These three basic releases should be taken to the city editor’s desk. The best contacts are personal contacts. In large newspaper offices, it is not always possible to see the city editor himself. Personal contact with his assistant is usually satisfactory, however. All stories should be taken to the editor two days before the release date. This helps the editor plan his paper. It helps him make room for your story. Keep the conversation brief. You create a more favorable impression with busy newspaper men if you can transact your business quickly.

Typical approach: “Good morning. I’m John Brown. I’m handling the publicity for a big sales meeting that’s coming here next week. Here’s a story for you. If I can be of further help in covering it, you’ll find my name and phone number on the release. Thank you.”

How to get extra newspaper coverage

Of course, many sales meetings need and deserve no newspaper publicity of any

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A good press agent never fires all his guns at one time. If he did, the newspapers would publish only one story.
Your first release should be given about three weeks prior to your meeting. It could be simply an announcement of a large sales meeting or convention. Specify the place, date, and number of people expected. You should also include the name of the person in charge of arrangements.

A second release should be given one week before the meeting. The date and place should be repeated. But new information should be included. For instance, you could name the principal speaker, his subject, his background.
The third release should be published one day prior to the meeting. Arrival of the principal speaker and newsworthy quotes are suitable. Theme of the meeting and other details should also be included.

Give your release a professional appearance. Make them look deserving of the news column instead of the waste basket. All releases should be typed. Handwritten

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How to use the six major news angles

1.* The meeting itself. The basic idea that a meeting will be conducted is of some news value. Larger meetings are naturally of greater interest. Don’t tell what the meeting will mean to the minority attending. Explain what it will mean to the majority of readers, the many people who will not attend. Example: “If you’re asked to buy a foreign auto, don’t be surprised. Foreign Cars, Inc., importers of three European automobiles, will conduct a sales rally tomorrow at the Bluebonnet Hotel. Auto dealers will be shown how to contact more prospective buyers. “See the People” is the theme of the meeting. Every resident of the area probably will be seen, too. An all-out sales promotion is planned. “Some 45 dealers are. . . .”

2.* Visiting fireman. An expert is a guy from out of town. His opinion may receive little attention at home. But if he’s a specialist from out of state, he’s

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Many sales meetings need little publicity. Some need a great deal. An in-store meeting is easily promoted. Employees are paid to attend and have no choice in the matter. “Captive” groups can be assembled readily. Word-of-mouth is usually sufficient. Then there’s the employee bulletin board, the house organ, and the store p.a. system. But attendance at certain sales meetings is optional. Franchised dealers, for example, can often retain their franchises without attending meetings conducted by the wholesaler or the manufacturer. To get their attendance, there must be real promotion.

Trade associations have the same difficulty. Members must want to attend. Sales meetings, therefore, are publicized. Meetings must be sold. There’s often another reason for publicizing a meeting. The product concerned is brought to the attention of the public. This publicity is good public relations. It’s gratis advertising. Promotional Bulletins and Publicity Releases.

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The true-false quiz is an excellent teaching device. It can make the session more interesting, too. Devise an all inclusive quiz. Every important area, then, is certain to be discussed. Also, the quiz serves as a good review of the highlights. Most people think a quiz is for testing the learners. It is not. It’s a test of the instructor. It shows how well he taught.

Sample quiz on approaches

Type of Selling: Over the counter.

1.* There are three types of approaches.* * * * * TRUE FALSE
2.* The salutation approach is always used on friends, * * TRUE FALSE
3.* “May I help you?” is an overworked service approach.* * * TRUE FALSE
4.* “What may I show you?” is a good service approach, * * * TRUE FALSE
5.* A merchandise approach saves time.* * * * * TRUE FALSE
6.* The customer’s name should not be used in the approach.* * * TRUE FALSE
7.* Tell a waiting customer, “I’ll

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1. The steps in a sale are attention, interest, desire, and action. A Distributive Education instructor in Texas presents this information in an interesting way. He likens the steps to the courses in a meal.
“A colorful fruit cocktail gets your attention the moment you’re seated for dinner. A salad follows. This gets your interest in a big way. It really whets your appetite. Then comes the entree. You look at it and gleefully inhale the aroma. Your desire is at its peak! After the entree, you take final action by eating dessert.” Pictures of the four courses were pasted on flocking material and used with a slap board. It made a very effective presentation. The steps in a sale were more easily learned because they were related to something the learners already knew.

2. A furniture store owner made a list of questions most frequently asked by prospective customers. He put each question on a separate 3″ x 5″ index card.
In a training session,

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Hold yourself responsible. Whether your salesmen are smart enough to learn is not open to question. The question is whether you’re smart enough to teach! If they haven’t learned, it’s because you haven’t taught. Check their understanding. There are two ways to check. First, ask questions. “What should be done next? Why? Is that the best way of doing it? How do we know?”

A second means of checking is by observing performance. Can they perform the task in the meeting? Has every person demonstrated his ability to perform? Once they’ve mastered it in the classroom, have them apply the lesson in the field. The sooner they apply it, the better they will remember it. Besides, practical application is the ultimate objective ofi all group training.

Appeal to as Many Senses as Possible

There are five senses-sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing. We learn through all five. You should appeal to as many senses as possible. Let the group

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A convoy of ships is geared to the speed of the slowest ship. Likewise, teaching is geared to the speed of the slowest learner. Present the information slowly and clearly. Offer it in proper sequence-first things first. Take only one step at a time. Present no more than the learner can master. Give it in “bite-size” portions. While he can eat 21 meals this week, he can digest only a little at a time. Likewise, he can learn only a little at a time. Both tell and show. If you need help in showing it, arrange for assistance. Dramatize it.

Keep it positive. Teaching what to do is enough to learn. Don’t burden them with what not to do. If you ve taught the right things and they’re doing them, they cannot possibly be doing the wrong things. Suppose you were in the audience. Imagine yourself as the newest salesman. How would it sound to you? How would it look? Would you understand it? Would you start using the new information?

Have the group practice. Let

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Introduction is one thing. Training is another. Telling people to do things is not training. You can repeatedly tell workers what to do. You can also tell them how to do it. But when all is said and done, more has been said than done! The workers cannot perform the task. Why? Because they have not been trained.

Training is more than talking. It includes demonstration. Show how to do the thing being taught. Then comes the big step. Have the learners try out. Let them demonstrate their knowledge. Get them to practice and drill. Training is the development of proper habits. When a salesman is trained, he reacts automatically to any situation. He does the right thing by habit-without delay or confusion.

How to Teach Groups Effectively

A butane gas company switched to a new system of credit and collections. The owner of the company called a meeting to announce the change. When asked how he’d present the new plan, the owner replied, ‘Til tell them about it.

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1.* An effective method of ending on a high note is to announce a new policy or procedure. This works only when the change will be welcomed by the group. An unexpected holiday, a Christmas bonus, increased travel allowances-any of these would go over with a bang! But the change need not involve a gratuity. It could be the elimination of an unpopular, detailed daily report. Or the announcement of a system for handling suggestions of the sales
men, suggestions that previously were ignored.

“I’ll never forget the meeting we held last summer,” said a Vermont business owner. “Things had been going pretty well. And we climaxed it by announcing that the men could approve their own mileage reports. This meant they’d get their expense money sooner, of course. Did they like it? They went wild!”

2.* A new sales aid can serve as a climax.
For example, if new sample cases are to be distributed, make a production of it! Let introduction of

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