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The old superstition that it is more difficult to do business in summer than in the cooler seasons was given a body blow by a New York salesman who closed a $39,000 sale in July.

The reason this salesman had not been able to close this sale before was that he had allowed himself to be stymied by a subordinate, to whom he had been referred by the man who really had the final say, and who alone could sign the order.

The salesman had let the situation become such that he was afraid to hurt the subordinate’s feelings by going over his head, for the proposition was such that the subordinate could kill it quite as easily if he de?liberately set out to do so.

By March the proceedings reached a point where the salesman realized that he was heading up a blind alley, and that if he wanted the order he would have to find some provocation to get an interview again with the man higher up.

He also realized that the interview must be planned so that the subordinate would not be offended, and so that the principal would be given no opportunity to refer the matter back to his subordinate.

Early in July the salesman learned that the subordinate was going to Canada on a three weeks’ fish?ing trip. This gave him the opportunity for which he was looking. Using an increase in labor costs as an excuse, the salesman got his interview with the man higher up, and the rest was comparatively easy.

So you see the vacation season is what you make it ? for some salesmen it is going to be an opportunity. For others an alibi. But one thing is evident ? there is always business for the man who goes after it and uses his head.