SUG GE S T I ON IN TH E SAL E^167
sion w e h ave m entioned seve ral kinds of sug
ge stion : ab normal, normal, p ositive, negative ,
di rec t, i n direc t. Th e re a re tw o oth e r kinds
whi ch bel ong i n any th orough going t re a t
me n t o f th e subj ec t. Th e first is c oun te r-sug
ge sti on. In thi s t h e individual m akin g th e
suggestion h a s o ne de sire d a c t in mi nd b ut
sugge st s th e p erfo rm a nc e of it s direc t o p
po site. A typ e of min d h a s b een discovere d
which rea c ts opp ositely to eve ry suggestion.
“ Cranky” h usb an ds sometime s exhibit thi s
t en dency ; and th ei r wive s move th em by sug
gesting th e opp osite. Obvio usly a sell e r does
no t m ee t wit h thi s typ e ve ry fre quently, bu t
wh e n h e doe s, h e m ay use co unt er- suggestion
wit h suc ce ss.
A uto - suggestion. Th e l a s t kind.
of sugges
ti on we sh al l c onside r is a uto -suggesti on. Thi s
is, a s th e na m e implies, self- suggestion. Th e
selle r doe s no t use i t upo n th e b uyer b u t
upon himself. A salesma n h a s gre a t nee d of
h avin g cer tain idea s i nj ecte d i nt o his m en tal
stream. H e i s re ady prey to th o ugh t s of
fail ure, disc ouragem en t an d weakness. Le t
him st udy th e effec t of suggestion i n general
an d remembe r wh a t a strengt h th e re i s in
idea s. H e may b e c hee re d by th e fac t th a t
h e i s j ust as c ert ainly susc eptibl e to th e in