Vagabond Editorials

(Continued from Pa3e 6)

JOB, and his RESPONSIBILITY to do these things, but it is going to be his SALVATION. And what the year will mean to him is going to depend on how much of this sort of work he does' * :r< *

Now, let's get this thing straight. I don't mean that the dealer ought to sell a complete modernization or conversion job to every old home in his territory. Not at all. As a matter of fact, I think this idea is being rather overdone in some of the modernization boosting that is going on. I want to GLORIFY THE SMALL ORDER. I want the dealer to sell something, regardless of how small, of a building improvement or rrepair character, to every human domocile in his sales territory.

***

Little jobs sell others. Every improvement brings a desire for something else. A new front door, a new mirror door, a new floor, some new windows, a new pot'ch, a new roof, a new side-wall job, a new closet, a new built-in for the kitchen orr the bedroom-all these things bring a desire for other new things. Go' out and see what your town needs, and sell every old home something to make it better. There isn't any more doubt that you can do it, than there is doubt that the sun you CAN. will rise temorrow morning. It WILL, and d<rk*

But you've got to go after your job in a new way, you've got to get out of the old rut, yotr've got to grve up the old chair, you've got to get away from so much per thousand for lurnber. You've got to visualize what YOU can do for THEIII and sell them your stock-not as building material -but as the functions of those things which your stock will srrpply :r :B )r

Thousands of dealers, thank God, are already out and hustlirrg. The majority is still sitting and hoping that automatic business will pick up so that they won'trhave to get up an<l go out and hit the ball. One big line yard man-a great l)rogressive but rather pessimistic about retailers generally--told me that practically all the business his firm is doing is in repairing and remodeling jobs which they are gettinlf by personal'solicitation, and expressed the opinibn that rrost of their business the rest of the year would be the sarne.

I said to him: "But most of these dealers are still asleep." "Let them sleep," he said, laconically.