Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-08-18
OVERLAND RETAIL
SALES RECORDS.
July Exceeds Those of Splen-
did June, and Shows In
dustry's Soundness

On but few occasions in the his
tory of the industry have automobile
selling records attracted the atten-
ton that has been accorded those
OF Willys-Overland. Inc. during the
last two months. When in the early
days of July, the company announced
that its June retail sales had ex-
ceeded those of any other month in
the history of the organization
murmur of astonishment and sur
prise was heard from coast to coast.
Such a record had heretofore been
unheard of in times of more or less
unsettled business conditions. The
company, however, followed this UP
with another record-breaking report
for the first week of July which more
than confirmed the June announce
ment. BY this time 1t became OBJ
vious to motorcar men the country
over that the big Toledo institution
was setting a pace never before
heard of under similar circum-
stances.
On the first Thursday in August
the most striking announcement of
all was made when a compilation of
the figures covering July retail sales
revealed the amazing total OF S1S,-
611,725, an increase of two and one
half million dollars over the splen-
did achievement of June. On top or
this, the factory officials insist that
there is no evidence of a letup even
now and that their distributors,
proud of the records which have just
been made, are going after the busi-
ness with redoubled energy.
How do you do it?' Is the ques-
ton most commonly heard among
visitors at the Overland plant just
at this time.
John n. WHY'S. as head of the big
organization. answers the question as
follows:
1t should not be so much of a ques-
ton as to how we make sales as
question concerning how We conceiv-
ed line OF cars which would prove
so popular with the public. OF course
we would not take any credit away
from the salesmen who have made
those enviable records. In fact, We
are confident that we have one of
the strongest selling organizations in
the industry. Nevertheless, the most
expert salesman in the world could
not do what our men have done
this year unless they had product
to offer which was possessed of un-
usual merit.
THE June and July sales records
do not come to us as unexpectedly
as one might imagine. When our
new comprehensive line of cars,
ranging from low-priced completely
equipped vehicles to high-priced
powerful and fashionable cars, was
first shown to the dealer at the big
convention in December, they told us
there would be no difficulty in selling
them. Their confidence in the line
was so great that they turned in con-
tracts away and above our most en-
thusiastic expectations. Although
surprising 1t is true that We had to
reduce some OF the contracts in or
der to apportiol the cars in the most
equitable way.
Now, several months have elapsed
since we started shipping the new
line out to the dealers. The latter
have had plenty of time to acquaint
the public with what we consider
the most comprehensive line of auto
mobiles ever turned out by one man
ufacturing company and for that
reason the cars are just coming into
their own. They have found their
place in the sun, as the war reporter
would say, and the public is buying
them up Just as fast as we can fill
the orders, If not faster.
The records which have been
made are, therefore, the natural re-
suit of producing the right kind of
a product. The motorcar buyer to-
day knows what ne wants. When he
fnds ii, ne buys it. Our long ex-
perience in the business enabled us to
foresee what he would want and we
built our 1917 line to fit his require
ments. That is why our June and
July retail sales surpassed those of
any other months in our career"