Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1911-03-03
TALK ON ADVERTISING
AND SALESMANSHIP

On Friday night Ben R. Varda-
man, associate editor of the Mer-
chants Trade Journal, spoke at the
| Commercial club rooms in Grants
Pass on the science Of salesmanship.
| Mr. Vardaman is salesman OF
great experience and his clear con-
vincing manner and speech held the
attention of the comparatively large
gathering of merchants and clerks.
He spoke at some length on person
ality and suggestion in salesmanship
and emphasized these two subjects
with telling illustrations which
reminded the merchants present of
many like experiences. During the
lecture he told many amusing stories
appropriate to selling goods, proving
his ability as a raconteur. He said
in part;
In salesmanship there are just
three simple factors, so simple it
seems hardly worth while to name
them They. are yourself, the goods
and the buyer.
The thing one is taught the least
about is ones personality. | have
been in nearly all the universities
and colleges of the states and the
many students whom | have ques-
toned replied they were not taught
their own personality, And the
I same applies to students in business
colleges, with one or two exceptions.
Learn to look at yourself. To-
morrow morning go into your store
and, as it were, watch yourself be-
hind the counter. AS customer
imagine the effect you have on your
self. Consider your personality;
see if it is pleasing-magnetic. Some
of you may have the idea that it is
necessary to be a big, broad-should-
cred man, with piercing eye and
so on. can take you on the street
corner and show you some such big
men and they are repulsive.
1T is the thoughts in your head.
You must have pleasant thoughts
to have a pleasing personality. You
can not think low, dirty tricks and
smile. That is smile a whole-hearted
smile-not grin. Anybody can
artificially grin. Try this experiment:
Go before your mirror and smile
Then hold the smile and think low
hatred-bearing thoughts. You can't
hold the smile
The buyer is lazy; that is, he
takes the easy way-follows the line
of least resistance. Don't put OBJ
stacles in his way Don't expect tc
do much business up sixteen steps OF
stairway, One large store on State
street, Chicago, has carried this idea
so far as to remove the threshold
from the doorway. Make the en-
trance so easy into your store that
the customer may slide in.
In salesmanship use the power
of suggestion. And remember you
can suggest either positive or mega
tive thoughts Never ask a buyer
, If he wants anything. Meet him anC
ask what you can do for him, wha
YOU can get for him. Always suggest
the good points in your merchandise
not the faults. For instance;
bought a wash boiler three or foul
years ago and the dealer said if
found any holes in it at any time tC
bring IL back, as he stood behind anC
guaranteed the article. | never pass
that boiler without thinking to loot
for holes. If | find one | will fee
like sending 1t back-that | have
not got my moneys worth
You go into a confectionery store
and call for | 0 cents worth of choco
late creams The storekeeper puts
too many on the scales and then
. one by one, the creams are put back
until the right weight Is reached. You
watch and think, 'Stingy cuss, he IL
robbing me, and go out of the store
feeling sore, vowing never to &C
there again. Later you go to "OlC
Uncle Bill Skinems" for a dollars
worth of sugar. He scoops out scoop
fu after scoopful and you wonder
IL he is going to give you the bar
rel for your dollar. You leave hiI
store with a smile and tell every
body to go to "Old Uncle Bill Skin
ems" to buy sugar. When you get
home and put the sugar on the
scales you find there Is a pound