Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-21
ELLEN YOUNG
DOCTOR OF SALES
BY Ruth Leigh
Author of THE Human Side OF Re-
tail selling" The A b c OF Retail
ing" etc.

phatically. you've asked me about
something on which I'm going to
express myself very strongly. be-
cause 1t is N Of my favorite SUBJ
jects of business interest. 1 want
to say this. that the man or woman
who doesn't belong to some BUSH
Tess association or trade club is a
head in sands that narrow his vision
and his opportunities. ! don't know
of any better and broader way for
any business person to get ahead
than to give himself standing, first
and foremost, by applying himself
with the trade or business ~associa-
tion in which his work brings him"
That's what try to tell the mer-
chants In this town. But some OF
'em can't see 1t. They don't want
to join the merchants association"
II wonder il some of these mer-
chants who don't want to join an as
ISOLATION could picture a big ball,
representing Business. being pushed
from four different sides. Each man
is pushing hard, to push the ball
ahead, yet because 1t is being pushed
from four sides the ball stays ex-
actly where 1t was put in the first
place."
II get you" Barringer pulled his
cigar for a few minutes. You mean
that II these merchants all got to-
gether, stood behind the business
ball in one place and all pushed and
pulled together they could move IT,"
Exactly" Ellen Young nodded,
her alert face enthusiastic. 1.-THE
combined force of groups, working
for n cause. one purpose, gets
somewhere. Suppose all the mer-
chants in a town form a trade asso-
citation for the promotion of better
business conditions. better trading
habits. credit information, cooper
alive sales. What happens? Each
merchant gets the advantage of the
other fellows work; a merchant who
gives, gets. Isn't 1t better to have
an understanding about trading con-
ditions or business hours-have
them settled so that all the local
merchants work harmoniously and
co-opsratively-than it is to have
friction. fighting and constant COM
petition among them? Any mer-
chant who is so narrow that he can't
see the possibilities Of cooperation
doesn't belong in the twentieth CEN
fury. 1t is considered better BUSH
ness ethics today to tell ones COM
petitor business troubles, to talk
them over. to get the benefit of the
other fellows experience, to solve
problems by mutual discussion and
cooperation than it is to fight ones
competitor-to pull against, instead
of with"
Gosh. don't you suppose I know
it? Miss Young, do you know I've
talked and talked with some OF these
fellows" William Barringer shrug-
ged h~elplessly.
Il think the same applies to indi-
viduals. Today. instead of working
in a narrow little rut, and seeing
his own problem and horizon, the
most successful business men and
women are swapping experiences,
telling each other how they do
things. They're saving many mex
perienced people mistakes, by Civ
ing them short cuts; telling them
what to avoid"
After a minute Barringer returned
to the subject of cooperation among
merchants. why, do you know.
Miss Young. when one merchant in
this town puts an article in the win
dow at one price the man next door
puts in the same article at a lower
price. They're constantly Compel
ing this way"
III I'll lilOot liz 1AAdiAbo " =
know how this vicious competition
is hurting them. Don't you see how
much better it would be if. instead
of doing this, these merchants would
get together and have an under
standing and agree to put different
articles in the same window thus
creating a greater variety of goods
on display? BY showing a variety
giving a bigger assortment, 1t is pos
sible to attract more people to the
street and 10 the stores. More peo-
pie make more business for both
merchants. If they would under
stand that only one sale will result
from this window competition,
whereas if each merchant put in
different articles both might succeed
in selling something, they would get
a proper viewpoint on the situation"
Young William Barringer APP
preached Ellen Young with a prob
lem that evening that many other
statesmen had asked her before:
Its hard, l find" he told Miss
Young, ito keep my customers inter-
ested and to keep their attention
from wandering when l sell. Can
you suggest something?"
If you sell anything-merchan-
disc, service or ideas-it will pay
you to read tomorrow's talk.
Business Questions Answered
DO you believe that it is good pol
icy in a large Office to have a supply
room to which most of the employees
have access, or do you find it better
policy to have n supply clerk in
charge and make him responsible
for the distribution of supplies? We
have been trying the latter, but
there are some kicks from some
of my best workers, who claim that
it casts suspicion on them to have
this done. WEEK.
That is a ridiculous claim to be
made from good workers. If they
feel that suspicion is cast on them
by having an employer make an eco
nomical rule for the care and dis
tribution of his supplies. perhaps
there is some cause for suspicion. l
think you are right to insure the
protection and distribution of your
supplies in this way by having some
one responsible for them. 1t not
only prevents waste. but, in apply
ing to a supply clerk, it makes each
worker feel his responsibility in the
use of the supplies, because he
knows that any waste on his part
cannot help but be noticed by the
supply clerk. Moreover, by making
one person responsible for the care
of supplies o keep them in a bet.
ter condition. make them more ac-
cessible in cases of haste and avoid
loss.
roorrfoLt 400 Duh1;o T edoar re