Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-03-25
ELLEN YOUNG
DOCTOR OF SALES
BY Ruth Leigh
Author Of "Ths Human Side OF Re-
tail Selling" "Ths A b c Of Retail
Ing" etc.

You say you have thirty people in
your small Office, Mr.. Hamilton. yet
they are always working overtime"
Ellen Young leaned. forward emphat-
ically. I'll warrant that you can
get the same amount of work done
by fifteen people, If you go about it
the right way"
Him." Mr.. Hamilton nodded grim
ly. That's the point-the right
way-how?"
Now l just heard you settle a dis
pute between your head stenog-
rapher and a billing clerk regarding
whose duty it was to 10 a certain
job. didn't II"
Eyes. What about it,"
There was your time taken to set
tie the dispute: the time of both Miss
| Rose and Miss Fraser in arguing the
point; to say nothing Of the lime
they wasted before they referred 1t
to you"
"Oh, WE'LL" Walter Hamilton wav-
ed aside the remark casually. Those
things are bound to happen. I mean
really saving time
They're not bound to happen,
Mr.. Hamilton. Look here" Ellen
Young picked up a piece of paper.
OuUpOSt yOu WSlC " ot WV
| make a list of every person in your
office, and put under his name a list
| of the duties and the responsibilities
| assigned to him. In short, suppose
you outlined under each job the
exact duties you expect the person
holding it to perform. Would 1t or
wouldn't it be a help to you and to
the worker?"
"Well it would help, but still, I
don't know what each n does"
'sWell why don't you Ellen
Young inquired. There's too much
wasting time, as I see it, in your Of
fee as to who should or whit shoulo
| not do a job; too much passing the
buck; too much saying, 1t was ms
| job. not mine Your people are SO
| busy arguing as to who should do a
| piece of work that the work itself
! doesn't get DONE. That's why they're
J obliged to work overtime"
Him. Something in that" nod
ded Walter Hamilton, hardware
manufacturer.
whats more, you should have 4
head of each department and make
him responsible for the work in that
department getting done during Of
flee hours.' said Ellen Young. why
should you waste really alua
time settling petty office disputes !!
Good heavens, Mr.. Hamilton, you're
not a good executive If that's the way
you run your Office"
But what do you suggest?'
"That you systematic your office
first. Now that's a much overwork-
ed term, but it means something
Make a list OF each persons jop.
Decide the specific duties for which
every individual is responsible.
Write them out. Appoint an office
who is responsible for the
performance of all Jobs. Then. with
everything written out in black n
white, there can be no disputes. Put
a little time on this schedule, this
outlining of Jobs. 1t will pay you
in the long run. Get the office force
to cooperate in helping you work
it out. They, too. will have then
jobs more clearly in mind
Then there wouldn't be so much
passinr the buck; a good idea, Miss
Young" Mr.. Hamilton puffed his
cigar thoughtfully.
Certainly. Moreover, when you
hire a new worker, all you have TO
do is to show him this schedule and
Won will have to do less breaking
in He will nave before him, writ
ten down, what he is expected to 40.
You may rest assured that all your
people will have greater respect Tor
their jobs. too, if they see them u
lined on paper. Every one, know
ing from the analysis of his job JUST
what he is expected to do, Will GO
ahead and do it. All the time spent
in arguing will be saved"
Ellen Young learned. five months
later, when she met Walter Hamll-
ton in New York, that he had twelve
creased is per cent" he said.
Walking through the Barringer
Department Stare late one after
noon, Ellen Young heard a sales
woman make a remark to a custo'
mer. Ellen watched the
and the sale was lost.
you're losing business. Mr.. Bar.
ringer" Ellen Young said later tt
II the old white haired founder Of this
big department store, because man!
Of your salespeople don't know the
, essential principles Of retail sellint
success. They let themselves be toe
easy losers"