Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-26
ELLEN YOUNG
DOCTOR OF SALES
By Ruth Leigh
Author Of The Human sids Of Re-
tail Selling" The A B c OF Retail
ing" etc.

Hten otSt furnishing store IN FAIR
mont asked Ellen Young. Doctor of
sales. this question: do you believe
i is good policy for a retailer to buy
rom several houses or to nave deal
ings with n few as possiblo?"
II think Pie fewer concerns a buy
er deals with, the better of he is
: replied Ellen Young directly. II
lave talked to bankers on this sub
Ject and they tell me that one of the
nrst things they study in considering
q stores application for a loan is the
rumber OF houses he buys from. OF
course, in carrying varied lines such
as you do in a mems furnishing store,
you necessarily buy from many diff
ferent makers of different lines, but
other things being equal, 7 believe 1t
is far better to concentrate in buy
ing"
You mean hat the bankers pre-
fer to see ? retailer dealing with a
few houses?"
Yes. You see there is usually no
reason why a dealer should demand
credit from many different concerns.
IL his credit with a few were good.
One often feels that a dealer who
makes small purchase with many
concerns and gets credit from all, 10
WChlACu aDOdt - SlCult
or has been refused credit by some
houses. This is not always the case:
there are many exceptions. But 1
know tina from a financial view
point 1t is considered far better busi-
ness to deal with as few houses as
possible.
You see" Ellen Young contin-
ued, as Mr.. Claimant listened in
tently. when you. as a buyer. con
centrate your purchases among a
few wholesale houses you get to be
known. If your account IL good and
steady, you are one Of those who
share in the benefits. Naturally.
wholesalers give special privileges
only when there are special bargains
special merchandise to be cleared
out. with advantage to the buyer"
And 1 think the public gets ac-
customed to certain lines Il you just
carry a few suggested Claimant.
That's true. You find II far more
easy to sell a few lines than many
different ones. Then, here's another
point: There are many special dis
count privileges. special prices given.
extra dating, and other advantages
to good, steady customers. One
cannot blame a wholesaler for cul.
tivating good accounts with such ia
vors. That is one argument in favor
of concentrated buying 1t u
the buyer many extra concessions"
Extra credit. l suppose that's the
most important to the retailer" sug-
gested Claimant.
1T certainly is. When an account
is well known to a certain house,
when a retailer has been paying his
bills regularly and suddenly finds
himself unable to meet his payments
promptly. you can rest assured, II
he has been a good customer, the
wholesaler is going to be lenient
with him, is going to carry his ac-
count and give whatever credit is
needed. On the other hand. if a
buyer deals with eight or nine diff
ferent houses, has small purchases
with them. he is neither we'll known
nor well regarded. Then. when he
does need some extra privileges and
concessions, he cannot very well go
to these houses because his account
may not be important enough for
them to bother with. He cannot
demand or expect extra conces-
sions."
Iom Claimant was thoroughly con
WINGED of Ellen Young's suggested
policy.
"Oh, / can't take a vacation"
Emanuel Merritt told Ellen Young.
I've got to keep my business run
ming How would it get along?"
To men or women who think they
are indispensable in their Jobs. Ellen
Young gives some very sound sugges-
tons in tomorrow's paper.
Let Miss Leigh answer your BUSH
ness questions ON selling, buying, adj
vertising. employment etc. Ask your
question clearly and give all the facts
Questions requiring technical an
swers will be sen by mail. Others
will be answered in this column.
Business Questions Answered
In extremely large concerns with
many different branches and hum
dreds of different departments, do
you consider it a good policy for all
departmental employees to know each
other? I car name very large
nationally known concern that does
not consider 1t good policy to have
employees of one department meet
those of another. 1t will hold a
convention. say. of all salesmen in
the different branches. but seldom
does 1t consider it good policy to
have statesmen meet with production
departments, and so on.
ORGANIZER.
Personally. I believe 1t is permis-
sible to have departmental employees
meet, although, as you say, / can
cite very well known houses that
do not consider it advisable. 1 have
always been IN advocate Of frank
ress in all business relations and I
think that preventing contact of this
kind often puts thoughts and sus-
picions. unfounded one in the
minds of those who are prevented
from meeting employees of other de-
rartments.
Copyright, 1929. by Public Ledger
Company.