St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-30
ART OF SELLING CLOTHING.
How to Deal With Customers
Experience of Statesmen.

III lAC OCDQl tllClflo vi q Id e
clothing house, writes Samuel Wielar in
the PittSburg Dispatch. A few days
spent at one of these houses will bring
one in contact with more quaint and
curious people than would encOun-
ter in a long Journey. The machinery
of a Salesman'S life does not revolve as
smoothly as II would suppose Judging
by a superficial glance.
1t is generally supposed that q sales
mans duties consist merely in showing
his goods, fitting them OH and having
them wrapped up. A more mistaken
idea could not be imagined; for. if this
we're all, selling wOuHd be a pastime.
The successful salesman must be close
observer to enable him to ''SiZe up his
customer at a glance and know how to
approach him. He must be cool. eau
tious, determined, and possess an almost
in%eXhaustible supply of patience.
in nearly all houses there is a rule
that IL a salesman fails to effect a sale
he must transfer his customer to an
other salesman. The sales made by
these transfers are numerous. prov
things-eIther the first salesman,
through some reason or other. failed to
make the proper impression. or the Gus
toner was such a peculiar character that
the manne and language, combined
with the different tactics of the second
salesman. happened to catch his ia
No II without the personal experience
can realize the tremendous strain and
tax TO which a Saleman'S patience is sub
jected. He must be prepared to meet
all sorts of statements and arguments
and be able to dlSprove them properly
and in q genial manner. Under no cir
cumstance must he lose his temper; if
he does he is lost. no matter how much
time and labor he has spent or mental
Worry he has suffered.
Customers as a rule are very practi-
cal. unSympathetic and independent.
and imagine they have unbounded
rights to which poor statesmen must pay
due Difference. Should they be gently
reminded of the trouble and ANNOYANCE
undergone to effect q sale he will prob
ably be Informed with the coolest
effrontery imaginable that ''that's what
you are here and get paid for" and
they don't propose to buy until they
look around and see where they can
do the best"
Here comes the cranky customer.
walking in ~nervOusly: 81 want some
clothes!" "What kind?." asks the sales
man. Il don't know; let me see some
and III tell you" he answers, very
snappishly. The salesman. not affect
ing TO notice the slight. shows this sort
of customer a good suit at once. The
customer chances at it, and with the
remark, ''Thatisn't what | want: there's
nothing in this house that suits me-
starts to rush out. Now comes the tug
of war that gives the salesman an op-
portunity to display his ability. Polite
ness and Suavity are of no avail with
this subject" so other tactics must be
resorted to. and that very quickly.
The salesman must use a certain
amount Of independence to prevent his
customer getting the upper hand, and
by a short, sharp. decisive argument
convince him of his inconsistency and
unreasonableness. Unless a customer
is a hopeless case this usual ly has the
desired effect of bringing him back. The
salesman can talk more naturally, the
customer acts more nationally and gem
orally a sale will eventually be made.
The undecided customer" enters
with a very unsteady gait, an "I-don't-
Observation-Disclosures express
sion on his countenance. and is contin-
ually looking about him. He likes
is shown him; this is pretty"
THAT looks WE'LL - 1.-THE other is cheap"
and so on. but he cannot make up his
mind to purchase. This customer is diff
cult, as he agrees with YOU in everything
and leaves no room for argum ent. The
| first salesman becomes worn out and
usually transfers him the second sales
MAJ talks a little sharper and then as
sumes an air of sociability. He appar-
entity becomes personally interested in
him, converses with him on various sub
jects and finally gets him interested in
a suit. and by an ind Omitable will and
| oorSn vnrannn q GaIn will nFfpn hn Of
fected.
The customer who walks in whiStling
or picking his teeth with a t%oothpick.
or the one who approaches with a slow,
steady shuttle Of the feet or staggering
gait. belong to the same class. They
always have more tIlne than money.
There is nc use trying to push, hurry
or persuade them, and the easier and
more indifferent a salesman acts the
better chance he stands of selling.
Nearly analogous to the latter class
is the customer WHO secs just exactly
what he wants in style and price, but
will not decide until he looks around,
for perhaps he will find m
thing that will please him better
at a lower price," the GUS
toner who cannot make up his mind
whether to buy a readY-made suit or
''leave his measure with his own tailor,
you know" the customer who is indif-
ferent as to whether he buys to-day,
next week or next month. and the one
who doesn't know whether he wants
light or dark. medium or heavyweight,
business or dress suit. but wants time
to study over it, and Twill call in again."
These customers all require delicate and
skillful handling. No specific rule can
be laid down. as no two cases are pre-
cisely alike. ana the salesman must use
considerable discretion in using an ar
gument that will at once be brief and
effective.
An entirely opposite. though none the
less curious character, is the ~.would-be
dude" He is generally a diminutive
specimen of humanity, and his clothes
always appear as if they had lone on
siderable service. The coat he wears is
a little ''dinkv" and looks about two
sizes too short for him. and his trousers
want coaXing down. He is invariably a
''bargain hunter" and as he examines
goods, with his thumb and foretinger
twisting the end of his thin, sickly-lOok-
ing m%ustache, he eXcites a feeling of
mingled pity and contempt. He usually
wants a suit costing anywhere between
s. and SO, but which must have the ap-
pearance of a $40 suit, and he is as
exact in regard to material, style. fit
and workmanship as if he were really
purchasing a suit at the latter price.
The oddity who worries you for half
an hour trying on clothes and admiring
himself in the mirror and finally tells
you he dare not purchase unless he
brings his wife along is a nuisance and
is about on a par with the customer who
wants lust anything" to wear for a
few days, for as a rule this latter indi-
vidual can hardly be pleased from your
whole stock. There is the stony GUS
toner, who walks in like a lord, and,
after consuming considerable time,
coolly informs you thatihe does not want
a suit, because he "neyer could wear
ready-made clothing" OF. perhaps.
pulls out his watch, and, like a rip
Van Wrinkle" after twenty years. sleep,
suddenly awakens to the sact that he
has a train to make within five minutes,
and. of course, cannot remain any
! lon Oar