self what they are, and plan how to use them most
effectively. If you cannot gain attention to your qualifications, or if
you are unable to recall wandering attention, you may lose the chance
you have succeeded in getting. _Insure yourself_ against the possibility
of such a disaster; so that your previous good salesmanship in securing
an interview will not all go for naught.

[Sidenote: Out-of-the-Ordinary Things]

If you do something _out of the ordinary_, the force of your
sense-hitting will be much greater than if you employ only common
devices for gaining attention. It is better to _do_ something that
compels attention to your recommendations than to _say_ "I want to call
your attention to these letters."

[Sidenote: Danger of Distracting Attention]

However, there is always the danger that in gaining attention by
_unusual_ means you may attract too much attention to the _device_ you
use, and so distract notice from the _proposition_ you are presenting
for sale. Therefore be sure that whatever extraordinary thing you do to
compel attention _contributes directly to your main purpose_ and does
not lead your prospect off on a _side track_ of thought.

A business house once got out an advertising novelty and had samples
distributed by the salesmen as gifts to their principal customers.
The novelty was an ingenious mechanical device. It attracted so much
attention to itself that when a salesman put it on the desk of a
prospect before beginning his sales talk, the attention of the other
man was drawn from what the salesman was saying and was given to the
novelty. The prospect would pick up and examine the advertising device
while the salesman was presenting ideas regarding his standard line
of goods. As a result, many of the best points of the sales talks
were unnoticed. The advertising novelty was a detriment. The sales
volume fell off while it was being distributed. The slump was traced
directly to the mistake of having the _salesmen_ pass out the
attention-compelling device _which was not related to the staples of
the house line_.

[Sidenote: The Remedy]

The distribution was made by mail thereafter, in advance of the
salesman's call. It was effective then as an introduction for the
traveler; because by the time he came to see the prospect, the novelty
of the advertising device had worn off. It was no longer an
attention-distracter.

[Sidenote: Three Ways To Compel Attention]

Remember that the attention of