rut Is the Small Thin$s that'Count" Says the Wise Dealer

By A. O. Hcwitt, Pres. & Mgr. Terry Lumber & Coal Company, Tcrry, Mont.

In our observation a great many Lumber Merchants overlook sm.all things-we might say details-and in our experience these same small things are the A B C of lumbei merchandising. This is how we formed this conclusion.

A careful study of our ordinary farmer customer's wants revealed to us the fadt that the farmer has a definite idea in his head. Let us say it is a hog trough. He comes in and asks what plank are'worth "a thousan'." We used to quote, we did not know any better and neither did he. Explanations followed in response to his (and our) atgument. He 'vlent away disguSted, vowing then and there that when he got ready to build he would send fdr the bulk of his lumber out of town.

One-d'ay the following summer we were amazed and angered to see Farmer Jdnes drive into town with Iour tealms and drive directly to the rail road yards to a car ol brighrt new lumber for a barn. This started our "thinktank" functioning.

We had our yard man, at his leisure, make a few hog troughs. A customer, of the type Similar to F'arm_e-r Jones, came in with the same idea and same question. We found out by questioning that he wanted a hog trough. We showed liim the V type, qudted one plank 60c, the other 40c plus labor and nails making 25c, total $1.25. The trough was sold rvithout arument or delay.

The customer volunteered the information that he h'ad a good acreage of wheat and would need bin room for storagi from the threshing machine and asked if we handled gilvanized grain bins. He said he had seen'them adverdised in farm papers and that they were leak proof, fire proof, and no mice ,could get into the wheat. - After he had gone we got busy on an'idea of temporary wheat bins knowing that his wants would be exactly the same as a hundred other farmers in this section. We made up 'plans and specifications for three types of. itemporqry whe-at bins and two types of permanent granaries, and figured up the cost of material for each. Then we went to the local newspaper and bought space to tell all these farmers abou,t these bins and the low cost of each.

In the course of a fev/, weeks they started coming for those wheat bins. They bought from the backboard illustrations the types best suited to their particular needs- no questions asked as to price of lumber per thousand-no irguments and no delay. They loaded them-up-and were Jatisfied. Each volunteered the information that later on he would need some other buildings. Some wanted small corn cribs, others wanted hog houses. Still others wanted barns and some would like new houses.

We next had our yard man make a 7x9 A shaped hog house. This was exhibited at our fair and offered as a special premium ito the exhibitor of best sow and pigs. We have had a dozen inquiries as to cost of material for that A' shaped hog house and will no doubt sell a number of them this fall.

Now we are preparing several types and sizes of corn cribs, hog houses, and barns, and v/ill advertise them by circulars to our list of prospects. In m,aking up these circulars we use a medium grade cardboard on which the advertisement is, printed on one side. These are 'then fol.ded, addressed and mailed. No other cover is necessary, which of course eliminates the cost of the envelopes.

We have lo-ng since abandoned the old method of quoting lumber by the thousand and avoided quoting at all except on the finished job w'hen we can. We find the paying of attention to the details-the small things lead to bigger things-give universal sartisfaction to our customers. They volun,teer the informa,tion as to what they hope to build next and we are right there in advance an'ticipating their wants and ready with quotations on the finished job (ma,terial only) and even though lumber is comparatively higher than formerly, there is less quibbling over prices and less and less competitive bills offered for figures.

We are really enjoyin| ourselves where we used to be continually worrying over what our competiltor would do with this bill o. ttral Uitt and what his prices werd on this or that.

We might add here too that we make up our own price lists from costs plus overhead, etc., and percentage of profit on turnover and GET IT from all alike. \Me use National Builders Service to good advantage and are getting results We find it a whole lot easier to sell the customer what he wants thain to sell him lumber. From "Helping 'Em Build" of the National Builders' Bureau, Spokane, Wash.