The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-08-19
SALEMANSHIP
Is GREAT ART
i. w. FORD HAS RATTLlNc GOOD
ARTICLE I'M cAxToN MAGAZINE
ABOUT THE ART OF SALESMAN
SHIP WHICH ALL COMMERCIAL
TRAVELLERS SHOULD READ.

H. w. Ford in The Caxton Magazine
says craftsmanship is the selling OF
goods at a profit" we are told. Very
good, and very true. And yet this is
only definition, such as dictionary
might have. 1t defines, but does not
explain. 1t comes as far short Of fully
describing all that is meant by the
term craftsmanship as the statement
that an apple is fruit which grows on
tree would fall short Of telling what
an apple really is. Salesmanshtp Is
almost wholly intangible. It is not
merely the exchange Of certain goods
for certain moneys. Exchange OF
goods for money Is simply an outward
expression, a symbol The act OF ex-
change is not the sale itself, but the
result OF the sale.
The signing of the order, the ex-
change Of goods and money which fol-
low the decision, are merely detalls
The essential part Of marriage is the
decision that it shall be---the betrotnal
The ceremony is only the necessary
concentrating form. We are SO Ia
miliar with the tangible aspects or the
sale, such as the signing of orders, the
payment of money, and the delivery OF
the goods, that we confound these ma
terial forms with the real sale, which
is unmaterial and tangible.
If a man walks into store, lays
down $35 and tells saGesperson to
send him a certain suit of clothes, that
is not really sale. That is the act of
purchase resulting form the sale Per-
haps the customer had been In the
store previously, had been waited upon
by a different salesperson, been con-
vinced that he should buy, or perhaps
he sold himself, and in that case the
salesperson merely accepted an order
Since sale is a decision, it is well to
understand just what a decision is. A
decision is a wilful act Of the mind and
1t cannot be made outside the mind
1t cannot be made in the pocket, OF
with the hands that transfer the
money. Therefore, q sale is mental
state, the result Of process OF
thought and feeling in the mind.
Three Factors.
Now let's see If we can find out just
what happens in sale. Let us sup
pose that a salesman is trying to sci
an adding machine. He has the ma
chine all ready for demonstration, an6
the customer is at hand. Here are the
three material factors that enter intC
any and every sale: The salesman
the thing sold, and the customer
There is one other factor which enters
into any and every sale, and only on,
other, viz, the sale itself. This is 81
unmaterial factor Of which more later
Now the salesman, Of course, thinks
the customer ought to have the adding
machine: he is entirely convinced OF
this point. The customer, on the othel
hand, does not want the machine. III,
believes he does not need 1t. His stat,
of mind, in other words, is diametri
cally opposed to the state of mind o.
the salesman. Under these condition.
the salesman starts to work. He get
the customers attention by his intro,
duction; carries him from attention Il
interest by entering upon a. demonstra
| ton Of what the machine will do
ripens that interest into desire Il
buy, and finally, at the psychological
moment, by the use Of his stronges
closing arguments. he crystalizes tina
| desire to have into decision to buy
The sale itself has been completed
Now what has happened? Simpl.
| this: A mans state of mind has beel
| completely changed, The custome
entered upon that demonstration witt
the firm belief that he did not wan
an adding machine; that it was no
needed in his business; would no
save him time, trouble or money. TIL
| salesman convinced him that he wa
wrong on every one Of these points
and in addition created in him a de
sire to have the machine and a de