The Detroit times., 1910-02-21
sALEsMANsH|P IN
THE AUTO WORLD.
Hugh Chalmers Writes Interestingly
On This Vital Topic for Read
ers of The Times.
BY HUGH MERS.
president Chalmers Motor Co.

Automobile salesnlanship is OF two
kinds--the sales OF cars by the manu-
facturer 10 the dealer, and the sales
OF cars by the dealer 10 the public
Or. broadly speaking, Wholesale aud
retail
SO far as the wholesale side Is con-
cerned, automobiles have been Dough:
rather than sold The demand from
dealers has been enormous. IL has
been too great for ali OF the
factories In the country TO NIL. hence
there has not been a careful applica-
ton by many manufacturers or the
principles OF salesmanship in the dis.
tribution OF automobiles as there has
been in most other lines OF CONNER
cial activity.
Many companies seem 10 go on tde
principle that as soon as the factorys
output Is spoken for by the dealers IL
Is sold This Is far from true. Cars
are not really sold until they are in
the hands OF usere at a price that
gives a fair profit TO both dealer and
manufacturers.
Competition Is strong among the
dealers and they know that IL takes
brains and hard work 20 sell cars. 70
matter what tn" nan at the factory
may thinG.
The Fundamentals.
There are certain fundamental prin.
ciples i'm craftsmanship which apply
In the distribution cf clothing. farm
machinery. pianos. talking machines
or any other line Selling is simply
the art OF influencing the human
mind. and the things which influence
the human mind are pretty much the
same all over The world In all lines
OF business. The problem. no matter
what you may be selling, is TO find
out what these things are, and thea
use them.
! The hrst potent factor in infu-
encing the public - good goods. No
possible amount q strenuous sales
manship and advertising will suffice
10 keep poor article on the market
! II Is possible by strong salesmanship
and clever advertising 10 sell first
edition" Profitable business is mat
ter OF reDeat orders. and you can't
/ have repeat orders when you put QUE
poor goods A salesman with gooc
goods 10 offer always makes a better
record in the Ions run than the sales.
I ildI with lultiiOI ENOuS, tNfil
the man with the poor goods MAY BE-
superior 20 the oth>r man in the prac-
+ tice OF the arts Ct his profession.
The conditions. in quite recen1
years. i'm the automobile industry
have been such that any factory thar
could turn out a car that had any
merit at all could sell its output. The
+ time is bound % come when only
those factories which turn out cars
OF unusual and unquestioned merit
will be able to sell their output.
When one stops To think of all the
energy and all ne brains concentrat-
ed now on the pro ,uction end OF the
automobile business one is inevitably
/ forced 10 the conclusion. that sooner
or later production VIII catch up with
demand. Then good salesmansh'p
and good advertising will play a more
prominent part In the automobile
business than heretofore. II is play-
ing part now hut that part is no.
plain To everyone | have just been
saying that the fundamental principle
OF salesmanship is good goods When
the time comes that production equals
or passes demand. then the manufac-
turers VINO have maintained a nigh
standard in spite cf all temptations