The herald., 1896-09-01
The CIGAR SELLER ARTIST
Is a Rara Avis in His Peculiar
Way
NOT EVERY FOOL CAN SELL
And Few Can Hold the Trade Already
Gained
Dealer Who Says the First-class Salesman
7ust Be Judge Of Human
Nature

sit looks to tho uninitiated like the
easiest thing in the world to sell cigars, -
said q local dealer recently, "but it is, per-
haps, the most deceptive business in that
regard in the category.
1T Is not every person who can become
good counter man," he went on. sin
fact, those who are successful in tho bust
ness are exceptionally rare, and good
salesman commands u high salary. AS in
any line of retail trade, tho salesman must
have an abundance of patience and must
bo able to lay aside his own feelings and
cater to the whilns of his customers. But
in this business this faculty must be ex-
ceptionally well developed, for tho crank
lest class of people are smokers of high
grade cigars, and they are crankiest a*out
their cigars. A man coming into the store
for his cigars expects the particular make,
size and color he smokes to be placed be-
fore him without tho formality Of asking
for it. Some customers would be nettled if
this were not done and might seek another
place TO buy their cigars if the clerk con-
tinually asked what brand they smoked.
When it Is remembered that there arc as
many as Fl sizes Of some brands and that
each size comes in II half dozen colors and
at variety of prices, it will be seen that
1t is no small matter to wait upon large
trade.
.'Thc clerk behind the counter Of a first
class cigar stand in u hotel perhaps has the
hardest time. He must be an adept at
reading men and be able to size up u man
as to the priced goods he probably smokes,
for few men state the price they want to
pay in asking for u cigar. If higher
priced cigar than the man wants is set
out, he feels embarrassed or feels that the
clerk is trying to work him. If too low
grade is offered him, he feels offended 1t
Is, therefore, q difficult ching to please
transient trade.
"a man will walk up to the counter
and ask fer domestic cigar.
'''Secd or clear Havara?' asks the clerk.
said l wanted a domestic cigar, the
customer repeats, and in his own ignorance
he thinks the clerk is ignorant in not
knowing what lie wants. The fact is that
nearly all the cigars sold now are domestic
made. Before the tariff On imported ci-
gars practically cut off this line of trade an
order fer Il domestic cigar was equivalent
to an crdor fer Il SEGA Havana, but now
when thu same cigar that formerly was
mado in Havana is made i'll this country
from imported tobacco, the word domestic
does ro5 make distinction. Some GUS
toners who sIrol.o the clear Havana made
in this country call for C. domestic cigar,
expecting this, az, ctlisrs sti,l remember
the domestic cigar as tic seed Havana in
contrast with tic imported clear Havana,
There are some smokers who claim they
can tell the difference tctweap q clear Ia-
vana manufactured il New York and ono
manufactured III Havana. There is slight
t,t,r vCt 1 s,,
discover it. The iact is that some people
who have the inorcy to buy tho Imported
article are smoking TIE label rather than
the tobacco. If they enjoy it, that is their
business, and it is ours to humor them in
tic dcluSicn.
Now, that gentlemen to whom I hand
cd that box just now was never in the
house but orco before, ard that was day
or two ago. Ho car1e in and asked for a
good cigar. l gave him that one, trusting
to mJ Judgment Of tho man to suit his
TASTE He stood in tho door talking for
awhile and presently came back and said
"'Give INC another cigar
Il did not know whether that word IAN
other meant that lie was dissatisfied with
the'one l gave him or that it pleased him
and he wanted one to put in his pocket. I
concluded that it suited him, however, and
offered him the same box Now he re-
turns, and remember just what he wants
and give it to him.
with regular customers and occasional
customers the faculty of remembering Just
what cigar the customer wants must be
well cultivated. A well stocked store will
contain 40 or 80 brands of cigars, and each
brand has goods ranging in price from |
cents up to 80 cents-some fewer grades,
some more. Each grade will have from two
to seven sizes and shapes, and there arc
six colors. To remember which one of tho
thousands of combinations each individual
customer wants is no small matter, and
upon this depends IL large portion of the
trade Tho matter of rcmem bering tho |
sizes of the various brands by the names
Which the different makers give them is q |
thing that requires long study. For in
stance, one brand has the 5 cent size |
marked Coquetas, and by this namc tho |
clerk must remember it. The three for u
quarter goods of the samo brand are known |
according to their size, as Violetas and |
Concha tlna Extras. Rothschild Extras |
anu Pontallas mean to the clerk tho 10 |
cont straight size. The two for a quarter |
sizes are labeled Dclmonicos, Porfccto Sc |
lects, Perlas, Prince of Wales, Petit Bov- |
quots and Concha Bouquet Extras. In |
Tho three 70" :, i-alf sizes there arc Club |
Perfcctos, the Santiago perfoctos and sew !
elal private names. In tho 25 cent sizes /;
there are the Inyinciblcs and Pcrfectos.
"It is something Of trick to remember
all these terms and their meaning in a sin
gle brand, bat the cigar clerk must re-
member them Tor Il score CT moro makes |
)f goods and 10 really to lann cut to any
one upon call u given priced cig,,r CT 1 rar
-icular trand. 1t is noS an easy matter,
nd it is not every fool that caa sell |
'igars. s."--Indianarolis journal.
Cres:s Men.
So far as can be asccrtGined from the