FAMOWOOD

is the PR(lFESSl0llA['S

Att PURP0SE PLASTIC

Boat builders, furniture malters, cabinet makers, etc. have found it the one sure answer to correcting wood defects, filling wood cracks, gouges, covering countersunk nails and screws.

Can be used under Fiber Glass!

Ready to use right out of the can, Famowood applies like putty-sticks like glue; dries quickly; won't shrink; takes spirit stains, and will not gum up sander. V/aterproof and weatherproof when properly applied. -4fi to man-to-man discussions. Don't take the time of non-participating personnel either before or after your appointment. Department heads, or help, though knowledgeable, are in most cases a deterrent rather than an aid and their opinions and contributions should be weighed carefully.

Ayailable in l6 matching wood colors and white.

Be Fair

Don't load the account. If the buyer or merchandising manager gives you the liberty of writing your own order be sure you walk a two-way street. Merchandise that isn't rotated or that stays on the shelf for a considerable length of time is worthless to the vendor, the retailer and the customer.

Ken Thim is the lumber and buildine mqterials buyer f or Homeowners Ernporium, Inc., Gardena. Ca.. which has 3 stores. Thim (the h'is silent) has had 42 yeors of lumber experience in "manufaiture, wholesaie and retqil.

Backroom inventories and storeroom merchandise add 10%-15% to their original cost if carried beyond the duration of their normal turn. These same inventories can become antiquated dust-collectors and lost in the shuffie by both the salesman and the store employees. The buyer never looks good under these conditions and possibly because of this refuses subsequently to rely on the salesman who subjects him to the criticism of his superiors.

If control books are kept by the dealer, and minimum and max-

Story at a Glance

Valuable dos and don'ts for anyone in sales, by an experienced buyer .. these tips, if followed, can go a long way to improve the performance of anyone dealing with a purchasing agent.

imum amounts are shown therein, do what you can to adhere to these figures. Make every attempt to be realistic about the amount you bring into the inventory. Don't rely solely on the turn of an item but give some thought to the product itself. If the maximums should be increased or diminished. leave that prerogative to the store principals.

DON'T BEAGOSSIP

Don't carry tales from one store to the next because the party who listens to you must be cognizant of the fact that you repeat your performance to anyone who will listen. Don't make comparisons. Don't use a competitor comparison as a wedge to sell a new product or one that this store hasn't previously carried in inventory. Most buyers are dependent on their own judgement and/or wisdom to make their purchases and are willing to bury their own white elephants. The fact that some other store has sold ten thousand pieces of an item that the buyer doesn't think he can sell any of is not a relevant factor in the ultimate purchase of that product. The buyer must depend on his own abilities to pick that product for his area, his store and his clientele above and beyond any track record the product might have in another area.

Be Honest

Be honest with yourself, your employer and your customer. Telling the truth might be difficult but it's certainly much easier than trying to remember one or more lies you might have told to one or more listeners. Abe Lincoln was credited with having said that he didn't have a good enough memory to be a liar. Integrity isn't just a word in Webster's; it's the foundation of a mutual bond of trust.

Be Thorough

Service after original sale is probably the keynote of all your future business transactions. Merchandising racks and instore displays should be kept neat; all merchandise, regardless of its nature, should be rotated periodically. It's perfectly understandable that no one man can do this individually but certainly his interest could be contagious enough to affect store personnel. Obsolete items should be removed when they have passed their period of productivity.