Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-03-14
SINGLE MODEL IS
BETTER FOR SELLING
Treasurer Norton of Case Co. Be-
lieves Increasing Models Do
Not Increase Business
BY II. LEE NORTON
Treasurer j. /. Case L. NJ. Co.

Does increasing the number of
automobile concern, or does it tend to
increase the friction in manufacturing
and decrease the efficiency of the
selling force?
! And while thinking about this ques-
ton, the automobile editor of the
! New York American asked me also to
| tell the visitors to the Palace show
whether the agent or salesman who
insists on representing two or more
makes of cars is more successful than
the agent or salesman who is content
ed to devote all of his time to one
make of machine.
| No two questions have proven Of
greater importance and yet have been
discussed by the trade in general than
these two, and it would be hard to
get any two men to agree on an
answer.
In the first place, conditions have
q great deal TO do with the manu-
facturer who branches out and de-
velops more than one model. Take
for instance, our own company, which
! has announced three models for the
coming year. Demand has made this
necessary to a greater degree than
anything else.
We are represented by over 5000
agents and statesmen in the field, in
addition to seventy-nine branch
houses. Few business organizations
in the world have more cosmopoli-
tan public to deal with than our COM
pany. This means, of course, we
! have to have q more diversified and
elastic selling organization, as well as
Il more varied product, than the fac
tory engaged only in the manufacture
| of one automobile.
Act as Sounding Board
| Much has been written and great
deal more said of the selling organ.
ization which markets the Case pro-
duct. In addition to being the me-
dium through which the sales are
made, the Case representatives play
the part of sounding boards and trans
nit the very feeling and opinions Of
the buyer in every section of the
world to the home office, where it is
dissected and carefully weighed.
And 1t was his influence alone thai
caused the Case company to consider
the plan of expansion in models.
Now, let us take the factory that
has held to the manufacture Of one
model In, of course, the roadster
touring car and limousine types, and
see what has happened. To-day sew
eral of our successful factories are
making a car, while, on the other
hand, 1t has been the expansion OF
models that has wrecked several o1
the institutions engaged in the build.
ing of pleasure cars
In increasing its number of models
no plant in the world was better
equipped or qualified to do SO than
the Case company but 1t was in the
elastic type of salesman or agent thai
| had, through many years of expert
ence, expanded and grew in selling
ability until to-day he is thoroughly
able to handle not only the automobile
but three models of II, that influenced
our company to accede to the demand:
Of the public.
Harbor Wrong Ideas
Many institutions. have had neither
demand for different models nor tho
elastic selling organizations to handle
them, but have branched out with the
idea that the making of different
models would increase the demand fol
their product and make 1t easier t.
secure agents and sell cars.
Then there Is the Independent agen
who invariably believes that to max,
money he has to have not only ONT
make, with one model or with severa
models, but several makes with sew.
eral models. The result is that energy
is wasted and enthusiasm Is lost in the
| complexity of the situation, and the
prospective buyer. who. may have
made up his mind that he wanted thi.
or that car, becomes bewildered ant
is slow in deciding, and maybe los
altogether.
| Our statesmen are taught that wher
a customer wants a thing he should
be led no further off his course thar
Is absolutely necessary. And wher
an agent writes in for the Case line
and mentions that he is handling sew.
eral other makes of cars he is invari.
ably turned down or conditions placed
upon him that make it necessary that
he at least devote his best energy to-
ward disposing ofya single make ot
machine rather than several makes
OF ears