Why the Thompson Yards Sell Paint

By B. E. SABEBSON, General Sales Manager, Minneapolis, Dlinn.

(Thompson Yards, Inc., is well known as the biggest line of luqber yards on earth, and famous for their intensive merchandising at their two hundrecl points.)

The lumber d.ealer who does not sell paint, fails to render service to his customer right at the time when the customer needs it most. Of all merchants doing business today the lumber merchant is the most logical to sell paint.

ff he does not furnish paint, stains, and varnish, he has no assurance whatever that the material which he has already sold will give any degree of satisfaction.

'Wlen you get right down to brass tacks the customer who buys buikling material, will judge that material in future years by its general appearance and the way it stands up und.er constant usage.

Satisfactory appearance and usage depend largely upon the kind of paint, stain, or varnish that has been used.

The finest lumber in the world will cleteriorate rapidly unless it is properly protected by high grade paint. (Remember, Mr. Saberson doesn't use Redwood,) The best interior ffnish available will look like ('cull" lumber unless the proper fiaish has been selected and properly appliecl.

Builcling material in its "Iumber yard." state is anything but attractive in appearance. There is nothing beautiful about it. No home owner is ever thrillecl by its looks. No one ever wanted a home because the lumber looked nice in the pile. The same is true of ffnish. Can you imagine a retailer trying to sell birch which will be ffnig[sfl in mahogany, by simply showing the prospective customer a piece of unfinisheal birch?

If a lumber dealer wants to display birch finish he will hunt up a piece of trIMSIIED birch and show it instead of attempting to make a sale by using a sample in its raw state.

Irumber, in itself, lacks "color." And yet, when it has been worked up into a HOME and properly finisherl, it beeomes the most beautiful thing in the world. I am saying this advisedly because it is witlely admitted that nothing ean be more attractive than a well painted and beautifully nnisnea HOME in its proper setting.

Irumlber dealers have been slow to d.iscover the advantage of "color." It has played a prominent part in the history of every successful merchaut, but up to the present time its value has been almost totally unknown to retailers of lumber, notwithstanding the fact that it was TEE place in merchandising where paint could be employetl to the best advantage.

Several. years ago we sold houses and barns and other buildings by figuring "lists." 'We simply quoted on enough "raw" material to builtl the required building. 'We apparently tlitl not care how the builtting looked after it was finished, nor how long it lasted. 'We permittetl the eustomer to stumble around until he found some kind of paint, stain, and varnish to d,ress up the job.

Now we DO care and we insist on telling our customers what we have found out about paints in order that they may be able to secure the kincl that will give best satisfaction. 'We, as lunber d.ealers, know lumber, and our knowledge must also include an u4d.erstanding as to what paint will best protect and preserve and beautify that wood. which we sell.

'When it comes to interior finish we are just as particular about the selection of stains and varnishes, because we know from experience, that nothing is so disappointing to the home owner as to ffncl that he does not like the appealance of his woodwork.

Most people builrt a home but once in their lives. They have d.reams of this home for years. They have made up their minds that the interior will look like a certain home they have always likecl. If it rloes not turn out this way they are bitterly disappointed. They have a right to be.

'We exercise e.very precaution to see that the custoner is not disappointecl. 'We do not want him to be dissatisfied. No matter how good the WOOD may be, we know that we will be blamed if the finished product d.oes not turn out to be satisfactory to the customer.

fn order to overcome this difficulty we equipped every branch with finished panels illustrating just how the job will appear when finished, thereby completely satisfying our customers.

'We could not ffncl a single reason why we shoultl not go into the paint business, and there are d.ozens of good. reasons why we should. It was therefore good business to go into it. We clicl. We have never been sorry.

'When a eustomer is ffguring on a home we fust ffntl out what color scheme will suit him best. 'When we have completed the perspective of the proposed. home we then color it in the shad.es which were his favorites. Selling the job than becomes an easy task. 'We have taken advantage of that which will quickly produce the proper emotionCOITOR.

COIJOR, prod.uces emotion, emotion produces MOTION, and motion prod.uces ORDERS.

We have found that the sale of paint stinulates lumber sales, increases profits, builcts up a long line'of customers, guarantees satisfaction, and eliminates trouble.

I,ET'S WOBBY

'When all the trees have been eut down And all the logs are milled, 'When all the forests have "gone s6gf,"How shall this page be filled?

Each year we hear in accents d.rear

The size of each year's cut I

'We hear the wheeze: "There'll be no trees

In just a few years." But-

I'm not worrying;

I know where there are a few saplings !