davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16

punch" in the prize ring. Everyone has be-
come so hostile to high-pressure craftsmanship
that once he feels the pressure even the
soundest arguments are resisted The same
principles apply to selling yacht a shoe
shine The bootblack, with his own shoes a
rusty red. who points insultngly at the feet
of passing prospect as he shouts: Shine
ten cents" finds himself in the leisure class
most OF the day. But a boy can build up
business by saying pleasantly. persuasively
and perhaps with a comic twist:
Shine. only five cents foot"
In some ways, a beggar has to be the best
salesman of all because he wants something
for nothing and his customer" knows it Ap-
parently the tested sentence for this profess
sion is
Boss, can va gimme a dime for a euppa
coffee"
This violates the rule against yes-or-no
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16
BY BRIANT SANDO,
Nationally Known Sales and Advertising
Consultant, Vice-President Tested Selling
Institute.

- HE HOUSEWIFE. busy with a cake and
couple of children, all three misbehav-
. ing. hears the bell ring and utters an
angry groan She marches to the door, maxi
ing bet with herself that she viii send that
salesman on his way. after allowing him just
one sentence.
Later she wonders why she lost the bet
The man got in, used up half an hour of her
precious time and sold her something that she
did not want. or rather 49, something she did
not think she wanted until he convinced her
The secret was in that one, first sentence
she granted hSm. II had to be magic. a real
open sesame" TO crash housewives door
at such an unwelcome moment and more
magic followed This Is the new "sizzIeman-
ship" utterly different from the old high
pressure craftsmanship.
Madame. interest you in our latest
model Gazdnk vacuum cleaner" asks the
oid-style salesman and that's a wrong start,
which is almost certain to draw the following
reply
mo thanks. The one we have is still plenty
good epough..
Madame shuts her mind and her door on
him. He ought not to have asked IL he could
interest her he should have done it In that
first ten seconds. When the curtain goes
up on a show, the actors do not ask the audi
ence II they can interest them In the play
and so should the salesman. better ap-
proach for that decisive first sentence is
Il have come TO give your vacuum cleaner
its periodical free inspection and service"
This throws the womans mind from re-
verse at least into neutral. while she wonders
why she forgot about this free servicing He
gets In and as he tinkers he talks "Sizzle-
manship" Is so-called because IL is the sizzle
that sells the sizzling steak. But to get back
to that all-important opening sentence, Elmer
Wheeler author Of several well-lnown books
on selling, including the latest just published
by Prentice-Han, N. Y entitled "Sizzleman-
ship New Tested Selling Sentences" explains
why a prospect should not be asked what the
lawyers call "Yes-or-no" question These
days men and women go around with minds
loaded aimed and cooked TO answer mo-" to
any such query. The salesman is asking for
torpedo and gets it,
VIII you have an egg in your matted
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16

asked the Italians not whether they would
surrender or not but whether they would sur
render flee. Apparently Hitler did not ask
the British right. because they said no" And
the Greeks were not interested in Mussolini's
proposition
You never hear the bullet that kills you"
says the author. in making clear the point
that the argument which sells the prospect
must not be felt coming like "telegraphed
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16

hidden in their socks than have This made
the man feel better. He had justified his
action to himself, taking up his thinking
where it had been so rndely interrupted The
beggar cursed people for their old-heartedness
and went hungry.
Another day. on another street. the same
man was again thinking and walking when
suddenly he was conscious that man was
walking next to him. The beggar said in a
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16

questions but it's
magic probably lies
in the word coffee.
which effaces suspi-
cion in the custom
er's" mind that his
dime will be invest
ed in a different
beverage. Yet. there
are failures in the
b e & in & business
too. The author
describes a couple
OF contrasting ex-
amples as follows:
"A m an was
W a kim g briskly
down the street.
when suddenly in
front of him. a beg
gar square d off.
with hat in hand.
muttering. Can you
spare a dim e,
buddy p
The mans think
ing was thrown off.
He slowed up his
gait. He walked
around the beggar.
saying, Haven't got
any change AS he
walked on, he said
to h m self, This
begging business is
a racket. They've
Qnf m nra mnnn,,
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16

lowing letter which was
read on the air:
My husband couldn't
work. He stayed in the
house all the time. Since
sending you in my Love
Offering and having
prayers in the prayer
room for only ten days,
my husband has i'm
proved so much that he
won't stay home at all
now. So here is more
money for another
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16


another is enough to change a sentence
from 'fizzle into sizzle" One garage had
a sign, Service while you wait" which was
well enough until rival said Service while
you rest" and got the business There is a
warning against "soft-soap" sentences by
gushing statesmen whom everyone knows are
not sincere, sentences which should be in the
morgue:
Your pleasure is our pleasure"
we have your interest at heart"
You are an intelligent person; now :"
Pleasant happy suggestions usually are
the sellers of most anything but once in a
While the sour and disagreeable works better
When do you plan to die?"
An insurance agent opened up with that
merry question at the prospect who was glow
ering at him and was celebrated for having
thrown out more insurance men than had
anyone else in town. The champion "thrower-
outer" however, was taken aback by this first
sentence and had to admit that his demise was
one thing he had not definitely planned in an
otherwise orderly life. Having once gotten
past that fatal, first sentence, the mans mind
proved to be open to ordinary life insurance
arguments and was sold.
For a vacuum cleaner company Mr.
Wheeler sells the idea Of Cleanliness" and not
the fact that every housewife Is cursed with
rugs to keep clean.
In his work for an airline company. he sells
the idea of flying hotels and speed-not
crashes on mountain tops
In his work for large meat packing con-
Germ, he sells happy husbands" not the ham,
Mr.. Wheeler advises every salesman and
every housewife, too. to sell sparkle-not the
dull points.
Try to give the customer a choice be-
tween something and something else-never
between something and nothing" he saws
And don't think much about what you
want to say as what the other person wants
to hear"
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16

Hiiih inquiries Lne
soda-fountain man.
The customer had
not thought of an
egg and for that
reason declines be-
fore giving the mat
ter any considera-
ton. Ta proper way
to add a five-cent
egg item to the
check is to hold up
a couple Of eggs in
front of the Gus
toner, and say:
"One egg or two ?"
The impression on
the customer is that
all self-respecting
malted-milk drink
ers have either one
or two eggs in the
glass. He promptly
chooses tn e lesser
evil and says: "One."
OF course an &C.
casional rugged in
dividualist will bark
back:
w no said /
wanted any ?" But
he may come back
the next day and
take a chance.
On this theory.
the Australians in
Africa seem to have
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16

Feel how cold it isl
Seeing the milkman feel the bottle him.
self first, the woman instinctively takes hold
of it. Once the bottle is in her hands the
salesman backs away two feet and put his
hands in his pockets $50 she can't hand the
bottle back and starts his sales talk"
Have you been on your roof, since the
last storm"
Here is question in which the salesman
actually wants negative answer. OF course
the building owner hasn't since the last time
he had 1t fixed and usually will go right up
there with the roofing salesman who wants to
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16

prayer, to keep him at home more
often"
Now that is merchandising.
remarks Mr.. Wheeler. That's not
missing a single detail Yes, it
does take advantage of gullible
people, and that isn't anything to
orag about-but it is aggressive
selling. and not routine"
Mr.. Wheeler's book lists various
ways Of getting into a house with
out violence, or at least making
the woman hold the door open
while you talk. Here is one:
The milkman selling chocolate
milk knocks on the back door, and
the minute the woman appears, he
pats the side of a bottle and saws:
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16

KNOW. During August or
September this one works Just
as well:
May go up on your roof?
I'm inspecting them for dam
age done by Summer heat"
Honestly" Frankly speak
ing" Now / wouldn't tell you
something that wasn't true,
would -" You believe in
me. don't you these are
all deadly. sales-killing words,
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16

to dispel. Such
talk sounds very
m u ch like a
guilty conscience.
TIL e substitu-
ton of one little
word in nlare of
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16

<Noa
to Sell a New
Vacuum
Cleaner, Says
the Sales
Expert, Is to
Ask to Give a
Free Check-Up
on the Old One
Which Gets the
Salesman I'm
the House.
Once Inere, Tie
Proceeds to
Point Out the
Advantages Of
the New Model.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16

the nth or
states, because
they arouse in
the prospects
mind the very
d ou BITS the
salesman wishes
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-16

:. Inc. Great Britain Rights Reserved.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
CAPITAL CHAFF

Every year Homer Cummings
holds The Attorney Generals Golf
Tournament" at Pinehurst. N. c..
an event started when he was run
ming the justice department Chief
rule is: If any man brings his
wife. he's never invited again"
Herr Hans Thomson. head Of the
German embassy in Washington. Is
taking vitamin pills. He quotes Milo
Perkins as saying vitamins are nee.
essary to Offset lack Of nourishing
elements In the depleted soil Of
America
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
SEA WAR:
Claims

Berlin, having claimed that half
Of Britain's entire merchant ship
strength had been destroyed. assert
ed that the total had reached
II. 00o, 900 tons.
Britain admitted six millions.
Both agreed that British pre-war
strength had totaled around q mil
lions or % millions If tons.
The German claim was that, her
ships sunk. Britain was bleeding TO
DEATH" and that a speedup of air.
plane attacks on merchant ships and
war vessels might be expected.
The British. still anxious for ship
ping aid from the United States, ex-
pressed qualification that the United
States. as announced. would imme.
diately start picking up the British
shipping lines in the Orient and the
Pacific. thus freeing many vessels
for the carrying Of munitions
abroad.
Most observers. while believing
that the German claims were exces.
sive. admitted that the ship losses
were tremendously heavy. and that
it was n Of Britain's most serious
challenges Of the war.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
DEFENSE:
Production

Returning foreign correspondents,
making q Junket OF the defense pro-
ducnon industries as guests OF the
war department. found that airplane
motors. considered n OF the poten-
nal bottlenecks, are being rushed
nto production at n plant IN Con-
ue.ueu' " ule .uhe VI 1~'4oo''''
mummy:
ohe ol .his re-
ie~n, w,a' ne k,ew u lhe po'
4 VI uiis - n noo
i'm nm .;rn,o,e .r.in.s mil, he
t,rned o,,t d,,rino 1osI-Ao
Tbe +ot., .;r,Ie,. ;,5,,..r ,-ou
49,, - ,L...,S ..,..,
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
DRAFT:
'Everything'

A stiff fight against President
Roosevelt's draft everything"
measure sent to the congress closely
following his freedom speech ap-
peared likely. though the admins
tration forces seemed willing enough
to modify the measure from its first
draft.
The President softened the shock
of the measure, which at first sight
looked like an effort toward a COM
plete economic dictatorship. by a
later announcement that its major
purpose was to permit the admin
istration to break strikes in defense
industries. which e still a knotty
problem all over the nation.
Both Senator Byrd of Virginia and
Senator Tydings Of Maryland had
taken the floor to demand that the
President himself take the leader.
ship in hating strikes, Byrd saying:
There are go to 70 strikes in de-
tense industries. and new ones are
occurring every day. I don't as
sumo the government would want to
take over and operate all these
plants.
"A prohibition against strikes and
compulsory arbitration would be a
better method"
The bill. which In its original form
would give the President. under his
proclamation Of a state of unlimit-
ed emergency. power to seize and
sell anything in the nations long list
Of private property. found its first
compromise offer coming from ad.
ministration leaders In the form of
q time limit on the Presidents pow
ers. together with a proviso that
congress must first itself declare a
national emergency before they
could be used.
Labor.minded members Of Doth
houses, wildly suspicious Of the
measure, started their own fnvesti-
cation to try to determine its origin.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
Famous Men
Mingle in Capital

"A pony will be a dollar, sir"
The voice that spoke was soft, in
gratiating, with a foreign accent.
He seemed a little surprised at the
price. So was l. For the pony"
he was getting for a dollar was an
oversize thimbleful Of brandy.
In a moment a group Of men
came in, ones face familiar. The
gentleman who had purchased the
pony rose beaming.
We'll. how are you g%eneral?"
he said.
For just a second there was a
blank look on the generals face.
He put out his hand and said with
all the warmth Of a good politician:
We'll. well. well. how are you,
Mr.. Jones. and how's the missus?"
Jones beamed again. mumbled
and sat down satisfied. He had
been greeted by one Of the great
Not. however. by a high officer Of
the army as the title he used might
indicate. but a former cabinet mem.
Der.
Just then a headwaiter answered
the phone at the dining room en-
trance. Yes" he said. in a voice
quite audible. table sixteen for Mr..
Rockefeller"
A group Of ladies tried not to look
impressed and yer so loudly silent
that I could not help noticing them.
One was a little bit more human
than the others. She wore a perfect
red hat and a little less con-
descending air.
But couldn't this defense pro.
gram have been much better pre-
pared for?" asked a beautiful child
of 20.
The Red Hat smiled.
"Oh. perhaps" she answered.
but things r going rather well.
OF course SO many Of my hus.
bands friends come down here to
talk to him about priorities."
The others were obviously too
polite to ask what kind of socialistic
thing a priority was or whether il
meant more taxes. And after all
their husbands were only million
aires. Mrs. Red Hat vas obviously
the wife Of a dollar-a-year man.
I left this colorful corner Of the
emergency scene. IT Uncle Sam
pays a dollar a year for a man." !
unused. the friend Of the general
ought not to object to paying a dol.
lar for q pony"
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
U.BOATS:
Bigger Range

Sinkings Of eight British ships by
torpedoes fred from U-boats re-
vealed that the German submarine,
instead Of being q smaller vessel
with q shorter range operating In
greater quantity. Is becoming a big.
ger boat with a bigger range.
Some Of these reported sinkings
took place within TOO miles Of the
United States. well within the sup.
posed neutrality patrol area.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
BRIEFS By Baukhage

G The government has SET a goal OF
IS per cent more young chickens by
July /. I suppose that the hens viii
all lay double now that they know
Uncle Sam is egging them On.
q Official reports say that the die.
tator nations have been getting al
most half the cotton exported from
the United States. Pretty soft for
the dictators. I'd say.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
BABY CHICKS

HEALTH-DIsEAsE RESISTANT. BABY
CHICKS produced from acSlimated, north
docks are u. 8, Approved. double blood
tested and banded under the supervision
of the North Dakota State Poultry In
provement Board. Leghorns. Rocks. Reds.
orpingtons,- Wyandottes.. Giant. Minorcas
and New Hampshire Matched twice each
week.. Special prices and discounts. Write
for cataIog and prices to
SUPPLY COMPANY
landau North Dakota.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12

er to shoot a man with a silver or a
golden bullet than with a steel-jack.
eted one.
Method number 3 is also unpleas-
ant. but still il is far this side of
shooting" in the literal sense. II
is. to give one example. refusing
to buy from a country unless you
can buy on certain terms-one OF
which would be that that country
would not sell TO any other country
whose methods you did not care
for.
This in a very small nutshell is
economic warfare. and if it yer
no still marked ''private and conf
dential' I'd tell you that it has al
ready started.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
Loyal to Vichy?

The stories about the frst Nazis
landing In Syria. in fact, ST., that
they were being sent in to Straight
n out" the French forces in Syria.
whose loyalty to the Vichy govern
ment was In question.
There had been many reports of
dlsaffected troops leaving Syria be-
fore the German infltration to fee
into Palestine, there to join the Free
French, but just how much Of this
had occurred was largely a matter
Of conjecture.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
Middle Age Starts at Middle.

THAT discouraging matronly
i bulge at the waist! You push
it in, girdle it in, but out it pops
unless you exercise it away!
Or is your special problem fatty
hips or heavy legs or a dropping
bust?
Our 3c.page booklet has exercises to
remedy those figure faults. too. Tells how
to correct poor posture. faults Of Shout
Gers. bust. arms. waistline. Gives exer-
cises to relieve foot troubles. constipation
nervous tension. also q daily routine for
the entire body. Send order for your
booklet to:
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
BONES

RANCH BOYS
THE wELsH MINERAL CO., 18th and
Montana Ave-. Billings, Montana, IL pay
ing S18 per ton delivered to their plant for
dry. bleached cattle and horse bones. $12
per ton for discard green bone.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
BY Edward c. Wayne
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS BY Edward c. WAYNE
Current War Front Shifts to Syria
With Oil Fields of Iraq as Prize;
Draft Everything Legislation Aims
To Break Strikes in Defense Plants

sEDtt 5Sns 81 N q w. SpiaiOns ars expressed in thess columns they
Released by Western Newspaper UnhnA
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
GASOLINE:
An Issue

suggested "gaSleSs Sundays" as a
means Of controlling the oil supply
Of the country than administration
critics began asking embarrassing
questions.
How could this country, with con-
troll Of half the worlds oil supply.
be facing an oil shortage?
Flow did it happen that American
concerns were selling oil and its
products to Japan? To Russia? To
other countries via which it might
get into Axis hands?
The defense investigating commit
tee IN congress was asking some Of
these questions. and getting strange
answers. The Standard OIL com.
pany had to explain the deal 10 its
stockholders. and this brought the
issue into more prominence.
The oil concern admitted the sale
Of oil and gasoline Except the 100
octane airplane gas) to Japan. but
said that when the agreement was
made the British. American and
Dutch governments were consulted.
and that the terms were entirely &C.
ceptable to all three.
1t vas one Of the puzzling phases
Of Americas defense effort.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12

Stacy May, research chief OF
OPM. is pictured as he told the
senate defense committee that
the gigantic American arma-
ment program must be dou-
bled to aid Great Britain and
other nations in overcoming
the German advantage in pro-
duction. He proposed that the
goal Of spending twenty bil-
lion dollars NEXT year for arms
be increased to forty billions.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
RailDay Employees
Neglect Annuity Benefits

Have you been working on the
railroad" and forgotten all about
it?
Strange as it may 300. 600
railroad employees who were EN-.
ployed before 1887 have failed to
Ale statements which would entitle
them TO full annuity service when
they retire.
The railroad retirement board in
Washington has been sending out
notices and writing letters. urging
everyone to spread the word and
still a long list Of names remain
without the check mark against
them that shows they have sent in
their statements.
Congress authorized the board to
determine in advance Of a railroad
employees retirement the amount
creditable to his annuity. The ma.
chinery to do this vas created and
already nearly a million cards have
been filed.
In this day and age when SO many
people are anxious TO collect money
that Is not coming to them it seems
a shame that people who have
earned an honest. credit are not TAX.
ing advantage Of II.
Just to help matters along. shall
be glad to forward any letter sent
to me In Washington. to the proper
persons. So il you e working
on the railroad before 1887 drop me
q line.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
G ATTEND SCHOOL

There are many schools Of many
kinds in the capital. In the many
schools there are many books which
have many pages. But there is one
school which consists entirely OF
pages. But not the kind in books.
These are the pages whom you see
darling about the floor Of the house
and senate, carrying message. whis-
pering to congressman. bringing a
forgotten pair Of glasses or finding
an important document.
The school In which these boys are
trained was founded in 1890.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-06-12
Home Front

>AA AL . SoSS3 tiAAACAlbs ClAAllS q
great deal Of criticism because of
the Crete disaster. because many
British people thought the Crete bat
tie might have been won II better
handled, now found itself with an
intensely serious problem on its
hands.
There were signs that authorized
sources" in Britain were preparing
the public as gently as might be
for a practical abandonment of the
Mediterranean as q naval control
area since the loss Of Crete. and one
announcement fatty said that Amer.
lean aid must hurry il It was to get
to the Red sea and Suez In time
to get to the British forces in North
Africa.
The British were expecting air.
borne attacks OF Malta. Cyprus.
Alexandria and Suez. but whether
the Germans would attempt para
chute troop operations after their
huge losses in Crete was doubtful.
In fact, the Turkish slant on the
attempt to land in Syria was that
sea-borne invasion would be carried
out. A dozen OF more large ships
were to carry supplies to Syria via
the Dodecanese islands. and from
these It would be possible. Turkey
said. to land in Syria by an over
night sailing under cover Of dark
ness.
Five hundred motorized troops
had made such a trip. Turkey said.
though France vigorously denied it.
Harking back to the days when
Weygand's Near-East army was es-
timated at $50. 600 men. figures were
now being given out In allied circles
that De Gaullet had an army Of
$50, 600 men at the present time.