Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-03-22
ELLEN YOUNG
DOCTOR OF SALES
BY Ruth Leigh
Author Of 1.-THE Human Side of Re-
tail Selling" 1.-THE A b c OF Retail.
Ing" etc.

| you, Joe" said Ellen Young to the
| young paint travelling salesman who
had just declared that he had lost an
order, II think I know what your
customer meant when he refused to
| buy from you. He said he wanted
| you to sell him something besides
| goods didn't hep"
Eyes; that's right. Funny thing
to say. wasn't it?"
mo. 1 don't blame him That's
the trouble with too many statesmen
! today. They'd get more orders il
they stopped occasionally to think Of
their customers and less of the
goods they were selling. Now what
else did your customer say?"
well, you see." Joe Williams ex-
planned, 'the salesman from our
concern that had my territory be-
fore me must have had a big stock
on hand. Then, when / came along
trying to sell him, he got mad and
said hat all our concern had to sell
was goods. Gosh, 1 didn't know what
to tell him. You know. I'm rather
green at selling, Miss Young.
Ellen nodded. Here's what he
meant, Joe. The man before you
sold him a big. stock of paints
That's all he did Sold ~aints. But
today, a successful salesman doesn't
sell simply goods; he sells service.
Now when you went into that store
today, and that man told o that
he had q big stock instead OF vast
ing time and energy tryinC to sell
him more goods. as you probably
did, why in the world didn't you
try to sell him service; service for
instance, that would help him get
rid of his stock? Why didn't you
give him some idea, some sugges-
tions?"
"Well he wouldn't listen"
mo. Because he saw Immediately
thai though he had told you his
stock was big. you were talking
weakly about the coming spring de-
mand. All you cared about was sell
ling goods. Any one can load up a
retailer with a lot of stock, but 1t
takes a corking good salesman TO
help the merchant dispose of his
stock. In my opinion, a great many
statesmen today fail because they
don't know how to put themselves
in their customers place, TO sell
from his viewpoint, instead OF from
their own. No, 1 suppose you Walk
ed into hat store today and. after
introducing yourself, asked if you
couldn't interest him in some paints
Didn't you GO that?"
Certainly. II don't know what
else / could have said"
"WelI. you could haze said, for
one thing: Mr.. Blank, l have a
rather good idea to tell you; a suS-
on for selling your paint during
the coming spring season.. lmme-
"Oh. YOU mean don't start right
ed. Every one will listen these days
to suggestions for getting business
ooh. you mean. don't start right
off selling?"
EXACTLY" Ellen Young nodded.
when you go to sell a man some
thing, don't go in and ask immedl-
ately for an order. Give hrst; give
service; give suggestions. Put your
self in YOUR customers boots; what
is his problem? Then, think up some
way Of helping him, and tell him
about.it. I assure you, the salesman
who gives something gets orders IN
return. Now I know a highly sue
cessful salesman who sells a certain
form of store equipment. Does ne
go to a merchant and ask him, hrst
off. il he needs any equipment TO-
day? No. He says: Mr.. Blank,
I notice hat you're not doing as
much business in your glove depart
ment as you should be. ! have an
idea to present that l think Will get
YOU more sales Then he
to suggest some merchandising idea
that he has picked up. From that
point. once he, has captured h
merchants interest and attention, he
gradually leads to his product
you don't believe, then, in direct
selling, straightforward and to the
point?' NIL,
Young acknowledged, but / also be-
lieye that you cannot get anything
orders or money-without giving
something in~,return. Usually, in sell.
ing, that Something means service
Two days later Ellen Young hap
pened to be passing Williams, shoe
store and decided to stop In 10 see
how a little suggestion for lncreas-
ing sales was working out. she
found Mr.. Williams in his once at
the back Of the store.
mo, we haven't started yet. we
begin Monday. Our statesmen are all
enthusiastic about the idea, though.
Say, we're certainly trying to econo-
mize. these days, Miss Young" de-
clared Arthur Williams. 80
"Well, if you are, you're certainly
not going about it in the right way at
this minute Ellen Young glanced
down in amusement at the apparent
" successful shoe-store proprietor,
who, scissors in hand, was cutting
the backs of some envelopes.
Read tOmOrrOw's paper for q very
practical talk on how to economic IN
expense these days.
Let Miss Leigh answer your busl-
ness questions on selling. buying. ad-
vertising. Ask your questions clear
ly and give all the facts. Questions
requiring technical answers Will be
sent by mail. Others will be ans
: wered in this column.
Business Questions Answered
| Do you consider that a house-to-
house canvass is a good way to push
a new brand Of bread on the mar
, ket? I mean sending women, for
|, example, to go from door to door dis
tributing free samples.
SALES MANAGER.
Personally. ] do not think the
house-to-house free-sample methoo
!. Is particularly effective, although
some manufacturers find it proht-
, able. 1 think you could do better to
, spend your money in advertising
, where you reach a greater audience
for about the same cost. While you
II reach consumers directly in a house
: toulouse canvass, very often such
- forr, ~ samuGnc tends to depre-