Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-03-17
ELLEN YOUNG
DOCTOR OF SALES
BY Ruth Leigh
Author of THE Human Side of Re-
tail Selling" 1.-THE A 3 c of Retail
ing" etc.

"You asked me if 1 think there's
!! a chance for a young salesman in a
department store, Mr.. Elders" Ell
len Young had a twinkle in her eye.
II don't know. If YOU yourself
| don't see a chance, surely you don't
! expect me to know il one exists"
The young salesman in the mems
furnishing department of the Bar
ringer Department Store looked
puzzled.
"The only chance for advance
! ment in any job is the chance you
make for yourself. Now did you
| ever stop to ask yourself what adj
vancement you are aiming toward?"
We'll" said the young man
scratching his head. Il like sell
ing. but I've often thought that I
could be buyer, perhaps, for a mems
Department.
Zine. Have you even taken any
steps toward trying to become one
| or advancing yourself
"Oh, fat chance / have in this
store. with Mr.. Markheim the
buyer. He never even let's me help
Young Elders was tueful.
Probably not-because o go
about it in the wrong way. You see
Mr.. Elders, when you're trying to
advance yourself in business you
can't be a one-job man. That never
gets n one any place. One of the
quickest ways to advance in any line
Of business is to, understand other
peoples jobs besides your own. Now,
instead of concentrating on your
immediate work of selling, did you
eyer try to learn something about
buying?"
but I'm never asked to-"
cot course you're not. Do you
suppose any superior ever says:
Edders, learn my job No, you
yourself must watch all the people
around you. Watch those who are
successful. Find out why they are
successful, by studying how they do
and handle things. Initiate the sue
cessful men. Be ready to help them
out. Then, if anything happens and
a good man is needed, people will
remember that you're prepared to
fill a better job"
But MFR. Markheim, for instance,
never asks me"
Certainly he doesn't. You must
offer. The way to advance yourself
is to watch your superior. Learn
what he is doing. Not in a noscy,
prying, curious way. but as a mat
ter Of interest. trying to follow his
good example. Remember this, Mr..
Elders: People don't throw oppor-
tunities in your lap these days. The
way to advance yourself in business
today is to be constantly preparing
yourself, schooling yourself, training
for something better. Then, when
the big chance does COMETS the
man who is trained and prepared
who will be ready to step forward
and grasp it."
What do you advise. then. Miss
Young?" Young Elders was in
terested.
"That you learn something else
beyond your job. Know oward
what advancement you are aiming,
and train yourself for that job. Now
if you want to he n buyer of mems
furnishings. why. don't you set to
work to learn all the t~echnicalities
OF your merchandise Know values
workmanship, buying practice. Ask
questions; watch Mr.. Markheim,
your superior. Show him that you
are interested and want to learn
from him. 1t will fiatter him to act
as teacher. il he's at all broad
minded. Every big thinking man to-
DAY is eager to help another ambi-
tious person."
"Oh, 1 see. You mean, don't con-
centrate SO much on your W job,
but think a lot about the thing
you're aiming at"
Eyes. Isn't that o~bvious?" Ellen
smiled. 1.-The road to advancement
in any business is open to any am
bilious person who is willing to earn
about other peoples jobs besides his
own. I know one bank clerk VINO
has been in a bank fourteen years.
yet 1 warrant ne couldn't tell you
what any of the other workers
around him are doing. All he knows
is his own narrow job. Now when
the chance comes, will that clerk be
prepared to fill q bettef-job? l doubt
1t. You must keep your eyes open;
know what is going on around you.
Then, when there's an opening, you
can come forward readily and gay;
I think I a handle that John L
know how it's done, well, the
probabilities are, you'll be one step
higher up the success ladder"
zone of the first things we want
you to do, Miss Young" said Mr..
Theodore Barringer, who had sent
for Ellen Young to give some mer-
chandising advice about the big Bar
ringer store. lis to look at our adj
vertising. We don't seem to be get
ting the results we should. Perhaps
you can tell us what's wrong. IL
there is anything"
(YOu'n get some interesting In
formation from Ellen YOung's talk
In tOmOrrOw's Raper.)
Let Miss Leigh answer your bust
ness questions on selling, buying, ad-
vertising, employment. Ask your
questions clearly and give all the
| facts. Questions requiring technical
| will be answered by mali.
Others will be replied to in this col
umn.