612 THE PRINCIPLES OF SELF-CREATION
The style of your clothes and their appropriateness undoubtedly
constitutes a very important part of your personality, for it is true that
people form first impressions of you from your outward appearance.
Even the way you shake hands forms an important part of your
personality and goes a long way toward attracting or repelling those
with whom you shake hands. But this art can be cultivated.
The expression in your eyes also forms an important part of your
personality, for there are people, and they are more numerous than
one might imagine, who can look through your eyes into your heart
and see the nature of your most secret thoughts.
The vitality of your body-which is sometimes called personal
magnetism-also constitutes an important part of your personality.
ELEMENTS OF
A PLEASING PERSONALITYThere is one way in which you can express the composite of your
personality so that it will always attract, even though you may seem
outwardly unattractive, and this is by taking an honest interest in
other people.
Let me illustrate exactly what I mean, by relating an incident that
happened some years ago from which I was taught a lesson in master
salesmanship. You, too, may learn that lesson from this incident.
One day an elderly lady called at my office and sent in her card
with a message saying that she must see me personally. No amount of
coaxing by secretaries could induce her to disclose the nature of her
visit, therefore I made up my mind that she was some poor old soul who
wanted to sell me a book. Thinking of my own mother, I decided to
go out to the reception room and buy her book, whatever it might be.
As I walked down the hallway from my private office, this lady,
who was standing just outside the railing that led to the main recep-
tion room, began to smile. I had seen many people smile, but never