Che IRational IRurser^man. 
FOR GROWERS AND DEALERS IN NURSERY STOCK 
The National Nurseryman Publishing Co., Incorporated 
Vol. XXIX. HATBORO, PENNA., SEPTEMBER 1921 N^9 
Salesmanship 
Among other remedies for the present stagnation in 
business, salesmanship is being recommended in the 
daily press and periodicals as a means to start the public 
buying. The kind of salesmanship suggested is not mere¬ 
ly order takers, but men who can go on the road, search 
out localities and prospects and develope market for goods 
that without his efforts would not be sold at all. There 
is perhaps no field of endeavor so great as in the nursery 
business along these lines. 
There is a natural love for growing things, although 
it may be in a dormant condition, in the majority of 
people. Then again there are so many garden treasures 
that are only known to the few. While the many would 
like to possess them if they only knew of their existance 
and how to obtain them. 
There is no doubt that efficient salesmanship would 
do much towards starting the wheels of commerce mov¬ 
ing and as far as the nursery trade is concerned it is the 
weakest spot in the marketing of the nurseryman’s pro¬ 
ducts. It is a part of the business that has not received 
the consideration its importance calls for. 
Of course the nurseryman offers his goods through 
his catalog, advertising in periodicals and other channels 
by the aid of printer’s ink. These methods lack the hu¬ 
man touch and are poor at best when business is stag¬ 
nated. What it needs is enthusiasts who believe in their 
mission of making the country more beautiful in addi¬ 
tion to the commission they may make on their sales. 
The nursery salesman who goes out with the idea that 
only orders count and will recommend a tree peony for 
a shade tree to the ignorant customer, or thinks it good 
business to unload a dozen fruit trees on a man who lias 
only room for one is not a good salesman, he may turn 
in many orders but leaves a trail behind him that effects 
future sales in that locality for many years. Such 
methods are obsolete and not conducive to increased con¬ 
sumption nor building business. 
The sales transaction that does not profit both the buy¬ 
er and seller is a poor one. 
We all know the kind of salesman we would like to 
have on the road, men of good education and with a good 
knowledge of plants, who can interest his customers, ad¬ 
vise them what and how to plant and gain their good 
will for repeat orders. 
Every salesman who has had experience knows the 
first order is invariably small and hard to get and is sel¬ 
dom a profitable one. It is the good will that lie builds 
for his house that really makes it worth while. 
Such men are scarce and hard to find and the qualities 
they possess fit them for handling lines that are more 
profitable, unless they are directly interested in the firm 
they represent. 
The much maligned nursery salesman with his plate 
book is the salesman that most nurseries have to fall 
back upon to carry a knowledge of their stock in trade 
along the by ways and hedges, and this is the field 
where real business building and market development is 
most needed. The wealthy localities where choice nur¬ 
sery stock has already been freely used and where nice¬ 
ly laid out grounds are the rule rather than the except¬ 
ion may be considered as having the market already de¬ 
veloped. From such localities orders come through the 
landscape gardeners or by direct soliciation from the 
nurseries themselves. It is in the uncultivated fields that 
have the great potential market. It is in the thousands of 
smaller American homes that should spend five to fifty 
dollars or more where the great possibility of the future 
wellfare of the nursery industry lies. It is in this field 
that the nurseryman should concentrate his efforts. The 
larger places may be left to express their own wants. 
Nursery stock unlike any other is not a finished 
article when it is sold. The salesman with his plate hook 
shows the customer a highly colored picture of a rose, an 
apple or a Bridal Wreath Spirea, but if they are ordered, 
a few sticks are delivered and to many they appear very 
much alike. It is this feature that is peculiar to the nur¬ 
seryman’s stock in trade that makes it different from 
most goods, it only has a potential value. 
To build a business with such goods calls for more 
scrupulous honesty, more truthfulness and closer co¬ 
operation to enable the customer to get value out of his 
purchase than with goods whose value is more im¬ 
mediate and apparent. 
Does the salesman get the help and cooperation from 
his house that is conducive to repeat orders and market 
developement? Or are plate books gotten and salesmen 
instructed with the one idea in mind. Get orders and af¬ 
ter the goods are delivered our responsibility ceases, it 
is up to the purchaser to produce the results shown in 
the plate book. 
The nursery salesman has been maligned, perhaps 
more than he deserves, a portion of the blame is really 
chargeable to the nurseryman for not equipping him 
with a more conservative (and helpful to the customer) 
outfit with which to demonstrate his goods. In spite of 
everything that has been charged against him he has 
done good missionary work against great odds in de¬ 
veloping a market for nursery products. 
Is it not time nurserymen began to apply modern 
methods and ideas to the equipment of their salesmen. 
The Market Developement Movement as organized by 
the American Association of Nurserymen are already 
carrying out a campaign for arousing interest in plants 
and planting. It will still remain for the salesman to 
