The New York herald., 1922-08-06
SAbESMAN'S MAIN
ASSET POWER TO
CREATE BUSINESS
Personality Chief Requisite
to Success in Selling,
Says Broker.
MUST KNOW HIS WARES
Necessary to Analyze Correct
ly a Prospect and Under
stand Himself.
MUST KNOW HIS WARES
ny FRANK CRowELL.

President of Baker CroweII, Inc
Perseverance will accomplish almost
anything and so there Is little doubt
that a man can become a successful
salesman by mere sticktoitiveness.
But the salesman triumphant IS born,
not made. He has the prime prere-
quis,te. personality. and he who has
10 per cent personality and 80 per
cent. brains is as likely, II not moro
likely. to succeed than is he In whom
the proportions are reversed.
Personality Is largely gift OF the
gods, and 1t cannot be cultivated. But
on the other hand. there are many
who possess it without realizing It and
do not know in what manner to exert
| It, Altogether it is question OF Just
what to know.
1t can be stated with almost absolute
definiteness that he must possess three
requisites and he must know three
things. He must know his properties,
he must know his customers and he
must know himself. No exceptions can
change the universal truth OF those
rules.
No matter how pleasant he may be,
notwithstanding the greatness OF his
wisdom or energy. he Is not success
unless he creates business. he cannot
fail IL he knows these three keys. and
without them, and notwithstanding all
the merits that are his. unless he does
create business he Is merely an agent.
u representative or a solicitor. And
that is not sufficient
Know Your Properties
The born salesman. one with char~a-
ter, personality and the persuasive flow
Of language and seductive manner that
makes selling a pleasure, Is rare. but
his mere existence makes 1t possible TO
Draw the conclusions that IL followed
win aid the man who would make a
salesman Of himself
First Of all, has been said he
should know his properties study and
familiarize himself with the sma allest de-
tall OF their inception and development.
As result, he will be able to explain to
his prospect their history and environ
ment, the means of Transportation to and
from them. Then, when he is taking the
prospect TO the property. instead Of
launching into general conversation,
rather futile, no matter how charming
Il may be. he will be able to draw an
interesting picture OF the proposal. which
Is really the only thing OF vital concern
to either OF them
And IL he is familiar with his proper
Ties. he will believe in them, and to have
faith Of that sort is TO have the battle
nearly won. lie will have no diffidence.
no doubts, and his trust In his proposal
will inspire him with trust in himself
and his ability TO make another see ex-
| actly as he sees.
II win give that essential Of succeSa
ful neutrality-suspicious.. And II
ne displays that. IL will be a mark of
earnestness and sincerity that, sooner or
later, will affect the prospect. and re-
lieve his mind OF doubts and hesitancy.
In the second place. the salesman must
know his prospect. As II is q law OF ma
ture that no two things were created
identically similar so II Is n law OF
saiesmanship that no two buyers have
the same temperaments or points of view
or can or should be approached In the
same fashion. The successful salesman
realizes that fact and determines his
tction accordingly. All OF which means
that ne must be a student of human ma
ture. He must eliminate from his own
mind all personal likes or dLslikes and
De able TO analyze and accept his proc
pect impersonaliy.
Convincing n Prospect.
He must ask OF himself and answer
70 himself these questions What IL
this mans natural disposition? / will
adapt myself to II. What are his
whlns? ! will humor them What arc
his idiosyncrasies? j will condone them.
III he is impatient. or his temper Is ruff
fled. VIII calm II with my good nature
or jolly sally. I will accept a cool
reception or a caustic retort with good
grace until his mind and heart are mine
and can reap the profits from the pro-
posal that ! have all the time been
presenting"
Which is but 10 say that he will know
the prospect nearly as we'll as he knows
himself and. by his ingenuity and tho
unconsciously felt pressure OF his good
nature. has found the breach in his
prospects skeptlcism or antagonism.
He has made his prospect anticipate by
reason OF his interesting exposition. He
has established a point OF contact by
means OF his pleasantness ara upder-
standing and that accomplished II II
not long before he has reached the
point of conviction. The sale follows as
a matter OF course. And last Of all. the
successful salesman must know himself
No matter how familiar he may be with
his properties or his prospects. no mat
ter how herculean may be his efforts, no
stil may be n failure. There may be a
fatal defect IN his dress. IN the manner
In which he carries himself or the In
Elections OF his voice that may cause n
slight Jar which, nevertheless. Is potent
enough 10 destroy the desired and nearly
attained harmony
II he In sure OF what his proposal
means. sure Of his prospects general
reactions and sure Of himself he should
: have no difficulty. He viii have no
necessity 10 commit the mistake Of
knocking his competitor. That In
course of procedure that rarely paya
Every knock is likely 70 be n boost and.
somehow or other. one always finds
some good fruit on the trees at which
boys throw sticks and stones.
Furthermore, IL he has satisfied him
self that he has chosen the career for
which he Is best fitted. let him not
wander into the wrong pew. A fish
out OF water could not feel nearly ~
silly as a salesman trying 20 sau s~uss-
1 thluU that has no