Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-17

to those few months-and it's eaten up
by the fixed expenses of those other
months during which he and his GUS
toners have been taught to wait for
the next sensation. In other words, the
curse of this automobile business has
been that the dealer could get plenty
Of cars of the "old" model when he
couldn't sell them-because of gossip
Of the coming new one-and he never
could get enough of the new model
while it was still salable.
I've often thought what fool
dealer was to nose about and inquire
and cross question everybody at the
factory in his eagerness to find out
something about the new" model II
he would just stop to think what Ell
feet such knowledge has on his own
mind, and more especially on his bu5l-
ness. he would avoid all such infor-
nation as he would plague. just
as soon as he begins to think about
the new model just so soon does ne
lose interest in the current one-ahd
his sales fall off.
How to correct this abuse-hoW to
make over the conditions so that while
sellers of other cars may still De coil-
fined to four and six good months IN
the year, Studebaker dealers Will sell
cars and make profits twelve montns
in the wear; this was one of the first
problems we tackled.
Strangely enough, 1t was easily
solved. And with its solution came
the solution of that other problem
which has always yexed the manu-
facturer. -
In setting an arbitrary season for
bringing out all necessary improve
ments, and bringing them all out at the
same time, the manufacturer mas al
ways found himself confronted py an
almost impossible task. As you know,
the "neW model" which was to be out
by New York show time has never
been quite complete at that time; ana
many changes had to be made IN tne
first few slipshod jobs he dellVereu
thereafter Then, whether 1t was sat
isfactory or not. that model had TO go
had to be sold to customers ana
backed up by special attention from
the deale1-which was you-untll neXl
"shoW time" when the maker agah
tried to correct his mistake and the
same old plan worked out in the same
old way. -.
Meantime-and here's the worst
phase of 1.-THE car which, had it's de-
| fects been corrected the moment tney
developed, might have given good sat
isfaction to owners, had gained instead
such a bad reputation it had been DIS
| carded and a model of entirely dlftereh'
design brought out and proclaimed as
a "Wonder" You know what we mean,
You have sold that same wonder
season after season-always dlfferenl
"wopder" howeVer-until you are glau
now to enroll under the Studeoakei
banner where you can with consls-
! tency, year after year, tell the same
story and recommend the same me-
chanical principles without the eVel
present dread that next year you nave
| TO eat YOUR own words-stand CON
victed as a liar before the very people
whose respect and confidence are youl
greatest assets, your customers
Remember the year you sold nre-
less cookers" as George Smithson cans
air coolers? Then next year the line
was half water and half air, with the
| inslncere argument: I'VE still believe
| in the fireless cooker principle, put.
Then came all water. What lovely
time you had explaining away previous
arguments to the same customers.
So it was when you changed from
| one-iungerS to tWo-and then agar
had to eat crow and admit that nc
car with less than four cylinders was
worth shucks.
Now it wasn't your fault that yot
lied. You were compelled to do 1t BY
the maker. You believed in him as
an authority and you told the story
up to the very minute when, all un'
expected by you, he announced an en-
| tirely new model. contradicting II
every paragraph the very words yol
and his other agents were still using
And by his action he left cars enough
! on your hands. that were then un
salable. to almost eat up all the prof
you had made in the year
oh yes! I know whereof [ speak
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