| Show ROADSIDE MARKETING G By Dy T. T J. J Delohery SALES SALESMANSHIP MANS hIP O Is ls Isas ns as Important In 3 operating nitrating ll a successful su essul rond do market as al It 14 Iii In any business The old Won that consumers lr will Imy Luy fresh quality f farm tarm nn prod products ieL Because use lO of the products products' alone lune Is II a a. a ta aey y And the if some one yott ll-d ll orie else t hai mn mi maayan y M otherwise g go goi I l op II o t to sell if sill direct a aA learned A Michigan fruit grower this to o his hili sorrow Furrow In th three te years of hard hard work ork tier hc built up hta hla roadside market mark t business tp where It aged IO a 8 mouth for tor the l 0 ea- ea Q- Q Ion eon illness compelled him him to 0 hire a salesman and when the In Income was totaled he lie found his hili business had tallen to 30 tie He learned the reason the tl et following fear year from tram old c customer w fio stopped owed at the market n ket when the th they t. t saw slaw nw lm I be behind o hind the counter Ioor salesmanship Ills Ills His representative never neer to explain any anything thin t to customers If ti th they y questioned values never anticipated their wants nor made suggestions all of which have a tendency to sell both the hOUI house and Its HI products product Competition la Is so that the roadside salesman must do do more than wait walt on people Ue lIe must must know the varieties of fruits vegetables a ables bles tiles and other products product quality amito and ami to what uses use useR they are best suited stilted This Is II especially true of apples and other fruits v L Fres apple grower of Ames Iowa took over an oM old fruit nursery that had a large variety of apples but until his wife cooked an apple of each ench variety to find which was best for cooking and eating Randau Ran Ran- den dau who majored In livestock at col i lege g wad lade J all ll sok soh sorts sorts' II o olih and I Iad had f ad quite u a 1 time with housewives who purchased cooking for eating enUng apples appleson a pl a aon on his i- i I v t t r. 1 Service at a roadside or t farm turm rm market market market mar mar- ket differs differs' considerably on l q rendered In n city It hops where dei- dei eries are are made and orders can be given b bl phone About 42 per cent of the wl customers cust so a survey survey sur sur- vey VlY Indicates e make ke purchases es- es without Without with with- out getting out of their cars cars This practice might be taken as as' as asan ai an Indication Indication Indica Indica- tion Lion of laziness but even so the smart roadside and aud farm tarm market owner will cater to the whims whims of the prospective buyer buer It likewise has hns been beeD found that courtesy pays las at all ll The rhe 10 cent purchaser p of today may buya buy a a dollars dollar's worth tomorrow Moreover It It Is Is' the steely steady customer that makes direct marketing profitable transient trade l being bellig tourists or shoppers lookIng look look- log fag t for for 1 low prices A line of customers custom custom- ers era coming to the market dally daily or several several sev sev- eral times a week wll buy a lot of pr produce duce over the season season Several years lears ago I 1 witnessed d what I thought was a very verI good example example example ex ex- ex- ex ample of salesmanship And to make It more Interesting the farmer was a redhead A costly automobile screeched to a astop astop astop stop In a cloud of dust and flying gravel before the market The door of the car flipped open o en and a bushel of ripe tomatoes spilled over the ground most of them mashing and squirting Juice over the white road road- way Plainly the tomatoes were dumped but the farmer apparently y unmindful of the Impending fight lIgh hastily assured the woman that a accidents accidents ac eo will happen and that he would replace the tomatoes without cost Caught oft off balance the woman woman subsided The fire left her eyes In fact she muttered an apology after afler admitting It was her fault She was returning the tomatoes because they were not the right kind for making chill chili sauce Perhaps she added T 9 1 should have told you what I wanted them for The offer of a new basket was wan re re- fused Instead the woman bought two bushels and several other vegetables Here by quick thinking a scene was avoided and a customer made Instead of lost The farmer a good salesman really made a friend friend and and a profit An AD Important part of salesmanship Is winning the confidence of the cus cue tomer Very often suggestions will mean additional sales Ive I've seen slen It happen many times during the years I have been Investigating and studyIng studyIng study study- Ing farm markets In fact the same thing has hall happened to you and me when we are ore shopping Large targe department stores have a ruling that the customer Is always right I doubt the truth of this policy but It pays to let the customer hell believe eve It The tomato Incident referred to above Is a good example of how this policy can be twisted to o the advantage od an tage of the seller Similar opportunities opportunities will arise out of making good goodon on guarantees and everything sold should be guaranteed It Is 18 a s good selling point and when a refund or replacement Is 18 necessary even though the fault may lie He with the customer It makes for confidence and future business It ft Is 1 not a sin to admit the quality of the current supply of any kind of produce Is le not as good as a previous pre offering ottering Probably the last picking Perhaps a different variety Maybe weather conditions The explanation explanation- should be logical and honest bonest When something special Is asked for tor and not In stock stok a good nod salesman will 1 make every nery effort to accommodate date his customer even without profit Q Co 1133 Western N. 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