Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-26
THE ART OF SELLING.
Rr. Isaac GanS'S Lecture al the Business
HiSh School, Washington.
GOOD ADVICE TO THE PUPILS
lie Gave Them the Benefit of His
Own Wide Experience and Pointed
Ont the Qualities Which Command
Business Success.
business Success.

/ because Mr.. Cans mas relatives and many
/ friends In Richmond. lie Is a brother of
Mr.. j. Cans, manager Of a. Saks & CO.'S
Richmond house The Times says:
| Mr. Isaac Cans. the manager for Lans-
burgh & Brother. yesterday afternoon de-
livered an interesting lecture before the
Business High School on 1.-THE Art OF
Selling"
The question is one to which Mr.. Cans
has given much attention. and he urges
that the salesmans art should be public
course OF instruction. The lecture was
interesting and full Of valuable advice to
the young people, who gave it close atten-
ton. Mr.. Cans said:
In addressing you to-day do not care to
pose as lecturer. but my one desire is
merely TO give you an Informal talk on the
subject that l have so long thought should
be embodied in the studies OF every bust
ness high school-namely. THAT tie bush
ness Of selling goods should be publicly
taught" Ii Is wei 10 understand in the
beginning that the Instructions you Will
receive from the idea | wish TO lnaugu-
rate in your schOolingS Will not fully III
you 10 become expert salespeople but IL
viii help to equip you; you can start out
Ia life with a knowledge Of what you are
about 10 undertake. You will better COM
prehend what is expected OF you. II you
intend making business a livelihood, It
clears the track tor you, and you won't
have to grope In the darkness. Ny ex-
perience Of twenty years In business, and
Tor the past fourteen years the mana
ger Of one Of your largest business es-
adjustments. gives me the opportunity
u advising you In what manner 20 pre-
pare for commercial lie. You are well
taught IN your schools. probably receive
instructions right here In this city by your
efficient teachers as well as anywhere in
the United States. The public schools and
business high schools OF Washington city
are often referred to as model schools,
and the instructions you receive are Of
infinite value. which you Will better APP
preciate when you enter life 10 o more
serious manner. Your schooling will give
you that finish that Will enable you TO
start on "A good foundation for whatever
calling you may select for your future
life; whether you intend entering the
professional or commercial life, your pres
ent studies are OF much need 10 you,
but there is a wide field before you.
Most OF you will enter the mercantile
AAA~s AbA VAL NaltA " ~ ~ rLlbDl UHkll
you reach a certain age--say II. IS or
even 20 years. You then apply for a po-
siton in store. How are you fitted?
IL young man intends entering pro-
fessi0nal life he is fitted for It In his
school or college. IL he knows he will
enter the mercantile life. he receives no
special instructions for that branch, yet
the great majority OF young people enter
the commercial field, and scarcely any Of
them know the first rudiments OF busi-
ness. on the other hand, II you take an
applicant for professional life, he Is taught
all about his particular study, and when
he begins his career lie Is versed I'm #,
but not 50 with those who want 10 become
businessmen. They leave school. make
application for positions In stores with
out the slightest knowledge Of what they
have 10 do. They have had no training at
all about business They know how 70
add, multiply, parse, conJugate, etc, but
do not know wool from cotton; they
would not know how 20 measure, how TO
talk TO customers. or anything else per-
tanning TO business life il they begin
when real young they start I'm as cash
boys and girls. and gradually work their
way up; but IL young people 90 70 school
until they are Il or Is. they don't feel
IS II they could begin at the bottom OF
the ladder. II they were taught what
store-keeping meant they could AFFORD
to 30 TO school as long as they de-
sired, and could begin business life
with knowledge Of what 20 do and
would not then be expected 70 begin at
the lowest notch.
The many parents who bring their young
sons and daughters 20 us nowadays for
places cay 20 MS II we ask, Have they
any experience" NO: but they are ant.
and will soon learn" They are sincere in
their belief. but business Is absolutely
business nowadays and one cannot afford
10 experiment with inexperienced people
In busy season you dare not, and in dull
season you need not Yet II you want 10
be honest with them. and tell them so.
they will answer that they have 70 ger
their experience somewhere. and 60 they
DO good place to get 1t from would be
an instructor some one who Is versed.
some one who IS himself experienced.
Agitate this momentous question, insist
upon II, let your school trustees see TO H.
They nowadays have instructors for sing
Ing, calsthenics for cooking. none OF
which are so important as a knowledge Of
what you expect 10 make a living OF
u Is not every one who can make good
sales person. 10 requires certain knack
which Is innate and cannot be acquired
First Of ell, one must like the vocation IL
he intends following IL. Without this you
will lose a great deal OF time. valuable
both to yourself and your employer. Some
take positions Ia stores through inclina-
ton, others through force Of clrcum-
stances. But when one enjoys a position
back OF a counter he can always make
a success OF H.
To sell goods looks easy, but il Is not.
II is really trying. the expressions that
ought TO be used, and how they should be
used. not the cold. frigid, half-hearted
kind but the warm-hearted making YOU
feel at home" kind, for II a customer en-
ters the door Of a large or small estab-
lishment and IL accOsted IN an automatic
manner. that customer feels like retracing
her steps. and going somewhere else. but
should that customer be approached I'm a
civil. genteel or agreeable manner, the
impression OF the store Is made at once,
and the customer feels at home, feels Ike
buying.
SO many clerks in stores act like auto
nations; II approached by q customer with
an inquiry at all. point In an almless and
expressionless way here or there. instead
Of adding a few words Of information.
II is not so much what you say to a GUS
toner as the way you say it. Again. sup
posing the customer Is directed
10 the right department. and asks
for gloves or dress-goods or silks.
when she comes to that counter
lock q. pleasant without OVERRIDING
IT, Show the goods at once. Don't ask
too many questions about the color. price.
and styles the customer desires. first Of
all pull down something and say: This
is a stylish fabric" or "This is entirely
new" Say something regarding your
goods. Should the customer be undecided.
suggest. but don't insist. Quietly advance