MAKING TWO SALES OUT OF ONE
Just as it is possible for a man, by mixing brains with his effort, to make two blades of grass grow where one grew before, or to grow two bushels of wheat on the plot that formerly produced but one, so also the salesman may increase his production of sales. With him it is a matter of seasoning his effort with ideas and suggestions that will appeal to the customer and stir-up the desire to buy. To illustrate: The manager of one of the finest shoe departments in the United States has built up a big business in patent low-cut shoes. The growth has come about largely through the application of an original but simple idea that has as its basis a positive suggestion to the customer. The plan may be described briefly by mentioning the case of a woman who enters the department to purchase a pair of spats. The salesman, working on the idea, gets the spats, removes the customer’s shoes and puts on her feet a pair of patent leather pumps. He had, of course, previously taken notice of the size of the customer’s foot. Having put on the patent leather shoes the salesman then adjusts the spats, dropping just a word of explanation to the effect that spats can be judged to better advantage when fitted over patent low-cuts. The result in a large percentage of cases is the sale of the patent leather shoes as well as the spats.
Illustrations without number might be mentioned to show the generous response, in the way of increased business, that follows in the path of intelligent effort. Some of these the salesman might well use, without variation, in his daily work; others he might improve to meet more closely the demands of his own trade. However, the greatest good will come to the salesman who uses these illustrations as a guide rather than as a model to be copied line for line.
An incident worth mentioning is that of a gentleman accompanied by his wife and two children who entered a shoe department to purchase a pair of canvas shoes for the lady. It was in the early spring and the family was starting off to spend some time in the country. While serving the woman the salesman noticed that the husband was wearing heavy winter shoes, and after completing the first sale he suggested a “pair of comfortable canvas shoes for all-around country use,” and mentioned that a new line had recently been received. He was then quickly on his way to select a desirable shoe, and by the time he returned the customer had half decided that he probably would be much more comfortable with a pair of light shoes. The feel of the shoe upon his foot served to complete his decision—and the sale followed. A bright remark on the salesman’s part to the effect that he could furnish “two pairs of shoes for the price of the one just bought” was an original way of suggesting shoes for the two children. It appealed to the customer and another sale was made. Furthermore, the customer was more pleased with having purchased the four pairs than he would have been with only the one he had first planned to buy.
It is out of the question to suggest that this plan or any other would produce results in every instance—every salesman knows that it would not. On the other hand, it does very clearly point out how intelligent effort on the salesman’s part can be turned into sales when properly directed to meet the needs of the individual customer.