lnstallment Selling

Bv Jack Dionne

Rcry Scberson, of St PquL Minnesolc, the bqtd-hecrded, plecscnt-apoken" clecn-thir*ing gent who holds the importcot iob ol merchcmdising counsel lor the retcril interestB ol Weyerhceuser' thinl€ that there are mcory interesting crvenuea of opportunity open to the retcril building ncrtericl mcrn ito 1939, but thcri the most inportcnrl cmd effective one is instclltnent selliag of complete unit$ I listened to him tell qbout it the other dcry, cmd as you lollow his logic you will lind yoursell totclly in <rgreement with his philosophy, his contentions, cmd his lirurl deductions. He's cr persucsive cuss, is this Scberson

He scrys the cvercge buyer oI retcril building rrctericls, pcrrticulcrrly in the rurtrl community, is not in the least interested in the price per thousand, 1rr gcllon" or per pound ol rcrw mcrtericls; thtrt he is deeply interesled in the completed unit price of something consbucted lrom build' ing mctericrls, cnd thcrt his interest reclly chcmges lrom pcssive to <rctive when it is offered to him on ths instqllnent plcm.

He told oI cr $ncll town de<rler who built cr slick-looking single garqge irr his front ycnd, pcinted cmd completed it, cmd put rr sigm on it-"Tcke thir garage away lor $100." He didn't succeed in crousing c grect decl of interest in his proposition" cmd wcs inclined to be glum crbout it.

Someone suggested to him thqt he tcke thct signr down cnrd put up this one, instec& 'Tqke this [666"o-e garqge home with you lor $5 c month-iugt what you pcry, lor gcncrge rent." He mcde the chunge crnd hcd people stopping to tqlk cbout the gcrcrge ct cll hours ol the dcry, selling not only the one, but c lot ol others iust like it.

Scberson drew this conclusion: "A lot ol thoee who cclled DIDN'T E\IEN ASK HOW MANY MONITIS they hcd to pcry the live dollcns. Gelting the good-lobking gcucrge crt the price ol rent wcrs cll they reclly ccred aboul" And I've seen enough human beings in my lile to ccuse me to doubt thct stctement NOT in the lecsl

When you sell cr completed unit on the instcllment plan, you iust ctdd enough instcrllments to take ccrre ol the interest, cmd the prospective buyer doesn't leel the interest pcin crt crll

Anyone who doeso't know thqt cbout hcU the humcms in the world would much preler pcryrng 22 instcllments ol $5 each, thnn pcrying <r lump sum ol $100, iust hcrsn't been cnound muclrThe ccrrying chcrrges cre pcinless, cnd the scrle is much simplilied.

Yes, Sir, Mr. Scbersotr, you're tclldng to cr guy now with cn instcllnent'buying mentcrlity, cmd I think nost other humc-o cre bit with the scme bug.