Masonry Magazine August 1965 Page. 15
THE SELLING PARADE
by CHARLES B. ROTH, America's no. 1 salesmanship authority
The Selling Parade by Charles B. Roth is another new feature added by masonry. Watch for it in all future issues of the magazine for the entire Masonry Industry. Cut out this article and future articles and place them in your business file for further reference.
Price Is Nothing If Justified
Comes again the time when salesmen are worried about price competition. When was there a time that price didn't worry salesmen? It is one of those inevitable things. Now it seems it is worse than usual.
But to a real salesman price is nothing. He can always justify, i.e., explain the reason for his price and then price becomes secondary.
J. C. Aspley, brilliant Chicago sales authority, some years ago wrote a small book on selling quality, and in it comes this anecdote to point up what I told you that price is nothing if justified.
A woman stopped at a public market before a wagon loaded with potatoes. How much? she asked. Three fifty a bag, she was told. When she protested that was too high, the farmer shrugged, informed her that potatoes had gone up, and went on with his tobacco-chewing.
The woman didn't buy. But she needed potatoes. So she walked on a little piece and came to another wagon. This second farmer was a salesman; the first was not.
He told her: "These are the best potatoes on the market, madam. In the first place I raise the kind with small eyes, so there will be no waste in peeling, potatoes are too high today to peel away.
"Then I sort them by sizes. In each bag you will find a large size for boiling and cutting up, and a medium size for baking. The baking size cooks quickly, all done at the same time and so saves coal and gas, whichever you use. We wash all our potatoes clean at home, too. You could put one of these bags in your parlor and not soil the carpet you are not paying for a lot of dirt. I'm getting $4 a bag for them."
The woman bought two bags at $4, in spite of the fact that she thought $3.50 a bag was too much at the other wagon.
The second farmer knew how to justify price that is all. Do you?
Always Scrape Your Feet
They were direct salesmen, calling door to door. And you know from experience perhaps that the direct salesmen's number one job is getting inside.
All sorts of good minds are bent on achieving this sometimes the salesman gives the woman a gift, sometimes he uses the name of a neighbor; but always it is a problem.
The head of this organization, however, thought of something even better. He taught his salesmen to scrape their feet!
Why scrape their feet? Well, without saying a word that simple gesture indicates that the salesman expects to get in and is welcome. He is showing his appreciation by scraping his feet on the mat, so as not to soil the carpets.
Of course he accompanies the scraping with words. He says, "Mrs. Jones, I have called to see Mr. Jones," and this with the scraping of his feet paves the way for Mrs. Jones to say, yes, Mr. Jones is right inside, and won't you step in?
I recollect a long time ago one great sales authority termed things like these "the great silent drama of salesmanship"; a phrase I like, an art I commend.
Sell Luxury Without Mentioning Price
Crafty buyers are these Chinese, wise to the ways of salesmanship and in love with money. In almost any deal they can get the better of an American; and to make a sale to Chinese requires good salesmanship, superb salesmanship.
Carl Crow, who was writing engagingly about doing business in China some years ago, tells about one American salesman who knew his way around with Chinese prospects.
He sold railroad equipment, the best. And it cost a good deal of money, far more than his Chinese prospects expected to pay. He knew what he was up against, so when the time came to make his presentation, he asked to be permitted to be the last to meet with the committee.
Other salesmen were there first British salesmen, French salesmen, Belgian salesmen, and, of course, several American salesmen. And all were wise to the ways of the heathen Chinese knew he liked cut corners. So they cut here and there, offered price concessions. They cut everything of value out of their specifications all they had to talk about was price.
Then this salesman entered. He didn't mention price at all. He didn't cut any corners. He added luxuries, and about these he talked growingly. He told his Chinese prospects what it would mean to have luxury trains on their lines how much it would increase business, profits.
He made the sale. It was a large sale. It amounted to over $1 million, and he didn't offer a bribe or cut a corner just used good salesmanship.
How Many Of Your Sales Are Showing?
We all make mistakes, we salesmen, and we pay the price for them when we do. But how can you tell whether you are making a mistake or not?
Well, some mistakes are obvious, but some are not. One man named H. K. Dugdale listed and classified 70 common mistakes by salesmen.
To guarantee your future it would be a good idea, I think, for you to start a list of your own mistakes and live with it long enough to weed them out one by one.
Cut out this article and future articles and place them in your business file for further reference.