482 THE PRINCIPLES OF PERSONAL POWER
"This boy not only makes a good living, without any subsidy from
the company, but he is actually saving money out of his earnings each
week, working under the same conditions, in the same plant, for the
same people.
"Now I wish to ask you a question. Whose fault was it that the older
boy did not get more business? Was it his fault, or the fault of his buyers?"
In a mighty roar from the crowd the answer came back:
((It was the boy's fault) oj course!}}
"Just so," replied Chalmers, "and now I want to tell you this, that
you are selling cash registers in the same territory, to the same people,
with exacdy the same business conditions that existed a year ago, yet you
are not producing the business that you were then. Now whose fault is
that? Is it yours, or the buyers'?"
And again the answer came back with a roar:
((It is our fault) oj course!}}
"I am glad that you are frank to acknowledge your faults;' Chalmers
continued, "and I now wish to tell you what your trouble is: You have
heard rumors about this company being in financial trouble and that
has killed off your enthusiasm so that you are not making the effort
that you formerly made. If you will go back into your territories with
a definite promise to send in five orders each during the next thirty
days, this company will no longer be in financial difficulty, for that
additional business will see us clear. Will you do it?"
They said they would, and they did!
That incident has gone down in the history of the National Cash
Register Company under the name Hugh Chalmers' Million-Dollar
Shoe Shine, for it is said that this turned the tide in the company's
affairs and was worth millions of dollars.
Enthusiasm knows no defeat! The sales manager who knows how
to send out an army of enthusiastic salespeople may set his or her
own price on their services. What is more important even than this,
they can increase the earning capacity of every person under their