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.