Part 21 (1/2)

”I'm sure there is,” I said impetuously.

We then settled down to our lunch. A few minutes later Betty suggested:

”Won't it make it pretty late for Mr. Field to get his dinner after the meeting, since it doesn't start until 6:30?”

Then a brilliant idea struck me.

”Betty,” I asked, ”will you make us coffee and buy some doughnuts and send them down to the store about quarter past six? That will keep us from starving until the meeting is over.”

Well, we had our coffee and doughnuts before the meeting started. Mr.

Field had a chance to mix with the boys, and got them all into good humor. Then the meeting was called to order, and I announced that, before Mr. Field began to talk, we would clean up any left-over matters.

I brought up the matter of the Cincinnati Pencil Sharpener agency. The boys seemed to fight shy of doing any outside selling, and I, in a fit of bravado--caused, I think, by the keen twinkle I saw in Mr. Field's eyes--said:

”Well, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll go out myself to-morrow, and see what can be done with it. If I start the ball rolling, you fellows will follow it up all right, won't you?”

And this was agreed to--somewhat half-heartedly, I must say.

Wilkes, who was delivery and messenger boy, and general boy of all work, then asked if it wouldn't be a good idea to sell toys at Christmas time.

Jones laughed at this; but La.r.s.en said nothing. I, myself, thought the idea rather ridiculous, although I didn't say so, of course; but a glance at Mr. Field's face showed me that he didn't think the idea was foolish.

”Tell you what we'll do,” I said. ”Let's leave that until next week, for we want to have some good ideas from Mr. Field while we have him here.”

Mr. Field, in his good-natured, friendly manner, started in by inviting us to interrupt him at any time and ask any questions we wanted, because he wasn't going to make a speech, but was just going ”to talk.”

I wish I had put down verbatim what he said; but, as I didn't I will outline the main points he brought out--and some dandy pointers on selling he gave us.

He was talking about courteous service to customers.

”Courtesy is something more than mere politeness,” he said. ”You have to have the real feeling of wis.h.i.+ng to do something for the customer, and you have to show the customer you want to help him by every word and action. Such a feeling, don't you know, will make you, when you see a customer coming, go to him instead of standing still and waiting for him to come to you.”

”That's just what Mr. Barker was telling me last week!” I exclaimed.

Mr. Field then spoke about introducing other lines to the customers while they were waiting.

”Have you ever noticed,” he said, ”when you go into a store to buy something and you are waiting for the parcel to be wrapped, or waiting for your change, that the salesman will usually make some remark about the weather, or talk about the ball game, or the election returns?

That's all right and very interesting, perhaps, and it helps to make the customer like the salesman. But it would make the cash register work harder--and you know, boys, there's no Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Cash Registers--if, instead of talking about the weather, or something of that kind, the clerk talked about something that might make the cash register 'ting.' See what I mean, boys? Instead of saying, 'A nice day, isn't it?' why don't you say 'This is a nice safety razor,' or 'do you use a safety razor?'”

La.r.s.en broke in with:

”You ask him to buy something after he got what he wants? He get mad?

no?”

”Well,” said Mr. Field, ”he might, if you were to say to him, 'Wouldn't you like to buy this safety razor?' But, of course, you would merely pa.s.s the safety razor over to him, as you mention it, saying, perhaps: 'This is a new kind of safety razor which works differently from the ordinary kind--what do you think of it?' You do not ask him to buy it; but you just try to get him interested in it. The difference between being interested in an article, and wanting to own it, is one of degree, and not of kind. See what I mean?

”There is another thing that's helped sales in my own stores very much--the use of suggestion. Whenever a customer buys anything, we always suggest something that can go with it. For instance, I sell stationery. Suppose a customer comes to our stationery counter and asks for a box of note paper. We always suggest post-cards, blotting paper, pen and ink, or anything else that is a.s.sociated with the goods she has purchased.

”If a customer asked for a safety razor, don't you think it would be poor salesmans.h.i.+p not to offer him something else? A machine could do that much. But it takes a real salesman to sell him something else and I know you boys are real salesmen. You mustn't have the customer feel that he's been forced to buy something he doesn't want, but make him pleased with his new purchase. When you're asked for a safety razor, and have made this sale you should ask him what kind of shaving soap he uses, or tell him that you have some good shaving brushes which will help to make his shaving comfortable. If a man buys nails, suggest a hammer; if he buys screws, suggest a screw-driver. It doesn't matter what you're selling, there is always something you can suggest that will go with it, and which is quite natural to suggest. I tell you, boys, a customer will very often thank you for reminding him of something that he wants.”