Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-06-22
co.
MAKES HISTORY
ReorganizeS Entire Sales Force
During One Week and
Breaks Record.

When the Industrial history Of the
twentieth century is finally written its
most thrilling chapters viii almost
surely be those that tell the story Of
the motor carts sudden dash to pop
ularity. its marvellous manufacturing
successes and It's costly tectical fall
ures. So say men learned in the lore OF
the business world Certain ii is at
any rate, that no department of the
worlds manufacturing history has yet
furnished so great an amount Of in
dustrial romance
News of the latest feat Of this Kind
comes. as one has learned to expect,
from Detroit In one week firm man
ufacfuring annually an output market
ed at $4,000. 600. completely reorgan-
tied the executive personnel Of it's sys-
TEN 81 distribution and then, with the
new organization in charge, scored
sales success during the first month,
that eclipsed all its former records for
= similar period.
How this was done without in the
least disturbing the progress Of busy
selling season is a story OF vital inter
est 10 every business man
The Arm is the Studebaker Corpora
tion. whose mammoth automobile d.
vision. manufacturing EMF go" and
FLANDERS go cars, maintains a round
dozen plants The Studebakers mar
ket their product through a system of
40 branch warehouses and service sta
lions in the main trading centers. Each
4 tn. 70
part Of the 2,20O StGdebaker dealers I'm
its torrihory The branch managers
make all contracts and, to practical
ends each Is the Studehaker Corpora
lion in his own region
A combination of circumstances
made it advisable in the Judgment Of
the Studebaker management, to elimi-
nate a certain element in its sales de-
partnent The change involved the
sales manager, his assistant and the
managers Of nearly third OF the
FIRMS branches
To the automobile world the emer
eency seemed unexpected Such was
however far from the truth.
When Germany decided to go to war
with France General VonMoltke took
from a certain r.eeon hole in his desk
a complete plan of campaign drawn
up months before. When his emer-
gency came. General Manager Gum
Of the Sudebaker Corporation. did viz
tually the same thing
An experienced sales manager. Err
nest r. Benson, was already in wait
ing. With him a 5 assistant came Ar
thur l. Philip. also a man peculiarly
ftted for his work. For every branch
in which change was necessary there
was ready the assignment OF man
ager, every appointee carefully school
ed for his particular job
The change was made during the
first week of May Almost on that
exact date the automobile buying pub
lie made concerted onslaught on
Studebaker dealers, which disposed of
virtually every car on their floors, and
this despite the fact that the company
had made most generous provision for
the expected rush Several Of the
branches where changes we're made
were among the sales lea ders for the
month.
Incident 10 the revision and harmon
izing Of the sales department. Sales
Manager Benson announces a complete
list OF the new branch manager APP
pointments
All these men are now hrnly estab-
lished in their new positions. the
change having been effected without,
SO far as known, interfering with the
sale Of single car or the disanection
Of q single dealer