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Show f 1 j JSPS ON SALESMANSHIP .. cgy O. T. FRASH The Well-Dressed Clerk THE clerk who stands behind the counter Id sloppy attire Is, to say the least, making a mighty poor display dis-play of his personal stock-in-trade. He should remember that all day long he is selling two commodities his employer's em-ployer's merchandise and his own personality. per-sonality. And It's the personality of the clerk that largely determines bis real value. An attractive personality most certainly cer-tainly Is not made so by a soiled collar, col-lar, a three-days' growth of beard, frayed cuffs or a rumpled waist. When you're selling your personality, put t into a pleasiDg package. That's real merchandising. That's why crackers sell better in appealing cartons than when packed loosely in barrels. Dirty finger nails and a grimy neck never helped the sale of a single article ar-ticle of merchandise. A clerk with a clean, comfortable, contented appearance appear-ance creates an Impression of confidence. confi-dence. The employee that becomes a fitting representative of the eni loyer and of the institution for which he Is working. And wheD the time comes for the boss to select some one for promotion, pro-motion, the chances are very strongly in favor of his choice falling on the clerk who has most effectively sold his own personality to the retail customers, cus-tomers, and through them, to the boss. Dress neatly and cleanly, but not gaudily. Avoid as you would a quarantine quar-antine placard anything that looks freakish or bizarre. In other words, dress so that your appearance will convey the general impression of quiel neatness without ostentation. Remember Remem-ber that the merchandise you are selling sell-ing Is the thing on which you want your customer's attention concentrated, concen-trated, and when you wear something that will distract that attention, you deliberately reduce your sales efficiency and therefore your earning capacity. I once knew a book agent, and a very successful one, who started out one Monday morning wearing a dark-red dark-red vest The following Friday, after nearly a week of miserable business, an Incident occurred which revealed to him the fact that his prospective buyers were wondering why a salesman sales-man who obviously knew his business In other respects should decorate himself him-self like a circus wagon. He went Instantly to bis hotel and changed vests, whereupon business improved to a marked degree. It is every man's undeniable right, of course, to wear a crimson Windsor tire, or discard garters, or to go hat-less hat-less through life. But these things attract at-tract the attention of people who don't like such eccentricities, and those people have money to spend. If you want some of that money, do everything you can honorably to jet It, including careful attention to your attire. |