Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1924-07-10

aity ASSoSAh1Su as All authority ON au-
vertising and selling, prepared the
following article as suggestion to
the business men of Belington on
how to stimulate business. The Pro-
gressive believes Mr. Kelley's sug-
gestions to be Of great value and urg
es their consideration by every bus
mess man in Belington.
! wonder if we recall the resolu-
items we made in January 19242 It
seems this last year, more than ever,
that promises with some people are
like pie crusts easily broken.
About every organization in Jan
uary 1924 firmly resolved to make
this year better than 1923 and one
Of the chief reasons why many firms
have failed to keep these promises
they made to themselves is because
they have sold themselves on the idea
that it cannot be done.
Business these next few months is
going to be no better than during the
past few months if we do not use
better business methods, if we do not
eliminate the idea that there is no
money in our district, and that peo-
pie are not in a buying mood.
Step into your bank today and find
out their daily clearance Stop into
the poatofice on express company
and find out how much money Is be-
ing sent out Of town. You'll find
that there is Just as much business at
your door today as there ever was.
But, are you doing as much to get
that business as you should be IN
keeping with business conditions to-
day?
There are thouands and thousands
Of men and women employed today,
from coast to coast by firms selling
direct to the consumer. They are
taking the trade right from under
the eyes of the retail merchants in
their immediate vicinity, and taking
it from where the retail merchants
expect their biggest business. Still,
retailers in some districts do not
wake up-they have fair day Mon
day, Tuesday is dull, Wednesday a.
bout the same, Thursday no better,
Friday some trade, and Saturday they
are busy.
What is to prevent a store employ
ing say four clerks from sending two
or three clerks out to visit families
in their immediate district, putting
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thurs
in full working hours, doing this
days
The retailer in having his clerks
call upon the people at the their
homes will have better entree than
the unknown solicitor who is calling
at these homes selling merchandise.
People in d merchants district
don't know what kind Of firms these
unknown soiisitors represents they
don't know whether they are reput-
able or not, but they do know the lo-
cal merchant, his store, and his stock
They know they can depend on the
right lirl of merchandise at his
store because he is part Of the COM
munity, he is citizen in the district
the same as they are, and certainly
he would not defraud them by selling
inferior merchandise at hold up
prices the same as many Of these fly
by-night concerns are doing.
There is not wholesale house or
manufacturer in existence who will
not give you specials for leaders that
will enable you to combat the prices
and values that the bell-ringers are
offering to the retail trade.
Some merchants will say, my
clerks will not do that-they have
too much PRIDE Clerks of that
caliber must eliminate their pride if
they're going to retain their posi-
tions-in fact, no man should have
any pride until he is a millionaire,
and when he's a millionaire he doesn't
need to have any pride, because
millionaire in overalls is regarded
just as highly as he is when he wears
a dress suit.
Every clerk employed should be
thoroughly sold on his job-he should
have faith in his employer, in the
stock, the store, the values given to
such an extent that he would be glad
and willing to 90 out and tell his
neighbors about it.
! suggested this plan to a mer-
chant one day a short time ago, and
his reply was, It's q good plan al
right, but it won't work in my terri
tory That's one Of the chief OBJ
stacles That 1T Of retailers place