This same principle applies as regards the town in which the salesman is working. The young salesman out on his first trip is apt to find himself of an evening in a small town in an ill-kept hotel. He is likely to yield to the impulse to write long letters to friends, telling them what an. awful town he has struck, and concluding that he sees small chance of doing business in such a "one-horse burgh." The star salesman who has grown gray in the business can tell you the good points of every town he has been in. If its citizens are the least bit progressive, you may be sure he knows it and praises them for the ambition they show. If the town is small, he will be able to point out that at least it is growing and that it has more paved streets and a better lighting system than most towns of its kind. If its industries are small, nevertheless they are efficient. He is not at all surprised that able busi ness men have picked the town to live and work in, and he does not wonder how they ever manage to re main there. It is absolutely essential that the sales man get in harmony with his environment and learn to like the town and appreciate the spirit of its citizens if he is to do business there.
4. The sincere compliment.—If we stop to think we shall realize that in many instances the chief reason for our liking some people is that they like us. If we recall the foremost characteristics Of men—salesmen and others—who have won our confidence and friend ship in business, we shall discover that their chief char acteristic was interest in us—interest in us and in our business. While the compliment, however sincere, that comes early in the interview may arouse sus picion, the fact remains that pride in himself, in his business, in his achievements, and in the opinion that others hold of him is inherent in every man. Why not, then, in the course of the interview, compliment your prospect sincerely on his firmness, his affability or his judgment, as the case may be? Why not remark a.dmiringly upon the individual touches that make his business stand out from others? "Why not congratu late him upon his achievements in business and in other lines? Why not mention the high regard in which he is held by his townspeople? We like to hear such things about ourselves. We are convinced that there is that about us which can be sincerely liked and admired. It is perfectly evident, then, that the same must be true of the other man—of the prospect. ,We recognize these good qualities in others, but somehow fail to mention them. The good salesman is a student of human nature; he under stands these virtues and manages to mention them in the interview. One of the biggest elements of success in salesmanship is the ability to see and tactfully to acknowledge the good qualities of the prospective customer.
5. Appealing to self-esteem.—The exclusive agency man who asks the dealer's opinion of his plan is merely making a very subtle appeal to his prospect's self-esteem. The story is told of a man who came out of the Southwest a few years ago to promote and secure financial backing for a development company, the profits of which would be large and almost cer tain. He felt that if he could get the name of just one big man in Wall Street as a subscriber to his stock, the rest would be easy. He was not known in the financial district, however, and he knew that he would never get beyond his introductory remarks if it became apparent that he was trying to sell stock in a new promotion.
One evening, at an exclusive club where he had been a guest for some time, he managed to sit beside a big financier to whom he had been introduced some time previously, and with whom he had associated on sev eral occasions. "Mr. Brown," he said, "I am going to ask a favor of you. I have rather a large prop osition that I wish to submit. The trouble is that I am chiefly a practical man. I can swing the operat ing end after a company has been organized, but I am rather green about the financial end. Now, I don't know any of the big men down in the Street, but I have read and heard much about you and your enter prises. I wonder if you would give me a little ad vice." The big man leaned forward, smoothed out a scowl that had begun to form, and prepared to listen. Give him advice ? Why, of course he would. He had thought at first, tho, that this man had intended trying to get him to subscribe to some stock. Simply discussing the thing as one man of business might with another was entirely different. The promoter unfolded his story, casually producing maps and read ing here and there from the reports of experts. The financier showed more and more interest as the talk proceeded, asked a number of questions, and examined minutely the several documents produced.
"Why, man alive," he broke in, "that's a first-rate proposition. Anyone will listen to you on that. Of course, what you need first of all is money. I'll tell you what I'll do. .Tust put me down for a $25,000 block of that stock 110W. Y011 d011't need much ad vice on how to handle this thing. .Tust use my name to get in to see some of the fellows and tell them your story just as you told it to me." Calling upon a man merely to get his advice or his friendship and cooperation, or for some other such motive, is an excellent way of paying him a compli ment that will put the interview on a friendly footing.