The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-08-22
VALUE OF NEWS
PAPER ADVERTISING

American commercial methods in a
comparatively few years, and daily
1T points the way to new methods and
improvements. 1t has exploded the
theory that salesmanship is altogether
natural endowment. Statesmen are
being made today by education and
training. No matter how much
natural ability a man may have, he
must know something about the prin-
ciples of selling. Otherwise he will
fail in competition with men of equal
or less ability who have had more
thorough grounding.
Advertising is, in a way, the most
complicated branch of the science of
selling, but its difficulties have been
grossly exaggerated, with the result
that the average man is as loath to at
tempt the preparation of advertising
copy as he would be to undertake the
practice of medicine or the trial of a
lawsuit. In the case or the small mer-
chant this attitude is bar to sue
cess-a handicap that must be over
come. And the retail merchant can
learn advertising, just as he can learn
the other branches of salesmanship.
The great mail order businesses have
been built on advertising and nothing
else. Their success demonstrates the
utter futility of any attempt to COM
pete with them that ignore advertis-
ing as its primary instrument. And
there are certain easily defined rules
that will serve as safe guide for the
retail dealer whose business is not
large enough to permit the employing
.c,,
Primary Essentials.
First of all the dealer must demon
strate the relative values of the vari-
Gus mediums open to his use. For ex
ample, there is the stensiled fence
sign informing the farmer that So
and so is in the lumber business
fact of which he is already aware in
nine cases out of ten. There is the
cheap souvenir-calendar, fan, pencil,
etc.-that will serve the same purpose
None of these forms of publicity costs
much, nor will any of them set the
world on fire with results There is
the church social program that proves
its patron "good fellow if it does
not attest his discriminating judgment.
And there are many other kinds of
advertising that are harmless. mex
pensive and. as a rule, devoid of re-
suits.
But when Mr.. Dealer is looking for
business he wants a real medium that
will carry a real message. That me-
dunn is his local newspaper. By test
there is no substitute for newspaper
advertising when the object is the ex-
pansion of retail business. The To-
cal paper is the one medium that,
used, will offset the influence
that will render ineffective the seduc-
tive lure of the mail order copy with
which the average farm paper is
Newspaper advertising is one of the
first steps in successful retail mer-
chandising. But it must be of consist
ent character, planned and executed
with such deliberation that its object
will be clear. The advertiser who does
not know the purpose of his own cam
paign cannot expect others to under
stand it.
Where there is competition-mail or
der or otherwise-two points are of
the greatest mportance-quality and
price. Every dealer has something to
say about these features of his bust
ness. They are the chief factors in
determining where the consumer will
BUY. But consideration of these should
not obscure the fact that there are
'ther ways of reaching the buyer. He
S interested in knowing about what
sort of stock the dealer carries, what
Kind of terms and service he can get
m bo xxyba o1 % 1
will gain by buying from the dealer
md by buying certain merchandise. In
.act, he is interested in a great many
ietails of the Dealers business. It is
me of the facilities of the community
n which he lives, he is, in a measure,
dependent on it and he is naturally in
crested in knowing what he can ex-
,ect of it.
Much of the business that goes to
nail order houses could be retained bv
he dealer if he would devote some at.
ention to explaining business details
hat the customer does not understand.
Newspaper space can be utilized to ad-
yantage in showing the difference be-
ween mail order and ordinary retail
erms of sale. The customer knows
hat the catalogue house exacts cash in
dvance, but he does not realize that
uch terms make a difference in
'rices. Neither does he always under
tand-1ntil he has learned by expert
nce-that on mail order shipments he
ays the freight. He overlooks the
important fact that when he buys from
he catalogue house he is contracting
or "pig in poke" whereas the
ealer's stock may be examined and
he merits of each article determined
n advance of buying.
Supplementary Work Needed.
These points, of general character. |
ught to figure in every retail adver-
ising campaign. They should, of
curse, be supplemented by specific |
dvertising that will create sale for
pecific goods. And whatever the text |
nay be, last and always. every state
lent used should be absolutely uneaui- |
ocally true, from every standpoint.
twenty-five years ago advertising and |
he truth were apt not to harmonize. |
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