196 



SELLING LUMBER 



Do You Know 

 the Density 

 Rule? 



Thorough 

 Knowledge 

 Essential 

 to Good 

 Salesmanship 



gently for we should be able to reflect a great deal of improve- 

 ment, both in the consumption and the marketing of our product. 

 The Southern Pine Association perfected and made the pres- 

 ent very simple and satisfactory rule called the "Density Rule" so 

 as to increase the use and the sales of lumber. In this they have 

 been assisted by the United States Forestry Service and the Amer- 

 ican Society for Testing Materials, and this rule is endorsed by 

 both of these bodies, and with this endorsement it stands out as 

 the most perfect rule to grade Southern Pine timbers by, and you 

 should never have to apologize in the use of this rule in either 

 the selling or inspection of timbers. 



They have printed tons of literature on this subject They 

 have spent thousands of dollars in postage to get this rule and all 

 its benefits before you. The manufacturer outside of the Associa- 

 tion has done the same, and I would like to ask each and every 

 one of you. Do you know and can you grade timbers under the 

 "Density Rule"? If you cannot, all our labor has been lost, and 

 you are not going to be successful in selling and marketing timbers 

 under it unless you are thoroughly acquainted with it. Your timber 

 sales will fall off and your employer will state you are a failure in 

 your business. 



He may not discharge you, but he certainly will not increase 

 your salary and as his business decreases your success in your 

 chosen field of business will be very small indeed, and if you do 

 not know the grades very thoroughly as established by our Associa- 

 tion, my advice to you now, is that promptly at the close of this 

 meeting you so notify your sales manager or the proper officers of 

 your company and request him or them to take you at once to the 

 mills, there to let you remain until you do know them, and become 

 thoroughly acquainted with grades and manufacture of timbers. It 

 does not matter how long it will take to learn them; it does not 

 matter what difficulties are placed in your way, learning them will 

 be the only way you will be able to talk intelligently and sell yel- 

 low pine successfully in the face of the competition from other lum- 

 ber and substitutes. 



There is not a man living that can successfully sell a com- 

 modity or product like lumber unless he is thoroughly acquainted 

 with that commodity or product fron its initial point of production 

 to its final resting place in the building, structure or whatever it 

 may be used for. He must not only know about is growth, but he 



