The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-27
Honesty Now
Best Policy in
Salesmanshib
Old Method of Getting
Business by Back Door
Not Countenanced

,~iIE world" declared the var
nlsh manufacturer who was
reviewing conditions in his
trade. "is getting better. l
know. because I can easily recall the
tine when most Of the varnish used
In the furniture factories meant a
commission to the foremen Of the
Flushing rooms Of those factories.
Now. | honestly believe, 1t Is the ex-
cep,ion and not the rule for a sales
mai to have to get his orders on the
strength OF standing In with a graft
ms foreman finisher."
The situation referred to wa BY no
means unique. and had It's counterpart
IN other lines Of business, 1t devel-
oped . system which was subject to
abuse az every point. The employer
may not have realized 1t, but he paid
the commission. and frequently sven
moro: and II was only when q striking
discovery was made that the manu-
fAoturer reaii0oo 9ho o'" enoc's o tho
system.
Tho story - told Of . foreman An
.sher who had bought . homo and
had q payment coming due. His reg
ular wages. plus the money he made
out Of the varnish business. were not
sufficient to enable him to a as
much as he needed. 30 he adopted
the only way that seemed open. he
increased the consumption Of varn1sh.
The office finally became aware that
the COST on finishing materials was
abnormally n ~unreasonably high,
and made an investigation. 1t was
then discovered that most or the var
nish had been going into the sewer!
The foreman finisher was paid by the
varnish salesman for every barrel he
used. and he had adopted the only
possible way Of speeding up consump-
ton
This awoke the head Of this partic-
ular factory to the fact that graft
paid by a supply salesman to an en-
ployee ia really paid BY the employer
in the long run. II has to be charged
into selling e somehow. and
selling expenses snow IN 0elllnR prices,
and when the system ENCOURAGES
v.ste n, IN the instance cited. nothing
more need be said regarding its emil
ns,s undesirability.
Tha varn,sh concerns and thoo. IN
consuminp lines have been working to
hing about an Improvement in con-
A,,or. howaver ana havs succeeded
q, ao,no 40 Tn fac n IN declared
,ho, 4, 4. IA ,oryar NECESSARY 70 ret
nm.,,... 40 ,ha hacL door M the fac
,orv b., uating a nrivate arrnnRe-
-. -y.h a.. an,.har hvt that ~ A..
"H.IS,' 90. ord .a-t,sfactorv 70 40
a..a a-,,h ,h. noon,a IN N. from,
O@"
.un.,.a hou.v.r m. =. rn,sh
"a .ho,rh ,h. comm,ss,on rrsft
go -. All .n,ay chat ~ wa. IN.
.ansnunor. narhans ua. NO,
,nSan, ~. uhsra ,ha hack dor avs.
Wv n pr,,,n. ,nL u.ad 20 r.
-, iaraa,v tha somo uay and n
oonnnts.Ions an 4, y,ere ,hs graft ~
-" n, Course not .ysry
,.on mas ION tho sta N" ~ an ink
-, "a no, oy,sry InI m~anufac-
- svh-ni,,sd 70 this levy I'm, the
ar-araaman. u,as In rather general
nsa -, ,hat
rba nrir,irc establishment Maid the
Nh airao,r, e. ,nd,rectIv n, course
ga ~ sona trstances a ,tt,e more
Owe nm ,nl salesman managed TO
doma,,-,a 81. o,oII,v ~ hi.
- 80 - 90 c,.ar,v that the
- 1es - ,ry a barre, Thu
nroesuan 80 4, os b,s on,n,on tina,
~ ,an, - u,as In ,,so was thu
has. ,ha, oa,,Ia ,o hough, ard strenu.
81, -nnasaa ,ha nrrchase of the
49,
VIII -, moto horr., wos de,,v-
o-ad w. shooL VIE head doubtfnllv. a,
,bo,aL 80 sroaas, ,ba, tho CONCERN
was runnIng big chances
4 uttle later he came TO the boss
with a ,a,s nf woe.
Como down and look at the plates
We have on the lob press" he said.
The nrln+er looked and found that
,tev had boen badly scratched. The
new ink v.os 70 blame. and the press
man was a, once told to change back
+, tho oId
I,tle LATER ON the salesman who
had sofa Tho ipk came around 10 see
t,w ,ho samrIa uos working and the
nr,p,ar corIa hardly RESTRAIN himself
IN 5escrlhing tho results.
@ '-' fFA'H Nf'N 1850