Forging Ahead in Business

by Alexander Hamilton Institute

There are three different kinds of things that must be considered by everyone who has anything to sell. One group of considerations has to do only with personal salesmanship and sales management. Another has to do only with advertising. Still a third is concerned solely neither with personal salesmanship nor with advertising, but is common to both. Before an effective force of salesmen can be selected and trained and an advertising campaign mapped out, the plan behind the personal selling and advertising campaign must be devised—the marketing methods must be determined.

The considerations here may be grouped under three heads: the goods to be sold, the market for the goods, and the methods of reaching that market.

A number of questions must be asked and answered about the things to be sold. For example: Is there a ready demand or must one be created? Is the commodity a necessity or a luxury? Is it subject to seasonal variations? Is the trade-mark well known? And so on.

The first part of the Text, Marketing, concerns the problems of the manufacturer; the second part, Merchandising, treats of the problems of the dealer, both wholesaler and retailer. Between them they present a complete picture of the processes by which goods reach the consumer, and reveal the tendencies in modern distribution.

Salesmanship and Sales Management

Salesmanship: The power of personal salesmanship Staples, branded staples and specialties Selling process—preliminary to the interview Selling process—the interview Selling process—the agreement Selling process—miscellaneous Human appeals that sell Development of character and caliber The salesman's duties and responsibilities Cooperation, influence and friendship Sales management: The sales manager—his qualifications and duties Building an organization—selecting men Building an organization—training salesmen Selling methods and the selling equipment Compensation and territory Sales records Cooperation with salesmen Sales contests Sales conventions

There is no subject which is more universally interesting to everyone in business than selling.

Salesmanship in its broadest sense is essentially the selling of one's point of view, the ability to start with the other fellow's point of view and lead his mind to accept yours. When an individual endeavors to influence another, he is practising salesmanship. In this broad sense, everyone will profit by a knowledge of the principles of salesmanship and selling methods.

In this portion of the Modern Business Course, the salesman is shown the necessity of learning something of his prospect previous to the interview. Suggestions are also made for getting to see the buyer. The developments in a sale are discussed in such a way as to enable the salesman to build an effective, man-to-man transaction, and the human appeals that sell are outlined.

After discussing the qualifications and duties of the sales manager, methods to be employed in the selecting, training and handling of men are detailed. The training of retail sales people is discussed. The planning of the salesman's equipment, the building of a sales manual, the apportionment of territory are gone into. Methods of keeping sales records and statistics are outlined; directions given for the handling of sales contests and conventions, the editing of a house organ, and the apportioning of quotas.