Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-05-06
ELLEN YOUNG
DOCTOR OF SALES
By Ruth Leigh
Author of 'Ths Human side Of Re-
tail selling" The a B c Of Retail
ing" etc

IF I didn't have a sense of humor.
I'm afraid I'd refuse to see some OF
these statesmen who approach me-"
said Mr.. Ames. a millinery buyer
for a well known tore. They have
no more idea how to open an inter-
view"
Il know that only too WELL"
agreed Ellen Young.
It's the glad hand stuff that I
( find so amusing. Now | lay had
statesmen whom I've never seen be-
fore burst In on me with. 'How'do.
MI. Ames. how's the boy?' or
'how'do. Mr.. Ames. my names Smith
Come to SEQ II you and i can't get
together" Mr.. Ames laughed in
recollection of some OF the APP
proaches he had encountered.
Il think the glad hand Is TOO
much overdone in this country to-
day. not only by statesmen. but by
most business men," observed Miss
Young. IT think the glad hand Is
a good part of q salesman's greet
ing IL he has already established
friendly relations with his prospect,
but when approaching a stranger or
one with whom he al not yet been
favored with an order, even If a
| brief mountaineering has been es-
t~ablished. a salesman does not need
to shake hands. 1 always contend
that when a salesman offers his hand
with the ~over-cordial 'how'do.'
Smith, he is trying to place himself
on a personal basis which a pros
pect Is likely to resent
Then another thing that amuses
me Is the apologize way some
statesmen approach me, making all
AwN - A.ax.A. aud ona fnr
taking my time. l W tell them
this, but 1t seems to me that If .
man has something good to sell, he
needn't apologize to me for coming
to sell it. Rather, he ought to feel
that he's doing me a service in
showing 1t to me-" The millinery
buyer took a sensible view of the
situation.
Miss Young nodded. "Of course. I
think it's different If a salesman ar
rives at a time when his prospect is
busy"
Eyes. In that case it's all right to
apologize. But even then / feel that
it's not necessary for the salesman
to apologize for taking up my time,
but only for arriving at the wrong
time, when I happened TIC be busy.
/ have a % who's a salesman.
Miss Young. and ! see salesmanship
from the buyers viewpoint. That
is why I am so averse to the idea.
1 cont want my boy to go around
a~pologizing for living"
you're quite right. A salesman
does his prospect as much Of a favor
to call on him as the prospect does
in listening to the sales talk.
Il think, too" continued Ellen
Young, that a salesman is entitled
20 undivided attention on the pant
of a customer. Some statesmen are
perfectly willing to talk while the
prospect Is doing something else.
not realizing that q person can't do
one thing and give full attention to
sales talk. / always tell statesmen to
insist on undivided attention. and II
they can't get il right then and
there to wait until the man is able
ahead, 1 can listen while I total
these sales checks or something
like that. Sometimes the salesman
foolishly goes ahead and talks, not
realizing hat the m~an-wasn't hear
ing even half the things being said"
Yes, IL a man says to me. MY
proposition is important enough to
| demand YOU full attention. and he
| says that with some dignity. l al
ways feel more reSpectful toward
that man who has enough confidence
in himself and his product to insist
that l listen carefully"
Darn that TYPOGRAPHY salesman"
grumbled Cyrus Mansion. "Phoned
me that he'd be here at 8 o'clock
| and it's quarter Of 1. Believe me.
| he's not going to get the order /
planned to give out. ] can tell you
that"