SNN@@TH SELLING

by George N. Kohn, Morketing Consultonl CoPynght-Ceorge N. Kahn

Keep Off the Blqck Lisl

Some salesmen have a near Per' fect knack for getting on customers' black lists. Worse still, they often don't realize they are doing wrong.

Now a black list is seldom a for' mal roster. Word is simply Passed throughout a particular industrY that Salesman o'A" is unreliable, dis' honest or incompetent. So he finds it hard, if not impossible, to get or' ders. He may even be unaware that he is on the black list.

False claims 6an put a salesman on the black list. Leo Frost, a Pen and pencil salesman, calls on a cus' tomer, who is about to give him onlY a small order. To induce a larger one, Leo lets fall the remark that the buyer's competitor, a big stationery store, has bought 600 dozen of the same pencil.

The customer seems proPerlY im', pressed but excuses himself, ostensi' bly to attend to a matter in another part of the store. Instead he calls the competitor, an old friend, and tells him of the salesman's claim.

"He's lying," the other buyer saYs. otl only took 50 dozen."

That telephone conversation spelled Leo's doom.

He was caught trying to Pull a fast one and he lost the faith of his customer and probably many others.

ENTHUSIASTIC, BUT

Enthusiasm is a desirable quality in a salesman, but don't let it cloud your judgment or common sense. Claims should be accurate enough to withstand scrutiny. A door-to-door seed vendor can often get away with wild claims, but he isn't counting on repeat business. You are. If you think vou can flim-flam a customer in January and then get another order from him in March, you are sadly mistaken. He'll remember your duplicity even if your next call is a year later.

Price Poticy

Youore headed for trouble when you free-lance on the discounts. ' One example involved the sale of band instruments to a high school. An eager salesman promised the school district's purchasing agent a more than generous quantitY dis' count.

The ofier far outstriPPed that of competing firms and the Purchasing agent snapped it up.

The discount was too good. The company had not authorized it and would not grant it. The salesman barely held on to his job, but it didn't do him much good. The buY' er belonged to an association of school purchasing agents. At the group's next meeting the duPed agent spread the word of the sales' manos conduct. From then on the latter found every school door closed to him in that area.

Misrepresenting

Never make any claims for Prod' ucts that cannot be suPPorted bY facts. If your tire will last for 20,000 miles don't try for 28,000. If your paint will survive two seasons, don't bill it as a life-time coating.

All of the above contain a one way passa€le to the black list. If cus' tomers can't rely on your word they won't buy from you and they won't recommend you to others.

Seventy-five years ago communi' cation in industry was slow. A salesman or drummer could treat a customer badly in one town and move on to another with no ill consequence. His reputation seldom caught up with him. Today, the salesman's reputation follows him wherever he goes. His conduct with one buyer may afiect is relationship with a hundred others, A drug salesman can give himself a black eye in the whole pharmaceutical in' dustry just by misrepresenting a product to one dealer.

DON'T GOSSIP

The salesman is in a better Posi' tion than most to carrY and rePort gossip. He travels a lot, meets manY people and gets about socially. Some salesmen, unfortunately, make it a practice to tell tales about their cus' tomers and competitors. TheY be' lieve it endears them to their listen' ers. Far from it.

The buyer is no fool. I{ You tell him stories about his eomPetitoro he'll figure out that you will Pick him as the next target for gossiP.

Many customers will object to gos' sip on moral grounds.

I know of a salesman who re' peated what he had heard about a customer on the verge of bankruPt' cy. In the first Place the rePort wasn't true; in the second place the rumor had been started by an enemY competitor of the customer'

The salesman's relationshiP with his customer should be the same as that of doctor-patient and lawyerclient. The very fact that a buYer confides in you means that he likes and respects you. Fail him and You risk losing not only his friendship but his business.

Are you managing to stay off the black list, whether among Your customers or your companY? If You can answer otyes" to nine of the following questions, you're probably in good standing wherever You go: l. Do you refrain from sprcading gossip abouf your customers and competitots? YesE Notr

2. Can you back up your claims for your produbt or service? Yes n No tr

3. Are you sure of your facts when you quote a discount? Yes E No tr

4. Are you constantly aware of the import' ance-of vour reputation and the relation of reputatidn to iales? Yes n No tr

5. Are you dedicated to the truth in selling? YesE Notr

6. Do you strive to make yourself welcome when you call on a customer?

Yesn Notr

7. Do you respect the confidence of your customers? Yes n No tr

8. Have you ever been told that you have a good reputation in your field? Yes! Notr

9. Have you had a pat on the back lately from your boss? Yes E No tr

10. Do you think you deserved it? Yes! Notr ll. Do you value friendship in business? Yesn Notr

12. Are your customers also your friends? YesE Notr

By R. V. PETERSEN executive secletary

A CURRENT statement from the ^ Department 9f Agriculture maintains that 'orural America is growth country.tt

The Farmers Ffome Administration is moving to help prove the claim. Charged with the responsibility in rural areas for administering a significantly expanded construction loan program, the Falmers Home personnel are actively {isseminating details of the program throughout Montana. In close cooperation with these people, MBMDA was able to schedule a series of wonkshop meetings to acquaint member and non-member dealers with the various aspects of the program.

Since by definition rural areas include communities of up to 5500 population, the great majority of Montaha dealers is directly concerned with the provisipns of the program and with the sales opportunities offered by it. Loan provisions are de-