Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-16
Poor Salesmanship
Cause of Lost Trade
BY HARDEN CoLFAx.

Merchants all over the country are
making careful studies TO learn why they
are losing sales and why customers are
abandoning their stores. They have
come to the conclusion that for the loss
| OF 80 to SO per cent in customers the
sales people Of the store are responsible.
A survey, just completed, cites the ST
don't care" attitude of the sales people
toward the store, the goods and the GUS
toner as the greatest individual factor
In losing sales and customers. Accord
ing to the tables worked out In the sur
vey, this attitude Of indifference &C.
counts for loss of 8 per cent of GUS
toners who change to other stores. Next
IN the list, with loss attributed to it
OF per cent, Is the haughtiness of sales
people. This is frequently evidenced
when sale is not made. There is an
| Inclination to Sneer at a customer who
walks out without buying-and as a
result, many customers OF this character
do not walk in again.
y u -
Another factor cited is the mistake of
overseeing. It has been found that
where statesmen are overinsistent q
loss IN customers ensues. Merchandising
experts say that it Is trait of the nor
MAJ customer to desire to buy rather
than to be sold to. Many statesmen are
aole TO put up what is known as a
good sales talk" but it requires real
SKIN TO put on such talk without exer-
cising dangerous selling pressure"
There Is also danger, in putting on a
good sales talk, OF falling into the trap
OF Misrepresentation or goods. This IS
intentional, it is, Of course, plain dis
honesty, which the customer deeply re.
sentS. It is responsible for sornefhj,sv
like per cent Of the loss of customers
Usually, the misrepresentation comes
from lack OF information concerning the
merchandise. This ignorance of stock
OF the goods the salesman is attempt
for the merchant.
X X
One big sales executive said recently
tnat most effective way to hold the
interest of the customer is TO give him
information about the goods he is buy-
ing: Far too many sales persons. he
added, know too little about the rner-
cnandiSe they are selling. Department +
stores have found by actual tests that
sales OF particular articles have In
creased from 80 to 200 per cent after
Their sales forces had been given ade-
Quate information about such articles.
Not all of the losses are attrlbutabIe
TO the sales personnel. Faults charge
able to store service are blamed for a
large percentage of the loss In Gus
toners. Such faults include ATTEMPTED
substitution of goods, delays in delivery,
errors and reluctance to exchange
goods. The merchants, in addition to
looking after the faults Of their en-
ployeS, are. watching their own steps
more closely.
Many losses are due to faulty store
management, and merchants have
found that high percentage Of losses
results from poor quality of goods.
There are some losses which come uns
questionably from poor or misleading
advertising copy.
u It ~
Perhaps the most potent factor In
losses, from the managerial standpoint.
Is the maintenance of high prices or
prices out Of line with those of COM
petitorS. Finally, the whole policy of
the store is reflected In each depart
ment, and unless the policy Is prop
erly chosen, errors are bound to follow
all down the line.
The National Cash Register Co. made
Inquiries of 400 women as to why they
quit trading at certain stores. It was
found that 81 per cent blamed indif-
ferent sales people, while SO per cent
said they quit because Of the wrong
kind Of selling.
With these facts before them, mer-
chants are making every effort toward
the proper training of sales personnel.
they realize that few statesmen are able
10 discover unaided the right process
Tor the retail merchandising of stock,
Proper lighting, adequate heating and
ventilation and displays of goods Suita-
DIE TO seasonal and weather conditions
also are coming In for much thought.
Is warm weather approaches merchants
ire planning to make their sales people
ook cool and untired In the hope that
his will put the customer in a betAer
rame Of mind.
tCopyright, 1900