The sun., 1919-10-08

AMERICANS BREAK
FAR EAST BARRIER
Statesmen Bring New Ideas as
Well as New Goods to
the Orient.
MANY CASES IN POINT
One Great Concern Changed
Method Of Buying on Tip
From This Side.
MANY CASES IN POINT
BY CLARENCE E. BoswoRrH.

BY CLARENCE r. BOSWORTH.
Since the advent of really representa-
tive American statesmen into the mar
kets Of the Far East they have sold"
themselves, their merchandise. and to q
most gratifying extent American Ideas
~ credit terms. The effect of their in
fiuence upon retailing methods and the
selsytion OF merchandise 10 shown in
almost every important retail store on
the far Pacific coast.
II the quality of our statesmen is
carefully maintained abroad American
statesmen will soon be taken as seriously
by foreign buyers as by our buyers here
at home. Certain 1t Is that they can
be of even greater service to the buyers
overseas because of their great distance
from the sources Of supply and infre-
quency OF their visits to the great mar
kets of the world
II is a wonderfully fine thing for the
American statesmen in the Far East to
be able to adapt himself to the business
customs Of the several countries and to
be flexible enough to humor the buyers
Of the different nationalities, but II Is
finer type of American salesman who
is ever mindful Of the fact that the
home office and the factory are entitled
to generous measure of consideration,
oording to the established customs Of the
firm he represents
Peculiar Methods of Purchase.
One Of the largest retail firms in the
Southern Hemisphere has most
peculiar method Of running its pur-
chasing department. The system begins
in a large cheerless room with hard
quaker bench along one side for
waiting statesmen to make themselves
comfortable upon until a purchasing de-
partment clerk appears behind the long
counter. which Is partitioned OF like a
row Of voting booths. These partitions
furnish a certain amount of privacy
when showing samples and making
quotations Overhead Is a large sign.
which says mo Smoking" Just inside
| the door at the right is the cigar and
tobacco department.
The purchasing system stages it's
| second act within the confines of 4
sample room. the sacredness Of which
no salesman ever con ,aminates. Over
the counter of the outer room samples
| with prices attached are passed to a
clerk. who gives a receipt for them. and
| the salesman goes his anxious way.
The samples are Their given lot num-
bers. all marks which indicate the
| origin of the goods are removed. and
the department buyers are invited t.
look the samples over. Selections are
made according to sample only. Orders
are not placed through the salesman
but by mail, and In the case of Ameri
can purchases these orders are for
warded through the firms London Off ?.
or course this system docs not meet
with the approval Of American sales
men at all and most of them have the
| temerity to express their disapproval
of it. The Arms representatives usually
answer these complaints with the ques-
1 ton: What Is the matter with our
system? Aren't we the largest retailers
south of the equator?"
One Man Ran the Gantlet.
know of only one salesman who suc-
ceeded In getting this frm to make an
exception to its buying rule. When
the buying room clerk explained the
system to him he said II am sorry.
My line Is an extra profit and extra
business proposition. Unless I can see
your buyer I cannot show your people
what | have 10 offer IN Il way which Is
air either 70 us or to you" From the
little conversation he had with the CLERK
that Individual became interested and
urged the submitting OF samples In the
customary way, with an explanatory let
ter TO accompany them. The salesman
fatty refused.
After some man9uvring he succeeded
in getting an audience with the mer-
chandise manager of the store. To this
Individual he explained fully why he
would not allow his samples to be run
through the mill"
mo, sir" he said, my line cannot be
judged fairly from the mere looks Of the
samples have with me and. while It Is
good value merchandise, we do not care
to have II Judged by standards OF its in
trinsic value alone. We should like to
place our line with YOU. but, despite the
fact that yours Is the most sought for
account in the whole Southern Hemis-
phere. we will not place our line with
you unless we are certain It will be un-
derstood thoroughly by your statesmen
and saleswomen and properly featured
by yourselves. I am certain, sir, that
you will find the time well spent II you
and your department head will come
over to my sample room. see my sam
Piles and hear my story"
The exception was made and the line
was placed. IT Is now being handled in
with the sales plan of the
tually profitable and satisfactory. This
salesman was so sure OF his ground that
he made this comment to the firms rep
For ordinary merchandise I do not
question the efficiency OF your buying
system, but l do question the advisable
ity OF your adhering too closely to Il
when dealing with statesmen from over
seas.
Broke Down the Barrier.
Most Of us overseas statesmen carry
special lines-lines which are not neces-
sarily competitive. Often our offerings
are OF absolutely new merchandise with
which your buyers are not familiar.
This special merchandise must be ex-
planned to your buyers 80 that they in
turn may explain It to their department
salespeople. Your system acts as n bar
rier to the introduction OF new luxuries
and conveniences--lines which raise the
up to date store from tAe plane of
mere seller of necessities to that of an
institution which renders maximum