Use Kipling's "Flonest Serving Men"

Bg Jacft Dionne

We got a lot of very satisfactory reaction from our editorial in March Firstissue"Put the Courtesy Boys to Work".

Quite a number of live lumbermen are already using the "Courtesy Boys" in their advertising.

In that editorial we quoted Kipling's verse: I keep six honest serving men, (They taught me all they knew); Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who.

Why shouldn't we use these six good and true "Serving Men" of Kipling's-who have given 'HIM such wonderful service-teaching him all they know-in lumber merchandising?

W:t"tfff.ll heard speakers quote the famous 111il(irn-"Know thyself"-and credit it to "the Scriptures". It was the great "Pagan" Socrates, however, who said it. It was his text through life. .Socrates said a man should see himself in an abstract way. Should take his bwn mind, hold it off at arrn's length, and look'it over, judging it without fear or bias; and act accordingly

All wisd men since that time have agreed as to the wondrous wisdom of this thought of the grand old philosopher.

Ant all thinking men in this day and generation agree that one of the first fundamentals of business success is to "Know Thy Business". 'Particularly ib this true in the retail lumber business.

And to know yol,rr business does not simply mean to know your stocks, your prices, your equipment, your service, your ability and willingness to supply a demand for building material. This might be the sum total if you were strictly a "materialman". But it isn't enough for a MERCHANT, because knowing your stocks and physical facts is NOT merchandising.

You tnust know your district, your trade, your prospects, your possibilities. In addition to knowing your goods and what you can do with them, you have got to know who wants them, and what they want done with them, and how they can be used to best serve THELR purposes.

That's where Kipling's "six honest serving men" will step in, and you can put them on the pafoll; along with those good, hard-working "courtesy boys".

Remember-

"Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who".

"WHAT building service can I furnish YOU?"

"\MHY go without a HOM,E when you can have one?"

"WHEN shall I meet you and your wife and show you my plans, pictures, figures, etc. ?"

"HO\M would you like some plans and figures on modernizing your old home?"

"WHERE can you invest your savings to better advantage than in a HOME or a home improvement?"

"WHO do you know in your neighborhood that is in need of my building service this season ?"

Many other questions you may ask, by using these "honest serving men", that will acquaint you with your trade, fill up your prospect book, and help you supply the building NEEDS of YOUR town.