“BUSINESS | BUILDER wu = Handbook of the | || Compton | Service — This MANUAL No. is the Property of F. E. Compton & Company and is issued in the name of The BUSINESS BUILDER A Small Book Dedicated to a Big Idea; Not a Set of Rules for Worshippers of Routine, But a Collection of Principles and Suggestions for the Guidance and Inspiration of a Group of Persons Se- lected for Their Intelligence and Sound- ness of Judgment—A Book for Compton Workers. “@ good man is alwwaps a learner’’.—Latin Proverb “A wise man learns more than his teacher knows’’.—Greek Proverb © Compiled and Edited by S. J. Gillfillan and Ronald Millar F. E. COMPTON & COMPANY Chicago, Illinois Copyright 1925 F. E. Compton & Company By Way of Introduction Hy to Use This Book: | i YHE material in this book springs from two sources: fal (1) thirty years’ experience in the subscription book eee field and (2) a long and careful study of the prin- 4 ciples and practice of salesmanship as applied by other large and successful sales organizations. The value of the material obtained in these two ways has been considerably increased by a certain amount of psychological interpretation. * © This is a brief and somewhat formidable way of saying that it ~has been explained in terms of human nature and common ‘sense. ~ This book has only one end in view—to help all of us to help ourselves. By increasing our efficiency, it will increase Nour revenues. By increasing our revenues, it will increase our _s power and independence. And by increasing these, it will add “to our happiness, which is the end and aim of all life’s activity. So don’t imagine this book is a solemn cut-and-dried manual, handed down from executive branch to sales branch. On the contrary, it is a family document in which we all have an equal interest. Many books and manuals have been written on the art and science of salesmanship, several of them dealing specifically ‘with book salesmanship. But they are for the most part ~ analytical and sermonizing, laying down general theories and “rules, offering suggestions and advice, but failing in the most ‘important department of all—they do not give practical ex- “amples and practical demonstrations. They tell you what N Syou should do and why. But they do not tell you how you “ should do it. iy This book overcomes that defect. It is a practical guide for “practical work. Of course, if we are not to proceed blindly, we must have a clear dnderstanding of the problems of sales- “Ymanship as well as a knowledge of how to solve them, we “\ must grasp the theory as well as the practice. So this book /™ fully explains the problems and theories. But it shows also . the theory put to work. © In using this book, bear in mind the dedication on the title * page. You will find in it no immutable laws, no fixed methods ~~ to bind you. The art of salesmanship is bigger than any code « or system, for it deals directly with human nature, and human “nature can never be encompassed within the limits of a “formula. We do, however, undertake to give rules and 4 % OTE Cri alg PD Nace | aD | By Way of Introduction : + errr eeneteeeereneneenngennteeensennvesveesennsepenentyennneensneensnncnnenennennennsnnnnsnesnnnnssnnnnsnsenansnnnnnsnessnsnsnsnessmesmnaeeeeeessseseeeeesaeesae eee methods, which, if followed intelligently, are sure to bring success In the long run. Your judgment will tell you when to make exceptions and adjustments. You will naturally be able to add invaluable material drawn from your own experience. And this does not mean sales experience only, but general experience with life and with people. You have lived with your eyes open. The surest sign of that is the fact that you have arrived at the place which all people of vision and courage sooner or later reach— the position of independent self-determined work. You will have no difficulty, therefore, in adapting the cases and solu- tions cited in this book to suit your own difficulties. Indeed, you must be sure to do this. Unless you do interpret the contents of this book in terms suited to your own particular needs, you will lose most of the benefit it can bring you. How can you best accomplish this? There is only one sure way. Study and digest the contents thoroughly, so that they become an instinctive part of your sales knowledge. Then you will have no difficulty in applying that knowledge in a natural way to every emergency. The book is not “light reading,” so it is not advisable to plow through it at one sitting. Read it slowly and think hard as youread. Make notes of any ideas that suggest themselves. Underscore with a pencil the points that appeal to you most. Send in to the editors any comments or criticisms that occur to you. If you do not find anything to disagree with, then you are not reacting in a healthy way. No person who is really interested in a question could ever agree with a whole book written on that question by someone else. So give your own opinions free play, but be sure when you disagree to present your opinion to the editors. Only by discussion can criticism become constructive. If the editors cannot justify the point in question, then it will be changed. After you have gone through the book carefully the first time, keep it by you in a handy place and review a little of it every day. Each day’s work brings its special problems. Carry those problems to this book while they are fresh in your mind. By using the index at the end you can find quickly any subject you need. Do these simple things and you will be surprised how much it will add to the joy and profit from your work. Ud The BUSINESS BUILDER > PART ONE The Compton Service I. Salesmanship....... te) RAY 1 II. Educational Salesmanship... 7 III. F. E. Compton & Company. .12 IV. A New Idea in Education. .. .22 Veehne: Makino of6G beh sme Wil. PoE Goesito Presse 33 VII. The Great Success of C.P.E. .37 VIII. The Compton Service........ 41 \ PUN ee Lap: Abe ee a I. Salesmanship OU have a certain amount of energy to invest in life. In return you expect happiness. To different people happiness may seem to mean many different things, but in reality the cause of happiness is the same for everyone. It is called Success. No matter what you seek of life, if you are successful in winning it, you will be happy; if you fail, you will be unhappy. That’s the law of existence and there’s no dodging it. Your choice of what you really want life to give you in return for your investment of energy is something which concerns you alone. Others can’t help you much there. To change your tastes or your ideals to order is impossible. They are YOU. In other words, you can never learn to be happy according to other standards than your own. But you can learn how to use your energy wisely; you can master the machinery of success that will carry you forward to happiness, no matter what road you choose to travel. So this book will not waste words trying to tell you what you ought to think and how you ought to feel. Everything in it will be directed toward helping you to win success just as you are. | What is Salesmanship? The first step toward permanent success in any field of work is to obtain a clear and broad understanding of that field. We are not cogs in a machine, content to roll on from day to day, seeing nothing but the next groove ahead. We want to know exactly what we are doing, how we are doing it, and why we are doing it that way. ‘ Salesmanship—what is it? Do you think it is the business of obtaining money in exchange for goods or services? If you do, your vision is narrow. That is one of the results of salesmanship. But it isn’t salesmanship itself. Salesmanship is the force that gets things done in the world. It is the power of persuasion and leadership. It is teaching in its broadest and most practical sense. It plays a leading part in all the important affairs of humanity. It is the one absolute essential to the real success of any enterprise. A broad statement, you say? All right, here’s a broader one. Every great man since history began owed and con- tinues to owe his greatness to his power of salesmanship. What is the measure of greatness, except the extent to which a man or a woman has affected the course of civilization? Socratés and Napoleon 2 | $l And how has that ever been accomplished, except by leading people to adopt new ideas, new truths, new inventions? And what is that, except salesmanship? Socrates, preaching a new morality on the streets of Athens, was seized and put to death as a disturber. But he had “sold” his ideas to a few friends, including the great Plato who wrote them into a book. That’s why we hear about him today. Leif Ericson discovered America in the 11th century. He didn’t know that his discovery was worth anything. He went home and was forgotten. Columbus rediscovered America, “sold” the discovery to all Europe, and became the greatest of the world’s explorers. Napoleon’s greatest achievement was not the conquest of Europe. It was the conquest of France. He captured the enthusiasm and admiration of his own people—and with that force behind him, the rest was not so difficult. His greatness was his leadership—his salesmanship. The lawyer who argues his case before the court, the doctor who wins the confidence of his patients, the engineer who proves that a Panama Canal can be built, the preacher who persuades people to do good, the teacher who convinces his pupils of the value of knowledge—these are all practicing salesmanship. And unless they are good salesmen, they can’t be good lawyers, doctors, engineers, preachers, or teachers. Because then they won’t get done what they want done. No human being is sufficient unto himself. Sooner or later, all of us depend for our success upon the assistance and co- operation of others. And to persuade or lead others—no matter what the undertaking—requires salesmanship. These conclusions are not based upon tricks of reasoning, evolved to arouse enthusiasm. They are the hardest of hard facts. We do not want to create in ourselves a grandiose and exalted view of our work, which shall stir us up for the moment, but which, when we cool down, leaves emptiness. No, these things are to be thought over and weighed calmly. In that way we shall understand fully and exactly the scope and character of this work of ours, and we shall come to understand that the road to success in salesmanship is the road to success in life. ~ Business Salesmanship—lIf, as we have seen, it is important to understand how the principles involved in salesmanship apply to life in general—how much more essential it is to have a clear grasp of the special part they play in the modern business world! Salesmanship today is the great motive power of all industry and commerce. It is the gigantic dynamo which supplies the ad Salesmanship is Creative 3 energy that turns all the wheels of business. Let it cease its work for an instant, and the whole financial and economic structure would collapse. One example will serve to make this clear. The hugest business enterprise in history was the mobilization of the United States after it entered the World War. Within a few months the vast resources of the country and of its people had to be turned from peace-time enterprises and united into one great war organization. What made that possible? Nothing else except salesman- ship. No law, no ten thousand laws would have done the work. When we first went into the war, the entire nation was opposed to any form of draft or conscription. A few weeks later Congress was able to pass the Draft Act with virtually no opposition. Why? Because the American people had been sold the idea of a citizen army. The Liberty Bond drives, which induced the American people to lend their government the almost unbelievable sum of 21 billions of dollars, were examples of salesmanship in its simplest and most direct form. Because of salesmanship, we gladly went without sugar, without bread, without meat, without heat in public buildings; we consented to surrender cherished rights and privileges as a people in order to make that war financially possible. . The same thing applies to lesser business enterprises. The banker sells to his depositors the idea of safety and con- venience; the manufacturer, seeking a loan to expand his business, sells to the banker the value of this expansion and of the security he has to offer; then the manufacturer has to sell his product to the retailer; and the retailer has to sell it in turn to the consumer. A man seeking a job has to sell his services to his employer; an employer seeking help has to sell the job to the employe. Wherever any real business is being transacted, there you find salesmanship the dom- inating force. Real Salesmanship is Creative—Like all forms of persua- sion and leadership, real business salesmanship always creates something. It gets something done which would not have been done otherwise. It puts up a building, builds a railway, establishes or expands an enterprise, brings the right man and the right work together, or carries knowledge or safety or comfort or pleasure into new fields. It is that creative quality which distinguishes true sales- manship from mere order-taking. The latter consists in sup- plying people with things they are already determined to have. This is a fine and necessary service. But it hasn’t the An Important Difference | 4 elements of leadership or the educational qualities that per- tain to true salesmanship. Salesmanship deals almost entirely with ideas. It consists in implanting new ideas in the minds of people. The taking of orders is nothing but the inevitable result of the new ideas. The Power of Persuasion We have seen that salesmanship and leadership are funda- mentally the same, and that both depend upon the power of persuasion. But what do we mean by “‘persuasion’’? Since it is the cornerstone of salesmanship upon which all of our success must rest, it will be well to have a definite under- standing of this great force. To persuade a person is to influence that person to volun- tary action. This is accomplished by a combined appeal to reason and emotion. In this sense persuasion differs from conviction, which is brought about solely by an appeal to reason and which does not necessarily lead to action. For instance, a man might be persuaded by a physician in whom he had confidence to abandon smoking, without understand- ing any of the reasons why smoking was harmful to him. That would be a matter of faith and not conviction. On the other hand, the same man might be convinced by the physi- cian’s careful reasoning that smoking was harmful, and yet out of weakness or disregard for his health might refuse to abandon it. Since the end of salesmanship is to get something done— to produce action—it follows that we must always ‘have recourse to persuasion, relying upon conviction merely as an auxilliary help. That it is a great help is undeniable; unfor- tunately, true convictions are rare. Being strictly based upon reason, they can be implanted in the minds of those only who have quick perception of the subject in hand and keen intelligence. The average mind is incapable of reaching solid convictions except upon the simplest of matters. How many people understand the principles of insurance sufficiently to have an intelligent conviction regarding the soundness of a life insurance policy? Not one in a hundred of those who buy the policies. And we who are selling educa- tion—if we sold it only to people who are capable of under- standing fully the value of it, our sales would be few, and besides we would be devoting our services to those who need them the least. 4 Of course, reasoning plays a great part in bringing about persuasion, but it is chiefly the reasoning which the prospect carries on independently, not the reasoning which the sales- man might lay out for the prospect. We can never see into The Secret of Persuasion 5 the minds of others clearly or completely enough to map out in advance the course their reason will follow. To attempt to do so is to bring on argument, and it is an ancient truth that argument never convinces or persuades an opponent. In practical affairs argument is never used, except for the benefit of a third party, as when lawyers argue to win decisions from impartial judges or juries. In salesmanship there is no third party, and by the very nature of the case prospects cannot be impartial, for the decisions they are asked to make concern themselves too intimately. All the salesman can do is to use suggestion to start the prospect’s reasoning along certain broad human lines and then to let it take its course, knowing that, in the end, it will always be emotion that leads to action. And emotion, unlike reason, is something in which we all more or less resemble one another—something we can guide and control in others. Methods of Persuasion—We have seen that a sale is a transaction between two people only—the salesman and the prospect—and that no appeal can be made to any third person for a decision. It follows, therefore, that the prospect plays the part of judge and jury. As far as practical results go, the prospect is always right. This is one of the most important principles of practical salesmanship. If we under- stand it thoroughly, it will save us countless mistakes and troubles. . The prospect is always right. This does not mean that the prospect’s attitude is necessarily logical or sincere. It merely means that, no matter what that attitude may be, it is the salesman’s business to take the prospect as he is. The sales- man is not there to criticize or to reform the prospect. He is there for one thing only—to persuade the prospect to favorable action. And, if persuasion fails, it is the salesman and not the prospect who is at fault. In practice, therefore, we should always endeavor to build upon what is already in the prospect’s heart and mind. That is the secret of persuasion. For instance, if our prospect is a school principal, a demonstration based upon educational theories will probably appeal to him. But it would not appeal to the average mother because, despite the real importance of those theories to her, she has no previous knowledge of them. In order to persuade her on such a basis, we would first have to put into her mind an interest in technical educa- tional problems, which would be in itself an independent piece of salesmanship. Far better build upon the more direct interests which we know to be occupying already the minds of average mothers. Learn by Studying Yourself 6 We shall see later on what are the principal interests which can be counted upon in our special line of salesmanship. We shall observe also how these interests must always be linked with certain simple and well-defined emotional motives in order to bring about final persuasion. Here it suffices if we understand the general framework around which all suc- cessful salesmanship is built. The Art of Using Common Sense If you have followed carefully the somewhat theoretical discussion in the foregoing sections, you realize by this time that the primary principles of salesmanship are nothing more than the common sense application to our work of the uni- versal rules which govern all human nature. There is nothing secret or difficult about these principles. In fact, we are instinctively obeying them a hundred times a day, whether we are engaged in making sales or not. The value of knowing these principles in a definite and conscious way is merely so that we can control them and use them more effectively. In this sense, salesmanship differs from most other arts or sciences. It calls for no special technique. To practice it we do not have to learn any difficult formulas or study any intricate rules. Success depends merely upon our doing in a somewhat more perfect and skillful manner the things that we are already doing every time we come in contact with another person whose opinions and actions we wish to influ- ence. In this respect, we may say that salesmanship is the supreme application of common sense. Hence it follows that any intelligent person can master this art. The so-called “born salesman” is merely an individual who is naturally a little more sensitive than the average to the thoughts and feelings of others, who is quicker to catch and adapt himself to the point of view of the person to whom he is talking. This faculty, like the power of memory, grows with practice. If we work hard to get that practice and keep our eyes open, we can all be “born salesmen.” Study yourself—that’s the best way to master the fine art of salesmanship. You come out of a store after making an unexpected purchase—What led you to make that purchase? An advertisement makes a strong appeal to you—Why is that appeal so strong? A public speaker succeeds in influ- encing your opinions—How did he do it? A dozen times a day, you are being “sold” ideas, opinions, or actual goods. Analyze those “sales.’’ Analyze also the attempts at “sales” that failed. You may be sure that in the great majority of cases, the things that affect you will affect others in the same way. a4 II. Educational Salesmanship LL we have said about creative salesmanship in general applies with double force to the special branch in which we are all engaged—educational salesmanship. While it is true that each salesman is always eager to tell outsiders of the importance of his particular work in the world scheme, we believe that any unprejudiced judge will, without hesitation, admit the supremacy of educational sales- manship over all other branches of sales work from the point of view of service rendered. If the service rendered by a university is properly put on a higher plane than the service of a canning factory, then it follows naturally that those who sell education are pursuing a higher calling than those who sell canned goods. All other branches of salesmanship deal with physical needs or luxuries —food, clothing, shelter, insurance against loss of life or property, mechanical conveniences, etc. But the educational salesman deals with intellectual needs. He or she is a dis- tributor of knowledge and of all that knowledge brings in the way of ideals and accomplishments. This kind of work naturally carries with it lasting pride and satisfaction. We need not devote space here to a discussion of educa- tional salesmanship in general, since this will come with greater force and more practical value when we are dealing with the ideals, principles, and procedure of the Compton Service. But there are certain features about the Subscription Book business and its special methods, which each one of us should understand clearly so that no random doubts about the necessity of those methods shall ever assail us. The Strangeness of Books Have you ever held a book in your hand and thought what an amazing thing it is? It is a solid object, with weight and shape and color—just as much as a can of beans or a cake of soap. It has to be manufactured out of raw materials at some cost; it has to be packed up and shipped at so much a pound; and it takes up room on tables and shelves—just like any other kind of merchandise. And yet all these tan- gible things have absolutely nothing to do with the real value of a book. That value is entirely a thing of the mind. The physical qualities are merely conveniences, vehicles, containers, for the real qualities. If, instead of paper and ink, you used lantern 7 The Attitude Toward Books 8 eeEIyeEEEEEOEEEEEEEEE—EEE— slides and phonograph records you would retain without loss all those real qualities. A book is nothing more than a practical instrument for conveying thoughts—like a tele- phone. But there’s this great difference: when you buy tele- phone service, you are buying the use of the instrument; when you buy book service you are buying the use of the thoughts. The fact that books appeal directly to the mind sets them apart from all other forms of merchandise. We must keep this fundamental difference constantly before us if we are to understand the peculiar feeling that people have toward books in general. You can judge the value of an automobile by its speed, power, ease of control, appearance, etc.—qualities which can be easily tested and demonstrated. A food is judged by its taste and nutritive content, both of which can be readily determined by experiment or exact chemical analysis. But there is no simple standard of value for judging a book. What people seek in their reading are such qualities as interest, inspiration, and information, which depend almost entirely upon individual fancies and opinions. In almost any other department of life, people will readily accept the judgment of experts, but in the field of books this has little real weight. Each person instinctively feels himself a competent judge. This is not to be wondered at when you consider the enor- mous variety of printed matter, full of conflicting ideas and information, which the presses of the world turn out. Even the professional critics and experts cannot agree on the good or the bad. While reserving the right of individual judgment, people are nevertheless at a loss before the enormous mass of litera- ture that confronts their choice. Not knowing how to choose, the great majority either follow the whims of fashion, taking any book that is presented as “the latest thing,” or they take refuge in familiar indifference and buy no books at all. Only a small minority find time to select carefully and purchase _ wisely. The Publishing Business Publishing books under these conditions is naturally a business requiring other methods than those which apply to narrower industries. The taste for casual reading is largely taken care of by newspapers and popular magazines. There is no general demand for books as a whole, as there is for automobiles or canned goods. John Smith, the average’ citizen, may buy ten books one year because he happens to run across that many which catch his fancy; but next year John Smith may buy no books at all. Book Selling Methods 9 Publishers who serve the general public, therefore, have to choose one of two courses. They have to cater to the comparatively small number of people who buy quantities of “the latest books;” or they have to confine themselves to certain special types of books of wide and lasting usefulness for which, in turn, they must create a market among the vast majority. The latter method is the one followed by the subscription book publishers. Newcomers in the subscription book field almost always ask the questions: ‘‘Why don’t you sell these books through book stores? ”’ and “If these books are such good books, why do you have to call on people directly and persuade them to buy?” If what we have said in the foregoing paragraphs about the attitude of people toward books has been made clear, you already have a part of the answer to these ques- tions. But there are some additional interesting details. Retail Book Stores Let’s consider some facts about retail book stores. Serving chiefly, as we have seen, a small class of habitual book buyers, these stores are naturally very few in number. In Chicago, for instance, there is only one retail book store to every 30,000 persons. Many communities of fair size have no book store whatever. Even where these stores are fairly plentiful, comparatively few people enter them. So it is apparent that they do not provide a way of reaching directly any large proportion of the population. The owner of the retail book store, like any other mer- chant, buys his stock outright; hence he can afford to order only what he is reasonably sure of selling quickly. The seasonal crop of novels, biographies, essays, travel books, etc., offers a larger and surer profit with less trouble and risk than would be entailed if he tried to build up a trade in more permanent long-lived books. His selling cost is high. No figures have been compiled for the United States, but a recent survey in Canada showed that 29% of the retail price of a book was consumed by selling expenses such as rent, clerk hire, ete. The publisher whose sole market is through the retail book store must manufacture his books at a very low cost. Being unable to predict accurately what will win popular favor, his margin of profit must be very large, so that a few success- ful books (and the really successful ones are always very few) will pay for the many failures. If we add to the publisher’s price, the costs and profits of the retailer, we find that the difference between manufacturing cost and retail price must necessarily be very great. Need for Direct Selling 10 —_—_—=SSS==—S===============[—[==EH™”=—{=[>{>{[{{={={==kK[{[xNa{z=[_a=an»aae=_—— There are certain types of books which are so expensive to prepare and manufacture that they would never be pub-— lished at all if the publishers had to rely upon the limited and uncertain market which retail stores provide, or if their sale was confined to the small number of habitual book buyers. Of these types, the encyclopedia is the extreme example. Requiring the work of numerous editors over a period of years, running into many volumes, and needing the highest quality of paper and binding, the original cost of a good encyclopedia is tremendous. The chapter giving the history of Compton’s Pictured Encyclopedia will be convincing enough on that score. The Subscription Book Business The publisher of such books must be reasonably sure in advance that he will be able to sell a large number of sets, before he can safely undertake their publication. And the only way he can have that reasonable assurance is by con- trolling directly the whole machinery of distribution and sale. He must be able to weach a large number of people with the story of his books and must keep on reaching a large number of people all the time. . If his publication is broad in scope and made for the use of the average man, woman, or child, his potential market is, of course, enormous, for everyone needs and wants that kind of education. But he cannot expect that the public will, without direction or assistance, select his particular books for recognition among the many thousands. He must turn his potential market into an actual market by direct demonstra- tion. In other words, there must be a sales force, specially trained to explain the merits of the work in question, to show the customers how to use it, and to carry on the financial trans- actions in a reliable manner. The members of this sales force must be well educated, for their entire work deals with education; and they must inspire respect and confidence. Such people must be well paid and “protected” in their field, which means that they must not be allowed to compete against one another in the same territory. This explains why retail book stores are usually not permitted by the pub- lishers to sell even the small number of subscription books for which they might find customers, because, if they did so, they would be competing against the regular sales force. This method of book distribution has been followed for years by enterprising publishers, and has proved very effective not only from the business point of view but also as a real service to countless thousands of people, many of Tributes to Book Salesmen Li whom otherwise would never have known the refining and constructive influence of good books. The very efficiency of the method has, of course, prompted a few unscrupulous persons to take advantage of the fact that the public cannot distinguish at a glance good books from bad. But such efforts have usually been short-lived and serve merely to make more conspicuous and appreciated the work of those who devote themselves loyally and honor- ably to this all-important branch of public education. EDITORIAL FROM The Mew Dork Times The book agent is an educator, a literary emissary to a multitude of homes. Some of the most important books that we have are sold by agents. The reason for this is obviously invoiced in the books themselves. A great work of history, for instance, that takes with it a number of recognized names for its authorship, needs somebody, well informed and primed for the purpose, to explain and describe its special aim. It is right here that the book canvasser comes in. The successful publication of some of the best works in our literature is due to his patient persistence as a seller of _books. His actual service in this line, his usefulness in popu- larizing good books is the subject of a recent tribute in a Boston newspaper: : “The leading publishers in the country employ agents for the reason that sets of books, or such as require a large pre- liminary outlay and call for a corresponding risk, cannot be sold in any other way. Audubon solicited subscriptions to enable him to publish his work, now almost priceless. No dictionary, atlas, encyclopedia, or extensive legal, medical, or historical work could be sold in large enough quantities through the book stores. It is well to remember that to the book agent we owe the existence of all of our most valuable works of reference.” EXTRACTS FROM AN EDITORIAL by Dr. Frank Crane We need the book agent because we are prone to neglect books. He does us a real service in calling our attention to our need for food for the mind and character. Every book agent is an advance agent for culture and for better citizen- ship, for education and for the spread of intelligence. The book agent should be honored because he brings to our attention as a rule the very books we need most and neglect most—books that are the real literary foundation of any household. The book agent is a literary specialist. We consult an eye specialist, an ear specialist, or a nerve specialist; why should we not have the advantage of talking with a book specialist before we purchase our literature? When you buy a book of an agent, you get a better idea of what you are buying than you do when you purchase elsewhere, for he is well acquainted with his book and can give you the advance information about it which you desire. III. F. E. Compton & Company r | NHE past is a warrant for the future. A brief history of the founding and development of the House of Compton will help us to understand clearly the course we are following at present and to forecast the development in the years to come. Chandler B. Beach laid the foundation of what is today the House of Compton when he launched “The Student’s Cyclopedia” in Chicago in 1893. Born in 1839 in Ithaca, N. Y., of old New England stock, Mr. Beach had been graduated from Marietta College in 1862, had entered the Union Army, serving in the quartermaster’s department in Baltimore, and had emerged from the war, a penniless young captain. Chicago had attracted him, and he had entered the book field. He had had several small publishing ventures of his own under way, when the great fire of 1871 had thrown him on the world again at the age of 32. Nothing daunted, he had returned to the field as a book agent, handling many different publications, constantly studying people, their wants and needs, and gathering conclusions. At the age uf 52, when most men feel that the best part of their race is run, Mr. Beach had decided to put his experi- ence and his conclusions to the test. Gathering together all he had accumulated and all he could borrow, he had set about to make a new kind of book which should give people what they wanted and needed. Two years later, after untold hardships and difficulties, the first popular reference work published in America came from the press—The Student’s Cyclopedia, in two volumes. What was the idea that animated that earliest venture and which has animated every one of its descendants ever since? Simply this: to put into the hands of American fami- lies books of reasonable price which would contain the essen- tials of knowledge in clear, accurate, and complete form— books that every one could afford to own and that every one could and would use with profit. Mr. Beach had had experi- ence in selling the big encyclopedias then in existence. He knew that they were beyond the purse and beyond the understanding of the average man or woman, and virtually useless to a child. He had seen scores of unreliable and worthless substitutes for encyclopedias offered to the public. He saw that something altogether new was needed to keep pace with the rising tide of science and education. 12 2 « An Extraordinary Life 13 The Student’s won favor at once with educators, and grad- ually the public awakened to the value of the new work. . Success brought many imitators and competition grew keen; but the same insight and ideals of service which had made Mr. Beach a pioneer served to keep him a leader in his field. He kept enlarging and improving his books, year by year, spending large sums on editorial work, obtaining the co- operation of leading authorities in all departments of knowl- edge, keeping the articles up to date, and improving the illus- trations as rapidly as new engraving methods were perfected. A man of rare courtesy, generosity, and personal honor, he established and maintained throughout his organization the highest standards of business practice, demanding of every representative of C. B. Beach & Company fair dealing and truthful representation of the books to the public. Service Brings Fortune The Student’s Cyclopedia became The Student’s Refer- ence Work and then The New Student’s Reference Work, increasing to three, then four, then five, then seven volumes. Within twelve years, Mr. Beach had amassed a fortune, and was ready to retire from the active management of the busi- ness. For his services in the cause of popular education, he was awarded the honorary degree of LL.D. by Marietta College. He became a leader in Chicago business life, being chosen as one of the directors of the Central Trust Company of Illinois, one of the most influential banks in the United States. One more example of extraordinary energy and ability of the man who founded this business: when Charles G. Dawes was appointed in 1921 director of the Federal Budget System with power to reorganize the financing methods of the departments of the United States government, he asked Mr. Beach, then 82 years of age, to come to Washington and lend his advice and assistance. Mr. Beach plunged into the work of one of the bureaus, made a survey, and com- pleted his recommendations ahead of any of the other financial experts. The results he achieved were used as @ model for the remainder of that. gigantic task. From Agent to Owner Let’s go back now to the year 1893, when The Student’s was born. That same year F. E. Compton was graduated from high school at Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., and went to work in a saw mill. This was too monotonous, so he set out on the road canvassing for a specialty house. After three months he worked his way back home on freight trains— Three Failures=One Success 14 broke. It seemed that he could not sell. So he borrowed $200 and went south to Kentucky as an agent for school sup- plies. After several months, he was broke again, proving for the second time that he could not sell. Then, in March - 1894, he learned about The Student’s and joined its selling force. For the first month, he had to borrow money to pay Frank E. Compton his board. It was enough to convince anyone that he could not sell. But this time the boy decided to fight it out on his newly-chosen line. He kept working and studying, and at last broke through the barrier. He earned enough that summer to start in September at the University of Wisconsin, where he planned to prepare himself for a lawyer’s career. Work with The Student’s during holidays and vacations continued to pay his expenses, and his experience in persuading prospects developed the skill that won a place for him on the University Debating Team. By the time he left college, the study and success- ful practice of salesmanship had captured his interest to the a A Ten-Year Battle 15 EOE exclusion of the law. He determined to devote himself to the book business. In a short time he had organized a large crew of college men, undergraduates and graduates, many of them much older than himself. At the head of his forces, he went East and launched an attack on conservative New England. No sooner had he broken down the barriers of conservatism than he encountered fierce and merciless competition from publishers who had been quick to follow the trail blazed by Mr. Beach. In those days the battles of the sales field were fought without gloves, and the experi- ences in this connection of Frank Compton, book agent, would fill a large volume with interesting and valuable reading. Suffice it to say that he fought according to the Beach code, squarely and in the open—fought and won a ten-year battle, ten years made up of working days 14 and 16 hours long. During that whole time he never put his feet under a desk nor leaned back to contemplate past achievements. While managing a crew of 30 to 40 people, he continued to sell books himself, averaging during one strenuous six-months’ period an order a day. In 1905 Mr. Beach called Mr. Compton to the Chicago office and made him general sales manager. Under his direc- tion the business expanded more rapidly than ever. Two years later, when Mr. Beach desired to retire from the active management of the company, Mr. Compton offered to take over the sales rights. Mr. Beach accepted the offer asking nothing but Mr. Compton’s note for the large amount involved. On January 1, 1907, the name of the firm was changed to F. E. Compton & Company, and five years later Mr. Compton bought the manufacturing rights, including the plates and copyrights, and reorganized the company as a corporation. All Men of Experience John M. Compton joined the organization in 1898, getting his first experience as a book salesman in New York City. He made a great success of the work from the very start, later going out ‘‘on the road” and covering territory from Maine to the Mexican border. During the ten years he spent in the field, he established some extraordinary sales’ records, including the great record which still stands unbroken— 53 orders for one week’s work. In 1909, John Compton came to the Chicago office to assist in the management of the business, and when the new company was organized in 1912, he was chosen secretary and later vice-president. On the Road at Sixteen 16 Harry C. Johnson, treasurer of the company, began his book experience at an earlier age probably than any other member of the entire organization. When he was a high school boy, 16 years old, he began selling a business guide (one volume, one dollar) to farmers in western Minnesota. He travelled afoot through the sparsely settled country, tak- ing orders, and sleeping wherever the sun went down. At the end of a few days’ tour, he would return to his starting point, load a buggy with books, and go out to make his deliveries. At the end of his high school course, he worked four years for a manufacturing concern, then decided to study law, John M. Compton entering the University of Wisconsin. There, since it was necessary for him to earn his way through, he joined one of *’ the crews of college men which F. E. Compton, who had graduated ahead of him, was at that time organizing to sell The Student’s Reference Work during the summer months. Broad Business Training 17 When he had completed his University course, Mr. Johnson accepted a position with The Review of Reviews, in the collec- tion and mail order department. His record there brought him an offer from the great publishing house of Doubleday, Page & Company, where he was soon given charge of the Harry C. Johnson entire mail order department and the wholesale subscription book department. He continued there until 1909, when Mr. Compton, who was reorganizing his newly-acquired business, induced him to come to Chicago as general manager. In 1912 he added the duties of treasurer of the company to his work as general manager, and has continued to hold both positions ever since. In the spring of that same year, a young teacher from Indiana University by the name of 8S. J. Gillfillan was teaching school in his home state, when he saw a Compton advertise- ment in an educational journal, asking for summer workers. Going Through the Mill 18 He answered the ‘‘ad,” signed a contract, and did so well that first summer that he never returned to the classroom. For the next two years, he worked in Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Dakotas, and finally went east to New York Ss. J. Gillfillan state, where he became a field organizer, hiring and training beginners. In January, 1915, he came to the Chicago office as general organizer of the field forces. In May of the next year, he launched the Compton house organ, Better Business, and in 1917 he was elected secretary of the company and appointed general sales manager. Something to Remember We give these brief sketches of the history of the company and its officers merely to show you the fund of broad and varied experience which is brought to bear upon the work of directing the policies of the Compton Service. You will notice that every one of the officers of the company ‘‘went through the mill.”” Each of them worked in the field, doing 3 What It Means To You 19 the same things you are doing now, encountering the same problems and difficulties, learning about human nature and educational salesmanship at first hand. In other words, they know the business from top to bottom. If they succeeded more fully than others it wasbecause they found out how to solve the fundamental problems of this work better than others did. They realize, as no inexperi- enced persons could, that the sales force in the field is the most vital part of the entire organization and that nothing must ever be done which tends in the slightest degree to impede its efficiency. They know that unless you in the field succeed for yourselves, the company itself cannot possibly succeed. Bear this in mind, if you are ever tempted to criticize any company policy. Remember, first, that that policy springs from long experience; and, second, that it cannot possibly bring prosperity to the company unless it also brings prosperity to you. The Working Organization You who are in the field are, in a sense, in closer partner- ship with the company than any other workers; and we believe that you can never know too much about your own business. To help you, therefore, to understand the magnitude of this business and the many details that have to be constantly attended to, we give you asummary of the chief departments of F. E. Compton & Company with the work that they do. Editorial Department: The Editorial Department of F. E. Compton & Company is a permanent part of the organization, and consists of the Editor and his staff. This department has charge of preparing the material for each successive edition of C. P. E., making revisions, keeping the work up-to-date, and answering all questions from subscribers or others concerning the contents of the books, etc. This department also edits C. P. N., and in this connection is constantly gathering important and interesting information and valuable pictures from all parts of the world; American and European newspapers and magazines are regularly scanned for news and suggestions and a voluminous correspondence is carried on with authorities and experts in this country and abroad. All the material obtained in this way is carefully filed and indexed. The Editor is Athol E. Rollins, formerly Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and a writer and newspaper man of wide experience. Manufacturing Department: This department has charge of the manufacturing of C. P. E. and C. P. N. It purchases the paper, ink, cloth, etc., that go into the books, and supervises the printing, binding, and packing. The chapter on the making of C. P. E. will give you some idea of the magnitude of this work. This department also supervises the setting up and printing of GC. N. each month. The department is under the general supervision of H. C. Johnson. The History of An Order 20 Sales Department: Everything pertaining to sales and sales promotion comes under this department. This includes the hiring of new solicitors, general field management, the pub- lication of ‘‘Better Business,” and the preparation and printing of all bulletins, circulars, advertisements, sales talks, and manuals. This department is under the direct management of S. J. Gillfillan. School Service Department: While the work of this department is closely coordinated with that of the general Sales Department, it has sole charge of all sales to schools and libraries. For this purpose a separate sales force is employed composed of persons specially familiar with school requirements and purchasing methods in the different states. This department arranges exhibits at all important educational conventions, conducts advertising campaigns in educational journals, and obtains official approvals and endorsements for C. P. E. C. Seymour Jones is manager of this department. Business Department: This department is made up of several branch departments, whose work interlocks so closely that they are grouped under one heading. Included here are the Accounting Department, the Filing Department, the Collection Department, the Stenographic, Dictaphone, and Typing De- partment, the Mailing Department, and the Supply and Ship- ping Departments. These are all under the supervision of Marvin E. Miner, office manager. Perhaps the best way to give you an insight into the work of these departments, connecting it at the same time with your work in the field, will be to trace briefly the history of an order from the time the contract is received at the Chicago office. Suppose Mrs. John Jones gives you an order with first pay- ment and the books are duly delivered to her. The original con- tract, signed by Mrs. Jones and containing the required informa- tion and references filled in by you, is sent to the main office with your manager’s weekly delivery report and your own weekly sales report. Your weekly report goes to the sales department, where it becomes part of the statistical records. The contract and the delivery report go to the accounting department. There, a new account is opened under the name of ‘Mrs. John Jones.” This account is given a very ingenious number, something like this: “TV-CF-2607-243.”’ This number really tells the whole history of that order. It says that the order was the 243d order taken by Solicitor 2607 (that’s you) belonging to the team of Manager F, of Superintendent C’s division, in the year 1924. The information on the contract and delivery report is care- fully checked for dates and the spelling of names, etc. Then it is entered on three different cards. One of these—called the Sub- scriber’s Ledger Account—is the official record which is kept in a fire-proof safe and forms the permanent and final evidence of all payments and charges. The second is the Master Index Card, which is filed in alphabetical order with the cards of all other subscribers. The third card is the Collection Card, which is the current working card, on which is noted all the information about Mrs. Jones, a digest of any correspondence that may take place with her, a current record of all payments, ete. The ‘‘Kick’’ Department 21 —SES>E>E>E>E>E>E»=>__>>=anh™_Iiq~—_—_—_—~]a—_—e—e_——E——e—e—>>l~—l— ou IyIyIyIIIyIyyEeyeyeoe———————__ In addition to this, Mrs. Jones’ name and address is placed on a mailing stencil, and filed in such a way that it will come up ten days before each of her payments is due, so that a state- ment may be sent to her regularly each month. After the state- ment is sent out, the name comes up every ten days until the payment is received. After all the information has been taken from it, the original contract signed by Mrs. Jones is filed with all other contracts in a file divided according to states. The towns are arranged alpha- betically under each state, and the contracts filed alphabetically under each town. In this way we can tell on short notice the number and names of C. P. E. owners in any town or state of the Union. In addition to the subscribers’ accounts, separate accounts are kept for each solicitor, where advances are charged and com- missions credited. To give you an idea of the volume of business transacted by these various departments—the Mailing Department handles so many letters every day that special messenger trucks are em- ployed to carry them to and from the postoffice. The Supply and Shipping Department has charge of sending out all sets of C. P. E. to the various districts and of filling all requisitions from the field for supplies and equipment. Executive Department: We list this department last be- cause its duties extend into all the other departments; to under- stand the scope of its work, you must know the functions of the different branches This department has charge of carrying out and applying in daily practice the executive policies of the company. Here are handled all questions arising in connection with the sales contracts, advances, and commissions of the field force, and problems of territory and inter-departmental juris- diction. It is the court of first appeal in all relations between the sales department and the business department. It passes upon all requisitions for checks, field supplies, etc. It is the bureau where all complaints are sent and all ‘‘kicks’”’ registered. This is the place to come if you have a grievance or a query concerning the financial end of your sales work, always bearing in mind that it sometimes takes time to solve such problems in an organization of this size. The man who has the difficult task of handling the Executive Department is John M. Compton. Importance of Accuracy This may be a good place to emphasize the importance of having all the reports and contracts you send in accurately and completely filled out. We have given vou here only a very brief and superficial survey of the details of the busi- ness, but even so you can guess what havoc can be caused by a carelessly written name or address or the omission of a bit of necessary information. Every question you are asked to answer, every blank you fill out means more work to the office force, and you may be sure that you will never be requested to answer or fill out anything that is not vitally essential to the welfare of the business. IV. A New Idea in Education asked to discuss the spirit of the Compton Service before a group of solicitors. At the close of the dis- cussion, a worker of long experience, who had listened some- what impatiently to the glowing description of the many merits of the work, said: “That’s all very fine and true. But we can’t tell a prospect all that you have told us. In the first place, it would take too long, and besides the average prospect wouldn’t under- stand more than half of it. What we need is some one thing that will convince the prospect quickly and clearly that C.P.E. is really new and different.”’ That was back in the early days, before we had worked out the answer to that all-important question in the form of a standard sales talk, and the speaker was puzzled for a ready reply. Riffing rapidly through the pages of the prospectus for some suggestion, he caught sight of the “Here and There” pages at the front and of the “Fact-Index” pages at the back of the pros. There was the answer in a nut-shell. “Tell the prospect,” he said, “that C.P.E. is the only reference work ever made that could have both of those features attached to it. They sum up the character and spirit of the work. Here you have at the beginning of each volume a section whose titles alone testify to the wealth of fascinating reading you have at your command. And here, at the end, you have the Index with which you can test at once the accuracy and completeness of the work. On the one hand, the books bring you interest and pleasure; on the other hand, quick and exact information on any subject.” Of course, there are many fine points about C.P.E. that are not covered by this thumb-nail summary. Nevertheless, the most important distinguishing feature of the Compton Service always has been and always will be this one great combination it has achieved of pleasure and usefulness. An Entirely New Idea There can be no question about the novelty of the idea. Anyone whose schooling dates back to the World War or before will realize how different were the old educational notions. Far from trying to make knowledge interesting, the text and reference books of those days made of education 22 @):.: of the men who helped to build C.P.E. was once Effect of the World War 23 a stern discipline—the harder a subject, the better the dis- cipline. To say that a book on science or history was “‘popu- lar’? was the same as saying that it was superficial and in- accurate. True, there were a few independent writers who knew how to clothe sound knowledge in attractive garb, but their work did not penetrate the schools or the average American homes. The educators were suspicious of the “attractive garb” and the popular magazines were, for the most part, afraid that their readers would not be interested in “‘sound knowledge.” What did the World War do to change all this? Before the war, there were very few journalists or editors who had a clear and broad understanding of world geography, world history, international affairs, or the progress of science. But these things proved to be intimately associated with the daily news of the great struggle in Europe. In order to present this news to their readers in intelligible form, maga- zines and newspapers were compelled to educate themselves, and thus the new-found knowledge passed into general cir- culation, where, contrary to all expectations, it was received with great enthusiasm and interest. Meanwhile, a sense of new values and of the importance of education in practical affairs penetrated into the class- rooms of the nation. The old system, however successful it may have been with the few pupils who were naturally studious, had left a large proportion of the school graduates in a state of deplorable ignorance. The method of drill and discipline had, furthermore, instilled in these graduates such distaste for learning that they were seldom inclined in later life to add to their stock of general knowledge. The Demand for New Methods Hence there arose a demand for some new system of teaching that would impart in the same length of time to the boys and girls of the land a higher quality and a greater quantity of education than formerly. We need not concern ourselves here with the manner in which the schools have attempted to solve this problem. What interests us is the fact that everyone who thought about the problem at all— parents as well as educators—realized that the home had to play a more important part in education than ever before. Independent work and reading had to be encouraged. To accomplish this, it was absolutely necessary to arouse the children’s own interest and enthusiasm. And this had to be done not merely in a few subjects like Nature Study (in which children have always been more or less interested) but in all the subjects they were expected to study. Right Books Lacking 24 The spirit of this broad policy could not be realized with- out suitable books, and these were lacking. There were many, many varieties of the story-book type, containing odds and ends of interesting information in haphazard arrange- ment—bits of history and biography, fragments of science, selections from literature, ete. Such books were attractive enough, but they tended to exaggerate marvels and to skip over difficulties. Neither complete nor accurate, their ar- rangement, furthermore, made such information as they contained hard to find. There was also the abridged en- cyclopedia (of which The New Student’s Reference Work was still the most successful example), where subjects were explained briefly and in simple language. Works of this type were complete enough and easy to use, but they lacked the necessary inspiration and attractiveness. A Preliminary Experiment It was at this point that the House of Compton took hold of the problem. You may be sure that the decision to scrap the old standbys and to build with new material upon en- tirely new foundations was not a decision made lightly. The Student’s had stood the test of years, had achieved an enormous financial success, and continued to find a large and steady market. When the need for something new first made itself felt, the House of Compton tried out a very costly experiment to see if the problem could not be met by supplementing the older work with a new one, featuring principally fine pictures and story material. This work—we will not mention it by name because the plates were later sold and copies may still be on the market —was to provide the interest and the inspiration, while The Student’s would continue giving the complete, alphabetically arranged information. The two together, it was hoped, would make an attractive home library of all-around usefulness. Many thousands of dollars were spent upon this experi- ment, and the finest talent was employed in working out every detail to the best advantage. But it only served to prove that half-measures were inadequate. The new age was calling for more than the addition of pictures and stories. It wanted the whole of knowledge taken out of its old academic mummy cases and inspired with a new human spirit. Already, before the World War was ended, the idea of a set of books made upon entirely new lines had been dis- cussed, and by January, 1919, the project was under way. The House of Compton knew exactly what it wanted. For a long time its field force had been interviewing more than half a million parents every year. From them we had Building from the Ground Up ZS learned bit by bit the practical and fundamental problems that mothers and fathers face in bringing up their children. We knew the kind of help they needed. But to put all that experience into suitable book form was a formidable task. We had no model to follow, no system already worked out for us. As you may imagine, the vast project of surveying, revaluing, and rearranging the whole structure of knowledge from the point of view of interest and modern usefulness required brains of uncommon breadth and insight. The Beginning of C. P. E. The first man outside the House of Compton who was approached on this subject was Guy Stanton Ford, Dean of the Graduate School and Professor of European History at the University of Minnesota. When he learned the scope of the enterprise, he was highly enthusiastic and embraced eagerly the-offer to supervise the entire work as editor-in- chief. If we had searched the world over, it is doubtful if another man could have been found so competent for the work as Dean Ford. He was already, of course, a noted historian and an experienced educator. But mark his special qualifi- cations! When the United States entered the World War, President Wilson realized how important it was that the public should understand the history of the war and its causes, the international questions at stake, and the charac- ter of the nations involved in it. For the first time, the American people were engaged in a conflict that had its root outside of America’s immediate affairs and interests. If they were to do their part intelligently, they must make as quickly as possible a study of world affairs from the American point of view. A Wonderful Training To carry out this design, there was organized the Division of Civic and Educational Publications, forming a branch of the Committee on Public Information. Dean Ford was appointed director of this great bureau. Under his guidance scores of experts, scholars, research workers, writers and others collaborated to produce the great mass of educa- tional books and pamphlets which were distributed by the government from one end of this country to the other. Fresh from this invaluable experience, full of the new spirit and the new ideas which grew out of the war and which he was in a better position to understand and express than any other man in America, Dean Ford plunged into the making of Compton’s Pictured Encyclopedia. The Right Men for the Work 26 When Dean Ford had accepted the task, he had done so on one condition—that he should be able to obtain the services aS managing editor of Samuel Bannister Harding, former Professor of History at the University of Indiana. Professor Harding had been associated with Dean Ford in war work, where his great knowledge of history, his ability as a writer, and his talent for organization had proved priceless. As the author of numerous excellent and widely used text books, he had had besides a valuable experience in the technical details of editing, printing, and publishing. It was eminently fitting that two historians should be the ones chosen to direct the making of C.P.E., for no other branch of knowledge is so broad and inclusive as history. A man may be a competent scientist and know little about literature, for instance. Or a man may have a remarkable grasp of literature, without understanding science. But a good historian has to know something of all subjects, for all of them—science, literature, geography, law, etc.—play a part in the history of the human race. Dean Ford and Professor Harding soon obtained the co- operation of leading experts in all departments of knowledge. The list of editors in the first volume of C.P.E. bear ample testimony on that point. We have not the space here to go over those names in detail. It is enough to know that each of those departmental and contributing editors did real work for C.P.E. Appreciating the importance of the new enter- prise in the field of education, they threw themselves into it with enthusiasm. How the big idea behind C.P.E. was worked out with their aid and the aid of staff writers, artists, and photog- raphers is told in the next chapter. UE PS V. The Making of C. P. E. ERE’S an astonishing fact that everyone ought to know who has the privilege of owning those ten volumes of C.P.E.—a fact that might never be sus- pected by those who have had no experience in such matters. It would have taken far less time and far less money if we had made the encyclopedia in fifteen volumes instead of keep- ing rt in ten volumes. This applies, of course, only to the editorial cost; the manufacturing cost of additional volumes, including addi- tional paper, printing, and binding, would have been greater and would necessarily have increased the selling price. But so far as the cost of preparing the articles is concerned, it would have been cheaper to have made them longer and to have had more of them. This sounds as if there were a trick in it somewhere; but there isn’t. A famous French writer—a woman by the way —once excused herself at the end of a letter to a friend, saying: “Please pardon this long letter, I did not have time to write a shorter one.” Was this a joke? Not at all. Brevity is the very soul of fine writing. To say the most in the least number of words is the mark of literary excellence. But this kind of writing takes time and talent and lots of hard work. yIt would have been a quick and easy way to make C.P.E., if the editors had accepted without question the articles sent in by the experts and specialists and had used those articles just as they were written. It would have made a much longer encyclopedia as well as a much less interesting one, because men who have devoted their lives to special studies in physics, chemistry, biology, geography, etc., sel- dom know the art of saying the most in the least number of words. Skillful Writers Employed The editorial offices of C.P.E. were opened in the Garland Building, Chicago, in January, 1919, and Dean Ford and Professor Harding went to work. After a careful preliminary survey, the first thing the editors did was to begin engaging a staff of skillful writers—men and women who had had experience in newspaper and magazine work, who knew how to make the most difficult subject clear and the dullest subject interesting. 7h How C.P.E. was Written 28 ‘Then here’s what happened. As fast as the experts and specialists sent in their articles, the staff writers went to work on them. They were rewritten, rearranged, the tech- nical language and involved explanations were translated into clear and simple language, the most interesting facts were brought to the surface, and the most commonplace facts were made to sparkle with a new light. It was the ideal of the Compton editorial staff to make each article a single compact unit, like a short story; to arouse interest with the very first sentence and to keep that interest alive to the very last word; to have each part lead- ing naturally to the next, each bit helping to explain what went before and preparing the way for what followed. Not so Simple as It Seems It would be impossible to give a person unfamiliar with editorial problems an understanding of the tremendous amount of work involved in carrying out this ideal. We have seen with our own eyes one of the Compton writers struggle a whole day to complete a single paragraph— changing a word here, rearranging a sentence there, fighting to make it clear, to get the right ring and swing into the style, to squeeze in just one more little bit of information, and squeeze out just one more drop of waste wording. And when he was through, the result seemed so very, very simple, so easy to read. “Of course,” you would think, “that’s just the way it ought to be written—the natural way. Who would think of writing it any other way?” But to get that “natural” touch, that “easy-to-read” quality into C.P.E. meant months and years of the most grueling labor and the hardest kind of mental effort on the part of men and women whose whole lives had been devoted to writing. Remember, interest had to be obtained without exaggerat- mg any marvels and clearness had to be achieved without dodging any difficulties. Many a long article was completely rewritten four or five times. You see, after the staff writer had recast the expert’s article, it had to go back to the expert again to make sure that nothing had been left out and nothing misinterpreted. You would naturally suppose that the famous specialists would have objected to having their contributions torn apart and written over by our staff workers; and, indeed, it was a delicate matter to handle at first. But as soon as those eminent authorities understood the great purpose of C.P.E. and realized how well it was being carried out, they co- operated enthusiastically. In the end, each article bore two di . The Greatest Secret of All 29 stamps of approval—the stamp of the specialist for ac- curacy, scholarship, and completeness, and the stamp of the skillful writer for clearness and interest. For the first time in the history of reference books, the men who KNEW the facts worked with the men who knew HOW TO TELL the facts. That’s perhaps the greatest single reason which accounts for the difference of C.P.E. In addition to the regular encyclopedic articles, the House of Compton decided to include a bountiful selection of animal stories for little children, stories from mythology and literature, examples of the work of great authors, anec- dotes from the lives of famous men and women, and charac- ter-building talks—all of which enriched the usefulness of C.P.E. and contributed to its many-sided appeal. How C. P. E. Got Its Middle Name There are men in the jungles of India, in remote islands of the South Seas, and in far-away stations of central Africa who knew about C.P.E. long before our next-door neigh- bors. They are the men who happened to own some rare photographs which the House of Compton needed for its new work and which the House of Compton set out to get— and got! Those of you who don’t know the picture game, the fierce struggle and competition for photographs and original draw- ings carried on by newspapers, magazines, book publishers, motion picture services, and private collectors, can’t possi- bly form an idea of what it means to get together such a collection of illustrations as you find in the pages of C.P.E. You think photographs are common. They are—as com- mon as Brownie cameras in drugstore windows. But good photographs—genuine, life-like nature pictures, action pic- tures, close-ups of people in foreign lands, pictures that are clear and mean something—are mighty rare. How did we get so many? First we exhausted the possibilities of the 30 or more well-established picture agencies in this country. Then we got in.touch with the big museums and art galleries, with travellers and lecturers, with big commercial and industrial establishments, and with government bureaus, all of which made a specialty of illustrating nature, or art, or geography, or science, or industry, or some other essential subject. Here, too, we soon ran out of material suited to the Comp- ton standards. Then we went abroad. We found that England was the most fertile field, because Englishmen are great picture Selecting from Half a Million 30 —_—_—_—_—____==_=======—S===—_==SSSSSS=[_==_EE———E_E takers and are constantly travelling to the four corners of the British Empire. So it is natural that thousands of un- usual photographs from every land and clime are constantly finding their way back to the great London collections. Greatest of these, from the educational point of view, was the James Press, Inc. So the House of Compton bought out the James Press, lock, stock, and barrel, and not only imported the entire collection to this country, paying tre- mendous customs duties, but also brought over for two years’ stay the leading picture expert of the James Press, who knew where could be found any picture not already in the collection. Even with this vast collection to draw from, there were hundreds of pictures needed in the C.P.E. plan which were still lacking. So the House of Compton employed photog- raphers to go out and make them—the first of their kind. Examples of these are the series illustrating the important steps in the work of all the great American industries. Artists are Put to Work Then, to carry out the numerous ideas that could not be expressed by photographs, the House of Compton obtained the services of scores of skillful artists, who either joined our art department or worked in close cooperation with it. Drawings and paintings by the hundreds were submitted and passed through the acid test of criticism. Altogether more than half a million good pictures were critically examined in making the selections for C.P.E. In other words, for every picture you see in C.P.E. today, more than sixty good ones were thrown aside as not quite up to standard. You know the results of all this work. There is a picture in C.P.E. for every idea that needs a picture, and there is an idea in every C.P.E. picture. Nowhere did we insert a picture just to look pretty or fill up space. Every picture had to do some real work or it could not hold its job. We have weighed our words carefully and we mean ex- actly what we say when we tell you that no collection of pictures has ever been published in this country or any other country that can equal the collection in C.P.E. Making the Pictures Talk The value of this collection is more than doubled by the text which explains and emphasizes the important details of each picture. This alone took almost a year to prepare, and stands, as the Standard Sales Talk points out, in marked contrast to the usual method of dismissing illustrations with a mere label. The members of the Caption Department, The Final Touch of Perfection 31 who had charge of this work, examined each picture with the utmost care, imagining every question a curious child or an inquiring grownup might want to ask about it. These were then answered as fully as possible. Last of all came the preparation of the Study Outlines and the Fact-Index. Each of these departments of C.P.E. was built along entirely new lines, adapted to the novel character and purpose of the entire ara The Outlines, instead of following the old-type skeleton form containing merely titles of articles and page num- bers, were made readable and informative in themselves. They were enriched, furthermore, with Interest-Questions, classified lists of pictures, and bibliographies. The Wonderful Fact-Index t-I as a distinct Compton4 tion. No enterprise of such scope an variety of usefulness has ever before been carried out in connection with a work of reference. In the first place, it gives page references to every bit of information and to every picture in C.P.E. In the second place, when a subject carries more than one reference, each of them is identified by some word or phrase, so the user knows exactly what detail of the subject he may expect to find on each page indicated. This means that every bit of the wealth of material packed into the first nine volumes is readily available to the user. Nothing is lost through the difficulty of finding it, nor is time wasted hunting through many references and articles for the specific information desired. In addition to these improved index features, the Fact- Index provides the following features which you will find in no other index ever printed: It gives pronunciations and defines unusual words. It locates any city, state, river, lake, mountain, cape, bay, or island you =H ever find mentioned in general reading. It gives areas, populations, chief products, and other important statistics. It con- tains brief biographies of figures in history. It identifies clearly all important characters in litera- ture and mythology. It has ‘‘Who’s Who”’ sketches of prominent men and women of today. This means that the C.P.E. user is given a tremendous amount of additional information of great value which could not otherwise have been included in the limits of ten vol- umes. It means also that he can find quick answers to all ordinary fact-questions right in the index itself, without having to go any further. The One Great Aim 32 The Standard Sales Talk contains practical demonstrations of the value of the Outlines, the Fact-Index, the Picture Text, and other special C.P.E. features. All we need add here is that every one of these features was planned and worked out at great labor and expense for the sole purpose of making C.P.E. supremely attractive, entertaining, and— above all—useful. SUMMING UP (From the Foreword to C.P.E.) In closing three years service as Fditor-in-Chief, I may be permitted a few words of commendation and appre- ciation to all the scholars who have re- sponded promptly and heartily to requests for their aid and cooperation, to the staff of writers, artists, and map-makers who have labored in season and out with zeal and unwavering fidelity to the ideals set at the beginning. And I speak not only for myself but for the whole staff when I say that no group engaged ina similar project has had more consistent and loyal support than we have had from the publishers of this work. They have shared our every purpose as here expressed, and have never counted the cost of any plan or request that would make these volumes more nearly realize this new conception of an educational work, Guy Stanton Ford Editor-in-Chief. VI. C. P. E. Goes to Press ID you know that there is a set of C.P.E. so valuable 1) that it is kept constantly locked up under heavy in- surance in the safety deposit vaults of one of Chi- cago’s largest banks? You would have a hard time reading that set, for it weighs about three tons, the words are all backwards, and the pic- tures don’t look like pictures at all. The pages are all made of lead and zine and copper and nickel. That is the “master” set, the first set of C.P.E. ever made, which cost half a million dollars and nearly four years’ work to produce. On those metal pages, boxed up in the dark bank vault, is recorded all the thought and art and labor of all the editors, specialists, writers, artists, and photographers who worked out the C.P.E. ideal. Those pages are the “pattern plates,’ far too valuable themselves to run the risk of marring and breakage on the printing presses, but used to make the “running plates” with which each successive edition of C.P.E. is printed. When a running plate is broken, a new one can easily be made from the corresponding pattern plate; but if one of the “patterns” should be injured or destroyed, it would be an exceedingly long and costly process to replace it. That’s why they are kept in the bank vault and when one of them has to be taken out, it is handled and protected like so much fine gold. Things That Make a Difference The story of how the articles and pictures for C.P.E. passed from the hands of the editorial department to be transformed into metal plates and how these transformed them in turn into printed pages and bound books is a fas- cinating story which we have not space to relate in detail here. But among the wonder-working processes of modern bookmaking used in producing C.P.E. were some that every member of our sales force should understand, because they gave our books certain exceptionally fine qualities which distinguish them sharply from other reference works. These qualities are often overlooked or taken for granted. Consider, for instance, the general make-up of the pages of C.P.E. What is it that makes them pleasing and attrac- tive to the eye? Compare them to the pages in any other illustrated work you may have at hand. What is responsible 33 Planning Beautiful Pages 34 —EEEIII>>>>>>>>>>>___=_{[={[={x{_—{"[{[aa"anBnBnBnBnBnBhBS—™TX for that marked difference? An expert printer or an expe- rienced artist could tell you at a glance, but very few lay- men would know. That charm is produced by the skillful arrangement and balance of type and pictures on the pages. Of course, the technical quality of pictures has something to do with it, as we shall show later on. But the same pictures and the same type might have been distributed in such a way that all that fine charm would have been lost. Indeed, this would have been the easiest and cheapest way to do it. You will notice, for instance, that most illustrated books have their type and pictures on separate pages. When they do appear together, the pictures run the full width of the page or are cut down to the width of a single column. More- over the pictures are all rectangular in shape. This is done to save the expense and trouble of arranging type around odd-sized or odd-shaped illustrations. But the result is a deadly monotony. Example of Artistic Composition Now look at C.P.E. Consider, for instance, the first page of the “Nature Study” article in your prospectus (p. 2407). The upper picture has lettering on it, done by hand to suit the background in an informal way. The bottom of the picture, instead of being square, fades off to a point on the left-hand side, leading the eye naturally down to the begin- ning of the article, and leaving room for the legend at the right. This legend, instead of being the same width as the type below, is somewhat wider, bridging the gap between the two columns. The lower picture is centered on the page, with the text of the article running snugly around it. The result of all this is that the lettering and the pictures and the type fit together into a pleasing unity of design. The average reader would not be able to analyze as we have done the reasons for his pleasure in that page, but he would feel it none the less, because the rules of artistic composition have their root in the laws of human psychology. The full page of cat pictures (p. 659) is another example of careful and artistic arrangement. Notice how the varied ovals and oblongs lap over and blend one into the other, forming an harmonious and unified page, although it con- sists of six separate pictures. The “Carpenter Bee’’ picture (p. 363) illustrates vividly another principle of make-up. That diagonal arrangement, with the type and legend fit- ting around the illustration, catches the eye immediately. Half of the life and action of that picture would vanish, if it were squared off in an upright position. 2 - Reproducing the Pictures 35 Compare these pages we have mentioned with the ar- rangement of the sample from the “Flower” article (p. 1310). Here we were compelled to place the pictures in “railroad track” formation, so that each numbered paragraph of the text would come under its corresponding illustration. Occa- sionally this sort of make-up is necessary, but it certainly is not attractive or beautiful. Yet this is the wswal way of arranging all pictures in illustrated works. To avoid the commonplace in make-up, to achieve the maximum beauty and attractiveness in the pages of C.P.E. required unusual artistic talent, prolonged labor, and large sums of money. Each page presented separate problems— getting the pictures to suitable shape and size, placing them to the best advantage (always bearing in mind that every picture had to be with the article it illustrated), fitting the type in place, so that articles and paragraphs would not start on the last line nor end on the first line of any column, and so on. The Value of Half-Tone Pictures In connection with the technical quality of the pictures in C.P.E. it is important to know how they compare with the old-style encyclopedia. By technical quality we mean how faithfully they reproduce the original photographs or drawings. Two methods are commonly used for illustrating books today. One is the line etching process, and the other is the half-tone process. We need not go into the details of these processes, except to distinguish their final appearance. The beginning of the article on ‘Literature for Children” in your prospectus (p. 2027) is decorated with a line etching, commonly called a “zine.” You will notice that the picture consists entirely of pure black lines and patches. It is possible by this process to obtain a picture with a certain kind of gray shading by having dots or lines close together. But you cannot repro- duce with it a photograph or a drawing with solid tones. It requires a line drawing. This kind of illustration is a direct descendant of the old wood-cut. It is almost universally used in reference works and illustrated dictionaries. It is the cheapest form of illus- tration, not only because of its original low cost but also because it can be printed on almost any kind of paper. In C.P.E. it was used only for diagrams and decorations. The half-tone process is recognized as the standard for high grade illustrations. The copper plate or “cut” with which such illustrations are printed is produced by a delicate and complicated process, the details of which are fully de- Beauty is Expensive 36 scribed in C.P.E. under the article ‘““Engraving.”’ It is suffi- cient here to point out that half-tones are made up of minute dots, which spread out enough to overlap in the black parts of a picture and which are smaller and with more white space between as the tones shade off into white. The picture of the ‘“‘Eclipse’’ (p. 1075) shows particularly well what deli- cate variations of tone can be reproduced by this method. With a fairly strong magnifying glass, you will be able to see the dots clearly. There are 14,400 of them to the square inch. The cost of a half-tone cut is one-third greater than a zine. Because of the fineness of the dots and the accuracy with which they must register, cuts of the quality used in C.P.E. require a smooth, high-grade paper. You have noticed how many books contain full-page illustrations or ‘plates’? inserted on heavier, smoother paper than the rest of the pages. That is because the half-tone could not be properly printed on the regular paper. Ninety-five per cent of all the illustrations in C. P.E. are half-tones. Sean Detail The Standard’ Sales talk mentions the fact that the paper used in C.P.E. is specially made for us and bears the name “Compton’s English Finish.” Smooth, and yet free from the glare that is so bad for the eyes, the paper is also distin- guished by its rare combination of whiteness and density— you will notice that the printing does not show through on the reverse side of the pages, as is so often the case. The pulp from which it is manufactured is made in Sweden from trees grown in the cold latitudes of Finland and northern Russia, where wood develops a specially long and tough fiber. This pulp is imported and made into paper in a Massachusetts mill, where one great machine does nothing else all the year around except turn out Compton’s English Finish. We could fill another chapter with interesting stories about the manufacture of C.P.E.—the difficulties of get- ting the proper ink, the countless details of printing, how the wonderful color illustrations are reproduced, the many processes gone through i in binding the books, etc. But what we have told you is enough to show how the ideals of qual- ity and usefulness govern the manufacturing end of C.P.E. just as they governed the editorial end. GS VII. The Great Success of C. P. E. N ORDER to understand the amazingly rapid and un- rivalled success of C.P.E. from the very first day of publication, we must remember in what sharp contrast it stood with all other reference books on the market. What was the situation before Compton’s? If you wanted accuracy and completeness, you had to go to one set of books; if you wanted inspiration and interest, you had to seek it in another set; if you desired character-building material, you went to a third; children’s stories were found in a fourth; stories from literature in a fifth; and so on. If the books you bought had good pictures, the text was weak and fragmentary; if the text was good, the pictures were few or of poor quality. To get a complete and well-rounded reference library for your home, you had to buy three or four different sets of books at great expense. And then you would probably dis- cover that one set was too dull to use, another too difficult to understand, another too incomplete to be serviceable, and another too sensational and exaggerated to be reliable. No Wonder It Succeeded! Then, in the midst of this situation, there suddenly ap- peared a set of books which contained in itself alone all of the wealth of material and all of the fine qualities that any- one could seek—accuracy, completeness, interest, countless pictures, character-building talks, stories for little children, stories from literature, tables, statistics, outlines, guides to good reading, etc. Do you wonder that C.P.E. was received. with enthusiasm? The very first glance at C.P.E. revealed its fascination and charm, and the longer it was used the more of its endless. and varied riches came to light. Perhaps the greatest test of all was this: No one before Compton’s ever read the articles in encyclopedias for the pure pleasure of it—not even in the best of the old-style home reference works such as The New Student’s. But in C.P.E. people found that they had bought a set of refer- ence books which turned out to be a whole library of fasci- nating literature. Acclaimed by the Schools The first to grasp the importance of the new publication were the educators of America. It so happened that the 37 The Little Girl and the Scientist 38 very week when the first copies of C.P.E. were coming from the bindery, the Department of Superintendence of the National Education Association was holding its convention in Chicago. In attendance were virtually all of the men and women who were then in the midst of reshaping the educa- tional methods of the public schools from one end of America to the other. The problem-project method, the socialized recitation system, and other devices for adjusting the schools to the needs of the new age were being developed. Everyone was calling urgently for new material to make the new methods effective. C.P.E. seemed to them a direct answer to their call. It would be impossible to exaggerate the enthusiasm with which it was received. From the radical school reformer to the most conservative old-timer, they welcomed it with open arms. They saw that it included all that was sound in the new ideas without sacrificing anything of value in the old. These educators, returning to their homes, carried with them the great news. They wrote hundreds of letters of praise, and the most liberal, unqualified praise came from those school men who had delved deepest and gained the most renown in modern educational work. No other set of books ever won fame so quickly. Enthusiasm in the Homes Equally spontaneous was the enthusiasm aroused in the first homes where C.P.E. was used. The stream of letters began which has continued to flow in to the House of Compton ever since, from mothers, fathers, and children, telling us how attractive, how interesting, how useful they found our books. Think of it! In the same mail we get a letter from a man like Edwin E. Slosson, a noted scientific writer, and one from a 7-year-old school girl, both telling how fascinating they find the books and ‘how much they are helped by them in their work. Can you explain it? Do you know why C.P.E. appeals so universally to young and old alike, why fathers who buy the books for their children end up by reading them themselves? It is a simple secret. The late G. Stanley Hall, one of the most noted writers on psychology and education of this generation, expressed it well when he said: ‘‘No book is good enough for a child which a grown-up person cannot fully enjoy.” There are not two ways of telling the truth—one for children and another for grown-ups. There is only one way—and that is to make every bit of information as International Triumphs 39 clear, accurate, and interesting as possible. That is the way C.P.E. tells the truth. Told that way, it appeals to everyone. No adult would think of claiming that he or she wants things made complicated or dull. And no child really enjoys books that are ‘‘written down” to him, that are trifling and babyish. The only difference that exists is a difference in the kind of facts that people are interested in. A business man may be more interested in the article on Taxation than he is in the article on Turtles, a child may care more about Earthworms than about Economics; but whatever it is that they seek, ’ they each want it told in a straightforward, interesting way —the C.P.E. way. It is amusing to look back now to the prophecies made by several experienced subscription book publishers when C.P.E. first came out. They said that a set of books which cost so much to manufacture could not be made a commercial suc- cess! According to their old standards, we had spent entirely too much money putting quality into the work! Success Spreads to Europe American publishers were not the only ones to recognize the quality of C.P.E. Its fame soon became international. Less than three months after publication, Cassell & Company of London, one of the largest publishing houses in the world, recognizing in C.P.E. an entirely new force in the educational world and one whose value was universal, sought and obtained from the House of Compton the rights to publication in the British Empire. They have since brought out the work as “Cassell’s Book of Knowledge.” It has had an amazing success, eclipsing, according to one authority, all previous records for reference books; and this is in England where competition in this line is stronger, per- haps, than anywhere else in the world. Nor was the enthusi- asm with which the work was received confined to the United Kingdom. It spread to the British colonies and dominions— South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, India, and everywhere the British flag flies. England which for generations had been making encyclo- pedias for Americans took an American-made encyclopedia to educate English children! A year later Italian publishers began to bid for the privilege of translation and publication. Under the regime of Premier Mussolini popular education had received a new impetus in Italy. C.P.E. was exactly what was needed to fill out the program. In the end it was the Casa Editrice A. Mondadori The Test of Time 40 which obtained the contract. There, too, C.P.E. demon- strated once more its universal appeal, winning favor in schools as well as homes. This brief review of the rapid rise of C.P.E. to high success is enough to show how strong is its immediate appeal, how powerfully it attracts people from the very first glance, proving that the House of Compton was right in its analysis of what the modern world wanted. The test of time, the daily use of C.P.E. over a long period in countless homes and schools, proves likewise the solid and lasting value of the work. Promising a great deal on the surface, i delivers in the long run even more than it promises. It is the standard today by which other educational books are judged. WHY HE SUCCEEDED Mr. Maydole, one of the leading ham- mer manufacturers of the world, was tell- . ing how he made his fortune. “Yes,” he said, “for twenty-eight years I have made hammers and nothing but hammers.” “Well,” said the interviewer, “‘you ought to make a pretty good hammer by this time.” ““What? ”’ shouted the nettled million- aire. “I never made a pretty good ham- mer. I make the best hammer there is!” VIII. The Compton Service supplement to C.P.E. in the spring of 1924 produced the combination which has been known ever since as “The Compton Service.”’ And that’s the way we must always think of C.P.E. and C.P.N.—as interlocking departments of a single great service, each helping the other, each making the other much more efficient than it would be alone. For several years prior to the appearance of C.P.N. there . had been encyclopedias on the market which offered their subscribers annual or semi-annual supplements designed to keep the books up to date. These supplements consisted of articles, alphabetically arranged, dealing with the new events in the world’s history. It was intended that these new pages should be kept with the regular set and be used for reference when the need arose. The idea of keeping an encyclopedia up to date was, of course, a very good one and it appealed strongly to many prospects. The only question was whether the obvious method of sending additional pages every so often to sub- scribers was the best way of accomplishing this purpose. How the Old System Worked The House of Compton investigated the whole matter and here is what was discovered: In actual practice very few sub- scribers ever used these annual or semi-annual supplements. They were received, thrust into the bookshelves, and duly forgotten. What could not be found in the regular volumes would seldom be sought through the supplementary ones. The House of Compton was unwilling, merely for the sake of providing one more point for a sales talk, to add a supple- ment to C.P.E. which would not be put to actual profitable use by our subscribers. After long study and consideration of various alternatives, the idea embodied in C.P.N. was worked out. Here we eran fe our subscribers while the new s-still fresh. It is intensely inter- esting in itself, full of wonderful pictures and of entertaining and instructive features in addition to the regular articles on current events. It is read by every member of the family at the time it ts received. Then the copies can be filed away with their yearly index, so that it serves equally well for future reference. “as launching of Compton’s Pictured Newspaper as a 41 A Twofold Purpose 42 In other words, C.P.N. is not only a supplement which keeps C.P.E. up to date just as well as the best of the old-. time supplements could have done, but it has also all the attractiveness and current interest of a fine news-magazine. Homes and schools receive from it 100 per cent service. The ‘‘Service’’ Idea in Sales C.P.N. helps furthermore to stimulate the continued use of C.P.E. on part of subscribers. The Compton Service is thus a complete educational service, providing the great foundation and background of knowledge and continually building on that foundation from day to day. We repeat that it is of the utmost importance to all our salespeople to emphasize this idea of the Compton Service to the prospect. A set of books, no matter how fine they may be, and a newspaper, no matter how interesting, do not carry the same force of appeal as a “‘service.”” The very name carries with it a suggestion of. something new and con- tinually useful. It carries over to the prospect better than any lengthy description could the real purpose of C.P.E. and C.P.N. Uy TINS a The BUSINESS BUILDER a> PeAVR aia LW. The Sale Page IX. Your Mental Attitude. .45 X. Analysis of a Sale...... 51 XLS Preparation==.) 6. 4a. Do OSU AD PLOACI eter 70 XIII. Gaining Attention..... TG XIV. Arousing Interest...... 82 XV. Creating Desire........ 95 XVI. Impelling Action.....108 XVII. Meeting Objections.. .118 IX. Your Mental Attitude E HAVE told you the story of the Compton Service —its origin, its development, and its success. The remainder of this little book will be devoted to discussions of the practical business of selling the Compton Service in the field. We believe that you will find on the succeeding pages directions and suggestions covering every detail of your work. These are the boiled down, concentrated results of many years’ experience with many thousands of: workers like yourself. With this help at hand and your own natural ability, the way lies clear before you. And you may be sure you have plenty of natural ability, else you would never have been selected for this work; the House of Comp- ton cannot afford to build with poor materials. Only one thing remains to determine the measure of your success. And that thing is your own mental attitude toward your work. Ability, knowledge, training, experience won’t make you a success in this work, if your mental attitude is wrong. For the sake of making this important point clear, let us outline an example of each type of mental attitude. Wrong Mental Attitude: Think of yourself as a ‘‘mere book agent.”’ Persuade yourself that people dislike book agents. Imagine that most prospects are annoyed when you call on them. Convince yourself that people are not interested in books and that you have to fight hard and use tricky methods to sell them. Say to yourself that if the Compton Service were really as wonderful as we claim, we wouldn’t have to call on people in their homes and urge them to buy it. Think of your work just as a ‘‘commercial proposition’’ and feel ashamed to use emotional appeals to obtain orders. Believe that you are in this work just for the commissions you get out of it and wish all the time that you knew of some other way of earning the same amount of money. Be always on the defensive. Carry a chip on your shoulder. Imagine that prospects are constantly trying to rebuff you. Persuade yourself that parents hate to have strangers suggest ways of helping their children. Imagine that parents know exactly what they want and what they need and that it is impertinent on your part to offer advice. And finally, as a result of all these wrong-headed notions, be con- vinced that you are belittling yourself when you call on people in their homes, that they have an advantage over you, and that you are in the position of one begging a favor from some one who is better than you are. There you have the complete formula for failure. Of course if you harbored all of these notions at the same time, you wouldn’t even try to work. But any one of them linger- ing around in the back of your mind is enough to cripple your chances. People will take you at your own valuation. You cannot conceal your true feelings enough but what they 45 The Service You Render 46 will be reflected in your manner; and if you feel inferior, you will be treated accordingly. A high-grade bond salesman can behave so that people will think he is a wild-cat promoter; a lawyer can be mis- taken for a shyster; a good doctor can be taken for a quack; and a Compton representative can appear to be a back-door peddler. It all depends upon the presence or absence of pride in their work and self-confidence. Right Mental Attitude: Think of your work as a service and of yourself as an expert in that service. Remember that the kind of service you offer is something that every home needs and that can be obtained in no other way. Bear in mind when you are calling on prospects that you are bringing them something which (whether they realize it immediately or not) is worth far more to them than the money they pay out. Remember how the Compton Service was prepared, with what labor and brainwork on the part of some of the greatest educators in the world. And never forget that the only way all this labor and brainwork can become effective is through you. Realize that nine mothers out of every ten you talk to are as much in need of help and guidance as little children. They may seem very dignified and positive and sure of themselves, but when they face the endless problems con- nected with bringing up children, every last one of them needs help and lots of it. If a mother sometimes appears curt and impatient, remember that she is probably feeling the weight of those very problems. She is the one who needs your help the most. Behave toward your prospects as a good teacher toward her pupils or as a doctor toward his patients. Be tolerant with them, humor them if necessary, but do not give too much weight to the little excuses and objections they raise. Your experience is broader than theirs, your training and education is usually superior, your judgment sounder, and your character stronger. It is your duty to help them make the decision you know is best for them. On the business side, remember that you are an inde- pendent worker. The House of Compton is not paying you wages for hours of work. In a sense it is the prospect who pays you for the expert service you render. Helping her to overcome her ignorance or prejudice or indifference is as much a part of that service as showing her the books and how to use them to the best advantage. This is the real test of your expertness. The more people you help in this way, the greater your reward. Doing, Not Preaching 47 a ‘Remember that no single prospect is essential to your suecess. Give every one the best you have to give. When you have done that, you can do no more. If the prospect still persists in refusing your services, do not get angry or downhearted. She is the loser, not you. There are millions of other prospects awaiting you; but there is only one Comp- ton Service. Be sorry for her and particularly for her chil- dren. But don’t waste any sympathy on yourself. By the law of averages that one failure has brought you one step nearer to your next success. eet: To sum all this up, remember every day of your life that you are engaged in the most honorable profession in the world—you are the missionary of a finer education. You are actually doing what so many good people only talk about— you are actually making the world better and helping boys and girls to grow up into finer and happier men and women. You are not doing it by sitting on committees, or drawing up resolutions, or passing laws, or calling in the police, or preaching to people from on high. You are doing it by going right into homes, talking to mothers, fathers, and children, and making them want the things that mean so much to them. * * And you are not doing this with one hand while the other hand is held out for charity. You are an independent, self- supporting missionary, making the good you do pay its own way, arousing people to self-reliance instead of depend- ence on others. If you know of any other kind of work where so much real public service is given or where the energy you apply goes more directly toward creating happiness, we wish you would tell us what it is. We don’t know of any such work. * * * Think of this and think of it hard. If you have persuaded the mothers of ten, or a hundred, or a thousand children to give those children the advantages you have to offer, then there are ten, or a hundred, or a thousand children upon whose lives you have left a permanent mark for good. They may not remember you, but they will never forget what you brought them. ‘Ten, twenty, fifty years hence there will be men and women in America who will owe the happiness and success they enjoy then to the fact that you once walked up to their parents’ door and rang the bell. Two Great Rules 48 This is an extract from a speech made by J. R. Hamilton before a group of beginners in salesmanship at a sales convention in Chicago in 1924. Mr. Hamilton is a nationally known sales expert. He gives us here a clear and forceful statement of the good salesman’s attitude toward his prospects. | The Salesman's Point of View | By J. R. HAMILTON LEASE fix in your mind, first of all, one thing, namely that any kind of individual selling represents an interview. If you go to your boss for a raise you are going to him for an interview, —you are going to have to talk to him. If you go out for a new job you are going out to an interview. You are going to talk to the person who has the power to hire you. If you are going out to sell something you are going out to hold an interview with somebody. Now, there are only two rules in selling anything—never any more, never any less. And two rules ought not to be hard to remember. I am going to give them to you together and then explain them to you separately afterwards. The two rules of selling are: No. 1.—WNever lose sight of your objective. No. 2.—Dominate the interview or get out. Pin these rules to your skin if you have to, but never lose them. Those two rules will sell anybody anything. Now let us study them. First—Never lose sight of your objective: A woman goes in to her boss to get an increase in salary. That is not a pleasant situation for a boss to meet. If she gets more money, he gets less money—perfectly simple. So, what does he do? Nearly always one of two things. He side- tracks her or he gets mad. As a rule he gets mad. He begins to talk about all the troubles of his business. He begins to complain about the help. Before the girl knows it, she’s mad. She’s probably been working harder than ever in order to get that raise. She begins defending herself, she loses sight of her objective, and she doesn’t get it. Now that girl only went after one thing—she went after money. If she wanted to pick a quarrel she could have picked one any place. If she wanted to listen to flattery she could have gotten that. But what she was after was money, and the moment she lost sight of her objective her opportunity was gone. A salesman goes out to sell something. He meets a cross buyer or a cross prospect. The man tells him he doesn’t want to see any salesmen, that he’s too busy to have his time taken up. The poor salesman is personally insulted. He listens to what the man says, he fights or he cringes—but he doesn’t make the sale. In responding to the mood of the other man he has lost sight of his objective. Stick to Your Objective 49 Not so with the good salesman. He is not interested in what the other man says, or thinks, or does. The other man might just as well be a wooden Indian in front of a cigar store for all he is concerned. His objective is firmly in his mind and concerns only one thing. He is there to sell his merchandise. If he doesn’t sell it he packs up his goods and goes away, and the other man has not even made an impression on his mind. Don’t you see that, if you keep your objective always in mind, your interview becomes a problem which you have set yourself to solve? Your problem is “How can I make this sale?”’ And so long as it remains a problem, it must remain impersonal, because a problem can’t insult you. A problem can’t hurt your feelings. A problem can’t even make you glad except at its solution. All the unsuccessful salesmen and saleswomen in the world are those whose spirits rise and fall with the ill will or the good will of the person they are trying to sell. Now, don’t you see that the ill will or the good will of the person you are trying to sell has nothing to do with the case, except that you set yourself the problem of how to handle the ill will in order to make your sale or how to take advantage of the good will to make your sale? Now for the next rule, and then we’ll see how they go together. First, remember you must never lose sight of your objective. Second, you must dominate the interview. When you go to your boss for a raise, if he started to do the talking you might just as well smile pleasantly and get out; you're through; you’re licked before you start. He is dominating the interview. You aren’t telling him,—he’s telling you.. If you start arguing, you’re also through. No argument on the question of money gets anywhere. It’s worse than arguing on politics or religion. If a salesman starts to sell something and the person who is buying starts to do the talking or starts an argument, the salesman is through. That salesman has to dominate the interview. Now, I am going to say something which may sound like a riddle, but I think it will come clear to you as I go on: You are saying to yourselves right now, “‘How can I be sure of dominat- ing an interview?” So please put this down in your minds, as the tying up of the two rules. The way to dominate an interview is never to lose sight of your objective. That sounds like going in circles, doesn’t it? But let’s see how it works out and how they tie up together. Occasionally you find a prospect who is so full of talk that you can’t do any talking. Now you must let him talk himself out before you can do any talking. You can’t put anything into a full bottle. If you outwait him, your time will come. If you still have your objective in mind, you will then take charge of the interview. If a woman starts to argue with you and you start to argue back, you’ve gone into a debate, and you didn’t come there to It Always Succeeds 50 join a debating society. If you say to her quietly, ‘“Now, madam, what I have to say to you will cover all the objections you are making. Now let me say it first, and then if it doesn’t cover them, I’ll answer any that are left,’ you have taken quiet charge of the interview; you are in control of the situation. Don’t you see that, if you keep your objective absolutely in your mind, you automatically dominate that interview? You are asking your boss for a raise and he gets mad. You don’t get mad in turn—that isn’t your objective. And since it takes two people to make a quarrel and you don’t get mad, he stops being mad. And sooner or later he listens to what you have to say. He’s got to listen if that objective stays firmly in your mind. A salesman goes out to sell a bill of goods. Everything else in the world except the sale of that bill of goods is entirely out of his mind. It doesn’t make any difference what the other man says or does. And sooner or later, by the strangest bit of psychology in the world, the other man comes to realize that it doesn’t make any difference and he begins to listen. My friends, the most overpowering thing in the world is a steadfast objective. It automatically dominates any interview and will get you anything you go after, within the utmost range of possibilities. in W “TI always feel like taking my hat off to a man selling a good book, for he is doing more good than I can do with all my breaching."—Henry Ward Beecher. Ui PS X. Analysis of a Sale N the olden days before money was in general use, a sale consisted simply of a meeting between two people to ex- change goods. One man, let us say, had more bread than he needed, but lacked meat. So he hunted up another man who had a surplus of meat but lacked bread. The two ex- changed on some basis of common agreement—so much bread for so much meat. Some men, doubtless, were shrewder traders than others, but in the main the traders were onan equal basis. Each was a buyer and a seller at the same time. The problem before each was a simple one—a choice between bread and meat. But when money came into use, the character of the whole transaction changed. Money had universal and permanent value. If a man had money, his choice covered the whole range of worldly goods. Unlike the man who only had meat or bread, the man with money possessed something that everybody wanted all the time, something of which nobody ever had too much. In order to induce that man to part with his money he had to be persuaded that the article offered was more desirable than any other article or service he could buy for the same sum. It was no longer a choice between meat and bread. It was a choice between some particular piece of merchandise and everything else the same money might buy. The burden of proof was upon the man who owned the mer- chandise. He became a salesman, the man with money be- came a prospect. The Fundamental Problem We use this illustration to emphasize the fundamental problem which has to be solved in every sale. This is the problem of overcoming the natural reluctance of people to part with money. As long as they keep their money (useless as it is in itself), they can select from an endless variety of desirable things. The minute they make a decision in favor of any one of them, they cut themselves off automatically from all other possible purchases. Now it is natural for the majority of human beings to put off this decision as long as possible—to enjoy the sense of power and choice which unspent money bestows on its pos- sessor. It requires a positive force—the force of salesmanship —to bring about that decision. ol Ready-Made Sales 52 You will remark, of course, that people are constantly spending money without any apparent mental struggle. They go into stores of their own free will and buy food and clothing; they pay rent, purchase tobacco or cosmetics, hire servants, ete.—all without any outward evidence of the pres- sure of salesmanship. But it is there just the same, operating through necessity, habit, or custom. The sale has been made once and for all, and the payments are, so to speak, merely repeating themselves. The people who accept those payments are not acting as salesmen at all—they are merely order takers. The true salesman is the person who induces another to depart from the groove of mere necessity, habit, or custom and make a special and unexpected purchase. If you go into a home and find a mother who has been eagerly waiting for a chance to get the Compton Service, it 1s because someone else has already done the biggest part of your job for you. If this happened very often, we would not need a force of real sales people. We could hire little boys to go around and collect the orders. In other words, there would be no problem requiring brains for its solution. Steps in Solving Problem The solution of any sales problem is divided into six parts: (1) Preparation, (2) Approach, (8) Gaining Attention, (4) Arousing Interest, (5) Creating Desire, (6) Impelling Action. We will explain these steps briefly in this chapter, showing how they fit together and how each is necessary. Then we will discuss each of them in a separate chapter, with detailed suggestions for carrying them out properly in your practical field work. 1. Preparation—This consists in studying your sales problem and the ways to solve it. It includes learning your sales talk and how to use your sales material; finding out all you possibly can about the Compton Service; studying your territory; working up influence; getting advance information about your prospects; planning your interviews; and all the other activities which may precede the actual calls on parents. The importance of this preliminary work is obvious. 2. Approach—This very important step includes every- thing related to your first meeting with the prospect—your mental attitude, your physical bearing, your behavior at the door, your opening remarks, your entrance into the house, sizing up the prospect from her manner and from the appear- ance of her home, and any other details before the actual sales a5 Based on Human Nature 53 talk begins. Fully half of the fate of an interview depends upon the first impression you create on the prospect’s mind during the brief moments we call the “approach.” 3. Gaining Attention—During the approach the pros- pect’s mind has been focused upon you and the general pur- pose of your visit. Your next step is to shift that focus over to the Compton Service in such a way as to gain her undivided attention. Obviously the best sales talk in the world will fall flat if the prospect is only half listening. This step includes everything you say and do after you are seated and before the actual demonstration begins. 4. Arousing Interest—While you may gain attention through your introductory remarks, you cannot hold it unless you arouse the interest of the prospect in the Compton Service. To do this is the purpose of your demonstration with the pages of the prospectus. This step in the saleis intended to fill the prospect’s mind with thoughts of the Compton Service, the character of its articles, the beauty of the pictures, its arrangement, and all the other physical de- tails of the books and newspaper. 5. Creating Desire—While this step must in practice be taken at the same time that interest is aroused, it is quite distinct from the latter. As one writer has put it, you can be interested in an elephant without desiring to own one. In the same way, an interest on the part of the prospect in the pages of the prospectus does not necessarily mean a desire to own the Compton Service. This desire must be created by appeals to the emotions, mixed thoroughly through your entire demonstration. 6. Impelling Action—All the other steps of the sale merely lead up to the point where the prospect can be persuaded to action—that is, to sign the order blank. You can arouse interest and create desire in plenty, yet the natural inertia and reluctance to make a definite decision will hold the pros- pect in check unless pressure is applied. The application of this pressure to complete the sale is known as the Close. As we shall see later, this does not imply that the prospect is urged or compelled to do something against her better judg- ment. On the contrary, the Close is used by the good sales- man to induce the prospect to act at once in accordance with her better judgment. ne These six steps in the making of a sale are founded upon common sense and human nature. All good sales people use them naturally, whether they know them by name or not. Checking Your Own Work 54 Experience and instinct teach them to do that, for at 1s impos- sible to make a sale without taking those steps. However, every sales person who is ambitious for contin- ually greater success must have a conscious and intelligent understanding of these natural divisions. With their aid, you will be able to analyze your own work, pick out your weak- nesses, and overcome them. Perhaps you lack sufficient prep- aration for your sales; maybe your approach is faulty; or your close may need strengthening. By going over your interviews afterward, you will be able to put your finger right on the trouble and remedy it. Ue pT @ UL LLL SS De se so O LONGER do we believe to- day that struggle and diffi- culty and grief add anything to the value of a child’s training and edu- cation. Interest and delight pave the natural way to knowledge. Those children that have to fight so hard for what they get use up their energy in the getting. Make the getting easier and there will be energy and enthusiasm left for the using. F ¢ SMM MM SU se ee ee b ¢ Se Ms TS = = 2 I Le Te TOIL STULL SS LL LLU LLL LSS UE TPIS XI. Preparation “Tf statistical organizations would analyze the reasons for failures among salesmen, in order to show the percentages due to specific causes, failures due to lack of preparation, most salesmen agree, would far outnumber those due to any other single cause.’’—From “Constructive Salesmanship” by John Alford Stevenson. | | NDER the head of Preparation is included everything you learn and everything you do on the outside that may help you to make sales. The quotation above from Mr. Stevenson’s noted book suggests the importance of this phase of sales work. Obviously preparation is not some- thing which you can dispose of once and for all in your first few weeks as a beginner, any more than a doctor, who hopes to rise in his profession, can stop studying and training and preparing for his duties the minute he leaves medical school. Your preparation must go on all the time, or you fall behind. We will discuss the preparation to sell the Compton Service under three heads: (1) General Preparation, which includes all the studying you do and the training you give yourself to increase your personal efficiency, (2) Field Strategy, which covers the plans you make for carrying out your work effec- tively and the steps you take to pave your way in the territory you occupy, and (3) Special Tactics, which includes getting advance information about individual prospects that may help you in your interviews. GENERAL PREPARATION Knowing What You Are Selling: You can never know too much about the Compton Service in all its details. The information contained in the Sales Talk and other sales ma- terial is the minimum without which you cannot start to work. You must grasp every opportunity to extend your knowledge of C. P. E. and C. P. N. beyond that minimum. The informa- tion given in the first part of this book about the history and purpose of the books, how they were made, and the detailed reasons for their success is absolutely essential to real effi- ciency. This background of knowledge will not only be useful in amplifying the material in the Sales Talk, but will create in yourself a feeling of reserve power and confident enthu- siasm. Become familiar with the books themselves, with their general arrangement and the wealth of features which could 55 Learning the Sales Talk 56 ee not be represented in the prospectus. Examine the Outlines and learn how to use the Fact-Index skillfully, so that you can find anything you want at a moment’s notice. See for your- self how C. P. E. answers questions. Read new articles as often as possible, so as to get a constantly renewed taste of the interest in those pages. If any question about the books comes into your mind which you cannot answer, write to the company about it. Don’t remain in doubt. Keep up with C. P. N. and learn its policy and editorial methods. Read each issue carefully and note in your mind the articles that appeal to you the most. These are the ones that you will be able to show to prospects with the most enthusiasm. In general you should have a hundred times more informa- tion about the Compton Service than you are ever called upon to give to any one prospect. Then you will be prepared for any emergency. By being able to answer the unusual ques- tions, by being able to meet the tastes of the unusual pros- pects, you will get those extra orders which make the differ- ence from week to week between the stars and the plodders, The Sales Talk: Learn your Sales Talk until you can say it backwards or forwards. Master the Reserves and the Answers to Objections word for word. Don’t let anybody persuade you to neglect in the slightest degree this part of your preparation. Sometimes workers of long experience will tell you that learning a set sales talk by heart is unnecessary. Yet you will find that every single one of them has done that very thing. Remember what the preface to Section 1 of the Compton Service Sales Talk says: “Sooner or later every person who makes a success of sales- manship has to have a standard sales talk. It may be produced by long months of painful experience during which success is delayed. But the better way is to build it upon the experience of all those who have already done the hard pioneer work.” You are going to standardize some kind of a sales talk for yourself sooner or later. Do you want to standardize a talk that is made up of odds and ends that happen to come to your mind during the stress of work and which become fixed more through force of habit than because of careful choice? Or do you want to build upon the solid foundation of a talk which you know contains all the essentials of your sales message presented clearly and concisely? You may wonder why we find it necessary to urge you to master the Standard Sales Talk, when every beginner is supposed to learn that talk by heart before beginning work in the field. It is because the quick memorizing of that talk in Adapting It To Your Needs 57 KL —— the first few days of training is not enough by itself to fix it permanently in your mind. Time, continued study, and actual practice with it in the field are required to really master it as it should be mastered. Again, we repeat, do not let anybody or anything turn you aside from this purpose. No single thing that you can do could have a greater effect upon your sales efficiericy. Quicker than anything else, it will bring your natural ability into play. It will give you absolute confidence in yourself. You will never be at a loss during an interview. It is a sure protection against falling into bad habits in your selling talk—crudeness of expression, vagueness, exaggerations, negative suggestions, statements which invite argument, and all the other little weaknesses which are likely to creep in unless you are on guard against them. Does this mean that you are expected to recite that sales talk to prospects just as it is written? Certainly not! If you did that, we might as well send out phonograph records from the Chicago office for the prospects to play. That sales talk is like the multiplication table. You learn the multiplication table by heart. But when you want to find out how much 6 times 9 makes, you do not recite the whole table. The answer comes instinctively to the tip of your tongue. You have to learn it all so as to be ready for any problem, but you use only the part each particular problem calls for. In the same way, when you know that sales talk by heart, the answer to any ordinary sales problem will come instinc- tively to the tip of your tongue. You won’t have to stumble around or guess at the solution. But you will use only the part you need. Once you have mastered it as it is written, you can change it and adapt it to your own personality without the danger of overlooking some essential. You can cut down on some por- tions that do not appeal to you so strongly and you can expand other parts to get in additional points. But master it first, as it is. Remember, a scientist does not undertake original research work until he has first mastered what is already known of his science. If he did, it is likely that he would succeed only in “discovering” by painstaking experiment things which were already well known and which might have been his in the first place for the asking. Sales Material: Under this head is included all the equip- ment you carry with you when you call on a prospect and use in the course of your interview. The principal pieces of sales material are the Prospectus, the Letters of Commenda- tion, the Stretcher, and the Order Book. Knowing the Prospectus 7 58 a——ee——E—E—E———————————SESESESESESESESoESESSSSS________ The Prospectus: The most important item in your sales material is the prospectus. It is at once a sample book and a bible from which you choose the texts of your sales sermons. If you use it only as a sample book (which is the tendency of all beginners) you are losing more than half its value. Of course the average prospect will be interested in looking at those brilliant and fascinating pages and in hearing selections from the articles. But that is not enough. You must make those pages talk the language of salesmanship, give them dramatic value. Then only will they carry over their message of service. Remember what it says in the Sales Talk (section 1, para- | graph 30) about the value of the text under the C. P. E. pictures, how it brings out their meaning. You must be able to do the same thing for the pages of the pros. You must know each of those pages, how to find it quickly when you want it, and what its sales points are. Bear in mind that every one of them was selected for some special purpose— to illustrate some desirable feature of the Compton Service. We haven’t the space to indicate here what purpose each page is intended to serve; but a study of them will make that suff- ciently obvious, and will have besides the added merit of allowing you to uncover for yourself additional features, over and above the ones for which the pages were chosen. In practiced hands the pros becomes like an artist’s box of paints, from which you can select the tones and colors to paint in the prospect’s mind a fascinating picture of the Compton Service in actual use in her home. Learn to know your colors. We shall have more to say about how to use them in the chapters on Interest and Desire. Letters of Commendation: A letter of commendation prop- erly used is one of the most persuasive instruments a sales- man can employ. It must, however, be selected to suit the need of the moment. If you want your collection of letters to be a real aid to you in getting more business, you must be thoroughly familiar with it, so you can select at will the kind of letter you want. One of the most successful salesmen ever associated with the House of Compton found it very profit- able to memorize a dozen of the letters he liked best. And he was in the School Service Department where it is generally supposed that commendation letters are not so effective as they are in homes. You will remember that the General Reserve for All Objec- tions given in the Sales Talk (section 3, paragraph 27) calls for the use of suitable letters from subscribers to lead up to the close. This is one of the strongest and most useful parts of Studying This Sales Manual 59 the whole Sales Talk, but its effectiveness depends, of course, upon your ability to produce the right letter at the right time. Read over your letters frequently, classify them in your mind according to the sales appeals they contain or the objections they answer, and you will always have a ready weapon for any emergency. As in the case of the pros, the way to use letters to the best advantage will be discussed in succeeding chapters. The Stretcher: Preparation to use the stretcher effectively requires only that you know how to describe the bindings and answer any questions about them that may arise. The Order Book: You must know the text of the order blanks verbatim. This is a small thing to accomplish, but failure to do so may have unfortunate results. If you stumble over the wording when you read the terms of the order to the prospect, you create an unfavorable impression at a critical time; if you read them incorrectly you lay yourself open to suspicion. *k * * Everything we have said about the prospectus, the letters, etc., applies equally to any other sales material you may carry. You don’t want to freight around a lot of dead weight; you want to get one hundred per cent efficiency out of your equipment; and the way to do that is to understand thoroughly the purpose of each bit of material and how to get it into action smoothly and rapidly. | “The Business Builder”: There is little to add to what is contained in the introduction to this sales manual on the subject of using the manual profitably. We can only empha- size once more the importance of referring to it as often as possible. The first reading will yield you only a small part of its true value. This is not because the discussions and sug- gestions are deep and complicated, but because your own practical experiences in the field will constantly shed new light on the principles contained in these pages. Ideas that may have seemed a little dry and abstract on first reading will be enriched and enlivened. The first reading will probably leave you with little more than the big general landmarks along the road of salesmanship. Around these your subse- quent sales experiences will cluster, still in more or less chaotic form. The next reading will clear them up a little more, and so on indefinitely. The wider your experience, the more the manual will help you—if you give it a chance. “Better Business”: This weekly house organ is published solely for the benefit of the field force. It is intended to give Reading ‘‘Better Business’’ 60 you all the interesting news of the House of Compton that may aid you in your sales work. In its pages the field workers, scattered from coast to coast, find a common meeting ground. It reports the progress of contests, gives accounts of those who do exceptionally fine work from week to week, tells the methods of those who achieve unusual success, and prints articles containing new ideas, practical suggestions, and in- spiration for all concerned. Experience has shown that those who maintain the most consistent high averages are those who read and study “Better Business”’ faithfully. Founded in 1916, this little paper has had a long and varied experience in helping Compton field workers. You may count upon its advice as being sound and written with a sincere desire to help you make a success for yourself. This does not mean that ‘Better Business” holds itself above criticism. Indeed, it welcomes all forms of critical comment; its growth and success depend upon it. It belongs to you and you should do your part to make it what you want by sending any suggestions you may have to the editor. ; Competitors: Part of your general preparation for field work should consist of learning all you can about the publica- tions which compete or try to compete with the Compton Service in the field of home education. In our enthusiasm for C. P. E. and C. P. N. we may sometimes be inclined to scorn the suggestion of competition. But bear in mind that in sales competition you are not dealing with the facts of comparative merit alone, but with zdeas and impressions which may exist in people’s minds. If a prospect thinks of a set of books as competing with C. P. E., that is real competition regardless of the true merit of the books. While we shall deal more fully later with the methods of meeting competition, we want to emphasize here the impor- tance of knowing particularly all the good points of your com- petitor. Examine the books themselves whenever possible and find out their desirable qualities. Those are the qualities you will have to contend with, for, obviously, if the bad qual- ities of a work are uppermost in a prospect’s mind, then that work is not a competitor. FIELD STRATEGY Systematic Work: The first step toward effective field ,, work is to systematize your working methods. Adopt a regu- lar daily schedule and stick to it. There is a tendency among sales people to follow whims and “hunches” about their work. Many of them, particularly after they achieve considerable Planning Your Daily Work 61 efficiency, begin to have “off days,”’ to work only when they “feel just right,”’ to fancy that certain times are favorable or unfavorable. When they get up in the morning they have to consult the temperamental barometer to find out whether they will work little or much that day. Don’t ever let yourself get into that frame of mind. It is the worst possible enemy of success. You may think you are going to make up for lost time, but you never will. You will keep on adding to your “losing account” instead of your savings account. One week you may manage to key yourself up to high pressure, putting in extra long hours, driving hard, and perhaps establishing a new sales record for yourself. But that effort will seem by contrast so enormous to you and the results so unusual, that you will feel entitled to a rest which will more than eat up the surplus you accumulated. There are two practical ways of systematizing your work. One is on the basis of earnings, the other on the basis of time. Time System: This is by far the better method. You adopt a’ rigid schedule of hours—so many hours work every day, regardless of results. As your efficiency grows, your earnings grow—and there is no chance to fall behind. The way to make sure of carrying out such a program is to have a definite time to start work every day and a definite time to quit. Here is a schedule which has proved ideal in practice as a minimum working schedule: 7:00 a. m.—Rise. 7:30 a. m.—Breakfast and reading morning paper.* 8:30 a. m.— Make first morning call. 11:30 a. m.—Make last morning call. 12:00 noon —Lunch. 1:30 p. m.— Make first afternoon call. 4:30 p. m.—Make last afternoon call. 5:30 p. m.—Go over day’s work and put notes in order, attend to correspondence, etc. 6:30 p. m.—Dinner. 11:00 p. m.—Sleep. (*Reading of morning paper ts advised because it tends to get your mind off yourself, broadens your point of view, keeps you in touch with events that may help you in your talks, and generally puts you in the proper spirit for work.) This schedule will insure you at least six hours of actual field work a day. If you finish one interview at 11:30 a. m. or a few minutes before, you will make one more morning call. And the same applies at 4:30 p.m. Those hours are not the hours to quit, but the hours for making your last call. Before going to bed, it is wise to lay out briefly your plans for the next day. Importance of Regularity 62 Earning System: Set yourself a goal covering the minimum amount of money you intend to earn during the year. Divide that sum by 52 and you will know how much you must earn each week. Then find out from your own experience how many calls you have to make to get one order. This is your efficiency average. It will be easy then to figure out how many calls you have to make each week to run your commissions up to the earning quota you have set yourself. Then be sure to make that number every week. The trouble with basing your work on earnings is that on those occasions when you make your quota before the week is over, you will tend to stop work. Then you will have no surplus to make up for those weeks when you fall short, and so your average will suffer. * ik 2% Take this question of regularity very seriously. It is far better for your health and your profits to work six hours each day of the week than to work nine hours one day and three hours the next. It is far better to work 36 hours every week of the month than to work 45 one week and 25 the next. Once you have formed the habit of regular hours of work, you get rid of your mental and physical troubles. Instead of starting out in the morning wondering how long you would better work that day, you know exactly what you are going to do. The struggle vanishes, the uncertainty disappears, and all of your energy is reserved for your real work with prospects. Knowing Your Territory: Many kinds of valuable infor- mation can be obtained by studying the territory where you are working. The fundamental sales problems, arising as they do out of human nature, are very much the same everywhere; but the minor differences which set one locality apart from another can often be turned to your advantage if you become familiar with them. Among the things to know about your territory are these: What are the prevailing industries on which depends the prosperity of the majority of the people in that territory? Which are the chief nationalities represented in the popu- lation? What political party has a majority and are the people as a whole keenly interested in political questions or are they indifferent? Which are the dominating religious faiths? Is the school system modern and progressive? Are the majority of parents satisfied with it or do they criticize wt adversely? Which of the school authorities are popular and which are disliked? a4 The Value of Influence 63 Are the Parent-Teacher Associations strong and active? What other organizations exist which take an active interest ' in educational matters? What famous men and women, if any, were born or live in that territory? What noted historical events took place there? What subscription books have been widely sold in that region? Many other similar questions will occur to you. It is hardly necessary to explain the use that can be made of these various items of information. Your common sense will tell you that, and besides some of the more important points involved are brought out in later chapters. It is enough here to say that you can never know too much about the people in your dis- trict—their occupations, their tastes, their customs, and their beliefs. 9 Influence: Influence in salesmanship consists of the favor- able opinion of others which has the power to move prospects to give their orders. In the general sense all letters of recom- mendation are influence, but what we are concerned with here is the kind of influence which applies particularly to the territory in which you are working—local influence, in other words. The first rule of influence is this: The closer the source of influence is to the prospect, the more powerfully it works. The name of the neighborhood banker has more weight than the name of a downtown banker; the name of the local school principal (provided he is well liked) has more weight than the name of the state superintendent of schools; the name of a wealthy woman who lives in the next block is worth more than the name of a far wealthier woman who lives at the other end of town. The reasons for this are obvious. Opinions quoted from close at hand create a sense of intimate reality. The prospect feels that they apply to her case more exactly than opinions from a distance. They produce also immediate confidence in their genuineness, for the prospect knows that she could easily verify them in person if she desired. Curiously enough, the rule applies right up to the point where you reach the circle of the prospect’s immediate rela- tives, friends, or neighbors—people with whom she fre- quently comes in personal contact. Then you have to be on your guard, for “familiarity often breeds contempt.’’ Some- times a close friend is the best possible influence; but some- times the very opposite is the case. We all know people whom we like very much, but for whose opinions on serious Various Kinds of Influence 64 matters we have no great respect. Between relatives there is occasionally a secret feeling of hostility. Neighbors can be enemies as well as friends. So before using influence of this kind, be sure of your ground. In general, there is no doubt that the best influence of all is a goodly list of names of parent-subscribers in the neighbor- hood. Many of the Compton field workers carry such an “fnfluence list” as part of their regular sales equipment. Ready-Made Influence: You can always obtain through your manager or directly from the company a list of the names and addresses of the people in your territory who already own the Compton Service. You will receive also copies of any specially valuable letters that may have been written by such subscribers—whether school authorities or parents. This influence material must, of course, be read over care- fully, sorted according to districts, and (when it |takes the form of letters), mentally labelled according to the character of its appeal. It will be a source of great help and inspiration to you when you enter a new territory to call upon some of the old Compton subscribers and learn directly from them their opinions of the Service and the many practical uses they have made of-it. Sometimes you can obtain from such subscribers the names of promising prospects. Self-Made Influence: The influence you build yourself is, of course, far better for your purposes than any you receive second-hand. You can speak with greater confidence and carry greater conviction when you are referring to people whose orders you have taken in person. Let this building of influence be a part of every sale you make. As soon as the new subscriber has signed the order, consider her from this point of view. If you have not already obtained the information, find out to what church she be- longs, to what clubs, etc. Enter in your note book anything she may have said that might help you in future interviews. Get the names of other people she is willing to recommend as good prospects. Size up, in general, the probable value of her name as an influence on others in the neighborhood. Never use as influence the name of a parent who has not already subscribed to the Compton Service, no matter how prominent she may be or how sincere her promises for the future. To use such a name is to set an example of hesitation and delay, which many prospects will be quick to imitate. As a general warning on the subject of influence, do not fall into the habit of relying on it too much. Never let it be an essential part of your selling methods, so that you would rd * Information About Prospects 65 feel lost without it. Properly used it can be one of the most powerful reserves, but think of it always as a reserve not as a main selling point. Be careful that you do not lose too much time hunting or building up influence. We have known sales people to mark time for days waiting for some special bit of influence to develop in their territory. This is sacrificing dollars for the sake of pennies. By far the most profitable way to invest your time is in actual interviews with pros- pects. If you will plan your work carefully, you will obtain all the influence you can possibly use incidentally and be- tween calls. SPECIAL TACTICS Information About Prospects: If general information about your territory is valuable, how much more valuable is specific information about individual prospects. The more you know in advance about a person, the easier it will be for you to find a direct method of persuasion. On page 5 of the opening chapter of this manual under the heading ‘‘Methods of Persuasion,” is pointed out the importance of building upon “what is already in the prospect’s heart and mind.” On this principle, the more you know about a prospect the more foundation you have to build upon. Of course, the big important qualities of human nature which are shared more or less alike by all people give you the outline of your foun- dation, but the smaller details which distinguish one prospect from another will help you materially in shaping your course. All information is worth while, but we will list examples of the types that are most valuable and which can be obtained in the ordinary course of your work: Correct name of prospect. Number of children, with names, ages, and school grades. What school do they attend? Are children bright or backward? Religion of prospect; social or club activities. Does the family own an automobile? Is there a radio in the house? . Have they a good library? Husband s occupation, including estimate of income. Is the family extravagant or economical? Are they friendly with their neighbors or do they keep to themselves? Is there now or has there been recently serious tllness in the family? Are the parents very strict with their children or otherwise? Any special interests or hobbies? General estimate of the prospect’s character and disposition. How to Get Information 66 Many other items of worth-while information will occur to you. It is not necessary to point out here the evident appli- cation to your sales work of this kind of advance knowledge. Some of it will guide you in meeting objections (a knowledge of the prospect’s financial standing, for instance, will tell you how much weight to give to the “I-can’t-afford-it’’ objection) ; some of it, casually referred to during your interview, will make the prospect feel that you have taken a special interest in her needs and problems; some of it will help you to select the material from the pros most likely to appeal, and so on. Sources of Information: Beginners are usually very much puzzled about how to get the information they want. Yet nothing could be simpler. The love of gossip is almost uni- versal. People not only like to talk about themselves, but they like to talk about their neighbors. If you are a little tactful and seem not too eager nor make too much of a formality of it, people will tell you almost anything you want to know about other people of the neighborhood. When you first go into a new district, you can find out from the neighborhood druggist the names of some of the oldest residents nearby. Tell him frankly that you want to find someone who has lived there long enough to be able to tell you the families that have children of school age. Choose preferably as a first source of information a home where there are no children. Go there, ask if there are children in the house, and, upon being told there are not, say that you are calling on the mothers of children and suggest that there are possibly some next door. In most cases this will start the ball rolling. The person you are talking to will volunteer the infor- mation you need. If not, you can get at it by indirect ques- tions, as indicated by the following dialogue: Question: ‘“That’s Mrs. Carter’s home, isn’t it?”’ Answer: “‘No, there’s a Mrs. Carter lives in the next block. That’s Mrs. Simpson’s house.’’ Question: ‘Well, is it Mr. Simpson who is in the coal business?” Answer: “No, he’s manager of the Smith shoe factory. Mr. Rollins, who lives in that house over there, is in the coal business.” Question: ‘‘Well, I seem to be on the wrong side of the street. Let me see if I can get this right. Who lives there?”’ (pointing across the street and consulting note book, writing down information as it is given.) Answer: ‘“That’s Mrs. Green’s house . . .” etc. Once you get this kind of dialogue well under way, you can ask any direct question you choose without creating surprise. Planning the Interview 67 Once you have picked out in this way two or three good prospects to call on, your troubles are at an end, for they will give you all the additional information you need. People who have given you an order naturally feel friendly and will be glad to help you in this way to spread the good work. People who have refused you an order will usually be eager to make up for their refusal by cheerful answers to your questions. In this way you can always keep your information a few steps ahead of your calls. We print on page 68 a sample from a note book, showing how you can jot down rapidly and in a small space a great amount of information. The final step in preparation is to plan the manner in which you will use the information you have obtained in your inter- view. This should be done as far as possible before you call on each prospect. Just as the matter of getting information will become easier and easier with practice,so the planning of interviews based on that information will come to be a matter of habit, after you have done it for a little while. To be sure, you will be tempted to leave such things to chance and the inspiration of the moment. But resist this temptation with all the power at your command. The luckiest people are always those who trust as little to luck as possible. The succeeding chapters dealing with the actual work of the interview will show how information is used in making sales, and these will be a guide to you in laying your plans. A salesman Led without a plan is like a ship By without a rudder A GOOD WAY TO TAKE FIELD NOTES A.G.SritkK- PTA Qeoke We- Chair, a teath 93 - 3-2 Rawk Cackiar - '° OttequaZauk w Cocirtae, 2-3. Dab erp ie (Sug) nn. IA gone ; 3 ‘ put wreved a - ko tifo, hdamiclyaum - no child , Se Ce RP WP ep es Feta Oy Trang '3/a yp : PRefale'nCeal Co, Wea. - 0 5 ery) “Oe be ere aeckr. euqimser—. Presd HM. O-.Schnruiak : OS '*/6- Hewry Fy €.m™ Mow fan - widow ex x T+ Piely Wy - rue ued. Sorterannetyaane ct “4 %- - Goed prorpeet - S20 (alk Wu. ian aduce, og AeA casas win 4 Pals fiat f- Wicte Rack 2 e and Ofrcnate_ roe aut hig st Pr, F. TF. SXeele. . Bortrude MY; tron "/ lu. s, © CUA Wencan -cAauTea, Lladuyo 7/3 are -Sernsu, ¢ . . (ac ween ieowiee onekocok in, eae HIS is a sample page from a field notebook, showing one of the most convenient ways of jotting down advance information about prospects. Drawing a diagram of the streets and houses is far better than listing the names by street numbers. Numbers on houses are often hard to find. Neighbors can point out houses and tell you who lives in them, but rarely can they give you the exact’ street number. With the diagram you do not need the numbers, you have the relative position of the houses as an unfailing guide. On the next page the method of notation used here is explained. 68 THE VALUE OF A NOTEBOOK (NSO NOTEBOOK is a part of the essential equipment of every enterprising salesman. Do not let it be too small—-not less than three by five inches—otherwise your writing will tend to be cramped and hard to read. Neither should it be thick and cum- bersome. It is better to get thin, inexpensive books and replace them frequently than to try to carry around a bulky one that is hard to handle and gets ragged and torn through long use. Form the habit of putting everything down into your notebook that you want to remember—little sales stories, information about future prospects, your personal sales records, ete. If you have not already acquired this habit, you will find you can quickly work out for yourself a system of symbols and abbreviations that will enable you to set down very rapidly a tremendous amount of information in small space. The opposite page illustrates the kind of information you are likely to gather about future prospects and shows some of the simpler methods of abbreviation. In practice, of course, you can abbreviate much more than is done there. Here’s how those notes read, starting in the upper left hand corner and going down one side and then down the other. No children; apartment house. Mrs. A.G.Smith; member of Parent- Teacher Association; has three chil- dren—John, 11 years old, 6th grade; Elizabeth, 9, 3rd grade; girl baby, 2 years old; husband is a bank cashier; family belongs to the Methodist church; owns Cadillac automobile. Mrs. children. Mrs. John Stillman; 2 children— Robert, 8, 3rd grade; Mary, 13, 8th grade; husband is manager of a coal company; she’s interested in books and has a good library. Mrs. William B. Campbell is a former teacher, married two years ago to an electrical engineer, has one small child, and is a Presbyterian. Green, a widow with no E. M. Hooper is a widower; a house- keeper looks after his only child, Billy, who is 9 but only in the 3rd grade—a wild youngster; the father is eager to do all he can to help Billy overcome the disadvantage of not having a mother to look after him; can see him only in the evenings. Miss Richards, a spinster, living on the first floor of the two-flat building, is a good source of information about the neighbors. Dr. F. B. Steele lives on the corner next the vacant house; Gertrude, 14, is in first year high school, Frank is a very bright boy, 11 years old but already in the 7th grade; Mrs. Steele is a clubwoman, interested in charities keeps a servant. P. T. Smith lives diagonally across from his brother, A. G. Smith; has four children; get more information before calling. Two families with children live in the apartment building across from Smith’s. Mrs. M. E. Nolan is in the third floor apartment of the north end; a Catholic, with one boy; hus- band an accountant who is active in politics. Mrs. J. B. Santley, second floor, south end, has one boy; husband a bond salesman. The people next door have just moved in, no information available except they have three children. Mrs. H. O. Schmidt is a good pros- pect, for her husband is a thrifty Ger- man restaurant keeper who realizes the value of education; but there has been recent illness in the family and they are close in money matters; care- ful salesmanship will bring an order. Two vacant lots next to Schmidt’s. Mrs. Pettengill has social aspira- tions; her husband is a prosperous fur- niture man and a deacon in the Bap- tist church. Judge Garvey, across the street, is bringing up an orphaned grandchild; he is well-known and highly respected; if he becomes a subscriber, it will help to get other orders in the neighbor- hood. 69 XII. Approach Whe will read in the textbooks on salesmanship that most sales are won or lost in the first five minutes of the interview. As far as our work is concerned, this statement is an exaggeration. It applies chiefly to the problem of selling to business men, who are so often approached by salesmen that, when a newcomer appears, they instinctively decide in the first few minutes whether it is worth while to listen to him or whether to devise some quick way of excusing themselves. In such cases, of course, the method of approach is all-important. In calling upon people in their homes this initial part of the interview is not critical to the same degree. Nevertheless, it is of tremendous importance. If the first impressions the prospect receives are favorable, the chances of being able to guide the interview to a successful close are enormously increased. It is gratifying to know, therefore, that there is no part of the entire sale where experience, coupled with a little thought, can bring such rapid improve- ment as in this matter of the approach. Beginners in salesmanship are always inclined to feel some- what timid and uncertain about this first meeting with a prospect. They fancy the situation is unlike anything they have encountered before. They grope around in their own minds or consult others hoping to find some special “‘method”’ of bridging the gap they imagine exists between the moment when the prospect first appears and the time when they are comfortably seated and beginning their sales talk. In other words, they start out with a wrong idea of this part of the sales problem, they magnify its difficulties, and hope to find some trick to solve them. In reality the whole thing is exceedingly simple and commonplace. It does not differ essentially from any other meeting between strangers. When you meet someone you have never seen before, what happens? Your mind is crowded with quick impressions. You instinctively size up the other person, seeking rapidly for a clue to some point of contact that will enable you to open the conversation in a suitable manner. All this is the work of an instant. If you know that the other person has sought you out for some special purpose (as is the case when a Caller comes to your door) your attitude is one of curiosity. You wait for the word or expression that will give you some indication of that purpose. You don’t expect a full and com- 70 ed Reception Depends on You 71 plete explanation right off. All you seek is enough of a hint so you can guess whether the interview promises to be pleasant or unpleasant, whether to welcome the caller or be distant. And what is it that determines your attitude, nine times out of ten? The caller’s expression and manner and tone of voice more than any particular thing she may say. If she seems pleased and happy in expectation of the interview she has sought, you will be inclined to welcome her. Which is another way of saying that your attitude will instinctively be based on her attitude. The same thing reversed applies to the opening of your interview with a prospect. This thought is not new. It is as old as the ancient Greek philosophers. People will take you at your own valuation. Their first attitude toward you will be the direct product of your own attitude toward yourself. They will judge the importance of your message by the importance you place on vt yourself. That is all they have to go by. Until they learn more about your message from your own lips, they can’t possibly have any other basis of judgment than the one which is reflected by your manner. If you are enthusiastic, they will be interested. If you are sincere, they will have confidence. The first step of the approach then depends for its success not so much on what you say nor on the kind of prospect you have before you, as upon your own mental attitude. In this connection, it might be well to read again Chapter IX of this manual. Once you have the right attitude of mind toward your work, the approach problem is solved, provided you do not conceal that attitude behind a false personality. To indicate what this means, we cannot do better than reprint an article which appeared in ‘‘Better Business” on June 25, 1928. | Personality oe Br YOURSELF! The bugbear of “personality’”’ often stands in the road to suc- cessful salesmanship and holds up the traffic. People talk about it as if it were some mysterious quality sent down from heaven toa chosen few. You will find men and women of some experience who will tell you gravely that unless you can acquire the magic “nersonality”’ you are doomed to failure as a persuader of pros- pects. This is sheer nonsense, rubbish, and hocus-pocus. The “pep” literature of the day is filled with stories of the geniuses of salesmanship who go out and put the crusher of their Avoid Pose; Acquire Poise 72 personality on the hardest filberts of finance and come away with million-dollar orders. Bunk, twaddle, and trash! Anyone who has reached the age of reason and who possesses courage and character enough to order a meal in a restaurant has personality to burn. Indeed, the danger lies in emphasizing personality too much, instead of subduing it. Many a salesman spoils a sale by letting his personality stand between his proposition and the prospect. The attention of the prospect is focused entirely on the manners and appearance of the salesman, and, even if those manners and that appearance are entirely pleasing, the result is bad from the point of view of getting action on the proposition. * * * Tue WHOLE ANSWER to the personality problem is this: Don’t be self-conscious and don’t try to play a part which does not come naturally to you. Be yourself! And then forget yourself! Be yourself! That means to do the things that come naturally to you. If you are not the type that smiles quickly and easily, you will only create a false and hollow impression when you spread a Cheshire cat grin on your countenance. Of course, it is always an advantage to look pleasant, but the only convincing way of looking pleasant is first to feel pleasant. If your natural manner is reserved, then reserve is your strongest asset. If your natural manner is cordial and friendly, then cordiality and friendliness are your greatest assets. That doesn’t mean that we should all start to psycho-analyze ourselves, or have the bumps on our heads measured, or lie awake nights worrying what really is our true nature. On the contrary, the best way to be ourselves is to leave ourselves alone. Forget yourself! Self-consciousness comes from wondering what the prospect is thinking about you. Don’t do it! Turn your mind’s eye outward, not inward. Focus your attention upon the prospect, not upon yourself. In that way you avoid pose and acquire poise. * * * A NEWSPAPER MAN once told us of a trick he had developed for overcoming the acute attacks of self-consciousness of which he was often the victim. His business frequently required him to conduct very painful and embarrassing inter- views, investigating scandals, crimes, and political secrets. He had to go into places where he was most unwelcome and question people whose attitude was hostile. And, although known as a skillful and enterprising reporter, he admitted to his close friends that he had always suffered keenly from self-conscious embarrass- ment until he hit upon the following plan: Before entering a house or an office where he was not expected, he would make up his mind to notice carefully and fix in his ed A Valuable Plan of Approach 73 mind the characteristics of the place he was about to enter and of the people he was about to meet. He would, for instance, note whether there were rugs or carpets on the floors, what kind of pictures were on the walls, exactly what was lying on the tables. He would estimate the age of the first person that came to meet him, observe the color of eyes and hair, the kind of clothing and shoes worn, etc. He said that he first did this without any purpose whatever except to keep his consciousness off himself, and that it worked like magic. Soon, however, he found that this kind of close ob- servation became a matter of habit and that it often gave him valuable hints about the people he had to deal with. He believed also that it gave him a calmness and deliberation of manner which prevented him from dashing into his interview too hastily and which impressed people with the importance of his errand. There is no reason why the same thing would not banish self- consciousness from those of us who are inclined that way in our work. * * * Rememser, the average prospect is far more embarrassed than you are when she opens the door and sees a well-dressed and courteous stranger on the threshold. What you may think is coldness and unfriendliness in her manner is, nine times out of ten, nothing more than shyness and doubt as to how she should behave and what she should say. Bear that in mind, and bear in mind also that if you put her at her ease by your own easy and natural manner of approach, she will instinctively feel grateful toward you and will listen gladly to anything you have to say. The Standard Sales Talk gives the opening words of a standard approach, which will be serviceable in the great majority of cases. You will alter this, of course, to suit any circumstances that may arise. The newspaper man’s system mentioned above of observing closely from the moment the door opens is an absolute necessity for the highest degree of success. Often the appearance of the prospect will give you a clue for some of your opening remarks. You can usually tell if she has been lying down, or working about the house, or preparing to go out. If, after greeting her and telling your name, you can say to her, for instance, ‘I see you are ready to go out,”’ before she gives you that information herself, you not only break the force of her objection but also convince her you are considerate. She will be more willing then to give you an interview, feeling that you will probably make it as brief as possible. Friendly relations will likewise be Some Indirect Suggestions 74 established by such remarks as “I hope I didn’t wake you from a nap,” or “I hope my ring didn’t interrupt you in the middle of your work.” She will usually protest with some such remark as “Oh, that’s all right’”’ or “I don’t mind a bit” and your way at once becomes smooth. Any remarks of this same type which tend to throw the prospect’s mind back upon herself and her affairs are valuable. Another type of remark that is very helpful in this connection is the type that suggests indirectly the idea of inviting you in at once. Unusually hot or cold weather, rain or snow provide such opportunities. For example: / “This is a good day to be in a cool house; the heat is terrible.” / “T’d better come in; you'll freeze if I keep you standing here.” / “Isn’t this rain terrible; it’s nice to get away from it for a . moment.” One young saleswoman found that on damp or dusty days, the simple act of wiping her feet on the door mat or using the foot scraper worked as an almost unfailing suggestion. Any little gesture such as people naturally make when coming into a house from outdoors is effective—loosening a wrap for ex- ample, looking down as if you were about to step forward and were afraid of stumbling on the threshold, or simply looking beyond the prospect at the interior of the house. Good sales people learn to do such things instinctively at every call, so that they are perfectly natural about it. It is always best to make your entrance in this simple and - direct way rather than to offer explanations of your visit at the door. And if your manner indicates in a courteous way that you expect to enter before stating the purpose of your call, you will, in most cases, be admitted at once. But occasionally a prospect will hesitate or ask you outright the nature of your errand. Then you will tell her as indicated in the Sales Talk. If you have been sent to see her by someone else, it is always best not to mention that fact until you begin your actual sales talk. Do not use it to get the interview. It tends to set the prospect’s mind wondering about the other person. The force of that influence will be far greater if it comes after the prospect knows more definitely the purpose of your visit. The Standard Sales Talk describes the general course to follow after you have entered the house, the seating arrange- ment, etc. We need to add here only that this brief period of the approach should be used to get by observation all the additional information you can to help you in your interview. Sizing Up Your Prospects 75 Pictures on the walls, books, magazines, toys that may be lying around on the floor—all such things can tell you a great ‘deal that you may not know already about the tastes, culture, religion, family life, habits, or financial standing of the pros- pect. You may not realize to what an extent a little practice can develop your ‘‘detective”’ faculties along these lines. Observe also the manner of your prospect and determine to what type she belongs. This does not mean that you must study the so-called science of character analysis or try to classify people by the color of the hair or the shape of the head. All you need do is to apply the common-sense methods of judging people so as to adapt yourself to them. Here is an example of one method of classification with the policies recommended for each type. Cautious Type: Mind works slowly, is skeptical and sus- picious, wants to reason things out; speak slowly and calmly, pick out a few solid points and drive them home, emphasize by repetition, do not become too enthusiastic, avoid any statement that might sound lke exaggeration, concentrate on building confidence. Flighty Type: Agrees with you too easily, indifferent, can’t or won’t concentrate attention, poor reasoner; speak in a clean-cut, decided way, don’t devote much time to demon- stration, disregard objections entirely, make simple, emotional appeals, and close hard. Clever Dynamic Type: Mind works very rapidly, atten- tive, quick to grasp points made, impatient, reaches decisions suddenly; speak quickly and to the point, don’t repeat or elab- orate details, avoid any form of argument, meet objections squarely but briefly, close on basis of service. Self-Satisfied Type: Knows it all, wants to do most of the talking, no sense of humor, sensitive; cater to her whims, let her express herself, appeal to pride and vanity, don’t argue, avoid humorous appeals, be very agreeable, use suggestion, take order for granted in closing. Irritable Type: Seems abrupt and discourteous, contra- dicts flatly, looks for an argument, admires courage and determination; be calm and cool, don’t let her bluff you, meet arguments in a firm and decided way, use some indirect closing method such as the one in “‘General Reserve for All Objections” (paragraph 27, section 3, Standard Sales Talk). Many other types could be listed. These we select here are merely by way of suggestion. There is nothing hard and fast about the types or the manner of handling them. You will possibly use an entirely different method of classifying pros- Start on the Right Track 76 pects, based on your own temperament and experience. That is perfectly right and proper. Human nature cannot be handled by rigid rules. The point we want to emphasize particularly here is the need for gauging your prospects as soon as possible in your interview so that you may start on the right track immediately. The rarest fruit hangs high; Its flavor is for those only Who have the courage to climb, The strength to hang on, The steadiness to keep their balance, When weaker heads grow dizzy. XIII. Gaining Attention HE purpose in the Approach, as we showed in the last chapter, is to obtain a favorable. audience from the prospect—to put the prospect at ease and prepare her to listen to your sales talk. You have not told her any details of your mission, but she is satisfied that you have something of importance to say to her. Her curiosity is more or less aroused and her mind is open and awaiting the first definite statement of your purpose. She may guess the general purpose of your visit; she may even know that you have come to talk about the Compton Service; and she may have reached a tentative decision not to allow you to get her order. But she will wait for some direct information from you before her attitude takes definite form. Suppose, for instance, that her first attitude is altogether unfavorable and that she is determined to refuse your pro- posal at the earliest opportunity. She must necessarily wait until you give her something on which to base her refusal. She cannot, with any force of conviction, refuse something which has not yet been offered. The Purpose of the Introduction The purpose, then, of the Introduction to your sales talk is (1) to present an idea to her mind which will override for the moment all other thoughts and which will focus her atten- tion exclusively on what you are going to say and do next, and (2) to present that idea in such a way that she is forced to agree with you. Winning agreement with your opening remarks is your first real sales step. All the rest is merely preliminary. But winning agreement is not enough in itself. The idea which you present and with which the prospect is forced to agree must be an idea important and attractive enough to hold her attention and it must have a vital connection with the Compton Service. The Standard Sales Talk gives you an Introduction which fulfills these conditions. The interest of a mother in her children is the key to that introduction. You suggest to her mind at once the idea that you can help her to give her children a better education than they are now getting. This is certainly important and interesting enough to hold her 77 Points of Speech and Manner 78 attention. And you state the idea in such a way that she is forced to agree with you. No matter how strongly she may intend to refuse that help, she cannot in good faith deny anything you say or object to it. The prospect may hesitate to show by outward signs that she agrees. She may sit silently waiting for your next step. But you know, if you have given your Introduction properly, that you have caught her attention and that she will follow you through your next step. Avoiding a Common Mistake This may be the best place to warn you against one of the commonest mistakes made by sales people—the mistake of rushing over the introductory remarks as though they wanted to get them out of the way as soon as possible so they could settle down to the real business of the interview. Nothing is so annoying to prospects as to feel that a sales- man is reciting something to them that has already been recited in just that same way to hundreds of other people. If you let that habit take hold of you, you are simply building up at the outset of every interview an unnecessary obstacle that will take a lot of extra effort later on to overcome. Of course it becomes an old story to you, because the Introduc- tion rarely varies much from one call to the next. But it’s not an old story to the prospect. You are talking about her problems and her children. Let your manner, as well as your words, prove to her that you are interested and sincere. Speak calmly and clearly, and put meaning into the tone of your voice. Look at the prospect while you are talking. This last is particularly important, for if you let your eye wander at this stage of the proceedings, you will not only risk appearing insincere, but the prospect’s attention will tend to wander too. Suggestions That May Help Again and again we have emphasized in these pages the importance of being natural and avoiding any form of pose or assumed mannerism. We know the danger of suggesting definite details of behavior to be observed during interviews. But there are a few simple things which, we believe, will help anyone to produce a more effective impression. Sit squarely in your chair. Do not lean back as if tired, for this suggests weariness and weakness to the prospect. Nor should you sit forward on the edge of the chair, as if you were constantly on the point of rising, for this suggests to the prospect that you are only going to stay a minute and prevents her from settling down to listen to you. a5 As You Do, So You Think 79 Keep your hands still until you want to make some definite motion or gesture. Many people of nervous temperament toy with a purse or handkerchief, or pick at their glove fingers, or run the palms of their hands idly over the arms of chairs, or make some other distracting moves. This tends to suggest restlessness, lack of confidence, and unreliability. When you start your introduction, speak as slowly and coolly as it is natural for you to speak. This will command greater attention and respect, for it suggests poise, confidence, and mastery of the situation. Also it leaves you a chance to speed up and warm up later on as the sale progresses and closer contact is established with the prospect. An enthusiasm which is too exuberant at the start may strike a false note. What applies to your speech applies also to your actions. Without overdoing it, be as deliberate as you can in getting out your prospectus the first time and in turning to the page you want. Hurry and bustle make a bad impression and are likely to result in your own nervousness and confusion. If you speak calmly and act calmly, your mind will remain calm. The little boy who, every time he passed the graveyard at night, whistled to keep up his courage, made the great dis- covery that our outward actions have a tremendous influence on our minds. Every salesman should remember this. Get Into Action Quickly Do not prolong the Introduction to your sales talk an instant beyond the time when you see that you have won agreement to your opening idea. Sometimes sales people feel that they must at all costs pave the way fully before they produce the prospectus, and they continue to talk and explain until the prospect grows weary and impatient. It is possible, of course, to get out the prospectus too soon, before the prospect realizes what it is all about. But the mistake is usually made the other way. In general, get into action as soon as possible. If you are interrupted by the prospect during your Intro- duction, you will know that, nine times out of ten, it is because your introduction has been too vague. Remember she is eager to find out exactly why you called and what it is you have to tell her. Don’t keep her waiting. You can meet any interruption by saying: ‘Jt will save time, Mrs. Brown, if I show you the Compton Service, rather than try to tell you about it.”? As you say this, get out your pros. This, by itself, will be a sufficient break and diversion, so that you can go on and finish anything else you may want to say before you actually start your Demonstration. 1” The Cruise of the Good Ship Sale IN THE great city of Need, capital of the Land of Indifference, there dwelt a worthy person by the name of Prospect. While walking in the street one day, he was accosted by a pleasant- faced man, evidently a stranger in the city, and although Prospect usually felt somewhat embarrassed and suspi- cious when strangers talked to him, this newcomer’s manner somehow in- spired confidence, so that he fell into easy conversation with him. Presently the stranger introduced himself as Captain Salesman, master of the Good Ship Sale, then lying at anchor at the Port of Introduction. After some slight hesitation, Prospect accepted the Captain’s invitation to come on board. No sooner had he put foot on deck, than the ship set sail. Prospect felt alarmed at first, but the Captain reassured him, telling him they were off on a wonderful cruise and that Prospect himself would decide the ship’s course. Soon they had cleared the Harbor of Doubt and, rounding Attention Point, were sailing straight across the beautiful waters of the Sea of Interest. Prospect, his fears completely for- gotten, was delighted with the voyage. He would have liked to sail back and forth in the Sea of Interest forever, but Captain Salesman held the wheel steadily ahead, telling of still more wonderful sights to be seen, until the ship hove in sight of the troubled waters which marked Objection Shoals. Here Prospect expressed a strong wish to take the starboard channel. But the Captain knew that this was the Channel of Argument, a blind passage, skirting the Barren Island of Refusal, and fringed with the Reefs of Prejudice and Dispute, where many a good ship had been wrecked. Yielding to Prospect’s wishes just sufficiently to avoid striking Contradiction Rock, he managed skillfully with the aid of Reserve Light to bring the ship around on the port tack and so into open water again. Once there, Prospect scanned the horizon for new signs of land, and finally having made out in the dis- tance the Islands of Competition, indicated a wish to explore them. But Captain Salesman deftly headed the ship into the Channel of Desire, where it was caught by a swift current and carried rapidly forward past the 80 shores of the Pleasant Island of Inde- cision. Prospect then found himself wavering between two impulses. The swift course of the ship exhilarated him and he wanted to continue on- ward; and yet he felt attracted by the beautiful island that was gliding by so quickly. As the ship came opposite the invit- ing entrance of the Harbor of Delay, Prospect was on the point of giving the order to sail in, when the Captain quickly called his attention to an even more beautiful shore rising in the dis- tance off the starboard bow. “That,’? said he, ‘‘is the Land of Content. Sail with me to that shore, and you will soon forget this island, which seems pretty from here, but is really a very disappointing place when you land.’’ Prospect consented to go forward. The ship now came in sight of a nar- row strait leading between Hesitation Point and Cape Weakness. The pas- sage seemed difficult, but with the aid of Reserve Light, Captain Salesman brought the vessel through safely, and Prospect heaved a sigh of satisfaction. “‘At last we have arrived,” he said. “Tet’s drop anchor here and enjoy the wonderful view.”’ “Not yet,’ replied the Captain. “This is only Inertia Bay, a false anchorage. You can see there is no place to land here.”’ Prospect was about to remark that he didn’t really care whether he landed or not, but the Captain would not be balked. Seizing the wheel, he forced the ship quickly across the white-foamed Bar of Decision which seemed to block the entrance to the inner bay. Prospect made a motion to interfere, but before he knew it the vessel was gliding smoothly into the most beautiful harbor he had ever seen—the Harbor of Order. In the distance Captain Salesman pointed out the shining spires and glittering domes of the Great City of Satisfaction, capital of the Land of Content. Soon the ship had docked, and Prospect, filled with a strange feeling of joy which seemed to radiate from the very atmosphere of the place, knew that he would never return to the Land of Indifference. Thanking the Captain who had brought him to this marvelous place, he settled down and lived happily ever afterwards. => tee ia A ie ~ a TALE 1 (\)! iy i SS pa oe F De! aM SS S, 5 iY SSNS = oe —- SSS NBS SS : : SO BOE = x a \h AS > Fe Zao igi \NBe A ji SiS Wein = = ae CE” 2 SY ee a > LIGHT ++ + tote eee a er ae Se Wirt ter eer tr ete ee = T ice NOY = SS a ee Pp ie 5} 53 py fal Fabby: Pa ee 7. <4 ) wl mee XIV. Arousing Interest attention by telling her that you could help her with her children’s training and education. Her mental attitude is still one of curiosity, strongly tempered in most cases by doubt. Now you are going to show her the kind of help you have to offer and how it works. It is, of course, impossible to say that one part of the sale is more important than another, since the different parts form a continuous chain, every link of which is abso- lutely essential. But we can say this about the Demon- stration, that it offers you a greater opportunity than any other part of the sale for individual skill, for variety of appeal, and for the display of tact and judgment. ‘Salesman and Farmer Compared.—Compare the entire sale to the work of a farmer. In the beginning he obtains farm tools and machinery and learns how to use them, he studies his soil and climate, he selects his crops, and plans his tasks season by season—that is the Preparation. Next he breaks his ground and gets it ready to receive the seed— that is the Approach and Introduction, culminating in Gaining Attention. Then he sows his seed and cultivates his fields—that is the Demonstration, during which the sun’s rays (Interest) and the rains (Desire) make the crop sprout and grow. Finally, comes harvest time—the Close, when the crop is gathered. Now, just as the farmer’s crop varies in abundance and quality depending upon the weather, so the salesman’s crop varies most in accordance with the Interest and Desire he has been able to evoke during the Demonstration. You can standardize your Approach and Introduction until it is almost perfect for the average prospect, just as the farmer can standardize his methods of plowing. You can, in a lesser degree, standardize your Close, just as the farmer can standardize his methods of harvesting. But you cannot successfully make your Demonstration a fixed and rigid thing, any more than the farmer can predict the weather in advance. However, you have this advantage over the farmer. He is helpless as far as sunshine and rain is concerned. Whereas you can control Interest and Desire, by adapting your Demonstration to the needs of the prospect. While we treat the two great sales forces—Interest and Desire—in separate chapters as separate mental processes, 82 | le your introduction you have caught the prospect’s Complete Description Impossible 83 they must in successful practice be inseparably bound together. In other words, you do not first arouse in the prospect a certain amount of Interest and then proceed to create a certain amount of Desire. The two must go along side by side. Every bit of Interest is like a hook on which you hang a corresponding bit of Desire. Plan of Explanation.—To make the whole thing clear, we will first examine in this chapter the purpose of the Demonstration as a whole and the methods of arousing Interest. In the next chapter we will discuss the creation of Desire and the part it plays in the sale, concluding the chapter by showing how Interest and Desire are linked in practice. The beginning of the Demonstration finds the prospect attentive, but still doubtful. If she started out determined to refuse anything you might have to offer her, that determi- nation is just as strong as ever. But if your Introduction was skillful, she has not had a chance to refuse or disagree. Whatever the attitude of the prospect, you have reached the point where you are going to show her some “‘samples’”’ of your wares. To make this Demonstration intelligently, you must understand its exact purpose. PURPOSE OF THE DEMONSTRATION What is the Demonstration for? The beginner in sales- manship will answer at once that it is intended to give the prospect a clear idea of the character of C. P. E. and of C. P. N., so she can judge for herself whether she wants them or not. The prospect, if you asked her that question after the sale was over, would make the same answer. She would tell you that she had decided to give you her order because the examination of the sample pages in your pros- pectus had convinced her of the value of the books. If she was explaining the reasons for her purchase to a friend, she would probably add that she was not moved in the least by what you said, but that she saw with her own eyes the merit of the work and decided to get it. Wrong View of Demonstration.—Both the beginner and the prospect are wrong, as we shall see. In the first place, even if it were desirable to give the prospect a complete and accurate description of the Compton Service, it would be impossible to do it in the course of a brief interview. It couldn’t be done if the interview lasted four hours. It couldn’t be done if, instead of a prospectus of 200 pages, you had with you all the ten volumes of C. P. E. The Compton Service is too varied in its details, it is Learn this Principle! 84 made up of too many different features—all blending together with a spirit unlike anything the prospect has ever encount- ered before—to be described or demonstrated with accuracy and completeness. Only in actual use over a long period can its qualities be definitely understood and appreciated. The best we can do in a sales interview is to suggest a few of the simpler and more obvious characteristics. There is, however, a far more important reason why we say above that the beginner and the prospect are both wrong. We have pointed out that, even if it were desirable to give the prospect a complete and accurate description of the Compton Service, it would not be possible. Now we turn that statement around the other way and say that, even if it were possible, 7t would not be desirable. This may sound astonishing at first. We can hear the beginner exclaim: ‘‘Do you mean to say that it wouldn’t be a good thing to tell the prospect, if we could, all about the wonderful details of the Compton Service?” Yes, that is exactly what we mean, and we are going to dwell on that point at some length because it involves the most important and fundamental principle of salesmanship. Nobody ever buys an article for the sake of the article itself. What people want and what they pay for is the USE of that article. A prospect may ask ‘‘What is it?”’ But the real question in the back of that prospect’s mind is ‘‘WHAT WILL IT DO FOR ME?”’ It is true that nearly all persons think that the best way of finding out what an article will do for them is to find out what it is, how it is made, ete. But it isn’t. It might be the best way, if it were humanly possible to examine an article free from all prejudice one way or the other. The human mind, however, is too complicated a thing and its processes too intricate and interlocking ever to be free from prejudices. Examples of Human Prejudice. —Let two people, equally alert and intelligent, study in exactly the same way the details of shoe manufacturing, so that each knows just as much as the other about how good footwear ought to be made. Do you imagine they will both agree, then, on the best brand of shoes? A hundred to one against it! Little things they are not conscious of will sway them apart. Yet a good salesman, talking in terms of use instead of describing manufacturing details, might easily bring those two people to a perfect agreement in half an hour. He would do it by appealing to their tastes and prejudices, “Cold Facts’ and Prejudices 85 not by challenging their knowledge or asking them to make further investigations. Let’s take another example of this point from actual life. Not long ago there were two brands of automobile lubricating oil on the market, both of which were manufactured by the same company, in the same way, out of the same raw mate- rial. Except in name, there was not the slightest difference between those two brands. Yet each brand had its thousands of users, who praised their own and condemned the other brand. Why was this possible? Because a good salesman (who may have been none other than a well meaning friend) had planted in each user’s mind a prejudice in favor of his pet brand. The user was in a frame of mind where he was always on the lookout for signs confirming his good opinion of that brand. But if, by any chance, he had to use the other brand, his attitude was reversed. At the least thing that went wrong, he blamed that “inferior” oil, and the strange part of all this is that everyone of those motorists would have told you that his opinion was based on nothing but “cold facts.” No one is free from the sway of prejudices of this kind. It is a trait of human nature—one of the strongest and most persistent. It explains why a long and detailed description of the Compton Service is not only unnecessary but may actually do harm, because it appeals merely to the prospect’s cold judgment, and it is when cold judgment alone is appealed to, that prejudices and false impressions are most likely to creep in. Proof that Long Description is not Necessary.—As a concrete application of this principle, you might sell many prospects if you had no sample pages at all, using nothing but a good strong sales talk aided by a few commendation letters. But you would sell mighty few if you just handed them your prospectus or one of the volumes and told them to look it over for themselves and make up their minds. One of our saleswomen illustrated this forcefully in the summer of 1923 when she made two sales in one day to two mothers who were fond of travel. The only thing in the pros that she showed in detail was the map of the Balkans (page 308). Pointing out a few historic places—Serajevo, where the murder was committed that started the World War, Gallipoli, Constantinople, the ruins of ancient Troy, the island of Milos where the Venus de Milo was found, Athens, Sparta, Mt. Olympus, Vesuvius, Etna, etc.—she mentioned some attractive and interesting thing about each of them. Then she showed how this was just one small Imagination Beats Logic 86 corner of a world filled with fascinating places, all of which you could visit whenever you chose if you only had Comp- ton’s. And she closed by saying: “And all of your travelling, Mrs. Brown, will only cost you ten cents a day. This little slip of paper (extending the contract blank) is a ticket to every city and country in the world.” The solicitor explained the important points of C. P. E., such as the general arrangement, the Fact-Index and the Outlines, after she had taken the orders, so the subscribers would know how to use the work, but in each case the sale itself was made by a direct appeal to the imagination. And this same appeal could have been made with any map at all. The fact that the map in question was out of C. P. FE. simply helped to make the connection of ideas closer and more vivid. While we do not recommend such an extremely indirect demonstration as a pattern to be habitually followed, it shows how much can be done by suggestion and appeals to the imagination. In the end those two prospects probably had a truer conception of the spirit and value of C. P. E. than if they had gone over page after page with detailed care. A subscriber full of curiosity and enthusiasm about the Compton Service will get far more out of the Service than one who has merely a cool and reasoned appreciation for its merits. The former will use it herself and will transfer her enthusiasm to her children and husband; the latter may be content with the thought that she has a fine reference work in her library without ever learning to appreciate the life and spirit of those pages. How Does Quality Help to Make Sales?—Some reader with a logical mind is sure to remark at this point: “If the salesman’s suggestions count for so much more than the actual quality of C. P. E., then it would be just as easy to sell a poor set of books as a good set.”’ And that is literally true—so far as the prospect is con- cerned*. We all know that many inferior works have been successfully sold by skillful but unscrupulous sales people. The prospect, however, is only half of the transaction. In *Note: Of course, the ever-growing reputation of the Compton Service (which is a direct result of its superior qualities) does help to make many sales. But this is something the good salesman never takes into account in estimating his ability. The standard sales test is the sale that is made to a prospect upon whom no outside influence has been brought to bear. Always treat the ‘‘ready-made”’ sale as a sort of bonus; never rely onit asa regular part of your record. ‘ a4 Your Duty to the Prospect 87 order to continue day after day producing real enthusiasm in prospects, you must have sincere enthusiasm yourself. “Fake” enthusiasm soon wears thin, and exposes the shriv- elled self respect of the salesman. That’s the reason that no salesmen, selling inferior works, ever have achieved permanent and real success. Their morale breaks down under the strain. The Compton Service was perfected down to its last details, not because the House of Compton hoped to appeal in that way to prospects, but because it wanted to give the highest possible grade of service to subscribers. With that thought behind you, you are free to throw all the power you have into your salesmanship, knowing that no matter how attractive you make that Service to your prospects, your subscribers will always get more than they expected. You Must Decide for the Prospect.—It is up to you to determine whether that prospect needs the Compton Service and whether she can afford it. You base your opinion on what you can observe in the home. In rare cases you may learn later of some real impediment, such as grave illness or financial misfortune, which may cause you to change your decision and voluntarily abandon the sale. But bear in mind always that you are the one who must make this decision, not the prospect who cannot possibly have a full appreciation of the value of the Compton Service to her and her children and whose judgment, therefore, cannot be taken as final. To beginners this may sound like a drastic principle, that a stranger entering a woman’s home should undertake to decide a matter of this kind. Yet, when you reflect on it, you will find that it is perfectly reasonable and natural. You are in the position of a doctor examining the educational health of the household. A doctor does not consult the tastes and prejudices of his patients before prescribing a remedy. His decision is based solely on his training and experience, and, once his decision is made, it is his duty to persuade his patients by any legitimate means at his com- mand to follow his instructions. Similarly, when you have decided that a prospect really needs the Compton Service, it becomes your duty to persuade that prospect by any legitimate means at your command to take it. Your Power and Responsibility.—You must, of course, never forget that the power of salesmanship carries with it grave responsibilities. Once you have mastered it, it gives you an almost sure control over others. This control can Read This—and Remember It! 88 be used for bad as well as for good purposes, just as a physi- cian’s or a lawyer’s knowledge can be turned to good or bad account. When it comes to deciding questions for a pros- pect, therefore, remember always that the ethics of sales- manship require that you shall consider carefully the prospect’s interests as well as your own. In actual life, what are those interests? Short of absolute poverty—poverty so extreme that 10 cents a day would make the difference between food and starvation or between health and sickness—can you think of any really valid reason why you should refuse to give a mother the help she needs for training and educating her children? Does the fact that she may not fully realize that need alter the case in the slightest degree? It is part of your work to persuade her, against her first wishes if necessary, that she owes that advantage to her children. What would you think of a doctor who would let a patient suffer, because the patient said that the first taste of the medicine was a little bitter? * * * It makes no difference to you what reason a mother has for getting the Compton Service. It may be love for her children and an intelligent desire to help. It may be asense of duty. It may be pride, vanity, a feeling of rivalry toward some other mother. It may be fear of the consequences to her children if she refuses to help them. It may be nothing more than weakness of char- acter, which makes it difficult for her to refuse your cffer. Whether the mother’s motive is worthy or un- worthy is of little importance, as far as the children are ~ concerned. THEY WILL GET THE BENEFIT JUST THE SAME. eee The thing that strengthens your determination is the knowledge that the Compton Service was made as perfect as it was possible to make it for one purpose only—to help children toward a broader and finer education. You know that it will do this every time for every child that comes in contact with it. Jf you allow a prospect through arro- gance, or thoughtlessness, or indifference, or ignorance, or false economy, or selfishness to persuade you to give up a sale, then you have failed in your duty to her children, to her, and to yourself. And you can, if you wish, forget about yourself, because her loss is greater than yours. Another prospect may be waiting next door, but there is no other service like the Compton Service to take its place in that home. What the Sample Pages Do 89 Give this whole question careful thought. Then you will never quit an interview until you have exhausted every means at your command to make a sale. Establishing Confidence.—Now let’s sum up briefly the purpose of the Demonstration from the prospectus. If it isn’t to give the prospect a detailed description of the Comp- ton Service, what is it for? We know that the Demonstration as a whole must arouse Interest and create Desire. But to understand how this is accomplished we must grasp clearly the part that the sample pages play in this Demonstration. First of all they establish Confidence. We have not treated this question of Confidence as a separate sales step, because it runs through the entire sale from beginning to end. You create Confidence by your appearance and man- ner, your evident sincerity, and your enthusiasm. If the other parts of the sale are properly carried out, the general question of Confidence will take care of itself. It will help you, however, to get at the principles of the Demonstration a little more clearly, if we analyze briefly the particular kind of Confidence which is produced by the prospectus. There used to be a book salesman in Chicago who carried around with him a list containing the names of certain people who, he knew were always ready to recommend the work he was selling. He would show this list to a prospect and, producing two or three nickels from his pocket, would say to her: ‘I wish you would call up any of these sub- scribers you choose. Ask them about this work. If they don’t tell you that it is the finest thing that was ever made, I will give you a set free right now.”’ This proved to be a most effective sales appeal, creating immediate confidence and carrying conviction. But he said that never once did a prospect actually go to the telephone and call a subscriber. In other words, the fact that the prospect knew that she could make the test if she wanted to was enough in itself to establish Confidence. She felt that the salesman would not dare make such a claim if he could not back it up. The same thing applies to showing sample pages. If you did not have those sample pages with you, then the prospect might get the idea that you had something to conceal and that you were unwilling to show your wares for fear of exposing their defects. But when you bring the samples with you, nine times out of ten the prospect will not try to investigate them closely, for she feels that they must be very fine or you would not dare to show them. The mere fact that you display them before her establishes Confidence. Appealing Through the Eyes 90 — OO ___=_===_S________—_ We said earlier in this chapter that nearly all persons think that the best way of judging the value of an article is to investigate it thoroughly. We know they can’t make a thorough investigation and that, even if they did, they would probably gain false impressions and miss the real spirit of the Compton Service. But the showing of articles and pictures from the prospectus satisfies them on this point. In other words, the Demonstration from the sample pages makes them feel either that they have made all the investigation that is necessary or that they could easily do so if they chose. In either case, Confidence is established. Making the Sales Talk More Vivid.—The second great purpose of the sample pages is to provide something which will fix the prospect’s attention and reach her mind through her eyes, just as the words of your sales talk reach her mind through her ears. Those pages are like the lantern slides a lecturer uses to entertain his audience while he tells them about many things that cannot be pictured. Your whole purpose in the Demonstration is to paint a vision in the prospect’s mind of the benefits that she and her children will derive from using the Compton Service. The sample pages hold her attention while you are at work and make the picture you paint more real and vivid. * * * It is to be hoped that all of the foregoing discussion will not appear too theoretical to you. It deals frankly and in a somewhat unconventional way with the very fundamentals of human psychology in salesmanship. ‘These fundamentals are worth a great deal of thought and study. Once you get them firmly established in your mind, you will avoid many common mistakes and will be prepared to handle almost any emergency. They are theoretical only in the sense that they describe general principles. As soon as you learn to apply those principles, you will find them the most in- tensely practical portion of the entire manual. HOW TO AROUSE INTEREST We have examined the underlying principles which must govern a good Demonstration of the Compton Service, if we are to achieve its great two-fold purpose of arousing Interest and creating Desire. Now let’s consider in detail the actual methods of arousing Interest during interviews. We pictured at the opening of this chapter the state of mind of the average prospect at the moment the Demon- stration begins. She is curious about what you have to offer, but she is still full of doubts and may even be deter- Interest Paves the Way 91 mined to refuse your proposition at the first opportunity. - Your first task is to fill her mind with impressions and ideas that are so attractive that all her doubts and adverse intentions are forgotton, at least for the moment. That is what Interest means—something which for the time being occupies your whole mind to the exclusion of other things. When you come to create Desire, you will actually replace those doubts and adverse intentions by positive convictions and favorable intentions. But you cannot do that yet. You have to pave the way first with Interest. For the sake of illustration, compare the prospect’s mind to a blackboard which is already partly filled with the writing of Refusal. If you try to erase that writing the very first thing, she will naturally object. So you seize a bit of the brilliant red chalk of Interest and start filling in the blank spaces. Soon the prospect forgets about the other writing on that board, and you can rub it out little by little, putting your own message of Desire in its place. What to Show the Prospect.—The Standard Sales Talk in its four sections covers as great a variety of material from the prospectus as you are ever likely to need. You may, of course, find in the prospectus some pages which are not mentioned in the printed talk, but which you like better for special purposes. Naturally you will use your own judgment in such matters. But be sure that you have a purpose for everything you show. Know what appeal you are making and why you are making it. Here are some of the things to consider in selecting this material: The ages and grades of children; the nationality of the prospect; the religion of the prospect; and the interests of the prospect outside the home, such as society, clubs, music, art, etc. Ages and Grades of Children: Select subjects suited to the age of the children and their progress in school. The Compton Service is designed to be a real help to users of all ages, but you will manifestly create difficulties for your- self, if you show juvenile material to a mother whose boys are in high school or high school material to a mother whose child is in kindergarten. If there are several children of widely varying ages, find out in advance or from the mother herself which one needs the most help, and then concentrate the first part of your Demonstration on that child, following later with material suited to the others. When in doubt, it is usually best to focus your talk on the younger children, but you can usually get the information you want direct from the mother by such questions as ‘‘Your boy, Robert, Special Interest Appeals 92 seems to be ahead of other boys of his age. Are all of your children as bright as Robert?” or “There’s usually one child un every family that seems to enjoy school work better than any of the others. Is that the case with your children?” Nationality or Race: This usually does not play so im- portant a part as the other considerations that govern your choice of material from the pros, but it is well to bear it in mind. For instance, an Irish mother of Sinn Fein leanings will not grow enthusiastic over the full-page picture of Lloyd George, nor will it help to make a sale to a mother of recent German extraction to emphasize the page contain- ing the picture of General Foch. In Jewish homes always show the article on “Jews.” Religion: When there is strong religious feeling in a household, you can make it help you enormously if you are tactful or you can let it kill a sale instantly if you blunder the least little bit. The first maxim to observe is this: If you are not sure of your ground, leave the pages dealing with religious subjects severely alone. Whenever possible, however, make sure of your ground by finding out the pros- pect’s religious faith. This can be done in advance from friends and neighbors or detected after you enter a home from pictures, magazines, books, etc. Attendance at parochial schools means, of course, that the family is Catholic. Mem- bership in Masonic orders indicates Protestantism. In the home of Christian Scientists you will usually find a copy of ‘Science and Health” in evidence in the living room or copies of The Christian Science Sentinal or The Christian Science Journal. A crucifix on the wall, pictures of Madon- nas and saints, a portrait of the Pope are often found in Catholic homes. When you learn that a prospect belongs to one religious faith, it is important that you should avoid calling attention to articles dealing with other religious faiths. This is not done to deceive, for any intelligent prospect knows that a good encyclopedia must have impartial articles on all sub- jects; but if the question is raised during the Demonstration, it is likely to be overemphasized in the prospect’s mind and lead into dangerous discussions. Outside Interests: A knowledge of the outside interests of a mother will often enable you to close easily an otherwise »’ difficult sale. This is particularly true where the children are of high school age and the mother feels that they do not need much more help in their studies. If the mother has social aspirations, her interest may be caught by such things 4 Emphasizing Sales Points 93 as the Furniture article and pictures as a help in problems of interior decoration. The pages on Political Science, Literature, or the Fine Arts will appeal to the club woman. * * All the special material mentioned above should, of course, be used as Reserve material, the foundation of any Demon- stration in homes where there are children being first directed toward helping them in their regular education. How to Show the Pages.—Bear in mind what we said in the beginning of this chapter that the pages from the pros should be used merely to fix the attention and hold the interest of the prospect while you paint a picture on her mind of what the Compton Service will do for her and her children. Remembering this, you will dwell only on those details which help to complete that mental picture. You will not read long extracts from the articles. You will not dwell too much on details or explanations. But you will make every detail you do show perfectly clear. In reading selections or showing pictures, you will not take it for granted that the prospect grasps their significance unaided. On the contrary you will point out definitely the things you want to emphasize. You will comment on them and drive them home forcefully as illustrations of such things as Beauty, Interest-Value, Clearness, Com- pleteness, Usefulness, etc. This is done by such phrases as “Tsn’t that beautiful?’”’—“You can see how interesting that makes a subject we usually think is so dull’’—‘Doesn’t that make it clear?”’—“‘This shows how complete the Compton Service is in every detail”—“Things like that are what make this Service so useful to mothers.” Testing Prospect’s Interest.—During your Demonstra- tion you must watch the prospect closely to gauge the degree of her interest in what you are showing and saying. When- ever you see that some particular subject has awakened unusual interest, you will of course give it special emphasis and bring in all the selling talk possible in that connection. It is often difficult to tell from a prospect’s manner or expression whether she is really interested. Some people will appear to follow you closely, nodding and agreeing with everything you say—when in reality their minds are a thousand miles away. Beware of this. It is a far more promising sign if a prospect interrupts and objects. To make sure that the prospect is listening carefully to what you are saying, it is well to interject frequent questions, requiring definite answers, such as “Has Robert had this Keeping Interest Alive 94 subject in school yet?” Failure to arouse Interest usually springs from one of two causes—improper selection of material or a monotonous voice or manner in making your Demonstration. If you see that Interest is slipping, do not hesitate to interrupt yourself and turn to something else. One of the most effective ways is to cut yourself off right in the middle of a sentence, saying: “Oh, I know some- thing that will interest you particularly, Mrs. Brown. I’m surprised I didn’t think of it before.” And then turn briskly to some other part of the pros and drive home some entirely new point. This will never fail to arouse new curiosity and interest. DC) DC) ED ( ) AD (>< () ED ( ) < () SEND ( ) ED () << ( ) ED ()- a () 0 0 aa a ae-0 aae 0 -e oft go ee 0 came 0a aS) SRR) ERD ( ) ERR (GEER 1 ) SSD ( ) REE | 5 () SE |) OE hemo <> ) SR € > RR ( ) ( ) ERED ( ) GREED ( >< ( XV. Creating Desire NE of the commonest faults of salesmen is to mistake Interest for Desire. You will hear them say—beginners particularly—after an unsuccessful interview: “She seemed so very interested in everything I showed her; I can’t understand why I couldn’t get her order.” Yet a little thought on the matter will show you why Interest alone can never make a sale. You have all seen those shop windows in which pretty young women demonstrate vacuum cleaners. There is usually a crowd standing around watching. The crowd attracts the Attention of passersby. Some stop just long enough to find out what is taking place and then go on again—their Interest has not even been aroused. But others linger on, watching every move the _young woman makes, such as picking up pins and threads from a carpet, scattering sugar and drawing designs in it with the cleaner, and so on. Their Interest has been caught and in their minds they are saying to themselves: ‘‘Isn’t it wonder- ful the way that thing works? What is she going to do next? What is that design she’s making? Do you suppose she will be able to pick up that long thread over there? You’d think all that stuff going in there would clog up the machinery?” So far nothing but Interest. You see men and boys stand- ing there who could never have any use for a vacuum cleaner, who wouldn’t know what to do with one if you gave it to them. Interest alone holds them there for perhaps ten or fifteen minutes. Yet, if it held them there two hours, they would never think of buying a vacuum cleaner. But in that crowd there may be a woman who, after she has watched a while, begins to say to herself: ‘“That thing is a lot better than a broom. Saves a lot of work. It would save mea lot of work. I could get the house cleaned in no time. I wonder how much it costs. I’d surely like to own one.” Desire has taken the place of Interest. She has forgotten all about the young woman in the window. In her imagination she sees herself using that machine in her own home, getting her work done more easily, saving her strength, winning more leisure time. Her Desire may grow so strong that she will walk into the store then and there and inquire about price and terms. If she meets a competent salesman, he may be able to bring the sale to a Close right off. It was absolutely essential to create Desire in that woman’s mind before she could become a purchaser. Interest is neces- 95 What is Desire? 96 sary. It concentrates the mind on the article in question and prepares the way for Desire. But so long as it remains mere Interest, there can be no sale. That woman had to stop look- ing at that vacuum cleaner merely as an interesting machine and had to begin to think what it meant to her, before the idea of buying it could ever arise. From being simply a piece of machinery the cleaner had to become an idea—a service. You may say that Desire in this case was a natural result of the Interest and that it didn’t require any particular sales- manship to create it. This is true to a certain extent with so simple an idea as that involved in a vacuum cleaner. But even in such cases merchants will tell you that one demon- strator will bring in far more inquiries than another, perhaps because she puts more dramatic meaning into her gestures, suggesting vividly the ease and pleasure of using the device in question. In any event, most forms of salesmanship call for definite steps on the part of the salesman to produce Desire in prospects. To sum up, then, Interest is a passive condition—a condi- tion of inaction, during which the mind does nothing but remain open to receive impressions. Desire, on the other hand, is an active condition, when the mind starts to build attractive pictures for itself and definitely moves toward the thing desired. Interest is impersonal. It is directed outward toward the thing itself. Desire is personal. It is directed in- ward toward a consideration of what the thing can do for the one desiring it. * Ok x Let’s see how these principles apply to the Demonstration of the Compton Service. When you have gained the Attention of a prospect, it is not difficult to arouse Interest through a proper selection of pages from the prospectus. And you can hold that Interest almost indefinitely by a lively and enter- taining method of presenting those pages—constantly show- ing some fascinating new picture or reading a selection from some attractive article. But, if that is all you do, you are not taking a single step forward, you are not turning Interest into Desire, and you will get an unpleasant surprise when you try to Close. Of course, there will be a few prospects who will do your work for you—that is, they will translate Interest into Desire without your aid, and you may be able to Close a few of these. But in the long run your sales average will be low. The prospect’s Interest in beautiful color-pages like the plates of the Butterflies or the Bees is not a selling point by Five Great Motives 97 itself. Her Interest in the fact that the different grades Of tea all come from the same plant or in the manner in/ which birds - catch fish for their masters in China—these things by them- selves will not make her want to own the Compton Service. Of course, while the prospect’s mind is filled with thoughts of beautiful pictures, or of tea, or of birds catching fish, there is no room for unfavorable thoughts or thoughts of refusal. But at the same time there is no room for the ideas and visions that create Desire. You have merely paved the way for those ideas and visions by wiping out obstacles. If you are going to take advantage of that Interest, you must see to it that the thoughts of tea, for instance, are immediately re- placed by some Desire-creating appeal such as ‘“‘Children will learn easily when subjects are presented like that” or “I would enjoy reading books myself that were filled with interesting things like that.” In other words, you must use every bit of Interest you are able to arouse as a hook upon which to hang a Desire motive; otherwise that Interest is wasted as far as helping to make the Sale is concerned. MOTIVES THAT CREATE DESIRE The Desire to own an article may spring from several dif- ferent motives. At first thought, it might seem that there are an infinite number of such motives. But when you analyze all the reasons that ever prompt people to make purchases, you will find that they can be roughly divided into five great classes of motives, as follows: 1. Utility. 2. Money. 3. Pride. 4. Pleasure. 5. Caution. We make this classification, not for the purpose of estab- lishing a theory or evoking a discussion, but only to provide a simple and practical way of handling this all-important sub- ject of buying motives. The classification is not original with us, having been in use for many years in sales literature. A few writers of cynical disposition have given different names to these motives. The Money motive has been called Greed or Avarice; the Utility motive has been called Laziness or Indolence; Caution has been called Fear; Pride has been called Love of Display; and Pleasure has been called Selfish- ness. But this is a narrow view of human nature. While there are people in whom these motives may sometimes take the Varieties of Utility 98 baser form, this is not generally true. And certainly there is nothing blameworthy in a proper concern about Money, in a disposition to save labor through articles of great Utility, in a suitable Caution, in true Pride, or in a love for the finer Pleasures of life. Now let’s see the principal ways in which the Compton Service can appeal to these various buying motives. 1. THE UTILITY MOTIVE This is the most universal in its appeal of all the motives and it will usually form the main basis of your sales talk. The varieties of Utility to be extracted from the Compton Service are almost infinite in number. All we can do here is to list the principal appeals. Let’s consider first the Utility to children: The Compton Service helps children in their school work, particularly in connection with the newer educa- tional methods, such as the Problem-Project. It helps them to prepare themes and reports, gives them an ever- ready source of supplementary reading, enables them to review quickly subjects in which they may have fallen behind, clears up difficult points, makes dull topics inter- esting, furnishes an inexhaustible supply of picture material, etc. It enables children to get more profit from school work with less effort. It saves them time and energy, prevents discouragement, and stimulates the desire to learn. 4 oe It cultivates the reading habit and develops the love | of good books. By teaching them how to use books to the best advan- tage, it enables children to answer their own questions and solve their own problems. This, in turn, tends to develop self-reliance and enterprise. The style and spirit of the Compton Service stimulates the imagination of children, encourages their individuality, and so tends to bring out whatever talent or genius they may possess. It keeps the minds of children occupied with fine thoughts and high ideals and so builds good character and healthy moral tone. Now let’s consider the Utility to mothers in connection» with their children: The Compton Service helps and directs the mother in carrying out her share of the home education of her children. The Money Motive 99 It enables her to answer questions herself when the children are too young to use the books, and later on it relieves her of the responsibility of those questions, since the children will gladly go to the books directly. It relieves her of anxiety over the children’s progress in school. It relieves her of constantly worrying about whether \ she is doing all she should for her children’s education, since she knows she has given them the best possible help. If the mother wants to take an active part in directing her children’s studies and reading, the Compton Service provides her with all the material necessary for that purpose. If she wants to read aloud to them, she always has suitable stories and articles at hand. The Compton Service enables her to train her children and mold their character as she desires. It establishes a bond between mother and children, making it possible for the mother to keep in direct touch with her children’s interests and tastes, and thus strength- ening her influence in their lives. It makes it possible for the mother to advise and help her children intelligently in the choice of their careers. And now let’s consider the Utility to the mothers and fathers themselves. It enables the mother to round out her own education, to study particularly those cultural subjects not taught in schools, to answer any questions that come up in con- nection with her current reading, her household work, or her social life. If she is a club woman, it will be invaluable to her in preparing papers, in reading up in advance on subjects about which the club is to hear lectures, in preparing for discussions of current topics, etc. In general, the Compton Service serves the whole family as an encyclopedia, a dictionary, a study-guide, a library of good reading, and a periodical of current events. 2. THE MONEY MOTIVE The Compton Service can only make an indirect appeal to the Money motive, since it offers no immediate financial profit as do stocks and bonds or merchandise which is bought to be sold at a gain. The indirect motive is nevertheless very pow- on Appeals to Pride 100 erful with certain types of prospects, particularly in those families where the father’s earning power has been hampered through a lack of education. The Compton Service will help to train and educate children so that they will be able to earn more money later in life, not only for themselves but also to help their parents in their old age. This appeal can be based on the educational value of the Service as a whole, but is specially strong when made in con- nection with a Demonstration of industry pages together with a talk on industrial training and vocational guidance. The idea of economy provides a somewhat different angle to the Money motive. This will appeal to the bargain-hunt- ing instinct of the mother. The Compton Service provides a very high quality of merchandise at a comparatively low price. It is equal to three or four sets of books rolled into one. It provides virtually everything that any books can provide. A home with the Compton Service does not have to spend money on other works. Therefore it is an economy to buy it. 3. THE PRIDE MOTIVE Pride is a powerful force in all people. In its simplest form it consists of a wish to equal or excel others. Sometimes the feeling of superiority already exists in the prospect. Some- times it has to be encouraged and developed by suggestion. In any event, appeals to the Pride motive are among the most powerful at your command in selling the Compton Service. Here are some examples: The Compton Service will make the prospect’s children stand out ahead of other children in school. They will be known as bright children among neighbors and friends and this will reflect credit on the mother. The fact that the mother owns the Compton Service will set her apart aS a progressive, enterprising, and up-to- date parent. It will prove also that she is a good mother who has her children’s welfare at heart. If she has no books in her home, the acquisition of C. P. E. will give an intellectual tone to the household. If she already has a library, the fine binding and wonder- ful quality of the books will add to it an air of distinction. Callers will admire them and be impressed by them. By getting the books, the prospect will prove that she can afford the best, just as well as the wealthy family next door. Pleasure and Caution 101 Or, since the poor family next door could afford them, surely she must have them too. The Compton Service will enable the mother to acquire superior knowledge, culture, and ease in conversation, which will allow her to shine socially. 4. THE PLEASURE MOTIVE While most of the other motives involve the question of Pleasure indirectly, there is also the simple direct Pleasure the Compton Service brings, which, with many prospects, will prove a strong motive by itself. For example: It provides delightful reading for idle moments for the entire family—mother, father, and children. It will be great fun to watch the children’s surprise when they find out what a wonderful present their mother has bought them. It will be a pleasant surprise for the father, too. It will help the family to play puzzle games, to get up interesting discussions when friends come in, to plan entertainments, etc. The books will make a bright spot in the library. They will look so well on this table or in that rack. 5. THE CAUTION MOTIVE This is a powerful motive with virtually all prospects, but especially strong with the careful, cautious mothers that are often hard to reach in any other way. The appeal always takes a negative form, consisting of thoughts of what may happen, 2f they do not get the Compton Service. Instead of seeing the positive benefits of owning it, the prospect sees the bad results of not owning it and buys to escape them. It is evident, therefore, that an appeal to the Caution mo- tive can be made by simply reversing any of the positive appeals. We cite a few examples: If the mother does not get the Compton Service— Her children may fall behind in their school work, may fail to get the higher quality of education they deserve, and may grow up in ignorance. Her children may have difficulty making a good living later in life, and may fail to help their parents in their old age. The mother may be compelled to spend more money later on making up for deficiencies, which the Compton Service would have prevented. Where Your Skill Counts 102 The children may feel that they have to go outside the home for the help they need and the es may lose her influence over them. The children may grow up to be wild and develop bad traits of character and vicious habits. The children’s health may be impaired because they have to work so hard or worry so much over their school work. Relatives and friends may blame the mother for not giving her children the help they need. The mother may be humiliated by seeing other children surpass her own and win honors because they had the help she refused. The mother herself may fall behind and become a ‘‘back number” because she fails to keep up her own education. The list of appeals based on the Caution motive can be extended almost without end. The ones we give here can serve as examples for any others you choose to use. * * * EMPHASIZING THESE SALES MOTIVES If this entire manual did nothing else except induce every member of the Compton field force to emphasize these sales motives properly, it would be worth all the trouble and ex- pense of preparing it. We repeat and will continue to repeat again and again that every bit of your Demonstration which does not lead up to such sales motives is wasted energy. These are the forces that make prospects want to buy, and, unless you can put them to work on your side, the strongest Close ever devised won’t bring results. What is the best way of introducing these appeals into your sales talk? Obviously no set method can be laid down. In the Standard Sales Talk we could do little more than suggest a few of them. To give that talk or any other standard talk real life and selling power, you will have to add a bountiful seasoning of these sales appeals to suit the occasion. At the beginning of the last chapter we said that the Demonstration ‘offers a greater opportunity than any other part of the sale for individual skill, for variety of appeal, and for the display of tact and judgment. ” That applies chiefly right here in this matter of creating Desire through sales motives. The choice of motive, the character of the appeals you make, the manner of making them—these things are largely up to you. 7 Think Always of Motives 103 It is possible, however, to give certain general directions for your guidance, and that is what we will now proceed to do. Training Yourself on Sales Motives.—You must be com- pletely saturated with the motive ideas before you can pass them along to prospects effectively. You must train yourself to think of every little detail connected with the Compton Service in terms of its sales value. Study your prospectus from this point of view. Select some special appeal to fit every page and every picture. Do the same thing with your letters of commendation. Ask yourself in every case: ‘‘What sales motives can this material appeal to? How can I use this to illustrate the questions of Utility, Money, Pride, Pleasure or Caution?” If you think of a sales appeal that you are not already using, find some way of linking it to the material you have and try it out at the first opportunity. Find out from others the appeals they are using most successfully and make them part of your sales equipment. Direct Appeals.—The simplest way of introducing these sales appeals into your sales talk is to link them directly with the material you are showing to arouse the prospect’s Interest. Suppose, for instance, you are showing the tea picture which tells how the different grades of tea come from the same plant, you can say: ‘‘You can see, Mrs. Brown, how things like that will help Robert in his school work and how much more he will enjoy his home study with helps of that kind.’ This kind of direct statement is the simplest and often the best way of presenting the appeal to the prospect. Of course, you can expand and develop the appeal as much as you like, painting a picture of Robert’s progress and the mother’s pride in him, ete. But you must, of course, take care that you do not try to build too much on too small a foundation, It is often better to lay a little more Interest foundation between the various appeals by showing some more from the prospectus. Indirect Appeals.—Sometimes appeals can be made more naturally by using indirect methods. A letter of commenda- tion is one of the commonest forms of indirect appeal. By using the letter, you let someone else talk for you and tell the prospect what the Compton Service can do for her and her children. In addition to making the sales appeal, the letter establishes confidence, and it is this which gives them their added value. If the letter is from another parent, it is likely furthermore to arouse a spirit of rival pride which will suggest to the prospect that she too should get the Compton Service. The Value of Sales Stories 104 Perhaps the most effective of all methods of conveying sales appeals to prospects is through little stories about other prospects and what they said and did or stories about the experiences of subscribers to the Service. Every sales person should collect a good stock of such stories. We print a number of typical stories in the chapter on “Meeting Objections” which will serve as examples. Not only do they add a valuable human touch to any sales talk, but they allow you to make appeals and suggestions which could not be made at all by the direct method. For instance, you may not want to suggest directly to a mother that her children are likely to turn out badly if she doesn’t do something to prevent it. But you can very properly tell her a little story like the following: “A few weeks ago, I was calling on a mother who was having a good deal of trouble with her children. The oldest boy, partic- ularly was disobedient and wild. And she said to me: ‘Miss Smith, rf these books didn’t do anything else than keep Jack at home a little more and get his mind interested in the finer things of life, they would be worth their weight in gold to me.’ And do you know, I met that mother on the street the other day and she stopped me and told me that her boy had become so interested an mechanics since he had the books, that he was spending almost all his spare time at home making things. She was so happy she almost cried.” Whatever appeal you want to make—no matter how difficult or delicate it may seem—you can suggest it easily and tactfully by this story method. Keep Sales Appeals Simple.—Don’t try to make too many Desire appeals at one time. Keep them few and simple. Select one or two that you think fit the situation best and drive them home hard. Watch for cues that will suggest the best appeals. If you find your first appeal is not meeting with a good response, you can always turn to another tack. Don’t make long explanations of any sales appeal. If it doesn’t seem to register at once, it will do no good to try to prove to the prospect that she ought to want the Compton Service for that particular reason. Let it go and try another. Of course, you mustn’t get drawn into arguments over these sales appeals. If a prospect says that she cannot see how the Compton Service could do what you claim for herself or her children, answer her with a little story like those suggested ~’ above, and then pass on to something else. * * * * Making Letters Talk 105 | Demonstration Notes | Using Commendation Letters.—A few words of sugges- tion on the proper way of using commendation letters may be useful at this point. It goes without saying that you should always select the letter carefully to fit the case. This means that you must know thoroughly the contents of every letter you carry. On the other hand, your use of the letters must not have the appearance of a set formula. But more important than anything else, you must sell each letter you show to the prospect. An experienced field worker once reported that the letters she carried seemed to have very little effect on her prospects and she was on the point of abandoning their use altogether. It turned out that she was in the habit of making a little speech about the many great educators and experts who had recommended Compton’s and then reading the text of two or three letters rapidly, concluding by showing the names and signatures on the remainder. Of course this didn’t work. She was wasting her breath. You have to arouse the prospect’s interest in those letters just as much as in any other part of the Demonstration. Then you have to interpret and emphasize their meaning before they will help to create Desire. One or two letters properly presented are worth a bushel used carelessly and hastily. The actual reading from a letter should be the briefest part of the letter talk. You must pre- pare the prospect and arouse her Interest by speaking first of the author and praising his capacity and judgment. Then read with strong emphasis the best brief passage from the letter in question. Do not read it all. Then comment upon what you have read and emphasize its meaning strongly. We give an example of what we mean, using the Spaulding letter: “Here is a letter that will interest you, Mrs. Brown. (Show the letter and point to the signature). Dr. Spaulding is one of the great authorities on education in America. He has studied the educational systems of Europe. He has had practical experi- ence with children as a school teacher and principal in this country. He has written many books himself. And now he 1s head of the Department of Education at Yale University. You can be sure that a man like that knows what children need to help them and that he knows every educational work that has been published along that line. Controlling the Interview 106 “Now see what he says about Compton’s: ‘As a practical encyclopedia for young people, it has no rival.’ “He does not say that Compton’s is a good set of books. He does not say it is among the best. He says it ts the very best of all —it has no rival. And you know that when a man of Dr. Spaulding’s type says a thing like that he means it.”’ With that kind of talk you really drive home a point so it sticks. Give that to a prospect, and you will not hear her say later on that she wants to investigate other encyclopedias before she makes a decision. That gate is closed. You can do the same thing for any letter in your collection. If you like the letter or any selection from it and feel that you can make it produce a true sales appeal for you, always take the trouble to formulate a little sales talk around it. You will be surprised to find out how valuable letters can be to you. Letting the Prospect Talk.—Don’t be afraid to let the prospect talk during the course of the Demonstration. Some sales people seem to feel that if the prospect gets a chance she will seize control of the interview and switch them from the track. This attitude in itself argues a lack of confidence, as if they felt that their control was none too secure and might easily be lost. If you try to keep a prospect from expressing herself, you run the risk of arousing her resentment. Besides, you cut yourself off from the surest source of information and guid- ance for the conduct of the remainder of the interview. The prospect’s chance remarks will usually tell you what material to show, what objections to forestall, and when you are in position to begin closing. You can always set aside unwelcome interruptions by some little sales story or tactful remark. If it is a direct question which you do not want to answer then and there, you can turn it off by saying: ‘I am just coming to that, Mrs. Brown. But first let me show you, etc. . . .” Often you can put the prospect off with a partial answer. Suppose, for instance, thé prospect asks you in the middle of the interview for the price of the Service. You can say: “The terms vary to suit the convenience of subscribers. It ts the most perfect payment plan you can imagine. There is just one more feature of the Service I want to explain and then I’ll tell you all about that plan.” In general you should welcome questions about the price or objections. They are signs that the prospect is beginning to feel the pull of Desire and is struggling a little to get away from it. The chapter on objections tells how to handle them. As far as questions are concerned, it is best not to answef Avoiding All Argument 107 them fully or directly at the time they are asked, even if they are questions you are quite prepared to handle. ’ An immediate answer may make the prospect feel that she has successfully gained command of the interview and may lead to further cross-questioning, which you will have difficulty in stopping once you have allowed it to start. The best way, as we have said, is to put it off for the moment, then come back to it a little later by saying: ‘‘You were asking a moment ago, Mrs. Brown, etc... .’ In that way you leave no doubt in her mind that you are in command and propose to stay in command. This will create added respect for you. Above all, no matter what the provocation or how good the opportunity may seem for scoring a point, you must refuse absolutely to be drawn into argument of any kind. If a prospect makes the most ridiculous or the most false state- ment imaginable, don’t contradict her or try to prove that she is wrong. That way lies failure. Let it go entirely, or else attack it indirectly later on. There is only one exception to this rule. That is when a prospect makes a false statement about the Compton Service based upon something she may have heard from some rival solicitor. You can deny such a statement as flatly as you please. But even here you will not allow yourself to be drawn into an argument over it. Working Up to a Climax.—In general the whole tone of your Demonstration should follow the natural path of human emotions. It should start off calmly and quietly, gaining gradually in enthusiasm as you proceed. If you put on ‘““steam’’ before the prospect’s interest has been thoroughly aroused, if you seem to expect enthusiasm from the prospect too soon—your Demonstration is likely to strike a false note and fall flat. Reserve of manner is a power in all interviews. It leaves you leeway to increase your sales pressure at the Close when it is most effective. At that time your enthusiasm will be far more effective, if it comes out in strong contrast to your earlier conservativeness. Another suggestion along this same line. Suppose you learn early in your visit that the prospect has some special interest, such as club work, which may be the basis of a special sales appeal. Do not switch over to that appeal right away, otherwise it may seem to her that you are “trimming” your talk to influence her. Go on with your regular talk for a while; then swing over to your special talk just before closing. XVI. Impelling Action AVE you ever stood in front of a theater trying to H persuade a friend to go in with you and see the show? You knew she really wanted to go and that she hesitated only because she was a little tired or because she felt she ought to go home and write some letters, or for some other trivial reason. After you had used all the persuasion of which you were capable, you reached over and took her arm and started toward the entrance. She followed. You had won your point. That little touch on the arm, that start toward the entrance of the theater is what turned the scale in your favor. With- out them your friend would never have made that decision. Of course, the touch on the arm might not have been neces- sary. You might have accomplished the same result merely by saying, ‘Come on, let’s go!” The thing to bear in mind is that there came a time when you stopped all attempts to con- vince or persuade and impelled action. In every sales interview there comes a time when the salesman must stop his Demonstration and take some direct siep to impel the prospect to act. That step is called the Close. REASONS BEHIND THE CLOSE There is nothing that will help the beginner across the rough eround of apprenticeship so quickly as a clear understanding of the principles which govern the Close of a sale. Nor willa frequent review of these principles come amiss to many ex- perienced workers who may fall unconsciously into weak clos- ing habits, and who may on that account begin to wonder why their sales average is dwindling. Let’s illustrate the problem from life. Not long before this chapter of the sales manual was written, an exceptionally bright and intelligent young woman joined the Compton sales force. She was an experienced teacher of high standing. She had used C. P. E. in her school work and had seen a set in constant use in the home of some relatives. So great was her admiration for the work that she determined of her own accord to abandon teaching and join our field force. This young woman studied her sales talk faithfully, but when it came to the details of the Close she seemed puzzled. In the calls she made on prospects with her trainer, she would 108 Why Close is Necessary 109 —_——_———————————_—_—_Y__aQOcOcOccoOo—————_____ give the Demonstration in an enthusiastic and convincing manner. But when she came to the Close, she would flatten out and ‘‘go dead” so to speak. Finally she voiced her troubles in about the following terms: “T can understand,” she said, ‘“‘the need for a good enthu- siastic Demonstration of the Service. And I can understand the need for special appeals to arouse the prospect’s interest and desire. But I can’t understand why—when all this has been done—we should at the end have to push the prospect into signing the contract. I would think that every mother would be eager to give her order when she sees what C. P. E. is like. It seems almost an insult to these wonderful books to have to drive people to buy them.” We may say, in passing, that when the psychology of the Close was explained to this young woman she saw the light and went out and took four orders in the next four days. But that first bewilderment over the necessity of the Close is one which is shared by virtually all beginners in all lines of salesmanship. 2k * * Why is tt necessary to push people to do something which they already want to do and are convinced they should do? The Law of Human Inertia.—The answer to this ques- tion lies deep in human nature. We may call it the Law of Human Inertia, which is akin to the physical law of inertia and which can be stated as follows: All human beings tend to remain in a state of inaction, or to move only along the grooves of habit, until they are influenced by some OUTSIDE FORCE. In other words, their own reasonable convictions and de- sires are seldom sufficient. It takes an ‘‘outside force’’ to arouse people to action. It’s a sad thing, but it’s true. What a wonderful place the world would be if everybody always acted upon their convictions! But they don’t. They put things off. They let things go. Virtually every mother in America knows that her child needs good books for home use. And virtually every mother wants to give her child good books to use. If these mothers acted upon their convictions, they would go out of their own accord and examine all available books in search of the best. Making It Easy for Prospect 110 Ne eee And is there any doubt that virtually all of them would end by buying the Compton Service? But, if all the mothers actually did that—if, indeed, any reasonable proportion of them did that—then we should not have to have constantly in the field groups of trained and intelligent representatives to carry the gospel of education into the homes. We would need only a gang of husky laborers to load books into railway cars, and the presses could not turn out sets of C. P. E. fast enough. And even after you have entered the homes and have car- ried the message to these mothers, the old law of inertia still continues to work. Unless you help them to overcome it, they will instinctively continue to put off final action. They will talk it over, consider it, plan for it, resolve about it, and end in doing—exactly nothing. Thus your message is wasted, and the children in those homes are deprived of the help they need. You must provide that ‘outside force’—that push which carries across the line dividing conviction from action. Main Principles of the Close.—Of course the prospect must want the Compton Service before she will yield to the push of the Close. To make her want that Service is the pur- pose of the main sales talk. But after that Desire has been created, the problem is to apply the closing pressure effec- tively. 9 You cannot push the prospect across the line by arguing with her, for that will only increase her resistance. You can- not succeed by pleading with her or begging for the order— and you wouldn’t do it if you could. * * * What you have to do is to make it easier for her to go forward than to go back—easier to say ‘‘yes” than to say “‘no’’—easier to sign her name to the order than not to sign it. * * * That sums up the whole art and science of the Close. If you wait for the prospect to reach for the order book and the pencil, you will wait forever, because it is easier not to reach. If you wait for the prospect to say, “I will buy those books,” you will wait in vain, because it is easier to say nothing. But if, after you have laid your foundation properly, you place the order book before her and hold the pencil ready for her hand—then it is easier for her to sign than not to sign. Or if you offer her a choice of terms or a choice of bindings, it is easier for her to choose one than to explain to you why she doesn’t want any of them. ; Questions Pave the Way 111 How to lay a proper foundation for the Close and how to build on that foundation will be the subject for the remainder of this chapter. CLOSING METHODS Preparing for the Close.—The good salesman prepares far in advance for the Close. Just as during the Demonstra- tion he is always clearing the road ahead of obstacles in order that the prospect can keep moving smoothly forward, so he takes care to build up behind him new obstacles which will make it impossible for the prospect to retreat over that road. This is very easy to do. The obstacles which bar the back- ward path are made up of the prospect’s own admissions, which she will have to contradict if she attempts a refusal at the Close. Watch your prospect carefully during the Demon- stration and you will usually find plenty of opportunities to get such admissions from her. A few simple questions are sufficient. You can start as far back as the Introduction with such questions as: “I know that like all other mothers, Mrs. Jones, you want to do all you can to help your children in their school work, don’t you?” The only reply the mother can make is ‘‘Yes,”’ and each time a prospect says ‘‘Yes’’ it becomes easier for her to say ‘Yes’ the next time and harder for her to say ‘‘No.” ‘During the Demonstration you will be able to tell when the prospect’s Interest or Desire are particularly keen. Seize those moments to ask other questions, such as: “‘You can see how that will help Jack in his school work, can’t you?” or “Jack would be interested in that, wouldn’t he?” or ‘“‘Mothers need that kind of thing, don’t they?” In other words, have the prospect admit as far as you can the truth of every sales point you bring out. Have her admit that the Compton Service is wonderful, that it will help her and her children, and that she really needs that kind of help. Then it will be much easier for her to admit that the terms are easy and that she wants the Service. (We speak above of questions that will bring Yes-answers. Of course, there are No-answers that really express agree- ment and are therefore just as valuable. For instance, the question, “Did you ever see such wonderful pictures before?”’ will bring a No-answer. Yet this is a favorable admission. Many questions may take this form. The important thing is to obtain expressions of agreement, whatever form they take.) It seems hardly necessary to warn anyone against arguing with a prospect who is inconsistent enough at the Close to Don’t Wait Too Long! | 112 go back on her previous admissions. You cannot get any- where by saying, “‘But you admitted a little while ago, Mrs. Brown, that you needed this Service, etc....”” Such tactics would only anger her. In most cases the force of those previous admissions will make itself felt unconsciously. If it doesn’t, you must let it go and try some other tactics. When to Close.—You may hear a good deal about the ‘“nsychological moment” for closing a sale. Some people speak of it as though there were in every sales interview some one specific moment which you must seize or lose the sale. This notion comes down to us from the days when theorists tried to work out the laws of human psychology on a basis of mathematical certainty. Today most authori- ties are agreed that the idea of a “psychological moment” is largely nonsense. We take up this question here to make sure that you will not let this notion become a bugaboo in your work and cause you a lot of needless worry. Of course, there are moments in every sale which are more favorable than others for attempt- ing a Close. But to miss one of these moments does not mean that all is lost. The best maxim to follow is to try a first Close as soon as you feel you have created a reasonable amount of Desire in the prospect. With many prospects you can tell when this time has arrived by their looks and actions and bythe ques- tions they ask. If a prospect asks the price very early in the interview, it may only mean that she is wondering whether or not to consider the proposition at all. But if she asks the price after the Demonstration has been under way for some time, it is usually a definite sign of Desire, and you would better try your first Close then and there. Some prospects will not give any outward signs of Desire, no matter how keenly they may feel it. You will readily recognize such impassive people. Lacking clues from them, you will try your first Close as soon as you have reached that point in your Demonstration when you feel they ought to be ready for it. Don’t be afraid of trying to Close too soon. The mistake is usually made the other way. Salesmen often wait too long and wear out the prospect’s Interest and Desire. The princi- ple of the ‘“‘try-out’’ Close is well illustrated in John Alford’s Stevenson’s book on ‘“‘Constructive Salesmanship.”’ “Perhaps,” he says, ‘‘as a child, you have waited hungrily around the kitchen stove until the cakes were baked. You may remember seeing your mother draw the pans carefully from the oven ‘to see if the cakes were ready to take out.’ Let Third Close Decide It! 113 EEE She stuck a straw in first the one, then the other. If the straw came out dry, the cakes were taken from the oven and your chances of getting a piece in the near future were pretty fair. But if the straw was sticky, the cakes were shoved back in the oven and your wait was somewhat prolonged. “A try-out Close is just that kind of atest. If your ‘feeler’ comes out with ‘half-baked’ doubts and objections sticking to it, the prospect is not ‘ready to be taken out.’ He needs to be put back in the oven of the sales talk where the heat of suggestion or persuasion can work on him a little longer.” Danger of Forcing the Issue.—If there is a doubt in your mind whether the prospect~is ready or not to make a final decision, don’t force the issue in your first attempt to Close. If you push too hard, you may drive the prospect into giving. you a definite “No,” which will make it easier for her to keep on saying “‘No”’ later. Few people like to say ‘‘No”’ at the end of a pleasant and interesting interview. But once they have steeled themselves up to the point of saying it—then it is not so hard for them to repeat it. As soon as a serious objection is offered on your first Close, run away from it and bring up your reserve talk as quickly as possible. Always Try at Least Three Closes.—Beginners lose many sales because they take the prospect’s first objections or ex- cuses too seriously. You should make it a rule never to leave a prospect to whom you have given a good complete Demon- stration until you have tried at least three Closes. If you have been careful not to force a definite and final refusal on your first attempt, you are actually in a more favorable position the second time to get the order. The question of price and terms is disposed of and explained, the choice of bindings is before the prospect—there is nothing to come between the Desire-creating force of your reserve talk and the actual moment of closing. This time, you can push harder than before. If your second Close should also prove unsuccessful, go back once more to your reserve material. Make it brief and come up with all the power at your command for the third Close. This time, do not be afraid of forcing a decision. Drive for it and drive hard. Meet any objection that may still arise squarely and fight it back—not by argument, but by definite answers, by sales stories, by letters, by any material you may have that fits the case. A word of warning. When we say not to drive too hard on the first two Closes, this does not mean that you should beat a retreat at the very first sign of hesitation on the * x, f ” ae dtp Prospects Like Firmness 114 prospect’s part. You naturally want to get the order then and there if you can, and you will never know whether you can get the order unless you get as far at least as presenting the order book. If there is a serious objection in the prospect’s mind, this will bring it out. Let it come out. But do not keep on pushing, once that objection is stated, until you reach the third Close. The Prospect’s Attitude Toward the Close.—Beginners in - salesmansnip sometimes feel reluctant to push hard on the Close, imagining that prospects will resent it. This fear is entirely groundless. If you use ordinary tact and good man- ners, if you remain pleasant and dignified, you may push as hard as you please for an order without arousing resentment. Prospects will naturally object if you become combative, if you show resentment yourself, if you take their refusal as a personal affront, or if you try to beat them down by argu- ment. But cool determination and firmness will win you nothing but respect. The people you talk to realize that your business is to make sales and they will not blame you for doing every- thing in your power to succeed, so long as you do not become offensive. The average mother who has allowed you to give her a careful and interesting Demonstration of the Compton Service will feel that she owes you at least a good opportunity to present your closing appeals. * * * Indeed, most people are so constituted that they welcome firmness and decision and strength in matters of this kind. We have all come in contact with those weak-kneed store clerks who seem afraid to recommend one article over an- other, who, instead of helping us to make up our minds, confuse us with their own lack of suggestions or opinions. We grow impatient with such people and walk out. What a pleasant contrast is the real salesman behind the counter, who after presenting his goods to the best of his ability, says at last: ‘‘Here’s what I recommend. Let me send it out to you. I know you will like it,’ and who then proceeds to bring forward his order book as if the matter were settled. Usually, it 7s settled and we are glad of it. * co * The Prospect’s Weakness.—This brings us to the ques- tion of what it is that really closes most sales—even sales that are made to hard-headed business men. It is nothing but weakness, the prospect’s weakness. We repeat that, of course, the prospect must want more or less definitely the You Have the Advantage _ ‘° 115 eee EEE ————EEESESESEE———~-—~=_—E__——E——=K={={_=[=={= article offered. But that alone is usually not enough to bring the order. The thing that turns the scale finally is the inability of the prospect to say ‘“‘No” to a good salesman’s Close. Every sales interview ends in a sale. Either the prospect sells you the idea that she doesn’t want your commodity or you sell her the idea that she does. In other words, it’s a contest of strength, in which most prospects—no matter how much they may want the Comp- ton Service—will try to put off and delay their decision and will endeavor to persuade you that you ought to let them put it off and delay it. It is your duty to them as well as to yourself to win that contest. You always have the advantage, if you only realize it. You have a definite and positive objective. The prospect’s objective is indefinite and negative. Her position is weak, and in her subconscious mind she knows that it is weak. If you have kept control of the interview throughout, if you do not waver when you come to the Close, but push firmly and with determination toward your objective—the prospect’s resistance is bound in a very large proportion of cases to crumble. And after it is all over and you have the order in your order book, you will notice a strange thing—a phenomenon that has often been observed by all experienced sales people. The prospect will give signs of real satisfaction and relief at having lost the contest—at having been forced across that last barrier that stood in the way of her true Desire. If there are beginners who are inclined to be skeptical about this aspect of the Close, we will ask them to take it on faith and to give it a real trial. They will soon convince themselves of the truth of this principle. NOTES ON THE CLOSE Tactics When Try-Out Close Fails.—The Standard Sales Talk not only gives standard closing methods but indicates how to get back into a reserve talk when a try-out Close fails. There is, however, one universal method for accom- plishing this which can be substituted very effectively with certain types of prospects. You will have to be the judge about when to use it. We did not include it in the Standard Talk because it calls for more practiced self-confidence than the beginner is likely to possess when first entering the field. Yet anyone can use it successfully after a little experience. A Very Effective Method 116 In this method you virtually tell a prospect that af she does not want the Compton Service sufficiently to give her order right away, it is because you have not made the details of the Service sufficiently clear to her; that any mother who really understands what the Compton Service means to her will get it at once. In other words, you make her very objection or refusal the reason for going back into more Demonstration. The method is inescapable—bullet proof. The more excuses are offered, the more that proves she does not understand the real charac- ter of the Service. If she says she cannot afford it, then it’s because she does not appreciate fully what she is getting for her money or does not realize how easy are the terms. If she says she must consult her husband, then she does not grasp fully enough the reasons for the one-call method of selling and the reasons for calling directly on mothers. In any case, the reply to a refusal or an objection takes the following general form: “T see what you mean, Mrs. Brown, and I want to confess that I’ve been at fault. I know if I had really made the details of the Compton Service clear to you, you wouldn’t hesitate. Don’t misunderstand me, Mrs. Brown. I don’t blame you in the least. It’s my job to explain this thing to you so there won’t be a single doubt left in your mind. I don’t believe there’s a case on record where a mother really understood what the Comp- ton Service could do for her and her children that she didn’t want to get it. But I suppose sometimes my enthusiasm runs away with me and I skip over something important. Did I show UGVOUILS (loa ee If the same or another objection comes up after this, you can use the same method over again, saying something like the following: “T can’t understand what’s the matter with me today. I see I’m not presenting the idea of this Service as I should, for I know if I had made you realize what this means to you, Mrs. Brown, you wouldn’t let anything in the world stand in the way of your getting it.’”’ Then you can either show still more material from the prospectus, or show a letter or two from subscribers, or tell a little sales story that applies to the case. * * * When done in a natural and convincing manner, this method is remarkably effective. The prospect is not only impressed by your inability to understand her refusal, but she feels instinctively that there’s not much use in offering further excuses. She will then be inclined to surrender quickly. After Sale is Made 117 Clinching the Sale.—Do not imagine that the sale is over the minute the order is signed and filled out. If you make a hasty departure at that point, you will be doing yourself and the prospect and the Compton Service a grave injustice. You should always clinch your sales with a little “service talk.” We include the subject here, because it is really a part of every successful Close, helping to confirm the prospect’s opinion and to make solid and permanent her feeling of satis- faction at having become a subscriber. Remember that the decision to purchase a thing so im- portant as the Compton Service is usually accompanied by a little excitement. Under the pressure of your Close, the prospect has been keyed up to a fairly high pitch. If you get up and run away immediately, there is danger that the subscriber will feel that all you cared about was the order and that, having got that, your interest in her has faded. The change will seem too sudden and she is likely to feel a let-down and a reaction, whereupon she will begin to question the wisdom of her decision. Left in that frame of mind, she may not be able to present the story of the Compton Service in the proper light to her husband. There may be a disagree- ment before the books can be delivered, resulting either in a refusal to accept them or in a reluctant acceptance which will give the Service a bad start in that home. All this can be avoided by a few additional minutes wisely invested after the order is signed. During this time you can show the subscriber additional material from the prospectus, explaining perhaps more fully the use of the Outlines or the Fact-Index; or you can review briefly the points you made in your talk, reading a letter or two to strengthen the pros- pect’s feeling of satisfaction and confidence in her own judgment. This period can also be profitably employed in getting from your new subscriber the names and information about friends and neighbors who might be interested in the Comp- ton Service. In brief, you should strive to make your departure from a home as smooth and friendly and pleasant as you try to make your entrance. And this applies, whether you have made a sale or not. XVII. Meeting Objections HE first thing to get firmly fixed in your mind about | Objections is that usually they are merely excuses. The Objection which is founded on fact and which consti- tutes a real obstacle to a sale is so rare that you might go a whole week in the field without meeting one. For purposes of discussion we can divide all Objections into three groups: (1) the really Valid Objections, like those just referred to, (2) the Temporary Objections, in which the pros- pect more or less sincerely believes, but which have no real foundation, and (8) the Excuses, which are not sincere but merely express unwillingness to buy. Valid Objections.—Extreme poverty, long-continued un- employment by the wage earners of the family, grave illness or other misfortune which is consuming the entire family income and savings, plans for the immediate removal of the family to a distant place—these are some of the things which may constitute valid objections. As we said, such conditions among the type of people that you call on are extremely rare. You will never be in doubt when you encounter them. The test is simple. If you were in business entirely for yourself, would you consider the sale a great risk? If so, then the Objection is valid. You can usually tell whether conditions are as painted by the amount of detail the prospect enters into in offering the Objection. If the story is vague, it is probably made up or exaggerated merely for the sake of an Excuse. We need not discuss Valid Objections any further, since they will not occur often enough to affect your sales average. Temporary Objections.—Ignorance, prejudice, misunder- standing, or lack of sufficient information about the Compton Service are usually responsible for Temporary Objections. While they are not founded on fact, the prospect believes in them to a certain extent and will continue to cling to them until you remove them. Such Objections arise from a great variety of causes. Per- haps the prospect has had an unfortunate experience with unscrupulous salesmen and is determined not to buy again without long and careful investigation. But in most cases they are due to a faulty Demonstration on your part. If you show high school material to the mother of very young children, you may lead her to believe that the books are ‘‘too 118 Everybody Makes Excuses 119 old,” and vice versa. Or you may have blundered upon some religious prejudice. Maybe you did not emphasize enough the interesting features of the Service and left the prospect to believe that her children would not use the books. Perhaps you pitched your whole sales talk too far over the prospect’s head. Perhaps you did not bring out the “difference” of C. P. E., allowing her to think that she would be duplicating some set of books already in her library. You can usually tell such Temporary Objections from mere Excuses by the fact that the same one will be repeated again and again by the prospect until removed by you. They call for direct and sometimes drastic treatment, using definite answers, letters, stories, etc. Excuses.—We said tie interviews Here you meet with real reasons for not buying were rare. But they are not so rare as interviews which pass without one or more Excuses being offered by prospects. To make such Excuses is as natural to most people as breathing. In many cases they are a real credit to your skill. The sooner they begin and the greater their strength and variety— the more it shows that your sales talk is taking hold and that the prospect is trying to escape what she feels she ought to do. Beginners who have not learned the art of arousing Interest and Desire will sometimes report flat refusals or replies of “Not interested.’’ But this seldom happens to skilled workers. They hear, instead, ingenious and elaborate excuses, intended to put them off and gain time. Let’s consider as an example of Excuses one of the com- monest of all—‘I can’t afford it.”’ It is the easiest possible Objection to offer, because the prospect feels that it brings forward a personal question which you can’t possibly answer. How do you know whether she can afford it or not? She tells you she can’t and that ought to be the end of it. As a matter of fact, this Excuse is usually offered with a certain amount of sincerity. No woman ever gets so much money together at one time that she feels she can ‘‘afford” to spend it for things she does not really want. What the prospect means is that she has other things on which she proposes to spend her surplus funds—a new rug for the front hall, an ornamental lamp for the living room table, a fur coat, UG eee She is feeling the pull of your salesmanship drawing on her savings, so she tells you quickly that she cannot afford the Compton Service. If you let yourself be drawn into a discussion of whether she can afford it or not, you are lost. She has complete con- trol of that situation, and one of the greatest rules of sales- Answers Should Be Brief 120 manship is never to enter into a situation of which the pros- pect has control. Let’s see what you should do. Ways of Meeting Objections.—No rigid and infallible rule can be laid down for handling Objections. But if you adopt the general policy laid down here, you will probably be on the right track in the great majority of cases. It applies not only to the “I-can’t-afford-it”” Objection but to all others. Do not answer the Objection at all the first time it occurs. Simply pretend that you did not hear it. If you think it is a very weak Excuse, you need not shift from your course at all, but go on as if it had never been made. If the prospect has put a good deal of emphasis behind the Objection, then shift back into your Demonstration and devote yourself to building up more Desire. The next time an Objection is made, if it is a different one from the first, you will know that the prospect is merely fish- ing around for Excuses and that your best plan is to switch the Objection off with very few words and to swing into a good strong Close. If the second Objection is the same as the first, you will do well to meet it more fully, using the special talks, letters, or sales stories. If on your third Close an Objection again rises, stick to your Close, increasing the direct pressure until you either force the prospect to abandon the Objection through the strength of your appeal or else bring out a definite and final negative decision from her. Keeping Up the Pressure.—Once you have started to apply the sales pressure that leads to a Close, you must never let up on it. If you are compelled to go back into more details of Demonstration be sure to keep your talk strong and full of Desire-creating points. Never let the interview relax or fall back into mere Interest again. If you do—if you let the prospect feel that the pressure has been removed—the battle is lost. She will meet your next attempt to renew the pressure with added confidence of driving you back once more. For this reason you should keep all reserve talks and an- swers to Objections as brief as possible, and the new Close should always be directly linked to them. Make your answer or your reserve talk simply a new pathway to another Close. The attempt to Close after an Objection must always be stronger than the first attempt, otherwise you will leave the impression that you are weakening. In a sense the whole interview from the time you begin driving for the order becomes a battle—a test of strength in which you are fighting, not against the prospect herself, but against the instinct of resistance and inertia which takes The Value of Good Stories 121 possession of nearly all people when an unexpected question of spending money arises. If you are going to win, you must see to it that you fight harder than that spirit of inertia can fight back. USING SALES STORIES Good sales stories are powerful weapons. Skillfully used, they can often do more to bring orders than any amount of additional demonstration or direct appeals. Beginners should never feel that they are doing their own ability full justice until they have mastered the art of using such stories in a natural and timely fashion. It is not a difficult art to acquire. It consists merely of putting into story form the sales motives and appeals dis- cussed in Chapter XV. A story may consist of an anecdote about another prospect or subscriber; it may be a quotation from some well-known writer or speaker; or it may be any little tale which, like the parables of the Bible, illustrates such things as devotion, sacrifice, the value of knowledge, or any other human quality you want to emphasize. The power of such stories to move prospects lies in the fact that they come as indirect suggestions, with far more weight than any direct advice or appeal from you can possibly carry. As we pointed out on page 104, you can suggest things to the prospect through stories that would be resented or would fall flat if you did not clothe them in that form. One of the strongest human impulses is the instinct of imitation. The best stories of all are those showing how other prospects have surmounted difficulties and objections to get the Compton Service. A good collection of stories, therefore, will include at least one for every Objection you are likely to encounter. ' When to Use Stories.—Stories are used oftenest to fore- stall Objections or to meet them after they have actually arisen. That is why we discuss them in this chapter. But they can and should be used as part of the Demonstration whenever possible, showing how the Service has actually been used by others and how its various features have aroused enthusiasm. Even in the Introduction certain types of stories have proved exceedingly useful. People like to hear little human narratives about what their neighbors have said and done. You can always count on a good story to arouse new Interest. Beginners sometimes say that they found no opportunity to tell their stories. That’s because they worry too much about the logical connection of the story with the rest of their sales talk. You shouldn’t let Make Stories Lifelike 122 this bother you, for the average person is not much concerned with tracing logical connections. It’s true that a story gains force if it comes in naturally, instead of having the appear- ance of being dragged in by the ears. But that’s more a matter of your manner in telling it than of logic. You can always create the opportunity by a few introductory words, such as, “That reminds me, etc... .” or “In that connec- tion, let me tell you. . . .” By the time your little story is half told, the prospect will have forgotten all about what that’ “connection” was. Collecting Sales Stories.—The best stories are those you gather yourself in the course of your daily work. These you can tell with the most conviction and put into them the most life-like spirit. There is value, furthermore, in being able to give exact facts and details—names, place, date, etc. For this purpose you should enter in your notebook any little incidents that strike you as specially dramatic or appealing. Lacking stories out of your own experience, you should borrow those of others, adapting them to your use, being careful always to stick to the substance of the truth. An invented story, for some reason, can seldom be made so per- suasive as a true one, even if you are willing to use it. Whatever the source of your story, it is best in every case to write it out in suitable form before attempting to use it. You cannot trust yourself on the spur of the moment to put your facts together in the most effective way, unless you have rehearsed them a little in advance. SOME TYPICAL STORIES For the sake of illustrating the kind of material that can be made into sales stories, we give you here a few examples, together with suggestions for their use. They were all sent in by field workers and have all been used with success. Of the many that are constantly submitted, we have selected those that seem the simplest and most general in their appli- cation. Except for leaving out names and dates and places, we are printing them in virtually the same form as submitted. Since good sales stories usually contain more than one kind of appeal and are suitable for more than one kind of objection, we found it best not to classify them in any way. You will find it wortk,your while to read through them all very carefully. Books Beat Furniture.—I was calling on a mother the other day, Mrs. Brown, and she felt at first that she had so many other things to buy that she could not afford the Compton Service Just then. But in the end she said to me: ‘“‘I am afraid I’ve been thinking 2 ad - Some Appeals to Pride | 123 Sooo OOOO" a little too much about myself. I’ve been planning to get some new furniture for the living ,room, and I have been hating to spend even a nickel that I could save for that. But when I see what these books will mean to my children—well, the furniture doesn’t seem so im- portant, somehow.’’ And she seemed so happy, Mrs. Brown, after she had made that decision. (Appeals to pride and fear of being thought selfish; meets ‘‘can’t-afford-it’’ objection and overcomes tendency to delay.) She Knew Her Mother Didn’t Know.—A young mother told me this story about herself. She was sitting in the window doing some fancy work. Her little daughter, Mabel, and a playmate were playing in the garden, when she overheard the following conversa- tion: ‘‘Oh, Mabel, look at this flower I found. I wonder what it’s called. Let’s go and ask your mother.’’ ““Oh, mother wouldn’t know.’’ ““Wouldn’t she? Well, let’s go over and ask my mother. If she doesn’t know, she’ll look in a book and tell us.”’ That conversation was such a blow to her pride, the young mother said, that she decided then and there that she would never say ‘‘I don’t know”’ to her little girl again, if she could possibly help it, as long as she lived. (This story appeals to Bites and suggests the usefulness of the Service in answering questions.) How Her Husband Helped.—lI called at a home recently where I was surprised to find a fine library, although the other furnishings of the house seemed scanty. When I expressed my admiration for the wonderful collection of books, the mother explained that it was her ‘‘smoke library.’’ ‘“‘When my children were babies,’’ she said, ‘‘I bought a set of books because I thought they would help me to be a better mother and to give them a firm foundation and a good start. My husband objected a little at first, but finally we came to the agreement that I should be allowed to use the same a mount of money for books to comfort the children and myself as he used for smoke for his comfort. That library expresses the sum total of his smoking for the last six years.’ (This type of story makes an excellent reply to the husband objection, appeal- ing also to the mother’s pride and spirit of independence.) She Waited Until It Was Too Late.—Last week I was talking to the mother of two boys, one fifteen and one twenty. The older one was still in the senior year of high school and the younger one was still in the eighth grade. She said to me, ‘‘Miss Smith, I can’t get them interested and they don’t seem to care to read.’’ So I said, ‘“‘Well, that certainly is too bad. What kind of reading have you put before them, Mrs. White?’’ And she said with tears in her eyes, “Oh, I know I haven’t been a good mother. I never gave them any books when they were younger. But I didn’t realize what it meant to them until it was too late.”’ There was nothing I could say, Mrs. Brown, to console that poor mother who had failed in her mother-job: But I went away with a firm resolution to do my utmost to spread this message to other mothers, before it was too late. I just thought what a contrast to that mother was the one I met the very next day in that same neighborhood. She had three little ones under school age, and though she had, from all appearances, Stories to Fight Delay 124 —eoos very little of this world’s goods, she realized she had no right to deny her children their chance, for she said: ‘‘Miss Smith, I know that the kind of men and women my children become depends upon what I do for them now.’’ (This is a very strong appeal to caution and pride and overcomes the ‘“‘I- can’t-afford-it’’ and the delay objections.) Advice From a Great Banker.—George M.Reynolds is president of the Continental and Commercial Bank of Chicago, one of the largest financial institutions in the world. He is considered a business genius whose opinions carry unusual weight among the big men of the country. Here’s what he has to say, Mrs. Brown, about success: “A man to make money must think for himself. Fortunes are built on deals that are largely the impulse of the moment. Those who take questions to bed with them are not the ones who are making the most money. Courage is as much a necessity to the man or woman who would build a fortune as it is to the soldier on the battlefield. I believe the biggest things in business are always done on the impulse of the moment. I have always made that my rule. I cannot, as I look back, recall a single instance where I have thought long over a successful business operation.”’ (This quotation is valuable in cases where prospects want to delay and think over your proposition.) No One Can Take a Mother’s Place.— As one mother said to me: “If I weren’t here, somebody else could do the dusting and cleaning and cooking and sewing for the house. But I feel as if no- body in the whole world—no matter how wise or experienced they were—could train and teach my children the way I can.’’ And isn’t that true of all mothers, Mrs. Brown? Their mother instinct tells them what their children need. But, as this same mother said when she ordered the Compton Service, ‘‘I want to be sure that I can always give them what I know they need. I feel that if I give it to them myself, it will mean more to them.” And that’s what counts, Mrs. Brown—it’s your influence back of this Service. (Appeals to pride and overcomes the objection that the school is already doing all that is necessary.) Pay in Money or in Sorrow.— As one mother put it: ‘‘I know we need this Service, and I’ve often noticed that we always pay for a thing we need, whether we buy it or not. I can pay for these books in a short time in dollars and cents, or I can be paying for them for years in the mistake of not having for my children what other moth- ers have for theirs.’’ And she was right in choosing the shorter way, don't you think so, Mrs. Brown? (Appeals to caution, and helps to over- come delay and price objection.) | Superior Mothers Make Superior Children.—I taught school for years, Mrs. Brown, but I have learned more from mothers during the past year about the real causes back of the wonderful educational triumphs of the present day than from all my experience as a teacher. Just the other day a mother took me back into her den and showed me an old couch with a book case standing at the head of it. On the top shelf was a much-worn set of children’s boo ks. ‘‘When my seven- year old boy was two,”’ she said, ‘‘I bought him those books and placed them just where they stand today. My most familiar memory of him as a little boy is a picture of him lying on that couch on his stomach looking at the pictures. I have done more reading in ans- The Judge’s Quick Reply 125 wering his questions about those pictures than for everything else combined since I was married. -“Last fall he started to school, and the first thing he did was to make two grades with flying colors. His teacher said he had de- veloped such wonderful mental alertness that all she had to do was to let him learn.”’ That mother was so delighted with the Compton plan she said she could hardly wait to get the new books into the shelves by the couch. She said, ‘‘I feel I am going to have a hard time keeping ahead of my boy.”’ Mothers like that are the ones that are responsible for the big forward steps in education, Mrs. Brown. A doctor said to me re- cently, ‘‘People will tell you that this is the age of superior children. But it is really the age of superior mothers.’’ And every day I realize more and more how true that is, when I see how eager mothers are to give their children the very best advantages and the very best start in life. (This appeals to pride and the spirit of rivalry and imitation. It can be used with all types of prospects, but particularly tt helps to ward off the objection that children are too young.) What Is Your Child Worth?—I heard Judge Lindsey, the fam- ous Juvenile Court jucge, say in an address at the opening of the Junior Y. M. C. A. at Washington: ‘‘Ladies and Gentlemen, this building cost $500,000—and if it saves one boy from ruin and dis- grace, it is worth every cent that it cost.’’ After the meeting a great many of the prominent men and women of Washington were going up to shake hands with the speaker. One old fellow said to him, ‘‘Judge, you put a big price on one boy.”’ ‘““My son would be worth more,’’ replied the judge. ‘‘I don’t know about yours.”’ (This ts a fine reply to the price objection, making a strong double appeal to pride and cautton.) A Mother Needs Training for Her Job.—I called one day on a mother who had just a little baby and I didn’t know whether she would be interested in books or not. In talking with her, I found she had been a teacher, and she explained her interest in this way: ‘‘It’s surprising how quickly things slip away from you. Now I feel as if I were getting really rusty just in the few years I’ve been out of school work. But you needn’t think for one moment that I don’t consider it just as important to train myself to teach my little girl, as it was to train myself to teach other people’s children.’’ (This story appeals to pride, reaches the educated mother, and overcomes the objection that child ts too young.) A Help for the Brightest Children.—I was calling on Mrs. White the other day and she told me that it was a very inconvenient time for her to get the Compton Service. So I said to her: ‘‘Mrs. White, this help will enable your little daughter to lead her class and the pleasure and pride you take in that will far outweigh the incon- venience of taking this now.’’ Mrs. White answered quickly, ‘‘But she does lead her classes already. She’s been a leader all through grammar school.’’ I replied to her, ‘‘That’s splendid! I know just how proud you feel, Mrs. White. But have you stopped to think that, in high school, Lillian will bein class with the leaders of eight other grammar schools? Some of those leaders are going to have this help, which will give Story of a Good Sport 126 =——Se ESSE them a decided advantage over those who do not. You don’t want to run any risk, Mrs. White. You want to give Lillian at least an equal advantage with the other leaders, don’t you?”’ Then, Mrs, Brown, that mother saw that the real leaders are always those. who are not content to ‘‘stay put’’ but who keep on training themselves for bigger and better things all the time. No one can afford to stand still these days and say what was good enough in the past is good enough for the future, can they, Mrs. Brown? (This type of story appeals to the pride of leadership and overcomes the ob- jections of self-satisfied prospects.) Everyone Borrowed His Books.— A disabled soldier, an archi- tect, came in to our branch office the other day to make a payment on his books. He said they had been burned, and when I started to express regrets— Well, here’s the story in his own words: “‘Oh, just the covers are burned. The reading is all there. But now, perhaps, they won’t be so attractive and everyone will not be bor- rowing them all the time. I wanted to use them myself the other night, and there was only one volume left on the shelf. The maid said that friends had borrowed the others, saying that I was a ‘good sport’ and would be glad to lend them. ‘Well, I’m a good sport,’ I said, ‘but those people can get those books just as easily as I got my set.’ I went out looking for them and I found four volumes in one home where a high school girl was preparing a thesis.”’ Then this father, who is a widower, gave us the names of his bor- rowing friends and asked us to see to it that every One of those fami- lies got a set of Compton’s. And most of them have already sub- scribed. (This story proves the universal usefulness of the Service and appeals to the prospect's pride in owning her own books—books that everyone will want to borrow.) The Desire for Knowledge.—A famous school superintendent once said: ‘‘When we arouse in a child the desire to know, it is better that giving him a university education.’’ And that’s true, isn’t it, Mrs. Brown? Without the first, the latter means nothing; but with the first, he finds the way to get the other. (Good general appeal for Introduction or Demonstration; can be used also as an appeal to caution at the Close.) No Time Like the Present.—Mrs. Brown, we always feel that the present is the time of greatest distress for our pocketbook. Let me read you a little quotation: “It is human nature to regard the present as the worst of times, and to have glowing hopes for the future, financially or otherwise. Yet many parents of small children, who console themselves with the thought that things will be better later on, cannot build much on the testimony of parents of older children, who, no matter what their age, declare there never was a time when they were the care they are now, and they remember with regret the days when the children were younger, for they did not have so many needs.”’ (This can be copied out and put in your prospectus to be used in overcoming delay. It should be followed by appropriate comments applying to the pros- pect’s own case.) Who Is the Boss?—The story goes that a man went around to homes to find out whether the husband or the wife was boss. Where the wife ruled, he gave a chicken; where the husband ruled, a horse. a4 A Powerful Heart Appeal 127 When he had given away a large number of chickens (and no horses), he finally reached one home where the wife admitted her husband was master of the house. Back in the garden the husband made the same claim: ‘‘Yes, that’s true, I’m boss here.’’ “All right, then, come out to the gate and pick our your horse. I’m giving a horse to every man who is boss of the family. Which will you take—the white one or the black one?’’ ‘“*The white one, I think—but just wait a minute.’’ And he disap- peared into the house. Emerging a minute later, he said: ‘‘No, I’d rather have the black one.”’ ‘“‘No, you don’t, you get a chicken.”’ That’s the way most fathers decide things. (This type of humorous appeal will often prove useful with certain prospects who can be reached in no other way. This story appeals to pride and overcomes the husband objection.) She Had Learned Her Lesson.—In a little town near Lexington I called on a family that seemed so poor I thought I would go away without showing this wonderful work, which I felt they could not afford. But the mother insisted on looking at it, and her two boys, 9 and 11, said to her: ‘‘Mother, if you will only take it, we can pay for it out of our milk money.’’ I found out they kept a cow and the boys sold the milk. The mother didn’t say a word, but went out and got the picture of a little girl and handed it to me. ‘‘That’s the picture of the girl we lost two years ago,’’ she said. ‘‘She was a wonderful student. She started taking domestic science and several times came home asking for material to work with, but I kept putting it off and didn’t get it for her. One day she asked me to visit her school and the children were all showing the many different things they had made. I asked Mary where her things were and she said, ‘I haven’t had the materials to work with, mother, so I couldn’t make what the rest of the girls have.’ “It’s too late to help her now, but I never again want one of my children to say that they could not do the things that were asked of them because they did not have the materials to work with. We have got to afford it, for we can’t afford not to give them their chance.”’ And that little mother, Mrs. Brown, insisted on taking the Comp- ton Service and, what’s more, she and those two boys have paid for it every month right on time. She had the right spirit, don’t you think so? (A very powerful heart appeal of the type to be used with prospects that are tnclined to be selfish or flighty.) The Mother’s Education.—Henry Clay said: ‘‘A wise mother and good books enabled me to succeed in life.’”’ You know, Mrs. Brown, I feel that back of every great man and every great woman there was a wonderful mother—one who had ambitions and ideals and backbone to see that her child became something worth while. I don’t have the least bit of patience with anyone who says: ‘‘It’s no use to educate a girl; she'll only get married anyway.’’ Why, there’s no one on earth needs a broader, finer education than a mother. As one little mother put it recently: ‘‘You educate a father, and you have just one educated man. But you educate a mother, and you have an educated family.’’ And how true that is, isn’t it, Mrs. Brown? (This type of story not only appeals to pride, but helpsto ward off the hus- band objection.) Husband Answers Objection 128 > >>>>>>I>Ih __==S=Ssapmsesasasae——————— , The Cost of Delay.—I have a friend, Mrs. Brown, who lived for years so near Niagara Falls that she could make the round trip for one dollar. Other people came thousands of miles to see them. But she never got around to it. There was always some little thing inter- fering. She toid me she planned the trip to the Fallsa dozen times a year, but somehow it was always delayed. Then she moved to Kan- sas, and when people there heard where she came from, they would always say, ‘‘You can tell us about Niagara Falls. It must have been wonderful to live near them and to be able to see them whenever you wanted to.’’ She finally became so ashamed of explaining that she had never seen that marvelous sight, that she took a vacation one summer and spent nearly $150 to make the trip back to her old home and see the Falls. And that’s almost always the way, isn’t it, Mrs. Brown? When we put off doing the easy thing now, we usually find that we have to do that very same thing later on, when it isn’t easy any more. Making up for lost time and lost opportunities is always expensive, don’t you think so? (Thts is a very good answer to prospects who admit the value of the Service, but who want to delay action.) Paying for the Service, Not the Books.—One mother said to me not long ago: ‘If I thought I was getting just a set of books to put on my shelves—just a lot of articles and pictures—I wouldn’t want it at all. What I’m paying for is the good my children are going to get out of these books by using them.’’ And that’s the way we want all our subscribers to feel—that they are getting a real, every- day Service, like the telephone or the gas or the electric light and other things that you pay for by the month. We want you to feel that you are paying for that Service, not the books. Then after you have paid for a few months, you get the Service free forever after- ward. That’s the right way to think of it, don’t you think so, Mrs. Brown? (This emphasizes usefulness and meets the instalment objection.) It’s the Mother’s Business to Decide.—A mother I called on last week wanted the Service very much, but she was afraid to get it without consulting her husband. She asked me to call on him, and since his office was on my way home, I decided to make an exception in her case. He was a very busy man and I had to wait an hour to see him. Then, after listening to me a few minutes, he said: “‘Miss Smith, I am sorry that I have not more time to give to this matter. From what you have said, I understand it is something that will help the children in their school work. Now if a man comes to me and tells me he has something to help me produce more business with less effort and in less time, I would bea fool if I didn’t get it. My competitor next door might not be such a fool and then I would lose out. We are moving along fast these days, and the fellow that isn’t keeping up to date in his methods is soon left behind. “‘Now the raising and educating of our children is my wife’s busi- ness and she has the same right to get the things to help her in her work that I do in mine. Go and see her again and tell her if she wants this Service to get it. She is the only one who can decide. If I tried to buy things for her to use at home, it would be just as unwise as if she tried to buy things for my office.’’ Then, Mrs. Brown, I replied to him that his wife said it was his money she was spending and that was why she wanted him to decide. “Of course, it’s my money,” he answered, ‘‘if you want to look atit that way. Butit’s her money, too. If I have a partner in my business Wisdom from a Little Girl 129 and he has charge of certain departments of the work, I don’t expect him to consult me every time he spends money to improve his de- partments. That’s what a partner is for—to take responsibility and make decisions.”’ And don’t you think, Mrs. Brown, that a wife should have at least the same rights and responsibilities as a business partner? (This is a strong reply to the husband objection, as tt sums up almost all the reasons why a mother should decide.) Not a Sacrifice, But a Pleasure.—I know, Mrs. Brown, that the things we want to do sometimes seem difficult in advance. But let me tell you a little story: A little Scandinavian girl came trudging along a hot dusty road carrying her brother, who was almost as large as she was. A neighbor met them and told the girl to put the boy down and make him walk —that he was too heavy for her to carry. The little girl looked at the man very earnestly and replied: ‘‘He is not too heavy, sir, for he is my brother.”’ Where love and confidence that we are doing the right thing is our guide, the heaviest load is made easy. When we know and feel that the Compton Service fills a real need in our homes, the saving for it is not a sacrifice, but a pleasure. Don’t you think so, Mrs. Brown? (This type of heart appeal is very effective, when prospects allow the thought of money to stand between them and their duty to their children.) Teaching Children to Use Money Wisely.—As a banker’s wife told me one day: ‘‘Of course, I could easily pay cash, but my husband says, ‘Lots of people know how to save money, but mighty few know how to invest it wisely.’ So I get a good set of books once in a while and have the children invest their little savings that way, for I want them to learn to use their money wisely while they are still young—when the strongest habits are formed.’’ That’s a fine way of looking at this plan, don’t you think so, Mrs. Brown? (This appeals to the mother’s desire to train her children properly and meets the objection to the instalment plan.) For Your Personal Notes 130 Sales Notes and Stories We are leaving a few pages blank at this point, so that you can write in or paste in copies or clippings of any specially good stories, poems, or quotations you desire to keep permanently. Here is a little poem (author unknown) to start your collection: LOOKING AHEAD some day the world will need a man Of courage in a time of doubt, And somewhere, as a little boy, That future hero plays about. Within some humble home, no doubt, That instrument of greater things Now climbs upon his father's knee, Or to his mother's garment clings. And when shall come the time for him To render service that is fine, He that shall do God's mission then May be your little boy or mine. some day the world will need a man! I-stand beside his cot at night, And wonder if I'm teaching him The best I can, to know the right. I'm the mother of a boy— His life is mine to mold or mar. And he no better can become Than what my daily teachings are. There will be need for someone great—— I dare not falter from the line— The man who is to serve the world May be that little boy of mine. A Place for Your Sales Stories 131 Fill These Pages Yourself 132 A Place for Your Best Notes Put Something Good Here 134 The BUSINESS BUILDER od PART THREE The Salesman Page XVIII. Personal Qualities. ..137 XIX. Manners and Habits .146 XX. Work and Success....151 Appendix—Business Notes. . . 157 XVIII. Personal Qualities N THE preceding chapters of this book we have tried to emphasize particularly the impersonal side of Compton Service salesmanship—the machinery and tools of your work, the outside conditions you have to contend with and the more or less standardized methods of meeting those conditions. Now the time has come to consider the personal side of your work and the individual qualities which YOU bring to bear upon it. After all is said and done, you are the most important element in the whole enterprise. Your success will depend far more upon your own morale than upon any methods you employ. If your morale is right, method and system and experience will make you a star. But if your morale is wrong, the most perfect sales technique in the world will do you little good. Mind you, we are not talking about any natural or inborn qualities over which individuals have little or no control. We - propose to discuss only those qualities which anyone can acquire and develop. SELF-CONFIDENCE You believe in your own ability, don’t you? The reason you have gone into salesmanship is because you know that the routine jobs of the world cannot pay you what you are worth. Isn’t that so? You have set out to get the “better things”’ of life to which your superior energy, intelligence and enterprise entitle you. In other words, you have plenty of self-confidence. But do you make it work for you? Or do you keep it a secret that you cuddle to yourself as a sort of private consolation for your little failures? Do you say to yourself, “I CAN’? Or do you say to yourself, ‘I could, if I wanted to.” There is all the difference in the world between the two attitudes. The earth is full of people who nurse notions of their own superior ability, but who seldom or never put it to the test of action. They ‘‘could” do anything, but they “can” do nothing, because they won’t try. That kind of vague self-confidence won’t help you in salesmanship. What you want is self-confidence founded on facts. It must be the kind that no failure can weaken, because the facts are there to back you up. 137 Reasons for Confidence 138 Building Self-Confidence.—What are the facts you have to build on? First, comes the proposition you are selling—the Compton Service. You must know, so that the knowledge becomes a real part of you, that the Compton Service is the very best educational tool for home use that is made. If you know of a better one, then you are doing yourself an injustice to sell this one, for you can never have the full confidence you need. But we don’t believe that question will bother you. What we have told you in this manual about the way the Service was made and what you have seen with your own eyes ought to be enough to settle that point forever. What you are selling is the very best in its field. That’s step number one in building your self-confidence. Second, you know that it can be sold successfully. You know this because you see others around you, who have not a bit more ability than you have, making fine records week in and week out. If they can do it, you can. Third, you are prepared to sell the Compton Service. You have at your command all the material you need to succeed. Every obstacle that you can possibly encounter has been en- countered and disposed of thousands of times before by the use of that material. All you have to do is to master that material until you know that no prospect can possibly stump you with questions or objections. Perfection may not come right away, but at least you know that you are in a position to control absolutely this part of your work. You build your self-confidence by study and personal preparation. Fourth, you do not allow temporary failures or slumps to affect you in any way. In fact, you don’t think of them at all. except to ask yourself how to surmount them the next time. Instead of allowing failure to tear you down, you build on it. You are surer after making a mistake than you were before, because you know that there is at least one mistake you will never make again. ~ Using Self-Confidence.—When you go up to a prospect’s door, just wipe out of your mind all thoughts that end with a question mark. Don’t wonder whether you are going to get in. Make up your mind, instead, whether you are going to sell that prospect a Full-Leather binding, a King Francis, or a Buckram. Don’t worry about what the prospect is going to do. Have a clear and definite idea of exactly what you are going to do—and do it, no matter what happens! Cultivate decision of manner and assurance in action. You may say that you haven’t these traits naturally. That isn’t true. You showed plenty of decision when you determined to come into this work, and you had ample assurance in Don’t Fear Mistakes 139 action when you actually did come into it. You mean, perhaps, that you don’t show your decision and assurance on the outside. Well, that’s easy to cultivate. You know the difference that comes into your voice when you are speaking positively, instead of in an inquiring manner. You know that in the former case, your voice falls at the end of the sentence, while in the latter it rises. You can say, ‘I am Miss Smith,” so that it means, “You know who I am.’ or you can say it so that it means, “Perhaps you don’t know who I am.”’ Well, in your opening remarks to prospects, you should always use the positive tone. You can step forward toward a prospect as if you expected the door to be closed in your face. Or you can step forward, knowing that the door is going to open wider to receive you. If you do the latter, there is no woman alive could close that door. It couldn’t possibly enter anyone’s head to do it. Do not think, however, that self-confidence expresses itself by a hard-set jaw or a combative manner. Those are usually devices of weaklings to screw up their courage and make a “front.” Let your manner be as easy and natural as you please, but avoid the faintest trace of hesitation or uncer- tainty in speech or action. Beginners sometimes try to figure out in advance the easiest house to approach in a block. They wander around uncer- tainly, anxiously looking at the faces of the dwellings, as if they expected to see expressions of friendliness or hostility. If anyone appears at a window, they will press on, trying to pretend they have business elsewhere. That’s a fine way to cripple confidence entirely. Don’t look for soft spots. Pick out the biggest, most imposing, most unfriendly-looking house in sight. Walk up to the door with a smile on your face and a spring in your step. If you see anyone at a window, motion to them that you want to talk to them. Give the bell a good ring. Be impatient to get inside and start your Demonstration. If you do things of that kind, you will find your self-confidence welling up inside you, and you will know that nothing can check you. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Everybody makes them. A great financier once said: ‘‘All I ask and hope for is to be right fifty-one percent of the time. If I can succeed in that, ’ll make millions!”” And he did. The worst part of mistakes is their power to discourage you—to rob you of self- confidence. If you don’t let them do that, the mistakes you make will never hurt you. As a final suggestion for cultivating self-confidence, study Sell Yourself First 140 carefully and digest what J. R. Hamilton has to say about “The Salesman’s Point of View,” beginning on page 48 of this manual. EARNESTNESS AND ENTHUSIASM Why did that prospect turn you down yesterday morning? You had a good long interview with her. You showed her every attractive point you could think of about the Compton Service. You met her objections. She seemed willing enough to listen to everything you said. But in the end she put you off. Why was it? This may be your answer. Because she could tell by the look in your eye that you half expected her to do so. You didn’t impress her, because you weren’t impressed yourself. And she knew it. You couldn’t fool her. She didn’t feel any sparks of enthusiasm jumping the space from your mind to hers. She needed a live wire to arouse her desire, and you were trying to magnetize her with words of wood. You made a good enough sales talk, yes—but there wasn’t any conviction back of it. It takes earnestness, enthusiasm, warm human personality to get orders. You have been turning your work into routine—letting the life and energy go out of it. Here’s the thing for you to do. Don’t try to make any more sales to others, until you attend to your own case. Take tomorrow off, if you have to. Go into a corner somewhere and SELL YOURSELF a subscription to the Compton Serv- ice. Think over its value; realize it; burn it into your mind. Enumerate its fine qualities; get a living vital appreciation of each one. Consider what the Service will do for a mother, the help it will be, the good it bring. Sweep out of your mind, like so many cobwebs, any apologetic feeling regarding _ It. You are not trying to persuade that mother to waste money. You are not trying to trick or cajole her into doing something she can’t afford to do. You are selling her some- thing that she needs, at a fair price, on the easiest of terms. You are doing her a far greater service than you are asking in return, and you must make her see this. Say these things over to yourself. Think them in your heart; realize them—they are all true. Light the flame of your enthusiasm and fan it into a good brisk blaze. Then, when you have sold yourself—when you believe once more in your own proposition heart and soul—go out and tackle the next prospect. Tell her what you’ve got in you. You’re in earnest this time. She’ll know it. There will be an atmosphere about you that will carry respect. She’ll Stand On Your Own Feet 141 listen to you eagerly. She’ll know that this isn’t ‘‘the same old thing she has heard before.’”’ She’ll know that the Comp- ton Service isn’t something to trifle with. She’ll know that you aren’t to be put off. You'll get the order. Enthusiasm isn’t a matter of excited talk and sensational gestures. It isn’t a surface quality at all. It’s a question of your own deep feelings. If these are kept alive and active, you won’t have any trouble communicating enthusiasm to others. Enthusiasm and earnestness are the best cures for self- consciousness. They give you natural eloquence, firing your imagination and developing new ideas and appeals on the spur of the moment. Don’t let them burn low. INITIATIVE How many new ideas does your brain-factory turn out in the course of a week? Do you think about your work? Are you constantly trying to improve it by looking for new methods and appeals, by developing the strong points to the utmost and strengthening the weak places? Or do you keep the factory closed down most of the time, content to be a mere retailer of second-hand ideas? The salesman who doesn’t inject new thought into his work at frequent intervals grows dull and stale. The moss of old habits blocks the door-step of enterprise. The rust of routine clogs the machinery. Interest slackens, enthusiasm burns out. Discouragement settles down like a pall. Failure waits around the corner. It’s so easy to avoid all that—so easy to keep the fires burning and the wheels humming—if you will just give your brain the chance it craves. Don’t lean on others. Don’t take it for granted that sales methods have been settled once and for all. Take everything good that comes your way. But don’t be afraid to criticize or to try to improve the established order. Stand on your own feet. Have confidence in your own ideas; develop them; put them into practice. For you, at least, those ideas are probably better than any you could get second-hand. Initiative does not mean closing your mind to outside sug- gestions. To believe in your own power to solve your own problems does not imply refusing outside help. But the very best suggestion that ever comes to you can probably be im- proved for your use, if you will study it over and work with it, and adapt it to yourself. The best friend of initiative is a good notebook. Carry one with you wherever you go, for you never know where or Value of ‘‘Resistance’’ 142 when an idea is going to crop up. Magazines, books and plays will give you sales suggestions and quotations. You can study sales methods and appeals on shopping expeditions and get ideas from newspaper advertisements and billboards. While it is not wise to let your mind dwell too much on your work during hours of leisure, some thoughts are bound to come to you at such times. Jot them down, develop them, and use them. COURAGE AND DETERMINATION If there were no such things as obstacles, there would be no such thing as salesmanship. But don’t think of them as obstacles which block your path. Think of them as so much ‘resistance’ which gives your power a chance to show itself. If it weren’t for the resistance of the water, a propeller couldn’t drive a ship. It would whirl around idly. If it weren’t for the resistance of the air, an airplane couldn’t rise from the ground. And if it weren’t for the resistance of the road, an automobile couldn’t move out of its tracks. You have all seen the wheels of a motor car spin helplessly on an icy surface. That kind of a surface is fine going for a sled— down hill. All you have to do is to let go and slide. But there’s no way of sliding up hill. You need power plus re- sistance to get to the top. Sometimes the “resistance” may seem greater than the power. You come to halt. The little devils of weakness begin to whisper to you, “‘What’s the use? Is the game worth the effort? Why not go back into some snug sure resting place, where there’s no fighting or struggling where everything is settled once and for all, and each day is like the next?” When those “blue days” come, you need courage and determination. Those days come to every one who has ambition and enterprise enough to get out on the highway of life and travel with the leaders. The plodders are never bothered that way. It’s the people with imagination and vision, who can see the goal far ahead and are impatient of setbacks and delays—those are the people who are tormented from time to time by discouraging thoughts. The greater your ability, the more you will tend to chafe when circum- stances seem to halt your progress. So don’t take those moments too seriously. They’re symptoms of a fine ambition. ‘Just bring up the old courage and put it to work. Put the shoulder of determination to the wheel and keep pushing. You may not seem to move for a while, but keep pushing anyhow. Before you know it, the wheels will start rolling forward again, and you will be speeding along once more in Pd - Don’t Complain; It’s Fatal! 143. the old way. No, not the old way—faster than ever, because the accumulated power of that extra effort is behind you this time. Some sales people, when they hit a slump, stop pushing entirely. They quit cold and sit around gloomily waiting for someone else to come along and pull them out of the hole. Every time they let that happen, it makes the slump come more easily the next time. Soon their whole career is one long slump. But the people with true courage and determin- ation don’t let bad luck or fate or circumstance dictate to them and tell them when to work or when to quit. They stay in command, no matter what happens. When orders seem to come hard, they go after them hard. If their average seems to be falling, they work longer and see more people and make more sales talks. One of the worst enemies of courage and determination is the habit of complaining about your troubles. You can take a little bit of a temporary slump and talk it into a great big permanent failure, if you don’t watch yourself. We know of a case that illustrates this in a surprising way. A few years ago a certain young woman joined our sales force, who had unusual ability and enterprise, coupled with a most pleasing personality. Within a year, she was one of the ten best workers in the organization. Perhaps her success went to her head. She was not satisfied with being considered a leader. She wanted to make her record appear even more marvelous than it really was. So she began, not more than half seriously, to tell about the tremendous difficulties she encountered. It seemed that her territory was always the worst in the country, the climate where she worked was always bad, the prevailing nationalities in her region were peculiarly stubborn and ig- norant types. She would recount endless tales of hard luck of every conceivable kind. Of robust health, she complained of being half-sick most of the time. All this was done, as we said, more or less in jest, to make her fine record seem finer. But before long, the jest became a habit. She began to believe in her own complaints. Soon she fell behind the leaders. Step by step, she dropped on the list. Inside of a year, she was at the foot of the whole organization. Then she dropped out completely and went back to teaching in a small country school. She claimed she hadn’t been given the same chance that others got. She blamed it on bad luck. But it was nothing but ‘‘bad talk.” She had talked herself into failure. If you run into difficulty, don’t gossip about it. If you feel you need help, talk it over seriously with your manager or A Lesson from a Cork 144 someone else who is in a position to help you. But don’t get into the habit of kicking and complaining. It will wreck your morale and sap your courage quicker than anything else. CHEERFULNESS There’s nothing like making people glad to see you. And good healthy cheerfulness will do that quicker than anything else. The books on salesmanship tell you that, if you can show a man how to make money, you'll always be welcome. But you’ll be doubly welcome if you can show him how to change a frown into a smile. Above everything else, people enjoy feeling happy. And you can’t buy smiles with money. So few people in this world have enough cheering power to keep the corners of their own lives brightly lighted. How they welcome those who have cheerfulness to spare—who can bring them an atmosphere of light and sunshine, who can open the dusty windows of their being and let in a light fresh breeze! “Invest a smile—and get an order.” That sales maxim’ used to sound somewhat cold-blooded and commercial, as if you were expected to turn on grins, at so much a grin. But then we remembered that a real smile can’t be “turned on” to order. It must come from the heart. It stands for the genuine cheer that you bring the prospect as a free gift, over and above the valuable thing you sell her. There is no formula we know of for cheerfulness. The only instructions are, ‘‘Be cheerful!’ Smooth out the frowns, lift the corners of your mouth, cultivate tolerance and courtesy and a good natured manner. Think of the pleasant things that have past and the many more pleasant things that are to come. Don’t let the petty discomforts of life, the small annoyances, disturb you. Let them roll off you; laugh at them. Hum a snatch of music, whistle softly a bright tune as you go up to ring a doorbell. You’ll be surprised how few real grouches you meet. And, what’s more, you'll be surprised how much less tired you'll feel when you get through your day’s work. PERSEVERANCE Take a small cork and float it in a bowl of water. Push it down with your finger. You can hardly feel the upward pressure of that cork, as it tries to get back to the surface, can you? Now put that cork in the bottom of a big barrel, and fill the barrel above it with heavy tar. Then wait and see what happens? It may take a month or two, but sooner or later that cork, by its tiny but steady upward pressure, will force its way through the heavy tar and come out on top. Keep Up Steady Pressure © 145 With a big sledge hammer, you couldn’t drive an iron bar through that solid mass. But the steadfast, continuous, un- ending push of the little cork does the trick without any commotion or disturbance. Perseverance is like the upward pressure of that cork. If you keep on pushing day in and day out, never letting up, you can get through anything in the world and come out on top. .The extra burst of speed in emergencies, the special en- thusiasm you throw into sales contests are wonderfully effective, provided they come on top of a steady, persistent, daily push. But the people never get very far who, in order to do their ordinary work, have to be keyed up to a high pitch of excitement. It never lasts. Excited efforts wear out the nerves. There comes an inevitable reaction and weariness when little or no work is done at all. t There is another danger—that you will come to rely on those sudden spurts of work to make up for lost time. You will count on them to pull you out of holes, and, counting on them, it will be easier for you to let yourself fall behind. The sad thing, if you do that, is that you never catch up. You think you are going to, but you don’t. There is always an excuse for putting off the spurt a littlelonger. You wait until things become almost hopeless and desperate. And you enter the battle with fear of the huge task before you. The result is, you fail. You become discouraged and discontented. You begin to look at the work as hopeless drudgery. Finally, you quit. You’re beaten—not by the work as it really is, but by the desperate struggle you made of it. Take your work easily. Lay your plans far ahead, counting each day and each week as equal periods of production. Establish for yourself a steady average and quota, and ever- lastingly stick to it. Make this regular quota high enough to meet all your needs and tastes. Then the surplus you can pile up during special drives and contests is sheer profit and gain. That’s the way to daily satisfaction and happiness, as well as to future prosperity. Remember, steady daily pressure will overcome any difficulty. Form that habit, and YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT FAIL. XIX. Manners and Habits UTSIDERS sometimes appear to believe that good QO manners and good salesmanship can’t get along to- gether. They imagine that success in the field of selling requires a demeanor that is either brash and brazen or some- what cringing and servile. We could well afford to smile at such ridiculous notions, did not some faint echoes of them occasionally reach beginners in our work and cause them to wonder whether they should not attempt to make over their manners a little to suit their new profession. Set such notions at rest once and for all. Good manners are based on unselfishness, a respect for the rights of others, and a desire not to offend the sensibilities of the people we come in contact with. These are considerations that are not altered by any change in business or profession. The same standards apply in salesmanship as in social life. We treat prospects as equals, giving them the same courtesy we would extend to any other strangers we are meeting for the first time, and we expect the same courtesy in return. You will encounter rude people everywhere. Your present occupation is no exception. Usually rudeness springs from ignorance. The best way to meet is to disregard it—not to allow it to affect your own behavior in the slightest degree. Self-respect certainly forbids giving rudeness back. An easy and tolerant attitude will usually disarm the most crabbed person. But this is not intended to be a lecture on etiquette. We want only to call attention to certain points that are ex- ceptionally important in our work because of their influence on prospects. The Value of Dignity.—Nothing commands respect like a dignified bearing. Not the stiff and formal kind that freezes people and drives them into their shells, but the quiet self- confident dignity that tells people at once that you consider your visit a matter of importance and that you expect them to consider it in the same light. Friendliness of manner and warm human cheerfulness are wonderful assets. But be sure that they don’t grow into familiarity. We have known sales people who were such good fellows that they became almost like one of the family inside of a few minutes. But that kind of thing usually proves a boomerang. Prospects get to feel that they know 146 Keep Sales Material Neat 147 you so well before the interview is over that they can turn you down easily. You’re such a good fellow, they think, that you won’t mind it. Personal Appearance.—Your personal appearance is your first message to the prospect. Let it be as favorable as pos- sible. In other walks of life, you might be more free to follow entirely the dictates of your own taste as far as clothes are concerned. But in salesmanship you have to think of the impression you are going to create on a wide variety of people. Trim, well-groomed conservativeness should be the keynote of your attire. A tendency toward brilliant colors and unusual styles, which might be otherwise entirely becoming to you as an individual, is likely to work against you in the minds of some people. The same is true of wearing any obviously costly jewelry. It may create an impression of over-prosperity. On the other hand, do not run to the other extreme. The dowdiest person in the world likes to see others neat and well- tailored. With the large amount of walking you have to do, you will have to be particularly careful about the appearance of your shoes. For some reason or other, people always notice visitors’ feet. Your Sales Equipment.—Next to your personal appear- ance, prospects pay most attention to the appearance of your sales material. Keep it as neat and orderly as possible. Don’t allow your prospectus to become dog-eared or soiled. Carry only what you actually need in your everyday work. Don’t accumulate among your sales material a lot of loose papers, clippings, old note books, or other things that not only make your bag seem messy but also make the really useful things harder to find and use. Living Conditions.--Extravagance is to be _ strictly avoided. Living up your income, so that you have no savings to show for your work, is a thankless habit, which sooner or later brings discontent and the feeling that you are getting nowhere. On the other hand, economy that is too rigid will “cramp your style,” to use a slang expression, and make you just as dissatisfied as extravagance. While it is admirable to think of the future, we must not forget that today is as much a part of our life as tomorrow and that we owe ourselves comfort and happiness as we go along. Set your standards of living as high as you wisely can. It is good business, as well as being far more pleasant. You will have occasion sometimes to tell prospects where you live. It helps to be known as living in a good neighborhood. Most important of all, however, is the effect of your living condi- Some Habits That Pay 148 tions on yourself. To get up in the morning amid pleasant and comfortable surroundings gives you a fine feeling of power and dignity and independence, which you will never get in dingy quarters. To live in an atmosphere of prosperity tends to bring prosperity. You expect more from your work and you get more. SOME RULES OF HEALTH Good health is absolutely essential to long-continued success in salesmanship. More talented salespeople are de- feated through ill health than through any other cause. Yet this need never happen to you if you have a good average constitution to start with. The work itself is healthful—far more so than office or school work. It gets you out of doors and gives you plenty of exercise. By observing a few simple rules, you can actually increase your health and strength as you go on with your work. Diet.—Improper eating habits will do you more injury in the long run than any other abuse you could fall into. They are responsible for two-thirds of all the ailments that beset modern people. If that seems an exaggeration, it is because the troubles due to improper eating come on slowly and it takes a long course of reform to drive them away again. Don’t make the mistake of thinking yourself immune from this rule. Those who are most robust to start with are usually those who suffer most in the end. Many a weakling has lived to a fine old age through being forced early in life to discipline his diet. First, eat regularly. Don’t let other tasks or pleasures, advance or retard your meal times. Second, take your time about it. Better to forego a meal entirely than to take it “on the run.”? You should be relaxed at the table and should chew your food well. Third, eat plenty of good simple food, avoiding highly seasoned dishes, fried things, heavy cakes and pastries. Concentrate on warm cereals, good soups, eggs, roast meats, plain vegetables, and fruits. Excess coffee or tea will produce a “fake” feeling of renewed energy but you pay for it in greater fatigue later on. To people of impatient or nervous temperaments, such rules may seem annoying. But those are the persons who need them most. Make no mistake, they will pay you in increased energy, endurance, and general efficiency. Sleep.—Get eight hours sleep every night without fail. You will find persons who will tell you how well they get along on five or six hours. They are fooling nobody except themselves. You can keep yourself keyed up by excitement, When You Play, Play Hard! 149 by drinking coffee, by abnormal mental activity of all kinds so that it will seem to you that you can thrive on little sleep. But you are simply running on your “nerves.” It will get you in the end, just as sure as there are laws of physiology. Plenty of sleep means a rested body and a clear brain. You will think faster, make better sales talks, have the surplus energy you need for good hard driving closes, and be able to bring in late in the afternoon that extra order that helps to build up your record. Amusement.—To keep healthy and happy, you must know how to relax, how to play, how to amuse yourself. And when you do play, play hard—throw yourself into it with all the enthusiasm you can. When the time comes for amuse- ment, forget all about your work, dismiss your worries, live in the present. To allow yourself to become bored with life is to bring on nervousness, restlessness, and dissatisfaction with everything you do. Many persons get bored because they try to get amusement too frequently and in small doses. Don’t expect that every day will bring you some unusual pleasure. Be content with week-day routine. But try to plan something you can really enjoy for your week-end—trips, theater parties, dances, visits to the houses of friends, etc. You will do far better work as a result. Don’t talk “shop” too much with your fellow workers out- side of working hours or sales meetings. If things are not going just right for you, don’t waste time in idle worry over it. If you can do something or plan something definite to overcome your difficulties, well and good. That’s constructive thinking. But nobody, since the world began, ever worried himself out of trouble. Other Health Notes.—Imaginary diseases and ailments can do more harm than real ones, because you never get over them. If you observe the ordinary precautions outlined above for keeping your health, you need not give the matter any further thought. Above all things, avoid as you would the plague all patent medicines and tonics and bilge of that character, whether recommended in advertisements or by well-meaning friends. If you are leading a regular life, and still do not feel well, don’t try to nurse yourself along. Go to a competent physician for a thorough examination. Have your teeth examined at least once a year. An aching tooth may get well by itself, but the pain is a sign that it needs attention. It may spread infection if you let it go. Eye strain is often a hidden cause of headaches and ner- vousness. While it is doubtless true that many people wear Take Care of Your Eyes 150 glasses who do not really need them, a little help now may save you a great deal of trouble later. If you have reason to believe your eyes are out of condition, go.to an oculist, not an optician, and have him examine them. Opticians will almost always recommend glasses, while there is a growing tendency among oculists to do without them whenever possible. XX. Work and Success HE truest sales maxim that was ever printed isthis: ‘‘If you want to get the orders, see the people!’ At any given time in your development as asalesman, thenum- ber of orders you take and consequently the profits you make depend directly upon the number of people you call on. That’s a rule you can’t get around. It’s a mathematical certainty based on the law of averages. Out of every hundred sales talks you make, you will get a certain number of orders. That number is fixed by your ability, and the average won’t change except as your ability changes. That’s the law of averages and it applies to everybody. Now the number of sales talks you make depends, of course, on the number of people you call on. It is evident, therefore, that you can increase your orders by the simple process of increasing your calls. The only limit on your weekly produc- tion, then, is the number of calls you can make during the week. In other words, the whole question is one of WORK. The harder you work, the more you profit. Simple, isn’t it? You’re probably wondering what sense there is in wasting good paper and ink to tell you such a self-evident truth. Here’s the reason—and it’s a vitally important one. As you go along with your work, studying and gaining experi- ence, your sales ability will naturally grow. It’s bound to. It can’t help growing. Gradually your average will rise. You will begin to get more and more orders out of every hundred sales talks you make. Now there are two ways of looking at that increased sales ability. You can say to yourself, ‘‘J¢ means less work for me,” or you can say to yourself, ‘‘Jt means more orders.” Which Path Will You Choose? The attitude you take on this question will do more toward shaping your future than any other single thing. Are you going to treat your ability as a couch upon which you can lie down by the side of the road to rest? Or are you going to treat it as a fine machine upon which you can ride swiftly and surely to great success? In every great sales organization—and ours is no exception —you will find both kinds of people. Some regard their ability merely as a means for cutting down the amount of work they have to do. The more proficient they become, the 151 Have You Ambition? 152 fewer hours they work. They decide how much they need for bare expenses of living, and they work until they earn that amount, and then quit. They are easily satisfied. » The others take exactly the opposite view. They treat their ability as a means of earning more money. They decide, not how little they can live on, but how much work they can do, day in and day out. The more proficient these workers be- come, the bigger their profits. They may not spend any more than the members of the first group, but they are constantly piling up a surplus, saving lots of money, getting somewhere. They are not easily satisfied. They have ambition. Are You Easily Satisfied?—With fairly good skill in salesmanship, you can make reasonable living expenses sell- ing the Compton Service by working only two hours a day That is to say, you can pay yourself a-salary about equal to that of the average office girl. Perhaps there are people who are satisfied with the results of two hours’ work a day. At least they may think they are satisfied, because no one can really be satisfied with slacking. But to reach the point where they even think so is a long step toward becoming finished, through, done! Satisfaction means the end of struggle—the beginning of decay. Satisfied people grow sluggish of mind and body. You may mistake satisfaction for happiness. But true happi- ness comes only with winning something; satisfactionmeans that you have lost something—your goals, your ideals, your dreams. A step toward those dreams, no matter how small, brings happiness. But only by stifling the dreams can satis- faction come. When you admit you're satisfied, you mean that you’re defeated, you’ve quit, you’ve pulled down your flag! It’s sad enough to watch the inevitable failure of the help- less and the unfit. But the wasting failure of those who have ability is infinitely worse. A race horse pulling a peddler’s wagon; a fine locomotive rusting in a junk yard; a great ship built to sail the seven seas rotting on the beach—if such things don’t give you a pang, then nature has left something out of your make-up. ~But you are not made that way. Nobody in the entire organization is made that way, deep down inside. You’ve all proved it. You have real ambition. You showed it when you joined this organization. You broke away from the treadmill of routine and took the first step toward independence. Did you want independence just to waste it? No! You learned the art of salesmanship and passed your apprenticeship. Then is when you would have quit, if you had the quitting streak in Pd - The Measure of Success 153 you. But, no, you went on and showed you had it in you to make good. The Road to Independence.—Suppose you can live on $30 a week. Do you want to keep that up for the rest of your life? That $30 a week ties you down to the job just as much as $100 would. You can’t do anything else worth while. Why not jump in, while you’re at it, put every last bit of your energy to work, and make the $100? Then you can put $70 of it away. Do you know what that will amount to in five years? Over $18,000. That means real independence. The House of Compton won’t try to stop you from quitting, if you quit that way. Money isn’t the only thing to work for. But it’s the most accurate and practical measure of worth that the world offers today. You judge other people to a great extent by their earning capacity and that’s the way other people will judge you. A scientist may sacrifice his hope of wealth to pursue knowledge in a laboratory; and, working there, he may win glory. An artist may starve his way to fame, painting pic- tures in a garret. But we who have chosen salesmanship—if we do not make money, we acknowledge failure in every department of our work. We may take pride in the fact that our work is not mere money-grubbing, that we are devoting ourselves to a priceless service—spreading educaticn, helping children along the road to success and happiness. Do you want to know how you're succeeding in that part of your work? Do you want to know how many children are happier and better on your account? Just take a look at your weekly pay check. The answer is written there in cold figures. The next time you feel like taking a day off or like coming in from the field after two or three hours’ work, stop and weigh the costs and the profits. On one side is yourself, your company, and the children who are to a certain extent in your charge. On the other side is—what? A few hours of loafing in your room, a trifling bit of shopping, an idle bout of gossip with some acquaintance, a cheap movie—what is it that tempts you away? Surely, if you weigh these things one against the other, there will be no doubt what you will do. The Habit of Good Hard Work.—It might be easy to compose words of high inspiration on the subject of work and success. It might be possible to arouse the fire of your en- thusiasm to the point where you would rush out tomorrow and work as you have never worked before. But we don’t want this manual to do that. Inspiration wears off; enthu- A Habit, Not a Hardship 154 siasm of that kind burns out. In the long run, cool and settled convictions and habits are the only things that will do you or the company much good. That’s why we talk about the habit of hard work. It has to be a habit or it will become a hardship. If you let yourself get out of that habit for a period of time, you will have trou- ble getting back again into the race. If an automobile skids off the smooth hard road into the mud and you allow it to stop and settle down and get stuck good and hard, you will have to use more power and effort to get back across the few short feet that separate it from the highway than would be consumed in driving many miles. You will have to hook on to that car with a team of horses, perhaps, to get it out. And you won’t accomplish it by a sudden violent jerk; you will have to apply a long steady pull. In the same way, if you let yourself slide off the road of regular work, if you allow yourself a period of loafing, you cannot expect to rush out the following week and bring in a lot of orders. Your work will lack quality and consistency. Your mind will be taken up with planning and executing the new program. Your will power will be mostly devoted to keeping yourself at it and to resisting the temptation to re- lapse into your old ways. It is only when you begin to take hard work as a matter of course, only when it becomes a regular habit, that your ener- gies of mind and will can be perfectly free to apply themselves directly to the prospect. Furthermore, once the habit of work is formed, the hard- ship disappears entirely. You don’t think of it. You don’t worry about it. It becomes as natural and easy as breathing. It’s only when you have to hold a debate with yourself on every street corner, trying to decide whether to go on or to quit for the day, that you are conscious of a struggle. If you KNOW that you are going to work until evening, in spite of anything that may come up, then there’s no debate, no struggle, no hardship. All you think about is making as many good strong sales talks as you can during the time you have left. You Are Your Own Boss A salesman’s job on a commission basis is the only job in the world where the person holding it is sure of getting ex- actly what he really earns. If you have exceptional ability and work on a salary, you can usually be sure that you are being paid less than you are worth. Why is that so? Because in fixing salaries, employers cannot count on exceptional The Greatest of Games 155 ability in advance. They have to figure what the average person would be worth in your job, and that’s what you get. If you want more, you have to prove you are worth it for a considerable period of time before you will get it. And no employer will give you back-pay for the exceptional work you did during the proving process. In other words, you have to earn more for some time before you actually get more. In commission selling, however, you automatically raise your own salary as fast as you increase your worth. You are, in every important sense of the word, your own boss. Be- cause your earnings are based entirely on results, you are left virtually free to run your own business as you see fit. This means independence in judgment and action. But you must remember that with this independence goes a strong dose of responsibility—responsibility to yourself. Do you want that independence enough to shoulder the re- sponsibility; or would you really be more contented if you had someone to do most of your thinking and planning for you? There are people—good useful people—who can only work satisfactorily when they are carrying out the plans of others. They do not enjoy deciding important questions for themselves; they cannot work consistently at self-appointed tasks, though they may display the utmost energy and en- thusiasm in carrying out enterprises directed by others. If, after an honest and careful study of your own disposi- tion, you find that you belong to this class, you should aban- don salesmanship, for you are wasting your time in a calling where so much depends upon individual enterprise. But we don’t believe that you will find that weakness in your make-up. We believe that every Compton Service worker who is given a chance to read this sales manual has the qualities of real leadership—executive ability and the spirit of true independence. We know that you did not lightly decide to take the first great step that separates the plodders from the leaders of this world, and that, having taken that step, you will not let any small and trivial things turn you aside from the path of success. Playing the Game After all, salesmanship is a game—the keenest, most excit- ing of all games. It’s the great game of human nature, in which you pit your wits against the other person’s, using every fine quality you possess of will and judgment, intellect and emotion. We were speaking of work a while ago. But we don’t believe that any really successful salesperson ever thinks of it There is No Loser! 156 as work while it is going on. Of course we like to sit around after the game and grumble a little about the difficulties of the play, just as football players grumble between times about the hard labor of the gridiron. But let the coach try to take one of those players out and put in a substitute. See what happens then! It gets into your blood—this game of salesmanship. The longer you play it, the more zest it brings. The old timers— those who have made enough money to retire—can’t seem to break away from its fascination. Year after year they go on —pretending to be merely coldblooded business people, pre- tending to be dissatisfied with their achievements, but really held by the lure of the game—the game which has kept them young and vigorous, with a smile on their lips and a sparkle in their eyes. For there is nothing, after all, like the human contacts of salesmanship for keeping people from growing narrow, and crabbed, and old. Ask those old-timers to tell you the real truth about their love of the game. They will tell you what every salesman finds out sooner or later—that there’s no joy to compare with the joy of getting a new name on the dotted line. It’s a joy that never loses its keen thrill. It’s a victory that can never grow stale—a victory unlike any other in the world, for there’s no bitterness on the loser’s side. In this game, when you win, THERE IS NO LOSER. APPENDIX — BUSINESS NOTES — HE business system and policy of F. E. Compton & Company is the result of hundreds of experiments and experience cov- ering many years of work in our particular branch in the pub- lishing business. We handle every year a great many thousands of subscription accounts, and each of these is necessarily an independent affair which must be recorded with rigid accuracy to avoid confusion in our bookkeeping system, as well as to give the subscriber satisfactory treatment. A certain part of the suc- cess of this system depends upon you. What we have said in previous chapters of this manual covers, of course, the most important part of your work—the making of sales—but the “paper work” that you do, such as filling out contracts, making weekly reports, etc., is something which, with a little care, can be disposed of easily but in which mistakes, however slight, often entail tremendous difficulties not only for the Company but for you. By observing the few simple instructions we give here you will be able to avoid all confusion. Your Working Agreement with the Company.—The Memo- randum of Working Arrangements which each beginner accepts and signs before going to work in the field, covers specifically the main points of our plan. Study it over carefully and famil- ilarize yourself with all its contents. It has been made as brief as possible. There is nothing in it which is not important. Daily Reports.—Your manager will provide you with Daily Report blanks. You will fill these out carefully in every detail according to his instructions and see to it that they are sent to him regularly. It is only by means of such information as these Daily Reports call for that your manager can give you the benefit of his help and advice in your work. Be sure, therefore, to make the information in your blank accurate and complete. Weekly Sales Reports.—At the end of each week you will make out a Weekly Sales Report to be submitted to your man- ager. On one side of this report you are required to list the num- ber of hours worked each day, the number of sales talks made, and the number of orders taken for C.P.E. Here, too, you give the name of the place where your work was done, together with your address and name. The orders for C.P.N. are also listed on this side of the report. On the opposite side you put your name, the date of the report and your manager’s name. Then you list below the date of every sale you made, the name and address of each prospect, the sale price which indicates the style of binding, the amount collected by you from the subscriber, the sum, if any, which the subscriber is to pay on delivery, the amount of the monthly payments, and the date the books are to be delivered. 157 Business Notes 158 Every single one of these items on both sides of this Weekly Sales Report is of the utmost importance. You must make a Weekly Sales Report even for those weeks when you have taken no orders. If you are ill or for any other reason are not able to work, the Weekly Report should so indicate. If you are incapable of making the report yourself, see to it that your manager is notified and he will make it for you. These Weekly Reports are the basis for the personal records we keep of every field worker. Through them, also, we are able to get sales statistics which are vital to the growth and develop- ment of our efficiency. You must not fall in the habit of making these reports incompletely or carelessly. Sales Contracts.—The sales contracts or orders which the sub- scribers sign are the most important of all the documents that the Company handles. Here, particularly, every single bit of information must be accurate and complete. A contract improp- erly filled out may result in the loss or cancellation of an order, and this is your loss, as well as the Company’s. After making a sale it is surely worth a little additional care to make sure that everything goes through smoothly and to the satisfaction of all concerned. Here are some of the points particularly to be observed. Name of Prospect. Be sure that the name of the prospect is legible. If you cannot decipher each letter of the signature, ask the prospect to spell out her name so that you may enter it clearly on the back of the contract. Address of Prospect. Be sure that the street number is correct and that the same street number appears on the front and the back of the contract. In entering the names of the city and state do not abbreviate them. For instance, do not set down “‘Beth., Pa.” for ‘Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.”’ Often there are other cities whose names correspond to the abbreviation. If you are working in suburbs, very small towns, or rural districts, be sure that you give the postoffice address. Local names do not always correspond with postoffice names. Due Dates. In indicating the dates on which monthly pay- ments are to be made, try as far as possible to distribute the dates on your orders throughout the month. Of course, if the prospect expresses a definite preference for a certain date you will so indicate; but if, as is usually the case, the fixing of this date is left more or less to you, avoid putting it on the Ist or the 15th of the month, selecting rather some dates in between those two. We ask this because the tendency in the past has always been to name one of those obvious dates which results in making the work of getting out statements exceedingly heavy immediately before the 1st and the 15th of each month, while it ., dwindles between times. Information About Husband. Our Tracing Department often has much difficulty in locating subscribers when they move; so, in addition to the subscriber’s name and address, we must Business Notes 159 have the occupation and business address of the husband. In knowing by whom the husband is employed and in what capacity, we are able to check his credit, and this applies also to the ques- tion of whether the family owns their home or rents it. Names of Boys and Girls. When we have the names of the boys and girls we can often locate subscribers who have moved, through local school superintendents or teachers. The ages of the children help us to answer subscribers who, through some misunderstand- ing of C.P.E., may feel that the books are “too young”’ or ‘‘too old” for their needs. We can explain just how the books can be used most advantageously for children of the ages in question. References. The reasons for having good references are obvious. The chief thing is to make sure that you get both a personal reference and a bank or business reference. Statements of Your Accounts.—Statements will be rendered each month, showing the condition of your account with the company. Ordinarily these statements are sent direct to the manager for distribution. Should you at any time fail to receive yours, ask your manager about it at once. Monthly Installments.—After closing a sale, have it clearly understood with the subscriber that she is to make all payments to Chicago by mail. Immediately upon receipt of the subscriber’s orders, we write her a good letter, thanking her for it and then, ten days before the next payment is due, we send her a notice. No other arrangements are permitted. Cash Orders.—You must bear in mind that a cash order on which you are entitled to a cash commission is one where the full cash is paid either with the order or on delivery. If the sub- scriber sends in the full balance, five, fifteen or thirty days after the books have been delivered, you are not entitled to the cash commission. This rule is not enforced to deprive you of any advantage from such orders, but to make it possible for us to handle our work at headquarters without a great deal of extra labor and confusion. When an order is received in Chicago it is entered in a certain way on our books, your account is credited in a certain way, and many other items are listed accordingly. To change each of these items after the account has started on its way is virtually impossible. Handling First Payments.—The money collected as first pay- ments on orders should be turned over immediately to your manager. Under no circumstances whatever are you to offer or agree to make the first payment for a subscriber or any part of the first payment. Misunderstandings.—Before leaving a subscriber you should make sure that she understands all terms and arrangements thoroughly so that she will have no justifiable excuse later on for claiming misrepresentation. In cases where a subscriber is unable to make monthly payments on account of illness or her husband being out of work, etc., our Collection Department is able to handle the situation with consideration and tact. Where, Business Notes 160 —VU—6V6GceD~~—~—~—=aa"=ananE__=_=_=_—_——- however, the subscriber claims misrepresentation on the part of the solicitor it is a very difficult problem. Mind you, we do not fear intentional misrepresentation on the part of any of our workers, but misunderstandings can often do just as much harm. In taking the order it is necessary that the subscriber sign the original order personally and, of course, to make it a good order the subscriber must be of legal age and understand the terms of the contract. To make sure of this, read the complete contract slowly and carefully to each subscriber before you leave the house. Supplies.—Your manager will furnish you with all supplies upon request and will either give you or forward to you, if you are in some other town, your copy of ‘Better Business” every week. INDEX Sd inery Mri QW tOUSe YOUL . 48% oon stc he ee ee ee PON 151 Pr OUNTA: WITH. COMPANY s,.. cholo) 2 ee el ee ee ee 159 MeGuAACY LMportance. Of os... ye ueton ely wh ee 21 BIRR LIN OLUITI ORE were eV peh ee LS aac rh rane 53, 108 Apapting Mretuops—To yourself....................000. 141 DANGLY LNEORMATION fhe Ataris tects Me oes na en 69 Per BAIR OH ILDREN sa prenjc ete ic on cee a airs he ne ate ee 91 BReEeMENT Gaining faswrc: «Ricki ceiok wats alle os ae 77, 111 AGREEMENT WITH CoMPANY, Your....................0.. 157 LR E TION memento LNs yes Reis Ad Aso els Eee he a Se 152 UARLIDS TATED eo ue 2 to JA Bde ce ed A AC A OAR OE 149 PAMGT SOM PALM My pint’ rer a Mea eda hd hae ee 51 PEE UNM ITCCUN Bie, CS tote) ad AAAS Be cep ale ee 103 1 BUYe ERCP Rot ecle e CN o i e e er ON d eer Coe ee ae 103 SEEDING FOC SIMDIGssue san eee eee an cee Me OLE 104 PEP ETA RUAN CE Ie Mg yes Me a wre MTN a EATS Siete ts ket oRae eS 147 Fa ELCON CON te Wea hem, ON oe, RES WUE OLN 52, 70 PEG UMIENT PA VOICING Se cue yo GAN «nl artrete oes eal: 49, 107 Never convinces or persuadeS.............002ce eee eeee 5 INMOUSINGSENTEREST = (0 oie ctu. oh 6 babe where «Bes 53, 82 PBT CLEA =H OW WIItlell arti re wie, parses Moveed oa Sees 28 IABTISTIC QUALITY OF Ge Pecli PAGES: Gon. nay cs ok aen 33 PAT IeNY OR KAUN IC SL enh mea Sees es ek ec ree ata chee te 30 NAN DSW AROSE. 95 ot 15 Ai Mamas ROY, URS RE ae ep eae 53, 77 ne DrOspeCe, heat mene mee se nme Be he Le cet co ee 90 ATTITUDE—Toward Cross Prospect...............0000005 48 BtITODE OF; VMIND—Ill SAGs en fees ce eons 2 Met ae es ae 45 PAW A GEES IAW) OL cla, eaetuttrae theta Sereda rele aetls het s SES ehh 151 * * * * DH ACH AGHANDLER 15 fet. ee eae eee lee Sekt eh ER ye 12 PSE ALT YOR Guy a us, AGES pote ie nt eaten hes tinge 33 SS EYDER RID USIN EBM era eetre ards Cue Set, RUN Ne oy eit Bie Pages Soe 59 SEAN Ka COAG pent Te eat Pew") NR Ete etc sleds Bea a 130 Book SALESMANSHIP—Most honorable profession.......... 47 IBGOKS SALEAME NE TIDUTES! UG ee adn cet is ae ce Seas 11 Book Stores—Sales methods................00 cece e eee 9 IBOOKS.COSt GL INS ING a.m es aren sore eee pas eet a 9 COstOl selling ent. law ees, Tis os alolats oe ad ee epee 9 No simple way of judging their value.................. 8 VV AE Chev: INGA vei hen meee or faa ae eet a Aye EES. 7 Wi ys peonle Duy. theme aire et kee eee ds eee 8 SOAS ABO VOUTLOWNES Ch mere fe eee ke ts) ok nara eat ee 154 BOLLDING DELEICONFIDENCE 6 eet ase la thet ae nae 138 BBUsIN ESS ULLDER wn ites ices al cerathecsry seer eee eee 59 PORN NS; DEPARTMENT: cate ta. ua eke cons tela eee 20 EUBINESS SALESMANSHIP Ot Atenas en. ce heat re 2 CALMNESS) Value: OF i215 terrace. ales: cave Martens nee) ene eee 79 CasH Orpers, Rules governing .|,...05. j00. 002 ters mee le oe 159 CABSELL G& COMPANY fee. nei a ee © eo mt eee 39 CauTion—A sales: motivete ) ci) 4 xa) ee ee 97 Appeéalsito sc Fete sia | a0 ee ee, ee 101 CHART OF BALE: . hsculeu ora oe Re ee Pe 81 CHEERFULNESS 2, Oe SS ieee ae s dies Co eee eee 144 CHILDREN—Ages and grades. ..:...-.0:shscsse eee see oes 91 Names of (55-20 oo ek 6G es OS Oe Oe 6 eS ee are 159 CHILDREN’s Booxs—Different types..................--. 24 CHILDREN’S RIGHTS fy 75 4-: sles). 4 Vso a tet ae 88 Crim Ax;, Working up to0:2.. 9.26 b eee 107 CLINCHING BALES: 25 ou sews e BO eo ee Ce oe eee 117 OUOBE oe ie bo Gye ee eote ein dee a Mtoe anita een nn 53, 108 Main ‘purpose: of .000:0 5 eve ee ek were © wate ee ee 110 Notes Ones Shag bi mimed bores Bere eee os ye ae ee 115 Preparing for $2. Was Ao ee eee Pie ee eee 111 Prospect’s attitude toward 5.020. yee ee 114 What.to do when it failsy))y.05.- vou b ences eee 115 When to: make iti eiag Se) ee ee ee ee 112 CLosING METHODS 2: cas oe nie oe Cre ee ee ee 111 CLOTHES fey pls he co te ae BY ctor ae Se a ee eee eee 147 CoMMENDATION: LETTERS (010. 2.004: 58 Howto Uses g sies Po ies aie ee oe ee eee 105 COMMISSION SALESMEN « )). eu. Gee ee te 154 CompEtitors, Value of information about................. 60 CompLAINING—Sure cause of failure..................+-5- 143 CoMPLETENESS OF C, P. E.—How attained................ 31 Compton, F. E.—Biography...................0e eee eee 13 Compton; FE. EK: & Co. History of) 02 6412 ae eee 12 Orranization Of) o. cap aee coke oo caso ake pene eee 19 Comperon, J..M.—Biography = ¢ .:.).4,:5. «- eee ee 15 CompTon’s PICTURED NEWSPAPER...........---+-+++++e85 41 Compron Srervice—Always works...............000eee0e 88 Spirit of sce wl ested Ae ee re ee ee 47 What ites ci 20 2 5 eS De tee ee 41 >t Why'it was perfected. 2.0 024.45 1. Seuss ee he eee 88 CP. E.—Adopted in: England ©. 225255 447504 sae eee 39 Adopted in‘ Italy 7 ite aCe) 2 oe ee 39 Appeals to young and old-alike? 72) 229022 Sn ee 38 Art workpiece PRs Pees 8 a ae See nee 30 Based on. Xperience =\2.4¢ 52% is we bite oe eee eee 24 Beginning of 5s Pee. tas i oe ees Cerne 25 Complete description impossible...................... 83 How articles were written 6): 2.20225. 7p ee eee 28 How it'is kept: up;to'date joc. /2-gese 2s ee 41 How ite‘quality helpsiv. cad g0c220) Veber at Senne 86 How pictures were selected.............0 cece eee eeees 29 How picture-text was written...........0..ce+e+e+s0e- 30 How printed i. Passe scat wine Ae oultete ee eter ere eae 33 Reem er VMIBKERUD) 5 6.5 «cis ob dg ste OS te vi Bile whee Wl oe ew AO 33 DRECRRGIN) EOL Orne Sc Zee Pg Mra atin ists GEO ALM, RE > 21, EVEWIICAR OL SERS eee aOR Peas oo Re eee oF RTE OL DADC oie Fa reeks ¢ fe wate OPE Meh ea, 36 THRE CW) C203). rn ene eM babe ORE ea bene 7 fem BL 37 why not'sold:through book stores... 2.) 22... 7.02) ae 9 BeeebeNncH establishing 290.) foc. 6 toi, cewlret rae 89 PeeeIDENCH ING) OURSELE ¢ 1. 544 shore eee eee 137 RENTS TENE VOR KS. cer Crs Gil en ithe kis Ulcalet Sent eee eae 154 (SONTRACTS—How handled... ....2... 20.4 6600.0 dwn eens 20 BaeNrHACTS, LOW LO MAKG OU, 60) 02. eas a ec ee ee 158 PONTROLLING UNTERVIEW toch 0c. ope oe be eee bate te eee 115 ConvicTIoN—Not enough for sale....................000. 109 Co-OprrRaTION—In making C. P. E.....................0. 28 SE TORUCASO I TOUI s tocitice Bhi eho tae Cis ese were Re PEO 145 OEP EI RET Ge Sea UP 9 ES NR a rR Ie 142 PUD AYO ere Lt phe els cg ate a ese fuss hiehele ge epee 146 CraANE, Dr. FRANK—Tribute to book salesmen............ 11 MeRMAN TING LOESIRE Wee ee irae taal sy celte ss «5 ev AREAS O. 53, 95 ROSS PROSPECT LLOW LO.LTCRU yaa) ee « o/s 0m disease 48 RUE OPE OOS D DA1G ns cineca... vice tied Bn ohe oo e 80 *k *K Ke * SAUTE PORTS erie re ere ey oe te es eh aia hetyrs ahertdlvele wy 157 TAPES OR VAYMENT. AITAN GING 3805 cio an) a sia coe gir eee 158 Decision, Helping prospect to make..................... 114 Dervay—Natural to everybody.) 5.0. f.6s hee ee ea due 51 WE MONSTHATION DULPOSG! Oli Satade ese ods lea oe ee 83, 89 PDP MONG TRATION ENOTES 5 coctiied e hie ie aaesteleu cid leveie ev ue wleared 105 DerscripTion—Should be short................ rear. Ae 85 Heres ANCL TOU CIN Maer errs Ova es Field wie Sa ele kad a calgch aad 53, 95 Miffara TFOMPIILCTeste tein ace re avaek # kare aheve Cloleenmtee 95 PW eee Tia iit CALC eee pa en eRe en er tee he Sir 95 Pepe M EAT IO Ne ee ea het a Se ee oe he oe a te a ee 142 TDYWOP Bo pe ayds SGN kot SOR UR i geen Be da a OR eo 148 DIFFERENCE—Between interest and desire................ 95 Pre mV A IUICIOL EME ity, cis ch vies oo ana eta once sa Rete 146 POL ROTTEN BEM ALS 5) oe ie ee ae ties lel wine eee dies aS 103 TEN CMP NOTEORUACHING? (ks. autecrce, cic econ hg. tack ua ear 47 IDGMINATING INTERVIEW «0601.05 )o oscp tole s etate sain eh 2 atee ee 48 ere E PRPS BERIT EM ier Mili Met iah tale cbafooy st wie + Fk Spepetecpealety 158 MM Crea LUT eT hete at ies Cd sy 80a oii win 0 SMG NCP Toi'n ie nebo Rha 88 * * * * TEA GEENS PRA HEE EO) 2 URNS Wan Re aes MER ED Ay. ea 140 PERRN INCOR EAATIIUNG VOUT sees 6 etic, lenis chaivue Vin stueks lath cedetnpas 62 FL AGREE ROUTE UI SAAS by Sa eg GOs PIR A ON PREC ta Oy 148 BECO NOM sas. 5 Bea's & 8 POR Daas Lee iC os Wa, Race eR eT EAS 147 PEELCGORELT DEPARTMENT 1.000 «2 oyu Sion. coos b oderepar me gensievse 19 ere CVOPK OCOD Cab ah iii i aise oisdesos khaad toe eR eee eee 28 Mprrors OF Co Pa Bs boa eet es eee eee 25 Tribute:t0 ooo ee nae a oe ee Se Epucarion, New methods.in: .0.2.\. ferepen ie ee 23 ‘The newiides. 4 {osu etes, yan eee eee Ze EDUCATIONAL SALESMANSHIP...........- Rete. as me Epucators—Their opinion of C. P. BE.................... 37 HMBARRASSMENT, Overcoming... ........6-- ssa oe ee t2 EMoTION-—Leads to action ....5.4....25 2s ee 5 EmpHasis—On sales motives. ..........0000 cece cece eeee 102 ENGLAND—Adopts Co PAE... ou. 6 selec nate eee ret 39 PINTHUBIASM 2 edo sin ee Sed a Sie ee we ee 140 ‘Aroused. by.C. PoE &. Ja.555 oe. ee ee 38 Your need: for. 4.6. See. wales 2 ee 87 ENTRANCE-—How to make ib..cq.t «s+ es ee 74 ESTABLISHING CONFIDENCE... 2505) ©) acre ee 89 EvuROPEAN Epirions—Of C. P. BE... 1... ee eee 39 ESX CUBES! (oldvs foitasg i ete: Pe is ee ee ee JR. eee 119 EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT: ...5.15.<2 + 2 5 5150 ee eee 21 MXTRAVAGANCE. o.cs cco he bus Ae, nays, heroes epee ee 147 Hives, CaresOf os .6 6 cates ces By ee ee 149 S343 £3 Fact-Rv ex). ides bey fae ts tas oe 31 FatLturE—Brings success closer............-.--20+-+eeees 47 Complete: Formula. for. tcc... tee ee ee eee 45 Invyour dutyc ss fine rat i en ee ee 88 FarMER—Compared to salesman.................-5+-05- 82 Firtp Nores—How to take them........................ 68 PIRLD STRATEGY is ove ct oe eo eek seats eos Ae 60 BFrerpvDacrics. ee 2 a, © See seers ene ee 65 FirMNEss—Prospects Welcome..................-++++-+ 114 First Impression—Importance of.................-..... 70 Frreri PAYMENTS ooo fi ok o's els Os ee 5 ala ee 159 Force—Needed to make sale................ 000 ccc eeeee 51 Horn, Guy STANTON .5 49 acu 5 woke ele 20 no, pee eee 20 FORGET YOURSELF 0 cc gels cr es oe eee TZ. FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM OF SALE... .2 cee ee eee 51 * * * * CGEAINING‘ATTENTION (450 0.505.50.00 op pete te ee 53, 77 GAMB Playing thes. 2. 06os ss. 5k se ee oe 155 GETTING IN—A personal matter...............-.-.00---- 139 Methods'for.) 3 ieee eo ee eee 74 CGILLFILGAN, S. J.- Biography 92... 2 te 2 ee ee 17 GRADES OF CHILDREN) (60.2 ol ee eee 91 GRERTING PROSPECT) © U0) 60 sc 3 gee ee en ee ee 73 * * * * HABIT OF WORK 65 atiicce se tendts are 2 b)t ko ieee ey ee 153 FLA BITS Ae cick nd ae eet aan ta Vee as COD Ie 146 164 PTAMLUTON Oo Pints s5.5 ans Coo ee UU ie ae adi. 48 Happrness—What it means............ 0.00 D0). fife okp 1 EU IRDBVY OU K(Ue ME Ve. oicla ca ge oobi aecsk PRET ae UL ea ae 153 HarpinG, SAMUEL BANNISTER.............00- 020 elealeekee 26 [RN GAN Dp Ne t+ oc ign lell elt MIN Ra, CRNA Reyne ede tan Net dan as Se 148 Home—Importance in education....................0-00- 23 POURS ——- WOlK: Der CAV 1) cc ic eeu ae eee ae a ee 61 ELUOMANSINERTIA, Uw Offs sslret icy Sheeo te eeuse tae 109 : * * * * POA LIC VELODING okie Get nd Nara oa gee 141 PER GINARY, AILMENTS it een. cae ac ae ais ccget aetae ena tae 149 EMAGINATION + A DDCaLitO ais ere aun td Oke ck. sunt eee © nee 86 PMPEDLEINGIA CLIONL Hered 5 hie Lee, sat we these sus 53, 108 INDEPENDENCE—Carries responsibility.................-.. 155 ERE OAC Ue cent cc et SM, Oy hao Abe cee tens 153 TNDIRECTEA PPE ALS Hr eile es EO Pint eg eee 103 ENSSECT TAT LA WLOL ea ere cee a ic AOR Ie ene oe eye 109 INFLUPNCE—HOW t0 gebity o. 5. ge feos oslo gu ey ieee 64 RV LILO OR RGAE Tee ae Bete fy eet a aba pce m oe 63 INFORMATION—About Compton Service................... 55 PAO UGDCUSDCC US soar m mint ty wernt amen e nce ne von ees tan ae 65 FADGULALEITILOLY eet Be een eat reso aeer eae 62 From prospect’s surroundings................2..00005- a5 How to get it from neighbors.....................-05: 66 CMmrcontracts ANC TEPOrishe te ta apace. anid 5 157, 158 AIETA LUV Ett Seer oe a, en he ere he, hae 141 NET RT UM EEN TS arene, So08 recat eer Chale Sae OE ore ahs ts. he ane 158 PTS Ce TOUSEN POEL CONC ita srarees ce alan.c Pe shcs em one 53, 82 Can never make sale alone...............20..00 000 aee 95 IDHFeTSrrrOniOCsIre te. toe a, renee re tee ee em 95 IMEENOGSIOL SLOUSIN DE Meni 2 errant reer senda tee oe oot 90 PAU Cer WAV 10T CCBITG 2c eee eo ne Nee el et tee oe oss iar 91 LEeSLINie EPTOSPGCE Stas ken eee tes ee oe ees ee 93 INTERESTING STYLE OF Co POW is jac gen es oles a eclek Babe 28 ENEERESTS.OF LL ROBPECT oe te ie ek ans Ae ann wees 88 PNTERRUPTIONS A VOICING cee eee Mom ae re ten Wea eee aa 79 HO WALOINADCIGR. chon een as hue et anh avers fetes 106 INTERVIEW—A contest of strength.................2..0055 115 SE GNLTOL Of epee sire Stites Patents oekete sae peut oe ote ek 115 GIN ALIN Seis oyster oe 48 IVISTINGT CQUING tet eel te eases ee ee CR ae oe 78 122 PASTA Pd fella tee iceman etna Rage eI Uy ae Ong Aah err, Pee eee, hee 67 RPTRODUCTION Steet eet nat ttte cre woven scete auNG whore see oh Mere iG PN GPIRATION——lOM-WOPK git heme is Gace ae nina te ate reais 47 VERN AGOUIS Oba Lite Ce ticle ia cleteictee ed wiasdle oie leet 39 * * kK * UGHNGON PLLARRY-C. (Diography.. « cs.c yo viele a cle acces nie cies 16 ONES ON SEY MOURS . fe ariel. ie «cereale co eee ea gis See ee eee 113 RELIGION——Of prospect... ..0. f0.s s eee eee 92 ReELuctancE—Of people to part with money.............. 51 REPORTS 3 oracle eps alice wcoheadi ieee las pico 157 RESERVE OF MANNER S. 400 .cebnyeo eee eee 107 RESISTANCE, Stimulating effect of)... 77) ee 142 REesPonsIBitiry—To yourself. .....7..........-2200-00u' 155 Richt MENTAL “ATTITUDE «...5. 0c. 1 es eee 46 Rigas OF: CHILDREN? 314 & de. pee SOR eee ee 88 FRUUDENEISS 0p. 5 cihstlie ie als wish cele Ae Re 2h 146 RULES OF TALTH ©. os ule settee te ee 148 *x* * * * SS ALR ora eae er Shs, Betis ilive. cine ag acetic ats wink 43 Anal ysis‘ofe ney a kicen te gs is Ba ahs Ss ee 51 ADDIORCH I oi. sic Gt ie es ators cal) Byes Eee 52 Clincbing titi ae ania cies tne > went bos ees ee 117 Dominating seed. 6 brn on. 4) cate oon ee ee ghee 48 Fundamental problem; ......4 «= ase et oot 51 Map of ee ee tas fs Phd a non Ca 81 Motives; that bring about. 2.2... 7.2m. . 97 Preparation LOTR cals al. 2 a 52, 55 Stepsiin making hi 54! ci). aS ee 52 Sates ABILITY, Two ways of treating... 4.4 Ae eee 151 DALES CONTRACTS ie’ so u.c ks vos ns 4 Ce 158 DALHS IOBPARTMENT s . 2; 0-4. 0d ios.) ee 20 DALESMA NG SoU e pute Oeste 5 hislis oi x 5, os he eC nh 135 Always has advantage... .......5.. Aue. L eee eee 115 Comparedito farmer... .. <1 3. oe eee 82 Point/of view: offer 6.5: ws cao ea 48 DALESMANSHIP—A > Game?\\, 0.0. 0.. do 4. eee 155 Art of using common sense... ......0 se eee 6 as INDEX SALESMANSHIP—Differs from order taking......./.).60)0.... 3 URNOT Ea te VO Pen. a). kas evicdee Mee LG eee ae ee a RR COMIMISSIONEDASIS 4°. 2, at), eee cere 2a | ae ee 154 pemenrol freer, s . oct x al eee eee ve eee ae 87 ESRI TICORTATIOON, ...0) gow Seeds Gad ee ee eee 57 Peres MOTIVES, Lomphasizing 049 4a. 42-84 a te ee 102 PRR cot Lp barsty ach cae a el Owe 9 Ak Cee © Ce a 103 PIPROMNOTESS.. ; Saved Seaciered oss Somes s a ae 130 BALES«LRESSURE, Keeping Up si ith mde 2s ace ee: 120 PMS OLORTES Set ots oie ale ice 40 tie rd eae Poe ea ee 121 SONCOTIN Oe eG cae Ce ee a. es eh at eee Aa, ne 122 ATU LES: OL bee oh an te ih dna gusty ST ene et Tere) eee ae 122 Sa ES eA CTI COME Sra ne te Mee ca VEL Re ae ge oth mi Nd ML en 65 Sates TaLKkK—Adapting it to children..................... 91 GABE lo LOnyOUr Personality ac. pees | te callie are 57 AMDOrLAN COOL MATTING oc rece cena eels free eee 56 WSIS PTR VIVICL Oe era eek con ene ee yk ean. 90 VinICrIOlL OL VANS meetin rier see tara ag ae. We ae 78 Sample Paces—Their purpose............. 000 cc es eeeeee 89 SATISFACTION—AS a weakneSS............... 000 c eee cece 152 SATIOE IED (——ATOtyOU, CARL Ver gs Hine cen wives Aes eee es 152 PRerinh yin Gee ROSPECT 4... 5 2aie cca he a ene Besa ces 90 DGHEDULE OREW.ORK I ers cya eee cate hai emer te 61 SCHOOL SERVICE DEPARTMENT...............--0-.e0escee 20 Scooots—What they think of C. P. E.................... 3¢ RP OON MID EN Cilia se cis seine he tutes h oes neh Peak aa dees 137 SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS, Overcoming..................0000- 72 GM YOURS Nee mirc, a ae centre ecm aa tem Te ean 140 io VIC Ter LO Al Th ye eo 2 es ee oss hes a bg ie oe aR Mess 42 SEDI UDI ce hy hay ee een ic Pe Ah ee a ERE ip 149 SiGNiInG OrpER—Making it easy..... 26... 62. ease ee ae 110 BENE DAG Y UY mV AUG Ones e Pi re is oie kre iee Ge in om eens 104 Ee ee He ies Cee ane Swe ale tetas siete aE ed beewie 148 PUMP meV Dat COCO 1h o nme wk eam Cian ae pitin alee ueinns ate 148 SEES — IT VALU C oUk a teed he cet Ge eh atte 8 oka gion eee 144 SEPT POTSR LOM tlOOK JOME iy. .side 2 Sto ete cee ie eee 139 DOMECRSIOPIENFORMATION oo leu ot ss orth een eae ea et 66 SPECIALISTS— heir part in'C. PB... 6. 28 eA Me LACTLC SRT Siok A ogee ccet otek re an ae i ee ae 65 eT NCA TY O PALLY EN Clete BY ee a cad oe dae Sh 147 SPANDAHD DALES(1 ALK, Value Of: 7) 2 .¢.da eee anes bo eee ae THAD EAGT CORINCIIVE Fo heat ne tee een ene ees 50 Sreapy Work, Value of............. SORE OUS FR rr RUN SIR 145 PRESSING LARING SALE Soe cus Frnt cs ac oe ee 52 preee Tats CG LECLINID Cue wea erty yet Anh bec tc or oh en ea 122 Promise HeXAIN ples Of ceiae.e a ame ac uene ts. ies ceed ores 122 erornies— Value in sales talk... ae. «nets Sut s od ae ee Oa 121 are rr y——In thetieldy. 5. a aisiae naan «oe el ale ng ea See 60 Date teers Kit a teen eee ek ac Uk A, ate, Delt 4k LE ee anes 59 STUDENTS’ REFERENCE WORK). 0lo.fct'. ts dee cove nvescv es 13 wie “| of 123! a” Mit Bb 31S S God.ND BX STUDY A) per ene 4 ek os ae, OPA ee oe ee aL SUBSGRIPSION DOOKAS 9 Mca calgs 3 oe) yen oe eee eee 10 Supscriprtion Meruop, Efficiency of...................... 11 BUGCEBS . Sosa ahiee eee Saas eR oS ae 151 What it means to you............. SEED is... Sea eee eee 1 Success-er. Oy Pa Bye Say 2 ee Ae eee Oe eel a on SUGGESTION, (POWER OLM 20 aiaaere nn ee eee ee 86 SUPPLIES 605) Pics ck aco orc a UO oes nia en 160 Surrounpincs—Effect on yourself....................... 148 SYSTEMATIC. WORKS. oc5 56.) ee a ee ee 60 * * * SPACTPUL OPENING «ic cte coe Oe ie eh 73 TauK Letting prospectiy. cp ses. oe ee oe ee ee 106 TALKING YOURSELF INTO FAILURE). ..)...5. 04-5 oh) Gene 143 1 oy 2 PP SG Dor pen Aaa MAP erie OL cs Te ee Win Ng 149 ‘TERRITORY, StudyMg ‘your, soe. 8.6 ot eee ee 62 TestIna PRosprect’s INTEREST. ...........--...e0ceeeees 93 Trmiprry.. No ground forz.. 50-55 ee. cn eee 45. Yus-Answers, Getting <5). i.e ees eee 111 “Vrs —-Making it easy to Say...) 40. see es ea 11Q, STINGS AM oe Par kuaes foe a Win 6 Sade Oe eee ee ee 35 mg