St. Tammany farmer., 1906-11-24
USE TACT WITH CUSTOMERS
ooneoe nan, New to the Road, Warned Against put
eng on Do9"-oome Straight to the Point
Smooth Talk of Salesman of Underwear

Ills especial attention, and l knew
he would. When he came out last
time-why, he was here only the other
day-he said to me frankly: Well,
Brewster, tried it myself. but I am
perfectly frank about it, I didn't have
capital enough to swing the business,
and I thought I'd get out of it before
I lost all had. am making a good
thing Of it on the road as It is. I
have nothing to risk and my commits
sions are sure. You know well that,
knowing the business as do, would
not bring you out shabby line. A
man nowadays must have merchandise
when he goes to approach good trade
i really wasn't exactly in the no.
tion of buying from new house. I
don't like to take on new accounts
anyway, and told him this, and do
you know, that fellow agreed with
me? He said: You are just exactly
right. Brewster. Under ordinary CIR
cumstances don't think that mer-
chant does himself justice by open
ing new accounts. 1t is an injury to
him, and he should not do so IL he
can avoid It,
"He agreed with me, did not rub
my fur up the back at all. and did
have the warmest kind Of feeling
for him, and then he came around so
smoothly that couldn't feel the jolt.
He said: Yes, sir; a man shouldn't
open a new account unless there is
some special reason for it. l believe
though (ah! there is where he got
in his work) that I have a reason
for you, Mr.. Brewster You know,
he never gets too familiar, and most
of us like this. 4 have something
which will especially interest you.
The trade, you know, is going very
fast toward union suits. I felt this
when l was In business for myself,
but I didn't have the money to put
my ideas into merchandise. Before
going with this firm am now with,
talked the tendency Of the trade
over with them, and they quite agreed
with me that a good line of unions
would be good thing for their bust.
ness. While we may be- along with
the others on two-piece garments, they
have made for me what believe you
will find to be the best line of union
suits on the road
"Confound that fellow! He knew ex-
actly, without reminding me of it, that
the union suit was my weak spot, and
when he said: Maybe. you can find a
little time to run up with me to-day
made an engagement with him in a
second. And then he walked right
out"
When 70 Break Away.
II don't like to be personal" spoke
up one Of the boys, "but it's a good rule
anyway to duck right after you get ar
engagement"
Eyes, that's true" answered Brew
ster. I'VE merchants always like to
be courteous to the boys who come
around to see us-most of us are,
believe-yet at the same time there are
a whole lot of men on the road who
don't seem to realize that we have a
whole lot to do besides visiting. He
sold me the unions AL right, and when
we got around to the two-piece gar
ments he was perfectly frank. He said:
I think you can find whole lot of
lines in this stuff that are as good as
what carry; yet at the same time,
perhaps you don't feel like splitting up
your business. Maybe you would like
to let the tail go with the rest Of the
hide And he approached me SO
smoothly about the two-piece suits
that gave him an order for them"
'Well, by being square with you"
remarked Watkins, "he got your busi-
ness"
eyes," began the hat man, "and after
a good front when you first meet a
man, the next important step in sales
man ship is to gain his confidence. l
shall never forget one time when was
out In San Francisco. A couple of AS
syrians, who were in the retail busi-
ness, came in from towns out in the
country to meet me. They picked UP
a certain brand of hat with which all
merchants are familiar, and certain
style, and asked me how much 1t was
worth. My samples were all marked
in plain figures, and merely showed
him the tag on which the price was
marked, $3.50. When showed them
the price they talked for minute or
two with each other. At the start of
their conversation I heard them men,
ton the name of firm that they had !
been dealing with, and l also caught |
the words, 'sit-ta-we-tel-la-tin' (thirty-
sikh. I didn't know very much about |
their language, but when used to be
a clerk in Chicago had dealt with a
good many of these people, and you
know it's always a mighty good thing |
for a clerk or man on the road either, |
to know little something of the Ian
guage Of any customer with whom he |
has to deal. While | did not under !
stand all that they said, it was clear
to me one had told the other that he
had paid the old house he had been |
dealing with $50 dozen for the same |
thing for which asked only $3.50.
.'They tried to get me down, or
rather, to find out that would not |
come down, and then each Of them |
gave me good order, and I've held |
their trade right along ever since.
They had confidence IN my prices be-
cause they could see very plainly that |
my goods were lower than the other
fellows, and had their confidence b.
cause would not come down"
The eibis's Description.
The Bible describes heaven as an.
other paradise or Eden; city Of God.
without sin, graves. or griefs: . better
country or fatherland: temple dlled