October 12, 1005. 



The Weekly Florists' Review^ 



U6I 



developed the lettuce industry. The Bos- 

 ton market gardeners have given many 

 years of close study to the lettuce crop, 

 and the experience which they have 

 gained together with the skill which they 

 have developed is quite remarkable. 



George E. Stone. 



THE IDEAL SALESMAN. 



[An essay by Amelia R. Shaw, of Brooklyn, 

 •.warded first prize In the contest originated and 

 , oiiducted by the Review correspondent at PLUa- 

 jelphla.] 



It would almost seem that we were liv- 

 ing in an ideal age to note the demand 

 lor ideal employers, ideal employees, 

 ( tc. But we must not lose sight of the 

 Vact that ideal people of any class must 

 necessarily belong to an ideal condition 

 of society — which condition can be 

 ijrought about only by an ideal "govern- 

 ment of the (ideal) people, for the 

 (ideal) people, by the (ideal) people." 

 The ideal salesman, like the ideal em- 

 ployer (and other ideals) has not yet 

 l)een evolved, because conditions, up to 

 the present, have not been altogether 



selection and leaves the decision to the 

 salesman then must this latter discharge 

 the task conscientiously, while not los- 

 ing sight of his employer's interests. 



Above all must he be loyal to his em- 

 ployer. If he cannot conscientiously be 

 so, then let him seek another master, one 

 in whose service he may not be com- 

 pelled to lose his self-respect. For there 

 is nothing more degrading to a man 

 whose character is upright than to be 

 obliged to serve one whose methods in 

 business are not up to the standards of 

 honest men. 



Secondly, the ideal salesman must be 

 possessed of personal magnetism, with- 

 out which, indeed, ft is impossible for any 

 one to succeed in any pergonal dealings 

 with his fellowmen. It is much more, 

 for the time being, than mere honesty, 

 for it is the quality that first attracts, 

 then persuades, and finally dominates, 

 and every man, woman and child on the 

 footstool is susceptible to its subtle in- 

 fluence. If, therefore, Mr. Flowerman, 

 you have an employee behind the counter 



Hatch Expciumcht Station of the Mass. AoRicvLTfUAL Collcoc 

 TEXTtTSE or AKHEKST SOU. 



01 P5 o; c< 



Showing the Mechanical Analysis of Soil Not Well Adapted to Head Lettuce. 



favorable to his development. But this 

 is no reason why we should not attempt 

 to depict what, in our judgment, may 

 present an acceptable picture of the 

 highest type of salesman which the fu- 

 ture may possibly have in store for us. 

 An ideal salesman is one who is most 

 successful in attracting and holding cus- 

 tom ; while, at the same time, inviting the 

 respect and confidence of all those who 

 have any dealings with him. He must, 

 in the first place, be honorable as well 

 as honest, with the balance of conscien- 

 tiousness always in favor of his em- 

 ployer. Let it be remarked here that 

 we do not wish to be misunderstood. The 

 salesman is hired to sell the goods of 

 his employer, for the benefit of his em- 

 ployer. He is not a public servant. It 

 's not his place to advise or guide cus- 

 tomers in the purchase of said goods. 

 The retail salesman is not selling upon 

 ippresentation, as the goods are there 

 ^o speak for themselves, and the buyer 

 has a right to ufe his own judgment. 

 1 f the latter be no judge of the freshness 

 of the flowers or of their appropriate 



who is magnetic, honest and not lazy, 

 you should thank your stars, and do 

 everything within reason to keep him; 

 for this quality (magnetism) like 

 ' * charity, covereth a multitude of sins. ' ' 



I think intelligence comes next in the 

 order of practical usefulness — intelli- 

 gence in his special line of work, and in 

 this he cannot be too learned or profi- 

 cient. But, although he may be ever so 

 profoundly versed in horticulture, yet if 

 he be not ready to use that knowledge 

 for commercial ends, or if he be more 

 interested in the study and scientific re- 

 search of these beautiful creations of the 

 horticulturist's art, he may as well shut 

 himself up in the ice-box with the ob- 

 jects of his adoration as to hope to be 

 of any practical service to his house. 

 Let him give of his knowledge sparingly, 

 but always correctly, and let him never 

 fail to keep foremost in his mind the 

 practical results, especially in the long 

 run. He must not fail to remember that 

 he is there to help build up the business, 

 'and make a permanent success of it. 



The ideal salesman should also have a 



fair amount of artistic judgment, so a» 

 to be able to advise as to the selection, 

 combination and arrangement of flowers. 

 He should be able to estimate shrewdly 

 in the case of a decoration, and to influ- 

 ence the choice of a customer without 

 appearing to do so. This latter faculty 

 includes tact as well as magnetism. 



Another essential natural gift in a 

 good salesman is a memory for faces, 

 names and details. The average cus- 

 tomer who has been in a store once likes^ 

 on a second visit, to be recognized, as 

 well as remembered by name. It is as 

 natural as the appetite for flattery. Per- 

 haps women customers appreciate this- 

 more than men, as more attention is gen- 

 erally given them and they naturally ex- 

 pect more notice and consideration. A 

 salesman who knows how to greet cus- 

 tomers with just the proper degree of 

 friendliness without familiarity, at the 

 same time manifesting a personal inter- 

 est in serving them, has already done 

 much toward securing and retaining 

 their patronage. 



The salesman who is interested in the 

 promoting of his employer's interests 

 will never hesitate to take hold with a 

 will at all times, and in cases of emer- 

 gency is ever ready and willing to lend 

 a helping hand in whatever department 

 it may be needed, no matter how late 

 the hour. 



With regard to the traveling salesmen, 

 the above qualifications are still more es- 

 sential, but there is something more to 

 be said. The ideal traveling salesman 

 will not think it necessary to "treat" 

 a customer in order to get a good order, 

 not because of meanness, but because he 

 will be too normal and healthy a sped- 

 man of manhood to have any intimacy 

 with the flowing bowl, and also because 

 with his tact, magnetism and agreea- 

 bility, he can accomplish his purpose 

 without the aid of conviviality. Being 

 perfectly able to transact business with- 

 out the need of stimulants, he will not 

 insult his patrons by practically imput- 

 ing to them any such weakness. But he 

 will be very careful not to condemn 

 where he cannot sympathize and so give 

 oflFense to none, while retaining the good- 

 will of all. 



COUNCIL OF HORTICULTURE. 



Plans for National Effort. 



The first regular meeting of the Na- 

 tional Council of Horticulture was held 

 at the Hollonden hotel, Cleveland, 

 Wednesday, October 4. Meeting with the 

 representatives of the preliminary organ- 

 ization were the delegates from the 

 American Association of Nurserymen, 

 the Society of American Florists and the 

 American Seed-Trade Association. 



The occasion of the meeting was op- 

 portune, it being the week of the annual 

 meeting of the American Civic Asso- 

 ciation, and the public sessions of this 

 body, and the consultation afforded with 

 its officers, made clear to the delegates, 

 of these national societies, the possibility 

 and the great opportunity for exploiting 

 horticulture through the public press, 

 aside from the Horticultural Council work 

 which seemed to promise great and im- 

 mediate results in all lines of work. 



The possibilities of the work of the 

 council were discussed in considerable de- 

 tail; its standing in case its influence 

 might be needed in a national way on 

 questions of customs, postage or like work 

 with the transportation companies; its 



