me,
and did not let the process stop._

"Now just O.K. this, too," he directed, "and the whole matter will be
settled to your complete satisfaction." Then, to prevent the
procrastinator from backing up, the salesman reached for the telephone
on the advertiser's desk. "With your permission, I'll call up
the----magazine and reserve choice space for this ad. It won't cost any
more and by getting in early we'll make the ad most effective."

[Sidenote: Decide For, Then Commit The Prospect]

My friend manifested complete confidence that the sale was _closed_. By
continuing the process of affirming the decision, he prevented the
prospect from backing up after making his pencilled O.K. Being thus
committed informally, the usually vacillating advertiser could not well
avoid using the pen put into his hand to sign the formal contract laid
before him. Without speaking to him, the salesman pointed to the dotted
line while he called the telephone number he wanted. _The prospect wrote
his name before he had time to stop the impulse that the advertising
agent had started._ The salesman had both _induced_ the mental
_decision_ in his favor, and _impelled_ its _pronouncement_. Really he
first _made up the prospect's mind for him_, and then _committed him to
the decision so made_ without the other man's volition.

[Sidenote: Both Processes In Right Sequence]

_Only by performing both processes in right sequence at the closing
stage can a sale be finished under the control of the salesman._ If the
_favorable conclusion_ as to the respective weights of negative and
affirmative is not first worked out before the mind's eye of the
prospect, anything done to _commit_ him to a decision will likely kill
the salesman's chances for success. The prospect whose mind is not yet
made up favorably, who does not clearly perceive that the preponderance
is on the "Yes" side of the scale, will almost surely say "No" if his
decision is _prematurely_ impelled.

[Sidenote: Discriminate And Restrict]

Hence it is important that the salesman discriminate between the two
closing stages, and that he restrict his selling methods at each stage
to the selling processes that are effective then. He must not get "the
cart before the horse," as the ignorant or unskillful closer is apt to
do. The poor closer does not understand the "discriminative-restrictive"
process. He lacks comprehension of the distinction that should be drawn
between the methods he _previou