When I was editor of a big magazine I sent an assistant to interview a young man who had had most remarkable success in the life insurance business, to get from him the secret of his rapid rise.

When my assistant returned I asked him if he had succeeded in getting his interview. “No,” he said, “but the insurance manager got me to take out quite a large insurance policy.”

This was a triumph of the art of salesmanship. The insurance man actually made his would-be interviewer forget what he had gone after, and induced him to buy something he had not before thought of buying, yet something which, undoubtedly, it was to his advantage to buy.

Why is it that one man will so easily change our whole mental attitude and make us do voluntarily the very thing that we had no idea of doing an hour before, and thought we never could do, when another might have talked to us until doomsday about the same thing, and never changed our mind a particle regarding it? Why is it that one man will convince us that we ought to buy an article which we were sure a few minutes before that we not only did not need or desire, but under no circumstances would buy?

Because he is a past master of the gentle art of persuasion.

How little we realize what a large part persuasion plays in our life. The clergyman, the teacher, the lawyer, the business man, the salesman, the parent, each is trying to persuade, to influence, to win over others to his way of thinking, to his principles, to accept his ideas.

Some characters are so tactful, so sunny, so bright, cheerful, and attractive that they never have to force or even to request an entrance anywhere. The door is flung wide open and they are invited to enter, just as we invite beauty, loveliness and sunshine to enter our mind. Their very presence has a subtle influence in soothing and pleasing. They know how to persuade almost without uttering a word.

Of the many elements which enter into scientific salesmanship, none is more essential than that of persuasion.

A salesman often finds a would-be customer’s mind absolutely opposed to his. He does not want the merchandise, or at least he thinks he does not, and is determined not to buy it. He braces himself against all possibility of persuasion, of being influenced to do what he has decided not to do. A little later, however, he cheerfully buys the article, pays for it, and feels sure he really wants it. His entire attitude has been changed by the art of persuasion, of winning over, which was all done by successive logical steps, each of which had to be taken in order, or failure would have resulted.

The first step was to get the man’s attention,—otherwise the salesman could have done nothing with him. This of itself is often a difficult matter—to get the attention of a man who is determined not to look at your goods, who had made up his mind not to buy, and is braced against you. But a good salesman does not try to persuade a man to buy until he has not only secured his attention, but also thoroughly interested him in his proposition. Then he arouses his desire to possess the thing he has for sale, and when this is done, the sale is practically over.

I was talking recently with some friends about the rapid rise of a young salesman which surprised everybody who knew him. One of my friends said that the whole secret was his marvelous power to persuade people, to change their mind, to make a prospect see things from his point of view. He said he had never before met another man who had such remarkable success in changing another’s mind to his way of thinking. “And this,” he added, “is the essence, the quintessence, if you will, of salesmanship—the power to make another see things as we see them.”

Persuasive power, the ability to win others over to our way of thinking, our way of looking at things, is not a simple quality. It is in reality made up of many admirable qualities which have more to do with the heart than the head. It is one of the lovable traits of human nature, which enables one to win out in many instances where head qualities would be of no avail.

The best and most successful teachers are not always the most learned, but those who get hold of the hearts of their pupils, whose kindness, personal interest, and sympathy inspire them to do their best. The same qualities which, apart from scholarship, make the best teachers, also make the best salesmen. While education and intelligence are indispensable, it is not so much smartness, long-headedness, cunning, as the warm human heart qualities which make a salesman popular and successful.

There is a sort of hypnotic power which passes for persuasiveness, and enables a man to get orders at the outset, but it is not based on honesty, and in the long run seriously hurts a man’s business.

A magnetic, spellbinding salesman will often bring to his house larger orders than some other salesman, but in the end will lose customers and injure himself and his concern, while the one who does not sell nearly as much to start with will make many more friends, and will hold his customers, because he looks out for their interest, and only tries to sell them what is to their advantage to buy. He will not work off a large bill of goods upon them which he knows in his heart they should not buy. He studies their needs, and so wins their confidence and good-will.

The ability to make others think as you do is a tremendous power, and carries great responsibility. If it is not kindly and honestly used it will prove a boomerang and injure most the one who uses it. He will soon become known as a “spellbinder,” and people will not do business with him.

Mere “palaver and soft soap” do not cut nearly so much of a figure in salesmanship as formerly. The time has gone by forever when a salesman is chiefly measured by his ability to tell good yarns and crack jokes with his prospects. Honesty first, is the business slogan to-day. Spellbinding methods are not in demand. While you may, and should, be as affable as you please, you must be thoroughly sincere.

Even in trying to approach a man through his hobby, great caution must be used. If he is a shrewd, long-headed man he is going to see through any subterfuge, and if he gets the slightest idea that you are trying to “string” him, or if he sees the slightest evidence of insincerity or cunning, if he sees any plot back of your eye, your game is up. We must first believe in a man’s integrity, even though he may deceive us, before he can persuade us to do what we thought we would not do.

To-day it is the clean, straight-from-the-shoulder talk, cold facts that the average business man wants. Yet the men of persuasive powers can present those facts in such a way that the prospect will be made to feel that the salesman is his friend and acting entirely in his interest. No man relishes the idea of being “managed,” and, no matter how much he loves flattery, he will question your motive if you attempt it.

Very tactful and just praise, however, will help your cause considerably with the average man. Remember that your prospect will be always on his guard against any sort of deceit. He will be looking for evidences of insincerity. He has no intention of allowing himself to be duped or gulled. Above all, remember that there is no substitute for sincerity in any field. There is nothing that will take the place in our lives of absolute transparency, simplicity, honesty, kindness. The Golden Rule is the only rule of conduct that will bring true success in any business.