The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-01-05
BIG SALES MADE
BY SUGGESTION S
Local Merchants Should Make.
TIA Study.
AN ART TO Be ACQUIRED.

Display Part OF General Scheme,
Best Statesmen Know How Diplo.
matieally to Suggest to Purchasers.
Catalogue Houses Use Pictures.
slcopyrishted. la14. by Thomas J. sullivan.l
II there ever was a concern on the
face Of this earth that has studied the
theory Of suggestion 1t Is the retail
catalogue house.
In its early beginning It fooled rail-
road men and pinery workers. securing
names and addresses In some way o,
another, after which 1t forwarded each
individual a nice brass watch, finished
In gold. However, 1t was cautious
never sending a watch to the prospec
tive customer on credit.
The railroad man or woodsman new
er ordered the watch, and Of course a
mistake happened.
According to the mail order man. Il
was wrongly addressed, but the watch
was there at the express Office. and II
he would take 1t and pay for 1t large
reduction would be made.
This suggested to the. prospective
purchaser that he was III need Of q
watch, "got him." and II he did moi
have the money to pay for It he would
borrow the necessary amount or draw
on his salary account.
The power Of suggestion soon con
WINGED the willy mail order man thai
he was on the right track, and he the1
branched out into furniture, clothing
machinery, hardware and other lines
Of manufacture.
Great Power Of Suggestion.
1t Is very probable now that a large
proportion Of merchandise sold Il
through suggestion. II people bought
only the bare necessities Of life. only
what they actually need, there would
be but few business houses and civil
cation would halt.
The power of suggestion Is what
builds up great business houses and
keeps the world on It's progressive
march.
Advertising is one Of the most power.
full and at the same time easiest meth,
DDS OF suggestion. But there are many
others very much akin to the popular
conception OF advertising. i3-
Thereforerit behooves the merchant
who would be successful and to be
numbered with the progressive OF his
kind to study well the theory and prac.
tice Of suggestion. Its 1ramifcations
are many and varied. 5
Make Good Impression.
It is not alone in the preparation OF
copy for newspaper. circular or other
printed forms for advertising that this
principle Of suggestion must be OBJ
served and followed out
While It Is nil important to observe
the rules Of suggestion in getting up
such copy, the idea should be carried
into every feature Of merchandising.
The handling Of good merchandise
and square dealing. accommodating
store policy suggest to a customer that
be has found the right place to trade,
and he Is not liable easily to forget his
first impression.
The arrangement Of stock. the win.
dow display, the attitude Of proprietor
and clerks toward customers. deliver
les. methods of collections-in fact
every action suggests to the naturally
receptive mind OF a purchaser and
brings him back again.
On the other hand. the neglect to OBJ.
serve all these things implants a sug-
gestion in the mind Of the public that
cannot be overcome, even by Offering
glittering bargains.
Suggestion an Art.
Some of the best statesmen in the
business are those who know how dip.
Dramatically to suggest to purchasers
something else that would be to their
advantage to buy.
This sort Of suggestion Is a kind Of
art and unless used with the finest
tact and discretion Is liable to make a
bore Of a salesman.
The retail catalogue house system Is
cautious. However, there Is no law
against exasgerating pictures when
one confines himself to an actual de-
scription OF the article. This Is where
the mail order house system covers
itself.
The pictures are suggestive to the
prospective buyer. .
The description of the article con.
tains Latin phrases, trade terms and
Language that Is foreign to many con.
sumers and Is not understood by them.
As an illustration Of picture book
buying through mental suggestion our
readers might profit by reading the
following poem, which illustrates the
folly OF buying mail order house trash:
HE QUIT. &
BE owned a retail catalogue house car
To ride in Il was heaven.
70 ran across apiece Of Glass
Bin. Ni.sz = Is