Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-29
Two Minutes qf::,
Optimism,
Reverse English and the
S0IeSnlan

S0tGSUt0U ~
''Salesmanship," said the chief, as
he lit up and leaned back. ''may be com.
pared to playing billiards. When you
give the cue ball q heavy side spin, 1t
70 called putting English, on-ths ball"
According to the, side on WHICH the
stroke 10 delivered, the ball responds In
q certain fashion when II strikes c,ish.
ion or one Of the object balls. II It Ii
desired to have the ball 80 on as far
as possible, describing wide angles, di.
rect English - given. II It 10 wished to
hold, the ball In q certain direction
and to check (but not stop) its forward
motion, the opposite Or reverse Eng.
lish is given. Both stroke. haye their
value, It remaining to the discretion Of
shift from one position to another. H1
$50, the game of life, which is in
the long run nothing more, or less than
salesmanship, IL played with equal
advantage both by direct methods and
indirect methods. Some apply the first,
which IL like using direct English, and
some the latter or reverse English.
Both courses will >win:s but, ,as IN the
game Of billiards, It 10 necegsary for the
players to exerciSe Judgment 90 to which
will give the better resplts at.dinerent
times W.
1.-THE salesman especially undoubt.
edly has % many. II not more oppor.
tunities to develop his judgment along
these lines than any In the held Of bust.
ness. His daily contacts with men,
(which at the end Of year aggregate
many hundreds), make It necessary for
him to shift continually from one stroke
70 the other, hia discernment telling him
when to employ direct tactics with one
man or indirect with another. ).
"But as in the game Of billiards, 1t
takes steady application and long years
of practice to acquire accuracy Of stroke
and nicely Of Judgment. One prospect
Is easy to approach, another 10 hard |;
one viii be inpatient II you delay in
coming to the" e"point. another can only
be reached In a1roundabout fashion.
These are mere statements of facts, Of
course. facts known and readily recog.
nized by, every salesman, and more es-
pecially by those who have been long
"But although this is true, the novice
salesman will admit (and, should do so
with equal readiness) that his expert
ence 10 too limited to permit OF ripened
judgment in the selection of methods Of
approach. He is dependent on inspira-
tions or lunches and while these may
win for him in many cases, they are
not fully effective until seasoned by the
spice Of experience.
Experience, however, need not be
gained only. by individual and personal
endeavor. The men who have success
fully blazed the trail before are rich in
experience, and, whether they are
among the living or the dead, a study
Of their lives will reveal an: abundance
of proof of the wisdom they acquired.
And this wisdom. the, fruit. Of their in
dustfy and experience, can be plpcked,
rtpened and mellow, to be used BY the
beginner. And no shame can be at.
tached to the man who profits iby the
experience of others. Rather. the fact
that he 10 willing to study and take ad :
vantage of another's knowledge indt. !.
Gates already Be, is gaining IN knowl.
eUkes ., s."sr. - d 49,