15. Positive suggestian.—The imaginative appeal is made by introducing into the prospect's mind sug gestions calculated to form associations, or associated ideas. When it was said that the business depression in the early part of 1914 was psychological, an ex tremely valuable explanation was given. All depres sions are psychological to the extent that "hard times" and "tight money" talk will suggest hoarding, cur tailment and retrenchment to the business man and the banker ; and this attitude does much to increase the proportions of any depression there may be.
An order blank spread squarely in front of the prospect is a positive suggestion to him to sign. For this reason most salesmen, if their business requires a contract, place it before the prospect before they start their closing tactics. They also hand a pen to the prospect. Some salesmen prefer to reach for the prospect's pen, dip it into the ink and hand it to him. Either procedure is a positive suggestion to write— to sign.
That these suggestions can have any appreciable effect is difficult to believe until one recalls some of the marked results of positive suggestion. Someone coughing in an assemblage starts countless other coughs. A person sitting opposite another in a street car yawns, and lo! the observer is yawning, too. This will nearly always be so, even tho the observer has consciously and firmly set his mind against ac cepting the suggestion to yawn. One person looking intently upward will cause everyone who sees him to follow his gaze. If the person who stares per scveres, it will be but a few minutes before he is surrounded by a curious crowd, gazing intently upward.
POSitiVC VCI*811,9 negative suggestions.—A sales man who can remain in a happy mood and main tain a cheerful, smiling countenance before a pros pect who is inclined to be cranky and crabbed, will eventually suggest cheerfulness and a happy mood to the customer and, before long, will get an answer ing smile because of the power of positive suggestion.
The form of a question can be made to suggest the -answer. "This is a great proposition, don't you think so?" is a positive suggestion which will often bring an affirmative answer. "Do you think this is a good proposition?" is neutral and may be answered in either the affirmative or in the negative. "You don't think this is a good proposition?" is a negative suggestion that will bring a negative answer. In retail selling,
"We have just secured some new neckwear that will harmonize with that shirt you have just purchased; I am sure you will be interested in looking at it," is a positive suggestion; while, "Is there nothing else I can do for you today?" suggests the answer, "Noth , ing else, thank you." A garment salesman picking up his sample, scrut inizing one of the seams closely, and putting it down without a word, will cause his prospect to imitate the action. The prospect will discover nothing but a remarkably well-finished seam, which is exactly what the salesman wants him to discover. Thruout the selling talk the salesman says : "You will get this," and "You will get that," and "These goods will start to move off your shelves the moment you get them in," instead of prefixing his remarks with "If you buy," because the positive assertion creates a positive sug gestion that the prospect is going to buy.
17. Use of motives and appeals.—A great pianist running his fingers over the keyboard strikes a key here and a key there and creates a beautiful melody, and then, with sureness born of a thoro knowledge of his instrument, strikes the keys for a grand harmonious chord. Another might go thru exactly the same mo tions, might strike the same number of keys, might prepare for the chord in quite the same way, but, lacking the musician's fine knowledge of the instru ment, would produce nothing but discordant sounds. The salesman, too, is a musician and his instrument the most difficult of all to master—man. He, too, by ceaseless study, by constant practice, and by the same love of his work that animates the musician, must learn to play upon the heart-strings of his prospects, picking a note here and a note there and striking full harmonious chords. He must- not only master the technique of his profession but, actuated by a keen interest and a sincere love for humanity, he acquires knowledge of human nature that enables him with sure strokes to touch upon the motives that move men to action, to reach their intellects with sound logic or to stir their emotions with forceful images. Here, then, is the real difference between the young sales man who, starting out with a thoro knowledge of the theory of selling, gets a few orders, and the big regu larly producing star of the sales force—a knowledge of human nature.