ABSTRACT
WHEN a new field marshal of industry arrives inShanghai to storm the citadels of Chinese trade, one of the first things he usually thinks of doing is to organise some shock troops of Chinese salesmen and put things over in a big way with no loss of time. That is what he has done at horne with great success and he does not see why the same programme cannot be carried out in China. If he has picked up any acquaintances on the boat who tell him anything about the way business is conducted in Shanghai, he will have learned that competing firms have not gone very far in the employment of this obvious aid to sales, and it appears that the door of opportunity is wide open to anyone who knows how to organise and train a sales force. A great many have come to us with the request to help them to get things started by recommending one or more good salesmen to form the nucleus of their organisation. When con-
fronted by a request of this sort, I have always had to make the same reply, which is perfectly truthful, though often unconvincing to men who think in terms of salesmanship:
'1 am sorry I can't help you, for if I knew where I could find a good Chinese salesman, I would employ him myself.'
