The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-06-15

The subject OF advertising ID one
that is Of interest to every merchant,
big or little. wholesaler or retailer,
who has anything to sell, because
every merchant advertis1s. / suppose
You think that IL pretty strong state
Ynent but it's a fact and before / have
finished think you win agree with
me-
No merchant can get along without
advertising and there are a good many
OF us who do d whole lot of advertising
that Is poor and doesn't pay Some
Of u.s. when we realize that the adj
vertising we are doing isn't bringing
results. are apt to charge the failure
70 advertising In general without try
ing to find out the real cause TOO
many men look upon advertising as an
experiment In business and poorly di-
rected advertising bringing scanty re-
turns Is enough to damn the whole
idea forthwith.
SaIssmen.
You all know how necessary sales
manship is and are quick to recognize
the value of good salesman. You
know a poor one will rarely sell profit
able merchandise or do what Is just as
important-ma friends for your
store, Your course in handling the
salesman problem IL perfectlys simple.
IL you have a poor man you get rid OF
him and replace him with b good one,
and 1t isn't always easy to do 1t the
first time either. Good salemen are
not plentiful but you keep on the look
out until you find one that is what
you want, and you know when you
have him.
Advertising is just as great a factor
in your business mind, say is- as
statesmen are, and should be treated
in the same way Keep at it, IL you
don't get the right kind at first, until
you find your business responding TO
the advertising you are doing. You
will know the right kind quickly
enough when YOU run across It
An illustration.
have stated that every merchant
advertises and that advertising is a
factor in every business. Let us see
whether am right or not
John Smith starts In business John
has done good rnany things since ne
got that big advertisement from Po-
cahontas and II think it's safe to as
sumo he has at some time started in
the retail businessl. One OF the first
things he does is to put a sign over
the store advertising the fact that
John Smith is there If it is q neat
looking sign 1t Is good advertising.
His stock arrives and John gets
busy. putting 1t In order, arranging t |
attractively on shelves and. counters
and again he does some good adver-
tising.
Customers come In and are pleased |
with the appearance OF his store and
talk about II. Advertising again. and
good, too.
John Gets Lazy.
Perhaps John gets lazy or Indifferent
puts goods In his windows that look |
All right at flrst but after a month or
two begin to look soiled and shopworn I
-still advertising, but this time it's
bad. People pass, see nothing new
to attract them and go right along
Perhaps Johns stock isn't as well kept
clean or up-to-date.
AB1lL&N Arg\4 CIV CL LAASAAAes .5s
You see there isn't anything John
can do in the conduct of his business
that doesn't advertise him one way or
the other.
Gentlemen. every one of us advertise L
whether we want to or not and we
can't help it Some of us push adver-
tising farther than others. but we all
DO it.
John Smiths Progress.
we have started John smith In busi-
ness Let us assume re Is a wide
awake fellow and wattN his progress
He. may have had things easy for a
year Or two~rno competition. and
grown careless about the appearances
OF his store and the condition OF his
stock Then acompetitor comes along
after business and the first thing John
knows some of the men he looked on
ns his regular customers are buying
Of the other fellow He makes. up his
mind to do some newspaper and cir
cular advertising, So he writes an
something like this: