Published every Thursday at Fulmer, Alaska, for the Matanuska Valley Farmers’
•Cooperating Association for the purpose of giving-nors of the Associations Work,
Problems, and Accomplishments,
SUBSCRIPTION BY TAIL $1.75 BOX $1.00 SINGLE COPY 10^ ’
SALESMEN ABB NECESS'.HT
It seems thrt a feu people have misinterpreted the last Editorial appearing in the .
Juno 20th issue of the Valley Settler.—to the effect that it dealt with personal it ios.
Articles of this nature deal entirely with generalities and policies rather than with
oorsonalities and are- given more as ’’pep" talk and not as criticism of any individual
or group of individuals.
As we'all know, one of needs for several years has been a full time salesman in the
field. In the past the manager has been expected to be manager of all the Business
activities connected with the Co-op (including leaky roofs,broken pipes etc.) as well
as being the'salesman for "Matanueka Maid" products in his spare time. Then the
truck driver, hauling either milk or fresh produce, has been expectcd'to be a sales
man on the side. Both of thoso systems arc unfair and unsatisfactory.
Only during this past year have we had a man in'the field as salesmen, who has been
sent out to outlying districts for more markets. He is working against great oppos
ition, but has reached out and enlarged our markets over a much larger area. Any
criticism along this line would be aimed at the policy of opposition rather than at
the salesman. The Editor is sorry that this was not made more definite and that it
led to so much adverso criticism.
In chocking records in the Co-op Office it is found that numerous accounts are now in
the files with firms that have never been contacted before. The Sales Department has
assured us that a market can be found, for quality produce and especially so if we had
more adequate storage facilities to-handle this produce over a longer season.
?,Thy do we harp cn Quality so much? It is pretty hard for any Salesman to go out and
try to sell something that is not "tops”. He should not bo asked to do so. On tho
other hand—a salesman can get very enthusiastic ever an excellent quality.
Personal contact has long been recognized as the best type of Salesmanship; A Sales
man does not sit at a desk end write letters or send wires to get business. He is on
the spot to got business. Recently our salesman was unable to make a personal contact
at Ketchikan and a local producer,who did make the contact^ sold his potatoes while
the Co-op held the sack.
During the pact year the Seles Department wa3 fortunate enough to get free transpor
tation to outlying communities in order to open up now"air markets and others, bi;t
naturally this practice cannot be expected to continue. It does take money to go out
after"now markets,but after all our problem is not that of saving money, but making
money. True we cannot afford to waste money, but anything that is spent in an effort
to make more money is not wasteful.
Hand in hand with salesmanship is Advertising. It is the well advertised article •
that soils. ’That brands do you buy at the storo? Usually the ones you know something
about. After an article has been sold on the market it docs its own advertising to
some extent. The quality will deternino the typo of advertising. Potatoes with a high
water content do not make good advertising. So--let*s all pull'together and produce
the best, so that the Sales Department can truthfully say that, "Matanuskn Maid" is
the "Mhrk-b'f Quality.”