Rush Tactics

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 227, 24 September 1940, Page 13

Rush Tactics

By F. D. Rixon

♦ Short Story ♦

lITITH an air of determination Mr. Charles Sumpter drove his demonstration van into the small market town. Never before had he operated outeide the larger cities, and he fe.lt this occasion to be a challenge. Hie firm, Universal Retail Supplies, Ltd., had asked him to call upon Stevene, the grocer, and try to accomplish what two other travellers had found impossible. Sumpter, who had the reputation of being the firm's smartest salesman, did not let the thought of failure enter his head, but, at the same time, eaw the. necessity of putting all he knew into the task.

Selling high-priced equipment to retail stor&s and shops calls for special technique, and he had studied it from every angle. Whilst his yeare of experience had given him a useful knowledge of human nature, he always preierred to etudy the potential customer in particular, but this time he was calling upon a man whom he had not met before.

From the information he had gathered it seemed that Stick-in-the-inud Stevens, as they called him, had a rooted objection to almost anything modern, but Sumpter also learned that once the man could be interested in anything, even for a few minutes, he was apt to forget hie prejudice. It therefore seemed obvious to Sumpter that the method of approach which the circumstances called for was that one he privately labelled "rueh tactics," in which the customer was taken by storm at the outset. To effect this it was no use carrying diagrams and plans of the machines he wanted to sell. The two previous travellers had done that and failed to get a hearing. Sumpter had brought along a demonstration van containing the actual machines, and he aimed at getting his customer inside that van in the minimum of time.

As he drew up outside the shop, the deserted appearance of the High Street and the atmosphere, of calm that surrounded the whole place prompted the thought that a system of selling which succeeded in busy, bustling towns could hardly fail here, where nobody wae likely to say: "I haven't a minute to spare."

His luck was in because, glancing through the door of Stevens' Provision Store, he saw that only one man was in the shop, and as he. was apparently doing nothing, it was the right moment to call. After opening the back of the van and swiftly making certain that all wae in working order, he plunged into the shop and immediately began to epeak.

"Good morning, sir. My name is Sunipter, of the Universal Ketail Supplies, and I have made a special journey here with something of special interest

if you can spare me just two minutes, Do you mind coming to my demonstration car?"

Aβ he said this Sumpter stepped back to the door and held it open, ae if there, was no doubt whatever of the invitation being accepted, but the other did not move.

"I don't think you have anything that would interest me, and in any case I ought not to leave the shop." Sumpter quickly detected the lack of finality in the reply, and followed up persuasively as he "held open the door and pointed to the car outside. "But you need only be a minute or two, and it is right on your doorstep. Even if you don't want anything, the goods.are well worth looking at." There was a brief silence, during which Sumpter watched the man waver and then agree. "I certainly don't want anything, but I will look at what you've got if you wish it," and he followed out.

Once inside the van, Sumpter wasted no time, and began by extolling the merits of the latest bacon-slicing machine. In a reasonably brief but masterly manner he outlined every advantageous feature about it. Usually he was rewarded by at least a show of interest, but this time he was conscious throughout of an air of disapproval which, at the end of the recital, was voiced.

''It may be all you say, and it's very clever, but I prefer the old-fashioned way of cutting bacon with a knife." Knowing how unsafe it is to argue with potential customers, Sumpter hastily switched over to his special line, the patent parcel wrapping machine which, by an ingenious arrangement of levels and movable sides, could wrap and string parcels of any shape and size within a reasonable limit. About this model he became almost fervent in hie enthusiasm, and gave the demonstration with real pride, finishing with a peroration which stressed the value of saving time. But again he failed completely to impress. "Very wonderful of course, but totally unnecessary. All this, young man, comes of the. modern craze for speed. I have no use whatever for any of the socalled labour-saving devices." Sumpter had met many arguments in his time and knew most of the answers, but against this attitude he fe.lt helpless, and though hie self-confidence had received a blow, he took it philosophically. "So you don't think much of these machines?" he remarked in a resigned tone, "and I had been hoping to sell them to you."

"To me?" said the other, surprised. "They're no use to me. Why don't you try old Stevens? He should be back by now. I was minding the shop while he went out to change my pound note."