In large jobbing centers the local or city trade is no small item when properly and systematically canvassed by salesmen who call upon their trade weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

The following method was devised and used very successfully by W. Harry Forse, Jr., to meet the problem of working up a new and permanent local trade in one of the larger western cities. The line of goods was wire, sisal and manila rope, pulleys nad rope fittings. The method used is one which could be adapted to any business having outside local salesmen.

Working Up City Trade 1009

Figure I

List Of Customers Called On

The calling list, the first to be compiled, is obtained by taking a copy of the latest city directory and from its classified list selecting those businesses which give promise of using one or more kinds of the goods handled. Each name is written on a 3x5 card (Figure I), of which four colors were used to denote the different geographical sections of the city. This is to aid the one salesman first started in routing his cards, in order to save time in making calls. Thus, white cards signify North, blue cards South, and so on.

Upon the card is written the prospective customer's name and street address, while spaces are left for insertion of the buyer's name and for dates of calls, quotations and sales.

Planning The Day's Work

Each morning the salesman picks out and routs in regular order about twenty or thirty cards, laying out his day's work so as to avoid doubling back and forth over a certain territory. These cards the salesman takes in his pocket, and as he makes his calls, he makes notation of details regarding them. In the evening these cards are filed back in the cabinet, with date tab moved to show approximate date of next call. When found desirable to strike a name from the calling list, the card therefor is filed alphabetically in the back part of the cabinet, with the necessary notations.