WHY THIS SALESMAN DID NOT SUCCEED
He was too anxious.
He could not read human nature.
He did not know how to approach his prospect.
There was not a real man back of the solicitor.
He scattered too much; could not concentrate his talk.
He knew enough, but could not tell it in an interesting way.
He tired the prospect out before he got down to business, and could not see when he was boring him.
He went to his prospective customer in the spirit of “I will try” instead of “I will.”
He could not take a rebuff good-naturedly.
He ran down his competitor and disgusted his prospect.
He did not believe he could get an order when he went for it.
He tried to make circulars and letters do the work of a personal canvass.
He unloaded cheap lines and off-style goods on one customer and then bragged about it to the next.
He did not thoroughly believe in the thing he was trying to sell, and of course could not convince others.
He was too easily discouraged; if he did not secure orders from the first man he solicited, he lost heart and gave up.
He did not concentrate on one line. He carried side lines. He thought if he could not sell one thing, he could another.
He did not have enough reserve argument to overcome objections. He lacked resourcefulness.
He had to spend most of his time trying to overcome a bad first impression.
He gave the impression that he was a beggar instead of the representative of a reliable house.
He did not look out for the man at the other end of the bargain.
He overcanvassed. He said so many good things about the article he was selling that the prospect did not believe they were true.
He was polite only while he thought he was going to get an order, but when turned down, got mad and said disagreeable, cutting things.
He lacked tact or the power of adaptability; he always used the same line of argument, no matter what the man’s position, degree of intelligence, temperament or mood might be.
He did not have a proper appreciation of the dignity of his work. He thought people would look upon him as a peddler.
He did not like the business; his heart was not in it; and he intended working at it only until he could get a better job.
He never liked to mix with people, and therefore was not popular.
He did not organize himself, could not work to a plan, had no program.
He introduced politics and his fads in business.
He didn’t realize that every sale is an advertisement for or against the house.
He was always gloomy and despondent. He carried his samples in a hearse.
He did not believe it paid to be accommodating.
