A friend of mine who has an advertising agency wanted to secure the business of a prominent manufacturer who was inclined to vacillation.  The prospect was always timid about acting and had the reputation of a chronic procrastinator.  My friend went ahead with the selling process in ordinary course until he had proved the desirability of his service and had shown that there was no really weighty reason why the contract should not be given to him.  He knew he was entitled to the decision then, but he did not wait for the timid man to pronounce it.  The advertising agent knew the characteristics of the prospect and had planned just how he would handle the finishing stage of the selling process so as to get the order promptly.

[Sidenote:  The Clincher Held in Reserve]

He held in reserve a closing method that a less skillful salesman probably would have used earlier in the sale instead of reserving it especially for the end.  As soon as he had completed the weighing process my friend took from his pocket a sheet of copy he had prepared for a first advertisement along the line he had proposed.  This had been worked out carefully in advance, just as if the order had already been given for the advertising service.  My friend laid the sheet of copy before the prospect, who was taken completely by surprise.

“I knew you would want this service as soon as I explained it to you,” said the salesman.  “Therefore I prepared this ad for the first publication under the plan I have submitted, and which I am sure you approve.  There is no question that you will get much better results from this copy than you have been receiving from the advertising you are doing now.  Naturally you want to begin benefiting from my service as soon as possible.  I’m all ready to deliver the goods.  Just pencil your O.K. on the corner of this copy.  I’ll do the rest.”

[Sidenote:  From Pencil To Pen]

With a smile of confidence the salesman held out a soft lead pencil. The moment the other man involuntarily obeyed the suggestion by accepting the tendered pencil, he was started on the purely muscular process of pronouncing his approval of the proposition likewise tendered for his acceptance. The informality of the off-hand request that he “pencil his O.K.” kept him from being scared off.  He did not feel that he had yet committed himself fully.  Probably, with characteristic timidity, he would have shied from signing a formal contract at that moment.  But he hesitated only slightly before he scribbled his initials on the corner of the proposed ad.  Then he handed the pencil back to the salesman.  The advertising agent picked up the approved copy, and at once laid before the prospect a formal contract.  Simultaneously he tendered his fountain pen. He had started the advertiser to writing his name, and did not let the process stop.

“Now just O.K. this, too,” he directed, “and the whole matter will be settled to your complete satisfaction.”  Then, to prevent the procrastinator from backing up, the salesman reached for the telephone on the advertiser’s desk.  “With your permission, I’ll call up the——­magazine and reserve choice space for this ad.  It won’t cost any more and by getting in early we’ll make the ad most effective.”