April 9, 1014. 



The Horists' Review 



11 



STIRRING UP THE SALESMEN'S 

 it[ THINKERS 9g 



How Anderson, Buffalo retailer, got his sales force to study 

 their work, by a prize for an essay on ^^Salesmanship" 



ESSENTIALS OF SALESMANSHIP. 



Prize Essay by E. C. Armbrust. 



A'ppearanee. — A great deal depends 

 upon the appearance of a salesman. He 

 should be neat in dress, modest in 

 colors and avoid extremes in fashion, 

 and, above all, should be clean shaved 

 and well groomed. 



Salutation. — A customer can be won 

 ftt once by a cordial "Good morning" 

 given by a clerk. It is important that 

 one always greet customers pleasantly 

 and have a genial smile for all, no mat- 

 ter how trying the situation previous to 

 the encounter of a patron may have 

 been. This is an art that 



can be learned. Never be 



short with or uninterested 

 in your patron. 



Interrogation. — Finding 

 out what a patron wants 

 should be done in a tactful 

 and courteous way, without 

 being blunt or appearing to 

 be inquisitive. Avoid say- 

 ing, ' ' What do you wantt ' ' 



Comparative Values. — Sometimes pa- 

 trons ask the question, "How much 

 do you think I ought to spend for this 

 purpose!" If one knows the customer, 

 one should suggest a value relative -to 

 the purse of the patron, if possible. 

 Endeavor to make the sale as large as 

 possible. By all means give patrons 

 full value when filling orders; on the 

 other hand, be honest with your^ em- 

 ployer, and do not give too much in 

 value for the price received. Remem- 

 ber that your employer must make a 

 reasonable profit on all sales, or lose 

 in the end. 



Dismissal of Patrons. — Be patient 

 with all kinds of patrons, and never 



or "What is it for?' 

 Bather say, "Would you 

 like this, or that?" or 

 "For what purpose would 

 you like to use it, may I 

 ask?" 



Display of Goods. — Often 

 a large sale can be made 

 by one's being willing and 

 ready to display goods that 

 are not within sight. Be 

 obliging and strive to 

 please, showing patrons va- 

 rious things which might 

 interest them and thus in- 

 fluence them to buy. 



Suggestions Invaluable. 



Suggestion. — We often 

 meet people who do not 

 know just what they want. 

 It is within your power to 

 suggest various combina- 

 tions of kinds and colors of flow- 

 ers that will appeal to your patrons. 

 Study to make good suggestions; it is 

 invaluable. Whenever you have a cer- 

 tain article of which you wish to dis- 

 pose because of oversupply or other 

 reasons, make your patrons want that 

 identical thing by the power of sugges- 

 tion. 



Argumentation. — In discussing vari- 

 ous color schemes, effects, combinations, 

 or perhaps designs, the salesman should 

 put up arguments that are sound, log- 

 ical and convincing, at the same time 

 watching for the psychological mo- 

 ment in which he can close the deal 

 and make the sale to the best ad- 

 vantage. 



THE TIMES HAVE CHANGED 



Time waa when, if one wanted to buy flowers, it 

 was like the recipe for rabbit stew — "First catch 

 your rabbit." 



But not any more — the florist now has a band- 

 some and attractive store on the main street. 



Many of the progressive florists even have come 

 to advertise their merchandise. 



More than that — there even is a belief that some 

 men sell more flowers than others can; that it isn't a 

 matter of being a "born salesman," but a matter of 

 study — of knowing one's business. 



That's why florists everywhere are attacking the 

 selling problem, studying its every angle, seeking to 

 find out how to reach the public and, no less, how to 

 convert awakened interest into sales, and then more 

 sales. 



while you stand chatting with a friend 

 about things other than strictly busi- 

 ness. 



Don't consider yourself too busy -to 

 Wait on patrons. 



Don't permit social affairs to make 

 you neglect your duty to your work or 

 employer. 



Don't lose your temper. Perfect con- 

 trol of one's self under all circum- 

 stances is a mark of true gentleman- 

 liness. 



Don't waste time. Your employer 

 pays ~ you a salary, and he expects 

 something of you in return. Find 

 something to do, no matter what it 

 is, and the influence on your fellow 

 workmen will be beneficial. 



Don't show partiality to 



any of your fellow work- 

 men, but have an equal in- 

 terest in all of them, and 

 you will find that you will 

 get along well with all. 



Don 't consider yourself 

 above others who are em- 

 ployed with you, no matter 

 how exalted your position 

 may be. It pays to be 

 humble. 



Last but not least, be 

 progressive. Don't be con- 

 tented with what you 

 know. Keep pushing for- 

 ward to larger things. 



That's why S. A. Anderson offered a prize to the 

 one of his salesmen who should write the best essay 

 on "Salesmanship." 



And it's why The Review prints the assays. 



THE ART OF SALES- 

 MANSHIP. 



appear bored or uninterested, nor give 

 a sigh of relief when you have finally 

 booked the order of a fastidious pa- 

 tron. After you have booked an order, 

 make the patron feel that you would 

 be glad to see him again, and thank 

 him for the order. Never criticise a 

 customer after he has left you or gone 

 out of the store. It is a bad habit, and 

 creates in the minds of the other clerks 

 a dislike for that particular person; it 

 is not the mark of true salesmanship. 



Don'ts for Salesmen. 



Don't select your customers. Be 

 willing to wait on any of them, no mat- 

 ter how hard they are to please. 



Don't allow patrons to wait for you 



By Charles Felton. 

 We are here touching on 

 one of the most important 

 subjects in the commercial 

 man's life, the art of sell- 

 ing, which, in my estima- 

 tion, is sadly overlooked. 

 It is a well-known fact 

 that the big wholesale 

 houses pay their traveling 

 men enormous salaries and 

 look to them solely for suc- 

 cess. These men, on account of their 

 ability in putting up the goods to the 

 customer in the most practical and in- 

 teresting way, enable the houses to dis- 

 pose of their merchandise. 



Now, in the retail business the aver- 

 age salesman is a machine, with no 

 detailed suggestions of the goods in 

 stock to make that stock interesting 

 to the public. In the case of goods 

 not being in stock there is no attempt 

 to put the retailer on the right side of 

 the fence. Here is an example of con- 

 versation in stores I have worked in: 

 Customer: "Have you any American 

 Beauties?" 



Salesman: "No, I am sorry we 

 haven't, but we have some extremely 



