The Belding banner-news., 1921-12-21
DIVINE SOUNDS WARNING
NOTE ON BGSINESS
Continued from Page One)

Continued from Page One)
done last year than the year before,
etc
The desire exists for more and
better advertising. No one denies
that. But the very serious question
that every business concern must re-
peatedly ask of itself is, "Are we
reaoy for it?" Every time a mem.
ber of your organization asks for
more and better advertising he
should Immediately be met with the
question. Are you ready for it? Arc
you ready for advertising not mere
~ to move goods with which you
may be stuck, but have you new
goods that the public wants and at
prices which it wants to pay? Have
you real news, which the public Is
hungry to hear?" In this consider
alton Of more and better advertis ng
special attention should be given the
things which are sign fed in the lit.
tie word better. Store managers.
merchan> ise managers, department
managers, advertising men--in fact.
all of those who control the mer-
chandising and advert. sing policies
of the house-must come TO realize
as never before that advertising is
not merely vehicle with VIII ch TO
move goods. II is not merely GOOD
angel to save the skins of buyers, de-
partment managers or merchandise
managers who have over-bought or
Who have merchandised incorrectly.
II is not a "sewer" to carry off the
refuse of the bus s.ness; the odd lines
and broken ends, which have no news
lttn 1,,treh n a n.
disc value ana certainly no prestige
building value for the company.
In place of some of the old con-
cept.ons of advertising, there must
grow in the minds and hearts Of
those who control the destinies OF
business houses newer and higher
realization of the fact that advertis-
ing is a powerful influence for build
ing impressions, gooC will and pres
tige for the organization; that it Is
a medium for constantly, accurately
and interestingly acquanting the
public about the things which il
wants 10 know.
This problem of more and better
advertising and Of being ready for
il is one of the most important parts
in the ground work, which progres-
sive inst tutions are now laying for
the prosperous times ahead. We all
believe that the next period of pros
perity is steadily approaching ant
that dist 'nctive evidence of it will
be at hand this coming year. On
the other hand, the year of 1921 has
offered tremendous opportunities,
but il has imposed tremendous re-
sponsibilities on those mercantile in
stitutions which hope, ard may rea-
sonably expect, TO survive from year
to year and from decade TO decade.
1t has accorded the opportunity and
imposed the responsibility not only
for economic read justments and for
defiation, but also presented the op-
portunity and the responsibility for
ethical readjustments of far-reach-
ing significance.
Not all of those opportunities, of
course, have been grasped; not al
of those responsibilities have been
met, but 1922 presents them all over
again to the business managers who
are far sighted enough to see them.
Today's situat on, it seems to me,
spells opportunity as never before.
For nearly two years we've been on
a declining market. Fortunately
the decline was very severe. say
fortunately" because its very sever.
ity has brought us to the bottom
ready to start op again in about hall
the tine heretofore required for de-
fiating, in like periods. The botto.
of period of depression is the MOI
hopeful point, offering the greatest
potential possibilities of any point
in the entire business cycle, for once
the bottom of depression is reach
A L Il, 20 "a
prospect are most hopeful and prom
/ ising.
Right now, then. retailing on the
North American continent is in the
most promising condition that it has
been in years-with all the discour-
aging and difficult features behind
nothing but opportunity and prom
ise ahead. Forward looking, clear
visioned merchants of today, who see
at once the opportunities of this hour
for improving their organizations.
their systems, their policies and their
methods from within, in preparation
for the great era ahead, will be the
great merchants of the future. For
truly this is an epochal turning point
Time will surely tell this truth.
Some Of the best known merchan-
dising and advertising men in North
America share the belief that we are
now entering "The New Era in Mer.
chandising". / believe that this new
era is going TO mark the disappear
ance of a great many antiquated,
slip-shod and sometimes downright
questionable methods and policies
methods and policies which are "hang
overs" from the days Of barter and
trade when the universal concept Of
business was "caveat emptor". (Let
the buyer beware.)
| feel that there is way to sell
more goods per dollar of sales cost,
thus reducing costs of doing busi-
ness. That way is any way that re-
tains the best salespeple; constantly
trains them TO sell more effectively
and eternally spurs them on to ac-
complish their utmost. Carefully
worked and proven methods for ac-
complishing these results are, Of
course, available to all Of us.
A f..l