Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-07-22
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-
sonal, Simple, Honest, Definite and
Direct-Use Plenty Of Printers Ink.

In this the age Of printers ink there
Is Just n way for home merchants to
compete with mail order houses, and
u is to advertise. 1t does no good
simply to abuse the mail order houses
and avails little to appeal merely to
local sentiment. The mail order houses
must be met both in prices and pub.
l1c1ty. In this competition the home
merchant has the natural advantages
OF time, of freight rates and of the
local newspaper. He can deliver goods
at once, whereas the order house re.
qulres 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
1t Is his w fault if he does not win.
People trade with mail order houses
because they think they get goods
cheaper. Investigation shows that OF
the whole this is IL mistake. Consider.
ing the quality of goods sold, local
merchants can and In most cases dc
sell just as cheaply as the order
houses. What they need is to acquaint
the public with this fact. They car
do so through advertising.
Advertising, however, is Il science
1t must be done pe~rsistently and in
diligently if it is to bring results. Ad-
vertising copy should be changed ev-
cry insertion. 1t should he made sim
.,le. honest. definite, direct. 1t should
he 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 Won
en-, and the woman shopper eagerly
the advertising columns.
Customers of mail order houses
have learned that many of the goods
sold are not Gurable. This is the dis
advantage OF buying without inspec-
ton. Here is another item %favorins
the home merchant, but in order that
it 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 b. the use OF printers ink.
The home merchant must make his
campaign by the use OF printers ink,
The order house tells i'll detail what it
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 ii more than the right amount is
sent, OF 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. 1ndiffer-
nee 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 a de-
sire to buy and finally what would
clinch the matter and take him to he
store. There are some ads. n Sim
ply cannot help reading. There are
some ads. that convince one of their
honesty and sincerity. They do not
arouse incredulity by reinstatement.
They are not like every other adj, but
have an individuality of their own.
They owe 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
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 a want. 1t
helps the town. for it brings trade
from a distance. l 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
mercial 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 it 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. alb
sence of transportation charges. cheap
ar ground rents and cheaper labor and