Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-05-04

MS store anu MS personality play In IL.
In speaking OF the importance Of the
retailer in the business life of the
state, Prof. Klingaman said that, from
surveys made at the university, it has
been found that the retailer is the
third largest group of workers. He
outlined briefly but concisely, the
work which the university is doing
along this line and laid special stress
on the fact that it is being planned and
worried out along original lines, set
out especially for the cases that are
to be met In this state and under con-
ditions such as exist in Iowa, not those
that. are be found in Montana, New
York or Florida.
The speaker said that there was
time when the pulling power of a
town was an unheard Of thing. That
was because the farmer was poor and
he traded where he was given credit.
There was no competition AS it was
from man to man; SO 1t was from town
to town.
People Free Agent.
People are free agents. said tho
speaker II am not trying to tell you
how to run your business; I am mere.
ly trying to give you the viewpoint of
the customer. sa.... ....- .s5
People do not buy of you because
you are just where you are or because
you have been there always: they buy
because you have what they want,
when they want it and in the way
they want 1t. d., ,....-. 49,. =
Every town has a personality
There have been big literature devel-
opments along those lines in the past
ten years. 1t Is Just the same about
going into new town as it is when
you meet new people. You know right
away whether you like them or not.
You don't analyze the why Of It. It
Is not up for analysis. but just the
same. intuitively you know whether
you like new people or new town II
you were asked you would probably
have to stop to think why you dislike
certain towns and like others.
Expression Of Ideals.
"The attitude Of town which i'm
presses you or the ideas you get from
it, upon first going there, are a COM
posite expression OF the ideals of the
people who live there, so far as they
have found time or opportunity to
show them. "-... a-..s
you can't build town with moth
| ing but a slogan. Neither can you
build one with commercial club
which has meeting once month, a
good speaker and no work.
"One Of your first problems in bust
ness is the location of your town. You
and your store have a pulling power
toward getting people to come The
people and the business men in a
town put up the kind of town which
it IL.
after they are in your town then
it is time for you to get out your spe.
cial selling plans, your methods Of
meeting customers, your courtesies,
etc. Instead of systematizing the
stores, start at the other end do
things that will pull the people to your
town, then show them what you are
and what you can do.
Have Beautiful City.
| Zone of the most valuable assets to
town is to have some places of
beauty in it," continued Prof Klinga-
man. Men love beautiful things; they
will 60 long way for them and they
,, will stay with them when they get
there
| The speaker then dwelt at some
length on the value of trees, clean
streets, morals of high standard,
beautiful residences. hotels, amuse-
ments of the right sort, recreation,
treatment in stores, kindness of the
people and the pleasantness of coop
Grafton. Above all things he urged
every man in any kind of business to
join the commercial club in his town,
pointing out such a membership as
! one of the most important things a
citizen of any community can have to
bring concerted action and results.
Have Attractive Stores.
"The problem then after you get the
people into your town Is to get them
into your store continued the uni
Iversity man. ut is not necessarily the
man who is the wide advertiser, but