The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1915-05-29
THE GLAD HAND


i munifv puiller in the American
Lumberman contains message that
applies not alone to the business men,
First impressions 60 long ways.
and klamath county people are noted
far and wide for cordial friendliness.
! A good many people will come here
from the Exposition this summer,
and il our glad hand methods con-
tinue We can expect real results.
Here's the message:
Every retail merchant ought to
cultivate to the highest possible de-
gree the capacity for estimating news
of every sort at its business value to
bim For example, If farm is sold
10 an outsider and an item to that
effect is published in the local paper.
the news should suggest to every re-
taller in the town that the purchaser
may become a resident and conse-
Quently a buyer of goods of various
sorts. To the lumberman he is a
prospective purchaser of building ma
terial. To the implement dealer he
is prospective purchaser of farm
machinery. To the grocer a pros
pective customer of goods carried by
him.
The more enterprising class of
merchants look out for business leads
of this sort and the mere announce
.nent OF tie transfer of title or the
granting of articles of incorporation
inspires in them efforts to secure
corporation. Retailers altogether too
often, however, completely ignore the
significance of events of this sort. A
case in point was brought to the at
tention of the writer recently.
A Chicago man bought a small
farm in an adjoining state; when the
transfer Of title was made at the
county seat friends of his in nearby
towns, noticing the announcement in
their papers, wrote to him to ask II
he expected to occupy the land. These
inquiries were merely those OF inter-
ested friends. Not a single merchant
in any line of business, however. ever
made any inquiry of the purchaser
regarding his purchase or his plans,
notwithstanding the fact that he was
a prospective purchaser of. and ac-
tually did purchase. several hundred
dollars worth Of farm implements.
Inasmuch as he was obliged to move
on the farm late in the season, was
unacquainted with the merchants in
the town nearest his land and the
distance was too great from his resi-
dence to make frequent trips to the
country community. he was obliged
to make his purchases elsewhere. As
q consequence the local merchants
| implement dealers especially lost
several hundred dollars in trade and
the advantage OF getting early in
touch with a newly arrived prospec-
tive buyer.
In this case the purchaser did not
buy from mail order houses so-called,
but from retailers in Chicago and in
the suburb where he resided. To do
SO involved a great deal of cores
pondence on his part. many trips to
stores and much additional labor and
Inconvenience, in addition to the
freight and other transportation
charges from Chicago to his farm
place.
1t is not easy to understand CT ex-
plain the Indifference of the local re-
taller to business opportunities of the
kind here suggested. In some cases,
doubtless, he lacks the business ex-
perience and training that would
have taught him to recognize the less
conspicuous business opportunities
that are presented in everyday events.
In part his neglect or indifference
may be due to a mistaken belief that
he is sure to get the trade anyhow.
Neither explanation Is at all cred
liable to the local merchant.