464 THE PRINCIPLES OF PERSONAL POWER
But 1 was not responding to her argument as freely as she thought
1 should have, so she slipped me this gentle suggestion:
"A man of your position is bound to be well-informed, and if he
isn't it will show up in his own work!"
She spoke the truth! Her remark was both a compliment and a gentle
reprimand. She made me feel somewhat sheepish because she had taken
inventory of my reading matter-and six of the leading magazines were
not on my list. (The six that she was selling.)
Then 1 began to "slip" by asking her how much the six magazines
would cost. She put on the finishing touches of a well-presented sales
talk by this tactful reply: "The cost? Why, the cost of the entire number
is less than you receive for a single page of the typewritten manuscript
that you had in your hands when 1 came in:'
Again she spoke the truth. And how did she happen to guess so well
what 1 was getting for my manuscript? The answer is, she didn't guess-
she knew! She made it a part of her business to draw me out tactfully as
to the nature of my work (which in no way made me angry). She became
so deeply interested in the manuscript, which 1 had laid down when she
came in, that she actually induced me to talk about it. (1 am not saying,
of course, that this required any great amount of skill or coaxing; after
all, it was my manuscript.)
For all 1 know, it was a part of her plan to observe carefully all that
she saw and heard, with the object of finding out just what my weak-
nesses were and in what 1 was most interested. Some salespeople take
the time to do this; some do not. She was one of those who did.
Yes, she went away with my order for the six magazines, but that was
not all the benefit she derived from tactful suggestion plus Enthusiasm.
She also got my consent to canvass my office, and before she left she had
five other orders from my employees.
At no time during her stay did she leave the impression that I was Javoring
her by purchasing her magazines. Just to the contrary, she distinctry impressed me
with the Jeeling that she was rendering me a Javor. This was taciful suggestion.