Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-16

tSl.1
7 DID bit better today Mr.. Perkins
L gave me a lead to a young fellow in
jobbing house who had recently got
married
There's a man who should be live
wire for you, Flint" he said
When l called on the fellow he was
writing at his desk. ! stood close by
his desk for minute or two until he
looked up. When he did so he said,
well, Is my addition correct?"
Il don't get you" replied.
Don't you know enough" he said
sulkily. not TO stand over a mans desk
when he is writing or figuring? I felt
all the time that you were looking at
what ] was doing. What do you want?'
II want TO talk business with you
| for ten minutes"
What about?' was his next question
! YOU" That worked fine, as those
were just the questions and answer Per-
! kins said we would get when any one
opened by asking us what we wanted.
| We'll, what about me-" he asked
Il can't tell you unless ] have ten
| minutes"
We'll, go ahead. and tell your story"
and he Immediately began 10 write a
letter.
".Excue me" I said. "but all of me
has come here to see all of you. and
while you are writing a letter l only
get half OF you"
Say. what the hell are you talking
about,
| That is where things slipped off the
beaten track. So far | had answered
every remark Of his with something that
I had learned. That's the worst of all
these set selling talks. The prospects
don't come across with the right an
| swer. | decided to tackle the thing in
my own way after that, so said: I've
come 10 talk insurance with you
You've spoken to the wrong fellow.
I don't want any insurance"
Then | remembered another answer
that seemed to fit in, Il know you don't
want insurance. but your wife does"
Better go and see her, then; Don't
bother me about IL.
"It isn't her insurance she wants.
! It's your insurance. What would hap
pen to your wife II you were TO drop
dead right now"
He looked at me for minute. then
he laughed. you are beginner at
this game. aren't you?"
nodded.
DO you think you can get man
scared by telling him he might drop dead
any minute? Turn over kid, you're on
your back ~
We'll you might die suddenly now,
mightn't you?"
Yes, and my wife might die sud-
denly"
Yes, that may be but you can earn
your own living. Can she? Listen"
continued. waiting for him to answer.
You're twenty-seven years old. II you
take out a thirty-year endowment policy
by the time you're fifty-seven you and
your wife will both probably be alive"
Hold on there, he broke in. You
just said we might both drop dead any
minute"
saw he was poking fun at me, sc
said: THAT was different kind OF
n policy BY the time you're fifty-sever
and your policy natures, you've got al
the money coming right to you, so you
can reinvest it for your wife before yoL
die"
The fellow swung around in his chai,
and looked up at me and said: We'll
YOU are certainly the Cheeriest optimis'
that ever struck this office. Still, it is
awfully good of you to let me live til
I'm ffty-seven I'm glad didn't take
the other kind of policy. what's the
name of your company"
THE Magnitude Life Insurance Com
pany."
We'll when do insure, that is the
company I'll have TO insure in"
Then l remembered good point
THAT is, II the company wants you
You see, you may not be able TO pass
the doctors examination. | tell you
what. suppose l bring the doctor dowr
here tomorrow and let him give you
the o o?
"And If The o O. is o. k, what them
why. then you can take out some
insurance"
Crude, kid, but you've got the pep
And I don't know whether for once
wouldn't be a good sport to buy some
thing from fellow that didn't kno"
how to sell it."
He made a promise to see the doctor
on Friday morning.
Perkins was tickled to pieces. He Ger
tainly laughed when ] told him now
bungled through, but the only thing he
really criticized was my standing Close
to the prospects desk.
"Neyer stand so close to business
mans desk that you can see what he Is
writing. Even If you don't look at MS
letters, he will think you are, and may
get mad"
guess Perkins is right at that