The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-06-28

latiOns, ] now want to Suggest a Ie"
things to be avoided If you wish to be
on good terms with your neighbors.
Soliciting the Business OF Competitors
Don't make q special effort 10
get away from your neighbors n
of his long standing customers, by
personal solicitations, offering induce
ments in the way of cutting rates,
paying directly or indirectly, a pre-
MUM for the account simply for the
purpose Of breaking the relationship
which has hitherto existed. Every
man who has been in business. Tor
ever a few years, knows about what
It costs the other nan to do the
same kind Of business and when ne
realizes he has lost a customer De
cause you have agreed to take pnSl-
ness at what he knows to be a loss
to yourself, he very naturally Re
sents it and retaliates.
2.-Every banker should reallze
that be must not only show large INES
Of deposits, but must also have Tor
his work. a legitimate profit. When
he does business simply to make q
show land thereby places hImsei
where he will have to take short cuts
to make profits satisfactory to stock
holders, he does not encourage cor
dial cC-DDerdtlon with the more CON
servatiVe bankers.
w I L 49, ~
that your neighbors who have been in
business as long AS you have. do not
know that you are securing business
along what is considered unsafe lines.
4.-Don't try to make impression
on the public that your bank is the
only one N the community winch can
give them the facilities which their
business justifies and hat The other
banks arc either not up-to-date in
methods of banks or have been
charging too much for their services.
Reciprocity Among Banks.
5.-The banks in a community
should as far as possible, phold the
dealings of one another, with their
respective customers. SO far as they
ave been fair and right and with
what you know to be a legitimate
profit There is no business III which
his is more necessary than in yours,
for the fact is this-W nen prosperity
comes all the banks share in it; II
calamity comes it is equally true that
all suffer from it. In other words, a
bank doing a conservative, safe and
legitimate business, may be called
upon, in times Of need, TO uphold a
bank which has been doing Its bust
ness in the days Of prosperity along a
line which Is we'll known to be on too
close a profjt-margin and rather of a
sensational nature.
Ga new bank opening up in a
community SHOULD be thoroughly in
formed as to the conditions existing IN
the said community, regarding the
banking business. If there has pre-
viOusly existed a written or unwritten
law governing methods of soliciting
business, it would at least be well con
sidered and the other bankers taken
into your council before attempting
any radical changes which would af-
feet the whole business in said com
~,-Sk NJ -
were to come into a community for
the purpose of establishing a practice
that would be worthy Of himsel and
his profession. he should first OF all
endeavor to get in touch with those
who have a professional knowledge of
the methods, charges and customs Of
serving the peOple. So a banker,
starting out to build himself up in a
community, should first Of all knov
the men with whom he necessarily
comes in competition, their methods
and practice, their rates and charges,
whether or not it has been a succeSs
full and profitable method. If in your
judgment 1T has not been, do not take
any decided step toward a complete
change without discussing freely, and
in a most friendly way, SO that all
may come before the public, d united
force.
7.-Again, never take snap-iudg-
ment or try to surprise either young
competitor or the public by doing
things that a man of experience IN
your line knows are done simply for
purpose of advertising rather than
from a desire for legitimate profit and
gain.
8.-Every bank has it's field to draw
from and it is not conducive to friend
ly cooperation to force Yourself into
another's territory by Offering induce
ments which you know are only for
the purpose Of drawing away its Gus
toners for your apparent benefit
9-Never allow yourself to feel that
the estab}ishe banks in a umun
are not friendly to q new corporation
and that every man is against YOU. By
so thinking you are more than apt to
be against every man. and, to that
extent, fail 10 bring about the cordial
cooperation needed to make the