CONTENTS

Page
FOREWORD[v]
UnitI.THE SALESMAN AS A BUSINESS BUILDER
Specialized selling of home furnishings as a career[3]
Increasing sales and earnings[5]
Fundamentals for good selling[8]
The daily check-up—A perpetual inventory[10]
UnitII.TECHNIQUE OF SALESMANSHIP
Sale objectives[17]
Starting the simple sale[17]
The all-important interview[20]
Three general considerations for closing sales[23]
Meeting the customer[24]
UnitIII.SALESMANSHIP APPLIED
How to demonstrate values[29]
Contrast in buying methods of women and men[35]
Enriching your vocabulary[40]
Hidden factors that increase sales[42]
UnitIV.STYLE AS A SELLING FACTOR
Significance of style[49]
Period styles from Renaissance to Early Colonial[50]
American styles[70]
Using style appeal in selling[74]
UnitV. FURNITURE WOODS—THEIR ORIGIN AND USE
Value and price in relation to home furnishings[83]
Principal furniture woods[85]
Making the most of wood structure and its appeal to the eye[86]
Importance of craftsmanship[92]
UnitVI.SELLING SLEEP EQUIPMENT
Selling equipment to meet customer's needs[107]
Mattresses and springs[112]
Pillows[123]
Studio couches and sofa beds[126]
UnitVII.AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ART OF INTERIOR DECORATION
Interior decoration as a selling method[131]
Emotional values of light, color, line, and proportion[133]
Color management in decoration[139]
Principles of furniture arrangement[141]
UnitVIII.FLOOR COVERINGS AND FABRICS
Drapery and upholstery fibers and fabrics[153]
Floor coverings[159]
Selling coverings for other floors[171]
Use of ensembles in selling[172]
UnitIX.FURNISHING THE LIVING ROOM, HALL, AND DINING ROOM
Furnishing the living room[179]
Distinctive hall furniture[186]
Securing hospitable dining room atmosphere[190]
Ensemble selling[196]
UnitX.FURNISHING THE BEDROOM, SUNROOM, KITCHEN, AND BREAKFAST ROOM
Furnishing the bedroom[205]
Furnishing the sunroom[214]
Equipping the breakfast room and kitchen[217]
Final emphasis for alert salespersons[221]
UnitXI.ACCESSORIES THAT MEAN "PLUS" SALES
Lamps and lighting[227]
Pictures and mirrors[232]
Wall decorations[235]
Plastics enter the home furnishings field[237]
"Do's" and "Don't's" for the salesperson[241]
APPENDIXES
A.Glossary of terms[247]
B.General reading list[250]
C.A suggested teaching outline for a group leader[252]
D.The leading furniture woods[255]
E.Common rug terms[263]
F.An advertising check list[265]
G.Fivefold selling plan for floor coverings[266]
H.Color and style in modern advertising copy[267]
I.Check list for planning a store-wide promotion[269]
J.Ready reference index[271]

FOREWORD

This bulletin has been prepared for use by those who seek self-improvement as members of a group engaged in the study of home furnishings and how to sell them agreeably, intelligently, and competitively.

More than $2,500,000,000 is expended annually in this country for home furnishings. Under present conditions the layman cannot become an expert on the multitude of things he has to buy, and he must purchase many articles more or less blindly. Since much structural detail is hidden from view, the integrity of the dealer is more than merely an advantage—it is a necessity. There are hundreds of interesting and vital facts concerning home furnishings which consumers may learn from retail dealers and members of their sales organizations and which, if they become generally known, will result in greater discrimination and economy in buying and will be reflected in more charming, suitable, and comfortable furnishings in the home.

This bulletin presents at once opportunity and challenge to those who sell home furnishings:

Opportunity to those who see furniture as a symbol of achievement and distinction. These hear the call to bring beauty out of drab surroundings, and to shape the visible garments of life, and even life itself, making it finer, richer, and a thing of greater worth.