The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-21
DULL TIMES.

In presenting this, the first Of the series
OF articles on general publicity and bust
ness development, il is best for me to
formally state that have no interest in
this paper, or in any other paper, and that
am neither directly nor indirectly con-
nected with any medium of advertising
space. / am simply attempting to tell
YOU of the truth of successful publicity,
as ! see it, and as l know it is seen by the
best business men of the country.
Five parts of alleged know so, four
parts of guess so, one part of something,
and you have the composition of business
depressions.
There is reason for everything but
mighty little of anything is founded on
reason
Half the people are sheep, and half the
rest are lambs.
Ten per cent, of the folks in every COM
munity do the thinking for ninety per
cent.
The reason in most people is what they
think is reason, without thinking much
about IL, anyway.
He who is sick would not be half so sick
if he didn't think he is twice as sick as
he is.
Confidence is success.
Lack of confidence is failure
Faith in business is business.
What you think is so is practically
nearer so than that which is really so.
He who thinks he is successful, gener-
ally is successful.
In every ailment, physical, mental, or
of business depression, something is gen
orally the matter, but imagination magni-
ties that matter to hundreds of diane
tiers.
When there is slight excuse for business
depression, and money becomes tight, be
cause each individual makes it tight by
locking up everything he has, demanding
payment from debtors, and refusing to
pBy creditors, there is reason for depres-
sion, but there is no reason for this
reason.
In nine cases out of ten, business owes
its depression to the depressed thoughts
of depressed men who imagine they are
depressed because they think they are de-
pressed.
How long would a steamboat captain
hold his job, who banked his fires and
slowed down during Storm The sue
cessful navigator crowds on steam, not
an unsafe amount, but enough to
keep his vessel moving as rapidly in
idly.
There is equilibrium in motion.
Equilibrium is safety
Most business men, as soon as they
find business is dull, refuse to look for
the cause, and simply work themselves
up into a frenzy of depression, cut eX-
penses in every way, talk hard times,
show hard times in their faces,
give hard-time appearance to the store,
and get exactly what they eXpect-no
trade.
The progressive merchant arranges his
counters more attractively, piles his goods
higher than usual, decorates his windows,
burns more gas, brushes up everything,
puts a new coat of paint on the outside,
looks animated, diffuses his enthusiasm
into every clerk, advertises more extern
siyely. and gets the bulk Of the business.
There are selling seasons, and there al
ways will be, but people wear out clothes
and shoes as much in dull times as in
flush, and the dull-time stomach will
have its accustomed food, anyway.
There are few men who punish their
stomachs for the sins of their business.
People eat about the same, and all the
time. There may be a slight economy in
their eating, but still they eat.
Men may not buy as much furniture in
dull times, nor a good many other things
which they can wait for, but they buy
necessities and perishable Injuries, for
their stomachs must be filed, and their
bodies must be clothed.
The majority of men in dull times feel
the want Of those things which they
think they cannot have more keenly than
during the season when they can afford
to have what they want therefore they
see a great many things they think they
want because they think they can't have
them.
In hard times they select many new ar
ticles to be purchased when times change,
and theprogressive man who presents his
goods prominently before the public when
they think they can't afford TO have them
is the man who will sell the bulk Of these
things when times become better; and
times always do become better
The leading magazines are filed with
advertisements. Their difference in guam
tity is imperceptible whether the times
be flush or bad.
Thejlocal daiies and the local weeklies
contain almost as much advertising in
duh times as in flush, because the old fogies
pull out, and the progressive men increase
their space.
The statement / make, that dun times
offer an unusually good opportunity for
general local trade pushing and advertis-
ing back with the experience of many
years, and the positive knowledge of nun
dreds, if not thousands, of advertisers
who never think of cutting publicity ex-
penses during dull times, and who adver-
tise then-frst, because it always pays
to advertise; second, because they pull
trade away from the drones who are
afraid to advertise, and thereby build up
trade for keeps third, because people
make up their minds to buy when good
times come, and will buy from the man
who makes the best hard time announce
ments.
The following sample advertisements
indicate original, yet effective, styles of
dull time advertising The advertise
ments are not complete because the space
will not allow it. They give a general
form, which the advertiser can easily fill
out Goods should never be advertised
for less than cost unless some reason is
given for so doing, therefore | have
avoided unreasonable exaggeration. In
these days of misrepresentation, modest
statements are far stronger than the
over-reaching one. | have dwelt particu-
larly upon the low prices because low
prices are objects of interest when times
are supposed TO be dull. There is no OBJ
lection to advertising the hard times,
provided you make the advertisement so
bright and forcible that people will be-
lieve that the times are hard everywhere