THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SALESMANSHIP/PART 5
CHAPTER V
THE MIND OF THE BUYER
(CONTINUED)
The
Faculties of Application. This group consists of two qualities:
that of Firmness, or Decision; and that of Continuity,
or Patience. These faculties, together with Self-Esteem, are located at the
upper-back, or back-upper, part of the head.
Firmness, or
Decision, when highly developed causes one to manifest stability, tenacity,
fixedness of purpose, often reaching the point of obstinacy, mulishness and
stubbornness. These people cannot be driven, or forced into anything. They are
"mighty set" in their ways, and when they once take a position are very
apt to stick to it "right or wrong." They are apt to fight to the
last ditch for what they consider principle, and will hold on to the end in
what they believe to be right. To attempt to drive them by force is to dash
one's head against a stone wall. The only way to handle these people is to
endeavor to get them interested in your side of the case before they have
"set" their minds and made up their opinion. If they have already
been prejudiced against your case, the only way is to give up the fight from
the front, and endeavor to present the matter from a different viewpoint, or
angle, so that new points will be presented which take the matter out of the
old category. These people will never give in unless they can say: "Oh,
that of course alters the matter entirely;" or "Oh, well, that places
it in a new light;" or "That is an entirely different
proposition," etc. Leave them victors of the positions upon which they are
"set," and endeavor to enlist their interest upon some new aspects,
points, or principles—you have at least an even chance of winning on the new
point, whereas you have none whatever on the old one. If, however, you can fit
your case to some of their established prejudices, for or against, you have won
your battle, for their quality of stability will then be employed in your favor
instead of against it. You will have to fit your case to their moulds—cut your
garment according to their pattern. A stubborn and balky horse or mule can
often be started in motion by turning its attention to a new thing—such as
putting a piece of twisted paper in its ear, adjusting its harness in a new
way, etc. The same principle will work on stubborn men, "set" in
their ways. Get their mind off the point in question, and they will be
rational. Let them have their own way about their own points—and then plan a
flank or rear attack on them. You cannot batter down their stone-wall—you must
either soar over it, tunnel under it, or else go around it.
Continuity, or
Patience, when highly developed causes one to "stick to" a thing once
undertaken; to manifest patience and perseverance, and to give up the mind to
one thing to the exclusion of others. It is difficult to interest these people
in new things—they instinctively distrust the new idea or
thing, and cling to the old. These people are very conservative and dislike
change. They can be dealt with best by avoiding shocking them with
entirely new things, and by carefully attaching the newer idea
or thing to the old so that it seems a part of the latter. New things under old
names do not disturb these people as much as old things under new names—it
is the form and name, rather than the substance with them. Old wine in new
bottles they abhor—but new wine in old bottles they will stand. Arguments based
on "old established" things, or "good old-time" things,
appeal to them. Things must be "respectable,"
"well-established," "standing the test of years," "no
new-fangled notion," etc., to appeal to them. Beware of trying new and
startling changes on them—they will be prejudiced against you at once. Fall in
with their ideals, and they will be excellent friends and steady customers. The
words "conservative" and "established" sound well to their
ears. On the contrary, people in whom this faculty is deficient will incline toward
new things because they are new. This faculty, either in excess or when
deficient, strongly affects the judgment, and must be taken into consideration
by the Salesman.
The
Religio-Moral Faculties. This group of faculties
includes Conscientiousness, or Moral Principle; Hope,
or Optimism; Spirituality, or other-worldliness; Veneration,
or Reverence; and Benevolence, or Human Kindness. The organs
manifesting these qualities are located in the front-top of the head.
Conscientiousness, or
Moral Principle, when highly developed gives one a high sense of right,
justice, truth, virtue, and duty. In dealing with these people be particularly
careful to make no misstatements, misrepresentations, and exaggerations, but to
adhere closely to the facts of the case. Avoid also any appearance of
trickiness or sharp practice, stories of shrewd bargains, etc. These people
become staunch, firm friends if dealt with as they deserve, but become
prejudiced against people and houses whom they suspect of unfair dealings, or
in whom they lose confidence. Their keynote is "right's right"—and
you should adhere to it in all dealings with them. They are "the salt of
the earth," and it is a pity that there are not more of them. It is true
that sometimes this faculty seems to become perverted into phariseeism and
hypocrisy—but, then, every good thing has its counterfeit, and the thing to do
is to distinguish between the true and the false, here as elsewhere.
Hope, or
Optimism, when highly developed causes one to look on the bright side of
things, expect favorable outcomes, look confidently forward, and expect much
from the future. Its perversion manifests in visionary dreams and
castle-building. These people are amenable to appeals to future success, bright
prospects, cheerful outlook, and new undertakings which seem promising. They
become enthusiastic when propositions are properly presented to them, and
prefer to deal with Salesmen of similar mental characteristics. These people
are natural "bulls" in business—beware of posing as a "bear"
when dealing with them. They relish a good cheering, cheerful talk more than
anything else. They are good people to deal with, particularly if the quality
in question is balanced by caution and trained by experience.
Spirituality, or
Other-worldliness, when highly developed tends to cause one to live on mental
heights above the things of ordinary material existence; to trust to the
"inner light;" to incline toward mysticism; and to experience a
religious consciousness above the ordinary. When manifested in a lesser degree
it is evidenced by the ordinary "religious" feeling. Perverted, it
manifests as superstition, credulity and "psychism." The people in
whom this faculty is active seem to feel that business is a degrading
necessity, and they are never thoroughly at home in it, unless the goods
handled happen to be along the lines of their general inclination, as for
instance, religious books, etc. Consequently, their business traits and tastes
arise from the other faculties, rather than from this particular one. However,
they are easily prejudiced against one whom they imagine does not agree with
them in their beliefs and convictions, and are apt to be swayed rather more by
feeling, emotion and sentiment than by cool judgment and pure reason. They are
usually strong in their likes and dislikes, and are susceptible to appeals to
their imagination.
Veneration, or
Reverence, when highly developed causes one to manifest reverence and extreme
respect to authority of all kinds. These people are usually good church members
and law abiding citizens. In business, the faculty is apt to cause them to
place great stress upon authority and example. If some large merchant has
ordered certain goods, they will be impressed by his example. They regard
testimonials and recommendations highly. In dealing with them one must avoid
speaking lightly of any thing or person esteemed by them, for they will be
quick to resent it. They are usually decidedly conventional, and aim to meet
the full requirements of "respectability" and social customs.
Benevolence, or
Human Kindness, when highly developed causes one to manifest sympathy,
kindness, generosity, and philanthropy. These people are altruistic and always
ready to do another a good turn. They are moved by their feelings rather than
by their reason and judgment, and will often base their business transactions
rather more upon friendliness and personal feeling than upon cold business
judgment and policy. They are generous where their sympathies and feelings are
interested, and are too often taken advantage of by selfish people who play on
their unselfish natures. Too often are they considered "easy," and
are imposed on accordingly. The personal equation of the Salesman plays an
important part in dealing with these people.
From
these several groups of faculties arise many combinations of character in
people. While it is true that there is almost infinite variety among people,
nevertheless, it is true that there are a few general classes into which the
majority of buyers may be fitted or grouped for convenience. Let us now
consider some of the more common classes, and see how the faculties, in
combination, manifest themselves.
The
Argumentive Buyer. This man finds his greatest pleasure in arguing, combating
and disputing with the Salesman—argument for the sake of argument, not for the
sake of truth or advantage. This trait arises from developed Combativeness and
Destructiveness. Do not take these people too seriously. Let them enjoy a
victory over you on minor points, and then after yielding gracefully coax them
along the main lines of the selling talk. At the best, they are arguing over
terms, definitions, forms, etc. and not over facts. Let them make
their own definitions, terms and forms—and then take their order for the goods
which you have fitted into their side of the argument. If, however, the
argument is based upon true reasoning and with a legitimate intent, then
reason with him calmly and respectfully.
The
Conceited Buyer. This fellow is full of Approbativeness. We have told you
about him elsewhere. Meet him on his own plane, and give him the particular
bait indicated for his species—he will rise to it. Appearing to defer to him,
you may work in your arguments and selling talk without opposition. Prefacing
your explanation with "As you know by your own experience;" or
"as your own good judgment has decided;" etc., you may tell your
story without much opposition. You must always let him feel that you realize
that you are in the presence of a great man.
The
"Stone Wall" Buyer. This man has Self
Esteem and Firmness largely developed. We have told you about him under those
two headings. You must fly over, tunnel under, or walk around his stone wall of
reserve and stubbornness. Let him keep his wall intact—he likes it, and it
would be a shame to deprive him of it. A little careful search will generally
show that he has left his flanks, or his rear unguarded. He will not let you in
the front door—so go around to the kitchen door, or the side-door of the
sitting room—they are not so well guarded.
The
Irritable Buyer. This is an unpleasant combination of Approbativeness and
Combativeness, in connection with poor digestion and disordered nerves. Do not
quarrel with him, and let his manner slide over you like water off a duck's
back. Stick to your selling talk, and above everything keep cool, confident,
and speak in even tones. This course will tend to bring him down. If you show
that you are not afraid of him, and cannot be made angry—if your tones are firm
yet under control and not loud—he will gradually come down to meet you. If you
lose your own temper, you may as well walk out. Simply ignore his
"grouch"—deny it out of existence, as our New Thought friends would
say.
The
"Rough Shod" Buyer. This man has large
Destructiveness, and Self Esteem, and wants to run things himself. He will try
to ride rough shod over you. Keep cool, even-tempered, self-possessed, and firm
yet respectful. Do not let him "rattle" you. It is often more of a
"bluff" than anything else. Keep on "sawing wood;" and do
not be scared off. These people are often but "lath-and-plaster"
instead of the iron and steel they appear to be at first sight. Keep firm and
calm, is the keynote in dealing with them.
The
Cautious Buyer. This man generally has Cautiousness and Continuity well
developed, and Hope deficient. He is conservative and fearful. Avoid
frightening him with ideas of "new" things or
"experiments." If you are selling new things or ideas, manage to
blend them in with things with which he is familiar—associate the new and
unfamiliar with the old and familiar. And be conservative and careful in your
talk, do not give him the idea that you are a radical or a "new fangled
idea" man. To him, be an "old fashioned person."
The
Cunning Buyer. This fellow has large Secretiveness or Cunning—he belongs to
the fox tribe. He likes to scheme out things for himself, so if you will
content yourself with giving him broad hints, accompanied by expressive
glances, regarding what can be done with your goods, he will be apt to scheme
out something in that direction, and thinking he has done it all himself, he
will be pleased and interested. Let him know that you appreciate his
shrewdness, particularly if he shows that his Approbativeness is well
developed. But, if not, better let him think that he is deceiving you regarding
his true nature. The majority of cunning people, however, take pride in it, and
relish a little grim appreciation of their quality.
The
Dignified Buyer. This man has large Self Esteem, and probably also large
Approbativeness. In either case, let him play the part for which Nature has
cast him, and you play yours. Your part is in recognizing and respecting his
dignity, by your manner and tone. Whether the dignity be real or assumed, a
recognition of and falling in with it is appreciated and relished. Imagine that
you are in the presence of your revered great-grandfather, or the bishop, and
the rest will be easy. We once knew of a jovial, but indiscreet, salesman who
lost a large sale to a buyer of this kind, by poking him in the ribs and
calling him "old chap." The buyer barely escaped an attack of
apoplexy—the Salesman entirely escaped a sale.
The
"Mean" Buyer. This man is moved by
Acquisitiveness. He is suspicious of you from the start, for he feels that you
intend to get some money from him. Don't blame him—he's built that way.
Instead, get his mind off the subject and on to another, by plunging in at once
with the statement that you have something upon which he can make money,
or something that will save him money. Emphasize these points, and
you will have aroused his curiosity. Then proceed along the same
lines—something to make money for him, or something to save money for him—these
are the only two arguments he can assimilate.
The
Intelligent Buyer. These people depend almost entirely upon reason and
judgment. They are scarce. When you meet one of them, drop all attempts to play
upon weak points, prejudices or feelings, and confine yourself strictly to
logical and rational statements, presentation of your proposition, and argument
thereon. Do not attempt sophistry, argument from false premises, or other
fallacies. He will detect them at once, and will feel indignant. Talk straight
from the shoulder, and confine yourself to facts, figures, principles, and
logic.
So
far we have dealt with the voluntary or outer mind of the buyer. Let us now
consider his involuntary or inner mind. There are many other terms used by
psychologists to designate these two phases of mind—the important fact is that
there are two phases or planes of mind which are operative in
a sale. Let us see how they work, rather than what they are, or what they are
called.
Discarding,
for the time being, the current psychological theories and terminology, let us
take a plain look at the facts of the case. A little consideration will show us
that there are two parts to a man's mind—or two phases of activity. In the
first place, there is a part of one's mind which acts as does the mind of the
higher animal, the savage, the child. That is, it acts upon impulse and without
restraint of the will. Its attention is easily attracted, but held with
difficulty unless the interest and curiosity is awakened. It is curious, fond
of novelty, inquisitive, impulsive, easily persuaded in certain directions,
susceptible to impressions, amenable to suggestion, imitative, subject to
panic, apt to "follow my leader," emotional, depending upon feeling
rather than upon reason, subject to persuasion and coaxing, and acting almost
automatically in response to awakened desire. Let us think of this part of the
mind as the inheritance of the race from the past—the instinctive mind—the
elemental mind of the race before Intellect mounted its throne. This part of the
mind is possessed by every individual of the race. No matter how highly
developed the individual may be, he has this part of the mind. No matter how
much he may be in control of it, it is always there as a background and basis
of his other kind of mind. The difference in the self-control of individuals
depends almost altogether upon the other part of the mind, which we shall now
consider—the Voluntary Mind, in which the Intellect and Will are the
predominant elements. The phase which we have just considered may be called the
Involuntary Mind, in which Desire and Feeling are the predominant elements.
The
Voluntary Mind has come to man in the course of evolution. It is not nearly so
highly developed in the majority of people, as one might at first suppose.
The majority of the race have the Involuntary Mind predominant, and are swayed
more by feeling and desire than by intellect and will. Those in whom the
Voluntary Mind is highly developed place the intellect over the feelings—the
will over the desires. They submit their feelings to the inspection and
approval of their intellect, and hold their desires in check by their will. We
are in the habit of thinking of will as a something which acts—but in the
majority of instances it is found to be employed in checking action of the
desires—in holding back rather than in pushing forward. One of the chief duties
of the developed will is that of inhibition, or restraint. And inhibition
depends upon the decision of the judgment or intellect. The animal, savage, or
child has but little power of this kind—the average individual has more than
the child or savage but less than the developed individual—the developed
individual has better self-control, and subordinates his emotional desires and
feelings to his judgment and will, by inhibition or restraint. Every individual
has both of these phases of mind—the Involuntary and Voluntary—the latter,
however, being manifested in an infinite variety of degrees of development and
power. Back of every Involuntary Mind is to be found the protecting Voluntary
Mind—and likewise, back of every Voluntary Mind, no matter how strong it may
be, there is ever the Involuntary Mind chafing under restraint and striving to
escape its master's eye and express itself in its own way. And the master often
relaxes its attention, or gets tired of its strenuous task, and then the hidden
nature "plays while the cat's away."
Perhaps
the Salesman may be able to remember this classification of the two phases of
the mind, by picturing them as two partners engaged in
business. The Salesman is trying to secure the trade of the firm. The one
brother is an easy-going fellow, possessing curiosity and childish interest,
capable of being "jollied," persuaded and coaxed, and apparently
acting always from his momentary desires and feelings, desirous of appearing
well in the eyes of others, and anxious to make a good impression, finding it
easier to say "Yes," than "No"—easier to fall in with
the wishes of others than to oppose them, being vain and complaisant. This
partner's name is "Easyboy." The other partner is an entirely
different sort of fellow. He is cold and calculating, manifesting very little
feeling or emotion, submitting everything to his reason and judgment, not moved
by prejudices for or against, driving a close bargain and resenting attempts to
coax or drive him. His name is "Hardfellow."
In
the firm of "Easyboy and Hardfellow," the work is divided.
"Easyboy" has much to do about the place, attending to many things
for which his temperament specially fits him. "Hardfellow," however,
does the buying, for experience has taught him that "Easyboy" is not
fitted for the task, being too much under the sway of his feelings and being
too easily influenced. "Easyboy" never could say "No,"
anyway—but "Hardfellow" finds it almost as hard to say
"yes." So "Hardfellow" does the buying, but
"Easyboy" always "hangs 'round" when a salesman is talking,
for he is naturally inquisitive, and, being jealous, rather resents
"Hardfellow's" authority in the matter. Sometimes he breaks in,
and "Hardfellow" lets him have his say, and at times indulges him in
minor purchases, for being a partner he must accord him some consideration in
spite of the arrangement regarding duties. A strange thing is that
"Easyboy" is possessed of the notion that he would make an ideal
buyer, far better than "Hardfellow" in fact, and he loses no
opportunity of manifesting his supposed quality, notwithstanding the fact that
he usually makes a bungle of it.
For
"Hardfellow" is often so busy that he cannot give his full attention
to the business of buying; then again he becomes tired and at such times his
judgment is not so good, and he is apt to be influenced by "Easyboy"
at such times; and, again, he becomes interested in one feature of the purchase
and overlooks the others—at such times "Easyboy" "gets in his
fine work," and takes a hand in the buying. The Salesmen who visit the
firm are fully aware of this condition of affairs, and plan things so as to
have "Easyboy" on hand and able to play his part. They can do
anything with him, and the more he is in evidence the better are their chances.
If he had his way he would buy corner lots in the moon, or gold-bricks
minus the plating. He likes to say "Yes" when coaxed, jollied or led.
But the Salesmen having a straight business proposition of merit get along well
with "Hardfellow," for he is reachable on such lines when logically
presented and explained in a business way. Even such Salesmen, however, find
"Easyboy" a valuable ally, for he often gets them a hearing when
"Hardfellow" is busy or otherwise not disposed to listen. And so,
they all find it an important question to get "Easyboy" on the scene
at "Hardfellow's" elbow. Some claim to have discovered a method
whereby they can "sidetrack" "Hardfellow" and get
"Easyboy" to do the buying. And rumor even has it that there have
been unscrupulous individuals who have happened around when
"Hardfellow" was taking his siesta after a full
dinner, and who then played upon "Easyboy's" weakness in a shameful
manner. The firm deny these rumors, but there is an old gold brick holding back
a door at the back part of the store; and a big bundle of worthless shares in a
nicely printed gold-mine and a deed for a quarter-section of the blue sky, in
the safe—so there may have been something in the tale, after all.
Every
mind is an "Easyboy and Hardfellow" firm. Both partners are in
evidence. In some cases "Easyboy" has far more sway and influence
than his more capable partner; in others they have equal authority; in a third,
"Hardfellow" asserts his right and ability, and "Easyboy"
has to take a back seat under protest. But the same principle is true of them
all. And this fact is taken into consideration by men of the world who
understand the true state of affairs. If anyone doubts this statement of
psychological facts, let him analyze himself, and look back over his own
experience. He will find that "Easyboy" has played him many a sad
trick in the past, and the "Hardfellow" has been "off his
job" more than once. Then let him begin to analyze others with whom he
comes in contact—he will see the same state of affairs existing there. And yet
there is no mystery about the matter—it is all in accordance with known
psychological laws. Some writers on the subject of Salesmanship rather solemnly assure
us that the "Easyboy" part of the mind is a "higher
mind"—but it is not. It belongs to the instinctive stage
of mental development, rather than to the rational. It is an
inheritance from the past—that past in which men were moved entirely by feeling
and emotion, before reason came to its present stage of development. If it is
"higher" why is it a fact that the lower races and individuals
manifest it to a greater extent than the higher ones? This part of the mind
gives vitality and energy to one, but unless it be controlled by Intellect and
Will it is apt to prove a curse.
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