i- pv teT'-i :apst ?' r' Tr "fPMff" 77T r .-Sv. V'V sv4" - V i "i r i. i r w ? ' r ' gyIpPUBLrC LEDGEB PHirAWLPml; MONDAY, f NeWlBER 21, ite 'V. J i X. 10 IWpi . " : i "V i w 'J J) 1 a What 45 years in business have taught him about selling William Hamlin Childs, Chairman of the Executive Beard of The Barrett Company and Vice-President of The Ben Ami Company, is connected with a number of very large industrial enter prises. Most of these concerns are liberal and consistent advertisers. In a recent issue of "System" he pointed out some selling principles that, in his judg ment, are vital te success. Therefore, the following excerpts from that article should prove of iijterest te every busi ness m&n. He writes: "I have been interested, during 45 years of active busi ness life, in many enterprises. "One business I began with the purchase of a trade-mark for $5,000. We thought that the trade-mark and the prod uct it represented were both geed -although the actual business being done was very small. Recently we refused $3,000,000 for that trade-mark; it new stands for a very large business. Anether corporation at the time I joined it, some twenty years age, had a volume of about $5,000 000; new it has a volume of around $80,000,000 a year. "Out from them these larger principles stand ferth: "(1) There is no use trying te sell unless and until you net only have something better te sell than the next man, but can also give geed reasons why what you have is better. "(2) These reasons will net have a continuing effect unless your product is net enlydistinctive in quality, but also has a trade-mark which stands for that distinction. "(3) Ne matter hew geed the product or hew geed the reasons, the public will net quickly recognize either. A solid business is slowly built. "(4) The business building is never finished ; one has te keep his product constantly even doggedly before the public, especially during periods when the public is net buying. The memory of the buying public is short. "(5) Tradermark value is hard te establish and easy te lese. Once lest it will scarcely be reestablished. Estab lished, it is mere valuable than any material asset it is the biggest thing in business." It is Mr. Childs' judgment that: "A certain definite amount of the sale price has te be appropriated for adver tisingthat it is as much a part of the 'product as the container. Business will increase in satisfactory volume only provided the manufacturer furnishes the impetus for that increase by keeping his advertising appropriation always increasing in definite proportion." Hew strong a believer Mr. Childs is in advertising is shown by his statement: "If the sales during a considerable period were te fall off, I would urge that the percentage spent for advertising be immediately increased. Te decrease would be te start out of business. Fer, notwithstanding the great value of the material assets of any company, they cannot afford te jeopardize their great est asset, which is the geed will and demand which advertising has built up for them." In most of Mr. Childs9 enterprises National Advertising has been used effectively, and in practically all of these campaigns the Curtis Publications have been an important factor. THE CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY INDEPENDENCE SQUARE, PHILADELPHIA The Ladies' Heme Journal The Saturday Evening Pest The Country Gentleman . ! ". . 1 1 ( ; ' 1 m 'M Ya ' T I ' i ijtmtmmr 'W s 'N. yy NN- v .
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers