ughts]

But if your eyes repeatedly focus above the level of the other man's
eyes, you make the impression that you are an _idealist_ rather than a
practical person. What you say will not seem to him to apply directly to
his case. He will not feel the personal, or man-to-man contact of your
thoughts. Sometimes, however, it is important to lift your eyes when
talking to a prospect, in order to suggest that he lift his thoughts
from the level of mere selfishness. By your suggestive eye action on the
upper plane you may stimulate in him a higher vision of possibilities or
an insight into the future, if he seems inclined to take a strictly
practical view of his present needs only.

When you look below the eye level of the other man, you indicate (1)
modesty, if the movement is directly down; (2) shame, if the movement is
a little to one side and downward; (3) disgust, if your eyes look far
down and far to the side.

[Sidenote: Tensity and Laxness]

The _tensity_ or _laxness_ of your muscles when you are in the presence
of a prospect will suggest to him very diverse ideas. Both tensity and
laxity of muscles can be used to good effect in selling. Your muscles
should appear somewhat tense when you are _presenting_ ideas, in order
to make the impression that your mind is fully active. Conversely, by
normal relaxation of your muscles when you are _listening_, you suggest
the receptivity of your mind and your entire readiness to take in ideas
from outside. When you show your muscles are relaxed, you also indicate
that you are perfectly at ease and unafraid of objections or criticism.
If you were to sit tense under criticism, you would suggest that you
felt the necessity of fighting back. But you disarm disparagement of
your capabilities when you appear entirely at ease while you listen.

[Sidenote: Introduction To Study of Sales Art]

The brief outline in this chapter of fundamental principles of selling
_skill_, and of the methods by which ideas may be conveyed through
artistic suggestion, is just an introduction to your study and
comprehension of the successive steps of salesmanship practice which are
to be analyzed in the remaining chapters of this book. The limitations
of our present space have made it impossible to do more than summarize
here the chief factors of art in selling ideas. You will need to master
the remainder of the book in order to amplify and to apply most
effectively in practice the general principles a