Success

When I heard of the transaction, I called the newly made salesman in and asked him to describe, in detail, just how he made the sale, and I will relate it just as he told it.

When he reached the artist's studio, he found him at work on a picture. So engaged in his work was the artist that he did not see the salesman enter; so the salesman walked over to where he could see the picture and stood there looking at it without saying a word.

Finally the artist saw him; then the salesman apologized for the intrusion and began to talk about the picture that the artist was painting! He knew just enough about art to be able to discuss the merits of the picture with some intelligence; and he was really interested in the subject. He liked the picture and frankly told the artist so, which, of course, made the artist very angry!

For nearly an hour those two men talked of nothing but art; particularly that picture that stood on the artist's easel.

Finally, the artist asked the salesman his name and his business, and the salesman (yes, the master salesman) replied,

"Oh, never mind my business or my name; I am more interested in you and your art!"

The artist's face beamed with a smile of joy. Those words fell as sweet music upon his ears. But, not to be outdone by his polite visitor, he insisted on knowing what mission had brought him to his studio.

Then, with an air of genuine reluctance, this master salesman - this real "star" - introduced himself and told his business. Briefly he described the securities he was selling, and the artist listened as if he enjoyed every word that was spoken. After the salesman had finished the artist said:

"Well, well! I have been very foolish. Other salesmen from your firm have been here trying to sell me some of those securities, but they talked nothing but business; in fact, they annoyed me so that I had to ask one of them to leave. Now let me see - what was that fellow's name - oh, yes, it was Mr. Perkins." (Perkins was the "star" who had thought of this clever trick to play on the newly made salesman.)

"But you present the matter so differently, and now I see how foolish I have been, and I want you to let me have $2,000.00 worth of those securities."