34 U. OF N. H. AGRI. EXP. STATION • [Bulletin 249 



that it is only when goods superior to those of the city are offered in the 

 country, that the proprietor may expect his roadside prices to equal or 

 surpass those of the regular market. And, even then, to allay crit- 

 icism or suspicion some comparison, guarantee, or experience is often 

 needed to make the fact evident. Some farmers, on the other hand, 

 could profit by visiting our city markets and observing the fine ap- 

 pearance and excellent quality of farm products displayed, notwith- 

 standing their relatively long period of separation froni their nati\'e 

 habitat. It is well to remember, further, that freshness is a much more 

 important element Avitli some products than with others. Good sales- 

 men at the roadside expect to discount apples or potatoes more than 

 lettuce or asparagus, because with the latter crops quality is much 

 more dejiendent on the element of time which intervenes between har- 

 vesting and consuming. Probably 5 or 10 percent beloAv retail prices 

 is as -safe a basis from which to start in an attempt to adjust roadside 

 market prices as can be arbitrarily chosen. 



Salesmanship 



Scarcely does good salesmanship demand more versatility anywhere 

 than at the roadside. All kinds of customers, rich and poor, from the 

 country or the city, Nortli or South, East or West, must sooner or later 

 come in contact with the salesman at a big stand. To handle all these 

 as potential regular customers — the only safe thing to do, — is indeed 

 a man's problem. At such a market one does not find children or old 

 people in charge, but energetic, painstaking individuals having ability 

 coupled with an inexhaustible supply of human interest, persons who 

 can disregard the unpleasant and disagreeable and most quickly ap- 

 preciate the wholesome and the humorous. 



A guarantee of satisfaction inspires confidence and may result in 

 less calls for adjustment than an "As is" policy, and certainly wins 

 more customers. One man guaranteed eggs. A customer started to 

 complain and was handed back her fifty cents. She was too surprised 

 to speak for a minute, and then was consumed with curiosity to under- 

 stand how it was possible for anyone to guarantee eggs. The explan- 

 ation was given that no egg over three days old was ever offered at 

 the market. It developed that one egg in a dozen had had a blood 

 spot. Somehow the candler missed it. The fault lay with the market. 

 Nothing was lost by replacing an egg that should never have been sold. 

 The woman declined to allow any adjustment, other than to get 13 

 eggs in another dozen she purchased that day. This was good sales- 

 manship: it was good advertising. 



A telephone is a valuable asset to many markets. Often customers 

 call up to inquire, and can be given suggestions that appeal to them. 

 The use of the telephone to infomi regular customers of special pro- 

 ducts available at opportune times is often requested, and sometimes 

 resorted to otherwise. It is usually found safer to let tlie customer 

 initiate the practice, as telephones easily degenerate into nuisances. 



Salesmanship involves appreciation. The customer likes to feel 

 that his or her patronage is well appraised. Where sales are well made 

 such an atmosphere is evident. Sincere and courteous verbal expres- 

 sions of thanks are sometimes sui^plemented with slight tokens, like 



