This matter of routing is greatly simplified, of course, if the house—as many 110W do—provides with automobiles those salesmen who are required to travel rapidly from place to place. The advantages of this plan are many. The cost of maintaining the car, plus the depreciation on it, is not greatly in excess of rail road fare, especially if there is any item of excess bag gage involved. In territories where the roads are good. a great deal of time is saved by this method. The salesman is enabled to perform little services for the customer which would otherwise be out of the ques tion. For example, one New York grocery bouse that supplies its men with automobiles, has instructed every salesman to stop at the railroad freight house, before he calls on a customer, and find whether the retailer has any goods waiting there: if he has, the salesman is to telephone the retailer, say that he is going to drop in, and suggest that he bring the goods with him.
The disadvantages of the automobile method of travel are: the danger of breakdown; the fact that a salesman after a ride of any considerable distance may not be as presentable as he should be—especially if he has had tire or engine trouble on the road; the fact that when long distances are to be covered, the sales man cannot travel all night and work all day, as he can if he travels by Pullman.
14. Apportioning city territory.—In handling a
product the prospects for which are fairly numerous, it will often be found necessary to have more than one salesman stationed in large cities. The city may then be districted or it may be found advantageous to ap portion certain classes of prospects to each salesman irrespective of the prospect's location in the city.
15. Minimum business and guaranteed territory.- It is well to determine the minimum volume of busi ness that should be expected from a certain territory and to insist that the salesman in it should produce that amount of business or relinquish the territory for one less desirable. This estimate will be based to some extent upon the past performances and the ability of the salesman but principally upon tbe possibilities of the territory.
It is common for houses to guarantee territory. That is, a salesman will be paid a commission or given credit for business coming from his territory even tho he may not have directly influenced tbe particular sale. Sometimes full commission or credit is given, but more often a salesman receives only a percentage of that to which he would have been entitled had he taken the business personally. Usually a salesman is started with a concern without a guaranteed terri tOry and this is granted to him later as a reward for increased business or length of service.