11. Prospect's participation in sale.—This brings us to the point of the buyer's participation in the sale. The handling of an attractive thing creates not only interest in it, but also a desire to own it or to have it in stock for resale. This is especially true of me chanical devices. There is a fascination for the pros pect in being able to push down the keys of the cash register, have the bell ring, the electric light flash up and the cash drawer open. There is a satisfying click when the lever of an adding machine is pulled down. It is fascinating to put letters thru a fast-runnh4g milometer. It is interesting to be able to type num bers on a typewriter and see the totals appear. The automobile salesman realizes the value of letting the prospect whom Ile has taken for a demonstration ride, sit at the wheel.
Having the prospect handle the commodity is not the only way in which he can be made to participate in the sale. The selling talk should be so phrased as to draw him into conversation and get him to tell some thing about himself. The intelligent use of the in formation thus secured often enables the salesman to close the sale. At each stage of the selling talk, the prospect's agreement with the statements made by the salesman should be secured by the use of direct ques tions calling for an affirmative answer. Most of all, it is well to leave something to the imagination of the prospect in order that he may discover selling points for himself. Very often, a cleverly constructed, sketchy and incomplete presentation will cause the prospect to fill in the gaps by using bis imagination and by asking questions until he has completely sold himself. Or, if this is not easy, he should at least be encouraged to ask questions which will bring about a full statement of all points. Most salesmen talk too much and do not allow their prospects to talk enough. There can be no more effective way to secure the true interest of the prospect than by getting him to partici pate in the presentation.
It must always be borne in mind, however, that the prospect's participation should be pertinent to the stage of the presentation which the salesman has reached. There is constant danger that the talk may become irrelevant. Many a salesman who has called to sell an enthusiastic auditor a loose-leaf ledger or a card system has remained for the afternoon to admire the wonderful systems installed by the auditor who, in explaining them, has led the salesman so far from his subject that he cannot get back to the purpose of his call. The salesman must bear in mind at this
point that he should be dominating the situation and directing the interview. He should direct the partici pation of the prospect in the sale.
12. Securing attention to a varied of the principles laid down here will seem impossible to the jobber's salesman. who probably argue that he carries an extensive and varied line, whereas this talk concerning the securing of attention applies only to the sale of some one specific article. It must be remembered, however. that the ordinary introductory remarks of the jobbing salesman: "I am representing Blank and Blank, and I want to see if I can't interest you in our line," never did much more than pick up a few orders that were waiting around to be taken. The jobbing salesman often weakens his approach by trying to tell his whole story and scatter his talk over every article in his line. The approach here, as in the case of the specialty salesman, should be based upon one specific article. After the jobber's sales man has secured attention to this, the securing of at tention to other articles in his line will be much easier.
13. Trunk lines and sample us discuss now, for a moment, the case of the salesman carrying a "trunk line"—to use the vernacular—a line that in volves the carrying of one or more large trunks of samples. Securing the prospect's attention here, to the whole line at least, involves persuading him to visit the salesman's sample room at the hotel, unless the salesman desires to bring his sample trunks up to the door and can secure the prospect's consent to do so. This is not usually practicable in small towns, because the salesman will want several buyers to see his line, and because there is no space in most small stores where Ile could open his trunks. In the depart ment stores in the larger cities it is not unusual for sample rooms to be provided where the salesman can display his line just as he would in a hotel sample room ; but even in such a case an appointment must be secured.
There are two great advantages in getting the buyer to come to the hotel. First, the opportunities for displaying the line are likely to be better ; and second, the buyer is away from his place of business and there is no possibility of interruption from his employes.