The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1907-06-14

this 20 his buyer he keeps an eye ON
him. II he sees the buyer growing
too chummy with some particular
salesman he opens his ewes. To De
sure. there are a whole lot Of mighty
good. square. straight. sociable fellows
buying goods for merchants. yet
have seen many OF them who started
out being sociable end mp by losing
their positions because they were too
much so. Another thing it never pays
salesman 10 prostitute himself for
anybody"
Problem for Merchant
I'm tell you." said Watkins. "the
buyer may be a problem for us sales
men. AN right. but he is am even
greater problem for the merchant
who employs him II the pro
priotor calls him down too often
the buyer win become afraid aud
De downright stingy This. OF
course. Is disadvantage 10 the
merchant A man must have goods
I'm order TO sell them lf. on tho
other hand. bee turns the buyer loose
the buyer may De one Of those reck
less ones that would either accept
graft. or else q dreamer and. hrsi
thing the proprietor knows Doe has
several thousand dollars Of bills to
pay. and too long q stock for q Ger
tain department There is one great
big concern IN this country that lost
IN two years an immense amount in
one little department The buyer
took a crazy notion TO get all the stun
that could De made 10 had TO De-
closed out at a great sacrifice. and the
loss 10 this firm on this one man. To-
two years. was nearly quarter of "a
million dollars
-spoaking Of graft remarked
the shoe man. did you hear of that
huver down east who. the other day.
was accidentally hlled2 Why, when
they looked through hls clothes they
found that he had IN his pocket o
check for a thousand dollars from One
firm whose line he had bought
Yes. indeed" replied the New Yort
clothing man. "the buyer is, after all
tougher proposition for the man
whose money he invests than Doe is
for the salesman Rut what are they
to DO about it?'
"Just this" replied Watkins
straiehtenine up and slapping hi'
hands together as be spoke. Ih'
proprietor. If he wishes TO get sue
lossful buyers. must make them part
ners in the business, either by makini
thom stockholders or else giving then
for their salary a certain percentage
of the profits. In this way the buye
wuu feel that he is investing his owl
money and he will then take great
opp interest in the business. Now,
know of one retail firm which wa
comnosod of three brothers. For man
Vears two of the brothers bought th
goods. one of them died, and anothe
was stricken with paralysis. The thir
brother who had been the office MAJ
of the firm. tried TO hire men TO tak
their places. The firm came YER
roar going broke. One department
would be neglected and anotne
would be over.bought Tie shilie
.rornd and found men TO run the do
,artments TO whom he sold a reason
sfia amount of the company's stoci
He carried the stock for them at Sd
por cent. and agreed TO give them an
e additional dividends they might maxi
r That business changed at once AN
! booan TO thrive as it had never don
before This man made his buyer
?. Mariners in HIS business.
Giving Interest in Business.
N THE same thing holds good IN q
4 ,,~gost manufacturing concern ln th
,. country I'm my line" added the sh'
2 man The head ~ ll.s es'a0.ishmeI
n 10 which refer has made The m'
II who buy the materials for bis iac,o'
q Stockholders 10 the concern lie h'
d tried paying salaries 20 buyers ai
e found II improbable The chiei a
vantage of this system is that O..
buver feels a personal interest in q
business and does not change around
d "Oh. yes. when be comes TO deaiiI
y with ms the straight way IS the on
u. way for the buyer" spoke up the sh
8. man zone OF my customers a 70
r. vears ago. wanted a man 20 help nl
10 IN the business and 20 buy eoot
le About that time a young fellow woi
at ing for a arm that had failed lo
b. wavs off was out Of a job Now.
le lnew that De was straight and squa
~ had been buying goods from %
and ON my recommendation alone
found another place for him, and d
y in bv wire That man has ma
20 GOOD in his position. and is no"
N mariner in the business
n. y bad a case very much Ike %
r. myself recently" spoke up the furni
ing goods man zone OF my comp'
tors recently gave up his road po
ton and went into the retail olsine
of. OF course his firm wanted anoti
Ica man for the territory a man "
nd had been a buyer IN one Of the sto.
I'm I had dealt with. wrote to me
an said he would Ike 10 get the pia
& OF course I felt that II ! got the pl.
for him I would make a compeu
out Of a customer but at the sa
n" time. because ! knew him 20
I'D straight and capable, / went 70
Of wholesale firm and gave him a rec'
the mendauon He had been so sou