SMOOTH SELL'NG

by George N. Kohn, Morkaing Consultont Colyright-Gcorgc

Acquainted With Your Company

IfI were a matlematician I would try work out a formula to prove that the tdqmber of sales you make will depend ou Se amount of knowledge you have about company' ely if he does not know his company his product. Such ignorance can be to sailing a boat without a rudCompany and product information are the very foundation of good salesman-

,'ship. ir Some of you doubting Thomases might

"What about that fabulous salesman, Charlie Smith, who made a million just ing on the strength of his personality; the great Jack Brown, who could charm order from a sphinx?" i,. Personality and charm are fine attrithey are not Lbutes for a salesman, but enough.

CUSfO}IER WANTS FACTS

Today's customer wants facts about your l. frrm. The buyer must be able to trust your l advice and judgment based on those facts.

, The customer is not buying charm and per' i sonality; he is purchasing your product on the basis of what he knows about the

,' producer.

: The guy ahead of you may have given t the prosp€ct a thorough picture of i.is corn' l, panf and its product and services. You can expect the buyer to compare your 'sfier with that of your competition.

I As lrs Ryson, sales manager for a chem' '; ical company, tells his men: t'Remember, that prospect has got a scorecard in his head. Whenever you make your pitch he is mentally adding up your points to see how they stack up with your competitorts."

KI.IOWLEDGE INSPIRES CONFIDENCE

. Company knowledge plays a positive ii ,part in selling. A buyer feels more confi- dence in a salesman who demonstrates that he is familiar with his company's product, "policies, price discounts, organization, credit procedures, key personnel and servicing practices.

Your outfit may be a multi-million dollar corporation with an A-l reputation. But to your prospect or customer 500 or 1,000 miles frorii headquarterg your company is you.

But let's forget about the prospect lor a moment. I want to concentrate on you. Factual information about your company and product is bound to increase your confidence in yourself and make you a better salesman.

If you know your outfit is well organ' ized, progressive and reliable, you'll feel better about working for it. A salesman can't do his best for a company he knows little or nothing about. It always gave me a good feeling to know that my firm was financially sound, well regarded and kept its word with both its salesmen and cus' tomers.

SELIING T}IE COMPANY F]RST

What should you know about your com' pany? Experienced and successful salesmen I've discussed this matter with put these items at the top of their list:

1. History and development.

2. Size, including branches, divisions and other holdings or subsidiaries-

3. Financial structure. The buyer wants to know he's dealing with a sound firm.

4. Reputation. If you can truthfully boast about your comPanY's rePuta' tion you've got a.fine selling point.

5. Everything about the produc! start' ing with the raw material.

6. Company's distribution system. Your firm's outlets should be ingrained in your mind.

7. Credit policies. Be sure you're right on this or you can be in hot water with both the customer and your boss.

8. Handling of orders. The salesman should know how the order is proc' esSed, routed, etc. He should also find

REPRIIYrS FrOR YOUR SALESMEN each artlcle in thls series ls_exDanded to aDDroximatelv zil)O words-includes a self-evaluation qulz- ig prlnted td 2 colors lrr a 4 page format, on whlte glossy paper anq ls 8-taole punched to flt any standard 3-rlng blnder prlces are as follows:

I to I coDios (of odDh artlcle) -------------.----50 oonts oach lo to 4e cobl€s (of each ortlcl6) ---"----.'-'87y2 cents oaoh

60 to 89 coilos (ot each erttclo) ..-.-.-----.----.-90 cents oach l0O or Doro-coplos (of €ach srtlcl6) .---.-------26 coDtr oach

The enure serles may be pre-ordered or tndlvldual arllcleq-m-ay--be ordered by number . . . addresg orders to rieorge N. I(ahn Co., Markethg out who at the plant is responsible for the processing, amount of inventory and the billing system.

INFOR'IAATION sOURCES

This kind of data is available to the salesmen from several sources. They include sales training programs, sales conferencrs, plant tours, promotional literature, financial reports, employee publications, brochures, sales kits and manuals.

And don't forget the best source of allthe people in your company. Ask questions whenever you need information.

Plant tours, guided or unguided, are a must for the man who wants to [pild up his product and company knowledge.

An eastern sales nalrager compels his men to visit the factory at least twice a year. The trip is then discussed at a sub' sequent sales meeting attended by the heads of other departments.

Your company's annual financial report is easily available and will take only an hour of your time to read and digest it.

If you're just breaking in with a firm, ask old customers what they think of it. Chances are that youoll get a flock of en' dorsements that you can profitably os. with prospects; I alivays found my regular customers eager to. plug the firm.

Here is a self-survey to find out if you do know your company and are using the information to help you make sales. If you can answer "yes" to nine or more questions, youtre moving toward success.

HAVE YOU }IET YOUR CO'VTPANY?

1. Do you really read company literature, manuals -' civeir yout Yes fl No tr

2. lf a prospect stumps you with a quest'ton about your'firm, do you do anything about it? Yes! NoE

3. Are vou interested in the operation of other deoartments? Yes fl No tr

4. Have vou ever visited the production line at your cbmpany? Yes ! No tr

5. Could you this minute describe your firm's distributidn system? Yes ! No tr

6. Do you have a pretty good idea of your outlit's finincial structure? Yes E No D

Can vou honestlv tell a orospect how his order will be handledi Yes E No tr

Do you know your tirm's inventory on products you sell? Yes ! No tr

Do you feel customers have confidence in you? Yes fl No tr

Do you keep a file on company data?

YesI NoE

Do you worry about dot having enough knowl edge about your firm? Yes I No !

Do you know the actual size of your company?

Yesn NoI qonsllltan-ts, S4es- T?al4ing pivision, Serylce Department, Empire Stat€ Bulldhg, New York, N.Y. 10001. Artlcle titles are:

1. Ih6 Solesnan lr o VJ.P.

2. Are You A Salosman?