Roscoe R. Rau
Selling Home Furnishings: A Training Program
"Selling Home Furnishings: A Training Program" by Roscoe R. Rau and Walter F. Shaw is a vocational guidebook written in the early 1940s. The book serves as a comprehensive training manual for individuals engaged in the retail sale of home furnishings, focusing on techniques of salesmanship and the knowledge necessary for success in this field. It addresses both the art and science of effective selling practices in home decor, emphasizing the importance of understanding customer needs and preferences. At the start of the training program, the authors establish the fundamentals of specialized selling within the context of home furnishings as a rewarding career choice. They underscore the significance of adapting to evolving consumer interests and emphasize that successful sales depend on more than just product knowledge; they require skills in customer engagement, style presentation, and inventory management. The authors also introduce critical concepts such as increasing sales efficiency, establishing personal rapport with customers, and maintaining a perpetual check-up on one's sales techniques to foster ongoing improvement in performance.