Self Help
Therefore, if you will write me of your views as to the
most essential points to be borne in mind by those who are offering personal
services for sale I will pass your message on through my book, which
will insure its getting into hands where it will do a world of good for a
class of earnest people who are struggling to find their places in the
world's work.
I know you are a busy man, Mr. Marshall, but please bear in mind that by simply calling in your secretary and dictating a brief letter you will be sending forth an important message to possibly half a million people. In money this will not be worth to you the two cent stamp that you will place on the letter, but, if estimated from the viewpoint of the good it may do others who are less fortunate than yourself, it may be worth the difference between success and failure to many a worthy person who will read your message believe in it, and be guided by it.
Very cordially yours,
Now, let us analyze the two letters and find out why one failed in its mission while the other succeeded. This analysis should start with one of the most important fundamentals of salesmanship, namely motive. In the first letter it is obvious that the motive is entirely one of self-interest.
The letter states exactly what is wanted, but the wording of it leaves a doubt as to why the request is made or whom it is intended, to benefit. Study the sentence in the second paragraph, "This will be a big favor to me personally, etc." Now it may seem to be a peculiar trait, but the truth is that most people will not grant favors just to please others.
If I ask you to render a service that will benefit
me, without bringing you some corresponding advantage, you will not
show much enthusiasm in granting that favor; you may refuse altogether if you
have a plausible excuse for refusing. But if I ask you to render a service
that will benefit a third person, even though the service must be rendered
through me; and if that service is of such a nature that it is likely to
reflect credit on you, the chances are that you will render the service
willingly.
We see this psychology demonstrated by the man who pitches a dime to the beggar on the street, or perhaps refuses even the dime, but willingly hands over a hundred or a thousand dollars to the charity worker who is begging in the name of others.