Don't Fear Contagion

By TACK DIONNE

You never can tell in advance just what chord will strike the proper spot.

The little editorial on this page in the lf,arch tsth issue-"simplicity in Salesmanship"-is still going-still bringing us retrrns. We reprinted many thousands of them, and supplied demands from many quarters.

"That little sermon will help many a faltering salesman over a rough spot in the road," wrote a big employer of lumber and shingle salesman.'i.

Tlcre was one point in that little sermon that can never be too greatly emphasized, namely: 'THE MORE PEOPLE You oFFER YouR pRoposrrroN To, THE LARGER NUMBER OF SALES YOU WILL MAKE." For THIS is the spinal column of thc body of SALESMANSHIP.

The successful salesman just SELLS, SELLS, SELLS all the time, day and night. He starts out in the morning by selling himself. He sells his family, sells the policeman on the corner, the street car conductor, the mail man, the folks in the office, and everyone with whom he comes in contact through the day. Thus he keeps himself "pepped up" to sell his customers. He is so filled with his selling mission that he cannot be denied. For THIS you need that great ingredient-ENTHUSIASM.

Out of the mass of men who try to sell lumber there arises now and then a man so simple in his methods, so convincing in his manner, so conclusive in his discussions. and so splendid in his results, that he seems just "a natural born salesman." And he ISN'T. He has simply learned the fundamentals outlined in thelittle story-"Sim- plicity in Salesmanship."

He potsesses ENTHUSIASM. Ffe knows his own goods. He knows what they mean to the OTHER FELLOW. He knows how to translate them into terms of the other fellow's needs. He knows how to meet the other fellow simply, smilingly, interestingly, and knows how to sit down and tell in understandable and attractive manner just what the thing is that he wants to sell.

And most of all, he isn't afraid of CONTAGION; isn't afraid to expose himself to too many ordgrs; isn't afraid of WORK. He knows that the number of sales he will make depends upon the number of efforts ho makes to sell,

Too many salesmen fail to see the similarity between their selling and their golf. If they go out and shoot "par" on their first business hole by selling the prospect, they want to "call it a day." If they shoot par on their first golf hole, they want to go right an and try to shoot it on just as many more holes as possible before dark.

Try the same stunt with your selling, and watch the results.

Last year, on July first, we celebrated the first anniversarf of the birth of @ CALIFORNIA LUMBER, MERCHANT with e

Special Birthday Numberj

The boy has grown out of the infant class-has, we believe, graduated, and is now without a peer.

The second anniversarr will be a joyful occasionmarked by the appearance of a bigger and better Second Birthdaf Number.