"we take him on. We may not have a place for him at the time but we keep
him until we find one."

Except during times of stress such as that brought about by the war when
the soldiers were at the front, no business house hires people
indiscriminately. They know, as the Chinese have it, that rotten wood
cannot be carved. "It is our opinion," we quote from another manager,
"that courtesy cannot be pounded into a person who lacks proper social
basis. In other words, there are some people who would be boorish under
any circumstances. Our first and chief step toward courtesy is to
exercise care in selecting our employees. We weigh carefully each
applicant for a sales position and try to visualize his probable
deportment as our representative, and unless he gives promise of being a
fit representative we do not employ him."

But it is not enough to take a man into a business organization. Every
newcomer must be broken in. Sometimes this is done by means of formal
training, sometimes it consists merely of giving him an idea of what is
expected of him and letting him work out his own salvation. Granting
that he is already familiar with the work in a general way, and that he
is intelligent and resourceful, he ought to be able to adapt himself
without a great deal of instruction from above. All of this depends upon
the kind of work which is to be done.

Nearly every employer exercises more caution in selecting the man who is
to meet the public than any other. It is through him that the
all-important first impression is made, and a man who is rude or
discourteous, or who, for any reason, rubs people the wrong way, simply
will not do. He may have many virtues but unless they are apparent they
are for the time being of little service.

Most salesmen have to go to school. Their work consists largely of the
study of one of the most difficult subjects in the catalogue: human
psychology. They must know why men do what they do and how to make them
do what they, the salesmen, want them to do. They must be able to handle
the most delicate situations courteously and without friction. It takes
the tact of a diplomat, the nerve of a trapeze performer, the physical
strength of a prize fighter, the optimism of William J. Bryan or of
Pollyanna, and the wisdom of Solomon. Not many men are born with this
combination of qualities.

The best training schools base their teaching on character and common
sense. One very remarkable organization, wh