Whatever your career is, you will accomplish twice as much in half the time when you learn to time your actions

All of us are, in a sense, sales people who are trying to sell our way through life successfully.

But only a relatively few of us manage to become “Master Salesmen.”

The secret lies largely in learning to time your words and deeds to the most opportune moment.

A southern lumber man wanted a large loan from a bank in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, owned by General Rufus A. Ayers. Fearing that his modest credit rating by itself would never convince the bank to take such a large risk, he decided to take a different approach to overcome this hurdle.

He knew that Mrs. Ayers was a lover of flower gardens. With the help of his wife, the lumberman learned the particular flowers for which Mrs. Ayers had the greatest fondness. He procured some very rare specimens and presented them to her.

Nothing was said about bank loans or business of any nature because the approach was being conducted by an expert salesman who kept it strictly on a social, neighborly basis. After three different presentations of flowers to Mrs. Ayers, she reciprocated by inviting the lumberman and his wife for dinner.

After dinner, General Ayers and his guest went into the library to visit while their wives had a session in the flower garden.

That was a perfect setting for the lumberman to get over to General Ayers the story of his lumber business and describe a large tract of timber for which he was negotiating “provided that he could get some additional financing.”

The General wanted to know how much he needed. When told the amount he said, “Go down to the Bank tomorrow and I’ll tell the Cashier to make you a loan of the amount you need.”

By proper timing, the lumberman got his loan without actually having to ask for it. If he had gone into the Bank without the preparation, and had asked for the loan he probably would have been refused by the Cashier.

It has been said that a man who can sell himself successfully to people can also sell his goods and wares successfully, a fact which strongly indicates that buyers often buy the salesman first or they don’t buy his wares.

It is estimated that not one person in a million who buys insurance ever takes the trouble to find out what is in the policy. What he actually buys is the personality of the salesman who did such a good job that reading the policy seemed unnecessary.

In public speaking and in ordinary conversation timing plays an important part as to the impression the speaker makes upon his listeners. This writer once paid Professor William Hawn, a distinguished teacher of public speaking, a fee of $100 for a single lesson in speaking which consisted of only thirteen words: “Get up, have something to say worth hearing, say it and sit down.” The lesson was worth every dollar of its cost.

When asked the secret of his success as a criminal lawyer the great Clarence Darrow replied, “I usually win by letting the other lawyer talk his case to death.”

There’s only one way to assure yourself that your words and actions are properly timed.

Think and plan before you speak or act.

See Also:

The Law of Attraction And The Paradox
This writing is for those of us who do, sincerely in our hearts study and apply what we understand currently of the Law of Attraction, and still haven't manifested the lives that we really want and desire.