SECTION 15. edit
- How to Approach and Deliver to a Customer.
130. SUCCESS IN YOUR DELIVERY is in yourself, not in your territory nor in your customers. Let your manner be courteous, but thoroughly self-possessed and decided. "Every man and woman must learn sooner or later that his will is his best friend." USE YOUR WILL TO ITS FULLEST LIMIT. YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR OWN POWER UNTIL YOU HAVE DONE THIS. DO IT IN AN EARNEST BUSINESS-LIKE MANNER.
The delivery should be handled systematically and with dispatch, that no time go to waste. Never show the least misgiving; act as though you expected your customer to be prompt and ready to take her corset.
131. When your customer presents herself, say in a pleasant but enthusiastic manner:
"Good morning (or afternoon) Mrs. Spencer. Always call her by name.) Of course you remember me. I have brought you that fine Spirella Corset."
Here unwrap her corset and hand it to her quickly, saying:
"All to whom I have delivered are more than delighted with their corsets. Mrs. Dr. Nelson said she would not take four times what she paid for her corset if she could not buy another just like it."
You will soon be able to make remarks similar to the above about several of your customers. Keep up a lively flow of talk, but as a rule do not take a seat. Remain standing as though you expected her to go at once for the money as soon as she has looked at her corset.
132. If she does not start for her pocket-book in due time, open your Order Book and cross off her order as being delivered, saying:
"What were your initials?"
"Mrs. F. M. Spencer."
"Oh, yes, yours was style --- for which you were to pay $--. I am in quite a hurry this morning, as I have a large delivery to make.
133. TRYING ON THE CORSET.—After she has paid you for her corset you should insist on showing her how to put it on. Tell her while you are considerably hurried, you will take time if she has it, to adjust her corset for her. If she is willing, go about the matter with dispatch. Don't waste time nor tell long stories. Talk to the point. Whether or not she accepts, insist upon her following instructions printed in our circular entitled "How to Adjust the Corset." It is important that you properly adjust each corset when you deliver it. With careful attention to this duty the corsets will give fullest satisfaction and make your customers permanent.
In the first place, be sure that every corset is properly laced. We send with each garment one long lace. Lace from the top of the corset to the waist line, leaving loops at the waist line so that the corset can be adjusted from this point; then lace from the waist line to the bottom of the corset and tie the lacers. See Booklet "How to Adjust the Corset." 134. Loosen the lacers at night to the fullest extent. In putting on the corset, clasp it all the way down the front and pull down well all around. Then fasten your front and side hose supporters, which every woman should wear, to the corset, and to your stockings. Now comes what is most important of all. Thrust first one hand and then the other well down in front—down as far as the heavier flesh of the abdomen—and lift it upward and back toward the hip once or twice with each hand. This will prevent the "bunching" of the flesh just under the busts and above the waist line. Have your corset loose enough to allow this to be done quite easily. Draw the lacers sufficiently tight at the waist line for comfort and then draw up the slack at bottom.
If you follow these directions faithfully, we guarantee the Spirella Corsets to put out of siight all that troublesome flesh below the waist line and give you the fashionable figure of to-day. This fitting and adjustment will soon make you an expert corset woman and you will enjoy your work, finding it both interesting and profitable. For detailed instructions on Lacing and Adjustment, see Booklet, "How to Adjust."
135. It is a good plan to be prepared to make some pointed enthusiastic remarks about Spirella Corsets, intended to make your customer feel pleased that she has ordered one, when delivering to her.
It will facilitate. matters if you notify customers by postal cards of your date of delivery, that they may be at home to receive you.
If you find it impossible to deliver a corset when promised, always notify the customer, stating the reason why you are unable to deliver it and when she may expect it.
136. UNRELIABLE ORDERS.—If your orders are properly taken as per Sections 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9, you will have few dead beats. But you may find out while delivering that you have some of these on your order book. A very few of your customers may decide not to take the goods. Some will think they can't afford it. Some will give other reasons. The real dead beats will simply have concluded not to take their corsets. All of this class have forgotten the beauty and merit of the goods, and their interest has died out. You can deliver to a large percentage of these unreliables. To do so you must interest them again.
137. If possible ignore any statement that she cannot take the corset; open your case and proceed to show and explain your corsets, the same as when taking orders. Even if you are forced to answer the customer when she declares against receiving what has been ordered, simply say: "I want to show you a few special points on a new corset we have," and proceed to interest the person. Explain the superiority of Spirella over all others, as given in the "Model Introduction," Section 3. It will take but a minute or two, and in four out of five of such cases you will deliver.
138. There are some people who have a feeling that there is a special code of morals to regulate their actions and contracts. When you have created interest anew, it is your business to reach the spring of your customer's nobility. With these two levers, you will soon bring her to honorable action. Say pleasantly, but with firmness, "You gave me the order for the corset, I sent for it and have brought it to you, and I am sure you mean to honor your order and take your corset."
At the same time keep right on showing the beauties of Spirella to Mrs. Unreliable, and induce her to take her corset the same as though no objections to receiving the goods had been made. Sometimes a little flattery as to the person's standing in the community or immediate neighborhood will work wonders. Each one must judge as to the best levers to use in such cases.
139. The writer remembers a case in his early experience when he called to make a delivery, the lady said she could not take what she had ordered.
She had no money, and besides her husband was mad because she gave the order, and would not allow her to take it.
In this case I said:
"Mrs. R---, I have delivered as I agreed, have I not?"
"Yes."
"I have fulfilled my part of the agreement, have I not?"
"Yes."
"Is it more than fair that you should keep your part of the agreement?"
"Well, I have only one dollar. I cannot pay you to-day; but I can pay you the balance to-morrow."
"Very well, just give me the dollar now, and I will give you a receipt for it."
Taking the article with me I told her I would call to-morrow and finish the delivery.
140. You should be versatile, tactful and expedient when delivering. It is important that you keep the good will of your customer, but it is also very important to you that you deliver to everyone of your customers, including professional dead beats.
Occasionally one may really imagine that you have not brought her exactly as good a corset as she has ordered. Show her pleasantly that you have and that you intend to hold her to her contract.
141. If a woman really has not the money, persuade her to borrow it from some of her neighbors; explaining the urgent necessity of the case; that you cannot return that way, that you are losing valuable time from other work that needs your immediate attention, etc. If she will do it, go with her to her neighbors and help her to negotiate the loan. 142. If none of these plans will work, and you know the woman to be responsible, get her to fix some time within ten days or two weeks when she will pay for the corset, and then write out and have her sign a due bill something like this:
- Date . . . . . .
- . . . . . days after date, I promise to pay Mrs. John Brown, the
Spirella Company's Corsetiere, dollars, value received.
- (Signed) "Mrs. John Smith."
143. When she has signed and delivered this paper to you, put it in your pocketbook, remarking that you will send it to The Company, and they will doubtless put it in the bank for collection, so she must look out for it, and be ready to meet it when called on. This will most likely induce her to "scrape up the money" rather than have this obligation placed in the bank; but if not, you may be able to sell it to some of her neighbors at a small discount and thus save at least a part of your profits on her order. If you should get a number of such obligations, your better plan would be to place them for collection with some local attorney, or sell them in a lump to the nearest bank or "note shaver." You must hold on to your orders tenaciously and make them good by some of the plans suggested, for in these orders lie your profits.
You will not need these rules for delivering, except in rare cases, for honorable people will always receive and pay for their corsets as agreed with no word of complaint. In fact, as a rule, the work of delivering the Spirella Corsets is a pleasure, for they are so much better than any other on the market that the ladies are always, delighted with them and pleased to receive them.
144. Never deliver corsets to be paid for in the future, unless the persons are legally responsible, and not then unless they will give you a note like the one suggested above. BETTER HOLD TO A CASH BUSINESS EXCLUSIVELY AND NOT GRANT CREDIT ON-ANY BASIS WHATEVER.