Milford chronicle., 1947-07-04


the Del-Mar-Va Chamber of Commerce was
organized most of the literature praised the
attractions of the Chesapeake Bay area,
while Delaware got small listing in the boost
for tourist and business trade. It's about
time that Delawareans refer to Delaware as
Delaware. 1t will be wise for all civic organ
lzatiOns, business interests and private citi-
zens to start to practice this method of keep
ing the Diamond State before the public A
concerted action now can bring a new ap-
proach in the development of DELAWARE.
WHAT SHALL WE SAY to these people
One is man driving with his family on
vacation trip. He is hurrying to arrive at
his destination before dark. A slow-moving
truck tempts him to pass on a hill -.
One is mother who failed to hear the
summer cottage screen door slam, nor did she
notice her 18-mOnth-old son toddle to the
bluff overlooking the lake and disappear -.
Another is teen-age boy driving friends
home from movie. Laughing and cutting
up, they were into the intersection before
anyone saw the big, black sedan .
Another is a father who permitted his
children to have only "safe" fireworks. His
hands were badly burned trying to beat out
the flaming torch Of his daughters summer
dress after the sparker touched it -.
What can we say to these people? They
have no names-yet They will be the victims
of Fourth of July accidents -.
They are few of the 5000 or more
Americans who will be killed by accidents in
July. This estimate is made by the National
Safety Council, which regretfully notes the
grim lessons of experience
Many of these deaths will happen dur
ing the Fourth of July holiday which this
year is three-day weekend
What can we do to stop it? There must
be something. All of these deaths will be
needless, because virtually all accidents are
preventabe.
You-the man who passed the truck on
the hill-we can't send policeman to you
now and say, "On July 4, at exactly SAB D.
m., you will become impatient at following a
truck and try to pass. You will crash head
on into an approaching car at the crest of the
hill and only your baby daughter will sur
vive"
No, we can't warn you. We don't even
know who you are. But you are somewhere.
All we can do is tell everyone, those
marked for death and those who are not, to
be careful That's a flat and distasteful
phrase to most Americans-Be CAREFUL
but it's all we can say.
Be careful. Be Alive On the Fifth!
5000
MODERN SELLING makes more and
better use of advertising and of display.
Marked advances have been made in ViSualiz-
ing and demonstrating the worth of pro-
ducts. On the other hand there has been a
serious decline in efficiency in personal SELL
ing. BY and large, statesmen for manufac-
turers, wholesale houses and retail stores now
do less selling, perform fewer services for
their customers, know less about their goods,
and +1oV1 YTVI.
due in part to reduced hours of work, coupled
with higher pay. 1t is also true, however,
that too many salespeople lack drive, and
tend to lean more and more heavily for re-
suits upon the aids of advertising, display
and packaging
The remedy is long-range training to-
build up the knowledge, habits, attitudes
and enthuSiasms which are necessary to sue
ceSsful human contact work. That training
will require years in many cases, and cam
palgns which are limited to few days or
weeks, of the ''SiX easy lessons variety" will
not work. The born salesman" who can sell
anything, is a rare bird, and there will never
be enough of him to meet the needs of Ameri
can business. The average salesman. who is
the backbone of any sales organization, learns
relatively slowly, and he must be carefully
guided and trained
One more way in which all kinds of re-
tail business, chain and Independent, can
make further achievements in holding down
It's overhead costs as a means of controlling
the cost of goods to the consumer. In the
days ahead, stores with the most efficient
sales staffs will have a substantial competi
tive edge over those where sales personnel
lack knowledge and drive.
5000
LARGE GROCERY chain recently
made simple and sensible statement on food
prices at retail. 1t observed that substantial
reductions are impossible until costs to the
retailer are cut. And it pointed out that if it's
system were to operate without any profit
whatsoever this would amount to a saving
OF less than four cents day on the entire
food bill of the average American family"
What is true of food is true of almost all
other commodities In general retail profits
and operating expense are as low as condi-
tions permit. Competition, the most inexor-
able OF all forces, is taking care Of the oper-
atOF whose OPOfitc arn ovoocCiV1o Tbo+ 20 ri,