SELLINGLUMBER 307 



oughly posted on the development of trade in your territory. It is 

 apparent that it -is so easy for you when making trips among your 

 customers to find out whether they would be interested in handling 

 Southern Pine la^h or Southern Pine shingles and whether in any 

 town you visit there is a manufacturing establishment which would 

 be interested in Southern Pine box snooks. All of these materials, 

 whether your company is directly interested in manufacturing them 

 or not, would add to the success of your firm, if the trade in any 

 of these particular lines was further developed ; and think of the 

 reputation as an up-to-date salesman a man would have if he was 

 continually writing his own firm or by permission of his sales man- 

 ager, writing direct to the Southern Pine Association, advising 

 them that by a little effort in his territory something could be ac- 

 complished in the way of selling these specials manufactured from 

 Southern Pine waste. 



Satisfying customers is one of your particular duties. In my 

 experience I have known quite a number of salesmen who do a large 

 part of their business from the telephone booth in a fairly com- 

 fortable hotel. Now how a salesman can satisfy a customer who 

 has a little claim, over the telephone, or how he can discuss his 

 claim over the telephone, or how he can tell him about the par- 

 ticular advantages of his product over the telephone and have it 

 effective, is more than a good many manufacturers can under- 

 stand. The reason that lumber companies employ salesmen is so 

 that through them they can be in close contact with their customers Telephone 

 and so that any little misunderstanding that looks so big to a cus- 

 tomer may, after discussion with the representative of the manu- 

 facturer, probably not seem anywhere near so large. Or perhaps 

 it has happened many times that one of your customers has had an 

 inquiry for some special material when, if you would discuss it 

 with him personally instead of over the telephone, you would per- 

 haps be of some assistance in helping out on the sale of a bill of 

 lumber to advantage to the customer. Then you would be creating 

 a good, substantial friend for your company. Of course, not all 

 salesmen do business over the telephone. I am just mentioning the 

 things that have been brought to my notice, and have no reflec- 

 tion on the splendid work which so many of you are doing all the 

 time. 



Boosters are necessary. The breezy air of the booster is ,, _, 



. rr- T- i e The Booster 



always welcome in any office. Purchasing agents and owners of Always 



any sort of business are always glad to extend a warm welcome Welcome 



