CL: So now, in the U.S., I know you've traveled the country to see your stores here.
MM: I visited 23 cities. People were like, "Can you say something to me in that accent?"
CL: People do a double take when they see there's a British woman running Saks?
MM: Yes. Bill Clinton did, when I met him [recently]. He was like [imitates a Southern drawl], "The president of Saks Fifth Avenue? Wow, a Brit." I said, "You made my day!" [Laughs.] I mean yes, people do a double take.
CL: So let's talk about selling things. You're one of the world's foremost authorities.
MM: I sold a $104,000 pair of earrings on one of my trips.
CL: Personally? How did you do it?
MM: Well, a lady was looking at these diamond and ruby earrings. I went down to the jewelry vault and asked what she was going to wear them for. She said, "They're a birthday present to myself. Sing 'Happy Birthday' to me!" I did, and she bought the earrings.
CL: For our readers, who are looking for their dream jobs, how should a woman sell herself in an interview?
MM: So many women lack the confidence they should have. It's all about selling you.... At Harrods I interviewed a girl with a great résumé, and she came in with black nail varnish that was all chipped. I tried to listen to her, and I just couldn't because I was focusing on the chipped nail polish. So I went to my cupboard, where I had nail polish remover, and I said, "Let's take a five-minute break. I'm going to show you the way to the bathroom, and then we'll start the interview over, because all I can focus on is your chipped nail polish, and I'm not doing you justice." She took it off in the bathroom. And I hired her.
CL: That's a happy ending.
MM: You can get away with the chipped polish when you have neutral, which is why I always wear neutral! But the point is, before you go in, check yourself out to make sure there's no spinach in your teeth. Have a mint. Are your shoes clean? Nothing worse than arriving with mud or grass on your shoes.
CL: Particularly if the interview is at Saks!
MM: And if you're not brought right into the person's office [and you have to knock], there's only one way to do it. [Demonstrates a firm double rap.] And there's only one way to shake somebody's hand. [Shakes Leive's hand twice, firmly.]
CL: That was two shakes.
MM: Two shakes, two knocks. Then afterward, if someone follows up with an email saying, "Really enjoyed my time with you, and I have a few questions that I'd love to ask you that I didn't get a chance to ask," I'm like, "I like it!" [Snaps.] They're engaged, they're interested.
