KEEPING POSTED ON NEW STOCK
Bearing in mind the important fact that style goods must be sold during the current season, it is clear at once that the salesman must keep himself posted at all times on new goods received. A week lost in getting informed of the fact that there is a new style in stock means more than the loss of six business days. It may mean that a certain number of customers have been required to accept goods less desirable to them, or it may mean that the business has been lost altogether. The customer does not buy shoes every week or every month, and on that account a sale lost this week often results in the loss of a sale for the season. The time to sell seasonal goods is at the opening of the season, and every day past the opening reduces the possibility of a profitable turnover and increases the prospects of “left-overs” and dead stock.
New styles coming in should be carefully studied to determine the type of feet for which they are most suitable. To show a woman a new style of shoe just received, and explain to her that it represents the most advanced model of the season, would be good business provided she could be properly fitted in such a shoe. On the other hand, if her foot is of such a shape that it could not wear the new style, it would be better business for the salesman to say nothing about the new styles and to give his whole attention to the shoes he has to fit the particular foot. To be prepared to meet this situation when it occurs requires that all shoes in the stock be studied with the idea of learning their points of advantage or limitation as applied to different classes of feet.
In line with this same suggestion is that of watching the stock of sizes in new goods received. The particular size may have been out of stock three days or a week ago, but there is always the possibility of a new shipment having been received. If the salesman does not actually know the condition of the stock in a certain size, he should make it a point to find out rather than to accept the fact that it was out of stock when he inquired yesterday or two days ago. Above all he should not advertise the fact that he does not know the stock with any such remarks as “I’m not sure that I have your size,” or “I don’t think we have that style.”