The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-03-04
MEANING OF REAL
SALESMANSHIP
SOME OF THE ESSENTIALS OF A
REAL SALESMAN AND WHAT 1T
MEANS TO BE A SALESMAN
SOME GOOD QUALITIES TO POS.
sEss.

The stuff often found in print reIa-
tive to craftsmanship is enough to make
a dog sick, and that is putting it mild
ly. The writer was recently asked by
young man who was then on the
road if a course in craftsmanship was
advisable. The reply was, No, verify
no. And yet there is much the would
be salesman can gather from the ex-
perience of others, but unfortunately he
will run across too much of this kind
Of stuff, which is quoted here from the
president Of a prominent association of
jobbers and found in craftsmanship:
"The Man We Want"
1--WE want winning successful sales
men-men who can present our pro-
position to the. retailer in intelligent,
tactful, forceful convincing fashion.
''Who is the right man? Can we
decide, after correspondence or a per-
sonal interview, whether a man has the
elements in his makeup that will
make him a success in our employ?
Years of experience have shown just
what traits man must have to sue
coed and we can soon determine from
his letters or conversation with him
whether he has them.
ITO succeed a salesman must have
complete confidence; he must believe
absolutely in his own ability; he must
have the confidence of his friends or
the tact and personality to gain the
confidence of strangers; and most of
ell, he must have such courage, self
reliance and independence that he will
depend on himself and his own re-
sources and never think Of appealing
10 others for assistance in problems he
should meet and solve alone.
"Such man will have such conf
dence in our line and his ability to
sell it that he will be willing to start
on commission, and pay his own ex-
penses until he makes a sale.
IF he Is temporarily without funds.
he will have enough standing in his
community or among his friends and
tact enough to make a loan covering
his expenses for possibly a week or
two.
"He will have such a belief in our
line as a money maker compared with
the one he is representing that he will
be willing to throw Up his position to
accept our proposition on our terms"
Following is lot more of just such
stuff The man talks as If sales
man was a machine of tempered steel
and brass which would run with the
regularity of a clock or sewing ma
chine. 1t is rarely that salesman is
found who approaches one Of these
machines in any respect, and II he
does, he is usually mediocre. Sales
men are made of flesh and blood just
like other people. A certain amount
of gray matter is placed in their cram
iums. and then they are endowed with
soul Where this is placed or what
| it consists in nobody knows, except
such fellows as the one who wrote the
above clipping. The idea of telling
salesman from his letters and con-
yersation. Many of the most success
full Of the men on the road can't write
a decent letter any better than can
some of the best lawyers. On the
other hand, writer's of the smoothest
letters and the best conversationalists
are dead failures when sent out with
line of goods on the road.
HE must have complete confidence
in himself he must believe absolutely
in his own ability" Ask any old sales
man if there have not been many times
IN ms career WHen ne nau iosL conH-
dence in himself The writer once, in
blue streak, wrote his house re-
signing his job. saying he would have
to send in his samples, as he had lost
his stinger. What did the firm reply?
why just as any sensible house would
do who knew how it frequently hap
pened in life on the road. write to
keep kicking. that business was sure
to come after awhile.
ssalesmanship is the history Of many
ups and downs; the successful ones
/ are those who don't stay down. Some
4 day somebody viii write on salesman
\ ship and write as It Is. The book viii
mot describe these machine statesmen
with such adjustment that there are M
failures, but every mail carries in j