244 



SELLING LUMBER 



Information 

 That Sales- 

 men Should 

 Have 



All Com- 

 petitors Are 

 Not "Snakes. 



prices is a poor sales argument. If the man that is continually pre- 

 dicting higher prices next week is so sure that same will be effective, 

 the proper thing for him to do is to hold his lumber and sell it next 

 week instead of placing this argument before his salesmen. 



A salesman should be furnished with a stock sheet or correc- 

 tions on stock sheets at least once a week. 



He should be furnished with information as to existing con- 

 ditions in other territories aside from his own. 



He should be advised fully as to the facilities for the plants 

 for whom he sells as well as the facilities of his closest competitors ; 

 nowadays one must know the other fellow's business nearly as well 

 as his own. 



Road men should be kept closely informed from time to time 

 as to the character of timber in which the mills are cutting, as 

 different classes of timber produce better or poorer grades, although 

 they are all sold on the same basis. 



The transit car feature should be placed before the salesman, 

 explaining the general nature of this business and the origin of 

 transit, also the comparative amounts of transits and direct mill 

 shipments. There is no reason why this class of business should 

 affect the general market, as it does at the present time. Salesmen 

 should be furnished with sufficient information to successfully com- 

 bat the transit feature. 



Information of almost any character relating to lumber busi- 

 ness is helpful to salesmen and the general sales office should see 

 that he gets it. 



The 'Road Salesman. 



A salesman in any line, in order to make a success of his 

 work, must have implicit confidence in his employers and their 

 product. He must first convince himself that he has the best 

 connection obtainable and then proceed to convince others. 



He must gather information in regard to his line in all man- 

 ners conceivable. One of the best means is, through friendly asso- 

 ciation with the competitors. This association should be closer and 

 more general among competitive salesmen. Gum-shoe work is out 

 of date and the idea that all competitors are snakes is obsolete. 



Salesman should know his line thoroughly. He need not be a 

 practical sawmill man, if he is possessed of good sense and keen 

 observation. However, he should have a general knowledge of saw 

 and planing mill operations and detailed knowledge of his own 

 mill's facilities. 



