Part 42 (1/2)

”I don't think,” said Martin, ”we ever ought to say 'nothing else'?

Because the natural thing for the customer to say is 'no.'”

”By Jove, you're right. I should have said, 'Anything else,' shouldn't I?”

”That I think would be better,” continued Martin, ”but even that puts up to the customer the burden of thinking if there is anything else wanted.

It would be better to suggest some articles. That is, of course, applying the law of a.s.sociation.”

”I see,” said Jones thoughtfully, ”I should have suggested she buy clothes pins before I let her go.”

”Yes, and other things.”

”Well,” said Jones, ”I don't see anything else I could have suggested to her, except that electrical was.h.i.+ng machine we have got in, but it's sixty-five dollars, and people won't pay that price for it.”

La.r.s.en snapped him up at that very quickly, saying, ”Do you think, Jones, that you know more about was.h.i.+ng machines than the people do who make them? Do you think those people would be such fools as to set a price that people wouldn't pay for them? We've only had it in a couple of weeks. No wonder we can't sell it, if we don't _think_ we can.

Wetherall's quite a well-to-do young fellow, and he could afford to buy that for his wife if she wanted it, especially as she can buy it on the easy payment plan.”

I had bought this was.h.i.+ng machine on the understanding that I could sell it at the rate of ten dollars down and five dollars a month, and pay them at the same rate for it.

Then Jones said, ”Huh, I suppose I didn't do a blame thing right in that sale. Well, I guess you can't kick at my sending the parcel home for her. That little booklet we got out said we were 'long' on service.”

”I guess you're all right there,” I said, smiling. ”What do you say, Martin?”

”Why, yes, of course,” responded Martin. ”It is fine to give service.”

Then, as if it were an afterthought, he added, ”I wonder if it would have made any difference if instead of saying 'Shall we send it?' you had said, 'Will you take it with you?' Most people act on the suggestion that is given. That is why, when we suggest to people to buy goods that are a.s.sociated with what they ask for, we put the thought of buying those a.s.sociated articles into their minds.”

”And,” broke in Jimmie impetuously, ”they fall for it. I got yer!”

We all had a good laugh, and then continued the discussion of the law of a.s.sociation. We decided that, whenever a man came in for a hammer, we would always suggest nails, and vice versa. To every one who bought a razor we would suggest shaving appliances. If a customer came in for some paint, we would suggest brushes, and ask if he was going to paint the barn, and, if so, whether he wanted some new door hangers, and such like.

I told Martin that he had better make a list on cards of the articles which can be a.s.sociated with each other, and then we could tack up the cards where we could see them and quickly suggest the a.s.sociated articles to the customer.

”I tell yer what,” said Jimmie, ”let's have a lot of cards printed, and then, if a carpenter comes in, shove out a card at him and say, 'Look through this and see what else you want'?”

That didn't strike me as being such a bad suggestion after all.

The second plan for increasing sales was to suggest novelties, or new articles in stock, to customers.

”Look what we did with that Cincinnati pencil sharpener,” said La.r.s.en.

”Do you remember how we mentioned that to every one who came in, and we sold a bunch of 'em.”

”And they're still selling, for I sold three last week,” said Martin.

”Gosh,” said Jimmie, ”everybody must be giving 'em to everybody else for presents.”

”I don't think,” said Martin, ”we have anything like exhausted the sales possibilities of those pencil sharpeners, and I am going to suggest that we make that our novelty suggestion for the next week. What do you say, Mr. Black?”

I shook my head dubiously. ”We seem to have pushed those so much,” I said, ”I should think there would hardly be a novelty here now.”