Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-14
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.

That's an interesting problem,
Mr.. Roth" declared Ellen Young.
Doctor of Sales. the question of
how to handle a situation when a
customer will place an order only
on condition that you will sell to
no one else in the same town."
Sure, they want the whole field.
1t would be different If 1 were SELL
ing a trade-marked article or a line
where we could afford to give one
dealer the exclusive agency. But
ours is a broad and varied line of
em~broideries and laces. Yet I'm al
ways up against that. Buyers seem
to want me to confne my visits in
their town to them only"
What do you do in such cases
now?" asked Ellen Young interest
eddy.
We'll" Roth shrugged. "T don't
want to take a chance of offending a
good customer who gives me an
order, so I usually pass owe the
others in the town and try to, build
up hat account"
well, il you want my frank opin-
ion. 1 think you're making a great
mistake. You see what you do? You
put all your eggs in one basket. Sup
pose, for some reason, your n cus-
toner in a certain town died or went
u of business. Suppose his store
failed, or that he had some argu-
ment with your firm and withdrew
his business. Where would YOU be ?
Stranded"
Gee. I never thought of that"
confessed Bert Roth. I'D be high
and dry. The other dealers in the
town know me. and 1 suppose they
wouldn't want to play second fiddle
| IN fhav Pn1Ild avoid ~ Whan fnrna6
them down before"
Naturally. not. That's why you
make a mistake"
We'll, what would you say, Miss
Young" Roth demanded, "if a good
customer gave you a fine order only
on condition hat you don't ap-
proach the other dealers in the
town? You're not sure of the other
business. but you are sure of
his order right before you"
What 1 would say to a dealer who
offered me an order under such a
condition is this: Very we'll, Mr..
Jones. I'll take your order under
that n condition 1 won't call on
any other dealer in this town. But
in hat event / have to make one
conditions to you. If / take your order
and don't approach m other deal
ers in this town. will you. in turn
agree not to buy m goods of my
line from n other house but
miner"
Gosh, that,d get 'em. wouldn't
it?" Roth's eyes sparkled 4.
Certainly; two can play at that
condition game. There are two sides
to every understanding. You can
then continue saying to that dealer,
I realize. Mr.. Jones. hat you would
MT ask me to do anything that you
in turn wouldn't be willing to do
yourself"
"Id show him up that way. all
right. Call his bluff. OF course. he
wouldn't do it,"
mo, I know he wouldn't" agreed
Ellen Young, but as you say, it calls
his bluff; leaves him with an
ment hat he isn't able to answer.
1t just shows him how one-sided his
request was"
Roth puffed his cigarette thought
fully. you think, then, Miss Young,
that it. better to get every dealer in
a town, to work the territory slowly
in that way?" NS4
Absolutely. If your concern does
mt have exclusive agents in a town
| you owe it TO yourself and your
house to comb your territory slowly,
to work your towns thoroughly, and
to visit each customer. You may
lose more time, but look at the
orders you will get. Remember that
small orderc from many dealers Of
ten aggregate larger than one big
order, occasionally. from one con-
Germ. It's the little n that makes
sales volume. Then, if you lose one
account in a town you have several
others to fall back on. That's the
big argument in favor of this policy.
If you lose your sole account in a
town, where are you? Up against It;
obliged to go back often to play the
humility game and fairly beg an or
der from another account"
The young salesman thanked Ell
len Young. for her practical advice
had solved a vital problem that had
faced him.
In the writing room OF the hotel
Ellen Young watched a slim, rather
pretty young girl struggling desper-
ately with something she was try
ing to write. Later their eyes met
and Ellen Young smiled.
you seem to be having a hard
time"
"I am. I'm trying to write a sit
uation-wanted advertisement for the
newspaper. I'm a st~enographer and
I'm looking for another position. but
I don't know what to put in h adj
vertisement sc that I'll get many re-
plies, good ones"
Ellen Young told her.
II you have ever faced the prob
lem of advertising for a new position
CT expect t. face it, read tomor-
rows paper for some practical help.
Business Questions Answered
I am a bookkeeper in a large
wholesale drug house. and have been
there for four years. Lately the head
of my department mas been finding
fault with me, complaining for nc
reason. Now I learn that ne is try
ing to get me out so that he can