No V.cation ]or Paint Sales

There was a time when paint dealers thought their's was a short season business; that during the spring months paint was sold in large quantities and that the remaining months of the year sales were made in dribs of no important consequence.

However, that was before the time of the dealers' graduation from a "store-keeper" into a merchant. The difierence between a "store-keeper" and a merchant is that one keeps store, waiting for customers to come in and buy; and the other goes out after business and sells his merchandise. There are still a few of the former in existence, trying to make a living during the summer months-during moments when they are not 'shooing flies-but they are growing fewer and fewer every year.

The "can't sell paint in summer" idea is like a scarecrow in the field. It scares away the big flocks of sales, and the few dollars that are taken in are like the few wise birds that stick around the edge of the field, picking up a seed now and then. A dealer's customers don't know they shouldn't buy paint in the summer, and if he slumps into a rut they are naturally going to feel that he doesn't want to sell paint, so of course, he can't expect them to spend their money regardless.

Many of our readers already know that there are just as great possibilities for paint sales in summer as in any other. season of the year. True, the sales may be spread a little thinner, over a wider list of items, and the individual purchases may average smaller than those of the heavy spring painting months, but a sale is a sale, regardless of when made, and the truth of the matter is, the specialty items sold during the summer months represents a larger percentag'e of profit per dollar invested than the more staple items that are sold in quantities earlier in the year.

Live dealers are never content to let things take their natural course. There are too many new and novel sales and advertising plans which will keep things humming during the possible dull months, provided, of course, that they are utilized.

One thing in particular that has a bearing on piant sales is the atmosphere of the store during the summer months. Keep it looking cool, and also keep it as cool as possible. When the shoppers enter from the hot, dusty street, let them know that you and your clerks are full of pep and on the alert instead of putting a damper on possible sales by appearing wilted and overcome by the heat of the day.

Right now the lawn swings are being set up under the shady tree, and the porch furniture is being brought out of winter storage to be given a new coat of paint or finish before going into summer session. The man of the house is looki.ng with saddened eyes at last year's car, wishing it looked like new. Out at the country club everything is under way for golf, tennis and other sports.

Summer cottages along the lakes and streams are being put in shape for habitation until next September, and of all the places in the world where paint can be sold, it is in the summer cottage area.

Even though the whole town may take a vacation for a week, month or all summer, there need be no vacation for paint sales, because these town people getting ready for their holidays are always more or less willing to spend money to get things looking better.

That the summer slump in paint sales is nothing more nor less than a "condition of mind" has been proved so frequently and so decidedly that there is little cause for the dealer putting up his shutters and spending all his time at the ball game,

Just keep right on going at the same old clip, only bringing a little more pressure to bear on the specialty items for household use, and you will find that THERE IS NO VACATION FOR PAINT SALES.