The Business Man's Library (Volume 4); Book on Selling - W.A. Waterbury [Et Al

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1905 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XVII THE ADVANTAGES AND IMPORTANCE OF SYSTEM IN SELLING BY J. HAKRY SELZ Vice-President, Selz, Schwab & Company Always a student of business system, I have been especially interested, of late, in observing that the average clerk or department head is inclined to regard the cabinet of names called the house list simply and solely as a piece of modern machinery for the expansion of business. While this is showing the proper spirit of push and progress, it is a mistake to think that so valuable a tool as a house list can be put to only one kind of use. In fact, this cabinet of cards containing the names of the current, former and prospective customers, is one of the most flexible pieces of mechanism that has ever been devised, and the active head of any large merchandising house may spend hours in company with this device to greater advantage than in almost any other society I could name. Suppose it were possible for him to assemble in some great hall all the men at the moment carrying live accounts with him and all who had traded with him in the past. Would not that be a privilege which would instantly arouse his enthusiasm? But where this list numbers from 10,000 to 20,000 individuals and firms, it will easily be seen that so large an assemblage would be somewhat unwieldy, so far as actual results are concerned. There might be much poise and good feeling in such a gathering, but small opportunity for the wholesaler to learn definite and directly helpful things about his trade. But what are his privileges with the house list in the card catalogue drawer? Here he can assemble his whole trade and interview, at a glance, each individual customer. And these customers, thus approached, consume no time in comments on the weather. What these cards will...