The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 45, No. 15, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 22, 1966 Page: 6 of 8
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PAGE SIX
THE J-TAC
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1966
SMOOTH SELLING-
by George N. Kahn, Marketing Consultant
THE SALESMAN IS A V. I. P.
——
! _ There is a foolish idea in some
circles that selling is not digni-
fied, For this attitude we shower
blame on the colleges, the pro-
fessors, and anyone else within
range. Rarely does anyone put
the blame where it really belongs
■—on the salesman himself,
■ Selling will never achieve its
rightful status in the business
' •world until salesmen start think-,
ing of themselves as Very, Im-
portant People. The salesman's
image in the public's mind'will
improve only when he starts giv-
ing himself a higher rating. You
can't convince prospects of the
value of your product or' your
company unless you can first
convince thein of your own value.
I Rale Yourself High
' , The salesman "who speaks
apologetically of his vocation or
derides his colleagues is simply
cutting his own throat. When
the salesman gloats of "pulling
a fast deal," he is doing great
hprm to himself and his profes-
sion. In short, if you talk and
act like a sidewalk pitchman,
that's the way you'll be treated.
Management is much quicker
to recognize the salesman's im-
portance than he is himself.
Businessmen know that creation
of demand is a vital factor in
their profit and loss statements.
These days all top executives
;and even technical personnel are
'sales oriented. Engineers must
think like salesmen to design
products that appeal to consum-
ers. Even the production depart-
ment must gear its effort to a
sales campaign.
Salesmen Are
first Clan Citizen!
The salesman is the key per-
son without whom there would
not be any business. But many
salesmen behave like second
! class citizens — and too often
that's the kind of reception they
get in a prospect's office.
I remember running into on
old friend, Jack Creswell, whom
I hadn't seen in years. I asked
him whpt he was doing. Jack
smiled deprecatingly arid said
he was "on the road" for a floor-
ing company, adding:
"Of course, this is just until I
can find something better."
He made his job sound as if he
■we^Vfishing.disKes'in'a cheap
hash house. '
"Jack," I said, "there is prob-
ably nothing wrong with the job
except yourself. Before you
move to what you think are
greener pastures, why not give
this job your best. If you think
of yourself as a failure in sell-
ing you'll wind up as one. But
if you see this as an opportunity
to push ahead to success, your
future is assured."
I think the advice took, be-
cause Jack stayed in selling with
the flooring company and be-
came a top producer with a loyal
following of customers. Years
later he told me: "You hit pretty
hard that day, George, but you
opened my eyes to what I wa3
and what I could become."
No Room For Amateur*
In today's competitive market
there is no room for amatejirs
and dabblers in selling. For
those who really want to make
selling a career, there is a rieh
reward. But you must be willing
to work for it.
Selling has its problems,
heartaches and frustrations.-It's
a lonely job. But these very fac-'
tors are what separate the men
from the boys.
Millions of people are em-
bedded in dull, prosaic jobs that
afford them little or no excite-
ment, drama or challenge. The
salesman can look forward to
steady growth and can enjoy a
stimulating, lively life on the
way. His future is limited only
by the strength of his desire to
succeed.
Frontier of Selling
The trouble with many unin-
spired salesmen is that they
don't understand the dynamics
involved in selling.. They are
really clerks at heart whose
horizons are limited. They never
think of selling as an adventure
and as a test of one's true abili-
ties, They could move mountains,
but they go around them in-
stead. They play it safe, and,
in time, level off as mediocrities.
The earnest, imaginative
salesman can write his own
ticket to wherever he wants to
go. With faith in himself, drive
and the right tools, he can make
big money and climb high in his
firm. 9
Copyright—George N. Kahn
But he must feel and act im-
portant to accomplish this goal.
He must think of himself as one
of the world's key people — a
man who rates high in the
scheme of things.
Act lifce A V. f. p.
Do you stride boldly into a
prospect's office or do you sidle
in, glancing back at the door as
if it were an escape hatch? Do
you apologize for taking up a
buyer's time? Do you feel like
an intruder in his office?
If the answers are yes, you
are letting yourself, your family
and your company down. To be
a V.I.P. you must act like one.
That's the only way to command ■
respect and so sell merchandise.
Only then will you earn what
you, are dreaming of earning.
The head of the sales training '
■program of a big paper manu-
facturer once said to me:
"About the fifth day of the
program my instructors can
usually spot those who will be
top salesmen. There's something
about their attitude, they handle
themselves in a certain way.
They act like they are proud to
be here. It's almost like getting
a successful salesman ready
made."
That man put his finger right
on the heart of the matter. Pride.
Are you, proud to be a salesman?
If not, something is wrong." If
you're not proud of your w6rk<
chances are you are not acting
like a Very Important Person.
Here is a Periodic Aptitude
Test to enable you to find out
what your feelings are toward ■
your selling job. If you .can an-
swer "yes" to at least seven of
these ten questions you . are
probably headed fov success.
If you score below seven, it's
time, to take self-inventory:
1. Do I think of my job as temporary?
Yes □ No □.
2. Do I discuss my work with my wife >
very often? Yes □ No □.
3. Would I tell a stranger on a plane my
occupation? Yes □ No □.
4. Am I happy in selling?
Yes □ No D-
5. Would 1 want my son to be a sales-
man? Yes □ No
6. Do I try to improve my earning power
by studying salesmanship, attending
meetings, etc? Yes □ No □
7. Do I let prospects do most of tha
talking? Yes □ No □. ;
8. Do I tell jokes which put salesmen in
an unflattering light? Yes □ No p.
9. Do I see myself as playing ah im-
portant part in the economy?
Yes □ No □
10. Have I really thought about the tre-
mendous future that is available to
me through sellinjr? Yes n No n.
we Co-.
ARMSTRONG TIRES...
AUTO PARTS
DEPENDABLE BATTERIES
Wholesale Prices to All TSC Students
Methodist Center
1140 v7. Tarleton .
one block from east gate
MILLER
STUDIO
® PORTRAITS
• PHOTO SUPPLIES
• CAMERAS
• FILM
• DEVELOPING
240 West College
CAROL PHILPOT
Smooth Selling Series
Public Service Feature
The last fifty years have wit-
nessed the emergence of the Unit-
ed States from a production-orient-
ed to a distribution-oriented econo-
my. The fantastic rate of growth
of the United States has been he
envy of the rest of the world. But
to maintain the advances we have
made and to progress further, we
will have to set new goals and de-
velop new skills and new markets.
New Markets Essential
The manual skills which were
needed up to this point are now be-
ing, replaced by mechanization,'
automation, standardization and
specialization. To prepare for an
•a.v«y increasing, higher standard .of
living, our labor forec, which .is ex-
pandwg by mDlicms each year, will
have to be retrained from many.al
to technical Skills .To keep, unem-
ployxaeat and plant capacity
up, we will have to expand our pre-
sent markets and develop new mar-
kets. This Wili. require superior
methods of distribution and sales-
manship' of a quality we have not
as yet attained.
Drive Behind Series
Outmoded methods and habits of
past thinking about the distributive
and selling functions will have to
be discarded and replaced with
newer and more contemporary
practices ai d systems.
It was to this purpose that Mr.
George N. Kahn wro-te the
SMOOTH SELLING series. It was
designed to train and retain, to en-
courage and inspire those who con-
sider selling as a vital part of our
economic growth. It was written for
the veteran salesman who has been
in the field all his life; for the'
housewife whose children are
grown and has an interest in a
part-time job, as well as for the
young people who are coming out;
of school and are still undecided
as to their futures. F<y the man or
WQinan who may be interested m
changing his or her present occu-
pation, these articles provide food
for thought.
College Dining Weill Hiring
Additional Help For MWF
Mrs. Jtojrie Cress, director f/£
the College Dining Hall, has an-
nounced that the Dining Hall is
hiring male students to work dur-
ing the noon meal on Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday.
Applications may be made dir-
ectly to Mrs. Cress, or one of her
assistants.
STEPHENVILLE PRINTING CO.
Upright and Portable Typewriters
For Sale or Rent
Sales and Service
We also have a complete variety of
printing and party supplies
Phone 5-4191
245 N. Belknap
SERVICE DRUG
Your Rexall Store :
"We give S&H Green Stamps?'
Ph. 5-5055 StepheiyVille
METHODIST CENTER
All qualified Male Students:
Be sure to attend the
- ft
Los Caballeros Smoker
7:00 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 23
Dance to follow featuring
The Rogues
CAMPUS CUTIES
NEWSOM'S
SHOE & BOOT
r SHOP
Ojtir 46th Year
In Offering
"Thp Finest In Shoe
& Leather Repair."
132 S. Columbia ;
(Next. Door to Empire-Tribune)
Miller Cleaners
697 TARLETON AVE.
WO 5-3422
Cleaning & Pressing
Alteration
Khaki Uniforms .65
Washed, Starched
and Pressed
Wool Suits only .90
Miller Cleaners
DAIRY QUEEN DRIVE-IN
WO 5-5461
619 E. Washington
ORDERS TO GO—OUR SPECIALTY
Malts & Sundaes — All Kinds of
Sandwiches—Fried Chicken—Shrimp
And Fish Baskets
Bring this ad to the Dairy Queen for a
Sundae..
9 6 « 9 ® O ®
19
TiOfT^
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The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 45, No. 15, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 22, 1966, newspaper, February 22, 1966; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth141106/m1/6/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Tarleton State University.