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


ed to them right in their own homes,
be business getter ~ particularly
where there will be nothing much to
distract their attention. The farm
ing population is made up Of kindly,
genial men and women, who will be
glad to have a. visit from merchant
or a merchants representative in
PRODUCING his merchandise.
There is hardly merchant in bus
mess today who has not got an auto
mobile, and he certainly can afford
to spend some time each week out in
the country with two of his clerks,
supplying merchandise to the people
in the outlying districts, A shoe
dealer, for example, should present
not only some Of his newest styles
and latest numbers, but he should
have a top-notch leader, selected pro-
badly from some style that needed
stimulating. This would be an ef-
fective way to avoid the loss that
comes from slow selling deprecated
merchandise.
Just as soon as a merchant starts
to figure that his expenses are just as
high, and go on just as steadily DUR
ing the dull days as during big days,
then he is going to get busy and IN
iect some ideas into his business that
will make duh bushes 4 thing Of the
past The time is past and never
will return when we can work only
half time.
would tell salespeople in the
store, who might object to such work,
that it was up to them to make the
business a paying proposition for me
or they would have to expect less re-
muneration | would give them to
understand that they would get paid
for their services, and no more, and
that naturally the worth Of their SER
vices To me depended upon what
those services produced.
Besides helping to combat the mem
ace Of the bell-ringer, selling more
merchandise Immediately, and af-
fording effective means Of selling
slow lines, this plan of canvassing
gives merchant a good method Of
getting closer to his customers. Few
of US realize how many customers
we lose through being too distant,
and through not being in close touch
with them
Retain the friendship Of old custo-
mers by all means, and good efficient
work in canvassing is a splendid way
Of accomplishing this. A well train
ed efficient salesman or saleswoman
can be an invaluable missionary in
behalf Of your store out among the
trade
If the trade is slow in coming to
your store, bring your store to the
trade. If merchants will follow out
this plan and back it up with some
good hard hitting advertising they
will have no need to complain about
poor business. Business in any lire
is about what you make it, whether
it be retail store, a bank, or abrok-
erage business.
But, to the merchant who is be-
logged with the idea that business Is
50 bad that no effort can make ie bet
ter will have to get rid Of this idea
as his first move for better business.
There's nothing in the present bus
mess situation that warrants such
an attitude. Yet, for some reason or
other, a great many business men
seem to expect that the United /,
States should enter into another per-
iod resembling war prosperity But,
regardless Of that sort Of reasoning,
or rather lack of reasoning, there
has been nothing at any time to in
dictate that money will ever roll up
hill again.
Many business men appear to have
an idea that they should get rich over
night-that's an idea that still per-
sists, handed down to us from the gun
powder era. We may as well make
up our mind that the world is not
going to pay US bonus, even though
we all think we're entitled to it.
AS to this business situation, we
must admit that business does not
come as easily now as it did in 1919
and 1920, but what of it2 The work
that is required to make your bus
mess show profit is nothing, abso-
lutely nothing, compared with the
thrill that comes in knowing that
your businjss is progressing, and
knowing that your business is pro-
crossing, and knowing that you're
making q success.
And il considering such plans for
Increasing your business as this idea
W