alue, or some other good fortune is
likely to befall him. The literal meaning of "prospect" is "looking
forward." So most of us have come to think of our prospects as just
possible occurrences in the future, to the happening of which we may
look ahead with considerable hopefulness.

"Prospects," in salesmanship has a very different meaning. The master
salesman does not regard himself as merely a "prospect_ee_," but as a
prospect_or_. He thinks of "prospecting" as the gold miner uses the word
to describe his activities when he searches for valuable mineral
deposits. "Prospects" do not just "happen" in the selling process of
achieving success. They do not result from circumstances merely, but
_must be accumulated by the activity of the salesman_.

[Sidenote: Making Good Luck]

"Your Prospects," as the subject of this chapter, does not mean your
fondest _hopes_, or confident _expectations_. We are studying the _ways
to assure_ your success. If your prospects depended on mere happenings,
they would be highly uncertain; because what you hope and expect may
occur, may never take place in fact. The master salesman does not depend
on such prospects. _He makes his own luck_ to a very large extent by
skillful prospecting; as the trained prospector for gold tremendously
increases his chances of discovering a rich lode by thoroughly and
intelligently investigating a mining region. We are to consider now the
prospects you are capable of _controlling_, the opportunities you can
bring within reach by your own exploration of possible fields of
success.

We will study _particular things you can do, and exactly how to do
them_, to increase the number and quality of your chances to succeed. A
trained prospector for gold has more chances to strike it rich than a
greenhorn because he knows the indications of valuable minerals, and is
skilled in the use of that knowledge. So your opportunities for success
will certainly be increased if you know how to search for, to discern,
and to make the right use of your prospects.

[Sidenote: Prospecting Not Gambling]

Do not think, because we have compared prospecting in mining and in
selling, that the success of the salesman prospector, _your_ success,
must be largely a "gamble" anyway, as is the case with the explorer for
gold. However experienced and skillful in prospecting the miner may be,
he is very uncertain of discovering a bonanza. He cannot be absolutely
sure there _is_ gold in the reg