[Sidenote:  Three Ways To Compel Attention]

Remember that the attention of your prospect is always given to something.  If another object of attention is more compelling than your means of forcing his notice, your attempt will fail.  Therefore be sure that your attention-getting device has at least one of three points of superiority.

(1) It can be stronger than the other appeal to the same sense.  If your prospect’s attention to what you are saying wanders because a phonograph starts to play in the next room, you can recall it to your presentation by slapping your hands together to emphasize a point, or you can change your tone suddenly.  His sense of hearing will be struck compellingly by your device.

(2) Your appeal for attention can be made to more senses than are being reached by the distraction.  The phonograph music hits only the ears of your prospect.  Besides slapping your hands together or changing your tone, you can supplement such appeals to his tone sense by an appeal to his sense of sight.  You can make a gesture, or display a letter for him to read just at that moment.

(3) Your appeal can hit the senses of your prospect more insistently than the other.  If the phonograph music proves very attractive to him, you will need to keep hammering at him with forceful changes of voice, with gestures, by touching him, or by doing something else to make his attention to the music “let go.”

[Sidenote:  Summary]

To summarize the most effective method of gaining attention—­hit each sense to which you appeal as strongly as you can, without making a disagreeable impression, strike as many senses as possible, and keep on using your sense-hitting device as long as necessary to get or to recover exclusive favorable attention.

Many a man has gained success because he first gained attention.  He stood out from the crowd, or was able to make his qualities noticeable.  When one is fully qualified for success, he may need only to attract attention to his capabilities; then he is likely to be given the chance he wants.

[Sidenote:  “I’m Not Interested”]

Often, however, the salesman is discomfited after he gains attention.  The prospect halts the selling process by declaring, “I’m not interested.”  Suppose you are able to compel your prospective employer to notice you favorably, but he balks there and shows no inclination to buy your services.  He has listened attentively to all you have said.  He has concentrated his mind upon you, and has not wandered in thought to other subjects.  Yet you perceive that he is inclined to put you off or to turn you down.  Evidently, in order to prevent such a contretemps, you need to resort now to a different selling step, which you have not taken previously.

It is necessary that you have at your command a way to induce interest.  This interest-inducing means must be as sure in its effects as the sense-hitting method of compelling attention.  Otherwise you could not be certain of success with the selling process.  If the effectiveness of every step cannot be assured in advance, you will not rely confidently on salesmanship to achieve your ambition.