PLEASING PERSONALITY^613before had I seen one who smiled so sweetly as did this lady. It was
one of those contagious smiles, because I caught the spirit of it and
began to smile too.
As I reached the railing, this lady extended her hand to shake
hands with me. Now, as a rule, I do not become too friendly on first
acquaintance when a person calls at my office, because it is very hard
to say no if the caller should ask me to do something that I do not
wish to do.
However, this dear lady looked so sweetly innocent and harmless
that I extended my hand and she began to shake it, whereupon I
discovered that she not only had an attractive smile but she also had
a magnetic handshake. She took hold of my hand firmly, but not too
firmly, and the very manner in which she went about it telegraphed
the thought that it was she who was doing the honors. She made me
feel that she was really and truly glad to shake my hand, and I believe
that she was. I believe that her handshake came from her heart as well
as from her hand.
I have shaken hands with many thousands of people during my
public career, but I do not recall ever shaking hands with anyone who
understood the art as well as this lady did. The moment she touched
my hand I could feel myself "slipping" and I knew that whatever it
was that she had come after, she would go away with it, and that I
would aid and abet her all I could toward this end. That penetrating
smile and that warm handshake had disarmed me and made me a
willing victim.
At a single stroke, this lady had cut through that false shell into
which I crawl when salespeople come around. This gentle visitor had
"neutralized" my mind and made me want to listen.
Ah, but here is the point at which most salespeople stumble, for
it is as useless to try to sell someone anything until you have first
made them want to listen, as it would be to command the earth to
stop rotating.