San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-30
A. II. CHANDLER OF SYLVANIA
OHIO.

Big city stores are reputed to draw
trade from the little towns adjacent,
but Sylvania, Ohio, has hardware
store which reverses the magnetic
process. People come from Toledo to
buy there. Big business has no terrors
tor A. X. Chandler, who sells $4,000
in goods yearly in his country estab-
lishment.
Mr.. Chandler, in the prime of life.
has built his success on an original
capital of $500 and a store clerkship
as background. Behind that lay II
farm and log cabin as boyhood memoir
les. His school days never went beyond
the eighth grade, but as for that,
self-educated man often has the edge
on college graduates.
1t was getting married that changed
Mr.. Chambers career, for up to that
time he had accepted the apparent de-
cree of Circumstance that the soil was
to be his lot. But the young wife was
rather frail. and a farmers life is no
hammock of hyacinths. Two courses
lny open: To get a job, or undertake
a career for himself.
Now young Chandler was clear
sighted. He realized that more money
could be made. and quicker. by hard
work and careful management in bust
ness for himself. than on farm or
in the city. and not his own boss. So
Sylvnnia, with it's then rough board
walks through seas of mud and banks
of dust.
Mr.. Chandler says he started with
the motto that Business Is Service.
and on the philosophy" that the profits
of business are derived from render
ing service to the people more econ
mically and more satisfactorily thnn
the same service can be rendered by
any other agency"
And the answer is found in the paid
up capital of $4,000 today.
Intensive selling-that is the secret
of il all. You don't hear of many re.
tai, stores that have statesmen on the
road. but the Chandler store has five
or six out all the time. Mostly they
are young farmers. with much stress
laid on good personality.
The selling zones. of course, are con-
| fined to the regions adjacent and eact
of the outside statesmen has his ex'
elusive territory. Every prospect is
listed. and the salesman is required
to make definite report on each.
When customers buy elsewhere-why
Also. the why Of many other things.
Advertising? OF course. The
Chandler store spends two per cent Of
its sales that way. about 60 per cent
of which goes in newspaper space. ).
per cent for direct mail matter. and !
per cent for miscellaneous publicity
The local paper carries two ads In
every issue, and several farm jour
nails are used. At least once n month
n good strong sales letter goes to q
picked list. often running into goo
names. And then. Of course. catalog
ucs and salesmen's literature. manu-
facturers' selling helps, and persona
letters.
| Complaints? Some Of course. but
the store prides itself on getting {
service man to the farthest corner Of
its territory within n few hours after
n kick Comes in. Not always free, Of
course. That depends. But service, al
least.
| Listen: Within one year recently
tic Chambers sold 40 oil stoves, IFS
ranges, - furnaces. 5S binders. 81
nlows. as harrovs. 100 special lamps
90 grain drills. aS manur" spreaders
~ corn planters. 80 gasoline engines
325 tons Of fertilizer. 81 800 pounds oi
binder Irvine, and $4,000 gallons oi
gasoline.