and by standing in silence without interrupting
him until he has had an opportunity to finish what he is doing. His
sound sense would be struck, paradoxically, by your exceptional
quietness. His sense of equilibrium would also be affected by your
perfect poise while waiting. Your whole attitude would impress him so
favorably that his especial interest in you would be induced. His
greeting would be pleasant.

Suppose your prospect looks up from his work when you enter his
presence, and you approach close to his desk; if you are immaculate in
dress and body, you will appeal agreeably to his olfactory sense. The
law of the association of ideas will then begin to work in your favor.
Your prospect will get subconsciously a conscious impression of your
clean character.

You might wear a fresh flower in your buttonhole and so strike several
of his senses pleasantly. But unless the flower is inconspicuous and in
good taste it would make an unfavorable impression.

[Sidenote: Good Impressions]

Let us assume now that when you enter the office of your prospect, he is
disgruntled about something. You can take some of the heat out of his
ill temper by your appearance of cool self-confidence and good nature.

There are many more such _favorable sense impressions_ which you could
make by simply standing in manly erectness while waiting to receive the
exclusive attention of your prospect. You might employ all the
sense-hitting features of bearing and manner referred to above. The
effect of the sum of these would be the _forced agreeable attention_ of
your prospect. He simply could not help noticing the various items that
would strike his different senses; nor could he help being agreeably
impressed; though he might not give you any indication of the effect you
had compelled.

[Sidenote: Continual Attention Necessary]

It is highly important that you should be able first to _gain_ the
favorable attention of your prospect, and second to _hold_ it until his
interest is aroused. It may also be necessary for you to _regain_ his
attention if it is temporarily lost and diverted to some other object.
The master salesman realizes it is essential to have the attention of
his prospect _continually centered_ upon the ideas presented,
_throughout the selling process_. Only a poor salesman of ideas would go
right on talking, even though it might be clearly evident that he did
not have the exclusive attention of the man addressed.

[Siden