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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1916)
-'Vi " .SV$t . . a l- - . jfMftteMMHttilnMHfcMjNMit jmie A WU- jj HOW I WON SUCCESS AS A SALESMAN In a recent Isnue of Opportunity I rend an article in which a leading Chicago hanker declared that Helling offered the heat chances of today. And ao, an a aequel to that article, let mo aay that my own experience moro than juatlflea the banker's statement. My own story is the same as that oC hundreds of. other men who have broken away from poorly paid posi tions and found success and inde pendence In the selling field. And because of this fact I thought it might be of Interest to other men who are facing the same situation today to learn the secrets of my success. I had always wanted to ho a sales man. That's true. I could see, and was repeatedly told, that the big money in every business was on the selling end. But some way or other I never seemed to have a chance to break Into the game. And that, as I have since found out, was because I started out with the wrong idea. Like other men in the pay-roll rut I was, to put It frankly, afraid of myself. I lacked confidence in my own ability. I didn't admit it, of course, but that Is the fact. I didn't have he courage to break the shackles that had always bound me to a steady, but small, weekly wage. I was so accustomed to walk up to the window each Monday and draw my pay that I was afraid to attempt any other course. I was in a rut and knew it. But, like other men, I lacked the courage to step out. Today, as I look back, I see the folly of this idea. I know now, as do all other salesmen, that the big By JAMES C SCOTT money in selling is made by men who work on a commission basis. In fact, of all the salesmen I know, not one would work on any other basis; you couldn't hire them to take a salary of any size. In my own cao It was not until the ruapoiiHibilltioH of a growing family nmdu it ImpoHMible to longer live on the salary I was making that I decided to make some ort o move. The first thing I did was to "Htrike" my boss for a raise In reply I waa told that, on account of Inialnesn conditions, it waa out of the question; that other men could be secured at the same salary and that In short I ought to be glad to bo retained at all. It wan this turn-down that proved the actual turning point in my life. It was the spark I had always needed to bring out the manhood in me. So, that same night, my blood fairly boiling with new ambition, I wpnt home and told my wife that the die was cast that I had decided to get out of the old rut and go into the selling game. I expected a good, old light with her over my decision. But instead she heartily approved the plan and, much to my surprise, went over to the library table, pulled out a magazine and showed me an advertise ment. "This," she said, "looks to me like a splendid chance." "This ad," she went on, "says that any honest, ambitious man can get the exclusive county agency for the Robin son Portable Bath Tub, appoint sub agents and get a commission oa what they make, too. You wouldn't bo a common agent then," she appealed to me. "Don't you see you would be gen eral agent for the whole county and have a lot of other salesmen working under you?" There waa no mistaking that appeal. I knew that my wife, too, was begin ning to realize that our meagre Income had to be Increased. She knew that if I only had the nerve I could earn enough commission to have the com forts and little luxuries we were en titled to. r decided to try. Our town had no sewer system. There wasn't more than two or three semi modern bathrooms In the town. Ninety nine per cent, of us were compelled to put up with all sorts of clumsy make shifts. Even at our own home we used zinc tubs that were such a nuisance that bath-nights were dreaded. I knew that conditions were practically the same In eight or ten neighboring towns with which I was familiar. I knew that I myself would jump at the chance to buy one of these portable tubs. In fact, my wife had already de cided to order one for our own home, whether I took the agency or not. The price was not high, yet by getting the exclusive agency for the county I could make $5 on every sale. So It did look promising. The exclusive county agency appealed to me, too. It gave an added touch of Importance and dignity to the Finally, I decided that while I had better hold on to my job until I was sure that I could make a go of It that I would at least make the try. I had never sold a thing in my life, but I be- tlieved that it was largely a question of nerve. As it turned out, however, there tub actually seemed to sell Itself. After we had received the sample tub and tried It out In our own home, we knew that we had discovered a winner. The only time I had to spare was dur ing the evening, and so I decided to use that for the try-out. The first night was dark and rainy and there was a strong temptation to wait for more auspicious conditions, but on sec ond thought I concluded that I would be likely to find people at home with nothing to do but listen to me, and that decided it In five minutes the tub was emptied, dried and rolled up into a package but little larger than an umbrella, and again I was impressed with the. wonderful convenience. I didn't use any long-winded speech In trying to make a sale. I simply said that we had discovered a bathtub that was so amazingly simple and conveni ent that we thought they'd like a chance to get one like it. They seemed amused at first at the idea of carrying a bathtub around like an umbrella, and when in another instant they saw the ready-to-use tub, alL set up ready for use, they gave me a -ldolc -very; .much like a six-year-old bestows upon the magician who produces a live rabbit from an apparently empty silk hat. And they were just as pleased as they were surprised. I visited only three houses that night and I sold three tubs, or, rather three families insisted on buying, and I agreed to accept the orders. If this was selling. It certainly had nd terrors, and to think that I had earned $15 in a little les3 than two hours almost as much money as my usual seven dajr3 of dis agreeable, boss-dominated routine paid me. Three more evenings were devoted to the try-out and I had a1 total of eleven tubs sold to my credit. So I decided to quit the office job altogether. You can imagine how tickled I was and how overjoyed my wife was, too, to know that our petty penny-pinching was no longer necessary. In the next few days I got several orders without soliciting them at all Mrs. Smith simply saw the tub at Mrs! Jones' and telephoned me to order one for her. Sometimes when I came home at night my wife would have an order or two waiting for me. Then I began to pay attention to my opportunities as county agent. Lots of fellows wanted to compete with me when they learned how well I was do ing, but Mr. Robinson protected me and referred each of them to me as the county agent. Soon I had a crew of four men working for me in neighbor ing townsr and as X made a nice, fat commission on their sales, too, It wasn't long before I was enjoying an income eight or ten times greater than my old office job. The fellows who are working under me are doing almost as well. They range from 13-year-old schoolboys to one old man just passing the 60 mark. One Is a woman, and she, too, fs suc ceeding finely. Every one of them Ieffe a meagre-pay, boss-ridden job and every one of them has 'succeeded here. I wish that every man and woman who is tired of low wages, long hours and exacting bosses might follow our example. You can If you ontv will. "Re member. 70 per cent, of all the people in the United States are without prop er bathing facilities. That spells oppor tunity for you. Mr. H. S. Robinson, the president of the company, tells me that he still has quite a few exclusive coun ty agencies open. You'll find full par ticulars m the advertisement b'elow. Adv. i i BE MY GENERAL AGENT IN YOUR COUNTY! urei into an nonest, Dignified Business of Your Own mnke.i Mk money doesn't denem ... t.t. r- 4v-- W . j7& i'rss izsz&s- s.- .... .. ,.., &n, ..,. ...... " .. imiliinn nn i..i. ....t .. '""' "-uriMicij- iree. rut Ton in n nftii.. . ........ . . - m.w. u. nauir you how io aa a, n a a a m-a a a-1& xi ivui i a u irii v rsi.a t -. m w mm Mm m rn.rn.9w am blbb iiia n a an a- "rt n pr nnkiw iwb nrii, t l-i ,"... :-" ucixratui aceats aad make fat commliixloni on their work n.i well tin . .....11 .. ' ,,..:7 .: "-" rw IUI yon IB a UOMitlAh tn nianno. . I-, --... nauv juu BUW l your own .., andthe ni;; oVfVom .' '"' l"? 1? "L -h tAe helpTcan aa iU Ive ."""? Ki !? JK J"k fa r."k!5i..-A" y" n rt-hehaaVe.' I know "SrS" ?T7f KJ"T. CESSD." "" "" " """l 1 fill nrn nn oo.tAM....ii.. -" en -., j .... ...Mriiiiiiiu nrcKtr. si 1 1 viaii tv i vihA . . " ""'aS rff8iJ!rzrjsb sjss&S.,u WOBe "'" -" ' -- yon .. WIIIKK KpeclMtr lu oNlino,.. - ru iiii. .' ',;: ' " "?i y?,u " " rePMMtttTe o. th, . - -- - - a- aav ,1A tl ni.-i.-nu, JM'tM'lIIlIV 111 nTlMtuiww. IM1 .v.... a.. .. -r , cm m - i cyrCSCfliailVP OH tlmf VAM-tf iktu Hcn,y proportion. You're .. your.,e,r 77 totVr&'tt.KlJ& . - a.-, a, CT, 4 ,our OWH ,vltll ppoflta ot from 30 pcr Vk nnwirii """ 2""lw On " -- -"-- r ow n profit, of from 30 per week, " ver 70 per cent Are Without Bath Rooms errand small towns and cities the nerntnn- u ,mo -- .. ..... . Vf ltlO wlthoJf trV3l that. These people have ,one imve uieti an sorts of makeshifts, sponge baths f woodw i nI Ann S, t uni now tney could not set It. They T Wish T rmilrl alinTi- .,., 1.1. i .i-..... .... th. Pick it m wi h." ":.;0"ue""1.,tu?- OOI at the picture. Mi,tJ, cwc ivuuucviui new material and YOU ftiftKE $5.00 ON EVEBV ai r eelau5,ha?U.,? "fS TK" and effort nuahlnir .,. ?5? You' get exclusive territory: We , prot?e wu rii?t en?rS3C lI1 mke you to secure exclusive territory Then v-5? p5 flnnlyfOU c,ountr rights. No cost to hustler you can make more on this i taJSnoSltlon rh01 sub"a?ents. If you are a makes on a straight sallry! in raci thSSi llL VhaU tlfSi.A iIsh-cla33 salesman one sale a day means 30 a week. Think ot"S T dayman's ?S awe'elc1 RO tXS36nei.GG Nefi&SSarV l on't care if you never had a rt.v. ,, sell this "tub and sell it fast enouiSi ?nfi . V"y1;. 1"L.I know that you cat per cent or my best representative n , uus" to maico Dig money, I -vsvEzmmam- " m XlammammammaBl- " SWWJP'jiCT VaaFW5 " 'v;igWVIilaTr aM 1 tT'laaPPflP 1L HHPniiaa tn 1l ...aaVHaamaamaamaamaamaamaammBVIaamaamaamaamaHB' I"- I .IMiilmaMmaMmalaMmaMmaMmaMmaMmaTlaMmaMmaMm Iff you can lenow before wV;n.5rs w never This is no fairy tale Nad m fT "" oecore they started to work for me. am mEM renr9ntiiriia n,J "ZJr il' -x..?. ",r.eam of rtix. Every word T wrifa tc ..- ". . . tfHP1 :hey can sell these tubs as theyTreTelllntneln thaTSSn $heA " inaryenrwon? ?f the just as they do. I want to tell vn ni X, TJ11 rto. the same thine that vmr55nV I..kn?F that if xuu descriptive matter about mV;n i:""7 7. "tt.1 mX men nave done and whnr ;.;" r", "4ae e big money fun desnVitivA m V" V," ." y?a aoout it safaiiSisaffS "? juu uun iNUVv. 4V".l J-esumowais from others I hV iiS'1.6 icttcv. rnese exclusive ommfi- o" r""41 yu aucceea. send you Write eaeh nri.UPlople re 3&y falling over to do S trnt0Hbu3r 5?ese tubs- AU yP have o?d2? TnfKhow them and write out the nracHonm, Jle c0"111 and smaller towns Fn the citvir t10 s a Pspect. Even RIht SSL litiSrnSJxririfllnS how they sell. aVerafflni i Toledo Mr. N. J. Smith is fnaffiu-S fales ad.ar- Used to work he makS Sfr Sreiat ?65 a month; now can too t .inmuch, every week- Tou lots nfmJ w,iU send yu the records of iSS nr.i?en who are making bis money Just ordinary men and ordfnary towns. Demon strating Tub FREE credit Furnish sain- vtuiueu pie iieip you out Back you up Don't doubt Don't hesi tateDon't hold back You cannot lose, aiy other men are building homes, bank accounts so can you. Act then cuick H. S. Robinson, President. THE ROB,NSON CABINET MFG CO 4(T P X CU' -4029 ketone Building, Toledo, Ohio