Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-05-15
THE DRUMMER.
L COMPOUND OF BUSINESS, SHRsWt
NESS AND WORLDLY WISDOM
Partner in the House, In All but Pa
session of an Interest'-K knowing
the Houses Customers Other
secrets of Success.


A commercial traveller who has see
:ervice, or who de otes s whole cner5J
10 the work. will say that the life IL u
hard one. The young man TO whom tht
excitement is a pleasant novelty, the ira O.
and attendant amusemelts good spnr,'
laughs at the story AT nrst; but not n icI Il
couple of years The constant stra II
irregular hours and habits and IrelLcli
temptations to imbibe quickly com inc ~
tear down the strongest sys EN- 1 he os;
item is a large one. II ess n travcl3us
man is very careful, " says veteran ia ms
line, "he is apt 10 turn out drunka d BE-
fore he knows it,
f or the travellers thcmselvc-, iHry prc
fer chic 10 check, and won Il -" t'.i.uu
self confident rather than "gtuy .u'
whatever it may be, no drummer wit.
any other manner could sell as much alld
knowledge of human nature and &C luain,.
ance with the wos d, his custom
ers and particular lines of 20 Il.
wins the day. Sam'l Of Posen has il AL
condensed in a degree eXag 5erdtcd to the
point of burlesque. and the beginner al
the business is apt to assume the CONNER
cial manner to an extreme to conceal his
greennes but in the trained man it is
pleasantly melowed and lids cnsab G.
Some inca never get this faculty COM
pletely, and perhaps in a way IA drum
mer is born, not made. Meeting a new
customer, he must be able to get his silc
in ash. TO sell him goods it may he
necessary to Joke, whcede or bully A
good story may catch Il man at once, or
strike him SO unfavorabiy that he cannot
he worked" at all. And only b. aid OF
keen eye and mind will the traveller meet
success.
But once acquainted with a customer 8
ways and stock the drummer i, always
sure of his ground in the future. lie will
be careful in selling so as 10 ell aLa n.
lie will not be niggardiy II doing the
right thing or Annoying. "A -ood
drummer, says keen old commercial
man, lis a partner in house in all bu,
possession of an interest One leadi g
shoe house in this city, indeed is said t.
encourage its tfaveers by giving them
small interests in the concern, ! Inc drum
mer S business is to hnow all about the
houses customers. The better he does
this the better able Lc is to sell his goods
both protitably and safely. If he knows
"where his head is level, he stays with ,
good house when he gets with one, The
man who is continually lodging from one
firm TO another hardly ever does well
either for himself or his employers He
must be posted thoroughly on the goods
and prices of his competitors, for it is
comparison in ma ;ority of cases that
makes the sale.
The com nercal traveller is a good talker
To get into the graces of his customers he
finds the news of the day Il help. and he
devours newspapers. In the last cam
paign no one man was more prolific il
speculations, bets, or so full of alleged
political news as the drummer The train
that he was on never esca ed the taking
of straw" vote. The commercial tray
eler rarely accumulatcs money. The
evenings of his inevitable hotel life oilcl
nothing to occupy him. His devotion tc
the rink is a favorite theme of newspaper
Writings; billiards, the theatre and kindred
kil,times knock wide holes in his other
wise large salary. 1T is conceded tina
with 81 800 on the road man saves ne
more at least than one with vi, 900 stay
ing at home, the persons having the same
tastes