Route Cards. It is not always advisable to attempt to lay out the entire route of a salesman in advance, neither is it always possible for him to make the towns in the time calculated. It is wise, therefore, to require the salesman to keep the house constantly advised about his stopping places. When the route is a long one, a route card, as shown in Fig. 32, should be mailed to the house weekly. The card should be 3×5 inches in size, to fit the standard size card drawer. Route cards of all salesmen, whether there are five or fifty, can then be kept in a card tray in the manager's desk.
Reports of Calls. The successful sales manager of the modern type is learning to get more and more business from his territory; he is not satisfied to show a large volume of business in a large territory, unless he feels that he has secured all of the business possible from every town. If Baker sells two dealers in Peoria, well and good; but why did he fail to sell the other five dealers in the same line? And it is not in a fault-finding spirit that he asks why; if he knew why, perhaps he and the salesman could together work out a plan that would solve the difficulty and secure from one to five new customers.
Fig. 33. Salesman's Report of Calls in Each Town
The salesman knows better than anyone else why he has failed to sell certain dealers; he is the man who becomes familiar with the actual conditions in each town—what competitors' goods are most popular, reasons for local business depression such as crop failures or labor disturbances, and any causes for dissatisfaction with the goods or business methods of his own house. Possibly the sales manager is not in a position to change conditions, but certainly, he cannot solve the difficulties unless he knows what they are. The salesman should, therefore, assume that there is at least a chance that he will receive assistance by keeping the house posted on every detail that might affect his trade.
The only way in which practical results can be secured is for the salesman to make a report on every call made, in every town on his route. A form of report card is shown in Fig. 33. This is intended for a brief report of calls in one town. Space is provided for reports of seven calls, but if there is a larger number of dealers, more than one card is used. On the back of the card, a full line is allowed to each dealer for remarks.
The salesman is instructed to mail one of these cards, in an envelope specially provided for the purpose, from each town on his route. When received, the sales manager examines them, makes his notations, and files them according to salesmen's routes. When the salesman is next in the house the sales manager goes over the cards with him, and they discuss each case individually.
Forms of report cards differ, naturally, according to the business. In some lines more specific information is needed in each case to enable the sales manager to judge intelligently the chances for future business. Fig. 34 represents a card used in one business for a specific report on each call made. The form shown in Fig. 35 provides for a brief report including suggestions regarding the date of the next call.
Follow-up of Dealers and Salesmen. In the modern advertising campaigns of manufacturers in many lines, an effort is made to secure inquiries from consumers, though the goods are sold through dealers only. The inquiry is usually secured by a promise of a free sample, a handsome catalog, or other piece of printed matter.
These inquiries should always be referred to the nearest dealer, and in answering the inquiry, the name and address of the dealer should be given. In addition to the inquiries received from advertising, manufacturers in certain lines invite dealers to send them the names of good prospects. One of the large paint manufacturers asks the dealer to send two lists—one of people who are talking of painting their buildings, one of people whose buildings need painting. The manufacturer of a widely advertised washing machine asks for the names of all possible buyers to whom the dealer has talked washing machines, without making a sale.