The New York herald., 1921-02-27

ana coiegeS nave recognized retdll
salesmanship as profitable vocation
in which men and women should re-
ceive organized training. Those within
the modern department store itself
have also glimpsed broad opportunities
in merchandising. buying, selling. ad-
vertising, financing. art display, per-
sofnel management, all based on the
vocation and training of setail sales
manship."
The structure of industry rests to a
large extent on the sales people.
without customers the most eff
GENTLY managed store In the world
would fail to make any profit on the
most carefully selected merchandise"
If no goods were sold the millions
which crowd the cities would have no
work; there would be no reason for
farmers producing a surplus /.
rests upon the shoulders of the retail
salesperson.
The art of selling is really the art
Of pleasing and like the art Of being a
perfect hostess, a. difficult one to ac-
quire. Schools attached to universi-
ties, department store schools and
other institutions are, however. work.
ing to that end, the end of teaching
girls how to meet people. how to please
them personally and how to please
them permanently by satisfying their
desires. 1t is an art which demands
infinite patience-the patience of a
teacher or the mother of small chill
dren; the self-control of Hindu falxir.
and the understanding of human ma
ture. it's strength and its frailty. which
Chesterfield betrayed in his letters to
his son.
There is already noticeable consid-
cradle Improvement in the quality of
saleswomen, and in the future, II text
book and class room ideals are In any
manner adhered to. saleswomen will be
almost all of thenl-perfect hostesses
and charming women. They will have
mastered the art of pleasing. More
than that, they will have acquired the
knowledge and cultivated the imagina-
ton necessary to understand and
clarity the customers desire to such
an extent as to be able to give intelli-
gent advice and effect sales which
give pleasure all around. All of this
will have far reaching effect on the
nations womanhood because statistics
show that no small percentage OF
young women choose sales work as a
profession.
Rendering of satisfaction to their
customers will require In the sales
women an understanding OF materials
and knowledge OF the genuine value
of every article sold across their
counters. This fact must have the
effect of improving the standard and
quality of manufactures. The desire
OF the ideal saleswoman will always
be to render lasting satisfaction.
With great clearness Miss Leigh
sets forth her subject. She has divided
her subject into five parts, dealing
with the "salesperson. the merchan-
disc, the customer. the sale, and. finally,
the sales routine" The young woman
Is urged to bear In mind that she is
part of an organization, and that 1t
therefore behooves her to cooperate
with her fellow workers and other
departments as much as possible.
She is also exhorted to improve her
self, to study and to read. She is to
interest herself in physical culture,
which will teach her to stand up under
a strain and to subject herself to dis
cipline which will provide her with
the preliminary equipment. Concern
ing her merchandise. she is advised to
read trades papers. advertisements
and manufacturers leaflets She Is to
make herself thoroughly conversant
with all details Of her stock and learn
IN arra ero ~ affraCtfva1v a
Most interesting, yet coldest, OF
chapters are those which deal with
the customer. The highly tightly
ladies who fix the saleswoman with
their lorgnettes. and the honey tattle-
tale. find themselves labelled and stuck
up for inspection like strange bugs.
The varied instincts which dominate
them are herein enumerated with ex-
actness Even the schedule of mental
activity by hours IL set down so that
the saleswoman will be able to gauge
the keenness OF her opponent across
the counter. The tactful demeanor
and the insIncere caress are included
In the Machiavellian catalogue. "A
sure method of winning a mothers
good win is TO pay admiring attention