The Glenwood post., 1910-10-01
KEEP ovERsoLD BEST POLICY
Advice of Hugh Chalmers, WeIl-kno~n
Expert, to Business Men Of
Minneapolis.

Hugh Chalmers, the well-known ad-
vertising expert, recently discussed
'Salesmanship as Fine Art" before
the advertising and business men Of
Minneapolis. He said among other
things:
"All goods are sold in three ways:
First, by the word of mouth; second,
by pictures and illustrations, and third,
by printed matter. That practically
sums up the ways there are Of selling
goods. But advertising is more than
selling. There are two objects in
advertising. One is to sell your goods,
and the second is to establish good
name and insure a continuance of
trade. Now some people say that
when you are entirely sold out you
want to quit advertising. There was
never a greater fallacy told to bust
ness men. One OF our stockholders
said to me not long ago, Are you
reasonably sure of selling your years
output?' l said, Yes, sir Then why
don't you quit advertising?' he asked.
How much can you save between
now and the first Of July?' l said:
Between $6O,Uvv and $4,000 linen
why don't you save it,? he said. My
answer was that If l were dead sure
we had all sold this year of 1910 and
up to 1912, would not spend dollar
less.
Il am speaking not only from the
standpoint of the theoretical adver-
tiser, but also of the man who buys
the space and pays the bill. My be-
ing in business is not confined only to
1912, and am firm believer in keep
ing oversold. You have got to deal
with human nature, and human nature
always has wanted and always will
want those things which are hardest
to get. Now, then, | said to this gen
tleman, Look at that fountain; see
that water gushing forth. The foun-
tain has it's source of supply in the
river a mile and half distant You
can get the superintendent to shut it
off, but you will not notice any differ
ence right away; you will see 1t go
down a little at time until there Is
no more water supplied. You shut
off the source of supply when you stop
possible appeal to million minds in
order to sell few thousand easily,
and you must keep on appealing. You
must keep on If you wish to keep
up your business
There is no mystery about this ad-
vertising and selling of goods. Some
would nave you think SO, and some do
not take it up because they think 1t is
too hard 1t is nothing but plain, com
mon sense, plus printers ink, and some
of the best copy l have ever seen was
written by men who were never
known as advertising men, but they
sold the goods and made their copy
accordingly. | once heard it said that
a man with little idea always used
big words to express himself, because
he wants to surround his idea with as
big words as he can; whereas the man
with the big idea uses little Anglo.
Saxon words to express himself, be-
cause the idea is SO big 1t needs no sur
rounding When you come to write
copy bear that in mind. Write it SO
plainly that the man without an edu.
cation can understand what you are
talking about, and then it will be a
cinch that the college graduate can
or ought to, undertand it.
Il believe advertising copy should
be so written that its first two lines
shall be the attractive feature of It,
because if a man starts to read your
copy and does not finish reading it.
don't blame him-blame yourself, be
cause he gave .ou the chance"