AN UNLUCKY NUMBER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 645, 23 April 1929, Page 10

AN UNLUCKY NUMBER

CHINESE AVOID ”250” WISE TALK IN SALESMANSHIP One of the problems of fore ■» I salesmanship is that of the & turfy of languages, writes Sir Edward Croup Comptroller-General of the of Overseas Trade, in “T.P.’s WeekhIn the olden days Ambassadors Min isters and the Consular Service of course, did their utmost to proWr the rights of the British traders but they did not go out of j t heir wav to promote and push British trade. So me three hundred years ago it was sa rf of a British .Ambassador, Sir Henrv Wotton, that “an Ambassador is a ii honest man sent to lie abroad for the good of his country’’; to-day the poq. tion is completely changed, and an Ambassador is an honest man sent to tell the truth abroad about the goods of his country.” In other words, he does his utmost in the interests of British trade, and, of course, if this is the case of the Ambassador, it applies still more to the special member of his staff—the Commercial Diplomatic Officer, whose particular duty it is to encourage the sale of British goods. Neither Ambassador nor Commercial Diplomatic Officer can, however, sell British goods. The greatest British Ambassador is the Prince of Wales. His Royal Highness does his best ro introduce our goods, but even he cannot sell them. It is for us to follow up and take advantage of the Prince’s great work. VYnat To Do Abioa.. The aunual reports relating to many Empire and foreign markets which are issued by the Department of Overseas Trade contain much information. There is also an official publication ready to go to the printers. “What to do in Canada,” and it contains a mass of information of inestimable value to the salesman who earnestly desires to make the most of a projected trip to that Dominion. Another publication I haw under consideration is to be entitled “What the Romans Do.” You know the dictum, “When you are in Rome, do what the Romans do,” but how many know what the Romans do? My idea is to set out what ought and what ought not to be done in various countries. For instance, I have learnt from long experience in Japan that it is considered very bad form there to enter a room in an overcoat. -There are countries where the glove is removed, others where it is put on, in shaking hands. How many commercial travellers are aware which country is which? How many of us realise that Poland, from a commercial point of view, still consists of three parts, each with its different old customs to be followed. If a British traveller is sent there he probably would not know. The German traveller probably would —he has acquired knowledge on the subject. Colours and Numbers Then there are lucky and unlucky numbers and colours. In China the number 250 is regarded by those trauers who know, as unlucky, so they quote 249 and pass to 251. I sought information at the Chine= Legation and there caine a c^ ucK " accompanied by the reply: ‘lt is n exactly unlucky, but 250 translatt into Chinese sounds similar m ‘° are a damn fool!* ” . In Canada all small talk is bar • but in France one may have to with: “And how is madame. H 0 are the children?” . . In other words, it is essential ever you are to know T the rlgllt ’ he most courteous or—shall I say most paying thing to do. There is no doubt that educ . for salesmanship is of the u^ino " a. portance. But it is of little use S P € . ing sums on such educat ion un employer will pay an adequate - to the boy who learns language o other ways qualifies as an e salesman. _ --