in your way, he indicates that he is not entirely comfortable
in his own mind about escaping from your salesmanship._ He has felt the
tug of desire; but he does not feel sure yet that you deserve his
confidence, or else he has a pretty positive idea that in this matter of
your possible employment his interests and yours are different. He is
looking out for himself.

[Sidenote: Welcome Opportunity To Strengthen Yourself]

However, you have come with a _true service_ purpose. You believe he
_needs_ you; that you can _satisfy a lack_ in his business. You feel
your interests and his are alike, not different. You know that you have
no intention "to put anything over on him." You want your prospect to be
absolutely satisfied with what you propose. Therefore you should welcome
every chance to convince his mind and win his confidence. _An objection
affords you an opportunity to overcome it, and so both to strengthen
your proposition and to weaken his resistance._

[Sidenote: Don't Set Up Straw Men to Knock Down]

_You_ should not, however, bring up objections that the _prospect_ has
not raised in his own mind. That would be putting up a straw man and
knocking him down, which is profitless and unconvincing. Of course you
must clear the path when there is no other way to proceed, but do not
block it yourself. Sometimes it will not be advisable to clear the path.
If you can get around a difficulty you see, without attracting your
prospect's attention to it, you will be wise to go some indirect way to
your goal.

Suppose, for example, that you know the salary you want is higher than
your prospect has been accustomed to pay. It will be good salesmanship
for you not to refer to the amount you have in mind, until after you
have carried him along with you to consider the profits he will make
from engaging your services. Since you plan to show him that these
profits will pay your salary, you will be wise to avoid the matter of
your compensation until you have approached nearer to the successful
conclusion of your selling process.

[Sidenote: Avoid Troubles by Forethought]

_Almost every difficulty and opposition you are likely to encounter can
be anticipated._ Don't wait until you come face to face with an
obstruction in the way of success. Let forethought carry you
imaginatively into just such a situation. _Think yourself out of a
possible difficulty before you actually get into it._ Then you can win
the respect of your prospec