SELLING POINTS.
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By "The Inspector."
IF, BY CHANCE, one happens to overhear a. dis,cussion in which the. merits and demerits of. any particular type of automobile are being debated, it is, at least, extremely likely that, sooner or later, some particular constructional Characteristic or Consideration of finish will be agreed upon as being "a good selling point:" I do not, however, remember to have heard any corresponding decision as to any feature being a. bad "selling point " ; yet there, are indubitably many such; and anyone who is, or has
, been, a salesman knows only too weil. to his cost what features to aVoid when he is expatiating on the virtues of the machine he has to try to sell, to some more or less prospective buyer.
When Orders Were Rare.
In the earlier days, when, of course, mechanical haulage was regarded by all but the keenest enthusiasts as a freakish and certainly expensive experiment, actual sales were very hard indeed to effect. I remember quite Well, what is now twenty years ago, the excitement that reigned in the pioneer firm with which I was at that time concerned, when some bright .person began to. disclose even more than passing interest as to the possible purchase of one of these remarkable new machines, An actual order for a. single machine was a matter for very considerable excitement. The one who had placed it, was secretly written down either as a philanthropist or as an extremely courageonsi inciividdal. Sales' in 1890 were not made to anyone who was not as great an enthusiast as those who designed and produced the machine itself. Indeed, the buyer was, more often than not, the greater enthusiast of the two. We earlier eiesig-ners and builders were, often and often, plunged into the depths of blackest pessimism as to the possible and probable results of our further labours.
. Sales Born of Inquisitiveness.
So that, in those very early day_ss the question of selling points practically never arose at all. Then followed a considerable period of disappointing experiment, of trial and failure, of cut and come again. And only here and there were people found plucky enough to encourage the young industry with an occasional order—not as the result of persuasive sales talk, but from a, desire to put this lieW thing to pray> tical personal test. I am always inclined to date the turn of events in our own branch of the trade from the time when London began to want motorbuses.
The Vanguard Opened People's Eyes.
The coming of the Vanguard really set people thinking on new lines as to their own transport and wondering vaguely if, one day, their own haulage might not be practicably operated on similar lines ; wondering, too, whether they might not, perhaps, collect a few of the laurels of the pioneer if they. ventured an• experiment. Theo began, for the first time, the 'period of proper sales propaganda-. The first, few lusty pioneers were very hard. put to it to convince horse owners that they could. do the job better, from the points of view of speed and convenience, at comparatively reasonable cost, if they
changed over to motors. Selling points, the finer points of constructional and technical significance were, for this Purpose, of practically no value, It was all so new. Lamp ignition, low-tension magneto, and what not, all were unreliable and full of potential trouble and the less said about such details the better I
The kudos of the Pioneer. •
NO, the only practical argument was to hold out. the rosiest prospects of improved • and quicker services. But, perhaps, an even more potent factor was the insistence osi the personal and business kudos that would inevitably result from the pioneer ownership of an automobile of the commercial variety. This netted a few of the bolder speculators and served to bring nearer the time when would-be users began to inquire themselves. Machines were still unstable and uncertain, bot they were more hopeful.
Horse Costs.
The, salesman then had to get busy on a. new pro
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grahame of sales points, which primarily were ix)ncerne..d With an elaborate and highly imaginative table Of comparative horse and motor operating costs. Nobody knew, at this stage, what -horses cost to "operate." Indeed, I-take leave to doubt if, in all but a few exceptional eases, they know to-day. Certain it was that, in my own. experieuce, the figures I used to employ were hopeful, but I beg to be excused from certifying that they were exceptionally truthful! Perhaps they were helpful, if not reliable!
Then We Came to Ton-miles.
Then people began to' realize that so any Ikehicles would not be in use if there was not actually something, profitable in their employment. So they began to be less hard to .convince with these fantastic mileage costs, and we began to substitute little more reliable but rather more spectacular lists of ton-mile costs as selling points and with it came the necessity to draw attention to some of the more reliable constructional features of individual designs of chassis.
Comparative Details.
The next stage was a comparatively recent one— not long before the war, whennianuftecturers were warranted in drawing very close comparisons between their own and other people's models. Chains and live a,xles., long and short wheelbases, pressed and rolled steel frames, ignition systems of various conception, and so on. Now, we have got to a further stage still. There is not so much to choose' between the first-class makes or between the second graders,' or the third line of defence. It is no longer necessary to persuade the majority of people that the motor lorry is outstandingly advantageous. Buyers are not vitally eoncerned aS to. whether one maker fits a monobloc or the other castsall his cylinders separately. He holds the builder and designer responsible for the whole machine, just as we all do if we are buying a sewitog machine or a lawn mower.
Selling Points That Matter Now.
As 'things, are now, the two selling points that matter are delivery and, perhaps, coachwork. Even price, in the present extraordinary state of affairs, does not influence the majority of buyers. But, beYond all, it is delivery. The position has changed in a remarkable•Way, and it would be interesting to consider what are to-day the best qualifications for a commercial-motor salesman and what are the selling_ points be will have to master, to enable' him to unload output when the present production leeway has once moreseaught up the order book. I., personally, think "other users" is going to be a potent factor. Certainly not horse-v.-motor costs; and certainly not intrinsic mechanical details.