The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-01

good big order. or like setting the
dog on him?
When the matter is presented In
this way, II is not difficult to under
stand why a good many smart sales
men have failed In their attempts to
make Latin American another in their
lists OF conquests.
Question of Language.
Along this same line comes the
question of catalogues and CORES
pondence How can 1t be possible that
well informed business men want to
know whether II is necessary to have
n translation made of their catalogues,
and why they cannot carry on cores
pondence in Engiand with the people
of the Latin countries?
We beg that these inquiries will put
themselves in the place of the pros
pective Latin American recipient of
the catalogue or correspondence.
III a salesman entered your store
with all his catalogues printed in Span
$h, would you be as likely to do bus
ness with him as you would be to give
your order to a man of any nationality
who should bring You catalogues in
] English
THE buyer has a natural curiosity.
to say nothing of the suspicion that
T always attaches to anything which ono
does not fully understand. and the
mysterious book with its handsome
cuts, presented by an unknown sales
man. ~ a poor introduction to the con-
fidence of the average buyer. he may
keep the catalogue as curiosity. hop
ing some day that ne may be able 70
learn the English LANGUAGE by a study
of its contents, but as catalogue II
has no present nor future value.
Letters Uninteiiigibie.
Then consider the lack of courtesy
and consideration implied by reply TO
A letter which you have written when
you cannot understand one word that
| has been written to you. This Is not
/ center Of population, where he can
most always encourage some one who
can translate anything from French to
/ Eskimo, but It is n real hardship to
the man who may have written be-
cause he needs some article in "A great
! hurry for use on his hacienda, and
who. after weeks. gets a letter which
he cannot read. and which no one
on the place can make head or tail
of "
lie simply says TO himself that he
is through with such a careless way
of donG business, and that man
Tho & guilty Of such thouchtiess dis
| courtesy IS not the man with whom he
wishes to do business
"A mistake OF this kind may cause
/ the inquirer loss OF several hundred
thousand dollars il. for instance, he
has set a date for the harvesting OF
the coffee and it Is found thai the
! bearings OF the pulper are in bad
shape.
/ HE writes to an American house,
saying: Let me know by cable If yo,,
! cannot furnish me with the desired
/ parts
Sometimes ne recipient does not
I take even the trouble to have the In
curry translated and the buyer waits
until hope Is gone. and he must buy
from the European house that has o
ira nsla:or on It's staff, having learned
the necessity OF keeping closely In
touch with all inquiries from the for
eis-n field.
Would you do business with per-
son who was so lacking III his courte-
Gus treatment of your inquiries? Ger
tainly not.
I'm answering foreign correspon-
dent it is not only courtesy but COM
mon sense to answer the latter in
a language which he will be able to
understand. tor then there is less
chance Of unpleasant misunderstand-
ings which may lead to great trouble
and worry.
Transiators Needed.
TT is the simplest thing in the world
/ TO encounter men OF all nationalites.
/ in any Of the large centers of popula-
| tion In this country, and most Of them
are glad to make translations for a
very nominal sum.
! 1.-THE foreign business houses OF con
tinental Europe have gotten the best
/ of Latin American trade because they
/ have gone after It. There have been
no slap-dash, haphazard methods emf
! ployed. but they have trained men to
! treat with the men with whom they
wish TO do business. and can meet the
! fore!gner on his own ground, both as
regards Language and methods. and AL
understanding of his life aud needs.
| ."rhis enables Thorn to not onay
| handle his business intelltgently. but
enables them also TO create markets
| by drawing his ntAnttou 70 needs which