A large quantity of such literature, distributed indiscriminately, would probably bring some business, but the best results are obtainable only when its use is concentrated; when it is confined to a particular class and followed up in a systematic manner. Knowing his goods and the class of people who use them, the salesman is naturally the best judge of where and when to use those forms of advertising which he turns into salesmanship by mail. The discussion of systems of record and methods of use of this form of literature is taken up under the head of the sales department.
SALES DEPARTMENT
The sales department proper is in charge of a sales manager, who has immediate authority over his subordinates and is responsible for the results secured by his department. No position in the business organization carries with it greater responsibilities, for on the sales manager rests the burden of marketing the goods at a profit.
Without entering into a discussion of the science of salesmanship, the writer takes the liberty of suggesting some necessary qualifications of a sales manager.
He must be thoroughly imbued with the importance of his work and have an abiding faith in his ability to get the very best results out of his department. He must be enthusiastic and capable of imparting his enthusiasm to others.
He must know the goods, be they pianos or investment bonds. He must believe in his goods and his house. Unless he feels that his house is the best on earth and offers goods second to none, he cannot produce the full measure of results of which he is capable.
He must know the goods of his competitor and what methods his competitors are using. He must be willing to abandon his own pet schemes when they fail to produce, or to adopt a new plan, even though originated by another.
He must be a close student of human nature with the capacity for judging men. He must be a salesman in every sense else he is in no position to judge the qualifications of those in his employ.
On the other hand, the sales manager should be given full control of his department, until he proves to be incompetent. While other members of the organization will be consulted before a new campaign is launched, when the plans have been approved he should be permitted to try them out without interference. Assuming that he is a competent man in the first place, he will be the first to detect the weak points and set about to find a way to strengthen them.