LEG WORK The First Fundamental

BY JACK DIONNE

We hear and read a whole lot nowadays concerning ttThe Science of Salermanship."

Sometimes the writer or speaker gets so fearfully and wonderfully technical, that when we get through reading or liatening, we haventt been able to grab hold of a single thing that we oan apply to our own activity the next time we try to sell something.

And the article or talk on selling that doesn't leave the interested par$ something definite that he can use as a lever or a weapon the next time he goes out to sell is, in the wor& of the shsst-"the BUNK."

It'r a fact that ttere are a world of folks writing and talking on selling today, that never sold anything themselves, and don't even sell YOU an idea when you read or listen to their stuff.

"Open yotr mouth and the Lord will fill itr" is an old sanng. He WLL. But He'll fill it with WIND. and there are too many old air-guns running loose around this country now, trying to make a living adviring othens to do things that they can't do themselves. They are like the proverbial old mai& advising on the raising of children.

There IS a science in selling; that's a fact. But what the average saleaman needs to learn first is just the plain list of fundamentals, before he gets scientific.

To begin with, ralesmanship is 50 per cent leg work, and the other 50 per cent headwork. Most selling charps want you to understanrd that 99 per cent of selling sucoess lies in the use of a wonderful mixture of psychology and voodooism when you meet your prospect face to face.

The main reason why 90 per cent of all salesman fail who DO fail, is because they haven't met a sufficient number of prospectr "face to face." Thatts where the 5O per cent of ttleg worktt comes in. The ttleg worktt consists in the art of keeping yourself keyed up, and ttpeppedtt up, and going strong, long after your instinctive self has said to your other self at least a dozen [i1nss3-"$ey boy, let's call it a day."

Itts that "Let's call it a day" stuff that loses most salermen their jobs. They get tired, disgusted, wear5r, or worn too quickly. They call on two, three or maybe a half dozen prospects, and then the wee small voice that cays ttl-etta call it a dayrtt getr rtro'nger and dronger. At fir* he knows rorne mighty good answers to the suggestion, contrariwise. He KNOWS at firstt that calling it a day won't do. But the voice gets bigger, ?od th" pto arguments get weaker, ild pretty coon he blows the whistle--mentallyand quits the drive.

He do-p't give the various percentages that go to make up the ottrer 50 per cent, which we call "head workr" a chance to function. There are a lot of them. A tactful approach, a pleasing appearance, a likeable voice, a ready smile, a good hand grip, an instinctive knowing how to handle the various prospects, etc., are all part and parcel of the head work 5O per cent. But the biggest part of THAT 5O per cent is knowing what you have to sell, believing in it, and being able to speak the English language pLainly, directly, and interestingly concerning it.

But if you dontt put over the "leg work" 50 per cent, you have simply ruined the other 5O.