How-I-Did-It – Stories of Lamp Sales as told by Salesmen to Salesmen, Volume Two, Sept. 1917-1918

A man jumping over a fence to escape a bull. Unfortunately, there is an angry-looking dog on the other side of the fence.

Dodging Trouble

*Given the second award of $10.00 for the month of March.

The policy of Mr. Statler (of Statler Hotels) in the case of a kick is to always assume that the customer is right. His employees are instructed that those who kick must have a reason and it is their business to unearth this reason.

Kicks are the most helpful things a business can have, if they are properly handled. Mr. Kann illustrates how absence of action on a kick works to disadvantage whereas a vigorous follow-up can be made to yield real benefit.

Two men between competing lamp stores, one man is pulling the other towards the Mazda shop

Selling Lamps with Shipping Tags

*Given the first award of $15.00 for the month of March.

This lamp selling idea given us by Mr. Watt is original enough to deserve honorable mention, blue ribbon, and all the rest that goes with a popular winner.

It is one of those go-thou-and-do-likewise stunts that any man can put into practice — profitably.

Does Mr. Watt get first award for this? Oh, my, yes!

Be Sure You’re Right—Then Go Ahead

The man who says “It can’t be done” is usually interrupted by somebody who does it.

Mr. Killian tells how he interrupted one of those inspiring men to the tune of “Old 300” and ends up his story with a refrain to that tune.

Man with a magnifying glass looking at a group of men in hats.

Capitalizing the Influence of the Manager’s Right Hand Man

There’s often the tendency to “go over the little fellow’s head” in selling.

Mr. Kettle points out how, as a general rule, this is wrong—and he’s right-again.

The salesman who has Mr. Kettle’s views on buying influence and buying power knows the value of the big work the interested “little fellow” can perform. Get him on your selling force.

Client saying No with a gesture, to the salesman who has a long list.

Salemanship vs. Camouflage*

*Given the second award of $10.00 for the month of February.

What do you know about the MAZDA lamp industry?

—What is the basis of your “quality talk” as regards lamps?

—Why should a man buy your lamps in preference to the other fellow’s?

Mr. Dowling here settles those questions so far as he is concerned, and he has a pretty high batting average in being right.

His last two sentences should be written on each salesman’s cuff.

Fireman in a car, racing along the road.

Doing a Good Turn to a Gasoline Lighting Consumer—and the Result*

*Given the first award of $15.00 for the month of February.

A gasoline installation usually unsells itself if given time.

Mr. Halls tells how he hastened the process of unselling by acting more like the Good Samaritan than like Nero. It got him a contract and a front seat in HOW-I-DID-IT.

Kanji characters indicating something about a printing company perhaps owned by women?

Hashimura Togo on Lighting

For the benefit of those who are unable to read the above, Hashimura Togo tells the story in his own near English.

Man tossing a Mazda light bulb at another, hitting him right on the head.

MAZDA Lamps and Conservation

In a speech on conservation it doesn’t require much effort to point to the carbon lamp in the socket as one of America’s wastes—and it makes a good point.

Mr. Hines found it so and demonstrated in a very practical way the place taken by MAZDA in the present conservation age.

Now is the time to drive home MAZDA saving.

Hanging the Crepe on Mr. Acetylene’s Door

To the practical readers who ask why crepe was hung on Mr. Acetylene’s door, we might be tempted to reply, “He was Lynched.”

In other words, Mr. Lynch snatched an order right out of the Acetylene man’s fingers in a most courteous manner.

A little investigation and mental energy expended on any case will usually reap a reward.

Witness how Mr. Lynch did it.

Selling by Demonstration

A fitting title for this story would be, “Selling by Vexation—Then Demonstration.”

It is simple enough to apologize to a man when he’s peeved—but to straighten out a tangle and head the exasperated prospect on the road to a sale after he has declared himself against it, is the proper way to net you something for your trouble.

Read how Mr. Boys did it.

“Trading Up” —with Customers

Mr. T. Kettle is with us again in a bright story of the kind of lamp sales that are possible in great numbers. If, as Mr. Kettle says, “Every normal person is subject to the influence of suggestion,” then there will be a lot of salesmen interested in his story and his little postscript cruise into psychology.

Note that the sale was not his own, but one he saw made, yet he immediately dashed it off and cashed it in with HOW-I-DID-IT.

Mr. Kettle may be accused of many things, but one thing is certain, no one can say that he is not always “on the Job.”

Making a Temporary Installation Permanent

They tell us that Charity is the greatest of graces. Mr. Isley in his story demonstrates that the greatest of Charities is that with a kicker in it, so designed need that those who can best afford it will pay the freight.

Order yours today!

More Fascinating Tales:

Dodging Trouble

Selling Lamps with Shipping Tags

Be Sure You’re Right—Then Go Ahead

Capitalizing the Influence of the Manager’s Right Hand Man

Salemanship vs. Camouflage*

Doing a Good Turn to a Gasoline Lighting Consumer—and the Result*

Hashimura Togo on Lighting

MAZDA Lamps and Conservation

Hanging the Crepe on Mr. Acetylene’s Door

Selling by Demonstration

“Trading Up” —with Customers

Making a Temporary Installation Permanent

FInD
tYpOs

Order yours today!

More Fascinating Tales:

FInDtYpOs

FInD
tYpOs