There are peculiar natural qualities needed to make a good salesperson, and if you do not have these, you'd better turn your attention to some other career, for you cannot succeed here. Yet two men who are equally good salesmen, may be almost totally unlike. Almost. They must be good judges of human nature. How shall you become a good judge of human nature? You might as well ask me why the violets are blue; I cannot tell you.

You need to know human nature because you must please the person with whom you are talking; must make a pleasant impression on him. We do not trade with a disagreeable person unless we are obliged to; we often buy articles we did not expect to purchase just because the man who waited on us was pleasant. Every good salesman is one who does just this: he makes himself agreeable to the person he is waiting upon, so that if he does not sell him more than he intended to buy, he sells him all he expected to purchase, and sends him away with a pleasant impression of the salesman. Do not misconstrue my phrase, "makes himself agreeable;" perhaps you have been making yourself agreeable to some young lady, and think the same tactics you used with her are to be brought into play in the store. You could not make a greater mistake.

When a person enters the store he or she should be met with respectful politeness; not the pigeon-wing flourish you make in the ball-room when the prompter calls "salute partners," but a salutation that dignities the person you address. Don't chipper in like a parrot with, "What can I show you?" or, "What is it, sir?" as if you wanted him to push forward his business as rapidly as possible. Be in as much hurry as you please yourself, but never hurry your customer unless you are sure he or she will bear it.

Do not volunteer advice about what they shall buy; if you have what they ask for, get it for them, and while you are getting it, if you have something that is as good for less money, or better for the same money, mention it, and tell of its merits, and people will give you a better hearing if they see you have the thing they asked for; if they did not see this they would think you were out of it and were trying to get them to decide on something else just because you could not give them the article they wanted.

Never joke unless you are sure of your customer; never volunteer a remark unless you are sure the customer will be pleased. Men often pass for being wise simply because they keep their lips closed, and many merchants get rich by keeping silent. If you volunteer a remark bear in mind that what you are aiming at is not to show your own smartness or brilliancy, but to please your customer, and let everything you say have this end in view. Don't get into any argument of any kind or on any subject; in your store. Every customer has a right to his own opinions, and if you cannot agree with him in all he says, you will find something in his views or creed that you can agree with, and you can make the most of that.


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