Music Trade Review

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SALESMANSHIP
A Complete Section Devoted to Piano Salesmanship Published Each Month by The Music Trade Review
The Salesman Who Really Helps the Customer to Buy
There Is a Vast Difference Between Helping the Customer to Buy a Piano and
Merely Selling Him One—Sales That Stick Must Be Based on Complete Satisfaction
This article is taken from an address recently delivered before the Advertisers' Club
of Davenport, la., by E. A. Schmidt, of the Schmidt Music Co., and contains ideas which
are well worth the serious consideration of all piano salesmen.
OME one has aptly said, "Advertising is not to sell goods, it
S
is to enable people to intelligently and economically buy
goods." There is entirely too much selling in stores these days.
There is too little of helping the customer to buy.
The other day I met a man who said to me, "I like So & So's
clothes, but one day I fell into the hands of a salesman who
simply talked a suit of clothes on my back. I asked for a certain
kind of suit. Had made up my mind that it was what I wanted
this time. The salesman pulled out one such suit. He made no
effort to tell me the good in that article, but, on the contrary,
.immediately started in putting forth an array of unwelcome and
flimsy arguments why I should not have it and proceeded to pull
down another, saying 'this is what you want.' I fell for the talk
and unwillingly bought the suit."
You might say that it was the customer's fault that he took
the suit. I say it wasn't. That suit was sold to him—he was
under the spell of a good talker. And to prove to you that it was
bad salesmanship I'll tell you that the customer brought it back
later!
You see, when he got away from the spell of the salesman's
oratory, and he could judge coolly, he didn't like the suit at all.
This proves the positive reaction on such "bad service" and dis-
counts the pulling power of that store's advertising.
Every sale doesn't do a store good. If the customer is 'not
rendered a real service; if he is unduly influenced; if no consid-
eration is taken of his natural taste; if the purchase is reluctantly
accomplished—that sale is a failure.
A few moments devoted to finding out the purpose and con-
ditions under which an article is to be used, before ever showing
it, is a most considerate and appreciative service to the customer.
You must cleverly discover his likes and dislikes; you must
help him find what he wants—and when he sees it he will ex-
perience a thrill of satisfaction that will win for you a place in
his affections. Then he will begin to ask for you by name.
And then you'll know that he thinks of you as a friend who
serves instead of a salesman that sells.
Personally, I like the terms "service-men" and "service-
women"—instead of "salesmen" and "saleswomen."
Salesmen differ in their ability to sense the customer's pref-
erences. The prospective customer hasn't the time nor would
he have the patience to see all the things you have. You must
be able to find out quickly what the prospective customer wants.
While you are busy sizing him up, he's sizing you up. If
you seem to "flounder"—if you impress him that you are unde-
cided as to what he ought to have—he will lose his confidence in
you, and when that happens—"Good-bye."
He will then approach every article offered with an air of
suspicion. He will take suggestions with a grain of salt—and
you'll have a much harder time selling him than if you had won
his confidence from the start.
Your approach is most important. As soon as you put your
foot forward the customer is on the alert—he is beginning to size
you up. He is saying to himself something like this: "Is this
chap going to help me get the suit most becoming to me or is he
going to see how quickly he can sell me so he can have a 'big
book' to-day?"
Now understand that from the store's standpoint you should
turn in as many sales as you can—but not at the expense of a
customer's feelings. You must never give the customer the im-
pression that you are in a hurry.
Why is it many men come in and say, "I'll wait for Mr.
Brown"—or whoever it may be? Is it because the salesman
asked for can show him different merchandise than any sales-
man he may have selected at random?
Of course not! It is because the customer has learned that
Mr. Brown knows what he wants. Questions well worth con-
sidering are: How many stores have lost customers because they
did not render efficient service? How many stores have you cut
off your list because you did not like the way you were treated?
I used to drop into a certain store pretty often and I got so
tired of the grouch behind the case and the Sphinx-like way of
slamming down my change that I go elsewhere now.
The smile on the face or the "thank you" given over the
counter must not be mechanical or merely for effect. The cus-
tomer's feelings can sense it in a minute. It must be the spon-
taneous result of one really enjoying one's work and the patron-
age. A sort of "glad you're living" spirit.
I have known men to give up good positions because they
simply could not stand the grouch of the proprietor. And I have
known men who worked for less money because they enjoyed
the "pat-on-the-back" of their employer. That is why so many
small stores are prosperous—because they hold their trade
through the genial personality of their salespeople.
Just a few days ago I heard one of our salesmen wind up a
sale with the remark, "Here's my card. If anything goes wrong
I want you to call on me." That was a clever touch. He has
established a bond of friendship between himself and the cus-
tomer. Note that he said, "Call on me." That makes it personal.
That injects the personal element into the sale and that is what
you should strive for all the time. If anything goes wrong with
that suit that man knows some one by name on whom to call,
and he likes that a lot better than going to no one in particular.
You should strive to build up a personal following. That's
the only way you will ever get more money. That's the only
way you will ever get more patrons.
Don't "knock" competitors' merchandise; no one likes to
hear another store run down. If there are differences in favor of
your merchandise use a little tact in pointing them out.
Don't use a hammer, use a pointer.
And don't run away from the customer who comes back with
a "kick." You took his money cheerfully—now look into the
(Continued on page 12)