One of the most satisfying things I ever did was to keep intact the summer working force of a large paving contractor throughout the succeeding winter. We advertised for and sold enough concrete cellar and stable floors to keep the several gangs busy every working day of the winter and to make a good profit for the contractor. A butcher in the same city ran a credit business very close to receivership. Cash buying of meat specialties in car-load lots, and cash selling, rejuvenated the business almost immediately and it is making money today. Five years ago R. W. Lawrence and C. Alfred Wagner thought I was the right man for them in the piano busi We are still using sales plans created by Mr. Davis shortly after he came with us five years ago. I have been more or less in touch with his work since that time and he has never failed to justify the confidence originally placed in his ability and loyalty. I certainly believe he has the ability to place himself advantageously -in which case double congratulations will be in order. RICHARD W. LAWRENCE, ness. They have not regretted their judgment, as their kind letters testify. Every industry that has a right to endure has productive, profitable and (more often than not) distinctive selling points. It's a great thing to know what they are, how to use them, and then to use them! My conception of sales work is to get business on a right and profitable basis. Advertising, suited to the conditions, can pave the way for the most effective salesclosing. If you have, or could profitably create a position in your organization for one who can work aggressively and intelligently in sales promotion, I would be glad to call for an interview. ROBERT V. DAVIS ROOм 901, 437 FIFTH AVE., NEW YORK Telephone, VANDERBILT 3091 Circulation Methods FOURTH DIS NOTE-This is the fourth "open door" talk about Successful Farming's circulation methods. We are holding the door wide open so that every advertiser may see and know definitely how our circulation is secured and maintained. We do not intend that any statement we make in these advertisements shall have an equivocal meaning. We want advertisers to know the actual facts. If at any time we find that we cannot be proud of a statement of the actual facts concerning Successful Farming's circulation methods, we shall change the methods so we can be proud of them. We have done that from time to time in the past. Changing conditions have developed improved methods and revealed weaknesses in the old methods. ONE PER CENT. IN CLUBS For instance, we secure 66% of our circulation direct from the home office through an appeal by mail to selected lists of farmers who read farm papers and answer the ads. Another 32% % comes through the efforts of our own subscribers and their friends who act as local agents. But only 1% is secured by selling Successful Farming in clubs with other papers. We have been asked why this latter percentage, is so small. We do not undertake to pass judgment on the value to other publications of subscriptions secured by clubbing with other papers. But we have reached the definite conclusion that the average value of Successful Farming's subscriptions to the advertiser is increased by practically eliminating club subscriptions from our list. We Our decision was not taken hurriedly or without careful consideration. realized that this was an accepted subscription method and that it would put names on our list at a lower cost to us than either of the principal methods we are using. We were aware that the Audit Bureau does not require so much detailed information on club subscriptions as on our two principal methods. We know that our subscriptions could be very materially increased through the use of clubbing offers. CLUBBING DISCOURAGED PERCENTAGE BY EACH METHOD 66.% No. 1-Direct Mail 32.49% No. 2-Local Agents 1.% No. 3-Clubbing .4% No. 6-Subscription Agencies .01% No. 7-Bulk But in spite of all these reasons for using this method, we have absolutely cut off all clubbing offers from this office or through our local agents. If another publisher wants to offer Successful Farming with his own paper, we will sell subscriptions to him at a discount of not to exceed 50% of the subscription price. Unless we are convinced that the publisher will get the kind of subscriptions we want and get them where we want them we refuse to make any discount at all. We accept only a small per centage of the offers to sell Successful Farming in clubs with other papers. Frankly Discussed CUSSION 3,775 CLUB SUBSCRIBERS IN A YEAR Subscription agents are not permitted to quote rates on Successful Farming in a club with other papers. The total number of Successful Farming subscriptions that might by any possibility be classed as club subscriptions received from June 1st, 1916, to May 31st, 1917, was 3,775. We do not wish to surrender to any one else the power to decide what kind of subscribers we shall have or where they shall be located. If we are going to give any premium at all, we prefer to use something that does not continuously compete with Successful Farming for the subscriber's attention. We are of the opinion that there is enough duplication in farm papers and magazines without our increasing it by forcing another paper or papers into the hands of our subscribers thru a club offer. We believe that if Successful Farming is offered as an individual proposition, without any other paper as a premium, it will stand out in the mind of the subscriber as of more individual importance than he would give to any paper as a part of a club. We believe that this plan of insisting on individual subscriptions to Successful Farming, locates and puts on our subscription list those farm families who prefer Successful Farming to other farm papers and eliminates those who prefer some other paper. We think you will agree with us that it is quite as important to eliminate those who are not interested as it is to secure the subscriptions of those who are interested. EDITED FOR ACTUAL FARMERS Our whole system of circulation getting is based on the idea that Successful Farming is edited for actual farmers and their families who live on farms in the North Central States. It is of real constructive value to such people and in their hands is 100% good as an advertising medium to people who have merchandise of quality to sell to farmers. Other phases of the subscription end of our business will be discussed in later advertisements in Printers' Ink. In other advertising journals we are presenting a series of advertisements on editorial policy, a series showing the value of our service to certain classes of advertising and a series showing specific instances where Successful Farming has made good. We shall be pleased to discuss your problems with you. sion of credit. These stores were established originally as "oneman" stores, and the sole clerk, who was manager, salesman, cashier and porter all in one, was permitted to close the store between one and two p. m. while he went to lunch. A business of $400 a week was considered quite satisfactory from one of the stores when newly established, though, as a matter of fact, many G. A. & P. stores do six or seven times that amount. As the stores grow, of course, additional salesmen are added to take care of the customers. Even at that, however, the organization has such a firm hold upon its regular trade that cases have been known where customers at times of special rush business have been willing to wait in the store an hour and a half before purchasing rather than go elsewhere-a record which not many stores could equal. These special rush times, incidentally, are almost always on Fridays and Saturdays, on which days nearly one-half the total business of the company is done, due to the prevalence of Saturday as "pay day." If we may accept the testimony of the men who knew him best. Mr. Hartford was a born "manager of men." A shrewd judge of character, he had a way of detecting in a moment the fact that one of his associates was feeling discouraged and "blue." A friendly clap on the shoulder and a word of encouragement from him never failed to achieve a magical result, and the man who had been feeling out of sorts walked off with his head up. In the early days of the business, he did all the employing of new men himself, and seems to have had an uncanny knack of determining in advance just about what a given man would and could do. It was always his policy to fill the new and bigger jobs which were created in the growth of the business by choosing men already with the company. The new-style "economy store," as everyone knows, has proved much more efficient than the old stores were, and as a result, more than 3,000 of the new type have been opened by the company during the past five years, and practically all the previously existing stores (except about 100) have been changed to the new basis. For financing this vast scheme of expansion, the company's capital stock was not long ago increased from $2,100,000 to $12,500,000 of preferred and $20,000,000 of common stock. The present policy of the company is to substitute for one oldstyle store several of the new type scattered through a neighborhood at convenient locations. It is said that an increase in business amounting to 65 per cent has sometimes been recorded as a result of adapting an old store to the new economy methods. Mr. Hartford was not only active in business life, but in community enterprises in his home city. He was mayor of the city for thirteen years, during nine of which he was not opposed by any other candidate. He was of English descent, and was born in Augusta, Me. He received his first business experience in a dry-goods house in Boston. Paper Restriction Relaxed by England on The British Royal Commission Paper, on March 2, issued an order prohibiting the sending of any trades. men's catalogues, price-lists or advertising circulars unless upon the written request of the persons desiring them. This provision did not apply to the forwarding of catalogues and trade lists by traders to traders for the purposes of their business. Recently, however. a general license has been issued, with certain restrictions, which virtually rescinds the original order so that now such advertising matter may be forwarded without a written request, to customers or prospective customers. The purpose of the original order was to restrict the use of paper. The recent cancellation of the order indicates that the supply of paper is now so large that further conservation is considered unnecessary by the Royal Commission. Byrne Joins Brooklyn "Times" Staff F. J. Byrne, general advertising representative for the Brooklyn Citizen for nine years, has taken a similar position with the Brooklyn Times. 650,000 Men and Young Men employed in all forms of labor New Fall Clothing in Philadelphia The Third Largest Men's Clothing Market DOMINATE PHILADELPHIA Create maximum impression on both cost by concentrating in the THE PHILADELPHIA The Bulletin is read by "nearly everybody" 351,976 Copies a Day Largest 2c Circulation in the East New York Office WILLIAM L. McLEAN, Publisher Dan. A. Carroll, Tribune Bldg. |