12 



The Florists' Review 



ArsiL 9, 1014. 



fine pi Ilk losos, lilies of the valley, 

 etc." 



Negative Requires Tact. 



Now, my contention is, the mere fact 

 of the negative to your customer's de- 

 mand requires a little tact. My own 

 version on this particular point would 

 be: 



Customer: "Have you American 

 Beauties?" 



Salesman: "I am sorry, madam, but 

 the American Beauties just now are 

 extremely uncertain. Owing to the 

 lack of sun, when we get them they 

 are weak in stem and will not hold up 

 anj^ time. If you especially desire 

 American Beauties we will do our ut- 

 most to procure them, even to telegraph 

 to New York or Philadelphia." 



By this time the customer has had 

 an opportunity to see your stock, and 

 you have shown your willingness to 

 please. Tlien follow with your substi- 

 tutes to the best advantage. _ 



I believe in greeting each customer 

 in a polite and cool way, not in rushing 

 up as though he were leaving the store 

 the next second. I do not believe in 

 ovardoing thle meeting of your prospec- 

 tive buyer in a high-class store. It 

 reminds <>ne of a second-rate, cheap 

 store. This is not just prejudice; cus- 

 tomers become suspicious when goods 

 are pressed on them with eager atten- 

 tions. 



Show Interest in Customers. 



Many salesmen will show interest in 

 their customers with whom they are 

 acquainted outside of business. They 

 should show that same feeling toward 

 the mass. It is astonishing how, with 

 a few words correctly placed, j'ou can 

 gain your customers' confidence. Once 

 this is obtained, the rest is easy. 



I am a great believer in will. If 

 you approach your customer in a half- 

 hearted manner, you do not get the 

 best results, but if you approach that 

 same customer with confidence in your- 

 self, feeling that you are going to sell, 

 you are at least a fighter in the game. 

 This also applies to the "battle of 

 life," in my experience. 



The great Wanamaker will discharge 

 an employee who, having been asked 

 for an article not in stock, does not 

 report immediately to the buyer, who 

 procures it. However, we are not in 

 the dry goods business, but I do be- 

 lieve in giving the salesman every pos- 

 sible chance to please his customer. 



For instance, if sweet peas are asked 

 for several times during the day the 

 buyer should be notifted and the stock 

 procured if possible. 



Suggestion in Selling. 



i will now give an example ^f- my 

 method of selling one of our valentine 

 baskets: 



Customer: "I want some cut flowers 

 for a valentine," 



Salesman: "I have almost every- 

 thing in stock — roses, lilies of the val- 



■.^■*i!^ 



Tb« Bdltor IM pleased 

 wben a Reader 

 jireeents his Ideas 

 on any subject treated In 



tslgx^ 



As experience Is the best 

 teacher, so do vre 

 leam fastest by an 

 exchanee of experiences. 

 Many valuable points 

 are brouBht out 

 by discussion. 



Good penmanship, spellinsr and 

 grammar, though desirable, are not 

 necessary. Write as you would talk 

 when doins your best. 



WK SHAIX BK GLAD 

 TO HKAR ntOM TOU 



ley, etc. 1 also have some inexpensive 

 valentine baskets." 



Customer: "May I see thenif ' 

 Salesman: "We find the demand for 

 these i)]ant baskets greater every year, 

 owing to their lasting so much longer 

 than cut flowers and their practicabil- 

 ity for further use after the flowers 

 have died." 



I know numerous other ways of mak- 

 ing sales, an<l there are thousands of 

 opportunities, in our business espe- 

 cially, to thereby gain customers' con- 



fidence, which I contend is the main 



principle in »9lk9»i«fWMSLi^A. 



You will h«lr aOmrmnemen say, "I 

 am doing all the -work 1 am paid for, 

 and more." If you get that idea into 

 your mind, and you feel that you are 

 in that position, then comes the time 

 to show your worth elsewhere. You 

 are either overestimating your ability 

 or your employer is not recognizing 

 you. 



In conclusion, we must not forget the 

 business we are all interested in is a 

 luxury and not a necessity of life; we 

 therefore require as good if not better 

 salesmen than any other retail trade. 



THE SUCCESSFUL SALESBIAN. 



By Stephen Mahoney. 



The work of a salesman in the flo- 

 rists' business is essentially different 

 from that in all other trades. A few 

 of the important points in this connec- 

 tion are necessary for an intelligent 

 discussion of the subject: 



1. The florists' business is as yet in 

 its infancy. 



2. Plants and cut flowers are the 

 product of cultivated nature. ^' 



."{. The goods or materials for sale are 

 perishable. 



To get the desired results as a sales- 

 man, it is first necessary to make a 

 quick analysis of the customer you are 

 about to approach. The results will 

 largely depend upon your ability to ex- 

 plain the merits of the goods for sale 

 in relation to the purpose for which 

 the customer wishes to make the pur- 

 chase. 



As the florists' business is still in the 

 process of being developed, it is easy 

 to understand that a successful sales- 

 man is one who can and does perform 

 the part of an educator, daily educat- 

 ing more people to the appreciation of 

 flowers, bringing the logical result, an 

 increased demand. This will be accom- 

 plished only by a capable explanation 

 of our second point: Plants and cut 

 flowers are the product of cultivated 

 nature. 



Oive Reasons for Suggestions. 



Simply telling the customer that this 

 particular plant is beautiful, or that 

 this basket is handsome, or that these 

 particular flowers will make an ex- 

 quisite or magnificent table decoration, 

 will convince few people, however true 



Fred E. Palmer's Prite-winning Table Decoration of Daffodils and Acacia Pubescens at the Boston Spring Show. 



