The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-11-20
MUST HEED VOICE
OF The HOUSE
SALES MANAGER FOR MARSHALL
FIELDS q co, ADVISES SALES
MEN ON THE NECESSITY OF
KEEPING IN CLOSE Touc =
WITH HIS FIRM AT ALL TIMES.

In writing of the necessity OF sales
men paying close attention to the vari-
GUS communications for the house and
in doing a certain amount Of unpleasant
detail work, VIM. F. Hypes. Salesman
ager of Marshall Field & Co., says in
part In System:
A sales manager one day asked me
this question, What one thing above
all others do you try to impress upon
your men on the road %
The answer was easy. Il try to make
them understand" said, "that ability
to sell is not the only quality needed
in salesman. To show them that sim
pie ability to land orders will not quail
ify them for our sales force unless at
the same time they follow the instruc-
tions of the house and ,.ttend promptly
to the details of the work"
Every day that sit at my desk and
watch reports come in from the men in
the field, / wish / had a more forcible
way of saying or demonstrating the
truth of that same statement, for
know that some of those men must
learn. it sooner or later through sad
experience. Every time sec new men
start out with their samples, wish it
again, for know that some of them
are going to fail because they do not
realize the importar of the warning.
Time after time have seen the bril-
liant beginner fall down for no other
reason than that he let his own mag
netic ability to take orders blind him to
the necessity of keeping picked up the
shag ends of the business. And again
and again I have sen the mediocre
man develop into a star because he
recognized instructions from the house
as commands-demandin immediate
execution-and was just as particular
about his daily details as about the size
of his orders.
OF this routine work, one phase over
shadows Importance all the rest. No
one omission on the salesman's part
causes mora trouble for all parties con-
cerned than his neglect in checking UP
his own samples and price list with the
house bulletins on stock shortages and
price changes. Done promptly upon re-
ceipt of the house notices, this work is
a comparatively simple matter; allowed
to run until several bulletins have ac-
cumulated, it is one of the salesman's
chief bugbears. Failure to check up is
the certain fore-unner of orders for
goods that cannot be delivered and the
making of price quotations which will
ge- them int serious trouble.
Let me illustrate. A salesman starts
out on the road with his sample cases
catalogue and special price lists. In or
der that he may trny represent his
| firm, there must be demonstrated an
| intimate spirit OF cooperation between
! him and the house. The house mus
keep constantly informed OF the move
ments and his business transactions
and he must, Of course, keep in the
closest possible touch with the home
office.
The first OF these requirements is
fulfilled through the orders that he
sends in and his daily, weekly AMI
special reports as regards his sales
his routes of travel, his expense and
condition Of trade in certain localities
or with certain dealers Every one
of these reports meets careful DISPOSE
zion in the house. The orders ar.
booked for delivery, special conting-
encies in trade are met as Judgment
dictates and the personal record oil
the salesman's movements is carefully
noted in the sales managers office.
Now in turn, for the salesman's ben
eft, the house sends out each day Of
week bulletin of information and in
structions. There is a general state
ment of trade conditions as gathered
from hundreds of reports and viewed
from the perspective standpoint Of the
house. There is advance information
on styles and fashions and new talk
ing points that have been developed
regarding certain goods either in the
house or by other men. on the road
But specifically and most important
Of all these bulletins list those goods
which for any reason have been ex.
bausted or called off sale, and those
| other goods on which 1t has been found
necessary or advisable to change The
price quotations.
If the salesman acts upon this infor.
nation with an attentiveness CORES