Page 38 - One Thousand Ways to Make $1000

‘Let’s drop down to the lunchroom and talk this over. You’ve made an effort
to make two sales, and have avoided letting anyone know what you’re trying
to sell.’ He made no further comment on the matter until we faced each other
across a table in the lunchroom. Then he pointed out an obvious error in my
tactics. ‘When you got in to see those fellows, they knew you came to sell
something. Why do you talk about representing a large responsible house
selling high quality merchandise? Why not try to sell them a suit? These men
are busy. They know what they want, when they see it. Cut the introduction
and get down to business.’

“‘You’ve got to begin, you know,’ I said in defense.

“‘Sure you do,’ he retorted. ‘That’s my point. Begin at once. When we go to
see your next prospect, I’ll give you an idea of what I mean.’
“Half an hour later, we entered the office of a real estate dealer. ‘I’m offering
some of the greatest suit bargains you ever saw,’ said my friend, but the
realtor shook his head. ‘That’s a fine looking suit you’re wearing. Isn’t it one
of our twenty-two fifty line?’
“‘Nope,’ replied the realtor, ‘I bought this in a store.’
“My friend moved over to the prospect and closely examined the man’s coat.
‘Hmm,’ he murmured, ‘that is certainly a fine piece of goods, isn’t it,
Gleason?’
“I stepped up and admired it. The realtor smiled. ‘Let me show you the same
goods here—’ and my friend held out his hand as a sign for me to show a
sample. I opened my case and brought out a sample swatch. Quickly this was
placed in the prospect’s hand. A moment later he was fingering it.
“‘Do you like your sleeves that short? They seem a trifle short to me,’ my
friend said critically.
“The prospect admitted the sleeves were a little short. I got my friend’s idea
at once. Quickly I measured the prospect’s sleeve and marked it on the order
blank. Then I went through the entire measuring series myself.
“After taking this prospect’s measure, I asked him if he wanted us to have a
suit made up for him. He hesitated, but my friend saved the situation.
“‘Here’s a fabric that certainly will make up beautifully, and it’ll look fine on
you.’ The prospect was guided back to a consideration of fabrics once more.
Finally his choice was narrowed down to two fabrics and soon the sale was