Evening star., 1915-11-30

auires more attention than has been
gwen to 1t. 1t requires more engineers
and more real statesmen. Statesmen are
scarce and they always will be. although
any man who will apply his energies to it
can become thoroughly capable sales
man If directed by men who have had
experience in the business and possess
consistent conception of the possibilities
in it.
Now is good time for men with tech
meal training to become statesmen: also
the time for salesmen to acquire more
technical knowledge 1t is the time for
every company to reorganize and train
new business departments: time for every
company to put itself in an attitude to-
ward the pubic of desiring more business.
Need of Trained Talent.
machines and automobiles was in
pioneer days marvel but simple
process now compared to selling them
Gas service also now needs more train
ed talent to sell it than to make it.
and the talent lies in being able to sell il
in various forms of service This
talent cannot be commanded al
two or three dollars per day per
man. and is not floating over the coun-
try looking for work. 1t has to be
trained and trained by an experienced
organization
We handicap ourselves with the as
sumption that the public knows more
ihan II actually does ahout the scrv-
ice We have 70" sale. We fdl to pro-
vide facilities to find the numerous
products and operations. than can be
favorahly affected by the Introduction
of gas. The uses for heat that mis-
be found in many manufacturing con
Gems Tar exceed the uses for power.
Opportunities for good patronage are
delayed today by the need of trained
salesmenA These delays may require
years to recoup. Just from lack of
telligent explanation. oil or electrical
equipment may be installed, the new
investment by the customer postpones
any other change. The manufa cturer
gets rid OF coal which is the important
thing to him. We cannot expect the
customers to wait forever on US nor
to adopt all of our set ideas as to their
progress.
Merchants Demand individuality.
Merchants long ago indicated that
they wanted individuality in their
lighting. We were slow to show them
the easy way. We thought only of
selling gas and they wanted lighting
service i'll variety. They wanted show
windows lighted every night with dusk
till midnight service-this was very
important advertising service to the
store, but we only thought of selling
gas a the meter and not of selling
advertising. II was no harder to de-
wise shut -off for gas than it was for
the electrical switch. Again. homes
and restaurants that required large
and well made equipment, found the
cheapest of it's kind at the local gas
office.
''Mercha ndsing has been neglected or
conducted at loss. The public is
ready to pay a profit on appliances. in
stallation work and for expert sales
men and demonstrators. II pays for
these things on nearly everything else
it buys, and pays cheerfully. The pub
lie is not SO stingy as we think il is.
1t does not begrudge instructive adver-
tising or convenient and attractive
showrooms. 1t knows that these things
broaden the output. in time lessons the
price and is consequently saving to
them. 1t likes to see good service,
good goods, buy them and have them
delivered in style. 1t wants color and
art on scent grocery packages and
prefers automobile delivery to wagon.