Page 50 - One Thousand Ways to Make $1000

as a local representative. Never having sold house-to-house, he found much
to learn in the first few weeks of his new job. However, he soon learned the
importance of a good demonstration and before long, his earnings from daily
sales were averaging around twelve dollars.

Ritchie’s sales averaged six dozen daily. There were days when his sales ran
between ten and twelve dozen tubes, from which his profit, clear of all
expenses, was as much as twenty-two dollars. He didn’t have an easy time,
however. He admits being lucky the first few days for, as time went on,
problems of many kinds confronted him which made selling difficult.

“A product people want, and have a daily need for, is important. More
important, however, is the way it’s sold,” Ritchie said frankly. “I knew the
product was all right. I experienced difficulty convincing many others, until I
began to sell systematically. When I tried to sell one woman, living on a farm
just out of town, she told me she had no money but as I was willing to accept
farm products in payment I suggested that she trade one of her chickens for
two tubes. Another woman lacking money offered to trade eggs.

“Many have to be shown what the product will do. So I have a demonstration
book which I use when making a brief demonstration. To this demonstration
book, I add such items from current magazines and newspapers as will help
clinch sales. In this book I also carry pieces of silk stockings, cotton cloth,
linen and other fabrics, which I have repaired with this product. Turning to
pages of this book, I point to these fabrics and remark: ‘When you get a run
in a silk stocking just touch a little mending fluid with a toothpick or a broom
straw to the top and bottom of the run, and if you want to patch it, you can do
so in one-fourth the time.’ I clinch my points like this: ‘You see you can
make repairs much quicker and better than with needle and thread,’ and when
the prospect nods agreement, I go on. ‘Now, you’ll want two or three tubes.
The price is twenty-five cents.’ I hold out the tubes. Few women turn me
down. Many take three, and some buy as many as four tubes. Others just take
one. So many women say, ‘No, I don’t want anything,’ when they open the
door. At first this remark would stop me. Now I answer. ‘That’s all right. I
just want to show you how to stop a run in silk hose.’ My demonstration
starts from there.”