BUSINESS LIFE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14244, 15 December 1909, Page 10

BUSINESS LIFE.

DON'T SEEK ADVICE.

It is a curious fact that a man who has been especially successful in any , particular calling will rarely encourage others to follow in his line. The man at the top of the*tree never seems to have a good word for the trade or profession that has made him. * , , ; One would think that a person who has struggled hard and won up to the top rung of the ladder would be enthusiastic in advising others to do the same. But it is not so. Would you be an artist? Go to a big painter who has won phenomenal success and ask his advice on the possibility of your ever attaining your heart's desire, and he will tell you such a thing is absurd. You could never stand the struggle. Or perhaps your ambition'< is to be a great writer, or a man of finance, or a tradesman on an extensive scale. It will be the same. Always the "pooh-pooh;" always the cry of the hard work and the struggle. \ " ■• And yet, perhaps, all these men have gone through the hard work and the struggle and come out of the ordeal possessors of great fortunes. Surely one may be excused fpr feeling that such cold water throwing smacks somewhat of conceit. Howelse can- the everlasting " You can't do what I've done" be accounted for? The moral of all this, of course, is very plain. If you feel you are fitted for any special calling, and" if, after thoroughly going into all possible objections, you feel sanguine enough to follow your bent, don't waste time in seeking advice. Take off your jacket and set to.

; SUCCESS" ON THE ROAD." To the man with a craving for open-air tho career of commercial traveller offers good prospects, but there are natural gifts inseparable from a really successful "commercial," and without these attainments the chances of success are poor in the extreme. In the first place, the candidate for such a career must be a student of human nature : he must know just what kind of attitude to adopt when dealing with his customers. Servility rarely pays, but at the same time bluster and hurry is quite as disagreeable to some men. The ability to talk well, of. course, is an asset, but this can be overdone in some cases. The nervous buyer likes to take his time in selecting his goods, and a talkative, hustling canvasser is to him an abomination. On the other hand, there are hustlers behind the counter who take to the dashing commercial. Therefore one must study one's clients and be prepared to act accordingly. But there are other things to consider. For instance, a customer should never be bothered on his busy day. Keep away from the country . shopkeeper on market day when his shop will in all probability be full of purchasers. The larger town establishments have their buyers who interview travellers only on certain days. These days must be discovered and noted. The clever commercial traveller never swaggers into an office or shop as if he represented the only manufacturers in the wide world. He knows, probably from exportance, how little bumptiousness is worth. He knows that whatever his line" may be he must win his order in judicious fashion, giving that word of praise or that recommendation where it is needed, and, in some cases, helping the shopkeeper to make his choice. • In conclusion, it may be given as a warning that a commercial traveller should never compare his goods with those offered by rival firms. This method only advertises competitors' names, and very often loses orders. •