[Sidenote:  Discriminative Selective Method]

Your increased selling skill will result naturally, just as we have seen that you will grow naturally in sales manhood, if you employ the discriminative-selective method when training your human nature in the art of suggesting your best self.  You need first to recognize the exact differences of significance among the various tones and movements at your command.  Then your self-training in suggestive expression should be concentrated on the particular ways of speaking and acting that will best demonstrate your qualifications for success.  Of course it is equally important to eliminate all tones and movements that might suggest unfavorable ideas about you.  To make sure of your success, be certain that everything you do and say tells “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” about your capabilities.  It is necessary to make sure no word, tone, or movement carries the least suggestion that might possibly leave a false impression of the real You.

Let us make a brief analysis now of words, tones, and acts—­the three means of suggestive expression which are the natural equipment of every man for conveying his ideas to the minds of others.  You cannot employ the discriminative-restrictive method to develop your selling skill unless you know very definitely just what your different tools of expression are, and the almost infinite variety of uses to which they can be put.

[Sidenote:  Four Rules About Words]

For the reasons already explained, words are of much less value than tones and movements in suggesting ideas the other man will admit to his mind unawares.  But the sales efficiency of words can be very much increased if they are chosen with intelligent discrimination, and if the choice is restricted to words that have four qualifications.

First, they should be common words.

Second, short words are more forceful than long words.

Third, words of definite meanings are preferable to mere generalizations.

Fourth, words that make vivid impressions are most effective in suggesting ideas.

[Sidenote:  Common Words]

When you employ words to sell true ideas of your best capability, choose words that everybody understands.  Do not “air your knowledge” in uncommon language.  Unless you are seeking a position as a philologist in a college, restrict yourself to every-day common speech when selling your personal qualifications.  An important element in the skillful sale of ideas is making them as easy as possible for the other man to comprehend.  If you use unfamiliar words, it sometimes will be hard for him to understand what you mean. The truly artistic salesman avoids introducing any unnecessary element of difficulty into the selling process.  So you should discriminate against all unusual expressions and restrict yourself to the common words that are easy for any man to comprehend.