ADVERTISING AND SALES ORGANIZATION
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this book is to teach neither the art of advertising nor the science of salesmanship, but rather to set forth some of the principles that must be applied in the organization of the advertising and sales department; in particular, to discuss the machinery of the department—its record-keeping systems.
Opinions differ as to the proper place in a business organization of advertising and sales—whether they should be handled by, and considered as, two separate and distinct departmental organizations, or one. Both plans have their champions.
Whether we call it an advertising or a sales department, the results sought—the reasons for the existence of the department—are the same. To sell goods is the aim of the organization, be its head an advertising manager or a sales manager.
Advertising has been defined to be printed salesmanship; yet there is a well-defined dividing line between the work of the advertising man and the salesman. The advertising man seeks to impress the name of the house and the name and quality of its product, on the public mind; to create interest; to arouse curiosity; to stimulate desire; to attract people to the store—in a mercantile business. The salesman seeks to turn that interest, curiosity, desire, into action—the action of purchase.
The advertising man introduces the possible customer; the salesman makes the sale. But in some businesses, the advertising man goes one step farther and actually makes the sale—as in advertising intended to secure direct orders, by mail. Also, the salesman, when the customer has been introduced, makes use of other forms of advertising, to further stimulate desire and assist in making the sale.
No matter at what angle the subject is viewed, it is seen that the advertising man and the salesman are very dependent on each other. We prefer, therefore, to consider the sales and advertising departments as of equal importance; both subordinate parts of the sales division but working in perfect harmony.