The Psychology of SalesmanshipAtkinson, William Walker
Science
The Psychology of Salesmanship
Atkinson, William Walker
Selling -- Psychological aspects
The student should acquaint himself thoroughly with the creative force
of Suggestion and Auto-Suggestion in Character Building, and in
producing and maintaining the proper Mental Attitude. The volume of
this series entitled "_Suggestion and Auto-Suggestion_" gives both the
theory, principles and methods of applying Auto-Suggestion in the
directions named. One need no longer be a slave of his Mental Attitude.
On the contrary he may create and preserve the Mental Attitude he deems
advisable and necessary at any time.
Mr. W.C. Holman, one of the best of the inspirational writers on
Salesmanship, gives the following interesting instance of the use of
Auto-Suggestion by a salesman. He says: "One of the best salesmen the
writer ever knew got up what he called his catechism. He used to put
himself through it every morning before starting out. Oftentimes he
repeated it aloud if he had the opportunity. The questions he would
repeat in a quiet tone, but the answers he would pronounce with all the
earnestness of which he was capable. His catechism ran somewhat as
follows:
"Am I working for a good house? YES!
"Has my house the reputation and prestige of being one of the best in
its line? YES!
"Have we made hundreds of thousands of sales like the sales I am going
to make to-day? YES!
"Have we an enormous body of satisfied users? YES!
"Am I selling the best goods of the kind made anywhere in the world?
YES!
"Is the price I am asking a fair one? YES!
"Do the men I am going to call on need the article I am selling? YES!
"Do they realize that now? NO!
"Is that the very reason I am going to call on them--because at present
they don't want my goods, and haven't yet bought them? YES!
"Am I justified in asking a prospect's time and attention to present my
proposition? BY ALL THE POWERS, YES!
"Am I going to get into the office of every man that I call on, if there
is any earthly way to do it? YES!
"Am I going to sell every man I call on to-day? YOU BET I AM!"
Referring to the above "catechism" of Mr. Holman, we would say that if a
man would work himself up to the point of asking and answering these
questions in earnest, and would carry the spirit thereof through the
day, he would render himself almost invincible. A spirit like that is
the spirit of the Light Brigade, of Napoleon, of the Berserker Norseman
who made a way for himself. Such a man would make opportunities, instead
of begging for them. Such a man would be inspired. This is
Auto-Suggestion raised to the Nth Power. Try it--you need it in your
business!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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