The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-18

I answered quickly. had figured man!
times in the last three months. g -Four thou
sand dollars year.
Why?" The one word came from him Tx
ii shot out Of gun. bur knew what wa
talking about and answered.
Because sold $4,000 worth of goods a
strictly list price last year. Ten per cent Il
fair. equitable sales expense, don't 20,
think soT' He NODDED. and continued. M,
travelling expenses were 1900 which leaves
$4,000 on a 10 per cent basis. That's why
say am worth"
He waved his hand and stopped me- &C
out and tell the cashier you are on our pay
roll at 1900 year. Today Is Friday. Spend
this afternoon and tomorrow morning COINS
through our factory. and be in your territory
Monday morning"
Here was. hired without being even asked
IL were willing. This procedure only cor
responded with what I had always heard
about Silas Crabb and his ways. But ha6
an idea In my head. and was perfectly will
ing to go to work for the Empire company
provided they would give me a chance 70
work It out.
Mr. Crsbb. I want to make a special ar
rangement with your sales manager about
territory"
He snapped: :" have no sales manager
don't need one. Make the arrangement with
me-"
81 don't care to work on a regular territory.
1'wsnt to be free lance and get credit for all
the sales make irrespective Of their loca-
ton as long as I don't sell concerns already
customers of the house"
fully expected to be called upon to deliver
a ina 81 h,,. hk
took my statement at its face value.
All. right. Don't care what you do or
where you sell as long as you do sell. Be on
the Job Monday somewhere with price book.
All I want is orders
As I turned TO go he asked a question.
Heming, what is your ambitionT
Without moments hesitation I answered.
" To earn a million dollars
He grunted, A" Earn a million dollars, fatIy
turned his back and looked OUT Of the win
dow
The interview was over and walked out
Of the Office
Ny request to Crabb for free lance license
without any restricted territory was based
upon the fact that had carried in my head
for long time an idea that wanted TO work
out
As a matter Of fact. guess I accepted a
position with him as much TO get a chance to
put my thought into operation as for the sake
OF the extra thousand a year.
Twas built that way those days-hope am
still. I'd hate to lose that feeling Of being
able to sacrifice cash to try out new idea
Here was my thought:
Most Of our sales at that time were made
direct to the deeler and shipped through Job
bers. Remember this was years ago. And
for that matter the situation exists In many
lines today.
The tobber with little or no work except
that Of handling the goods was drawing
down a nice fat profit on every sale we made.
His men covered the territories, 1t Is true.
hut they made practically no new accounts
just kept on going the rounds and lining up
recorders. The Empire Manufacturing COM
pany's men opened all the new accounts and
helped keep the old ones lined up.
And on the face OF It. this paying the jobbe r
and turning the orders over to him looked
like a necessary evil.
You see an individual retailers purchase
OF our product dtd not amount to a whole lot
The jobber could sell him several other arti-
lies that he was in need OF and by combtn-
ing the shipments save him 30 much In
afford to buy direct from US And. owing to
the manufactures recognition of this con.
dition We were not trying to sell him direct
Now, my idea was to split the jobbers'
profit on our line with the merchant and sell
him at the same time enough of other lines
he needed to make up a shipment which would
insure mis- minimum freight rates
The inducement to the merchant. of course.
saving da AZ nd W
could also offer him little lower prices on
he other lines as we'll
wild idea'you say. Perhaps, but wait
i'll you hear the rest
Eliminating the Jobber In this way would
lot only give US more profit on the goods we
odd. but would put US in direct touch with
our trade at all times-keep US so close to the
'etailer that competition would be headed on
And profits on the several other lines we sup
lied would be ample to pay us for handling
hem; entirely apart from the leverage they
rave US to place our own goods direct
You will see that / was a good deal of a
reamer those days
had thought out my ieea carefully
Torked out every detail and knew my ground
every foot Of it. At least so thought
In my mind was the certainty Of success
he kind Of confidence that makes eventual
nccess certain.
The house l had been working Tor was old
nd conservative-nonprosr to put It
luntly-and the reception met with when
lied to submit my idea to our Gales manager
as one Of the things that put me in the right
Iood to change firms.
To be frank. / was a trihe afraid to sub
lit my proposition to Silas Cratb, although
had fully Intended to when 1 went in his
ice. Guess he sort Of threw a scare into
e."
50 with my free lance commission was 60
Ig on the road to work out my own saliva
on.
II failed. could always get another poa-
kind. Sales ability Is at pre-
flHlu'aN