The Washington times., 1921-06-15
SELL CUSTOMERS
WHAT THEY Want,
IS AD MANS TIP
Arthur Freeman Tells Atlanta
Convention That Best Mer-
chants Are Teachers,

through persuasion or influence, to
buy what he should not have or
cannot use, you make a sale but lose
his friendship. The ideal situation
would be one In which all store
sales people were teachers, explain
| ing and demonstrating merchandise
so as to show the prospective buyer
the usefulness of the goods, thus
creating demand, while also elrninin-
they cannot use with proht. Per-
manent business foundations are
built through sales which result In
complete satisfaction.
Arthur Freeman, OF the Affiliated
Retail Stores, with headquarters In
New York city, but operating i'm
portant stores In many cities, de-
cleared in an address before the
convention OF the Associated Ad-
| vertising Clubs Of the World here
| that this is the most modern and
best thought in selling merchandise.
Speaking upon the necessity for
better training of store sales peo-
pie as a means OF making adver-
| tising more 'produtive, he cited
numerous experiences to show that
the purchaser.
ADDS VALUE To GOODS.
"A woman enters a store to buy
peice goods for a dress" he said.
"and is fortunate enough to be
greeted by a sales girl VINO knows
her business. She makes suggestions
as to the material most suitable to the
needs of the customer. and the
trimmings and other accessories that
would best go with the material
aaIA fnd ha
and tells just how much materisI
will be needed, saving the customer
the loss which SO often comes
through the purchase OF a larger
piece than necessary, or the loss
OF time and other possible disap-
pointments that may result from
having too little.
Compare that customers experi-
ence with that of another who is
served by n salesgirI who does not
know. or does not care to know, how
to serve a customer. She asks for a
given number Of yards Of piece goods.
She buys and leaves the store.
''The first customer gets a good deal
more for her money. Because of infor-
nation and suggestions the girl i'm
parts. the merchandise gives her
greater pleasure, is more profitable to
her. BY following the suggestions
OF a capable saleswoman she Is saved
from losses and disappointmenta"
Economists. Mr.. Freeman said, tell
us how transportation adds to the
value of goods by creating place util-
ity, and how manufacturing adds to
value by creating form utility. A ton
of coke is of more value on a side
track at the point where 1t can be
used. "a ton OF steel is of greatr-
value when made into watch springs.
In like manner, advertising creates
information utility, he said Through
advertising and proper sslesmansh.p, q,
the customer Is made to understand
the merchandise and to make better
use of IL.
Some time ago" ne said. T resur-
rected, at the home of a friend. n per.
fectly good washing machine that had
been discarded simply because the
store that sold 1T did not explain irs
uses and advantages fully enough.
Many a man is carrying a gold pencil
without knowing that a rubber eraser
is concealed under the cap. Men
abandon safety razors because they
have not been properly shown how to
use them. Information as to the uses
| OF merchandise adds TO Its value"
BIGGER, BETTER, FULLER LIVES.
Mr.. Freeman held, In his talk, that
in store EDUCATIONAL work, too much
attention is paid to the rote Of
teaching and too little to the idea
of showing the sales person how to
make his or her work the vehicle
through which may come q bigger.
better. fuller and moro SUCCESSFUL
| life. ...
when I tell q young woman that
what she learns will be useful to
her, whether she expects to con-
tinue in business or to preside over
home and help some hne young
fellow succeed in bustpess,- he said.
she secs the desirability of self
Improvement and she tries harder
than II I should talk to her merely
from tho stores point of view. II
I can interest her In the fact ths9
her employment can and should be
very important factor in her own
welfare. she will not have to be
told to sell more goods. That viii
be the natural result. Some mer-
chants have hesitated to believe
that. They have feared that their
employees would become too aspfr-
ing IL handled IN thts way, but
everyday experience has proved the
20 ~