ustomer's presence has
prejudiced many a man against a salesman who has this practice.
Business men have prejudices, and to some smoking is highly obnoxious.
Under no circumstances smoke in a customer's presence unless the
customer is smoking, or until at least you are well acquainted with
him, and have received his permission to smoke.

Times without number the writer has left his half-finished cigar in the
hall-way before entering the customer's presence.

Story telling is like a two-edged sword; sometimes it helps and
sometimes it is a distinct disadvantage to tell stories. You must know
when to tell stories, and, above all, do not tell stories to your
customer that he could not repeat in his home.

Above all things, the salesman must know his man. If the customer gives
evidence that he is fond of a story, then remember a good story and
tell it to him. No salesman ever made a distinct hit by telling vulgar
stories. While a customer may laugh, he forms an opinion of you that is
not complimentary, and, if you are always telling stories that you
would not repeat where women were present, the customer forms a very
low estimate of your character.

The facts are the world is full of good stories, and good stories help
your case, while vulgar stories hurt it.

Drinking is another method used by many salesmen to gain favor with a
customer, and what we have said about vulgar stories may be applied to
the matter of drinking.

Years ago it was a general practice to take the customer out and get
him half seas over before trying to sell him.

The customers who are most susceptible to influence through whiskey are
the ones who are most likely later on to cause you trouble, either
through failure in business or through their preference for some other
individual who can outdo you in the matter of drinking.

You must get your customer by the heart and not by the stomach. You
must make your customer believe in you.

In these days the business man likes to deal with a salesman who is
business from the start. He only buys goods because he expects to make
money on them, and the sooner the transaction is over, the sooner he
can turn his attention to other matters.

The best advertising solicitors and best salesmen are those who get
business on business grounds and through their knowledge of their
business, rather than through their ability to tell stories, order
dinners and drink liquor.

The good salesman studies the other