Surprisingly few young men who go into business prospect their fields of opportunity to learn what is most wanted there.  The great majority take up special professions or enter selected industries just because they wish to do chosen things.  The master salesman, however, adapts himself to the circumstances and requirements of his customers, even at the sacrifice of his personal inclinations.  He could not succeed if he sold only what he wanted to sell, or if he confined his salesmanship efforts to a limited number of buyers because he liked them and disliked others.  In order to assure your success, you must learn to like to do what is most needed to be done, and learn to like to serve whoever lacks what you can supply.  Therefore prospect your fields of opportunity to learn what capabilities are principally needed.  If you would make your success as easy as possible, look about you first to determine the demand for such services as you are able to render.

[Sidenote:  Sometimes Go The Round-About Way]

Perhaps your prospecting will indicate that it is advisable for you to go a round-about way to your goal of ambition; because the direct route is beset with great difficulties.  A young doctor wished to specialize in bacteriology.  He realized that it would take the savings of a great many years of general medical practice to equip a complete laboratory of his own.  Accordingly he discontinued the practice of his profession; though he went on with his studies.  He engaged in business for five years.  Thus in a comparatively short time he earned the money he needed to enable him to devote the rest of his life to bacteriological research.

[Sidenote:  Racial Characteristics]

Different territories or fields of opportunity have various characters, like different people.  It is important to study especially the racial types you are likely to encounter.  Many a man has attained success by accumulating discriminative knowledge regarding the national peculiarities of the Latin peoples, Slavs, Teutons, Anglo-Saxons, Magyars, etc.

The Italian has strong likes and dislikes in colors and patterns of goods.  To be a good salesman in dealing with him, you should know his preferences and prejudices.  If you learn what colors and patterns are most favored in the “Little Italy” of your city, you may be able to employ this bit of knowledge to help you very much in influencing your fellow-residents of Italian descent.

You are aware of the effect produced on the majority of Irishmen by the color green.  But take care to learn whether the Irishmen whose political help you would like to win are from the South or the North of the Emerald Isle.  They may be Orangemen, and you might “queer” your prospects by going among them wearing a green necktie.

Learn your facts with discrimination; then use them restrictively in the circumstances where they will be most effective in promoting your success.