Business Marketing Advertising

One salesman, for instance, persuaded a certain retail merchant to place a four-thousand-dollar order to fill up a much-depleted stock. The buyer had been delaying the purchase for some time, offering the usual bewildering arguments which salesmen in all lines are getting today. In inducing the merchant to place the order, the salesman said:

“Mr. Jones, I want to tell you about a plan with which you can get two jumps ahead of everyone who is getting business you would like. Marshall Field is a merchant who spent thousands of dollars endeavoring to get women to understand that his store offered bigger selections, greater variety, more complete lines and made shopping easy. He spent great sums for merchandise he knew would not be profitable just to get across the idea that his stock was complete and that he was a leading merchant. He paid dearly for this reputation.

“Right now when stocks are depleted and other merchants are delaying purchases is the best time for you to build up the reputation of having the most complete line without spending tremendous sums as Marshall Field did. By taking advantage of conditions, it is your opportunity to accomplish in your business what Marshall Field did in his. He had to spend thousands ? you have but to keep your stock complete.”

Another plan, being used successfully by a furnace salesman, consists in handling the buyer who wants to delay, like this: “No one knows whether prices are going lower or not. But what if they do drop a little! In waiting for a drop we are spending something more valuable than the little money that might be saved. We are spending time ? the years of our life. You may lose a little money and regain it, but lost time never comes back.