personal capabilities. As has been emphasized repeatedly in this
preface, _every one who would succeed in life must know HOW to sell his
qualifications to the highest advantage_. Poor salesmanship is
responsible for most of the failures of people who really _deserve_ to
succeed. It is almost surely fatal to ambitious hopes in any trade,
profession, or business.

CERTAIN SUCCESS WITH THE SELLING PROCESS covers in outline the whole
subject of Salesmanship. But the scope of this set does not afford room
to give here a minutely detailed exposition of the special processes of
making sales in particular businesses. I have compiled for you, rather,
the _general principles_ of effective selling that may be _universally
applied_. "Certain Success" and "The Selling Process" are handbooks of
fundamental ideas which each reader, by his individual thinking, should
amplify and fit to his own work or ambition.

* * * * *

[Sidenote: Real Study Required]

The fine art of successful salesmanship cannot be mastered in a few
hours of casual reading. You will not be able, immediately after
glancing through these books, to unlock every long-desired golden
opportunity with absolute assurance. CERTAIN SUCCESS WITH THE SELLING
PROCESS must be _studied out_. You should keep them always at hand like
your bank books, and draw on the contents for your salesmanship needs
from day to day.

You will get only a smattering of the secret of certain success if you
just skim over the chapters, and skip whatever requires you to think