GETTING “UNDER HIS SKIN”
It is for the salesman, if he is to get results, to talk to his customer in terms of facts and ideas—not simply “words.” Sometimes we hear of a person who “talks a great deal but says nothing,” and we understand by this that his statements are without facts—that there is no point to what he says. Personal selling is a matter of presenting the story to the customer in such a way that he realizes he is getting information. It is for the salesman to tell his story so that it will “get under the customer’s skin.” This requires a certain amount of originality, a knowledge of what is being sold, an understanding of the customer.
In reading footwear advertisements, which are simply printed selling talks, it is interesting to notice how well the selling points are presented to appeal to different classes of customers. The following one, for instance, is directed to men. It is brief, but in a few words brings out the story by emphasizing the qualities of comfort and convenience, which are of greatest importance to most men:
Low shoes give your ankles a holiday every day.
Perhaps russet is a bit cooler—it’s easier to care for anyhow.
Other people think more of exact shoe fitting, especially if they are having trouble with their feet. The main selling point in this case is that of offering a shoe to do away with further troubles. The following ad. shows how this was done. The shoe salesman has the same problem, except that he has the advantage of meeting the buyer face to face and can tell his story in a little different way.
Ever have trouble with your feet? “Blank” wearers never do. That’s because the “Blank” fits perfectly—no pinching, nor pain for the grown-ups—no deformities for growing feet. The “Blank” shoe starts the foot right and keeps it so.
But, as every shoe salesman will know, different people have different ideas concerning what is the feature most desirable in a shoe. To impress the person who considers as uppermost the matter of appearance and style, the selling talk is directed along a different line so as to “get under the skin” of such a customer.
If you have a pretty foot and ankle, wear a shoe that does them justice. If you haven’t, wear a shoe that makes them look as if the pretty foot and ankle were yours. “Blank” shoes for women emphasize the pretty foot, add grace and shapeliness to any foot. “Blank” shoes fit all over—not in spots. They fit around the ankle and they fit around the foot, and fit both with the smoothness of a stocking and the firmness of a glove. The fit of the ankle is for something more than looks. That graceful custom-made “curve” at the back holds the shoe firmly but gently in place. No up-and-down slide—heel-hurting and peace-impairing—to the “Blank” shoe.
These selling appeals are all made with the express purpose of meeting the individual desires of different classes of people. The man who tells the printed story realizes that he cannot get results in talking style to the person who is suffering from foot trouble, or vice versa. He realizes that there are many classes of customers and he plans his selling talk so that it will be accepted by the people to whom he is talking. The salesman will realize at once that he must meet the same condition.