The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-27
HOW TO SELL FRUIT.

III us ISSUE OF yesterday IHE GALL Sug-
gested that American trade might be
greatly extended in foreign countries by
the employment of the conspicuous tai
ents for which American travelling sales
men have become famous in building up
the domestic trade of this country. In
that article we suggested that one Of the
greatest opportunities that travelling sales
men might enjoy is the handling in for
eign countries of the finer products of Cali
fornia. That suggestion has SO greatly
reused local interest within the few hours
which have elapsed since its appearance,
that it is deemed advisable to pursue the
subject and regard it from another point
of view.
This is that the fruit unions themselves
should take the initiative and employ
travelling statesmen, at first to push the sale
of our fruits in the Eastern States instead
of waiting for statesmen to come forward
and cast their chances in an untried
business. If the experiment should prove
successful in the United States it can be
extended to foreign countries.
At first glance this may seem hard nut
for fruit-growers to crack, but if they will
only take the trouble to visit leading
manufacturers and merchants and learn
for themselves the high esteem in which
the services of travelling statesmen are held
they will be amazed at the information
they receive. 1t will probably be found that
not a single large manufacturer or whole
sale merchant of San Francisco would think
of trying to carry on usiness without the
help of commercial Travellers" and that
the extent of outside business done may be
measured by the number of travelling sales
men employed. The fruit-growers of Cali
fornia can never reap the rewards due the
excellence of their products until they
have mastered the laws and rules of trade.
Unfortunately fruit-grower is not in a
position or business that brings him in
contact with travelling statesmen, and
hence he is not informed concerning the
vital relation which these men bear to the
success of large business enterprises. He
has no proper conception of their wonder
full energy, tact and persistency. He
imagines vaguely a happy-go-lucky, roll
licking body of men who sell goods to
retail dealers, and knows little of the
earnest, clear-headed business sense and
the conscientiousness and intelligence
that govern their conduct. If their ire
mendous influence on the success of
American domestic trade were suddenly
removed the country would suffer such a
panic as it has never seen.
The average farmer is an exceedingly
cautious man, but the fruit-grower of Cali
fornia is so far advanced a type over the
ordinary farmers of the Eastern States
that he cannot be classed with them. He
has already mastered problems in the pro-
ducing and marketing of his crops that
seem incredible to his Eastern prototype.
And yet the California fruit-grower will
not claim to have overcome moiety of
the obstacles which confront him. He is
constantly reaching out for wider fields
and more exhaustive knowledge. The
time has been in California when fruit
unions regarded with distrust any propo-
sition to give salaried positions to their nee
essary servants. In some places it has been
argued that true and tried farmer, known
by his neighbors to be an upright and in
telligent man, should be the one to handle
the business OF farmers.
1t is not likely that this serious error is
entertained anywhere in California now,
but if it is it should be abandoned at once.
The only man competent to push trade is
the one who understands that rare art, and
whose understanding is based on a wide
knowledge of supply and demand and of
human nature, and who has the art of con-
vincing. When the fruit-grower realizes
that this is wholly distinctive function
and that it is entirely separate from a
knowledge of the processes by which an
article is produced, he will understand the
travelling salesmen's value. The opportu-
nifty which the fruit unions now have be-
fore them is that of securing the services
of these bright and Woodworking men.
Wise considerations might suggest that
in view of the newness of the business, an
assured income in the shape of salary,
in part payment at least, should be offered.