Retail Shoe Salesmanship

by George F. Hamilton; Frank Butterworth; H. T. Conner; A. H. Geuting

In selling to a steady customer there is a special advantage in that the salesman knows the man he is serving, his preferences and also something of his price limitations. With the new customer a very good indication is in the person’s appearance, although there are exceptions to this rule, as will be pointed out. The man or woman who is simply and neatly dressed will probably not be interested in the extremes of style. A fair indication may be had also from the quality of the clothes and especially the quality of the shoe that is being worn. It is safe in many instances to show something of slightly better quality on the assumption that the customer is not wearing the best he has, or perhaps, that he is more prosperous now than he was when he made the last purchase. At any rate, it is better to come down on the quality of shoe offered than to have the customer request that he be shown something better.

A customer, man or woman, dressed in the extreme of style will almost invariably expect to be served with footwear of the same general nature. Such a person will require a change of style from that last purchased or from the one he or she is wearing. Any attempt to fix a general rule on this point would be difficult, except to suggest offering the extreme styles with some variation of appearance as compared with the shoe being worn.

DISCRIMINATION AMONG CUSTOMERS

The practice of playing favorites by giving one customer more considerate service than another is unnatural. It is unfair and furthermore is not good business. Any short-measure of service is bound to be noticed and as a result the business is lost to the salesman and probably lost also to the house. Nothing can be said to illustrate with more force the advisability of serving all customers honestly and without discrimination than an experience of a few months ago as told by the retailer who was successful in securing the business that had gone a-begging. Such cases are bound to occur continually unless there is a fixed standard of service.

A certain customer entered one of the city stores, having just arrived from a camp where he had been spending the summer. Dressed as he was at the time, his appearance was that of a laborer, and evidently, on that account, he was treated indifferently by the salesman. Being dissatisfied the man left without having made a purchase and then entered another store where he was treated with all the respect and consideration due him. Before leaving, he had purchased shoes to the value of seventy dollars, paid cash for them and then presented his card with the request that the shoes be delivered. Not until then was it learned that he was one of the most influential men in that section of the country.

The secret of success in serving people is to treat them all alike, but to make each one feel the distinction of individual attention.

INTERRUPTIONS

There are times when it is impossible to avoid interruptions while a customer is being served. A polite apology is the least that can be given, but this does not overcome the handicap that has been caused, and also the feeling that only part service and divided attention is being given.

Bear in mind that to the customer the salesman represents the store, and that if the service given is not what it should be the natural tendency is for the customer to go elsewhere. Quality alone will not sell goods. Someone has expressed the fact in this way: “An expert selling force could, if necessary, sell inferior merchandise, but a sales force without the spirit of true service would bring on failure regardless of a high standard of merchandise.”

Interruptions are often due to the fact that the salesman’s work is not properly organized. He may have passed along the preceding order without the proper instructions, or he may set it aside with the intention of completing it later, and as a result may be holding up the work of someone else. In consequence it becomes necessary, perhaps, that he be interrupted when serving the next customer and thus his effectiveness as a first-class salesman is reduced. The remedy is to organize the sale from the time the customer is approached until the charge is entered and the goods are passed along for delivery. Get the whole transaction completed and out of the way so that the next customer may have undivided attention.