TRADE SCOUTS OF GERMANY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10902, 20 October 1911, Page 6

TRADE SCOUTS OF GERMANY.

Into the office of an American in the Citv of Mexico there marched one morning" a fresh-faced, blond young German of under 30, who presented the card of a famous Hamburg firm .it manufacturers. The German youth explained that- Ins house was planning to extend its 'market in porcelain ware, and that he had been sent out- to visit Mexico, Central and South America, to report on possibilities, recommend agencies, perhaps suggest branches, and find out just what was alreadv being sold in the line. "V ery modestlv but frankly and intelligently lie be"an to ask the American questions." He had already visited such Gorman firms in the city as lie thought ri.ight be of help to him. hut he wanted moie information. It was a fairly busy day with the American, but- something about the earnest vouth and the way he got at what lie wanted to know captivated him. The American finally took linn to luncheon at his club and spent altogether over two hours with him, giving the voting man cards to several friends. T "I shall be gone over a year, I expect." said the vouth. "My time 'S inv own: that- is, I am not restricted .it all. ] can stay as short or as long a time as 1 like in any city or. country. \ll I am held responsible for is the information I send in. It must be very full and accurate and tell the precise conditions ill every place I visit. 1 am not sent out to sell a .single marK 3 worth of goods. That will come later. Other men will handle that.' The American took such, a liking to the bov and his mission that lie began asking him about himself. This was young Gustav's first trip. " He had been with his house twelve years and had been trained up in the office: Jor the last few years he had beeii m the export end of the business and had given all his time and -thought to these problems, working nights to prepare himself ~ "They specialise their men in the big '•businesses of Germany,"' said the lad. who spoke English perfectly. _ As soon as a hoy is'taken in lie is stiidied to see what he will be able to do best. For example, I am not of the make-u,j to he a good salesman. My line is executive work, planning, developing. 1 have known for a long time "that 1 should make trips like this. So I have been fitting myself. I have studied languages; I can speak English, French, and Spanish, besides German. I have learned geography thoroughly, especia - ly the parts of the world over which we want to extend our trade. I have studied shipping, too, tariff regulations, trade customs generally, and something of the history and characteristics of the nations lam visiting. Of course 1 have had a thorough drilling in business and banking."' "I report by every mail. By the time I get home the firm will" have on hie enough information to enable it to make a carefully digested plan of how to seli our goods iu every country where I have been. You see, I include the special ideas and views of each country as to packing, shipment, and quality. It s the knowledge of little things like these that will make certain a and extended new outlet for us. The American asked his guest if -ie bad much difficulty in getting information. "Are the men.: you meet generally kind to you?".he asked. "Will they answer you freely and fully ? --Do you sometimes find that they 'haven't time and are short and curt? All in all, uit a pleasant job?" Gustav smiled as he lifted his glass <;1 Rhine wine. "Remember, I have been training myself for this sort of work ever since I was a little over twenty-. How a man is treated depends on what you call the 'approach.' I have one great advantage. I talk to men on th-? subject they are most interested in, an the chief topic of their daily life. ,Of course I must not appear ignorant. I must show myself well versed in 'h-i line, except just in that little corner with which they are especially familiar. No, the average man likes being appealed to as an authority, if you make the right sort, of an impression on hint "Naturally, now and then you will come across 'grouches.' I haven't found any yet-, and men who have beeu at this kind of work much longer -nan I say I will not stumble on many. 11 I do ; find them it doesn't matter. J shall simply pass on to soifleone else. 'The young German was one of the trade scouts of Germany that for several years past now,-in greater and greater numbers, have been doing the preliminary work of. building up new trade for the big manufacturers. They form a small army that is scattered to-day in the Philippines, Brazil, in South and. East Africa, in Australia, India, and China, and even in the United States and Canada. They are sent simply to spy out the land for future business and "are youths that have the peculiar quality of. good judgment, keen observation, combined with a pleasant personality. , The German manufacturers trade scouts are the simplest, least expensive medium of the first, breaking of the ground that could be devised. They are young fellows of his own office, whom he has had his eye on for several years as having just the qualifications needed to pick up really useful commercial information in distant lands. Once having fixed upon such a lads the merchant has had to train him, giving him a clear insight into business ways, and particularly his ways, and not a little general' knowledge of manufacturing processes as well. The young man has known/what lie was .intended for, and it has aroused all his ambition and skill. _ . Trade scouting is a prize.to. the German young man. It gives the fortunate youth thus launched a view of the world and it puts him on his mettle. More than that, it proves to him that he stands high in the confidence of'his firm. For the trade scout, though he never sells a pfennig worth of his.people's product,, and is, after all, simply a ready and. voluminous letter writer, really has a_post of very large and weighty responsibility. Upon what .he says, upon his view of conditions, a trade is built or is not. The German merchant therefore picks his trade scouts with great- care. They are apt to come from families well up in the social scale. The work requires, more than anything else, a presence and an address that is totally different from what a salesman needs. The trade scout is before all accurate and far seeing. To get the right information from men! and unhesitatingly to reject'the wrong that may have been given him, either through- error or miHciously, requires a type of man that a few years later falls into the post o r a big executive in the business. The trade scout knows how to handle .men. He is of the sort that has known how to do it almost from the cradle. He and his travelling are not very expensive propositions considering the vast trades they are likely to bring to the "house." And yet with the German system of making every dollar earn large dividends they are costly. The scout young, he has an assignment that will place him high in commercial circles on his return, all his expenses are paid while he is away. Thus the scout who receives £ls a month salary, something more than 300 marks in German money, a good deal more there than here, is well paid. More than one such young man is getting only about one-third that. For travelling expenses he will be allowed about forty marks a day.

The world, but more especially Latin America. Africa, and the Far East, ..s the great field of the trade scouts. Such a settled place as New York does not see them, of course. More than ono, however, has been, found wandering over the West and up in Canada, for these are lands to be explored by such pioneers and explorers of trade. In addition they become, as they travel, capital publicity agents and living advertisements for their concern, for the name of the big house they represent always comes to light. That the Zimmormans, for example, have a man out in a country may never be known by the population at large, but the business world in that line quickly bears of it and the great firm's products become talked about in offices and shops that can be of rntich value to them.

It might b e thought that the smaller manufacturer who has goods to be pushed but no money for such an extended campaign of business exploration as this would be totally distanced and severely handicapped. This is not at all the case, however. Smaller manufacturers in lines that do not conflict combine and choose a young man who will report 011 the possibilities of all, without favoritism. Large export

concerns in Germany wishing to extend their business have been known to sen! out an investigator of this class and type, charging the cost pro rata upon tlie concerns that wanted such service.