The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-12-22

club, lnaAmiich as no was tho
president In pcrpetuity and tho only
old man In this luncheon club com
posed OF tho youthful or middle
aged Corners OF tho wholesale lnm
Der and shipping Industry, HIS fol
low Bilgowaterites. out OF respect
for tho old gentleman. always TO
Trained from eating until cappy hnf
arrived and taken his ncat, or hat
solephonod to say that no would moi
DO present.
"cappy." said J. Augustus re-
dell severely, you're is minute'
late. You did not telephone ane
we wcro beginning TO fear you had
been hit by u taxicab."
We'll. half dozen tnxi-driver,
did their best TO get me. but wnf
too spry for them. Gus. There's q
broad standing jump left In tho old
man yet"
"Wo'yo held meeting. while
waiting for YOU" Eddie Smith. the
marine insurance broker. informed
him. 1T was the unanimous sense
OF tho Bilgswater club that you're
too old and feeble to cross the
streets unescorted by. "a traffic cop
shut up" cappy cried fiercely
ana that was that I'm late" he
continued. because ] waited TO de.
liver lecture 20 a corps OF sales.
men tho Lumber Manufacturers an.
socintion Inns decided TO send out
into tho highways and tho by-way'
20 sell an idea Selling an idea 4,
my long suit Any boob should b.
able 20 sell goods II they have q
hockabls value. but Il requires Q
mighty smooth salesman 10 sell IN,
public an idea"
Nonsense J. Augustus Redei
challenged him. what you neet
ls n slick press aEent--an A-No. /
publicity man"
Got one OF them. too" capp,
chIrped. and broke a soda crackei
into his soup. Got the king Of
press agents. But he Isn't rogi.
ment OF shock troops He's onl,
their leader. tive been talking e
tho shock troops"
what ARE you planning 20 NJ.
tack. cappy7"
why ever rincs tho city o,
Berkeley had fire that burned
nomo 30 square blocks OF the city
few months ago. tho roofing
competitors OF the lumber inter.
cats have been ceiling TO tho pub.
llc tho ideaa that II Il hadn't beer
for tho shingles on the roofs OF ths
houses that we're destroyed. tho nr,
would not have spread The man.
ufacturers OF patent roofing know
blamed well that II they. with q
modern article of roofing claimed &c
be non-combuStible, do not attack
their competitor and claim that his
goods arc combus;jblc, they might
as well get out Of business Sc
they're out selling tho public the
idea that their roofing Is batter
than ours; they've got talking
point In this huge fire and they're
EtampcdinE a number OF city coun-
ellis into passing ordinances thai
torbids the use OF wooden shinglca
I'VE all know mighty wen that
their rag and aSphaltum mixture 4
just an inflammahle rs a nhingle--
more 80. In fact. because shingles
made from red cedar or redwood
arc extraordinarily slow TO ignite
from sparks. due 10 the fact thai
these woods contain absolutely nc
rezlnous substances Consequently
II wo permit our up-and-cominf
competitors 10 take our ancient
trade from us by legislation. We
deserve 10 lose II. We've got tc
fight fro with fro. As fast a.
tho enemy cells the public tho ides
that their patent roofing In iot
per cent perfect. the Lumbermen''
association must sell that ram,
public the idea that Our goods arr
hundred and fifty per cent per
feet and that the other fellows
goods are not 100 per cent but. By
careful analysis md comparison
discovered. officially. 70 be e2.574t
per cent perfect. so Two been lee
turing TO our volunteer lecturers
who ARE about 10 go forth and lee
turo on this subject"
why engage lecturers who dc
not know their subject, cappyT'
somebody suggested.
"our lecturers DO know their
subject. what wns iecturing
them upon was the fine art OF put
ting their stuff over-in fact, the
psychology of salesmanshlp. Nc
salesman can show his goods until
nc is given an opportunity 10 show
thenl--nnd II he waits until the OPP
portunity is given him ho'll never
chow them. II Ii up 10 him. there
fore, 20 create his own opportunity
My idea was 10 challenge the en-
envy 10 flvo-minute debates before
city councils, Rotary clubs h-
wants clubs, women's clubs. build
ing trades councils. Commercial
clubs and Chambers OF Commerce
Tho debate having been arranged
our champions are 10 strip their
argument OF all non-essenials lie,
tho enemy waste his precious min
utos telling a windy story about
tho two Irishmen, Pat and Mike,
but let our boys by oil means,
stick 70 shingles Let them enun-
clate n string OF facts, couched In
simple declaratlve sentences, every
fact penetrating to the conscious
ness of the audience like n bullet
"our lecturers are 10 constitute
themselves verbal machine guns
and wither tho enemy with u blast
or two. have on hand four brand
new, tremendously funny. but
somewhat lengthy Pat and Mike
stories to tell the enemy just be-
fore he is called upon 10 present
his side OF the debate. I'm going
TO have one Of our spies planted at
the fellows elbow TO tell him these
four stories and sell him the idea
that they've never been told before.
The boob can't resist telling them.
thus no will waste his time and
before he starts discussing the sub
ject that brought him there they'll
DO ringing the gong on him. j am
oIso manning TO have the enemy