The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-11-06
.SCHOJL TO STUDY
'SALESMANSHIP
MUCH IS HEARD or SCIENCE OF
sALEsMANsHIP-scHooL WILL
BE A GOOD THING IF HANDLED
RIGHT-oTHERwIsE A WASTE
OF TIME.

We now hear much of the science OF
salesmanship, and it is science OF the
most intricate kind. Salesmanship
deals with the persuasive art. the
work largely of the soul. Hence il
becomes exceedingly difficult to handle
Imagine an applicant before an old
sales manager who himself has seen
service on the firing line, and the
young would-be salesman hands in a
certificate which shows that he is a
graduate of some college proposing to
teach the difficult art
Had any experience on the road 2"
asks the manager.
"Oh, no." replies the applicant; "but
| thoroughly understand the science OF
salesmanship"
We'll, we have no vacancy at pres
emit" replies the sales manager, and
the graduate goes his way very much
disappointed that his years of hard
study serve him to so little purpose.
However, there is something which
can be learned on the subject, and il
is well to keep up with what is going
on. The following from a writer in
The Travelling Man, contains some
good thoughts;
THE writer believes our public
schools and universities have been sad
ly deficient in not teaching young men
the principles and usages of business
How many college men are able to
step into a position of responsibility
in mercantile house after gradua-
ton? Can he draw legal and bind
ing contract? Does he understand the
steps necessary to ship goods to a
foreign country? Does he know what
constitutes first, second, third and
fourth-class freight? Can he outline
a correct system of accounting? Is hs
capable of dealing intelligently with
customers? Can he dictate a business
letter that will not cause his CORES
pendent to smile when he reads il?
Can he even add figures? Heaven helm
him when he attempts to do any d.
these things.
-salesmanship-It is a
science May a man practice dentistry
law or medicine or surgery without
years of preparation In his chosen
work, and a certificate issued by his
state? Not without going to prison
for the attempt May man sell goods
without being trained in the science
of business and craftsmanship. Tney
do it, and in time some of them ever
become experts, but at what frightfu.
expense to the house which pays him
and tries to straighten out his blum.
ders.
"At day not far into the future Il
will he a disgrace and the height OF
audacity for a man to say, I am
salesman to a prospective employer
until he has mastered the intricate
problems Of business by a course o.
study and thorough training, and has
received a diploma from university
where the. sciences are properly
graded and taught. But young mar
whose life work is to be the selling O
goods has not yet the opportunity o.
such training; when he does the sale
managers time wiH be occupied will
something else besides enthusing hi
men, telling them to do this or that, t,
hold a customer, smoothing out hi
mistakes, stiffening his backbone il
quoting prices, and scores of other de
tails. These things will be ground int
every fibre of his being. Until sucl
time the best the sales manager cal
| do is to constitute himself a chair o
the science of craftsmanship, and h
must bend every energy to the accu
mutation Of such knowledge as vii
/ fit him for his work in making sales
men out of those who will some da
he sales managers themselves"