Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-01-02
A GOOD SALESWOMAN.
Beauty Not an Unmixed Acknowledgements
of Temper and Tact.
From the New York Sun

OF Iemper and Tact.
[From the New York SUM-
DO you have many applications for
work from saleswomen ?" asked areport-
er of the manager of large up town
store.
"We can get all we want at short no
tice," he replied. "Most of the ladies
like to hail from large concern like
ours. But it is not SO easy to find many
who are fully up to our standard"
What is the standard ?"
"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 touch of frmness, and not so
outspoken as to injure trade. In fact, a
good saleslady is rather complex arti-
Gle under simple exterior. Patience
and GOODNESS are among the best points
they can possess. [ sometimes feel
obliged, in doubtful case, to test an
applicant upon this point of equanimity
by trying the effect of some little aggra-
waiting remark. If she remains cool and
pleasant her chances are good; if she
colors or bites her lips am forced to .
regard her as inexperienced, and put
herin some simple department hosiery,
for example. One of the instincts that
an inexperienced girl has to contend
with is the tendency to stiffen up if the
could pick out good saleslady much
more easily than can describe her,"
"Is beauty desirable point?"
son the whole think its Importance
is overrated. I should prefer, from a
business point of view, what is called an
attractive girl, who is graceful and has
fair figure. Many of our best sales
ladies are not remarkable for physical
charms, though all are agreeable In
manner. Some houses make point of
beauty. It is thought to be useful at
counters frequented by gentlemen, but
we have often been obliged to dispIace
salesladies for keeping gentlemen in con-
versation. The art is to say just enough
to effect the sales and dispose of the Gus
toner when business begins to degener-
ate 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
large sales at higher profits are some
times made in the departments of mems
furnishing goods by b aving good-loeking
girls behind the show cases. Neverthe-
less, I do not think that, as a whole, we
consider the value of a pretty girl in the
wages market to be greater than that of
palmer girl who is as attractive in
other respects. We do not pay more for
beauty unless it is combined with other
high qualities. In the cloak and other
trying on departments personal charms
are of great value, of course, and COM
mand high wages; but even here it is
more a matter of figure and graceful
movement than of face. It is perhaps
advantageous to have handsome, refined
looking girls in the lace and embroidery
departments. Inthe silk and trimmings
departments we require good taste,
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 will
notice, are quite plain, but are all nice
looking.
"Women perfectly suitable for the
trimmed hat department are certainly
born, not made. I assure you that
few of the fine ats are more difficult
than that of selling ladies' hats. The
hats, with their velvets, silks, Iaces.
flowers, feathers and passementeries, are
very complex articles. To be able to
choose the particular one from stock
that is most suitable and becoming to a
customers features, complexion, age
and style, requires natural gifts of a
high order. Ladies are always study
ing dress more or less, but the number
who can trim a hat tastefully, 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
department. whom they believe to be
really competent. Hence the need of
the best talent here, and, as the best
qalent is always in demand, the prices
for it are high"
"Why do they object to being called
saleswomen ?"
"I don't know"
CALIFORNIA; Bounty for ScalpS.