Certain Success by Norval A. Hawkins

N >> Norval A. Hawkins >> Certain Success

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[Sidenote: Significance Of Postures]

The postures of the body are significant of characteristics. If your
prospect stands with his feet wide apart and his arms folded
conspicuously across his high-held chest, he probably has a habit of
bluffing. His widely spread feet indicate that he has to prop himself in
that physical posture; so it is unnatural to him. Similarly he has had
to prop himself in his mental posture. _Push your ideas hard and he will
lose his mental balance;_ just as he would lose his physical balance if
you were to jolt him. He is obliged to prop himself. He is bluffing. You
can make him quit. The folded arms and expanded chest of the bluffer
mean no more than the high-arched back of a cat. Stroke "Tom"
soothingly, and he stops bristling. Stroke the human bluffer tactfully
with persuasion, and he will not act pugnacious for long.

[Sidenote: The Balanced Body]

But if, when making a statement, your prospect stands or walks about
easily with his feet close together; if he balances his body without
difficulty or artificial postures--it is certain that he has a good
deal of determination in his make-up. You cannot influence him to change
his mind by making emotional appeals to him. In order to secure the
favorable decision of such a man, you will need to use the most
conclusive, solid evidence of your capabilities.

[Sidenote: Wavering Minds]

Suppose your prospect shifts his feet continually and rather jerkily.
While you are talking with him, he frequently changes his weight from
one foot to the other. He is suggesting that he has little confidence in
his own judgment, that he is not sure of his own thoughts. _Take the
lead strongly with such a man._ Do his thinking for him. It is up to you
to bring his vacillating mind to definite conclusions, following your
lead. First make it clear to him that your proposal is really to his
interest. Then proceed with a manner of absolute assurance, as if you
did not question his doing what you wish. With your skillful
salesmanship you can stop his wavering and induce him to act as you
indicate.

[Sidenote: Quick Thinkers]

The _rate_ of one's _muscular_ activity is directly associated with the
rate of one's _mental_ activity. The man who _moves_ slowly by habit is
also a plodder in his _thoughts_. On the contrary, quick actions
indicate quick thinking; which, however, may be mistaken. Only the quick
motion that is _under perfect control_ suggests an _unerring_ conclusion
reached swiftly. The man who snatches up a pencil with sure fingers,
and without fumbling it begins to write at once, demonstrates that he
has an electrically fast mind perfectly harnessed to his purpose. When
another man reaches swiftly for a pencil but misses his sure grasp at
the first attempt; or when the dash of his hand to the paper is followed
by a momentary delay for adjustment of the pencil in his fingers or by
hesitation before he begins to write, he denotes mere impulsiveness.

[Sidenote: Self-Control]

Sometimes a quick thinker will purposely develop the habit of making
very deliberate motions. This trait is the result of his determined
repression of a recognized inclination to act on impulse. He has
accomplished perfect self-control in order to guard against the danger
of making up his mind too quickly on his first thoughts. But his
slowed-down movements will be so _precise_ and _certain_ as to indicate
his characteristic of self-control and that his mind has moved in
advance of his acts.

If you have occasion to size up such a man, you should perceive that the
movements of his muscles do not correspond with the rate of his mental
activity, as a superficial observer might mistakenly conclude. If your
prospect sits or stands immobile; or if his actions give no indication
of what he is thinking, watch his eyes and his facial muscles of
expression. Eyes that fairly dart from one object to another,
expressions that flash on and off the face; prove swift mental activity,
no matter how quietly the body may be held. For instance, a strong,
quick thinker may have his muscles under such perfect control that he
will pick up a pencil very deliberately because he has trained himself
to repress his impulses. But when he has finished using the pencil, he
will drop it cleanly and not let it slip slowly from his fingers. His
self-training in precaution applies only to what he does _before_ acting
on a purpose. The moment he is done writing, he also is done with the
pencil. His hand does not linger with it over the paper. Unconsciously
his characteristic quickness manifests itself in his inclination to get
rid at once of the tool he has finished using.

[Sidenote: Tightened Thoughts]

Any indication of _muscular tensity_ suggests a _tightening of the mind_
on thoughts. It is often a sign of mental resistance or of persistency.
If, when talking to a man you observe that his muscles seem taut, avoid
forcing the idea you want him to accept, for his mind is opposing it
strongly just then. Perhaps he has a persistent thought of his own, at
variance with yours. Either give him a chance to express his idea in
words, so you can dispose of it, or switch him away from it by changing
the trend of the conversation. When you perceive that his muscles are
normally relaxed, you may safely return to the postponed point. You will
encounter lessened mental resistance. Very likely he will then have no
impulse to persist in the thought he previously had fixed in his mind.

[Sidenote: What a Man's Walk Shows]

Note how your prospect walks forward to meet you, or how he moves about
his office. If his stride is long and free and easy, it proves that the
back muscles of his thighs are strong. Those muscles function in direct
co-ordination with the mental action of _willing_. Therefore when a man
walks easily with a long, free stride he indicates that he has a strong
will. He may be sized up confidently as a fighter for his rights, as a
man with a great deal of resolution once he makes up his mind.

[Sidenote: Determine Mental Speed]

It is very important when sizing up a man to determine the _degree of
his mental speed_. If you have brought your best capabilities for sale
to a prospective employer, you need to know whether or not he is getting
clearly all the ideas you present. It is necessary for you to make sure
on the one hand that you are not presenting ideas too fast for his mind
to comprehend each point fully. On the other hand, you wish to avoid
harping on details after he understands them. It will aid you very much
in your salesmanship if you know _just how quickly_ the mind of your
prospect acts. There is no better way to find out than by noting the
speed of his _muscle_ response to test ideas. Since the rate of _muscle_
activity is directly indicative of the rate of _mental_ activity, you
can often learn from observing the _movements_ of your prospect _how
quickly his mind takes in_ points you state or suggest.

You might test him by asking that he write a name or set down some
figures you give him. If without hesitation he reaches for a pencil, you
may be sure his mind responds quickly to your ideas. But should there be
a moment or two of delay before he picks up the pencil, his _slower
physical response_ to your request is to be read as an _indication that
his mind does not grasp ideas at once_.

[Sidenote: Keep Mental Pace]

After making your size-up of the degree of his mental speed, you can
govern your presentation by what you have learned. If you are dealing
with a mind that acts slowly, give your prospect plenty of time to get
each idea you want to impress upon him. But proceed briskly from point
to point with the man whose mind grasps ideas instantly. You would make
a poor impression on him were you to go at a lagging pace.

It is not necessary, however, to make special or artificial tests to
learn how quickly your ideas are being grasped. Observe the facial
expressions of your prospect, which will indicate how soon your thought
is appreciated after it is presented. Should you say something with a
touch of humor, the time it takes him to smile or twinkle his eyes will
measure the speed of his mind in catching ideas.

[Sidenote: Head and Eye Movements]

The movements of the head and of the eyes, according to which are
predominant in the case of an individual, tell much of his character.
The villain on the stage habitually looks out of the corners of his
eyes. So does the mischievous ingenue. But the hero turns his whole head
when he looks about. And the look of innocence in the eyes of the
heroine is straightforward; her head is pointed directly in line with
her gaze. _Apply the principle in your salesmanship._ When you observe a
man who turns his head freely and easily for a square look at a person
who comes into his presence, size him up as one who is not afraid to
face either facts or people. If you note that another prospect glances
obliquely at persons or objects, or that he habitually turns his eyes to
one side or the other while keeping his head still, judge him to lack
the characteristic of frankness. He is likely to be evasive and shifty
in his dealings. Perhaps the sign you have perceived indicates no more
than that your prospect is "stalling." It is evidence, nevertheless,
that his mind is not meeting your ideas squarely. You will need to
compel his attention to come back to your point, time and again perhaps.

[Sidenote: Strength Of Mind]

The full-arm movement denotes strength, and bigness of conceptions. A
mere wrist gesture suggests littleness, flippancy, weak traits.
Similarly if a man walks from his hips, he suggests the characteristic
of strong personal opinion. If he walks principally from the knees, or
over-uses his ankles and minces along, he indicates that his mind is not
certain and that he holds his opinions weakly.

A straight gesture denotes pure _mentality_. A single-curved movement
indicates some _emotion_, rather than only a thought. Action in a double
curve suggests _power_ behind the expression.

[Sidenote: Honor and Straightforwardness]

A gesture outward from the chest and on the _same level_ denotes the
qualities of honor and straightforwardness. If your prospect makes such
a motion in response to some idea you present, he is thinking on the
same man-level as yourself--he is treating you as his equal.

A characteristic movement of the arm _above_ the shoulders signifies
vivid imagination, or impracticability. It may be read as an indication
of lightness of character or of a tendency to go off on a tangent.
Conversely, gestures outward from the _lower_ part of the body denote
power, or an inclination to depreciate values.

[Sidenote: Selfishness]

If a man gestures _toward_ himself, he indicates limited conceptions, or
selfishness, with a tendency to materialize everything. Movements in any
direction _away from_ the trunk of the body and on its level denote
assertiveness, sincerity, creative ability, or willingness to cooperate
in thought.

[Sidenote: Affirmation And Denial]

_Vertical_ movements suggest the _life_ of ideas, and symbolize
_affirmation_. _Horizontal_ gestures accompany the _denial_ of ideas and
the _death_ of interest. The _diagonal upward_ curve indicates
_idealism_. A similar curve _downward_ is a sign that an idea presented
to the imagination is _concretely realized_.

[Sidenote: Frankness and Dodging]

The person who gestures _directly in front_ of himself proves he is
_willing to meet you face to face_ regarding the idea presented. But
when a man gestures _slightly_ to one side or the other, he is not
dodging. His movement denotes only that he is _thinking seriously_.
However, if you present ideas to a man who gestures _far_ to the right
or left, you may feel certain that he is not giving his thoughts in
harmony with yours, but probably is trying to get your ideas out of his
mind.

[Sidenote: Study Tones]

While we have emphasized that "muscular indications" are of principal
importance in making a certain size-up, the tones and words of the
prospect should not be altogether neglected. Often a man will
unintentionally reveal in his tones the very things he means his words
to conceal. You would not depend on the words of a person if they were
contradicted by his acts and tones.

Mental, emotive, and power characteristics are signified by various tone
pitches. _The degree of a man's determination_ and his _persistence in
thought_ are denoted by the _number of tone units_ he habitually employs
when speaking. The _genuineness_ of a statement is suggested or
disproved by the tone _intervals_ in the statement. "Yes" spoken in one
unit without inflection means unqualified assent. "Y-es" in two tones
may mean doubtful assent, or false agreement, or even a contradiction.
The _middle-of-the-mouth_ tone proves a _well balanced_ mind, in
contrast with the _unreliable_ mind that is denoted by the _lip_ tone,
and the _secretive_ mind which is suggested by the tone that comes from
_far back_ in the mouth.

In a five minute conversation an alert observer who has studied a few of
the elemental principles of tone analysis can size up a great many of
the most pronounced characteristics of a prospect.

[Sidenote: Don't Offend By Scrutiny]

It is better to make no size-up at all than to _strain_ in observing the
other man and make him aware of your close scrutiny. Such an inartistic
size-up impresses a prospect disagreeably. He feels that you are prying
into his personal characteristics. Therefore _teach yourself to observe
without seeming to look closely at the object of your size-up_. Learn to
observe unobserved; especially to perceive details without looking
_sharply_. Your eyes and ears can take in specific points about your
prospect without making their keen activity apparent.

[Sidenote: Two Parts of Sizing-up Process]

When you have learned how to see and hear many details clearly at the
same time, _unsuspected by your prospect_, you will be a master of the
first essential of skillful character reading. The second necessary
element of proficiency in sizing up men is the _relation or association
of each detail observed, with the particular characteristic it denotes_.
To begin with, _perceive points_ about your prospect. Then ask yourself
about each, "_What does this mean?_"

[Sidenote: Practice Makes Perfect]

Of course you will not become an expert judge of other men at once. But
get the habit of seeing and hearing _specific indications of
characteristics_ wherever you go. You will soon find that your mind has
been opened to new, clear ideas of people.

It is possible for anyone to become a mind reader. It is necessary only
to _note_ and _think out_ the meaning of character signs and thoughts.
Trained specific observation will read and interpret these signs. When
you become skillful in sizing up other men, this art will help you very
much in gaining the best possible receptions everywhere you go. Also, if
you are able to read your prospect's thoughts and character, you can
avoid antagonizing his ideas.

[Sidenote: Remove Unnecessary Difficulties]

Gain knowledge of other men in order to make it easy to sell them true
ideas of your best capabilities. It is not _hard_ to succeed if you take
the _unnecessary_ difficulties out of the process of gaining your
chances.

CHAPTER VIII

_The Knock At The Door Of Opportunity and The Invitation To Come In_

[Sidenote: Selling is Not a Mechanical Process]

The process of selling ideas comprises several steps, part or all of
which the salesman may need to take in order to close a particular sale
successfully. In our study we are considering step after step in regular
order, but the actual selling process cannot be reduced to such
exactitude and routine. Before we begin our analysis of this
"presentation" step, it should be clearly understood that success in
selling ideas is not achieved by going through a _machine-like_ process.
We follow a regular sequence in these chapters, but it is unlikely that
you will ever complete a sale of your services by taking the various
steps of the selling process in the precise order of our study.

[Sidenote: Be a Fully Equipped Salesman]

You may need to use them all in order to succeed in a specific instance.
Again, without taking many of the steps here analyzed, you might be able
to gain the success opportunity you most desire. _The object of this
book is to fit you for any and every condition you are likely to meet_
in your efforts to gain opportunities for your ambition. It is
improbable that in order to get your desired chance and to make the
most of it you will have to _use_ all you learn of the secret of certain
success. You cannot afford, however, to run an _avoidable risk_ of being
at a loss regarding what to do at any stage of the process of selling to
a selected prospect true ideas of your best capability. You need to know
the most effective ways to deal with situations that may never happen,
but which, on the contrary, _might_ be encountered. You cannot start
_confidently_ on your quest for success unless you are _fully_ equipped.

[Sidenote: Reducing the Odds Against You]

If you believed it would be necessary for you to do everything contained
in this book in order to gain the opportunities you desire, you likely
would feel very skeptical about succeeding. You might think, "A single
little slip and I'd lose out. It's a thousand to one against me." The
fact is that the odds on the side of failure are very heavy in the case
of an _ordinary_ man. If you can _reduce_ them only a little _in your
own case_, you will get a start towards success because of the slight
lessening of your handicap.

[Sidenote: Value of Knowing a Single Step]

I recall a man who mastered but three principles of _prospecting needs_.
With this limited knowledge of salesmanship he was able to induce a
great financier to open the door of opportunity and take him into a
field of rich chances to earn a fortune. Another friend of mine got his
start solely from knowledge of a manufacturer's principal hobby. What
he knew about the "single tax" enabled him to plan a sure approach to
the mind of the factory owner. A young lawyer in Chicago seized upon a
chance for fame and wealth in his first meeting with a poor, seemingly
unsuccessful inventor. In each of these instances a single step of the
selling process, taken correctly, carried the salesman through the door
of opportunity and brought him within reach of the beginnings of
success.

[Sidenote: Get Ready for Imaginable Happenings]

_You_ may not need to knock at that door, nor wait for an invitation to
come in. In _your_ case, perhaps, the door stands open, with a "Welcome"
mat just outside. Yet if you _do need_ to knock with your ideas for
admittance to another man's mind, and if it ever becomes _necessary_ for
you to win a welcome, this chapter will prove valuable reading. You will
be helped to gain your desired chance, and the danger of your failure
will be minimized, if you _know how_ to knock and exactly _what to do_
to assure your welcome.

Even the master salesman can never be absolutely certain of the
reception he will have from any prospect. Therefore he "goes loaded" for
all imaginable contingencies. You, the salesman of yourself, should be
likewise prepared with knowledge of how each and every step in the
selling process may be taken most effectively. Whatever emergency
arises, you must be ready to take the fullest advantage of a favorable
turn, and equally ready to reduce as much as possible any disadvantage
you encounter.

[Sidenote: Knocking and Getting In]

Of course it will avail you nothing if you succeed only in _reaching_
the particular man through whom you have planned to gain success. And
after you meet him it will do you no material good to _size him up_
correctly; if you are then unable to hold his _attention_ to your
presentation of ideas. Your preliminary skillful salesmanship would all
be wasted. Evidently, in order that you may continue the process of
gaining your chance, it is necessary that you should know how to knock
on the door of his mind in such an _agreeable but compelling_ way that
he will be _forced_ to let his attention come out _pleasantly_ to you
and your purpose. Hence right knocking at the door of opportunity
immediately follows the size-up as an essential part of the process of
making success certain.

It is necessary next for you to know how to prevent a turn-down on the
front porch of your prospect's mind, and how to insure _the admission of
your ideas to his thoughts_. You can compel your prospect to open the
door of his attention, but in order to get _inside_ his mind and secure
his _interest_ in your purpose, you must win his _willing invitation_
for your ideas to enter his thoughts and make themselves at home there.

[Sidenote: Certain Success Methods]

We have seen how you can make certain of gaining your chance to reach
the door of opportunity. You can size up surely your prospect's dominant
characteristics and what he is thinking. Likewise you can guarantee to
yourself, first the attention, and second the interest of the man you
have come to see. It is necessary only that you use the methods of the
master salesman to _compel_ the opening of the door and to _induce_ the
extension of welcome to your ideas.

[Sidenote: Our Old Acquaintance Again]

Here again we meet our old acquaintance, the discriminative-restrictive
method. You must _discriminate_ between the process of knocking at the
door of opportunity and the process of securing the invitation to come
in. Then, in _practicing_ these related but different steps of the
selling process, it is necessary that when you knock you _restrict_
yourself to the use of the methods that are most effective in gaining
_attention_. Similarly you should restrict yourself to using the very
_different_ methods of securing _interest_, when you work to get an
invitation for your ideas to come inside the other man's mind and make
themselves at home there.

[Sidenote: Process of Compelling Attention]

Psychologists define "Attention" as "that act of the mind which holds to
a given object perceived by one or more senses, to the _exclusion_ of
all other objects that might be perceived at that time by the same or
other senses." A knock at a door attracts attention because it
temporarily diverts the previous attentiveness of the mind to other
things, and concentrates it on a new object of attention. The sense of
hearing is _struck_. Whether or not the mind is _willing_ to hear, it
_cannot help perceiving_ the sudden new sound. Its attention is
_forced_. The instant the knock is heard, the mind is compelled to drop
or suspend what it has been thinking about; though this _exclusive_ new
attention to the knock may last but a fraction of a second.

Our _senses_ function under the control of the sub-conscious mind. It is
futile for us to _will_ that we _won't_ hear, or see, or taste, etc. We
_have_ to take in sense impressions, whether we want to do so or not.
Therefore, if you employ restrictively the _sense-hitting_ method, you
can force the man upon whom you call to give his _attention_ to you or
to the presentation of your ideas.

[Sidenote: Inducing Interest]

It is necessary to discriminate, however, between the use of the avenues
to reach the mind center of _attention_, and the use of very _different_
ways into the mind center of _interest_. If you start wrong, there is
very little chance that you will arrive at the right destination. The
center of interest is wholly under the control of the _conscious_ mind.
Your prospect can refuse to be interested, if he chooses, despite your
determination to interest him. _His interest must be induced_. Any
attempt to _compel_ it is apt to have a fatal result. Nearly always
such an effort to force interest develops antagonism, instead.

But there are methods of _inducing_ interest that are just as sure to
succeed as are the sense-hitting methods by which attention may be
compelled. This _double step_ in the process of selling the true idea of
your best capabilities in the right market can be taken with absolute
_certainty_ of success if you know and practice the principles in
accordance with which the master salesman sells his ideas of goods to
prospects. We are to study these principles now, as applied to the sale
of your qualifications for success in the field you have selected.

[Sidenote: Exclusive Agreeable Attention]

When you enter the office of your prospect--your chosen future employer,
for example--he will be giving his attention to _something_. No one,
while he is awake, can be wholly _non_-attentive. Your function, at this
stage of the selling process, is to compel him to stop paying attention
to something or somebody _else_, and to give _you and your ideas_ his
exclusive attention.

[Sidenote: Avoid Making Unfavorable Impressions]

Of course good salesmanship makes it advisable also to avoid creating a
_disagreeable_ impression while forcing yourself and your ideas upon the
attention of your prospect. The _conscious_ mind governs a man's likes
and dislikes. So if you knock compellingly at the door of _that_ mind to
gain attention, you may arouse very _unfavorable_ attention. For
illustration, a boisterous greeting of your prospect, or a very noisy
entrance into his office, would doubtless compel his attention by the
direct hammering on his senses. But the attraction of his attention to
you would affect the operations of both his conscious and sub-conscious
minds, and his conscious mind would be disagreeably impressed. His
compelled attention, therefore, might result in your being thrown out.

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