SELLING LUMBER 



351 



you will permit us, we will be glad, if you have a neighbor 

 down there, who lives next to you in Kansas City, who has a 

 Bell phone, to call them and ask them if they will be good enough 

 to ask Mrs. Boyle to come to the phone." There was salesman- 

 ship, my friends, in its finer essence. "Of course/' I said to 

 the young lady, in my nicest voice I hadn't seen her (laughter). 

 "Why, of course, you put in my call" ; but, gentlemen, a college 

 of salesmanship, all the books in the world couldn't teach that 

 girl one fraction of it. She had it all courtesy, politeness, will- 

 ingness to serve, earnestness, helpfulness; she had the whole 

 game in her hand. 



Why, gentlemen, do you ever think about this talking 

 about competition and salesmanship some time back my family 

 was going to leave Kansas City on a trip my wife and children. 

 In some way this news got abroad, and the railroad fellows found 

 it out. There are several railroads in Kansas 'City. Of course 

 we say down there that it is the greatest railroad center in the 

 world. They say the same thing in St. Louis, and they have the 

 same idea in Chicago, but we really have it. (Laughter.) Now, 

 what happened? To the little point of destination from Kansas 

 City, it was one price ; there was no competition in price. It was 

 absolutely one price. The service was practically the same, just 

 as one yellow pine board is like unto another in ordinary circum- 

 stances. The train service had little selection. What sent my 

 family over one special route? Salesmanship. This road called 

 me by telephone; that road called me by telephone; the other 

 road called me by telephone; but in a moment up pops a young 

 fellow in my office himself, and he made me feel that I would 

 be doing him a personal service if I would just send my family 

 over his road. Gentlemen, that was salesmanship. And so we 

 could go on, item by item, feeling that in this great world of 

 ours, in these modern days, directness of thought, honesty of pur- 

 pose, the purpose of serving, these are the master factors in 

 salesmanship. 



Now, I want you men to have a pride and you have it ; the 

 fact that you are here manifests it that you have a pride in 

 your business. The great trouble with men in this world is that 

 they get into ruts. A fellow slips into a rut and he just rolls 



An Example 

 of Good 

 Salesmanship 



Outwitting 

 Competition 

 in Railway 

 Service 



