The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-10-10
What Makes a Good saleswoman.

do you have many applications for
work from saleswomen?" asked a re-
porter of the manager of large up
town store.
1--WE can get all we need at short mo-
tice," he replied. "Most of the ladies
like to hail from a large concern like
ours. But it is not so easy to find many
who are fully up to our standard" -
What is the standardP"
THE question is not easy to answer.
We expect lady to be quiet. yet conf
dent; alert and wide awake, yet polite
and agreeable; easy and frank. yet pos
sessing a touch of firmness, and not so
outspoken as to injure trade. In fact,
q good saleslady is rather a complex
article under simple exterior. Pa
tience and GOODNESS are among the best
points they can possess. L sometimes
feel obliged, in doubtful case, to test
an applicant upon this point of equa-
nimity by trying the effect of some lit
tie aggravating remark. If she re-
mains cool and pleasant, her chances
are good; if she colors or bites her lips,
1 am forced to regard her as inexperi-
enced, and put her in some simple de-
partment-hosiery, for example. One
of the instincts that an inexperienced
girl has to contend with is the tendency
to stiffen up if a customer becomes a
little disagreeable. But 1 could pick
out good saleslady much more easily
than 1 can describe her."
Is beauty a desirable pointP'
ION the whole, 1 think its impor>
tance is over-rated. 1 should prefer,
from business point of view, what is
called an attractive girl, who is grace
full and has fair figure. Many of our
best salesladies are not remarkable for
physical charms, though all are agree
able in manner. Some houses make a
point of beauty. Itis thought to be use
full at counters frequented by gentlemen;
but we have often been obliged TO dis
place salesladies for keeping gentlemen
in conversation The art is to say Just
enough to effect the sales and dispose
of the customer when business COM
mences to degenerate into chatter.
Beauties are hard to take care of; we
often have to call them, that is, send
them on a message to distant part OF
the establishment as hint. / think it
quite possible that larger sales at higher
profits are sometimes made in the de-
partments of mems furnishing goods by
having good-looking girls behind the
showcases. Nevertheless, 1 do not
think that, rs whole, we consider the
value of a pretty girl, in the wages mar
ket, to be greater than that of palmer
girl who is as attractive in other re-
specJs. We do not pay more for beau
ty unless il is combined with other high
qualities. In the cloak and other try
ing-on departments personal charms are
of great value, of course, and command
high wages; but even here it is more
matter of figure and graceful move
ment than Of face. 1t is perhaps ad-
vantageous to have handsome, refined
looking girls In the lace and embroidery
departments. In the silk and trimmings
departments we require good taste, a
faculty for nice draping and quick
eye for colors, united with genius for
matching fabrics. We pay well in these
departments, and in selecting ladies for
them good looks have only a secondary
place. Some of the ladies, as you viii
notice, are quite plain, but all are nice
looking.
"Women perfectly suitable for the
trimmed-hat department are certainly
born, not made. / assure you that few
of the fine arts are more difficult than
that of selling ladies' hats. The hats,
with their velvets, silks, laces, flowers,
feathers and passementeries, are very
complex articles 10 De aDle 10 choose
the particular one from stock that Is
most suitable and becoming to a custom
er's features, complexion, age and style
requires natural gifts of high order.
Ladies are always studying dress more
or less, but the number who can trim q
hat tastetully, and who know what is
most becoming TO them, is small. They
feel this, and although they are often
very opinionated in other matters of
dress, they are quite apt TO depend
much upon any saleslady in this de-
partment whom they believe to be
really competent. Hence the need of
the best talent here, and. as the best
talent is always in demand, the prices
for it are high"
"Why do they object to being called
saleswomenp"
~ don't kuow."-M Y Spn