(^174) T H E M IN D O F TH E BUY E R
w oul d rese mbl e a full-moo n c ontaining a
c entral c ircl e, freckle d with n ume rous circlet s
of differen t size s rep re sentin g th e i dea s with
th ei r different stren gth s. It will b e se en th a t
th e se i dea s b ea r diffe ren t rel a tionship s to th e
c ent ral i dea, some b eing h ostil e, oth e rs sym
p ath e ti c. Wh eth er th ey hin der o r h el p th ey
m ust b e reckone d wi th a nd m us t b e manipu
l a te d to th e glo ry o f th e Idea, which m ust b e
no urish ed a n d expa nde d to such a degre e tha t
its b ul k will c row d o ut all th e oth e r i dea s.
This task of n ourish m en t co nfront s every
salesma n ; i nde ed, from th e p sych ol ogical
standpoin t th e sal esma n i s no t a vende r of
a utom obiles bu t a m anip ula tor of idea s. Hi s
ta sk i s to fa n th e fl am e o f th e I dea u ntil i t
bec om e s to th e buyer th e c onsuming i nterest
i n life. B e si de I t, eve rything m ust sh rink to
nothin gness— th e abo u t- to -b e-ravage d bank
a c c oun t, th e h ea rt -ren ding b urde n of upke ep,
t h e mortgage on th e h ouse, l ast yea r’s unpai d
c oal -bill —all m us t b e forgo tten in th e ove r
p owerin g c omp ulsion o f th e Idea. And th e
Ide a must remai n th e grea te st thin g in th e
worl d l ong enough for th e p urcha se r to si gn
his ch eck o r si gn th e pay-a s-you-use c ontrac t.
To a supe rficial vi ew th e ta sk of th e sal es
m a n migh t seem to b e th at of takin g h ol d of
nextflipdebug5
(nextflipdebug5)
#1