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by George N. Kofin, Morketing Consullonf Ccrtnght-Ccoryc N. Kaht

Getting Up From A Foll

Abraham Lincoln suffered many defeats, both in his private and public life, before he became president of the United States.

The world of business is well documented with the stories of men who attained the heights over a route strewn with bad luck, bankruptcy and ruin,

For example, the first store of Frank W. Woolwortl, founder of the dime-store empire, was a complete fop. W'oolworth was already a man of middle-age but he believed in his idea and stuck with it.

Roil With The Punch

All of these men had one thing in common: they knew how to roll with the punch. Devastating as were their setbacks, they didn't count themselves out. They were hurt but not beaten,

This is the lesson the salesman must learn. The further you extend yourself in selling the more apt you are to take a tumble. It's the high achiever who runs the risk of a reverse.

Analyze The Fali

A fall or reverse in fortunes should be an occasion for taking stock of the cause. Even if the reasin is beyond your control, you should attempt to gain some insight into the forces which triggered your tumble. The less mysterious the cause becomes, the more likely you are to fight your way back.

There is also the possibility that you cctn do something about it. After a sharp analysis, you may see all kinds of loopholes that should be plugged in your method of selling.

In each case, analysis is the key to knowledge. It can be your key.

Self Piw Is Self Indulgence

Self pity is one of the cheapest emotions. The time you spend in feeling sorry for yourself could be put lCtnllTs Fol S^IE3ISX . this ls a condensed yersion. Each lesson ls avallablc in an sxpanded torm, In s 4.pege brochurs, slze 8y2xll, printed In 2 colors 0n whito Slossy paper and ls 3-holr punciad to fit any standard 3.ring binder. Each subrlct In thls erpandcd vorsion ls fully and completcly devsloped in comprehenslve detail and Includgs a sllf.ortmlnatlon qulz for salesmon, Prlces are as follows:

I b.t aatl.s (ot aach d101.1........10 c.rtr rrcl to much better use. Some salesmen indulge in self pity so often that it becomes a kind of crutch for them. Instead of indulging themselves in this pastime, they would do much better to get back to work. o'What kind of a job can a onelegged man get," he lamented to his doctor. ooThat's not the point," the man said. "You can be anything you want to be if you'll stop feeling sorry for yourself. You have your whole life td lead."

This reminds me of a young man who came home from World War II minus a leg. In the hospital he brooded so long that he was in serious danger of becoming a mental case as well. His depression was so profound that he refused to talk to members of his own family.

One day the ward nurse announced that the patients would be entertained by a show business personality. She then brought in a lively individual who told jokes. sang and danced with a female partner. The man then did a tap dance that drew big applause. A{ter the performance a doctor took the entertainer to the amputee's bed. The man then rolled up his pants leg to reveal an artificial leg.

'oI lost my leg in the first World War." the fellow said.

'ookay, but I don't want to be a dancer," the boy replied.

The young veteran nodded thoughtfully. In a few months, he left the hospital and enrolled in college under the G.I. Bill. He became a brilliant architect.

This story illustrates that there is nothing to be gained by self pity and a lot to lose. Adversity is part of life and the sooner you learn to live with it, the sooner you will surmount it.

Watch That Temper

Don't inflict your temper on your boss, your competition or your cus-

10 t0 /tg Goplr3 (0f rrdr rrtich)..31% Garts ..Gh

50 t0 99 c0ph3 (0t r.ch ertlcl.)......30 cent3 rrch 100 or norr coplo3 (0f r.ch rrticlr)..25 centr 0.ch tomer', You will succeed only in lowering yourself in their eyes. I learned this from bitter experience. toAt least," I shouted, 'oyou could tell me you were switching to somebody else instead of just nibbling away like this,"

The entire series may be pte-ordered or Individual articles may be ordered by number , address orders to the Goorta ll. f,aln Co., Department TP, 212 Fifth Ave., Now York, ll. Y, 10010.

Years ago, when I was a cub in selling, I got the idea that a good customer of mine had dropped me in favor of my competitor. The orders he gave me were getting smaller and smaller. I figured that most of his business was going elsewhere.

One day I charged into his office and accused him directly of trying to unload me. I was red-faced with anger and my whole body trembled.

The customer looked at me astonished. He was an elderly man and he got up slowly from his chair.

"George," he said sadly, o'I'm sorry you feel this way. You are wrong. The truth is that our business has slipped so badly that we are on the verge of liquidation. We're treating all our suppliers the same way. We're just not buying, except for a very few items."

I wished then that the floor would have opened up and swallowed me. I was humbled, humiliated and sick with shame.

I never lost my temper again before a customer.

In summary, remember that adversity, reverses, foul breaks, etc,, are handmaidens of selling. They will happen sooner or later. How you take them and bounce back is the important thing.

To see how you rate in this department, try this little group of questions. If you can answer "yes" to at least seven of them, you are doing nicely: l. Do you expect at some time or another to suffer a setback? Yes E No tr

2. Do you feel you are capable of recovering from it? Yes EI No tr

3. Chances are you already have experienced a fall. Have you learned Ur1t,l t No tr

4. Do you take stock of the cause? No tr

5. Do you awid self pity in all these cases?

6. Do you avoid looking for someone to blame? Yes,E No tr

7. can you keep a curb rr /#tn13rg

8. Do you plug loopholes in your selling methods to avoid tu,urr Oy*trJrt no O

9. Do you regard a setback as merely an episode in your life? Yes ! No tr

10. Do you find inspiration in the examples of others who have gone down but came

When orderlhg, pleass' m0ntion The Merchant Magazine. up swinging? YesE Notr

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