Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

ed, and containing all the talking points, if sent both to the salesman and to the salesinan's customers, will, through the effect of the double attention gained, stimulate the salesman to better work on that proposition.

The customer's indifference is overcome by the printed page, and it is this attitude of indifference, assumed by most dealers, which acts most favorably upon the salesman's mind.

Personal letters to salesmen are stimulating when praise is given for work done, yet if not carefully worded praise will do harm rather than good.

The most effective method of correcting error and directing attention to shortcomings, is by the use of an impersonal printed form. It is employed by many houses with the very best results.

The purchases of a buyer are influenced more by a personal inclination than by a price, and in all matter addressed by the house to its customers, a "touch of human nature" in methods of expression must be considered a paramount need.

It is not difficult for the house to secure a close "human touch" with nearly every dealer by proper construction of advertising matter. The usual form, with plain cold-blooded figures, is not enough to arouse among the trade a feeling that they have an actual living acquaintance with the house.

They must be interested and their interest sustained by a pulsating heart to heart method, which brings them near in sentiment and opinion.

One spasm of printing is almost worse than useless. I have learned that the business of selling goods is usually the result of a succession of efforts. The human mind is brought to respond by repeated assertions, where a single statement falls heeded.

un

When there is created for the salesman an interested friendliness for his house, he becomes a tenfold power. He sells the goods and has little trouble in securing a fair price.

I have recently heard expressed an

opinion that friendship was no longer a factor in trade getting. I contend that it is as strong a determining power as it ever was.

Friendships in business are not necessarily born of personal acquaintance of those engaged in transactions, in fact, stronger friendships are often formed where they are not too well known to each other, but the attachment may spring from a recognition of up-to-date methods, fair dealing, and considerate treatment. The socalled prestige of a house is simply an advantage which is measured by the number of its friends.

I believe that at least fifty per cent of the salesmanship of the salesman is dependent upon the prestige of his house. If prestige is to be measured by numbers, then the house man who neglects to make his house favorably known to the required number is responsible to that degree for the inefficiency of his salesmen.

The employer is prone to blame the salesman, and to place all the burden of poor business upon his shoulders, when the truth of the matter is that salesman is not properly sustained and led.

A salesman cannot be driven. Selling goods is an art, not a mechanical process. It is a psychological problem and its solution is dependent upon a careful regard for the laws which govern human thinking.

the

You cannot attempt to teach salesman the science of salesmanship and hope for a perfect exhibition of the art. Science is tradition, heavy, cumbersome, and retarding in action. Load the salesman down with rules, and while he is trying to discover a rule to meet a contingency, the opportunity is lost.

The science of salesmanship may be mastered by the man in the house, however, and his work based upon the knowledge gained.

Precept is of little value, example is worth its weight in gold. Show a salesman that you are doing it and like the baby in the wash bowl reaching for the soap, "He will never be happy 'till he does it too."

An artist works best when the work is a joy; a salesman is an artist. It

is the duty of the house man to make his work as pleasant as possible, and to augment the inspiring influences which arise from the favor of his customers.

A salesman, in the proper frame of mind, is a thousand times more powerful in securing business, than an advertisement, yet an advertisement, in its effect upon the salesman, may be likened to the electric button, which pressed at Washington, completes the circuit, and the mammoth engines of our World's Fair are set in motion.

The salesman's power is rarely exhibited in its completeness. It is seldom fully aroused.

Every salesman is anxious to be informed of better methods, but he seems to have a positive dislike to all suggestion which implies inefficiency on his part, and he will not be advised or rather does not profit by criticism of a personal kind in a way that results in permanent good.

But he will profit by and appreciate a printed story of others' mistakes: he sees himself in the other, yet finds no humiliation to self in the view.

I have emphasized the fact that ideas offered for the salesman's stimulation whether, through his trade or for his own reading, should be printed, not on the typewriter, but upon the printing press, because printed matter is impersonal, and you can say what you please in the way you please and strike home without offending.

The human side of trade and of salesmen can be reached, in advertising, without great expense. Elaborate colored advertisements are not absolutely essential-simple, plain type will do the work. It's not the style of setting so much as what you say, and how you say it! I think the house journals wherein the personalities of the firm members are impressed, are of wonderful force in strengthening prestige. It gives a "human" side to the business, takes away its coldness and harshness and makes customers feel as if they knew the house intimately.

There are other and simpler methods of revealing the human side of

[blocks in formation]

been induced to purchase may be considered and stimulated in the same manner that we would any other salesman, for he is the next salesman in line, and upon his success in disposing of our wares, depends our further

success.

The dealer, therefore, must be supplied with everything necessary to arouse and sustain his enthusiasm.

The retail dealer, viewed as the point of attack, offers the possibility of the maximum of result for the minimum of effort. He is the center of influence. His favor reflects itself upon the jobber's salesmen, and in reaction is intensified, and it extends to the consumer or user with a like reaction upon himself.

If we plan a campaign of business getting, and our distribution is made through a retail dealer, then let everything that is done to teach the value of our goods, be so controlled that its primary object, is to convince him

and direct his energies into right channels.

We can almost afford to ignore all direct stimulation of our own salesmen, if house influence is brought to bear forcefully upon the dealer.

I do not for one moment believe that we can send out any kind of a man and get equal results simply because we conduct our house affairs energetically. I recognize the need of good salesmen-men who can carry our ideas to fruition. I realize that in order to arouse a force there must be a force which can be aroused.

I further know that not more than one salesman in twenty is a good one. I believe, however, that good salesmen can be made better, poor ones be improved, and the best results obtained by a systematic and persistent adherence to a rule of business procedure, which is based upon a recognition of the fact that "human nature" is at the bottom of it all.

[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][merged small]

WORTH REPRODUCING

One of the modern methods in teaching the proper use of language is by taking incorrect sentences, and calling attention to the errors in them.

We will pursue a different policy in our attempt to educate along advertising lines, and in launching this new department, "Worth Reproducing," it shall be our aim to reproduce only such advertisements as we consider worthy of comment, rather than reproducing poor ones and criticising them.

It is said that it is easier to criticize than it is to originate; therefore we feel that the policy we shall pursue in this department will be such as to make it interesting as well as instructive.

E ARE showing here a reproduction of a series of Woven fence advertisements used by the Peerless Fence Company, of Adrian, Mich., reduced one half. The advertisements here reproduced have earned their way to reproduction and recognition, because they have been called good advertisements by every advertising man and every publisher who has seen them.

As the purpose of this series of advertisements is to do publicity work.

it is not likely that they will attract an unusually large number of inquiries, although we have no positive proof that they will not do this. They will undoubtedly attract attention. They do illustrate the fence and the uses of the fence. They will stand out in any farm paper. They are not in a rut; that is to say they are not like 999 other fence advertisements you will see. Lay your hand over five advertisements and the sixth stands out strongly for itself, and uncover the whole series and they have

[graphic][graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]
[merged small][merged small][graphic][graphic][subsumed][subsumed][graphic][graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed]

The originals of this series of six advertisements are double column, and designed by The Long-Critchfield Corporation.

« AnteriorContinuar »