Certain Success Part 6

First-cla.s.s salesmans.h.i.+p requires, too, a high degree of _physical capacity_ for the most effective performance of the selling process. You need health, virility, energy, liveliness, and endurance, in order to sell effectively _the idea that you are physically able_ to fill the job you want most. Physical incapacity is a handicap in almost any vocation.

It can be remedied. It _must_ be remedied as fully as possible in your case. You may not be very robust naturally, _but you can make the most of the const.i.tution you have_, with certain success as the incentive for your fullest possible physical development. Few of us are as well as we _might_ be.

[Sidenote: Mental Equipment]

Whatever your physical shortcomings, there can be no doubt that you are capable of developing all the essential _mental_ equipment of the successful salesman. You only need to comprehend a few elemental laws of mind science; and then to _train_ yourself to the utmost of your particular ability--in perceptive power, alertness, accuracy, punctuality, memory, imagination, concentration, adaptability to circ.u.mstances, stability, self-control, determination, tact, diplomacy, and good judgment.

Does this seem like a long list of difficult accomplishments? Examine the items, and realize how easy it is to develop these mental qualities of masterly sales_man_s.h.i.+p.

Perception is simply looking at things with your mind as well as with your eyes.

Alertness is no more than mental sharp ears.

Accuracy results from taking pains to be right.

Punctuality is a habit of mind that anyone can develop.

Memory is acquired by practice in remembering things.

You use _some_ imagination every day--use _all_ your imaginative power.

Likewise you occasionally concentrate your thoughts. More exercise in concentration will develop this mental characteristic.

You adapt yourself to circ.u.mstances when necessary, or when you choose.

You can train yourself so that you will be prepared to meet anything that may happen.

You have a degree of stability of character, otherwise you never would accomplish anything. Increase your steadfastness by sticking to more purposes.

Similarly determination, self-control, tact, diplomacy, and good judgment are merely the natural results of _continual practice_ to develop these mental qualities.

[Sidenote: Emotional Qualities]

The princ.i.p.al _emotional_ or _heart_ qualities required in masterly selling are ambition, hopefulness, optimism, enthusiasm, cheerfulness, self-confidence, courage, persistence, patience, earnestness, sympathy, frankness, expressiveness, humor, loyalty, and love of others. Think of these one by one, and realize how many of them you already possess to a considerable degree.

You may not be optimistic; perhaps you lack self-confidence, or maybe you are wanting in courage. But with the possible exception of these three "heart" qualities of the master salesman, you are not deficient now in the emotional essentials of successful salesmans.h.i.+p. You need only a _higher degree_ of each.

Develop all your capability in the other qualities, and you will find you have become an optimist. Your self-confidence, too, will grow as fast as you increase your ability. When you are full of optimism and self-confidence, you will not find it difficult to create courage within yourself. _Then you will have the complete emotional equipment of a master salesman._ The exact way to develop courage with certainty is explained in the second chapter of "The Selling Process," with especial reference to the professional salesman, who _must_ meet his prospects courageously in all circ.u.mstances if he would succeed.

[Sidenote: Ethical Essentials]

Nor is it hard for you to qualify yourself _ethically_ for mastery of the selling process. Surely your intentions are right. You mean to be honest and truthful. You can be of good moral character. You expect to be reliable. It should be easy for you to love your chosen work.

[Sidenote: Spiritual Capacity]

There remains, finally, the essential of _spiritual capacity_ for selling. It comprises idealism, vision, faith, desire to serve, ability to understand other men. Perhaps you are deficient in some of these spiritual qualities now. But with idealism all about you in the spirit of the world cannot you, too, lift your eyes to higher purposes than the satisfaction of merely selfish desires? Are you not able to look broadly, instead of narrowly at life? You know you must have faith--that you cannot make sure of success if you doubt. Your mission as a true salesman of yourself should be to serve your prospects by satisfying their real needs for the abilities you have. Love of others results from serving them with what you can supply that they lack.

In no respect, then, from personal good appearance to spiritual capacity, need you be other than _your best possible self_ to qualify for certain success with the selling process.

[Sidenote: Change and Growth Necessary]

Reference has been made repeatedly in these pages to the necessity for _change_ and _growth_ in your man character before you can become a master salesman of your full capability for success. Of course you cannot change your _nature_ into a different _nature_; any more than one form of life can be transformed into an entirely distinct form of life.

It is impossible to develop a carrot into a calla, or to make a dog of a pig. But the _elements_ of any particular form of life may be altered, most radically.

[Sidenote: Develop Use, Activity and Quality Of Elements]

So you can develop: (1) the _use_; (2) the _degree of activity_; (3) the _quality_, of any element in your present salesman equipment.

For example, it is generally recognized that suitable clothes help to create a good impression. Therefore you should _use_ to the _highest degree of activity_ and of _quality_ what you know about the effect of dress in helping to create a good impression. But, to particularize, do you (_use_ your knowledge) polish your shoes, even if it is no more than flicking off the dust with your handkerchief, every chance (_highest degree of activity_) you get when they need it? And when you polish your shoes in the morning preparatory to starting your day's work, do you just give them "a lick and a promise," or do you "make 'em s.h.i.+ne?"

(Highest degree of _quality_.)

[Sidenote: Animal Training]

The "stupid" pig can be taught to do as phenomenal tricks as the "intelligent" dog. It is possible to train a pig so that he will appear to be able to discriminate among colors, to tell time, even to perform simple operations in arithmetic. At the circus or vaudeville we sit in wonder while the "educated" stupid pig, alertly afraid of the trainer's whip, performs stunts of seeming _intelligence_. Under the stimulus of fear he acts like a quick-thinking dog. In truth he _has_ been changed by training, from the _pig characteristic_ of utter stupidity to the _dog characteristic_ of rudimentary intelligence. But in _nature and form_ he remains just a pig. If you should see him among other pigs in a pen, you never would mistake the "educated" pig for a fat puppy.

In the trained pig the _use_ of his pig mind is developed to an unusual degree of _activity_ and of _quality_ to save himself from punishment and to gain the tidbits that reward his performance of tricks. The purpose of the trainer is accomplished by changing and developing the _mind functioning_ of the pig. No trainer would attempt to change the _nature_ of a pig--to develop a pig into an elephant, a different _creature_. Only _characteristics_ can be changed or developed.

[Sidenote: Plant Development]

Luther Burbank has accomplished with plants even more extraordinary changes and developments in characteristics than have been achieved by the most expert trainers of animals. He could not make a carrot into a calla; but he did take the dwarf natural calla plant and develop it into a splendid lily that bears flowers measuring a foot across the petal. He also multiplied the characteristic colors of the natural calla and has evolved great blossoms of a score of shades, from pure white to jet black.

The noted plant wizard developed, too, the naturally small, hard, dry, sour prune and transformed it into a juicy, sweet fruit that is bigger and more delicious than our common plum.

He also succeeded in altering radically an element of the natural walnut, which had a characteristic covering skin of bitter tannin over the meat inside the nut sh.e.l.l. For countless centuries walnut trees had been in the habit of covering the meat of their nuts with this tannin skin. Luther Burbank trained selected walnut trees to give up this fixed bad habit, and to produce nuts the meats of which were not enveloped in bitter coverings.

[Sidenote: Man Making]

Since expert trainers have been able to accomplish such marvelous changes and developments in the characteristics of lower animals and plants--not changes in the form of life, but alterations so nearly miraculous that they seem almost to be changes in nature--is there the least doubt that you, a _man_, excelling every other animal, and every plant in consciousness and intelligence, are capable of the most radical, elemental changes in your present self?

Cannot _you_, then, certainly develop and _use_ to a much higher degree of _activity_ and _quality_ the MAN characteristics you now possess? Of course you can! You need but to learn the _science of yourself_--to get full knowledge of what you are and of what you might be--by studying the _big, best qualities in you_. After that you will need _to make the most_ of what you learn about your true self. Intensive self-study will reveal to you all the possibilities of your enlarged and bettered personality. When you know you have developed your biggest, best manhood, you certainly will feel increased power to sell your "goods."

Of all living creatures, Man is the most adaptable, is capable of the greatest development, and responsive in the highest degree to desires from within and to influences from outside himself. Only a stupidly ignorant man would hold to the belief that the elements of his character cannot be radically changed and developed. At present you may be handicapped with what you have considered "natural disqualifications"

for success. Then _study_ yourself thoroughly, _one detail at a time_.

Follow this self-a.n.a.lysis by intelligent practice in the active use of your best qualities, and determine to _change_ your "disqualifications"

into _salable characteristics_ that will help you to succeed.

[Sidenote: No Normal Man Lacks Qualifications For Success]

Certainly a slouch can straighten up, wash his dirty hands and face, dress neatly, and suggest proper regard for his appearance. The physical weakling is able to build considerable strength into himself. Dullards, unless their brains are stunted, may develop surprising intellectual keenness. Careless men can train themselves to painstaking accuracy.

Individuals who are habitually late may become models of punctuality.

The man of flighty thoughts can concentrate. It is possible to control a quick, bad temper. Tact, diplomacy, and good judgment can be learned and used efficiently by the countless thousands of people who now are tactless, undiplomatic, and characterized by poor judgment.

So it is with the princ.i.p.al emotional, ethical, and spiritual qualities of the master salesman. _You_ have them _all_, elementally. _Certainly you can develop any selected element to higher activity and use it_ to help you sell true ideas of your best capabilities.

Maybe you have fought long and vainly for self-confidence, for courage, for will power. Perhaps you have realized for years that you are slow in perception, and have struggled to make yourself take mental snap-shots of details and conditions. You have wished and willed and worked to be agreeable and courteous; yet perhaps you lose friends by your characteristic disagreeableness and lack of courtesy. If, in spite of all you so far have done to improve yourself, you have been unable to get rid of your faults and defects, you are apt to question the statement that you _certainly can_ develop such qualities as you most desire.

[Sidenote: Decision Will Power Hard Work Insufficient]

No doubt you have _decided_, probably you have _willed_, very likely you have made a _persistent struggle_ to change your characteristics. You honestly have tried hard to grow, and to increase your man capacity.

Consequently your failure may have left you rather hopeless about ever succeeding as you once expected to succeed. Perhaps you have given up your case as "too tough a job." We will a.s.sume that you are not so young as you wish you were, and that you have committed to memory the fatalistic, h.o.a.ry lie, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." But recall the fixed habit of bitterness the walnut had for centuries, the color and size of the natural calla, the sour taste of the little wild prune, which the plant wizard changed most radically without using any "wizardry" at all. He just _applied scientific knowledge_ in his training of walnut trees and callas and prunes and other forms of vegetable life. Have you tried his method of development? Do you know exactly what he did?