[Sidenote:  Strengthening Position]

This effort at evasion or postponement might be handled in a different way.  You could say to the prospective employer, “Very well.  I will return in a week for your decision.  Meanwhile I will submit some additional references as to my character and energy.  I ask also that you permit me to save a week instead of wasting it.  I should like your permission to spend this next week in your office, studying the job.  Then if you decide to employ me, as I believe you will, I will be already broken in.”  Such a proposal is hard to refuse.  While you would consent to the postponement or evasion of decision, you would be strengthening your own position.

[Sidenote:  Make Progress]

In one way or the other you can make progress. Either you can brush the evasion aside and carry your prospect through to the closing stage of the sale of your services, or you can close an intermediate sale on the spot, as in the second illustration.

[Sidenote:  Forcing Real Objection]

Do not, therefore, treat evasions and postponements as real obstacles. Even in case you cannot induce your prospect to go ahead with you, or close an intermediate sale, you can avoid being blocked by his attempt to put you off.  When he sees that he cannot get rid of you by his subterfuge, he will be forced to make a real objection.  He will not give you another weak excuse after you have disposed of his first attempt to evade.  When he tries to block you by making a real objection, after the failure of his excuse or postponement, he will fall right into your plan of the sale. You will be all ready for the objection he states. You will know exactly how to handle it and turn it to good account so that his opposition will be weakened and you will add to your strength.

Let us suppose your prospect comes out with the flat statement, after you prevent him from putting you off, “No, I have made up my mind not to add any new employees for the present.”  He thinks that settles the question.  In reality it affords you a sales opening.  You retort, “Your attitude is perfectly right.  You do not want to add to expense.  I should feel the same way myself, were I in your position.  However, I am not going to be an expense.  I shall be a money-maker. I know you have no objections to increasing your profits.”  His opposition would have given you your lead.

[Sidenote:  Unsound Objection]

A man applied for a position in a bank.  Business in general was dull; so the president tried to put him off.  The position sought offered any one filling it opportunities to develop increased business for the bank along certain lines.  Thus the objection of dull times was plainly unsound.  The applicant felt, however, that it would be a mistake to urge very strongly his ideas about increasing the business.  He believed the president would not accept them if fully stated.  So the young man met the attempted evasion by drawing the banker on to a step that committed him only to the beginning of the program outlined.