Evening star., 1925-04-11
BETTER statesmen
DEMAND OF HOUR
Schools Making Special e.
forts to Develop Efficiency
of Retail Clerks.
BY J. c. ROYLE.


Special Dispatch 10 The Star.
NEW YORK, April 11.-There used
to be theory that statesmen were
born, not made. But modern mer-
chants, manufacturers and business
men have ceased waiting for them to
be born. They are making statesmen
by courses of intensive instruction,
which involve not only sales. but pro-
duction of every other detail of their
businesses. In some instances this
instruction is compulsory. In others
the employees of the concern are
merely given opportunity to take ad-
vantage of it If they choose to do SO.
The move has been accelerated by eX-
periences of merchants in the pre-
Easter trade.
Ten-dsy Furniture Course.
The furniture trade holds a ten
day course at Grand Rapids twice a
year for the training of owners, buy
ers, statesmen and advertising men.
Lectures are delivered on every angle
of the business, from the forest to
the retail floor, with auxiliary in
struction in advertising and business
organization. The proximity of the
great furniture factories makes every
process available for demonstration.
over 200 men from all sections com
pleted the course there this Spring.
In the retail automobile trade,
particular stress is placed on sales
methods, sales talks. and means Of
approach. Nearly every big agency
holds a brief half hour class for its
statesmen every morning, with sales
! managers and factory representa-
tives conducting the instruction.
5000 i'm Packing SCHOOL.
One great packing company runs
a continuous school for its employees,
which has an enrolment of nearly
5000. About 1000 of this number
are taught at the yards in Chicago,
while the remainder receive CORE
spondence courses. Every branch
manager and as many travelling sales
men as possible are compelled to
take this course, no matter how ex-
perienced they may be. They are put
right on the floor and are not "gradu-
ated" until they not only know how
to cut up a caracas, but hav done
it repeatedly. They are then taken
in hand by the head of every de-
partment of the great plant for final
individual instruction in each eXecu-
tive's specially.
The least promising pupils, accord
ing to some of the department store
executives, seem to be retail clerks
selling dry goods, clothing and haber-
hASHCiS Many attribute lHls 10 the
fact that many of them, in the men s
and women's clothing departments
especially, are paid on a commission
basis. Automobile agency heads also
complain of the effects of the same
system in their industry.
Commission Plan scored.
"Ail the ordinary salesman can see
| is that per cent" said the head of
the mems clothing department of one
of the largest department stores in
New York to the writer today. 1T
is almost impossible to make them
see that good will is an asset to them
and that building up a clientele of
customers means money in their
pockets" The department manager
| broke off to shoe clerk back to a
customer he had deserted before the
| latter's new Easter overcoat had
| been wrapped and his change re-
! turned.
THAT fellow calls himself q fast
| worker" the manager continued. "He
goes on the theory that he never will
! see the man he sells again. He told
this last customer the light overcoat
, he sold him would last two years
He knows better than that, for it is
| a soft-finished fabric and the nap is
bound to wear. We don't want any
clerk to make such misstatement to
a customer. AS to the probability OF
! the customers coming back, ! no.
ticed that the coat he took off had
| our label in it, SO he has come back
once, at least. That clerk has been
here II years, but he'll never be q
real salesman If he stays II years
| longer"