Is it Easy to Sell Commercial Motors ?
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A Visit to a Busy Sales Department : How the Works are Kept Going.
The way of the commercial motor salesman is not an easy one. The best of cars want selling, and many are the queries which are addressed to the commercial motorist by those who have begun to be interested in this particular form of haulage. The first statement that the salesman is called upon to disprove is a favourite—the great 'favourite—with all possible buyers. It is : " No motor suits my particular kind of business." When your salesman has succeeded in showing the purchaser the fallacy of this remark, he will say : " I don't believe your figures, but I will go into the matter." Having gone into the matter, his next effort will be : " As we are the first in our particular trade," or, " the first in our town, to use a motorvan, will you give us one at an extraordinary reduction? " If this is not acceded to, he will say : " Look what an advertisement it will be to you if we use your vehicles ! "
Having decided to buy, the average man wants tools and spares free. The tools expected would equip a small factory, and the spares required would build a couple of chassis at least. Having disposed of these demands, it will be found that the client expects the tires to be included in the chassis price, and, before he is finally satisfied, you must promise to supply him with a driver at a pound a week ! There are other points which will probably crop up before the order is actually booked, and two or three hours' discussion may be necessary to clear them up. An owner, who may perhaps have a dozen spare van horses in connection with his delivery work, will say : " Suppose we buy a car, will you be prepared to keep a spare vehicle always at our disposal, should our own be unable to run? Can you guarantee that the vehicle will never miss a journey? Are you sure there will be no smell? If, as you say, the motorvan is going to pay me, why can't you let me hire one from you ? " These and other common questions will suggest themselves to the mind of every experienced salesman. They are surely almost classical, and might be embodied in a text hook, together with suitable answers, varied according to the mechanical knowledge of prospective buyers. With the client who has no mechanical knowledge, the way of the salesman is hard. His morning's work may consist of answering interesting questions, such as : " What's that round thing for? Why do you have gear wheels on the machine at all?"
Rumours have reached us from various quarters during the past few weeks that business in commercial motors is conspicuous by its absence. In order to satisfy ourselves as to the truth of this very pessimistic statement, we seized the opportunity, when it was offered to us a few days ago, to be present at the . important function of the opening of the day's mail at the offices of a representative commercial motor manufacturing company, to wit, those of Commercial Cars, Ltd., at Cambridge Circus, W.C. Mr. Julian A. Halford, the managing director of the company, was good enough, on this occasion, to put before us the letters received. For obvious reasons, no names are published, but we can vouch for the bonil-ficle nature of the details which will be given in these few lines. Mr. Halford has proved himself well able to meet queries and suggestions, such as those quoted above, in admirable fashion.
To arrive at the spacious showrooms and offices of this company in the morning, and to note the air of activity which animates the entire staff, certainly would give the lie to the assertion we have quoted above. The admirablyfitted showrooms, which contain all the necessary apparatus for sending home the virtues of this particular make of commercial chassis, including an engine unit, and a gearbox with its change-speed mechanism and lever, constitute quite a miniature Olympia Show, and is a busy scene. On our entry, Mr. Halford was in the act of demonstrating the new barrel-lifting crane, which is driven from the propelling engine of the car, to the managing director of one of our best-known London firms. Deputing this work to Mr. Hudson, his capable assistant, Mr. Raiford conducted us to his sanctum, where the interesting part of the day's programme was soon in operation.
The first letter opened contained a request for a demonstration of the cap
abilities of the car from one of the largest electrical engineering companies in the Midlands. This was followed by a similar request from a dairy produce company of considerable standing. Then followed an order for a 24-26h.p., H.C.-type char-a-bancs, for work in a south-coast town, and the suceeeding letter was one from a large firm of biscuit makers, who desired to buy a chassis if Commercial Cars, Ltd., would guarantee five days a week running for three years—allowing, of course, the usual time for a complete overhaul. This very consistent running the company promises.
A Lancashire order was the next item in the budget, and this, we were informed, had resulted from a show enquiry, and a one-day demonstration. The car purchased was a two-tonner, to carry earthenware pipes—a species of load which demands a virtual absence of vibration in the lorry. At this point, we were disturbed by the entry of a clerk with a telegram from a firm of wool combers in the North : " When can you deliver H.C.-type chassis? " The reply was dictated concisely from
Mr. Halford's : " Six weeks delivery."
Other matters of less moment were included in the mail, which was temporarily laid aside in order that attention might be given to the " followup" cards, which form the company's record of business to be done. These receive daily attention, and are divided up amongst the travellers and office staff. The cards showed that likely Orders were awaited, during the day, from wen-known spirit refiners; from a firm of London millers; and from two wine merchants. A whisky merchant, who had seemed a probable client, is hesitating till the Licensing Bill is settled. We were, at this moment, interrupted by a request for Mr. Halford's presence in the showroom, in order to meet a market gardener—growing cucumbers,
grapes, and tomatoes, under glass, out of season—who desired to know if a motorvan would pay in connection with his deliveries. This point was proved to his satisfaction, and Mr. Halford was able to devote his attention to the engineer of a paint and varnish-making company, who had just come in with reference to a 25-cwt. van.
These gentlemen satisfied, Mr. Halford was again able to devote a few4mornents to discussing the trend of business, and to resume the examination of the correspondence. In view of Carlo Gatti's purchase, another ice company is in treaty with Commercial Cars, Ltd. A mineral water company, and a large general ironmongery company, each want to hire vehicles : these requests meet with a polite refusal. A general furnishing firm desires to buy a chassis on terms : here the telephone is railed into use, and the confidential information comes over the wire that the financial position of this firm is not considered good enough. The final letter is from a gas and electric fight fitting company, which desires a trial within a few days.
Having so thoroughly satisfied ourselves as to the truth of Mr. IIalford's optimistic statement that business certainly was plentiful, we wished him good-bye, but not before advice had reached him that a station bus had just been sold to a well-known peer. Passing through the showroom, the last evidence of the briskness of trade in commercial motor circles was offered in the shape of a small girl with a gingerbeer bottle, who wanted to buy a pennyworth of petrol with which to clean hats; this splendid trade opening, it is needless to say, was ignored by the company, with suitable regrets.