189.8. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



501 



Selling Comb Honey to the Grocery Trade. 



BY G. K. HUBBAKD. 



Altho there have been publisht a number of articles on 

 the subject of selling honey, I thought it possible that I could 

 contribute something on this that would be helpful, and that 

 might encourage some one to make an effort in this line who 

 has dreaded to undertake it. The object of this article is to 

 encourage those who have a crop of honey to dispose of to 

 sell it at the groceries in neighboring towns, thus accomplish- 

 ing the desired result of getting better prices and keeping the 

 small shipments from going to the city commission-men. 



We Californians are doubly interested in keeping honey 

 from going into the city markets, for the reason that we are 

 compelled to sell our product there. There is no escape from 

 it except for those who have small amounts to sell. Our honey 

 must of necessity go to market in carload lots of 1,000 or 

 more cases, and it is only the large cities that can handle it In 

 such quantities. The smaller cities and flourishing towns oS'er 

 a splendid market at fair prices, and ought, in nearly every 

 case, to be supplied without the grocers having it shipt In 

 from the wholesale cities. The cost of getting a pound of 

 comb honey to the Eastern market, counting the loss from 

 having to pay the freight on the cases, is about 2]4 cents for 

 freight, if shipt in car lots. Less carload, if we care to take 

 the risk of breakage, the cost per pound, with the extra crat- 

 ing necessary, is 43^ cents. This extra 2 cents, with the 

 accompanying risk, shuts us out of any markets except ihose 

 that can handle honey in car lots, and this leads me to em- 

 phasize the point that the smaller cities should be supplied 

 from the surrounding territory, and the city markets largely 

 left to those who are of necessity compelled to use them. 



Now, my reader, if you have a crop of comb honey of from 

 20 cases anywhere up to 200 or so, I suggest that you sell it 

 to the grocers in your surrounding territory. You may an- 

 swer that you are not a salesman ; that it takes time and 

 ability to push off your crop a few cases at a time ; that you 

 would prefer to take less for it and see it all go at once than 

 to get more in smaller sales. Of course, you would If the dif- 

 ference were not too great ; but the difference is too great for 

 you to afford if you wish to make the best success from your 

 pursuit. Suppose it does take time to sell a crop; if it pays 

 you well for your time, can you not afford to take It ? I wish 

 to urge you strenuously to make a brave trial and see if you 

 do not get along better than you expected. 



I am going to give some experiences and suggestions, and 

 will say at first that you might make a score of calls and not 

 use many of the Ideas ; but if I give you the idea of how it 

 can be done, your tact and good sense will suit your talk to 

 the right person. I cannot map out a minute program for 

 you, but I can give you some Insight of a plan that has proved 

 very profitable to me, and incidentally you will learn some- 

 thing about my ideas of having a crop in such readiness for 

 market that it will command the highest price the grade will 

 bring. 



You probably know all that Is to be known about your 

 own home market. You often go to town to do your trading, 

 and know as well as any man in the community about how 

 much honey your grocers have on hand, and what the possi- 

 bilities are for business. As an almost invariable rule you will 

 never make a large sale in the town you are best acquainted. 

 Your merchant will say, "I might take one case of you. You 

 are in town often, and I can get more of you almost any 

 time." Therefore, I urge you to make a longer drive, get out 

 of your own immediate community, where you will have a 

 fighting chance of selling several cases to one customer. 



Start with a load of 10 to 20 cases, according to the size 

 of the place you are going to visit. Put on the best suit you 

 have; collar and necktie; if you ever wear cuffs, do not leave 

 them off this time; give your shoes an extra good shine, and 

 look just as neat as possible. You are not a farmer or bee- 

 keeper now; you are a business man, and are going out to do 

 business in a businesslike way. Take along your horse-feed 

 . if you wish ; but go to a modest hotel where you can get a 

 meal for 25 cents, and have the almost as desirable point of 

 being able to wash and to brush the dust thoroughly from 

 you, from hat to shoe-sole. I do not think I overestimate the 

 value of your personal appearance. While clothes do not 

 make the man, they do, very largely, make the estimate that 

 people place upon you, especially among strangers. You will 

 walk with a firmer tread, and feel more like business, if your 

 appearance Is not being criticised, but, instead, is helping you 

 to appear as if you meant business. I trust my reader's good 

 sense to understand me aright, and do not think I advocate 

 unreasonable extremes. 



You know what your honey is worth, and the price you 

 ought to get, which should be enough above the price at which 



you hold the entire crop to pay for the time you put in dis- 

 tributing it. Adopt your prices for your different grades, and 

 stick to them, treating all alike. It is all right to miss a sale 

 occasionally on this account, as it will save you so much time, 

 and be such a help in making sales to these parties in the 

 future. 



Being all in readiness to be your own " drummer," go to 

 the leading grocer, and be as pleasant and polite as possible. 

 Make your business known at once, for busy men do not care 

 to talk much with strangers about the weather, crops, condi- 

 tion of roads, etc. 



" I have driven over from Blankville with comb honey, 

 and this case is a fair sample of my best grade. I take a 

 great deal of care in producing a good article, and casing it 

 up fair, and I think, If I could sell my load to you, you would 

 find it to give good satisfaction to yourself and to your cus- 

 tomers." 



Of course, he will look at the honey, and likely pass his 

 opinion upon it, comparing it with the honey he has handled. 

 You will soon know whether he is at all interested or not, 

 whether he is well stockt, whether or not he is supplied regu- 

 larly, as his trade demands, by some home bee-keeper who is 

 his regular customer, and who may put an article on the mar- 

 ket that compares favorably with yours. If there is no 

 chance at all for a sale, bid him a pleasant good-day, and tell 

 him you will probably see him again some time when he is 

 nearer ready to buy. Then if he wants to visit a little with 

 you, and start an acquaintance, meet him half way, letting 

 him make the advances ; but ma'ke it short, and leave him 

 with the impression that you are out for business, and that 

 your business is just as important to you as any other man's 

 business can possibly be to him. The next grocery you call 

 at the man you take to be the proprietor is busy. After wait- 

 ing a little, and you see he is not apt to be through with his 

 customer very soon, you start out. Likely he or one of the 

 clerks will inquire if you wish to get anything ; but you reply 

 that you have a little business with the proprietor, and that 

 you will call again in a little while. Thus you save your own 

 time, and impress the grocer that you are a man of business, 

 and too much of a hustler to waste your time waiting for some 

 independent chap to give you a little of the time ho wants you 

 to think is so extremely precious. 



At another grocery you see at once that the proprietor is 

 Interested in what you have. He has but little honey, or none 

 at all ; and when you see there is probably a chance to sell 

 him some you say, "I have just come to town, and have talkti 

 to but one man. I am very sure you could do well with the 

 honey I have if I could sell it to you. I have only 15 cases 

 with me — 7 of the fancy grade and 8 of the dark ; and if I 

 could sell you my load, I am confident you would realize well 

 on the purchase." 



He looks at you with eyes wide open ; he thinks to him- 

 self, "Fifteen cases of honey at one purchase? Gracious! 

 wonder if he thinks I sell all the groceries used in this 

 county." But all the same you have made a favorable impres- 

 sion. You have flattered him by assuming that he is one 

 great big merchant, and you have imprest him with the idea 

 you are to do business on a big scale. 



" Fifteen cases ? oh! I couldn't usa that much. You see, 

 the grocery business is terribly cut up here. There are many 

 stores, and of course every man has bis friends. We never 

 buy very heavily. We keep pretty close to the shore, as the 

 saying is ; but then I don't mind buying a few cases of you if 

 I can get it right." 



If you had taken in a case and askt him to buy it he 

 would hardly have thought of asking for more; but now that 

 you put the idea into his hea'd of buying the load, he feels 

 safe in risking a few cases. Likely you sell him three of each 

 grade. You set the cases in a conspicuous place, and he re- 

 marks that it looks like enough to run his trade for three 

 months ; but you thank him for the money, and wish him bet- 

 ter luck in moving it than he imagines. You certainly would 

 not have sold him six cases if you had tried to sell him one, 

 and it is almost as certain you would not have sold him six If 

 you had not first talkt up the sale of your load. 



Now, you go back to the mau who was too busy at your 

 first call. You tell him your business, and where you are 

 from, and that, as he will be soon out of honey, he Is Inter- 

 ested In what you have to say; but he Is one of those men 

 who always wants to cut and slash prices; and to do this he 

 begins to talk hard times and low prices. 



" I have only nine cases of this left, and I should like to 

 sell you the lot." 



"But your price is too high." 



" I do not think so, considering the quality I furnish." 



" But I can get it shipt in from the wholesale houses and 

 commission-men in Blank City for at least a cent, and likely a 



