CREATING A " SELLING " ATMOSPHERE. •
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To Persuade the Local Tradesmen to Think About Motor Transport is the First Step' in an Agent's Sales Campaign.
$y" Vim."
IMPOR,TANT as the use of motor vehicle a in the collection and distribution of goods is to tradesmen, the question of transport has not as yet presented itself to them as one that presses for decision. Shopkeepers are drifting into acquiring motorvans and lorries. "To be or not to be's motor owners is a matter which they believe may be considered when they feel inclined; it is not clearly before them as one that should receive immediate attention. In comparison with the ever-pres&nt problems of rates and taxes, latest murder' trials, wages of assistants, and the hundred and one affairs that are daily forced on their attention, motor transport has
small claim to their thoughts. . In truth, motor traaisport is of far greater importance to shopkeepers of all kinds than almost anything -else. This truth would, in any event, be brought home to them gradually in the course of, perhaps, several years but ought the commercialvehicle agent to be content to let time do the,work7 Is it not possible for him to cut out those years and bring the transport problem forward to the passing moment; to put it clearly before all whom it concerns in such a way as to induce them to regard it as one which outweighs most others, and which demands to be grappled with, not in the indefinite future, but here and now? I think that it is possible, and not so very difficult. . ,
The first essential to a. successful selling campaign is a favourable "atmosphere," You have-got to make evelbody think together, not so much of the article you have to sell as of the need for that class of article. You have got to arouse desire ; or, at least, to start people searchihg their minds to, find out whether the desire is there. And since we know, to begin, with, that motor transport is desirable to all save a minority of tradesmen, we know also that most of them will not have to search far. Therefore, if we CAA,. and do, create the right "atmosphere," results in the shape of orders must follow; and we have only to guide them into our hands to insure-full success to our campaign. ; The circumstances peculiar to every agency—the staple industry of the place, its area and so on and so forth—render it impracticable for gme%to treat of this subject of a sales campaign in a, way that might put all agents in possession. of a cut-and-dried scheme ., which would suit each one of them, even if I were competent to design it. But I find that, in order to put my ideas into understandable shape, I cannot generalize-; and so I -have come to the conclusion' that the best plan will be for me to pretend that I km an agent, situated in a town of some 30,000 inhabitants, who are. sustained by three or four fairly large factories and trade in agricultural produce from' the surrounding country, which also is comprised in toy agency territory. In my towo we have the usual complement of shops of all classes and grades—coal
merchants, builders, wholesalers, etc. I hold the selling rights for the following reputable makes of commercial cars :— 3 termer " 2 tonner "Aye," 25cwt. "Bee, '
-12 Cwt. "Gee," and .
3 cwt. "Dee" parcelear.
Of these, I have demonstration vehicles of all, .except the 3 tanner. The 12 cwt. has a smart' van et8
body .1 . the 25 cwt. has a detachable tilt top; and the 2 banner has .a platform body with attachable sides. They are all painted to one striking colour scheme of pink, relieved by black mouldings, and each bears in bold lettering the nameof my firm and the legend, " ' Bee' demonstration vehicle. Carries 2 tons," varied, of course, according to make and capacity of vehicle.. None of them is ever allowed to go out of our premises unless it is. in an absolutely spickand-span condition, both bodywork and chassis. The money spent on cleaning and an occasional coat of varnish is the most remunerative advertising investment I make. We axe always prepared to undertake hire work at standard rates when circumstances permit, but we never forget that our demonstrators are to help us to sell vehicles, and hiring is subordinated to selling. Here, then, you have a brief description of our business and location, which, by the way, would apply quite well to some hundreds of garages elsewhere—except in so., far as it refers to the smart appearance 1).f the demonstrators, for I am sorry to have to say that it is not the general rule to. devote enough care to this important point.
My firm,. the "Gee " Motor eo., have decided that we are going to set our town talking and thinking about transporting goads by motor vehicles, as a preliminary measure. Later on we shall narrow down the
issue to the cars we handle ; but to commence with we want to create a favourable "atmosphere." This will occupy us for several weeks, because it Must be 'worked up gradually if it is to be effective. We immediately begin to utilize our advertleement space in the local papers exclusively for propagating the gospel of " It Pays Tradesmen to Use Motor Transport."
give with this article a specinren advertiser ment Ob serve that it is designed to appeal to specified trades. This is the personal note which is so necessary in publicity. Simultaneously with our Press announcements our demonstrators will be running about our district for an hour or so each day, the routes covered by them being changed from day to day. They are to carry on boards, which we are having fixed high along the centre line of each vehicle, messages which we are having written by a good SignWriter. A few specimens of these messages I also give here. Our • demonstrators will not travel separately, but in procession, led by the parcelear. Wo have managed to pick up a couple of those musical car horns known
" bugle " horns, which, being used with discretion, will attract attention without giving offence. •
I do not think we ate too optimistic in believing that, • before very long, people wilt be asking each other whether they have seen our procession, and that, even if shopkeepers are, in the ordinary way, busily engaged within doors to keep their eyes on . passing traffic, sooner or later remarks•Of customers LARGE OR SMALL—IT • PAYS -will make them look out for our 'travelling show. Thus we shall awaken their interest in some small. degree ; and much will have been achieved.
About the time of that awakening we shall do our bestto-siA going in the local Press a discussion on the country's need for more efficient moans ,of conducting trade. The subject being by then n topical one, it will probably be con sidered b y the editors of our district's tte.wsp a.p ens as
public interest, so we do not anticipate any difficulty on that score. Please remember that we should not on any account attempt to ii'Mke the correspondence an advertisement for ourselves, but simply to make it a disctission on conveying goods by motor vehicles, to which there could be no objection, because it really is a
matter to do with de public. If luck favours us, and some horse user will only corns forward to dispute our views, we shall challenge, him to. prove his ease by a practical test, in which the convenience of the form of transport employed will be given its proper weight. Whatever happens, however, in consequence of the Press debate, we shall in any event arrange a competitive test, on lines which I will describe later.
In all probability five or six weeks will be taken up in bringing the " atmosphere " to a state in which we shall feel that we may descend from the general to the particular and commence to bring the question more closely before individual tradesmen, But of this more in my next article.