The Necessary Foundation

By Jack Dionne

If you saw a blacksmith start , making a horseshoe, and trying to pound one out of a cold piece of iron with his hammer, you'd think him a fool.

If a barber started shaving you without preparing your beard in a;ny way for the operation, you'd want him locked up for a half-wit.

Yet the world is filled with business men who haven't

Our Big, llew Mill

yet learned that when he sends his men out to sell goods, without preparing his customer for their reception, is just like such a blacksmith and such a 'barber. What heat is to that iron-what softening is to that beard-the warmth and friendliness of intelligent customer preparation is to the selling business.

Not long ago Bud Fisher pictured Mutt and Jeff in prison, and Jeff was cracking away at a big rock with a hammer. He hit it many times, but never even ni'cked it.

Then Mutt grabbed the hammer, gave it a mighty swing,, and smashed the rock into bits. "T'hat was easy enough," said Jeff "after I got it all softened up for you."

Every man who has something to sell to the public, needs practically in his business something of what the fire does for the blacksmith's iron, the lathering does for the barber, and what Jeff did for Mutt.

He needs a foundation of acquaintance, of interest, of respect for his firm and his goods, before his salesmen call.

What are YOU doing?

A client of ours bought one of our best and most expensive advertising spaces. He used it three issues. Then he told us that while he likes the copy and the space, it was more expensive than his business justified, and he would drop out for the time being, and perhaps use smaller and less attractive and expensive space. He tried that ONE issue. Then he came in and signed a contract for the space he had previously used, explaining that his salesmen had complained in unison of their dropping from the attractive space, expressing the opinion that the initial advertising had placed them in a position they could not afford to jeopardize, and basing their opinion on remarks from their trade.

This is an actual, recent happening.

Our advertising had given them what we 'call "Customer preparation." Think this problem over, Mr. Manufacturer or distributor who questions the value of such publicity.

REDWOOD and FIR

WE CARRY .A. LARGE WHOLESALE STOCK AT OUR OAKLAND DISTRIBUTING YARDS WHICH ENABLES US TO GTVE YOU PROMPT LOADING OF YARD AND SHED ITEMS IN BOTH REDW@D AND FIR. ,