It’s a sad mistake to say,
“How much do you want to pay?”
Don’t go at the folks that way.
Show the goods!
CUSTOMER WHO DOES NOT BUY
No store, no matter how perfect its organization, has ever been able to make a perfect score in selling. In the course of a month or a year there are many people who come into the store with the intention of buying but who are unable to get what they want, regardless of the quality of salesmanship. People who have a very definite idea of what they want in a shoe may not find what is desired in style, fit, wear, or price—or possibly a combination of these. In these comparatively few cases it is not a matter of insufficient or poor service on the salesman’s part, but one of limitation of stock variety to meet the customer’s ideas.
In cases of this kind the person will “shop” around from store to store in an effort to get the goods desired. Perhaps he will find the goods somewhere else; if so that sale goes to the store with the goods. Oftentimes, however, the person will not be able to find just the article he had in mind to buy. It is to be expected, therefore, that the business will come back to the store that showed the best service. The experienced salesman, when not able to close a sale, bears in mind that this person will return if well served, and consequently he continues his best efforts even though he knows he will not be able to make the sale. He is in business not alone for today but for tomorrow and next year, and he treats all persons he serves so that they will become “regulars.”
The person who does not buy has committed no crime. The salesman cannot afford to say or do anything to cause him to feel embarrassed—to make him feel that he has imposed upon the valuable time of the salesman or taxed his patience. Let the man feel that his visit has been appreciated and he will surely come back when he is again ready to buy.