The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-07-10
nerican Sellers Lack
His Requisite, Says
Auto Maker
lTIIEVES IN
FRAMING SCHOOL
gests Congress For.
nlate Definite Rules
Of Employment

- HuoH CHALMERS,

DDe u ~ VINO nave tninBs 70
have managed somehow OF
~ TO sell these things. but few
- have ever reduced the selling
- e our business to the scien'
$500 that we have the manufac.
~ o. merchandising ends.
NJ have gone too long on the the
that statesmen were born and
jna6e; that there was no known
kod Of determining whether
e0uld sell goods or not We
o regarded the whole PROPOSE
y to much ~ . game Of chance
1ave selected men ut random,
n1pally because they looked to
o - pretty decent sort Of fel
and were not marked In any
- way that would affect them
3proaching other people.
nWover, al sensible executives
n1ays realize that the matter OF
1870 statesmen Ii not wholly 4
- u taking . chance. We
M lhak there are more or less
~ ut rules that can b fol-
- the employment Of sales
W. realize that We can meas
800 TO some extent - We meas
naterlals: Of course not to the
nnnokical accuracy that We can
IRE materials. but we do know
I've can size up men with rea-
(&oe exactness before we employ
~ 10 quarrel with any OF the
}Hho have made the teaching OF
Snnship . business. I believe
1Daay Of them have done a
p nnpunt OF good My only COM
~ AGAINST some Of them has
mat they have held the sub
NIX salesmanship up In the
TOO much: that they have led
- 10 believe that salesmanship
y thing apart from other things
ma was Q thing that had
NJ and difnculty about 1t. and
rs nan had to have a certain
~ aptitude for this kind OF
tnw before he could be taught
IA goods.
w main reason. I believe. why
~ u considered an extremely
1n1t proposition Is because we
1ealing with the intangible. The
z&roat essential needed In selling
0a. ce course, Is brain power In
6nlesman, and yet the brain In
1tnan being Is something that
barely ever see. and II we do,
! 80 II when It is too late for u
H. OF use any longer to the per
&bo had II.
IN : fault Of the human family
% w always fear the thing which
Y 3 not see or do not understand
have become accustomed Ia
NJ a the concrete SO much
~ seem to lose our sense OF
6ortaon IN measuring our opin-
sSe things thai we do not see.
have been connected with the
0facture Of goods nearly all OF
basiness lifetime. and II took
feome time to realize the differ
between manufacturing and
1T. II fnally dawned upon me
ehe real difference was that In
|I6facturing you are dealing with
tbIe things. which you can con-
almost completely, while In
" you are dealing largely with
Ihoibie things. which are very
& - control.
o1ieve. however, that we have
~ ~ the point now where some
HI q least believe that we can
o6oea reasonable control In the
1tion Of the men necessary to
rykst our goods just as we can In
" men employed in the making OF
j Foods.
1eS al. the one great question
49, selling Of goods Is the en-
1nont Of statesmen. As a matter
~, you can say In one sentence
p0e controlling thing about all
oss. namely--the selection Of
31oht men.
Dolieve We can formulate some
~ plan or . set Of rules which
w ~ used successfully BY all con.
11oG n the employment Of sales.
10 q the very first things to re,
- q = rule IL that no mar
80 10 employed on the first In
1ew. believe that II 10 neecs
- zee . man at least two o
times before you can sire hin
toDoFly. Then, again. believ
= good idea TO have moro thal
onn sce . man before he 1
- I know some concern
~ method Of having ma
10 e. three OF their men. an
49, men get together an
(no1r impressions.