Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1892-09-30
Dull season Advertising.

There ~ an old German proverh. that
which reads, Lang krankheit Is, sicher
todt. which transmogIihcd into plain
United States. is Long sickness Is SURF
death" The merchant carving = large
stock, and every other merchant in cor
responding ratio, can i'll afford to see
business lag for any unusual length OF
time; the f.ct of the matter is tina,
when the lag begins the losses com
mence, and when the lag spreads over
weeks or months, then the situation Is
becoming financially serious.
To every business man a dull season
comes at some time in the year, and to
all not at the same time. II is a try
ing period with most men. and many
there be who fail TO survive its stagnat-
ing effects. But the real, wide-awake.
thoughtful advertiser has a remedy even
for the dull season.
His panacea is printers ink, Of
course, but it is the particular manner
in which that printers ink is used
that enables him to bridge the season
over.
When peoples minds are all bent on
an outing, or those who are to stay at
home on taking things easy, the or'ii-
nary business methods are not going TO
have any appreciable effect. Something
unusual has got TO be done. What APP
peals to a mans patronage more than
the idea that he is going to get some
thing for nothing, or next to nothing /?
Inform him that for limited length Of
time you are going to offer for nine
cents a linen collar that he knows he
will have to pay quarter for ordi-
narily. Tell him you will sell him II
25-cent pair of socks for ~ l2 cents,
an unlaundered linen shirt, that usually
costs no less than 20 cents, for SO cents,
and so on throughout your list.
You may be cutting your profits al
most to the quick, but if you leave any
margin on your side whatever, it will
prove one of the best investments you
ever made. Prices like those mentioned,
and which are taken from actual in
stances, are eye-openers. They aston
ish the natives, who unlimber them
selves and hunt you up. The fact be-
comes so patent to all that money can
be saved by buying now, that many
make purchases they do not need yet
no matter how long the goods are not
utilized. the owner clings to the graft
tication he got out of the bargain made.
This is but "A streak of human nature,
and advertisers have to study where that
streak is
So, therefore, the kind of advertising
to be done in dull seasons is that which
presents the most startling reduction
in prices, the logic of which is all
powerful and convincing. The expert
menter along this line will find new
faces attracted to his counters, who,
after they have once learned the way,
will come again, and if you please them
thew will tell their friends, and the
friends will come, and the benefits of
your dull season reduction will be far
reaching indeed But don't fail to APP
preciatc the fact that your advertise
ment was the means of conveying TO
them the reduced prices you had in
stitutcd. If you had slashed away be-
low the cost mark and neglected to
promulgate that fact, You would, I'M
doubleday, be out of pocket for your
pains. When reduction in price on
a certain line of goods is offered, you
want to double or treble or quadruplc
your sales on that line in order to make
the small margins aggregate large
profit. Thoughtful, prudent adyertis
ing is, therefore, the key to the situa-
.-[Printcrs' Ink.