9. Varieties of imitation.—There are two distinct kinds of imitation, conscious and unconscious. In the case of a young man occupying a subordinate posi tion, the salesman may successfully suggest that he imitate a big executive in the town and invest in what that man has bought. Or a salesman may persuade a dealer to stock up with a certain article just because big stores in other towns have done so. In either of these cases, the buyer would be consciously imitating another. If, on the other hand, a specialty salesman makes a certain point in favor of' his proposition by using an indorsement letter from a prominent man, or relates a story Ivhich incidentally brings out the fact that some well-known individual has bought his prop osition, or, in closing, states the terms on Whiell SCV eral of the prospect's friends are paying and suggests that the prospect will doubtless wish to go in on the same terms, his principal object will be to create in the prospect's mind an impulse unconsciously to imi tate these great men and friends. The imitating is done unconsciously. At most, the prospect feels that the caliber of the other buyers has tended merely to strengthen his decision.
The use of the names of prominent people who have bought homes in a residence park will influence fur ther sales. The business man often joins an organi zation or supports a public movement because other prominent business men have pledged themselves. The fact that big concerns have installed a certain of fice device may cause less prominent concerns to do the same. In the sale of almost any commodity or service the names of those who have bought may awaken in the prospect an impulse to imitation.
10. Some fundamental hunian the motives which have been discussed there are others to which an appeal may be made. A prominent psy chologist says: The generally recognized instincts in man are as fol lows : fear, anger, shyness, curiosity, affection, sexual love, jealousy and envy, rivalry, sociability, sympathy, modesty, play, imitation, constructiveness, secretiveness and acquisi tiveness.' Some of these have been already considered; all are powerful motives impelling men to act. The sales man consequently, as a skilled workman, should con sider them his tools, employing first one, then another, or combining them according to the particular situa tion at hand. As deftness and certainty are thus acquired in the use of his various tools, the salesman acquires power, and selling becomes a real pleasure.
11. Two avenues of appeal.—There are two dis tinct avenues by which a salesman may approach the prospect for a favorable decision. He may, by pure
logic and sound argument, appeal to the prospect's reason—to his intellect. Or he may, by positive sug gestion and vivid word pictures, appeal to the pros pect's imagination—to his emotions.
12. Are we moved by reason or suggestion?—We are prone to look upon man as a purely reasoning creaturc who comes to a decision by carefully weigh ing all arguments pro and con and deliberately decid ing whether to do, or not to do, the thing under con sideration. We are inclined to explain our own actions according to this theory, either because we thoroly believe it or because we try to hide what we consider to have been our weakness in coming to a de cision without having gone thru a reasoning process. For, until recently at least, to allow the emotions to sway one even in an unimportant decision, was con sidered either childish or hysterical. If this were true, the logical appeal to the intellect would be the only one to use as a means of influencing intelligent people.
As a matter of fact, most of us seldom decide things by the reasoning process alone. The man who mak-es even a majority of his decisions solely by reason is indeed rare. Nor is it true that the ablest men are the most logical men. In fact, the logical individual is likely to be rather cold and austere. The imagina tive man, who is ruled by his emotions rather than by his intellect, is usually most successful in handling men and inspiring enthusiasm and loyalty in those about him. In the crisis, the emotional appeal is most potent. "England expects every man to do his duty," was the appeal from Nelson's lips that won the battle of Trafalgar. "The old guard dies but never sur renders" was the slogan that gave every man in that glorious company the strength of ten. There is dynamic power in the thought that appeals to the emotions and translated into action it accomplishes a result that often seems superhuman.
It is bv no means our intention, of course, to inti mate that logic, argument and sound reasoning are not essential and even vital in most, if not in all, sales talks. The best sales talks are, as a rule, a skilful blending of intellectual and emotional appeals.
13. Appeal to the intellect.—Arguing or reason ing with a prospect—that is, appealing to his intellect alone--causes deliberation and consequently delay. He considers the advisability of buying or not buying —whether to give in to the salesman's arguments or to resist them. He will weigh pro and con the qualities of the salesman's goods as compared with others. The possibility of not buying is always kept in mind.