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Successful Salesmanship is Built
on Courtesy and Common Sense
S
UCCESSFUL
salesmanship
is
just a matter of combining cour-
tesy, common sense and consid-
eration, according to J. M. Wylie, Far-
go, N. D., whose experience of 28
years in the piano business has taught
him that these three factors "oil the
machinery of human progress."
"The salesman who thinks there is
no sentiment in business," said Mr.
Wlie recently, "labors under a delusion
and is operating under a very serious
handicap. The salesman whose busi-
ness efforts are devoid of sentiment,
whose actions, personality, business
principles and code of business ethics
reflect cold calculation, precision and
strategy—lacking warmth, sympathy
or sentiment, is riding for a fall.
"A cold, indifferent personality is a
liability in any business. This is espe-
cially true in the selling field where
the ability to influence thought counts
for so much. Prospects are more amen-
able to reason—are more responsive
to arguments and are more receptive
when the sales appeal is accompanied
by a warm, genial, amiable, personal-
ity combined with good business judg-
ment, than by cold, calculating selfish-
ness, masquerading under the code of
'business.'
"It is human nature to want to be-
lieve and help one's friends. The first
job of a salesman, therefore, is the
cultivation of those qualities responsi-
ble for friendship so that every pros-
pect will think he is listening to one of
his best friends. Congeniality, sympa-
thy and friendliness are but a few of
these qualities, but without courtesy—
the salesman can never win the pros-
pect's confidence.
"In every interview, the general at-
titude and behavior of the salesman
plays an important part in the mak-
ing or the losing of a sale. Many an
J. M. WYLIE
attempted sale has been lost in spite
of the salesman's knowledge and his
effective presentation simply because
of some slight discourtesy which lost
the prospect's respect for and confi-
dence in the salesman, the product and
the organization.
"Prospects are human beings and
will react to friendliness, fairly to
fairness and courteously to courtesy.
He has problems, like everybody else
has, and they are just as big to him
as the problems of other people. Cour-
tesy, therefore, will play an important
part in paving the way for a success-
ful interview.
"If the salesman can make the pros-
pect realize this through his courteous
desire to serve him, the prospect's mind
will be receptive. In contrast, a poor
approach or a discourteous gesture re-
pels, creates a feeling of restraint, a
critical attitude and makes it impossi-
ble for the salesman to inspire in the
prospect, the proper confidence in the
ability of a salesman and his company
to serve him satisfactorily.
Modern Salesmanship an Art
"In the old days, there used to be
an idea that good salesmanship was
simply good fellowship and the only
qualification was a jovial disposition
and a supply of good stories. Modern
salesmanship, however, is both a sci-
ence and an art. Salesmen must be
keen judges of human nature, able to
adapt themselves to the personality of
every prospect. There are no hard
and fast rules. One simply has to use
tact, skill and discretion in their con-
tacts. What produces an effect with
one man may produce quite the oppos-
ite effect with another. Courtesy, how-
ever, will always win the prospect's
confidence, and is vital to every sale.
"A salesman is the point of contact
between his organization and the pub-
lic. He represents not only what his
organization sells, but he also repre-
sents its policies and personnel, and
while the final measure of his value
may be represented by his volume, this
volume should also be measured by the
ITurn to page 30)
The SynHous and Well Appointed Piano Wnrerooui of J. M. Wylle Piano Co., Fargo, Ti. D.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, AUGUST, 1945