Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1913-06-27
HOME NEWS
PAPER BEST
The AMERICAN LUMBERMAN HAS AN
EXCELLENT DISCOURSE ON
ADVERTISING.
SOME SKILL IS ESSENTIAL
A Chicago Magazine Is Endeavoring to Edu.
cate the Home Merchants so They
May Combat the Catalog
Houses

Houses |
The science of salesmanship is gain.
ing ground. 1t has revolutioniZed
American commercial methods in
comparatively few years and daily it
points the way to new methods and
improvements. 1t has exploded the
theory that salesmanship is altogeth-
er Il natural endowment. Statesmen
are being made today by education
and training. No matter how much
natural ability Il man may have he
must know something about the prin-
cipals 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 it's difficulties have been
grossly exaggerated, with the result
that the average man is us !oath to
attempt the preparation of advertis.
ing copy as he would be to undertake
the practice of medicine or the trial
of lawsuit. In the case of the small
merchant is 4 bar to success-a handi-
cap that must be overcome. And the
retail merchant can learn advertising
just as he can learn the other brail-
ches Of salesmanship.
The great mailorder businesses
have been built on advertising and
nothing else. Their success demOn-
strates the futility af any attempt to
compete with them that ignores ad-
vertising as its primary instrument.
And there are certain easily defined
rules that will serve as a safe guide
for the retail dealer whose business
is not big enough to permit the em-
ploving of All advertising expert.
First Of all the dealer must deter
mine the relative values Of the vari-
GUS mediums open to his use. For
example there is the stenciled fence
sign informing the farmer that So
and-so is in the lumber businessa
nine cases out of every ten. There
is the cheap Observation-Disclosures, fan,
pencil. etc.-that will serve the same
purpose. None of these forms of
publicity costs very much in money
nor will any of them set the world
on fire with results. There is the
church social program that proves it's
patron a good fellow, it it does not
attest his discriminating Judgment.
And there are many other kinds Of
advertising that are harmless, and in
expensive, and as rule, devoid Of
results.
But when Mr.. Dealer is looking
for business he wants IL real medium
that will carry real message. by
test there is no substitute for news
paper advertising when the object is
the expansion Of a retail business,
! The local paper is the one medium
that, when properly used, will offset
the influence OF the skillfully prepar'
ed cataiog-that will render ineffec
tive the seductive lure of the mail or
der copy with which the average farm
paper IL GRAINED.
Newspaper advertising is one of TIN
first steps in successful merchandis
ing. But it must be of consisten
character, planned and executed will
such deliberation that it's object vii
be clear. The advertiser who doe
not know the purpose of his own cam
paign cannot expect others to unde
stand it.
Where there is cOmpetition-mai
order or otherwise-two points are c
the greatest Importance: Qualit
and Price. Every dealer has some
thing to say about these features {
his business. They are the chief fa'
| tors in determining where the cu
| toner shall buy. But the consider;
| tion of these should not obscure til
| fact that there are other ways (
| reaching the buyer. He Is intereste
in knowing what sort Of stock Il
/ dealer carries, what kind of tern
/ and service he can get on his pu
chases, what advantages he will ga
/ by buying from the dealer and
buying certain merchandise. In fa
| lie is interested in great many d
/ tails of the Dealers business. 1t
/ one of the facilities of the communi
/ in which he lives, he is, in measu
/ dependent upon it, and he is natur;
/ ly interested in knowing what he G.
! expect from it..
1 Much of the business that goes
! the mailOrder houses could be retail