SALESMANSHIP

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 146, 21 June 1924, Page 13

SALESMANSHIP

IMPORTANCE OF PERSONALITY.

serve l? ? t0^h J Ee™nS. « must serve well. m order to profit well." This was the keynote of the second of a series of addresses on salesmanship which was delivered by Mr. L. Ashcroit Edwardes m the V.M.C.A, on Tuesday last. The speaker referred to the importance of personality in salesmanship and said this was an age of specialisation and the expert was necessarily an ignorant man. The salesman depended upon the other fellow's point of view He must fix his own standard of morality. Henry Ford had said that service was what lie gave and it brought its own reward. No dishonest man could run an honest business, and no honest man could rnn a dishonest business. Salesmen required to be educated in order to take an intelligent advantage of experience; to read mankind in order to come to a sound conclusion. He should not only read mankind intuitively but also know himself, examine his advantages, abilities, and shortcomings. He should acquire moderation, toleration, and regularity of habits. Continuing, the speaker said; "Head more than you think and think more than you talk. Keep your body fit and your mind alert. Until you master yuureelf you cannot master others. . Psychology was a positive science of conduct. When a man knew the action of the instinct* and emotions he had a knowledge of othera. Formerly, advertising in America appealed to reason, but there had come a change. People were found to be neither logical nor reasonable, and now advertisements were framed to appeal to tho emotions. Study the emotions of a man, and you held him in the hollow of yonr hand. A purchaser of goods looked for entertainment in the expenditure* oE his money, therefore the salesman should be agreeable and entertaining. A buyer with apparently strong personality was sometimes really timorous through fear that he might buy an article which ho did not want. A salesman, when entering upon a big deal, should be wise to study his man before approaching him. otherwise failure might come from want of courage." Mr. Edwardes concluded by saying that some buyers required forcing, The salesman should avoid talking over his client's head j guard against spoiling business by a false step, strike at the psychological moment, and aim at creating appearances. While general principles could bo applied, there was no royal road to salesmanship. At the close cf the address the lecturer replied to many pertinent questions put to him by the interested business men present.