30 



THE SMALL NURSERY 



And finally, in letter writing don't think that you have 

 to get in every one of the progressions that have been 

 mentioned. A letter may be written with only one point 

 in mind — that of arousing interest — with the idea that 

 it will be followed by another designed to get action, etc. 

 In any event, think before you write. 



POINTS ON PERSONAL SALESMANSHIP 



Having advertised, and written letters to your prospect, 

 it often becomes necessary to resort to personal sales- 

 manship to conclude your deal, and here the same rules 

 for action hold as have been used in the other phases of 

 the work. You wouldn't for a minute think of stepping 

 up to your prospect and starting off with the assertion 

 that *'$500 worth of shrubbery would beautify this place." 

 No, common sense dictates a certain amount of logical 

 argument first, although there are many salesmen who 

 try to catch the eye with a bargain offer when they ought 

 to be arousing interest. 



Not that your selling talk should be of the ^'canned" 

 variety. If you don't feel free to talk at random and with 

 originality you had better not try to sell, for any acute 

 customer can detect the '"office-made" arguments. Some- 

 one has summed up the outline for a salesman's talk some- 

 what as follows: 



L He must determine the conditions favorable to securing 

 his customer s attention. Example: You would want 

 to catch your men customers when they are at 

 leisure in their homes, not in their offices. 

 2. He must analyze the customer s attitude. Example: 

 Without directly questioning, the salesman must 

 sense whether his man is a careful thinker, a man 

 willing to listen to argument, one who is influenced 

 by what his wife may want; or, perhaps, one who 



