Williston graphic., 1919-01-02
How Direct Dealing Succeeds

dew Direct Dealing Succeeds
Housewives appreciate receiving
farm produce which they knew to be
fresh. Many farmers within $50
miles Of cities have regular supplies
Of highgrade produce, the quality Of
which they can guarantee. The par
eel post offers a means of direct deal
ing between producer and consumer,
with profit to both.
Parcel-post shipments are increas-
ing in number, though probably they
always will affect only a small per
centage of the farm produce that
goes to market. Dealing by parcel
post succeeds if the farmer is careful
to keep up the quality of his pro-
duce, packs it safely and attractive
ly, and meets his engagements
promptly-always supposing that the
consumer also observes business meth
DDS in the transaction.
The U. s. Department of Agricul-
ture's Farmers Bulletin 922, "Parcel
Post Bulletin Methods" gives detail
ed suggestions regarding means OF
obtaining customers and methods OF
carrying on business, with samples
Of suitable letterheads, bills, order
blanks, and other business forms.
Those who wish to-market great
deal of produce by parcel post may
find it necessary to obtain customers
by personally soliciting strangers or
through advertising in newspapers
and nv nthor means
Information received from persons
who have advertised farm produce
for sale indicates that usually adver-
Using is not profitable for the gen
eral farmer, but often gives satlsfac'
tory results to the producer who
specializes in some product that can
be shipped throughout the year. Ad,
vertisements should be short and
should give a description Of the
goods, with the prices, and the name
and address of the person advertis-
ing. In some cities the Sunday edi.
ton Of a newspaper gives better re.
suits than the daily edition.. The
person who advertises must offer q
product that is wanted by the per
son.. who read the paper at the time
the product is advertised, in the
place where the paper has . circula-
ton. In other words, he must know
what to advertise, when to advertise
and where to advertise.
Must Use Criculars Carefully
Form letters, circulars, or cards
sent to q selected list Of persons have
been suggested often a. means of oh.
tanning customers for produce by par
eel post. The cost Of obtaining Gus
toners by circularizing is often great
and unless the names Of persons to
whom the circulars are sent are sc.
lected very carefully this methol OF
obtaining customers can not be es'
pecially recommended.
Customers may be obtained by max.
ing q personal canvass in . selected
neiphborhood in q city. The neighbor.
hood should be one which is not sup
piled with a great many markets OF
green grocery stores in order thai
the competition may not be as keen
Al il would be in a neighborhood that
has excellent marketing facilities. A
suburban district of homes with gooo
incomes offers a good field in which
to solicit trade. In many such dis
TS1CL8 tN8 UcAASSAy oS4 VIZ Va wy o.,
ceriea is not as satisfactory as in the
city. ..,
If the producers farm is on OF
near a much-traveled road an attrac'
tive farm bulletin board placed con-
spicuously near the road is a help t.
both producer and consumer in max
). ing business contact. Many city
dWellers now travel far out into the
country by automobile, and this fac'
can be turned to account in securing
customers by using a bulletin board:
This method will be especially useful
on clean, well-kept farms. The state
ments on the board should give the
articles for sale, together with their
prices, delivered to the purchaser &
door by parcel post, and the main
items should be in lettering large
enuf to be read quickly.
Warning notices might be placed at