but there comes a small achievement and they are satisfied; or a small dis couragement, and they are disheartened. Only to the rare few is given thei power to concentrate steadily, year in and year out, thru good and evil events or reports.
Concentration, or singleness of purpose, is a dis tinguishing characteristic of success in selling or in any other field.
Most propositions are big enough and important enough to justify a salesman's giving to them his entire time and attention; only by giving both freely can he reach the highest degree of efficiency. Many men could reach at least a fair measure of success if they would but develop the power of continuous con centration. Because they do not develop that power, because they hammer all around the nail instead of hitting it on the head, they continue to sell their services for just enough to enable them to eke out an existence. The salesman who would be successful today must learn to concentrate all his thoughts upon the work in hand. As John D. Rockefeller says: If you are in earnest to the innermost fiber of your body, there is no power that can hold you back from the object you strive to attain.
11. Caurage.—It takes courage to be honest under all circumstances; to apply the whip of ambition re lentlessly ; to look the tenth man in the face with a smile after having been turned down by the preceding nine—not with a smile that ends at the teeth, but with one that extends right to the heart; to persist in the face of difficulty ; to refrain from overindulgence; to force oneself to work at top speed; and to refuse to let one's mentality slumber during working hours. Courage, in this connection, is synonymous with a de termined will—a will that is akin to audacity, that is fearless to the verge of recklessness, that will not yield to seemingly insurmountable difficulties.
Want of courage—fear—mars the first moment of the salesman's interview; makes the voice shake, when it should be round and full; causes the mouth to droop at the corners, when it should be smiling; and robs the handshake of its grip. Fear of the prospect will cause the salesman instinctively to dislike him, prevent him from carrying out carefully laid plans and greatly weaken the close. Most young salesmen have this fear at the start. .They can be successful only in so far as they overcome it ; .and just as soon as they over come it entirely—provided they have the necessary qualifications—they will join the ranks of the big pro ducers. No salesman should allow a lack of courage to stand between him and big business success.