“A real salesman is one part talk and nine parts judgment; and he uses the nine parts of judgment to tell when to use the one part of talk.”
Whenever you say “Good morning,” “Good afternoon,” or “Good evening,” let your words be not only cheerful, but sincere. The only was to be genuinely sincere is through cultivating a genuinely friendly disposition. It is hard to fake sincerity. Many salesmen think they can, but they only fool themselves. Learn to love mankind as a whole, and you will then be able to be genuinely sincere with each unit in humanity.
“Never explain the nature of your business on the door-step—that is, before you are advantageously placed in the presence of your prospect.—Expect to get in, and you will.” These are the words of an expert in salesmanship. Every expert realizes how full of truth they are.
A salesman must be self-possessed, which means that he should have no fears. Keep before your mind constantly these facts: You are all right; your goods are all right, and your house is all right; therefore you have no cause for fear; you have every reason to be serene.
Keep your samples out of sight as much as possible, even for your regular trade. Many salesmen leave their samples at the hotel, and call first on prospective customers, making an appointment for a certain hour. This is very effective, where possible. The display of goods is, unquestionably, very helpful in selling, but it is a decided advantage to have part of the stock out of sight. The element of curiosity comes in, and, as we have explained, this helps to get the right kind of attention.