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Thursday, January 31, 2008: I'm excited to announce a new collaboration with (the) Manolo (for the) Men 'blog. I'll keep writing longer pieces for this site, with shorter, snippier bits there. ManoloMen's Izzy will continue his magnificent-ness there, and I will add some sparkle of my own. Thanks to The Manolo!

A rare public glimpse into the training room at Brooks Brothers, 346 Madison Avenue. Sales associate Tom Davis presiding.

Don't you always want to ask for your-friend-the-doctor's tips on healthcare? Although it's not life-or-death (for most people), I want to know what the professionals in clothing have to say to those of us just trying to look good and feel good trying. It's a jungle--all the clothing stores, the discounters, the global brands. Can't someone please help?

This week I begin a series of occasional columns, worked in with the rest of them, that will ask professionals within the clothing business for their advice. I am a glutton for inside information--those of you with stock tips, please send me a private e-mail--and no one is more full of it than the people working in the business day-in and day-out.

I expect that usually this advice will come in the form of a dictum or a tidbit. "Shop on the second Thursday of every month for the best deals," or something. (We'll just have to see!) But when I asked Kelly Stuart, the manager of training at Brooks Brothers, she wrote me a whole essay. She's in the business of teaching, you see, so I thought she'd be the perfect one to kick off this idea.

As an aside, I must confess that I have a crush on Brooks Brothers right now. Part of it is seeing a company return to its more natural self--quality, tradition, and all--after a difficult few decades. Part of it is seeing the little ways they are modernizing, like their Regent fit for suits and jackets and, quite a bit more drastic, their collaboration with Thom Browne. Most of it, though, is because of their incredible desire to be transparent about their products. Kelly may actually be behind all of it (though I'm not exactly sure) because it's her training program that is spreading all of this information to employees. They are sourcing high quality materials, using good manufacturing, and trying to explain it all to their sales associates and ultimately to their customers. No tricks.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Kelly Stuart:

"Find yourself a salesperson who is, for lack of a better term, a teacher. By that, I mean someone who is broadly educated--and not just about clothes. This person should want to and be able to connect with you on a fundamental level, and that requires expansive knowledge on a number of topics that will allow him to not just know what is technically appropriate for wherever it is that you will find yourself, but what is specifically appropriate for you. Moreover, he has to be capable of understanding you and your lifestyle, even if he doesn't live your lifestyle. The best way I have found for knowing when you've found the right person is by first doing some independent research about a product that you might like to buy. Read, look on the internet, ask people whose opinion you value. Then begin looking for the person who will sell it to you. The right person can not only sell you what you're looking for, but also teach you something about the product that you didn't know and then relate that knowledge to how it benefits you in particular. The right person also asks you a lot of questions, and then listens thoughtfully, probably interjecting other questions to help you refine your response.

"In short, look first for a product that you like, and then do not stop looking until you've found someone who is devoted to teaching you how to interpret your most authentic self. This may seem like a lot of work to a man who thinks that all he is looking for is an umbrella or box of stationery. But in essence, you're looking for a mentor. A friend. A partner. And if you find the right person, he can direct you beyond your immediate needs and beyond the items he's responsible for selling. He's in it for the long haul. He exists, but he's hard to find."

With people like Kelly in charge of training departments at any store, we hope the number of this type of salesperson can only increase.

6 response(s) | e-mail it | permanent link

It also helps if that person is an attractive girl.

By  Anonymous, at 12/14/07 11:21 AM  

Having worked in retail, at a now defunct Washington haberdashery, I assure you that these men and women do exist. But, they are as rare as snowballs in July. You have to be in the right place at the right time to find them. Jimmy Hagan, with whom I had the pleasure to work, was one such consummate mentor. His full page obituary in The Washington Post was only one indication of his influence and the esteem in which he was held. His legacy is evident in the numerous very well-dressed men who were fortunate enough to be his clients.

Anon- remember, you're not being "sold," you are buying. It is a more perfect vision of you that together you are trying to achieve. With the right help, assembling your wardrobe will be a pleasure.

By  Easy and Elegant Life, at 12/14/07 7:12 PM  

An attractive girl should have nothing to do with it. I have yet to see one pull off a gray double-breasted suit. Plus, if you, like myself, have difficulty saying "no" to a beautiful woman, you can come out looking like a disaster.

While I'm sure "anonymous" was posting their remark as tongue-in-cheek, unfortunately, many men make their salesperson choices based solely on that criteria. And, normally, they look it.

By  Turling, at 12/17/07 3:06 PM  

Salespeople seem to fit into three main categories:-
1/Gum-smackers that sit behind the counter, either on the phone, reading, or talking to their colleagues. You could set yourself on fire before they would take notice.
2/A bunch of commission driven, caffeine hopped-up salespeople jumping on you the moment you step through the door, and who hover by your elbow, saying things such as "that's a nice one" and " That will suit you" " what size are you looking for?", even if I only glance at something, are guaranteed to see me fleeing to the street.
3/A friendly smile and a nod and a "good morning" or "hello" when I enter a store, is all I want at that point. I like to browse the merchandise in solitude to see if there is anything that interests me. Sniff the cashmere, fondle the suede, stroke the Sea isalnd cotton. When my drooling starts to become unseemly, then I call to a salesperson for help.

Salespeople are the stores ambassador, and very often the weakest link in the chain. This is true for most large stores but applies more often to mid level chains. The reason? the economy. Falling sales overall often mean trading down in the experience category for salespeople. This is one case where "You get what you pay for" really applies. An experienced and valued salesperson that knows the product and how to handle the clientele is worth his/her weight in gold. But more often that not, when sales figures fall, these expensive professionals are replaced with cheap(er) labour - who are the ones that bug the heck out of me or simply don't care.

Product knowledge and store etiquette training should be made compulsory to everyone on the sales floor. Only then should these ambassadors be allowed to represent their employer.

By  Geoffrey Saunders PR the fashion publicist, at 12/17/07 4:48 PM  

Mr. Saunders, start a blog, if you haven't already. The retail world needs you,

By  Easy and Elegant Life, at 12/17/07 7:05 PM  

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Kenny Surtani

By  Kenny Surtani, at 2/22/08 8:36 AM  

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