20. Turning points of decision.—A slight differ ence in a salesman's tactics at this point in the sale is likely to make a large difference in the effect of his entire talk. A well-known sales inanager who was coaching a new salesman in field work found it neces sary to write a special clause into one particular con tract in order to remove an objection on the part of a prospect. Ile wrote the clause into the contract, read it over carefully to the prospect and said: "I guess that fixes you all right on that point, doesn't it?" The prospect answered promptly enough, and enthu siastically enough, too, "Yes, I think it does." The sales manager thereupon handed the prospect his fountain pen and said, "Just sign your name on this line, please." The prospect took the pen, held it above the contract for a moment—and then put it down. Nothing that the manager had in his reserve talk could get him to take it up again. The psycho logical moment had passed. -When the two got out side, the sales manager turned to the beginner and said: "Now, how do you suppose I lost that sale?" "If you will alloNv a suggestion," said the new sales man, "I should say that if after you had secured his agreement to the special clause, instead of giving him the pen and telling him where to sign, you had drawn the contract to you and asked, 'Now, how shall we route the shipment, Mr. Prospect?' I think he would have come thru." The sales manager who told this story said that the new salesman was undoubtedly right.
21. Mechanical are a number of mechanical tricks which can be worked out as aids in closing and which frequently prove quite effective. There is a very successful salesman in the South who carries an enormous fountain pen that somewhat re sembles a war club. Any writing that a salesman
does is a positive suggestion to the prospect and cre ates a desire, faint tho it may be, on the part of the prospect to write also. This salesman claims, how ever, that the desire to try out that unusual looking pen is well-nigh irresistible. He has no trouble in getting the prospect to take it in his hand and try it out—on the dotted line. It is hard to say how gen erally true this may be; in this particular case there is not the least doubt that the salesman would get big results without any pen at all.
A story is told of a certain salesman who sold a specialty to retailers. He would stand at one of the old-style slanting desks, and after he had told his prospect where to sign would toss his pencil carelessly upon the desk. Immediately it would begin to roll down to the floor, but he would make not the least effort to stop it. What more natural than that the prospect himself should stop it? And lo! there he was with the pencil in his hand and ready to sign.
It should be understood that these are mere tricks, that possibly if they were done the least bit awk wardly they would cheapen the salesman in the 'eye of the prospect. Most high-class salesmen get along very well without them.
No salesman gets along well, however, without strong closing tactics of some sort and without cer tain definite mechanical moves for securing the pros pect's immediate decision. This whole matter of the close may be summed up in one basic principle: make decisions—do not merely expect them.