The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1921-12-29
COMMERCIAL SELLING
Continued from, page y

glamour or fascination upon the profession.
Salesmanship is, however, the hardest kind
OF work and it requires man with excel
lent health and an abundance of vitality
to withstand the irregular hours, loss of
sleep, and eating meals at some of the
small town hotels, where food is often very
poorly cooked. The greatest displeasure
perhaps arises when it becomes necessary
to catch an early morning train, leaving
nice warm bed behind and stepping out
into the cold bleak atmosphere; so as to be
on territory at nine o'clock in order to
make the required number of daily calls.
That is when salesman wishes that he
had never began selling career. After
period Of eight months or so on the road
that so-called glamour soon wears of; all
hotels begin to look alike and your selling
proposition becomes daily grind as well
40 any other occupation; if you consider
your chosen profession "a grind1" The
majority of the statesmen look forward to
the time when their travelling days shall
be at an end, when they. can settle down
and enjoy the comforts of home life, the
life that all men deserve and which most
men look forward to.
A man in the selling end of business is
invariably picked for the executive posi-
ton ahead. His experience on the road in
calling on trade, meeting business men
and the general public, has made him a
keen judge of human nature, broad
minded business man, qualities which
would enable him to become an excellent
credit man, salesmanager, advertising
manager, or general business executive.
The future for salesman is therefore
bright if he will constantly keep at it,
striving and always putting forth his best
efforts to have his name appear at the
head Of the monthly sales list. thus show
ing the house that he Is the livest wire on
their sales organization.
Most concerns before sending man out
on the road, place him at work in the fac
tory where he Is enabled to become
thoroughly acquainted with the manu-
featuring end Of the business, the goods he
il going to SELL the raw material etc. A
thorough knowledge of the goods to be sold
10 matter of the most vital importance
to salesman. The salesman who knows
bis goods from A to z is usually an inter-
est;ng talker and consequently one who
gets the business. He goes out into his
territory with feeling of confidence;
when he meets the customer he becomes 80
interested in his goods and what he is
saying that he commands constant atten-
ton, and is able to point out the features
and the superior qualities of his goods 80
intelligently that he creates interest and
which usually leads up to the customers
willingness to buy. The salesman who
knows his goods and is interested in his
work will sometimes even surprise himself
BY bis eloquence.
Politeness and courtesy play a big part
in selling as well a. in any other business
Many statesmen 60 into their territory not
wholly aware Of that fact it seems, but
usually find it out in very short time.
The customer will not stand for any i'm
pertinence on the part of a salesman or
have any time for the man who assumes
IN air Of importance and endeavors to tell
him how to run his business. The custo-
mef when confronted nv a salesman rs
this type usually wastes very little time in
showing him the door. In discussing a
subject which results in an argument and
it il plainly discernable that to convince
the customer Of his error is we'll nigh an
impossibility, il is often a good policy to
accede to his opinion in the matter and
allow him to believe that he il right even
though you know positively that he is not.
This is . business policy that has long
been in effect a one of the largest mer-