ARE YOU SELLING OR IS HE BUYING?

When in 1917 the annual convention of the National Shoe Retailers Association was held in Chicago an incident occurred which, although small in itself, emphasized one of the very important principles of selling. Owing to some confusion in the cloak room of the auditorium in which the convention was being held, two of the members of the association, both retail dealers, were unable to secure their hats and were thus under the necessity of making an immediate purchase. They entered one of the nearby stores, naturally somewhat embarrassed at being without hats, mentioned the conditions briefly to the clerk and asked to be fitted. It should be borne in mind, of course, that these two gentlemen, although experienced shoe dealers, did not know any more about the subject of hats than the average customer knows about the subject of shoes.

The sales clerk, without showing any interest or consideration at the embarrassment of his customers, responded with the question, “What kind of a hat do you want?” After a minute’s thought they both decided that it had better be a soft felt hat. This was followed with the second question, “What size do you wear?” Neither of the unfortunate customers could recall the size of the hat he had been wearing and was unable to fall back upon the usual custom of referring to the size mark in the old hat. This meant another slight annoyance and delay in trying on several hats before the clerk was able to learn the sizes. After hunting the stock awhile, the clerk at last produced one or two styles of narrow brimmed felt hats which proved entirely unsuited to the customers, who were both rather tall and heavy. Evidently here was a man who did not know his job. Finally taking the matter into their own hands, the two men decided they would content themselves with caps until they could find a salesman who could give them help in deciding what they should wear.

The purchase was made and the price paid, but it is evident that the clerk could not be considered to have sold his customers. From start to finish these men were buying, and the clerk proved to be more of a hindrance than a help.

In retail shoe selling it would be rare indeed to find in one sale so many features of poor salesmanship, but it is clear, of course, that the presence of any one of them would operate to reduce the customer’s confidence and satisfaction. From the shoe salesman’s own experience he would have realized at once the desirability of greeting the customers cheerfully and of showing an interest in an unusual experience that brought the men in from the street bareheaded. He would not have asked a blunt question concerning the kind of hat desired but would, at a moment’s glance, have recognized his customers as business men, would have taken notice of the quality and color of their suits, and then would have made some such positive suggestion as, “I have here a nice felt hat that will look well on you.” He would have known immediately that a large man would require a hat with either a medium or wide brim. And although he had not been told the hat size he would have known enough about his business to know that men of this size would not wear less than a size seven. He would have brought that size, or perhaps one larger, and would have handed it to the customer with the remark, “I believe this will serve you for size.”

All these things would have been genuine selling effort. In the case mentioned the men were well able to buy the best hat in the house, and two hats at eight or ten dollars apiece would have been more easily sold than the caps at two-fifty were bought. Between the two there is as much difference as there is between day and night. One is bright, cheerful, intelligent; the other nothing more than a vague, half-hearted burlesque of selling.

For the purpose of analyzing a sale and in order to show just what are the points to be considered, the selling process may be represented by four steps leading upward to the final sale, as follows:

The theory of selling is based on the idea that before it is possible to proceed with any attempt to sell it is necessary first to get the prospective customer to transfer his attention from other things and to apply it to the article to be sold. While walking along the street our main attention and interest may be on those things immediately around us. If suddenly we hear the hum of a motor from above we at once think of flying and our attention is transferred to the aeroplane passing overhead. The means of attracting our attention was the hum of the motor or perhaps the action of the people around us.

In retail selling the matter of attracting attention is to some extent, but not all by any means, taken care of by newspaper advertising, window and store displays, the customer’s acquaintance with the store, and the like. It is for the salesman, however, if he is to sell rather than simply to take orders, to guide the customer’s attention and build a genuine interest in the goods; to sell so that the customer will listen and respond to his selling talk, examine the goods and agree perhaps to try them on. These things show interest.

However, interest alone does not sell. We may be interested to examine a German fighting tank brought over for exhibition, but that in itself does not create in us any desire to own one. The effort of the young man to sell the electric carpet sweeper, already mentioned, caused interest on the part of the housewives, but the action stopped there. He was at first unable to create desire and as a result there was no sale.

It is for the salesman to so plan his effort that the customer will get from it a desire to own the goods. Assume, for example, that the customer has bought one pair of shoes and that you have been able to get his interest in a pair of patent leather pumps which he is now examining. Up to this point it may be he is examining them only because they are a fine piece of workmanship, as he might examine an exhibit in the art museum. However, that in itself does not make sales or profits. It is for the salesman now to create a desire in the customer to add that pair of pumps to his wardrobe.

The final stage of the sale is that of stimulating the buying action in the customer; to assist him to the decision that he needs the goods and that his desire to have them is greater than his desire to retain the money. In the present chapter we are to consider the matter of attracting the customer’s attention and of building his interest in the goods. Later the important points of creating desire and of stimulating action will be taken up.

POINTS OF CONTACT

The electric power to illuminate the store or home is controlled by switches which serve to bring together or to separate the points of contact. When the switch is thrown on the effect is one of bringing together of the points of contact. As a result there is action; the circuit is completed and light is produced. The first stages of the sale may be likened to the action of the electric switch. If attention and interest in the goods are properly guided by the salesman they will without exception lead up to the action of buying on the part of the customer.

A great point of importance is that of listening attentively to the customer’s first remarks. Upon this may often depend the whole success of the effort. If a woman calls for something new that is at once a means of establishing a point of contact on the basis of style. Talk style and show the latest patterns and at once you have fixed her attention and interest. If, in a certain shoe offered she should compliment the heel but not quite approve of the color, you have here a suggestion for further effort. Concentrate on the heel and any other features that may have appealed to her and use this as the means of establishing the contact. Concentrate on the strong points; speak of the specially designed arch and of the beauty it gives the general appearance of the whole shoe. This certainly does not mean to overstate any facts but it does mean to make use of those intimations of preference that the customer expresses to focus interest and to advance the sale.

If a customer mentions the quality of strength in calling for a shoe, it is safe to assume that wearing quality rather than style is the special feature that will appeal to him. His appearance will usually indicate the quality of shoe desired. Work with him on the matter of quality, select the stock with that in mind principally and style only as a second consideration.

Most parents in buying children’s shoes have foremost in mind the important matter of getting a shoe that will allow freedom of movement and natural growth of the feet. Perhaps in the first sentence spoken some intimation of this will be made. Take advantage of it and use it. Remember that it is the element of comfort the customer wants and that the sale will progress with greater satisfaction all around according to the salesman’s ability to understand what is wanted, and to deliver it.

HANDLING THE GOODS

The customer’s interest in the goods and also his desire of ownership is influenced more than many salesmen realize by the way in which the goods are handled. A young clerk with more spirit than experience, in bringing a pair of satin slippers to the chair where his customer was seated, allowed them to swing arm’s length at his side as he approached her. This she noticed, and an impression of slip-shod handling was suggested. Although the slippers were fresh stock, taken from the box just a moment before, the customer insisted that they had the appearance of being handled and requested another pair. In her mind, ruffled appearance was associated with the manner in which she had seen the shoe handled by the clerk. The expert diamond salesman handles a stone with all the tenderness and care of a mother with her child; not because the diamond means more to that salesman than the shoe does to the shoe salesman, but because he understands human nature enough to realize that only in so far as he shows an interest in the stone can he hope to have the customer do so. If he slid the stone across the counter the sale would suffer. If he should drop it in taking it out of the case the sale would likely be lost.

The point to bear in mind in this connection is that the salesman is asking the customer to make the goods his own. A dainty silk or satin slipper should be handled daintily by the salesman; with just as much care as the owner would give it upon using it the first time. On the other hand, a strong, heavy outing shoe might be slapped firmly upon the palm of the salesman’s hand. The heavy sound in this instance might be expected to give the impression of strength and lasting qualities. All of these things, although small in themselves, play an important part in bringing up the customer’s attention and interest to the point of desire.

APPROPRIATE SELLING TALK

“Something for you, mister?” as a part of the selling talk, is many times worse than absolute silence. It is bad because it is as ancient, tattered and torn as the “little old red shawl” itself. It stamps the salesman as being without any originality and it is likely also to bore the customer. Take it for granted that he wants something or else he would not be in the store. Jump right into business and at the same time get the customer on your side. Anything original such as, “May I serve you?” or some variation, is good. Perhaps as good as anything else is a smile and a cheerful “Good morning” or “Good afternoon.” The expressions “Lady,” and “Mister,” have been tabooed for generations; they might serve all right for a peanut stand but not in a high-class shoe store or department. “Madam” and “Sir” are dignified and are greatly to be preferred.

The customer is always glad to see a sign of intelligent interest concerning himself. If the salesman notices that the shoe just removed has been bought from his house or if he recognizes the customer, it is always good to ask with courtesy whether the shoe removed has given satisfactory service. In most instances it is safe, of course, to assume that the shoe has, or else the customer would not have returned. On the other hand, there is the possibility of some dissatisfaction, and in that case it is well to know the facts.

Among inexperienced salesmen there is the danger of laying too much emphasis in the selling talk upon the price—in other words, making it a matter of selling prices rather than merchandise and service. The customer has come to buy shoes; price is an important consideration with him in all probability, but it is quality, style and fit that will determine his satisfaction. If the salesman will devote himself especially to these things, if he can assure his customer that the goods are what he wants and that they will give him service, the matter of price will, in most instances, be secondary. The slogan of a New York retail house is that “The quality will be remembered long after the price is forgotten.” There is a great deal expressed in this from the standpoint of good merchandising. The salesman can do no better than to make his appeal on the same basis.

Limit the number of questions directed to the customer. As mentioned before, the customer may resent questions because of a feeling that he came to be served rather than to be subjected to questioning. The sale will proceed more smoothly if the salesman takes for granted that certain minor points are satisfactory unless the customer makes some mention of them to the contrary. If nothing is said concerning color, style of heel, quality or kind of leather, it is a great deal better to assume the customer’s satisfaction. To bring them up specifically with a direct question means that an entirely new train of thought is started in the customer’s mind, that he is required to make another decision and that he will be hindered by confusion of thoughts in coming to his main decision to buy.

Repetition of some point of special importance that may have slipped the customer’s mind is an effective means to stimulate a decision. Great care should be used in doing this because repetition of any point of small importance will produce the effect of annoyance. If used at all, let it be only on some point of importance on which the customer has shown interest or concern.

The operation of the human mind in getting started on a train of thought has been compared with that of a trolley car or automobile in getting started from the condition of rest. It is not possible to apply the full power at once and to get an immediate operation of the car at full speed ahead. The power when increased gradually builds up the speed, and the forward motion goes on so naturally that it becomes almost unnoticeable. It is said that the human mind operates much the same when given an idea in the form of a suggestion. To the shoe salesman this means that there must be only a limited number of suggestions presented and that these should be offered one after another only as the mind has time to get started and under motion on the one preceding.

To make this more concrete, it may be assumed that the salesman has offered his customer a certain style of shoe, that he has told the chief points concerning it, and that the customer has made no reply. Should the salesman at once produce another shoe and begin his talk concerning it, the customer would become confused and be further away from a decision than he was with only one pair to consider. Only after it is clear that the first shoe is not the one wanted, or at the customer’s special request, should others be offered. Give the customer’s mind a chance to get accustomed to the suggestions already offered.

All suggestions made should be of a positive nature. Their purpose is to assist the customer to a decision. The following illustration is given to show the effect of a negative suggestion:

The attention of a physician was attracted the other day by a shoe he noticed in the window of one of the city stores. Going in, he said to the clerk: “I’d like to see some of the styles you are showing in the line of Oxfords for summer. I don’t want to try on a pair just now, but I would like to have you show me three or four styles.”

“Well,” said the clerk, “we haven’t very many Oxfords in stock just yet. Most of the styles that we will carry this summer are shown in the window. You can go out and look at them.”

The customer did go out—and didn’t come back.

The suggestion of being too anxious to make a sale causes the customer to be skeptical. He will either question the quality of the goods being shown or the ability of the salesman to give him dependable service. The salesman’s effort, to be more effective, should be so natural that it does not occur to the customer that he is being led to a decision. The interpretation that a great actor gives to a part he is playing is so natural that his audience loses sight of the fact that there is effort, and actually moves along in the part with the actor.

Nervous hurrying as shown by quick, excited movements causes uneasiness to the customer. There is the danger of having this shown when there are several customers waiting to be served. However, the effect produced by excited hurrying is that of confusion in the customer’s mind. His decision is reached less easily under such circumstances. The salesman is thus unable to accomplish as much as he would under an even, steady pace. The brisk, snappy movement of enthusiasm is not to be confused with that of excitement. The former is a thing to cultivate. It represents the spirit of the times. It wins the customer’s respect and saves his time as well as that of the salesman.

STUDYING THE CUSTOMER

H. B. Scates, shoe buyer and division manager for William Filene’s Sons Company, Boston, mentions an incident that brings out clearly the basis of service and the relationship that should exist in the mind of the salesman in his selling effort. Mr. Scates, in a series of talks, had been speaking to some of the salespeople on the advisability of studying and understanding the customer so as to establish a better working basis of service. After one of these talks had been completed one of the young ladies spoke to Mr. Scates, explaining that there were a number of things she did not understand and asked if he could explain them in direct relation to her everyday work. This gave him the cue as to where he had been wrong and he sat down with this girl and had the following conversation with her:

“Your married sister buys her children’s shoes from you, doesn’t she?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“How do you go about to sell her?”

“Well, of course, I know about what kind of shoes she wants, how much she can afford to spend, and after I find out just what she wants the shoes for, dress or everyday wear, I show her the kinds we have that she ought to buy.”

“What do you mean by the kind she ought to buy,” he then asked.

“Well, you know we have some kinds of dress shoes that are perishable and really not economical, and we have some everyday shoes that will wear longer than others, and I always tell her about these things and advise her how to get the most for her money.”

“Now,” he said, “you have told me how to be a good salesperson, instead of having me tell you. And I will carry the idea a little further for you. In case of your sister, you tell the truth about the merchandise, you show a genuine interest, you take real pleasure in handling and fitting the youngster because she is your little niece, and you have given them 100 per cent of real service and the benefit of all you know about shoes and our particular stock.

“Treat every customer with the same interest as you would your own intimate friends, and you can’t lose.”

There is a big thought expressed in what Mr. Scates has said. The matter of studying the customer is not a cold, calculating process but one of human friendliness. The effort to please that a person makes in serving an intimate friend is not forced and unnatural, but a genuine, whole-hearted desire to be of assistance. To that extent each customer should be considered by the salesman as an intimate friend and should be served accordingly.

In selling to a steady customer there is a special advantage in that the salesman knows the man he is serving, his preferences and also something of his price limitations. With the new customer a very good indication is in the person’s appearance, although there are exceptions to this rule, as will be pointed out. The man or woman who is simply and neatly dressed will probably not be interested in the extremes of style. A fair indication may be had also from the quality of the clothes and especially the quality of the shoe that is being worn. It is safe in many instances to show something of slightly better quality on the assumption that the customer is not wearing the best he has, or perhaps, that he is more prosperous now than he was when he made the last purchase. At any rate, it is better to come down on the quality of shoe offered than to have the customer request that he be shown something better.

A customer, man or woman, dressed in the extreme of style will almost invariably expect to be served with footwear of the same general nature. Such a person will require a change of style from that last purchased or from the one he or she is wearing. Any attempt to fix a general rule on this point would be difficult, except to suggest offering the extreme styles with some variation of appearance as compared with the shoe being worn.

DISCRIMINATION AMONG CUSTOMERS

The practice of playing favorites by giving one customer more considerate service than another is unnatural. It is unfair and furthermore is not good business. Any short-measure of service is bound to be noticed and as a result the business is lost to the salesman and probably lost also to the house. Nothing can be said to illustrate with more force the advisability of serving all customers honestly and without discrimination than an experience of a few months ago as told by the retailer who was successful in securing the business that had gone a-begging. Such cases are bound to occur continually unless there is a fixed standard of service.

A certain customer entered one of the city stores, having just arrived from a camp where he had been spending the summer. Dressed as he was at the time, his appearance was that of a laborer, and evidently, on that account, he was treated indifferently by the salesman. Being dissatisfied the man left without having made a purchase and then entered another store where he was treated with all the respect and consideration due him. Before leaving, he had purchased shoes to the value of seventy dollars, paid cash for them and then presented his card with the request that the shoes be delivered. Not until then was it learned that he was one of the most influential men in that section of the country.

The secret of success in serving people is to treat them all alike, but to make each one feel the distinction of individual attention.

There are times when it is impossible to avoid interruptions while a customer is being served. A polite apology is the least that can be given, but this does not overcome the handicap that has been caused, and also the feeling that only part service and divided attention is being given.

Bear in mind that to the customer the salesman represents the store, and that if the service given is not what it should be the natural tendency is for the customer to go elsewhere. Quality alone will not sell goods. Someone has expressed the fact in this way: “An expert selling force could, if necessary, sell inferior merchandise, but a sales force without the spirit of true service would bring on failure regardless of a high standard of merchandise.”

Interruptions are often due to the fact that the salesman’s work is not properly organized. He may have passed along the preceding order without the proper instructions, or he may set it aside with the intention of completing it later, and as a result may be holding up the work of someone else. In consequence it becomes necessary, perhaps, that he be interrupted when serving the next customer and thus his effectiveness as a first-class salesman is reduced. The remedy is to organize the sale from the time the customer is approached until the charge is entered and the goods are passed along for delivery. Get the whole transaction completed and out of the way so that the next customer may have undivided attention.