rly at the
same time, _unsuspected by your prospect_, you will be a master of the
first essential of skillful character reading. The second necessary
element of proficiency in sizing up men is the _relation or association
of each detail observed, with the particular characteristic it denotes_.
To begin with, _perceive points_ about your prospect. Then ask yourself
about each, "_What does this mean?_"

[Sidenote: Practice Makes Perfect]

Of course you will not become an expert judge of other men at once. But
get the habit of seeing and hearing _specific indications of
characteristics_ wherever you go. You will soon find that your mind has
been opened to new, clear ideas of people.

It is possible for anyone to become a mind reader. It is necessary only
to _note_ and _think out_ the meaning of character signs and thoughts.
Trained specific observation will read and interpret these signs. When
you become skillful in sizing up other men, this art will help you very
much in gaining the best possible receptions everywhere you go. Also, if
you are able to read your prospect's thoughts and character, you can
avoid antagonizing his ideas.

[Sidenote: Remove Unnecessary Difficulties]

Gain knowledge of other men in order to make it easy to sell them true
ideas of your best capabilities. It is not _hard_ to succeed if you take
the _unnecessary_ difficulties out of the process of gaining your
chances.

CHAPTER VIII

_The Knock At The Door Of Opportunity and The Invitation To Come In_

[Sidenote: Selling is Not a Mechanical Process]

The process of selling ideas comprises several steps, part or all of
which the salesman may need to take in order to close a particular sale
successfully. In our study we are considering step after step in regular
order, but the actual selling process cannot be reduced to such
exactitude and routine. Before we begin our analysis of this
"presentation" step, it should be clearly understood that success in
selling ideas is not achieved by going through a _machine-like_ process.
We follow a regular sequence in these chapters, but it is unlikely that
you will ever complete a sale of your services by taking the various
steps of the selling process in the precise order of our study.

[Sidenote: Be a Fully Equipped Salesman]

You may need to use them all in order to succeed in a specific instance.
Again, without taking many of the steps here analyzed, you might be able
to gain the success