The Canvassers' Question Corner
By E. R. Palmer
1. How many books should an agent canvass for at one time? Only one large book; and if helps are used, only one, or two at the most, should be sold at one time. A mistaken idea concerning this fundamental principle of our book business has done as much, perhaps, to break down the book department in the United States as any other evil. A few men may have been able to do successful work while handling several books, and from this fact the idea has been obtained that the prospects for success are better with several books than with one. This is not true, and it does not prove to be true in one case out of twenty. Even the few men who are successful when handling several books do better when they drop all but one, and concentrate their attention upon that one book. The writer has persuaded many such men to reverse their policy, and take one book only. In every case it has resulted in increasing their record. But thus far in reply to this question we have referred only to the agent's personal success. From the standpoint of spreading the truth of the third angel's message it is decidedly wrong to handle several books at once. We invite your attention to a careful study of the following proposition and problem:— All our agents will admit that our primary object is to place in the homes of the people the largest number possible of each of our important books. Take, for example, “Home Hand-Book,” and “Bible Readings,” and “Great Controversy,” and suppose an agent works three months, handling the three books at one time. We will suppose that during that time he sells two hundred books. The result is that only two hundred books are sold in that district for these three important works. Now suppose that he had worked that same territory three months with “Home Hand-Book,” and had taken orders for 150 copies; one year later he works the same territory again for “Bible Readings,” and sells 250 copies, and the next year he sells in the same district 200 copies of “Great Controversy.” The result is a sale of 600 copies of the three books in that territory. Even if the agent prospered when canvassing for the three books at one time, it is evidently a bad policy, from the standpoint of spreading the truth, for him to sell more than one book at a time in any district. The only exception which we are willing to make to this rule is in back country and cattle ranches. In such places where the dwelling houses are from five to twenty miles apart, the people seldom receive calls from agents, and will often buy two or three books at one time. This is not the case in ordinary, well-settled territory, although several books may be sold in one house occasionally. 2. Should an agent under any circumstances be allowed to take orders for a book he is not canvassing for? Yes. No rule should be laid down so rigid as to prevent an agent from supplying a book which is inquired for by the people, no matter whether that book has been sold in the district before or not. Through relatives or friends people often hear about a book, and perhaps for years wish to obtain it; and when an agent shows his book, the people will sometimes say, “I do not know that I care for this book, but for several years I have been looking for ‘Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation.’ Do you know where I can get it?” The agent should certainly seize every opportunity of this kind to place a book wherever it is wanted. But permission to supply books under such conditions should not be construed as a license to the agent for him to solicit orders for any other than the one book he is selling. 3. Is it proper for ministers and Bible workers to sell our large subscription books? Certainly, it is highly proper for them to sell any book published by the denomination in any place where they may be preaching or holding Bible readings, whether that territory has been canvassed previously or not. And such workers should receive the books at the usual discount to agents. We want every minister and Bible worker to be a first-class book agent. It is a mistaken idea that the sale of a few books in any district by a gospel worker will prove a detriment to the work of a canvasser when he goes over the district. NOTE TO THE READER.—We will be pleased to receive further questions on this same topic, or upon any other topics which have been discussed in this department. Suggestions and experiences from our old agents will always be thankfully received. Let us do all we can to assist one another in building up the sound basis upon which our book business once flourished.