Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-05-12
TO WIN HOME TRADE
Compete With Mail Order Houses
by Advertising.
ADOPT BUSINESS METHODS.

Let the People Know Prices Of Your
Goods-Make Advertisements Per-
sonaI, Simple, Honest, Definite and
Direct-Use Plenty Of Printers Ink.
In this the age of printers ink there
Is just one way for home merchants to
compete with mail order houses, and
that Is to advertise. Ii does no good
simply to abuse the mail order houses
and avails little to appeal merely to
local sentiment. The l'Hil rider houses
must be met both IN riccs and pub
lefty. In this competition the home
merchant has the natural advantages
of time, of freight rates and Of the
local newspaper. lie can deliver goods
at once. whereas the order house re-
quires weeks. He can deliver direct
without transportation charges. In
his home paper he has an avenue for
advertising which the order house
lacks. With such factors in his favor
It Is his own fault II he does not win.
People trade with mail order houses
because they think they get goods
cheaper. Investigation shows that on
the whole this is a mistake Consider
ing the quality Of goods sold, local
merchants can and in most cases do
sell Just as cheaply as the order
houses. What they need Is to acquaint
the public with this fact. They can
| do so through advertising.
Advertising, however, Is a science.
1t must be done persistently and In
telligently If it Is to bring results. Ad'
vertising copy should be changed ev-
cry insertion. 1t should be made SIM
pie. honest, definite, direct. 1t should
| be personal, the merchant talking to
| his patron. 1t should be striking
enough to attract attention and with
sufficient interest and information to
hold the attention attracted. 1t should
not only bring customers to the store,
| but should bring them looking for
some definite article or line Of articles.
Shopping now Is mostly done by wom-
en-, and the woman shopper eagerly
scans the advertising columns
Customers Of mail order houses
have learned that many Of the goods
sold are not durable. This is the dis
advantage of buying without inspec-
ton. Here is another item favoring
the home merchant, but In order that
1t may be telling the home merchant
must use it. He must fight the order
house with ITS own weapons - fight
publicity with publicity, price with
price The order house makes its
campaign by the use Of printers ink.
| The home merchant must make his
campaign by the use Of printers ink.
The order house tells in detail what 1t
has to sell without the use Of sur
plus words, but covering all points
! that the customer wishes to know.
The home merchant must adopt the
same tactics. The order house is
scrupulously honest in returning every
cent If more than the right amount Is
sent, or If prices have fallen, or If some
article ordered is out of stock. The
home merchant must show the same
scrupulous honesty. The order house
Is most careful to give even the small
est customer to understand that his
wants are being promptly looked after.
The merchant must have the same
prompt, businesslike way. Indiffer-
ence never pays. There is nothing so
wins business as business methods.
Cash follows confidence. Success comes
from knowing and doing. Advertising
always pays If the advertiser knows
how and keeps at it.
The advertiser must put himself In
the readers place. Let him think what
would catch his eye, what would hold
him, what would awaken in him de-
sire to buy and finally what would
clinch the matter and take him to the
store. There are some ads. one sim
ply cannot help reading. There are
some ads. that convince one Of their
honesty and sincerity. They do not
arouse incredulity by overstatement
They are not like every other ad., but
have an individuality Of their own.
They cover only one article or one line
and so do not confuse the reader.
They are fresh, not being the same
thing that has stood In the paper
month after month. The ad. Is the
merchants salesman on the road II
works while he sleeps. 1t brings In
customers while he waits on others.
1t carries abroad his fame. 1t creates
a market, builds a desire for goods,
educates the public up to n want. 1t
helps the town, for 1t brings trade
from a distance. am now talking OF
real advertisement, not the dead-alive
thing that sometimes passes under
that name. A good ad. is Of the sort
that hustles for business just as a COM
merclal traveller does. 1t will not be
denied or overlooked. 1t compels at
tention, respect and patronage. One
Of the most important elements IN the
education Of a business man Of today
is to know how to write advertising.
For such a man the money he puts
into printers ink is an investment. He
counts on 1t as much as he does on
cost price or rent or labor.
This is the way to meet the mail or
der houses. The local merchant has
practically all of the natural advan-
tages on his side. Local sentiment,
acquaintance, neighborly feeling, reel
procity In business, quickness OF deliv-
cry, opportunity to inspect goods, abb
sence Of transportation charges, cheap
er ground rents and cheaper labor ana
the avenue of the local newspaper, all
-, toi... ytyttl,