SMOOTH SELL'NG

by George N. Kohn, Markaing Consufiqnl Copyight-Georgc N, Kahn

THE SATESMAN IS A V.I.P.

There is a foolish idea in some circles that selling is not dignified. For this attitude we shower blame on the colleges, the professors, and anyone else within range. Rarely does anyone put the blame where it really belongs-on the salesman himself.

Selling will never' achieve its rightful status in the business world until salesmen start thinking of themselves as Very Important People. The salesman's image in the public's mind will improve only when he starts giving himself a higher rating. You can't convince prospects of the value of your product or your company unless you can first convince them of your own value.

Nate Yoursetf High

The salesman who speaks apologetically of his vocation or derides his colleagues is simply cutting his own throat. When the salesman gloats of "pulling a fast deal," he is doing great harm to himself and his proIession. In short, if you talk and act like a sidewalk pitchman, that's the way you'll be treated.

Management is much quicker to recognize the salesman's importance than he is himself. Businessmen know that creation of demand is a vital factor in their profit and loss statements. These days all top exeeutives and even technical personnel are sales oriented. Engineers must think like salesmen to design products that appeal to consumers. Even the production department must gear its effort to a sales campaign.

Saiesiien Are First Ctass Citizens

The salesman is the key person without whom there would not be any business. But many salesmen behave like second class citizens-and too often that's the kind of reception they get in a prospect's office.

I remember running into an old friend, Jack Creswell, whom I hadn't seen in years. I asked him what he was doing. Jack smiled deprecatingly and said he was 'oon tlle road" for a flooring company, adding: o'lackr" I said, "there is probably nothing wrong with the job except yourself. Before you move to what you think are greener pastures, why not give this job your best. If you think of yourself as a failure in selling you'll wind up as one. But if you see this as an opportunity to push ahead to success, your future is assured."

"Of course, this is just until'l can find something better."

He made his job sound as if he were washing dishes in a cheap hash house.

I think the advice took. because Jack stayed in selling with the flooring company and becarne a top producer with a loyal following of customers. Years later he told me: ooYou hit pretty hard that day, George, but you opened my eyes to what I was and what I could become."

NO ROO'IA FOR A'YIATEUTS

In today's competitive market there is no room for amateurs and dabblers in selling. For those who really want to make selling a career, there is a rich reward. But you must be willing to work for it.

Selling has its problems, heartaches and frustrations. It's a lonely job. But these very factors are what separate the men from the boys.

Millions of people are embedded in dull, prosaic jobs that afrord them little or no excitement, drama or challenge. The salesman can look forward to steady growth and can enjoy a stimulating, lively life on the way. His future is limited only by the strength of his desire to succeed.

Frontier Of Selting

The trouble with many uninspired salesmen is that they don't understand the dynamics involved in selling. They are really clerks at heart whose horizons are limited.

The earnest, imaginative salesman can write his own ticket to wherever he wants to go. I7ith faith in himself, drive and the right tools, he can make big money and dimb high in his firm.

But he must feel and act important to accomplish this goal. He must think of

REPRINTS FOR YOUR SALESMEN each artldle in thls sertes is ex- panded to approxlmately 20fi) words-includes a self-evaluatlon qulz- ts printed ln 2 colors in a 4 page format, on white glossy paper and is 3-tiole punched to llt any stalndard S-rine blnder .-. pribei rire as follows:

I to 0 copior (ot each artlcle) ...-.-.-....-.----50 conts sach 10 to 4O coplos (ot oaoh &!tlclo) --..--..-..---87y2 conts ooch 60 to 00 coploi (of cacb erlilclc) -...-.....-.,..--80 oontr eech l(X, or moro coplG. (of Gaoh ortlclo) ..........-.26 cent. oaoh

The entlre serles may be pre-order€d or lndlvldual artlcles may be ordered by number . address orders to Goorgo N. lr.nhn Co., Marketing himself as one of the world's key peoplea man who rates high in the scheme of i things.

ACI TIKE A V. I. P.

Do you stride boldly into a prospect's" office or do you sidle in, glancing back atthe door as if it were an escape hatch? Do','i you apologize for taking up a buyer's time? ,i, Do you feel like an intruder in his ofrce? .i

If the answers are yes you are letting '"; yourself, your family and your company down. To be a V.I.P. you must act like ' one. That's the only way to comma,nd re-spect and so sell merchandise. Only then ' will you earn what you are dreaming of i! earning. .'-i

The head of the sales training program j of a big paper manufacturer onee said to .;, me: ,+;

"About the fifth day of the program my ..;11 ltDout me prograrn rtrt .:rr instructors can usually spot those who will ^ be top salesmen. There's somethink about :. their attitude, they handle themselves in a .i .j certain way. They act like they are proud -E ^- I l , T.t- -l--, -,^ t:t ^^!.a to be here. It's almost like getting a suc- ri cessful salesman ready made."

That man put his frnger right on the heart of the matter. Pride. Are you proud ' to be salesman? If not, something is wrong. If you're not proud of your work, chanceg are you are not acting like a Very Im- # portant Person.

Here is a periodic Aptitude Test to en- ! able you to find out what your feelings are t,; toward your selling job. If you can answer .; "yes" to at least seven of ten questions you ,l are probably headed for success. ':, tF YOU SCORE BETOW SEVEN, lT'S TltylE TO TAKE SELF-INVENTORY: l. Do I think of my iob as a real opportunity? YesI Non

2. Do I discuss my work with my wife very often? YesI NoI

3. Would I tell a stranger on a plane H tftltg ,

4. Am I happy in selling? Yes n 1{o []

5. Would I want my son to be a salesman? '; v-^ll^ - YesE No!

6, Do I try to improve my earning power by studying salesmanship, attending meetings, etc.? Yesn Non

7. Do I let prospects do most of the talking? I Yesn Non

8. Do I avoid telling jokes which put salesmen in ,_ an unflattering light? Yes E No E

9. Do I see myself as playing an important part in the economy? Yes I No D

10. Have I really thought about the tremendous future that ii availa-ble to me through selling? : Yes!Nol

Consultants, Sales Training Dlvtsion, Service pepartment, Empire State Buildlng, New York, N.Y. 10001. Article titles are:

1. Tho S&lerman is e VJ.P.

2. Aro You A Sotresman?

$. Got Acquslnted Wlth Your ComDcny

4. You're On-Sta,lo

5. You Con"t FtrC Wlthout Auiiunlfloh

6. You Aro A Gooilwlll Solermon, Too

7. Cloilns The S&l€

E. Eow fo Set Un An Intorvl6w

0, Rclaxlns Betrioen Rounde'

10. Tho Comoetltlon

11. TaJdns .{Rlck

12. Playlng The Short Ga,mo

When orderlng, please mentlon the name of thls publlcatlon.

New Son Jooquin Officers

Despite the staggeringly large bunch of chow and beer they put away, Hoo-Hoo club 3I in Fresno named and elected a good slate of officers and directors at their annual barbecue.

The new slate is: president, Bob Lewis; northern vice-president, Jean J. Hartsock; southern vice-president, Harold Fuerst; secretary-treasurer, Bud Barber, New directors are Jim Duart, Jones Webb" Ed Silva, Duke Nelson, Dick Hipkins and Bert Dennis.

The breakdown on the eats, etc. (urp), prepared by Chef Chet Harshner and his assistant, Bob Schlotthauer, is 3l gallons of beer,127 pounds of prime ribs of beef, 10 gallons of beans, 6 gallons of cole slaw, B dozen ears of roasted corn and 2 dozen Ioaves of sour dough French bread. Also 5 gallons of wine were consumed by the 72 hot, thirsty and hungry guests.

Pioneer Lumbermqn Retires

Chalking up 44 years with one company is no mean feat, especially when 33 of them were sp€nt in one lumberyard!

A retirement dinner was given recently for Ernest Gilbert, who managed the J. W. Copeland Carson City. Nevada yard for more than three decades. Gilbert retires at 74 years of age.

Born in Silver Citv. Gilbert worked sev-

W*tern Lumber t Building Mqteriols MERCHANT

eral years at the stamp mills in that town before coming to the state capitol. In the spring oI 1922 he began work with the then Hobart Estate Company. In 1935, George and Charles Oliver owned this yard, selling in 1943 to Charles Cross, who changed the name to Nevada Lumber.

Gilbert is slated to receive many gifts at Copeland's annual convention in January, 1967, a spokesman said.

Bostitch Merges into Textron

Textron Inc., a widely diversified manufacturing firm has acquired the assets of Bostitch, Inc., in an exchange of stock.

Bostich manufactures staples, staplers, tackers, nailers and similar devices.