250 SELLINGLUMBER 



you would have continued to do so had the efforts of your sales- 

 man not kept you prominently before the purchaser, and, no doubt, 

 in many instances you never had the account on your books un- 

 til the salesman established it for you, yet you are not willing to 

 allow him the just fruits of his labors, thereby assisting 'in creat- 

 ing the belief on the part of the buyer that your salesman is really 

 a representative of your firm and you are giving him everything 

 he is entitled to, just as you must to your customers if you wish 

 to retain them as such. 



Another practice on the part of some firms which places 

 their men under a handicap, is the permitting commission men 

 to carry your stock sheets and selling information, thereby creat- 

 ing actual competition for your men with your own stock. This 

 is in nowise intended as an attempt to discredit the commission 

 salesman, as he is undoubtedly a necessary adjunct to the market- 

 ing of the output of the firm without an organized traveling force, 

 Wate^oifsoth ^ ut don't try to carry water on both shoulders and "catch them 

 Shoulders" going and coming," as you are not giving either your salaried man 

 or the commission man a fair proposition. I know, personally, 

 of instances where a firm's salaried man has quoted on stock, 

 the dealer being unable to place the order just at that time, and 

 before he could arrange to send it to the man who had originally 

 quoted him, one of the commission men would happen to come 

 along, and after learning the situation would persuade the pur- 

 chaser to let him take the business, since he was authorized to 

 sell the stock and could protect the same prices and thereby se- 

 cure a commission, and that it would make no material difference 

 to the other fellow, as he was paid a regular salary. You are, 

 When Sales- therefore, paying a commission on an order which would have 

 men and Com- come to you anyway. If your salaried man is wideawake there 

 Conflict Cn are ^ mes wnen ne w iN see an opportunity to secure more than the 

 absolute limit for a certain item, and he figures accordingly. The 

 other fellow quoting on your stock doesn't happen to think of 

 this and goes to the bottom and secures the business at prices 

 which are acceptable to you, but at the same time make it appear 

 that your salaried representative is trying to overcharge the cus- 

 tomer or has made a mistake in his prices, either of which is not 

 conducive of strengthening the customer's confidence in him. 



A salesman should be very careful as to promises he makes 

 regarding time of shipment, etc., but when he has once committed 

 himself and has transmitted to the general office the sum and sub- 



