NATCHEZ &045; Her talent for helping people has provided a big bonus for McRae’s sales associate Cleopatra Bethely. In June, she will travel to London as winner of a contest held among McRae’s stores.

&uot;I am so excited. I thank God for this trip,&uot; Bethely said, describing the day she learned that she had won the trip. &uot;I got nervous. My heart started beating so fast. A trip to where?&uot;

Bethely, who has worked at McRae’s Natchez store for the past 16 years, began as a customer service representative but soon was moved to sales in the department known as better sportswear.

The London trip comes as a result of sales of Laura Ashley sportswear, a new line for the store and one Bethely has enjoyed getting to know and selling.

&uot;Laura Ashley is a good line, and my customers really like it,&uot; she said. &uot;I made lots of calls to customers to tell them about it, and they came and shopped with me.&uot;

McRae’s in Natchez began showing the Laura Ashley line in September. The approximately 30 McRae’s stores within the group who sell the line received a challenge to vie among themselves for greatest volume of sales.

&uot;I was out on the floor a few days before Christmas doing some price changes,&uot; Bethely said. &uot;I saw a group of people, all the sales managers and some other sales associates coming on the floor and I wondered what they were doing.&uot;

She saw store manager Mary Flach begin to make an announcement over the store’s communication system. &uot;I really wasn’t paying that much attention, and then I heard my name and realized what was happening.&uot;

The group approached her and began congratulating her. &uot;And then Mary said, ‘and here’s your luggage to take on the trip.’ They gave me a beautiful set of luggage, and then I started crying and that made everyone else cry,&uot; Bethely said.

Excelling in sales is a result of her loving people, she said. &uot;I’m a people person. I love greeting my customers, being friendly, determining their needs and listening to them. I ask questions so I can figure out exactly what they want.&uot;

Flach said Bethely is an exceptional sales associate, one who goes above and beyond what is expected of her.

&uot;She is consistently one of our tops sales associates,&uot; Flach said. &uot;She’s just an outstanding human being, as well.&uot;

The trip to London will be a great adventure for her, Bethely said. Her husband, Robert, does not enjoy traveling; so she asked her two sons, Robert Bethely Jr. and Dwight Bethely, to decide which one would accompany her.

&uot;My son Dwight will go with me, and he loves to travel. He has promised that I won’t miss a thing and he’ll show me a good time,&uot; Cleo Bethely said.