The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-29
NOT ON AMERICAN PLAN
Letters of introduction Needed to Do
Business Abroad.
New York Tribune.)


ANY one who goes to Europe from
this country and tries to do business
and introduces American goods to the
foreign public there is up against
hard game" The speaker, a rudy
faced, square-Jawed man, with a far
western accent, sat on plush-covered
sofa in the corridor of an uptown no
tel, puffed at a fat perfectO and told
Tribune man of his experiences
abroad.
why, to try to sell goods on the
American plan over there would be
like trying to break through to the
north pole with an icepick. You have
got to have a letter of introduction
TO reach the man you are trying TO
sell to- Before you can do a paying
business you have got to have trunk
full of letters of introduction, belong
to a dozen clubs and have wide So
cial acquaintance.
when / went to London some little
time ago l represented a large firm
of well-known manufacturers in Mich
igan, who, at that time, were placing
on the market a railroad inspection
car. designed to take the place of the
ordinary hand-operated car. This I
naturally wished to introduce TO the
notice of British railway officials, and
with this end in view I sent descrip-
tive circulars and literature to many
Of them.
After a long wait in my London
office a superintendent of a railway
system in the north of England wrote
me- saying that if 1 was in his neigh
borhood he would be pleased to have
me call upon him. Seeming a possible
order, 1 straightway packed my grip
and presented myself at his office in
the ancient city of York as soon as
possible. and sent in my card by one
Of his clerks. who, returning in few
moments. said:
" Mr.. Blank regrets to say he does
not find 1t necessary to see you, being
busy and as he knows all about your
cars
Naturally l was exceedingly sur
prised and set back at this reception,
after my Ions journey, and did not feel
like being turned away so abruptly.
A scheme flashed on my mind.
"'Oh, 1 have not come to see Mr.
Blank about those cars. wish to see
him on a purely personal matter
I" Very well, sir, said the clerk If
that is your business viii ask him
whether he can see you now
After a minute or so he returned
from the inner sanctum, saying:
" Mr. Blank wishes to know upon
what personal business you want to
see him
eco and tell him. said 7, that I
have a high-salaried position to offer
him
"Off went the clerk, and returned
almost Immediately, saying, Mr.. Blank
will see you at once, cir
Upon my being ushered into his
-
hands, and after bidding me to be
seated, turned beamingIy upon me and
said, Now, Mr.. Jones, I understand
you wish to see me with regard to
offering me position. May I ask you
what il tsp
9" The position is that of general
manager and chief engineer Of my
firms works in Michigan. My firm is
looking for an experienced man, and
I have been deputed to find one and
you have been recommended to me
by friends in London as being able 20
fill the position
land what may I ask. is the sal
airy attached
" Fifteen thousand dollars a year.
Why. that is more than I am get
ting herei And what are the main
qualifications necessary
" The first is, mainly, to draw your
salary, and the second is a thorough
knowledge of our cars, which so few
Englishmen over here possess
But, my dear sir, I don't know
anything at all about your cars, and
I am afraid could not qualify on that
point
IF that is the case, I'm sorry 1
haven't any position to offer you;
there being. in fact, none to offer. 1
regret, Mr.. Blank, that I have had to
resort to a trick to gain an interview
with you said I, with my voice chang
ing to something approaching stern
ness. He was dumbfounded, but ad-
mitted that he had been outwitted, and
we proceeded TO talk business -