The San Francisco call., 1904-02-11
About AdverfisiHg.
By DANIEL N. LORD.

retired from the Presidency o. the Lora q
Thomas Advertising Agencyl
Copyright 1904. by Joseph B. Bowles)
know Of no occupation that offers
better opportunities for the bright
young man at the present time than
the advertising business. Much train
ing of a special sort. however, is need
ed by the young man who wishes 10
succeed in this calling. The best
schooling he can get viii be that ac-
ouired by working his way up through
the various departments maintained
in a well established advertising
agency.
The checking" department offers
the best place in which to learn the
first essentials Of the business and
here is where he would in all prob
ability be put TO work if he had no
previous experience His principal
duties in this department would be TO
look over the various magazines and
newspapers TO see that they had filled
their contracts with the agency prop
erly. In doing this work he would
gain a fair general knowledge Of pub
lications and the different kinds Of ad-
vertising in vogue.
From the checking department he
would be promoted TO the rating" de-
partment or the order" department.
He should become familiar with the
work Of both. In the rating depart
ment he would learn the advertising
rates Of different publications. With
this knowledge he should in time be
able to prepare what are known as
rate lists and furnish estimates on
space"
In the order" department his work
would be TO take over orders as made
out by solicitors and see that they got
10 their respective publications on
time. Il is very essential that he
should know how to prepare copy for
ads" and have a knowledge Of the
general arrangement of advertising
matter. This would be gained in the
copy department The men who
do this work. however, are often those
who have received special training in
newspaper and other editorial work.
After a reasonable length Of time
the work thus far done ought to give
him the knowledge to enable him to go
out and solicit business. The man who
can work up and control the adver-
Using Of firms who seek publicity for
their wares is assured Of success. Be
fore setting out to get business the
solicitor or advertising agent, as he is
frequently called. must be thoroughly
posted in regard to the different
mediums through which his firm Oper-
ates. II is essential that he have
good talking knowledge as to the size,
quality and territorial distribution of
newspaper and magazine circulation.
He must also be able 10 estimate the
value OF a given amount of space in
one publication as against the given
amount Of space in another publica-
ton. For the sake Of future relations
with his clients he would do well to
remember never to play favors.
In meeting men an easy, earnest ad-
dress that viii impress them that he
knows what he is talking, about and
has ability TO accomplish things, is
necessary. As a general thing. when
a man first starts out 10 solicit adver-
tising he viii find that he has a hard
road to travel, but let him persevere
and he viii surely win in the end.
But let US say that out Of the first
half dozen possibilities he has worked
UP there is a new concern manufactur-
ing a line Of merchandise which it has
never advertised. Before approaching
the representative Of such a house he
should not only have become familiar
with the products Of this particular es-
"a olishment, but should have acquired
all the information possible concerning
fr
success or nonsuccess Of competing
firms. With this knowledge he would
be able with ordinary judgment to
draft a skeleton plan. tangible and
definite, 10 meet the publicity needs of
his prospective clients.
II is more than likely he will find
that the representative Of the firm with
whom he deals viii take issue with
him on a variety Of points. While ne
should be prepared to insist on such
Of these as seem vital. still he should
take care not to antagonize the ideas
OF his man too strongly, as he VIII
probably discover. as the conference
proceeds, there are many things for
him to learn in regard TO the PROPOSE
fion in hand. Such Of those ideas as
are imDracticable viii be weeded ont
ia the progress Of the campaign should
a business connection be successfully
established.
Originality is an important factor in
a. the success Of an advertising man. but
above all a young man should not go
10 business men with an incoherent de-
mand that money be spent on a lot Of
visionary projects. One Of the chief
obstacles an advertising man encount-
ers early in his career is the Inherent
dislike most men have Of spending
money on a commodity seemingly so
Intangible as advertising. Hence, he
must have that feeling about his work
which viii enable him, ably and con-
scientiously, To draw a picture Of the
reality Of his calling. He must come
10 realize that intelligent publicity is
quite as. demonstrable proposition as
most any other line of business.
The personality Of the agent will al
ways play an important part in the