Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 3: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

c* ADVENTURE I The Secret of Being a | Convincing Talker How I Learned It in One Evening - Frank Jordan?” This question quickly brought me to the little group which -had gathered in the center of the office. Jordan and I had. started Hrs you heard thenewsabout with the Great Eastern Machinery - Co., within a month of each other, four years ago. A year ago Jordan was taken into the accounting divi- ¥ sion and I was sent out as salesman. Neither of us was blessed with an eae amount of brilliancy, but “got by” in our new jobs well acai to ‘hold them. _ Imagine my amazement, then, when I heard: “Jordan’s just been made Trea-’ surer of the Company!” I could hardly believe my ears. But there was the “‘Notice to Em- ployees” on the bulletin-board, tell- ing about Jordan’s good fortune. Now I knew that Jordan was a capable fellow, quiet and unassum- ing, but I never would have picked him for any such sudden rise. I knew, too, that the Treasurer of the Great Eastern had to be a big man, and I wondered how in the world Jordan landed the place. The first chance I got I Sealked into Jordan’s new office and after congratu- lating him warmly, I asked him to let me “in’’ on the details of how he jumped ahead so quickly. .His story is so in- tensely interesting that I am going to repeat it as closely as I remember. “T’ll tell you just how it happened, George, because you may pick up a pointer or two that will help you. ‘You remember how scared I used to _ be whenever I had to talk to the c al You remember how you used to tell me that every time I opened my mouth I put my foot into it, meaning of course that every time I spoke I got into trouble? You remember when Ralph Sinton left to take charge of the Western office and I was asked to present him with the loving- cup the boys gave him, how flustered I was and how I couldn’t say a word _be- cause there were people around? You remember how confused I used to be every time I met new people? I couldn't say what I wanted to say when I wanted to say it; and I determined that if there was any ‘possible chance to learn how to talk I was going to do it. “The first thing I did was to bay a number of books on public speaking, but they seemed to be meant for those who “wanted to become orators, whereas what I wanted to learn was not only how to speak in public but how to speak ‘to indi- ‘ arrived. ' ful and convincing. By GEORGE RAYMOND ““A few weeks later, just as I was abput to give up hope of ever learning how' to talk interestingly, I read an announce- ment stating that Dr. Frederick Houk Law had just completed a new course in business talking and public speaking entitled ‘Mastery of .Speech.’ The course was offered on’approval without money in advance, so since I had ‘nothing whatever to lose by examining the lessons, I sent for them and in a few days they I glanced through the entire eight lessons, reading the headings and a few paragraphs here and there, and in about an hour the whole secret of effective speaking was opened to me. “For example, I learned why I had always lacked. confidence, why aise oy to *be / had always seemed _ something dreaded whereas it is really the simplest thing in the world to ‘get up and talk.’ I learned how to secure complete atten- tion to what I was saying and how to make everything I said interesting, force- I. learned the art of listening, the value of silence, and the power of brevity. Instead of’ being funny at the wrong time, I learned how and when to use humor with telling effect. “But perhaps the most wonderful thing about the lessons were the actual exam- ples of what ‘things to say and when to say them to meet ‘every condition, el found that there was:a knack in making oral reports to my ‘superiors. I found that there was a right way and a wrong way to present ‘complaints, to give esti- - mates, and to issue orders. ri picked up some wonderful pointers about how to give my opinions, about how to answer complaints, about how to ask the bank for a loan, about how to ask for extensions. Another thing that struck me forcibly was that, instead of antago- nizing people when I. didn’t agree with them, I Sag: how to bring them around to my way of thinking i in the most pleas- ant sort of way. Then, of course® along with those lessons there were chapters, on speaking before large audiences, how to find material for talking and speaking, how to talk to friends, how to talk to _ servants, and how to talk to children. “Why, I got the secret the very first evening and it was only a short time be- fore I was able to apply all of the prin- ciples and found that my words were beginning to have an almost magical effect upon everybody to whom I spoke. It seemed that I got things done instantly, where formerly, as you know, what I said. ‘went in one ear and out of the Other.’ I began to acquire an exectitive ability that surprised me. I- smoothed out difficulties like a true diplomat. In my talks with the chief I spoke clearly, simply, convincingly. Then came my first promotion since I entered the ac- counting department. job of answering complaints, and I made good. From that I was given the job of making collections, When Mr. Buckley joined the ‘Officers Training Camp, I was made *Treasurer. Between you and me, George, my: salary is now $7,560 a year I was given the’ ‘ * “And I want to tell you facets) that I attribute my success solely to the fact that I learned how to tall to people.”’ eR RK When Jordan finished, I asked him for the address of the publishérs of Dr. Law’s Course and he gave it to me. I sent for it and found it to be exactly as he had stated. After studying the eight simple lessons-I began to sell to people who had previously refused to listen to me at all. After four months of record-breaking sales during the dullest season of the | year, I received a wire from the chief asking me to return to the home office. We had quite a long talk in which I ex- plained how I was able to break sales” records—and I was appointed Sales Manager at almost twice my former salary. I know that there was nothing in me that had changed except that I hag acanines the ability to talk where for- merly I simply used ‘“‘words without reason.’’ I can never thank Jordan enough for telling me about Dr. Law’s Course in Business Talking and Public Speaking. Jordan and I are both spending all our spare time making publ c speeches on war subjects and Jordan is being talked about now as Mayor of our little Town. So confident is the Independent Cor- ation, publishers of “‘Mastery of peech,’’ Dr. Talking and Public Speaking, that once you have an opportunity to see in your own-home how you can, in one hour, learn the secret of speaking and how you can apply the principles of effective speech under all conditions, that they are willing to send you the Course on free examination. Don’t send any money. Merely mail the coupon or write a letter and the com- ' plete Course will be sent, all charges pre- paid, at once. If you are not entirely satisfied send it back any time within five days after you receive it and you will owe noting. On the other hand, if you are as pleased . as are the thousands of other men and women who have used the Course, send only $5 in full payment. You take no risk and you have everything to gain, so mail the coupon now before this remark- able offer is withdrawn. FREE EXAMINATION COUPON Independent Corporation . Publishers of the Independent Weekly Dept. L-4712, 119 West 40th Street, New York Please send me Dr. Fredegick Houk ‘Law's **Mastery of Speech,’? a Course in Business Talking and Public Speaking in eight lessons. I will either remail the Course to you within fivé days after its receipt, or send you $5 in full payment of the course. NAMES ghee ith tobe ote ee aed oie ees Mek viduals under various conditions _ in and I expect it will be more from the business and social life. EL OF TNO MEAT sf Po Rl a P atl, ON Nanoha endow ate ohetesse oo alee cle hw on Adv, 12-18-19 7 Rublished twice a month by The Ridgway Company at Spring and Macdougal Sts., New York ADVENTURE ~ City.- Yearly subscription $3.00 in advance;-single copy 20 cents. Entered as second-class Vol. 24 No. 1 Jan. 3rd, 1920 matter Oct. 1, 1910, at the, post-office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Serial No. 145 / COMICDO© Law’s Course in Business ~ So EO im