Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-20
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.

he's always suspicious or strangers
and what he calls efficiency" whis-
pered young Barringer. I'VE can't
understand why his department
doesn't pay. See IL you can find the
trouble. Miss Young"
1t was about $3.50 In the afternoon
and the department had three or
four customers buying. Ellen Young
watched the slow lackadasical man.
ner in which the two statesmen and
three saleswomen worked. She spent
several hours that afternoon in the
department chatting with the sales
people and encouraging the buyer to
talk. Two of the saleswomen, ner-
vous for fear they might betray
store condolences, reluctantly admit
ted:
"Oh, yes, Mr.. Norton. our buyers
all right. but he doesn't bother much
with u.s."
The next morning, Ellen Young
sat talking intently to old Mr.. Bar
ringer. proprietor and founder of
the big department store.
There's nothing wrong with your
boys clothing department., Mr.. Bar
ringer-so far as merchandise. prices
or methods are concerned. The DIFF
f1culty is entirely a human one"
Human"
Eyes. Your department doesn't
pay because your buyer. Mr.. Nor
ton"
you can't say a word against
him. Miss Young. He knows his BUSH
hess" interrupted Mr.. .Barringer
emphatically.
Certainly; he knows his business,
but he doesn't know how TO make
others know II. You see, Mr.. Bar
ringer" Ellen Young explained.
there are lots of people who are
experts. but they don't know how
to teach others what they know.
Your buyer knows how to select
clothing and how to sell it. but why
In thunder doesn't he convey some
OF that expert knowledge to the five
salespeople who are actually going
to sell his goods?"
"Oh. he's a queer guy, doesn't like
to bother"
Then your department will
pay. A buyer must bother to tell his
saiespeople something about the
goods they sell. 1 can give you the
name of the buyer Of boys clothing
who operates n of the most sue
cessful departments in Cleveland, in
one of the biggest stores. Do you
know what he does? Every time he
returns from New York or Chicago
from a buying trip he calls his sales
people around him and conducts a
little informal meeting. He tells
them everything that happened
while he was buying; whom he saw
what they said; what he bought;
why he bought it.. When the goods
arrive he goes over each garment
with his salespeople and gives them
the selling points; tells them how to
present the goods"
Say, that's an idea; We could have
all III buyers do that"
"You certainly could and should,
particularly in view of the fact that
you don't train your salespeople in
any other way. You see, Mr.. Bar
ringer" Ellen Young pounded the
desk emphstically. 'if some buyers
weren't so afraid of their jobs they'd
be more eager to teach their sales
Buyers are usually technical experts
in their lines. Why not make sales
people the same?"
Old Mr.. Barringer reached out and
pressed a button. Tell my son to
come in a minute, please" he told
the girl. Then, later: Listen.
Teddy, Miss Young's got a dandy
idea for buyers to train their sales
people"
Then. after Ellen Young retold her
story, she added: You must give
salespeople a personal interest in
what they're selling. Let them on
the inside. so to speak. Have your
buyers take their people into their
confidence. That's the a to get
them interested and working hard
for the department."
Whats your opinion about trade
associations. Miss Young?" asked
! Mr.. Theodore Barringer. We're try
ing to organize a merchants associa-
ton in our town, but for some rea-
son the merchants don't seem to re-
spond. What is the trouble? Don't
| YOU believe that trade associations
do much for the average business
man."