that it would match the case, and the customer took it. Next the sales person asked if the customer's mirror was small enough to go in the pocket of the case, at the same time showing a blue one that just fitted. This pleased the customer so much that she purchased it. The sales person then showed her several articles of blue celluloid, all of which she bought. When the case was fitted with the articles necessary for the trip, the salesgirl said to the customer, "Have you plenty of cold cream, toilet water, and things of that kind?" The customer remembered that she needed cold cream and bought that also. At the end of the sale she left delighted with the attention that she had received, and sure that she was provided with everything necessary for the trip. There was no impression of a forced sale. The customer felt that the sales person was interested to see that she had what she would need on her journey, and appreciated the way in which her wants had been filled with little trouble on her part. A sale like this makes us realize what we can do by suggestive selling. It will be noted that to be successful in selling of this kind, there are certain things that we must remember. First, we need a real interest in the customer. If we have this, we can decide what she will like and suggest what is suitable to her. It was interest in the customer and the ability to put herself in the customer's place that made it possible for the sales person to know just what to suggest to the woman going on a long trip. Second, we must know the merchandise thoroughly. If the sales person had not studied her stock, she would not have been able to suggest just the right things to go into the case. Of course some of us are in departments where it is difficult for us to suggest other merchandise in our own department, but we can all do a great deal by interesting the customer in articles carried in other parts of the store. In order to do this, however, we must know something about the merchandise in other departments. Our trips through the store will be a great help to us in this respect. A suggestion is always much more interesting when we can tell the customer about some definite thing. Third, we must use tact. None of us wish to urge the customer to buy, and we do not like to give the impression of forcing a sale. But we can make suggestions in such a way that the customer feels only our desire to help her, as she did in the sale described above. Skilled service of this kind will always be appreciated. It is this sort of selling that is going to increase our business. We have all been making an especial effort along this line in February. Do not let us stop at the end of the month. Selling by suggestion is real salesmanship and is never out of season. STORES IN WHICH GRADUATES OF THE TEACHERS' TRAINING CLASS ARE TIONAL DIRECTORS.1 Almy Co., (Ltd.), Montreal, Quebec. Denver Dry Goods Co., Denver, Colo. W. T. Grant Co., New York, N. Y. Hochschild, Kohn Co., Baltimore, Md. Jordan Marsh Co., Boston, Mass. Lasalle & Koch Co., Toledo, Ohio. G. M. McKelvey Co., Youngstown, Ohio. Penn Traffic Co., Johnstown, Pa. Wm. Taylor, Son & Co., Cleveland, Ohio. CITIES IN WHICH GRADUATES OF THE TEACHERS' TRAINING CLASS ARE CONDUCTING SALESMANSHIP COURSES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.2 Since this report was written educational directors have been placed in the following stores: Bonwit, Teller & Co., New York, N. Y. Denholm & McKay Co., Worcester, Mass. Hahne & Co., Newark, N. J. Joseph Horne Co., Pittsburgh, Pa. Howland Dry Goods Co., Bridgeport, Conn. Maison Blanche, New Orleans, La. 2 Since this report was written the following have been added to the list: Columbus, Ohio. Providence, R. I. Richmond, Va. Worcester, Mass. 79 GRADUATES OF THE TEACHERS' TRAINING CLASS Colleges: Graduates. 8 Boston University. 2 Vassar.. 6 Brown University. 1 Wellesley.. 19 Columbia University.. 1 Western Reserve. 1 Cornell University. 1 Normal schools: De Pauw University. Boston Normal... 2 University of Indiana.... 1 Bridgewater... 1 University of Michigan.... 2 Castine (Me.). 1 University of Minnesota. 1 Cincinnati.. 1 Knox College..... 11 Cleveland. Lake Erie College.. Framingham. 2 Leland Stanford.. Milwaukee.. 1 Oberlin College. Ohio Wesleyan. Radcliffe.. 1 Portland Training School.. 1 2 7 Toledo Training School..... 1 GRADUATES OF THE TEACHERS' TRAINING CLASS HOLD POSITIONS IN THE FOLLOWING STATES. |