Many a sales manager has had his usefulness impaired by the interference of others before he has had an opportunity to give a selling plan a fair trial. Selling campaigns have been discontinued before the turning point was reached, because someone higher in authority lacked faith; when they would have proved successful, if carried out as originally planned.
This is not an argument for a stubborn adherence to plans, regardless of consequence—any sales committee is liable to make errors—but before the campaign is launched the extent to which it shall be tried out should be decided. If the sales manager is given an appropriation of $500.00, or $5,000.00, for a trial, he can work intelligently, but if told to go ahead, and then ordered to stop before his campaign is well under way, he should not be charged with a failure.
Another thing that the sales manager should control is the question of salaries paid to the salesmen. We maintain that the amount of salary paid to a salesman is of no moment provided he is a profitable man. A $10,000.00 man who sells goods at a cost of 10% is more profitable than the $5,000.00 man who sells at 10%, or even 9%, because of the greater volumes of his business. The management should gauge the sales department by net costs, not by the amount of individual salaries.
BRANCHES OF SALES DEPARTMENT
The sales department is logically divided into two branches—mail order and personal salesmanship. The mail order branch is that part of the organization which has to do with the promotion of sales by mail. The personal salesmanship branch is the division which makes sales by personal contact with the customer.
The work of the mail order branch is conducted by correspondents—letter salesmen—assisted by clerks to look after the routine of the department.
The personal salesmanship branch is conducted, primarily, by salesmen who visit the customers and personally sell goods. In many lines, the personal salesmanship branch is supplemented by agencies, who come in direct contact with the customer.
There are businesses in which the dealers, who carry the goods in stock, are assisted by both the mail order and personal salesmanship branches in making the sale to the customer. An example is the piano business in which inquiries are referred to dealers, the dealer and prospective customer followed up by mail, and the traveling salesman sent to assist the dealer to close the sale.
THE MAIL ORDER BRANCH
When the mail order branch is spoken of it does not refer necessarily to an exclusive mail order business, but the term is used to identify the department in any concern which uses the mails to promote sales. While there are many exclusive mail order houses, employing no personal salesmen, there are practically no exclusively personal salesmanship houses. There may be no effort to secure direct orders in this manner, but the mails are used to influence sales. Extensive circularizing campaigns are conducted for the purpose of making known to the consumer the merits of certain commodities, which are sold only through dealers. In the sense here used, such campaigns are within the province of the mail order branch.