Profitable

Showmanship

Profitable
Showmanship
by
KENNETH

NEW

GOODE

and

YORK:

PRENTICE-HALL,

INC.

ZENN

KAUFMAN

COPYRIGHT,

BY

1939,

PRENTICE-HALL,

FIFTH

70

ALL

RIGHTS

MAY

BE

INC.

AVENUE,

RESERVED.

NO

REPRODUCED

IN

ANY

OR

OTHER

FROM

YORK

PART

ANY

OF

THE

Second
Third

SION
PERMIS-

PUBLISHERS.

January

Printing

December

Printing

Fourth

BOOK

GRAPH
MIMEO-

WITHOUT

Printing

First

THIS

BY

FORM,

MEANS,

WRITING

IN

NEW

1939
1939

April

Printing

July

1940

1940

Fifth

Printing

September

1946

Sixth

Printing

November

1949

Seventh

Eighth

PRINTED

Printing

April
March

Printing

IN

THE

UNITED

STATES

OF

AMERICA

1951

1955

Contents

I.
II.

Dummy

Out$ing$

What

Is

III.

Only

One

IV.

Carry

Your

Shoot

for

VI.

Don't

Tell

VII.

Hitch

Your

VIII.

Stick

V.

IX.
X.
XI.
XII.

Sex
In

Is
this

You

with

Heart

Me-Let

Wagon

to

Guess

Star

Script
Profit"
to

Dorft

Be

Forever

Stay

Business

100

121

127

Conflict

135

146
Your

87

107

Counts

XIV.

50

77

Me

Corner"

Down

Index

the

Here

Sloiu

"My

31

Theater

and

Timing

12

Hero

the

XIII.

XV.

Star

Showmanship?

to

Beauty"

Opera

Wooden
Is

Bandwagon
Indian

Different"

152

159
166

177

Dummy

Out$ing$ Opera Star

City Music Hall. Not with a famous personality

No.
with a Hollywood superproduction.
not
than an hour's showingof
His picture
was
hardlymore
sketches: familiar fairy-tal
littlepainted
unpretentious
the huge
and demurelyacross
characters movingquaintly
Radio

vast

screen.

A
the

whole
success

year earliera Paris silk house had wageredon

of Disney's
showmanshipby buyingfor France

the firstmerchandising
to
rights
in

the Snow

White

motif

onlya few months

the firstshowing.
on
justified

and Carrier the jeweler

was
fabrics,

later. And
As

their wisdom

Mickey Mouse

and the Seven Dwarfs."

was

had succeeded,so
Not

because

"Snow

theywere

White

drawings

of means!
Not by any manner
photographs!
of it! For Walt Disneycarries to its
in spite
Desperately
conclusion" beyond any believable distance" the
illogical
in the thoroughly
flatproofof the complete
reasonable
error
of all experiunanimous
and practically
enced
prediction
twelve years
ten
or
producers,
motion-picture
would never
that the public
earlier,
accept the incongruity
of human
voices coming out of photographs.
They are
it'sthe appeal,
wiser today. Convinced
and not the
now
that matters"
vehicle,
Hollywood even considers Deanna
Durbin with cartoon
backgroundin "Cinderella." The
of
shrewd executive who
one
spokemost convincingly
of havingmoving photoall as to the flat impossibility
graphs
also talk is said to be planning
a feature length,
musical comedy to be sung by drawings.
big-time
let'stravel 3,000
the movies for a moment,
Forgetting
of
miles for another angleon the improbable
possibilities
profitable
showmanship.While Sundaymorningcrowds
instead of

Dummy
waited

Out$ing$ Opera

Star

the whole length

of one of
"Dopey,"filling
New
York's longest
blocks for hours in winter winds, an
Canadian minister was
his Sunday
intelligent
postponing
services from seven
o'clock until eight
to givethe
evening
a chance
to
young peoplein his Manitoba congregation
hear Charlie McCarthy over
the radio. As all know,
Charlie McCarthy is a ventriloquist's
dummy!
"Dopey" and Charlie McCarthythus moved together
into the toyshop
windows
and shared together
the soap
that Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck once
found
designs
I. F. Lauks broughtout a special
so
line of
profitable.2
cosmetics for ventriloquists'
dummies.
Rubber
Sieberling
signedup to make Snow White and the seven dwarfs in
to

see

molded

rubber toys,Snow

dwarfs

White

retailat

the
dollar,
gel,
apiece.JosephDixon, Lionel,Manto

cents
fifty
and National Dairywere
firstamong the enterprisin
the Disneybandwagon,while Owens
to hook
a ride on
tories
IllinoisGlass laughed
off the depression
its facby filling
Not
decorated in Disneydesigns.
with glassware
and picturesque
colorful,
surprising.
They are likeable,
at

toys!

"as

year before this

The
1The

"feud"

nursed
carefully

Fields is
natural

an

example of

excellent

between
the

the

took
Disneyenterprise

new

Charlie

McCarthy

promotivevalue

Fields,they say, took the first crack

tie-ups.

and

for both

"

at

the

W.
sides
"

C.
of

up-and-coming

McCarthy. Bergen had his littledummy retort, "Mr. Fields,if they were
have to use redwood
going to carve
your face out of wood, they would
for

The

nose!"

phraseswept the country. Since then Fields has publicly

quently
slice
to
McCarthy into a set of Venetian blinds. Freyoung
tive
diminufull of termites. "Charles, my
claimed the dummy
was
don't you
the radio, "Why
little chum," said Fields over
go ride
"redwood"

threatened

piggybackon
2

buzz

conservative

The

Mouse

saw?"
New

that he
boasting

full page

in the

Times

York

Times

ran

pulled4,000 orders
magazinesection.

at

house
one

ad

showing Mickey

dollar

apiecefrom

Dummy

Pluto the

screen,

Pup, Donald

had
Disneyites
worth

Out$ing$ Opera Star

had

part in the sale of $35,000,000

fore,
theresurprised,
had
Kay Kamen
enterprising

of character articles. We
to

learn that the

listed nearly
200

tive
Duck, and other allitera-

aren't

licenses to utilizeSnow

White

even

fore
be-

from
premiereended. But strictly
Charlie McCarthy
audience viewpoint,
to see
any sophisticated
in Broadway
as a person, professionally,
appearing
featured seriously
as the top box-office attraction
lights,
of "The Goldwyn Follies,"
Adolphe Menjou,
obscuring
Phil Baker, and the Metropolitan
Opera Ballet,is as
in his prime
of Mickey Mouse
as the memory
startling
actor's altogeth
billed above Charles Laughtonin the English
admirable picture
"Henry the Eighth."
Charlie McCarthy and Mickey Mouse together
deserve,
in historical perspective,
have their portraits
technito
colored eternally
into the top of every American
nessman'
busihat. Not merelyto prevent his talking
through
manship,
it;but to keep him alwaysreminded that true showlike folk lore and fairy
rooted
is so deeply
tales,
in human
that peoplenever
notice flaws in
nature
even
its expression.
Walt Disney,
the colleges"
while,as he called it,"playing
for his honoraryMaster's degrees,
asked by
was
the success
of Snow
White.
The
reporters to explain
of his answer
more
simplicity
enlightening
was, perhaps,
than his answer.
"The American
said Disney,
people,"
"are mostly
theyenjoythe simple
simple-minded"
things!"
What
Walt Disneywas
with courtesy
really
saying,
characteristicof his own
with funnylittleanimals,
gentleness
that peoplein the mass
do not like,cannot
was
the New

York

Dummy

Outfing$ Opera

Star

comprehend,will not try to appreciate

complicated
apadvertisers
most
peal-thethings
to
use
try to impress
than peoplewill
them-any more
sensations
try new
when
there are so many familiarenjoyments
of the old
emotions.

Basically,
Mickey Mouse, Snow White, and Charlie
McCarthy,as well,are founded on humanity's
age-old
keen and infallibleenjoyment of seeing
some
any small,wincreature, grotesque enough to keep us in countenance,
smart
to overcome
yet sufficiently
unjustoppression
(throughone reel or seven) and happilyemerge
with a victory.
We
of pleascan, with varying
degrees
ure,
but alwayswith pleasure,
the
subconsciously
identify
hero 'with ourselves.
Not

all good

of course,
showmanship,

is confined

to

but all universal

particular
angleof human appeal;
successes
are
nearlyenoughrelated so that no conceivable
harm any appeal
can
which, however absurd
incongruity
based on the basic
is soundly
and screamingly
unpractical,
affection.
human
emotions of sympathy and protective
in each
it stirsconstantly
more
And, probably
important,
that without some
business mind the corollary
negative:
such simplevital appealto simplehuman
nature, no
of money,
or
or
amount
ingenuity,
energy, lavished on
create
a Mickey Mouse
ever
can
or promotion
preparation
"Wrong-way" Corrigans,
or
a Charlie McCarthy. But
establishthemselves overnight.
for fortunate example,
can
The intelligentsia
of Broadway,of Radio City,and of
Hollywood alreadyknow this. Naturally.It is their
racket. When
theytalk about sure-firehokum theyare
that

as a
recognizing,

matter

of

course,

that,in certain simi-

Dummy

Out$ing$ Opera

fixed circumstances,
a
fairly

lar and

basic human

be relied upon
established "theater,"
however

to

emotions

very
to

may

Star

few
react

simple
rately
accu-

bare,
crude, thread-

and

the

With
skilled protawdry the presentation.
fessiona
guidedby
tryout and show-to-show build-up
hokum
is found completely
response of live audiences,

reliablein

business

Witness

sense.

"Abie's Irish Rose."

mother
with cello obligato
remains,in
gray-haired
the lazydramatist's certain formula
mildlymodern variation,
for tears.
is gone with Corse Peyton
Papersnow
Good
and the Adam
but Sousa's "Stars and
companies;
Forever" stillswingsdown a brassycurtain,
and
Stripes
"The Star SpangledBanner" stillbrings
to
a crowd
tention.
atA

This

write in

we

It is the
the

Within

next

no

one

of derision. Quite the contrary.

spirit
pointthis book would emphasize.

ten

years
in business thinking
may be

revolution
no
revelation,

no

than an intellig
important
that showmanshipis profitabl
comprehension
And that professionals
survive
because it is professional.
foundly
because,like Walt Disney,they are elementary.Proelementary.With a
elementary.Invariably
afford to be conceited.
daily"nut" of $14,000a circus cannot
in its turn, will come
Or careless. Big business,
some
day to be as wise as the circus. Executives gen"The

of

threatens

or

and
Wallendas
"

but

its

if there's

The

the

accident.

collapsed the end

at

missed

band

an

in New

trapeze and

most

troubled

Patriotic audiences
about

of their
York's
fell. But

playedthe national anthem,

Philadelphia

oil for

It's the

forgetwhat's going on

BaileyCircus,and

Olivera

useful.

most

only America's

is not

SpangledBanner"

Star

music;

more

act

them.
in the

Madison
there

was

In

piece
important
if panic
stand at rigidattention
waters

Akron, in

1932,

the

Brothers,Barnum
Ringling
Amerika
Garden,
Square
in
either
no
place.
panic

Patriotism saved the

day, (From

Dummy
some
erally

Out$ing$ Opera

day

will realize that human

largeenough

masses

Star

to

yieldcommercial

in
beings,

profit,are

any
so

uniformly
impelled
by the same few simple
stupid-sounding
emotions,and are so universally
standardized by habit
and inertia,
that they offer to the Du
Fonts,General
and U. S. Steel
Electric,
for

mathematics of human

action

out
figuring
exact

their distributionproblemsas
spectacularly
and scientific
as any other technical knowledge

ratory
$10,000,000a year in labogainedthroughspending
research on overproduction.
In Hollywoodand along
gents
tanBroadway,
temperamental
and personal
tend more
often to make
prodigality
talk about the box officeas proof
of success
than
producers
itsexperience
failure. Bigproducers,
to use
to avert
ing
relytheir own
stillkeepfairly
on
judgment,
submergedthe
now

fact that their salesmanagers

of

exact

not

seem

at

their call great quantities

statistical
data about the

of human
do

have

beings.They,like the
to

profitable
tion
manipulaindustrialmagnates,

realizethat box-officefigures
can

be made

in their
fullycomparative"
laws of averages" as the chemical and physical
formulas
locked in the vaults at Pittsburgh,
mington.
and WilSchenectady,
his box-officefindings,
One did. By utilizing
edge,
knowlmuch as General Motors utilizesits metallurgical
able to establishthe onlyamuseMarcus Loew
ment
was
in the world that continued dividends
enterprise
Alfred Sloan,for one, is reciprocatin
throughall depressions.
Marcus
and applying
extending
by splendidly
Loew's box-office knowledgeto the business of selling
doubt, General
no
next
depression,
cars, so that by our
able to continue dividends. MeanMotors will be equally
as

as
adequate,

accurate,

as

Dummy

Out$ing$ Opera

Star

been born,so to speak,

time,the shrewd showman, having
with a box-office
in dollars
sense
to weigh unavoidably
and

cents

the sales appealof

from
everything

the little

the three-million-dollar film,

to
team
song-and-dance
tends to keepthe business of showmanship
more
practical
than the showmanship
of business.
"The

show

must

go on"

is

no

mere

theatrical catchword.

til
sloganof professional
competence. Unthe recent
combined
with one
depression
violently
labor union leader to fold up the bigRingshortsighted
not
a
lingBrothers,Barnum " Baileyenterprise
single
circus had failed in the memory
of man.
Not in sixty
It'sthe

years,

summers

cycle. That

and

winters,in any

is because

sort

of economic

down
theyknoio their customers
for peanuts. They even
to the lastpenny
know, as Fred
Kellyreminds us, that the "walkaways"on an average
afternoon or eveningwill net the box office about $20
in forgotten
a performance
change.
is the art of cashing
in on the profitThis, certainly,
the moment
payinghuman weaknesses. Unfortunately,
it escapes the supervision
of a shrewd professional
boxoffice man,
amateur
"inexperts"
begin to confuse the
itself. What
symbolsof showmanshipwith showmanship
is so completely
tine
as, let'ssay, the standard roustereotyped
of the American
convention?
At every one
political
the delegates
the beautiful"Old Glorygirl"
in the galsee
lery
while the
accidentally
pickedup by the spotlight
Banner,"the
weary band crashes into "The Star Spangled
for a predetermined
visibly
cheering
manipulated
period
and the States "led" by New
York or Oklahoma.
The
routine has been stalefor the
past fifty
years.

Dummy
Or

OutftingfOpera Star

take,in the

allied fieldof advertising

closely
the indiscriminate use of bright
colors" surely
the simplest,
and possibly
the most
of similar misapprehenfamiliar,
sion.
Sales figures
have demonstrated,beyond doubt,
that the intelligent
of color to enhance the attractiveness
use
of the goodsthemselves or their lifelikedisplay
pays
From
color used that way sales increases of
bigprofits.
often enough. But there's
300, 500, 1,000 per cent come
abundant reason
that an extra color used by an
to assume
ambitious as a showman, solely
advertiser,
to attract
tention
atwill seldom pay its extra cost.
Nevertheless,
just
NO
NEWS
in three-inch headlines,
as the tabloid editor prints
half believing
he's made some
so thousands of
news,
American
continue
businessmen
to
intelligent
display
vertisi
their brightest
scarletsand vermilions in one form of ading
or
another,in wistful hope theyare therebybemore

showmen.

Or, take stillanother fieldwhich is,or should be, closest

Any publicrelations
showmanship"publicity.
director who
gets himself a free column in any leading
entitled to credit for one majoraccomplishme
newspaper is clearly
for
of getting
major accomplishment
people have to pay for!
nothingspace which most
of all to

Whether

or

umn
not, in any other respectwhatever,that col-

about to his most gullible

boasting
on
girlfriend will,of course, depend almost completely
of
human appeals
how richly
it packsthose inconspicuous
Take Corrigan's
been speaking.
which we have just
licity
pubtural."
He's a "naas comparedwith the routine flyer's.
can
man
It is not, then,how nearly
a publicity
Mouse
to creating
a Charlie McCarthy or a Mickey
come
is thereafterworth

Out$ing$ Opera Star

Dummy

io

But how

absurd!
"that is patently

publicfavor
is founded

justseen

with which

on

the

same

he fills
his column

simplelittleemotions

thrust aside the world's

in order

to

the
accurately

acclaim

set

bid foi

of free space
that

we

have

raphy
gorgeous photogof drawings
and a wooden
most

dummy.
Let's look about for

some

other

sort

of

success

by which

feats of accurate
ship.
showmansurprising
As judgedby accepted,
traditional
conventional,
the most
tasteful,
standards,
adequate,
perfect,
technically
and altogether
are
eye-and-ear-satisfying
stage shows
without doubt givenin the Music Hall at Radio City.
the Stage"each week, these splendid
"On
productions
dom
selwe
successively
surpass each other. Nevertheless,
hear even
So we
mention of them.
a passing
may,
that the highspot
be pardonedfor pointing
out
perhaps,
forth during
of audience enthusiasm,
instead of bursting
those numbers
featuring
pleasantly
complicated
patterns
of music and color,invariably
throws back twenty-five
of havingthirty-si
years to an earlyRoxy conception
dressed exactly
all doing,at an
alike,
good-looking
girls
identical moment,
the same
precisely
simplething!
here from an earlier
Which
our
repeating
may justify
showmanshipis not by any means
page that profitable
founded on the amount
of wit,of ingenuity,
of money, or
of energy expendedin the creation or in the preparation
of production"
in any of these or all combined" but is
or
of its
founded almost entirely
the essential validity
on
basic emotional appeal.Don't be distracted by size,
and flamboyancy.Brightideas,gorfanfare,
flashiness,
geous
those too often are what
colors,spectacular
signs"
to

measure

those

other

beer

showmen
can"

on!"

sell

sells

hairs"

121,630
sells

Opera

Out$ing$

Dummy

corn

you\

canned
sells

hair

plaster.

"It
beer.
tonic.

Star

is

always

"Your

"Lady,

midnight

scalp
keep

is

inside

entitled

your

to

shoes

What

Showmanship?

Is

NOBODY
Mr.
At

least

of

Durstine

Roy

two

years

Masses

of

the

people today
the

business

tool

new

it

or

influenced

simple

therefore,

has,

speech:

York

be

the

modernist.

young

New

can

graphic,

absorbed
.

in

ACCUSE

JUSTLY

sensational

said

he

ago

dramatic,

Big

being

CAN

only by

smash.

grabbed

sales

new

technique, adapted

new

medium.

Whether

like

we

not,

are

we

show

in the

now

business.

With
it

or

business

in

the

advertising

not,

And

showmanship.
Stephen

Leacock

has
like

one

expression

might

define
of

appeal

thereto."

the

got

to

go

defined
of

human

thereof."

into

the

humor

as

it

likes

of

business

the

incongruities

Paraphrasing

showmanship
human

whether

business,

it!

once

contemplation
artistic

show

as

emotions

"the

Mr.

pathetic
"symand

Leacock,

sympathetic
and

the

the

templation
con-

profitable

14

These model
one

were
telegrams

least used,records

What

Is

varied

to

showed, was

Shoivmanship?
suitallclasses. The
this:

The

future of the country that has producedwhat

thisFair commemorates
be in doubt.
It isan
cannot
exhibit.
inspiring

The

the
telegram

American

publicdid

choose

to

press
ex-

itselfread:

My

old

there is to

dogsare

tired. But it'sworth

it to

see

all

see.

the facts behind

Showmanship,to repeat, recognizes
these two
telegrams.The direct mail business naturally
with a great advantage
all other forms of adstarts
vertisi
over
each day, on
It is rebuilt,
each day's
anew
known

results. And

known

results are, after all,advertising's

from its pay audience.

onlyapplause
has three very
on
Showmanship,based squarely
profits,
importantsides alongwith its conventionally
accepted
of blare and glare:
and
simplicity,
sincerity,
trimmings
these factors that theyshould
service. So important
are
for a singlemoment"
be forgotten"
not
never
by the
businessman.
progressive
ence
in showmanship
has,in this book, no refer"Sincerity"
to

the ethical

state

of mind.

It

means

rather

tioned
appealof the valid sort menship,
in the previous
chapter."Service" in showmanneed not
involve,or even
similarly,
suggest, any
actual altruism. Say,rather,
a good-natured
grasp of the
customer's angle"
state
an
of mind" that
extrospective
and expresses everything
from the
sees
spontaneously

natural human

basis for

an

What

Is

other man's
who
that

Showmanship?

r^

viewpoint.Remember

the

man
English-

young

for the firsttime in this

country

encountered

KEEP
delightfully
specific
sign:

"Well, well,"he exclaimed

as

"That's

OUT"THIS

MEANS

YOU.

he considered the matter,

Who
could have told them

odd you know.

jolly
I was
in this
goingto do a spot of traveling
way over
ballyneighborhood!"
Well, the service element in showmanship
simplylifts
that highly
"THIS MEANS
YOU" out of the
personalized
and puts it into the invitations. The difference,
prohibitions,
say, between

the roadside

restaurant

which, instead

of

itselfas "LUNCHROOM," flashesthe dynamic

identifying
sign"EAT."
is not merelya method.
It's
Showmanship,
obviously,
a

of mind.

state

Not

tempo; but

Radio has

temper.

made

But, except
everybody talk "showmanship."
the professional
and directors drafted from
actors
among
the legitimate
radio's real showmanship
stage or vaudeville,
is largely
swamped by studio conventions. Forgetting
the simple
radio is far
noveltyof sound transmission,
than the tabloid streak that struck our
less revolutionary
the
recently,
newspapers a few years ago or, much more
flood of STOP"
LISTEN
LOOK"
magazines.That may help
records has increased
explain
why the sale of phonograph
more

than 500

Good
turn

out

per

cent

advertising
may
to

be

good.

campaignnever knows
asked John Wanamaker
was,
paid. His answer
a

why, then,he

since 1933.
be bad,and bad
Sometimes
which
if he
"About

the

man

is which.

advertising
may
pays for
Someone
once
who

thoughthis advertising
half of it." When

didn't discontinue half of his

aske'd

advertising

What

he

answered,"I wouldn't know

Showmanship,in
And

Is

Showmanship?

which

half

to

contrast, callsits shots. Even

shoots the works!

For better

or

cut

out."

in advertising.
worse.

culation
old-fashioned,
By borrowinga single,
newspaper cirman's contest
and advertising
it in the newspapers,
outdid the radio" and got itself99,000,A store on Fifth Avenue
sold
paid-for
wrappers.
Old Gold

ooo

of dresses from

$40,000 worth

felicitousnewspaper
single
but quiteinfallible,
By the same
simple,
page.
friend Henry Hoke, pioneer
in the mail sales
our
means,
made history
of Direct
at the Cleveland Convention
field,
of a Direct Mail meetinggetting
Mail Users. Think
full columns

of space

the expense of their

traditionalenemies" the newspapers!Think of the whole
fourteen

sales convention

letupfor

three

coming in
days.

on

at

time and

without
listening

Better yet, Mr. Hoke's littledirect mail exhibit of letexhibits with Coney
ters" circular letters humanized
as
York Business Show from
stolethe New
technique"
cold-blooded
audience.
We
the theoretically
laughed
when theytold us 15,000 people
in to see the direct
went
but an impartial
mail exhibit on one evening;
expert,who
makes his living
firmed
beingrightin countingaudiences,conIsland

it.
The
Barnum
to

modern
symptom

of an art that was old to P. T.

recognition
and not very new
ture
vento Julius
Caesar,we again
the world of
to
suggest,may be less important
than as a
business as a new
selling
technique

sudden

of

new

sort

of

consumer

the four earlierstagesin

fingers
modern advertising:

your

attitude.

the

Check

on

of
development

What

Is

1.

Showmanship?

EARLY

17

Plain

CROW:2

ROOSTER

of the founder.

And

the

Pictures
boasting.
factory."We are
best goods."

the best company.

We
sellthe
"REASON WHY"
Fed up on each other's
2.
COPY:
advertisers begin to explainivhy their
boasting,
best.

goodsare

EFFECT

3.

Beds

start

ON
a

new

USER
era

OF

USING

GOODS:

Simmons

sleepinstead
by advertising

of

beds.

GOODS:

EFFECT

THE

4.

THE

EFFECT

OF

USING

OUR

Gillette takes another step toward showmanship

the jobsto be got because of the
by advertising

fine appearance

The

OF

of those who

use

the Gillette razor.

fifthstage in the

of advertising
is rapidly
history
the
bringing
showmanshipto the foreground,
climaxing
for this change
evolution so longunder way.
The reasons
of them.
You will recognize
most
are
many.
institutional advertising
First,the old-style
began to
find itself in distinct disrepute"
in the worst
possible
a day who
buy
place.Supportedby 150,000 customers
advertised goodsthan any group in the
more
nationally
its own
world, Macy's started manufacturing
private
for selected retailers. A.
brands at substandard prices
to advertise its
" P. started a 42-page monthlymagazine
famous "nationally
brands.
own
Krogersjoinedagainst
and Montgomery
advertised brands." Sears Roebuck
to preach
used space in their millions of catalogs
Ward
better
wastefulness in buyinganything
the alleged
against
days the advertiser came
he then bragged about
which
medal"
buy. In so far as winning himself any
2

In the old

justabout

as

before

much
us

when

chance
we

as
were

home
in the
real

the kid who

in grammar

Fair with a
expensive
space he could

from
most

World's

will was
concerned, he had
"A" in deporthis
flaunt
used to
ment

good

school.

than

their

mannered

privatebrands.
littlemerchants

What

Is

Out

in

who

once

Showmanship?
Iowa, those mildburned

mail-order

in the public
tional
gangingup on nacatalogs
square are now
"lot of hooey" that gouges the
as
a
advertising
public!
Thus, out of a clear sky,national-brand advertising,
cherished for half a century as reverently
as the Supreme
Court,was suddenlychallenged.
Flatly!
Not by the theorist.
But by those very retailerswho record sales facts
every
cash registers.
day on their own
Also, people's
buying interests have broadened at an
father can
inconceivably
rapidrate. What your own
remember
the horse-and-buggy
as
industry,
hiring,
say,
100,000
men,
you have lived to see developinto the
motorcar
with,as a single
industry,
hiring
2,000,000
men,
of its many by-products,
one
a domestic
touring
industry
in $4,000,000,000
a year.
taking

Under

pressure like

to store
advertising

in,of

for

this,the old formula for national

away

"consumer

consciousness"

came

ready
quickrevision. Everybody is alconscious of" is,in fact,even
now
ing"a
covetsinfully
multitude of expensive
be able
never
they'll
things
to buy. Building
practically
stoppedbecause everybody
the kind of house theysee in moving pictures.
wanted
Even up in Alaska,a salesman complained
the New
to
York Evening Sun, the sons
of the sourdoughs
demand
colored glass
doorknobs and a roof of matched tiles. So
"consumer
is as dead to
as a sales argument
acceptance"
advertisers todayas its ill-fatedpredecessor,
"consumer
course,

demand."

some

What

Is

Showmanship?

19

But, strong as it was, the impetus

toward
in

didn't
advertising

from
entirely

come

and the retail stores.

a new

While

merchants

the

attitude
consumer

scuttled the

tablished
es-

for lack of personal

advertising
profit,while
the advertisi
interest,
ignoredit for lack of personal

consumers

themselves and

men

mostlythe

insiders"abandoned

advertisers"

great many

the

traditions of
accepted
institutionaladvertising
and searched
even
more
rapidly
As Mr. Durstine expressed
for somethingnew.
it in
Federation of
his clever talk before the Advertising
America:
A newspaper
a

newspaper and

zine
magabe anything

magazine. Today newspaper

from a picture
pamphletto a colored supplement
which callsitselfa magazine;
and a magazine

date
closing
newspapers.
When

he
days,

doesn't know

the inside of
He's

and gags for

have

shorter

down

whether

tabloid

may be
taxicab or

to

work

these

he's goingto write

word for a
mile-high
asked to producecopy for
or

the outside of

an

express

headlines for magazines

news
writing
comic strips
and black-outs for radio.

populi:Nux
same

and

news

comes
copywriter

He
sky-writer.
truck.

hot

can

than the rotogravure sections of the

It'svery confusing.

one-inch ad for

At the

be

to

fillitselfwith

can

Vox

used

vomica!""s

time Mr. Durstine

cynicphrasedit!
spokein Detroit,Father
some

sayingover the radio: "Permit me to suggest"not

that you start a campaign
of prudery"
in a spirit
relative to
for expungingnot only untruthful statements
and newspapers, but
advertised products
from magazines
and imthe growing tendencyof glorifying
sexuality
Coughlinwas

What

20

allof which
modesty,

Is

Shoivmanship?

often is paraded
as

too

art

before the

of the

assimilativeminds

thoughtless
public."
Lack of restraint,
lack of perspective,
lack of regard
for professional
for highreputation,
or
even
whelmingly
overpride,
burst their old-fashioned bonds.
Lucky
Strikes
Whole

were

advertised

as

boon

of affiliatedmovie

to

sensitive throats.

stars, with

formity,
amazingunifound Camels a tonic to sound digestion.
Old
Gold, quitejustly
was
goadedinto this startling
perhaps,
offer" "Smoke
into lifelong
yourself
prosperity;
Easily
their reason
Happily
Quickly."Whatever
number
of conservative oldor
astonishing
excuse, an
timers frankly
followed the cigarette
makers, exposing
their goods in terms
of loud and lustyinterest to great
of fresh-made public.Big business stood revealed,
new
masses
anxious" to do business in the vulgar
even
willing"
.

camps

terms

of the littlecustomers.

None

can

theyare;
a

way

to

stop

to

and the modern

make

these conditions.

with
quarrel

businessman

endeavors

That's where

the best of them.

Here
to

find

manship
show-

Good

showmanship,we
unheard of, because it is practically
mean.
Practically
gest.
of The Reader's Diis the superbshowmanship
perfect,
A studyof its clean-cut methods, high esteem"
terous
boisand profits"
comparedwith a studyof deliberately
So the Christian
is illuminating.
competitors,
comes

Science

to

the

rescue.

Monitor, the New

York

Times.

Good

manship
show-

tawdry outbursts of human

the positive
tolerance of the grand old
irresponsibility
estimable
of his more
British bishopwho, finding
one
drunk in the gutter,said "I'm not
friends unexpectedly
takes toward

the

What

22

Is

Showmanship?

speaksfor itself." Down in Florida one of the best

families spells
its name
but fear of slurring
"S-1-a-p-p-e-y";
should have prevented
them from calling
pronunciation
their hotel "The SlappeyHouse."
Mr. Pinch,who

it

makes

trailers for

automobiles,
was

far

too

alert to

be

caughtin any such trap. He put in the word "pleasure.

So his signreads "Pinch's Pleasure Trailers."
2.

Find

The

yourselfa "natural"

greatestdangerin

showmanshipis the

almost irresist

to accept its traditional symbols"

temptation
often threadbare and tawdry. Take hockey,
for example.
Red-white-and-blue
uniforms look like showmanship.
The idea of recruiting
whole Chicagoteam
a
among
American-born
boysis showmanship.
Streamline trains,
are
obviously,
good. But the New
York Central's getting
72,000 passengers to buy tickets
trains to go out and playin the snow
on
is,less
special
better.
obviously,
train of peoShowmanshipmightbe runninga special
ple

from New
Hartford

to

see

Haven, New
a

flower show

and the suburbs of

Britain,
in the heart of New

York

it is showmanshipto get 12,000

tors
visiCity. Certainly
in a single
day to see the MagnoliaGardens at
the creation of an aged and
Charleston" and that was
invalid southern clergyman.
the fingerprints
the pages of Time
on
Photographing
mailed
was
good showmanship.Second-hand magazines
of reader soilage
out
to demonstrate a maximum
seems
less good. Mailingout small bits of crockery
in the
real onions to prove a mouth wash,
or
placeof circulars,

What

Is

Showmanship?

23

be showmanship.Or not.
Live turtles delivered
may
advertisers is showmanship
to the desks of prospective
for

To

Stunts,Inc.

all others it is onlya

Therefore,don't

let

stunt.

cravingfor color,action,or
vehemence make you mistake a method for a message.8
A Louisville distillery,
for example,
borrowed a prisoner
dressed him up in bridal suite
from an Indianapolis
jail,
him "King for a Day." They used
at a hotel and made
tucky"
largenewspaper space to tie this up with "Kingof Kenwhiskey. The press agent for the film "Prisoner
Zenda and
in Canada named
of Zenda" found a village
the inhabitantsto the opening
in New
York City.
airplaned
These
and enterprising"
conceits" ingenious
but
are
that characterizes
the beneficialemotional appeal
totally
lacking
the best showmanship.
3.

Think

it

big

waste

time

middle-sized

There's
elephants.
in second-bests. If
no
percentage in a "little-bigness,"
don't comof them all,
promise
you can't get a Jumbo, the biggest
pletely
nearon
a
Jumbo. Reverse your attack comthe smallest of them all.
and get a baby elephant,
about and exploit
a
Lackinga whale, turn completely
Don't

Take

minnow.

lesson from the littletourist restaurant

deep in the
calls itself"Swamp

buried

Beneath

an

on

woods

Alabama

which

courageously

View."

the following
caption:
Life printed
photograph,
appropriate

Angeles hotel's swimming pool,

John F. Gutrick and Katherine Wilson entered holy matrimony. Rev. Dr.
broadcast."
were
Sheldon
Sheppard (right)officiatedand the nuptialvows
of
hotel isn't
the
the
that
name
will
hotel
You
note
Purpose:
publicity.
"In

divinghelmets

mentioned.

at

the bottom

of

Los

What

24

4.

Do

Is

Shorwmanship?

it surpassingly

in showmanship
includes adequacy!Half
Sincerity
show

is not

alongthe

better than

roadside "Drive

is fine. But

how

It'sworse!

none.

about

Springs"?For a Florida builder

but the lot" is fine. But
everything
furnish everything
but the lot
and
...

to

advertise

and see Silver Springs"

safely
"Drive safely"
and LIVE
to see

Silver

how

To

nish
fursay "We
how about "We

to

we

will tellyou

get that!"?

Notice, more

how
Blaw-Knox
seriously,
adequately
Co. smashed a publicprejudice
that threatened their expansion.
Their open-meshsteelbridge
roadwaywas new
and likely
to the public
to be damned
by distrustthe
minute people
the bridge
noted that theywere
crossing
able to look through
and see the water
far down beneath
their feet. A semipolitical
verse
cityjob couldn't risk admanship.
publicreaction. So Blaw-Knox turned to showThey decided to use the CherryStreet Bridge
in Toledo for a safety
demonstration so dramatic that it
would get a nationwide playin newspapers, magazines,
and newsreels. The CityManager,
Chief of Police,
and
Director
Two

of Public Service

automobile

were

drivers

enlisted in the

hired.

The

cause.

city
truck to wet the surface of the bridge.
a sprinkler
provided
Then
the drivers went
througha seriesof quickstops
of the new
and bad turns to prove the nonskid qualities
An
meshwork.
amateur
Lady Godiva rode a
open
the bridgeto prove its
show horse over
thoroughbred
for animals. To prove further that animals
suitability
weren't afraid,
borrowed from the cityzoo.
a camel was
stunt

were

What

Is

Showmanship?

25

Act II of the Blaw-Knox

show openedfiveminutes
safety
later on a near-by'wooden bridge
nary
pavedwith ordiold-fashioned roadway,
asphalt.Here, on a slippery
drivers repeated
the stunt
their act.
The crowds
shrieked in real fright
skids. Police
at their dangerous
ambulance
and givinga
an
helpedthe show by calling
fortunately
unnecessary demonstration of firstaid.
Results of this completedemonstration:

itselfand

the show

reel release on

at

national news-

least twenty stories

and thousands of newspaper clippings

magazines
the new
praising
type of bridge.Blaw-Knox also
film of the whole
16 mm.
movie prints
made fifty
on
show for an amply convincing
private
showingby its
sales force to modern-minded
bridgebuyersall over the

in national

world.
Don't

feel that because you have done your best

ever

You must consider allyour propositio

anything.4
state them
and, even more
important,
carefully,
littlesign:
like the taxi-driver's
completely"

you have done

WE

STOP

BLONDES

FOR

UP

BACK

AND

AND

FOR

BRUNETTES

REDHEADS.

on
mother a telegram
you wanted to send your
You
cents?
got a
Mother's
Day, what did you get for your twenty-one
in
said
Union which
part:
littlesquare of yellowpaper at Western
NOT
RECTIFIED"
MISTAKE
NO
UNION"
WESTERN
PRESIDENTB. CARLTON,
FOR
ERRORS-J.
RESPONSIBLE
SECRETARY.
B. WHITE,
PRESIDENT-R.
VICE
J.C. WILLEVER,
the heart throb you could wire your mother in those days.
"That was
Rockwell and bought those
Then
what
They went to Norman
4

"A

years ago when

few

happened?

today
symbolic sentimental blanks
touch of
they'veadded a well-designed
time
a
ordinary
that
just plain,
up to

Saturday Evening
thousand-dollar"regular
Union

Western
double and

has

redouble

good showmanship

seen

business

againbecause
to

what

telegram." (Zenn Kaufman

Antonio, Texas, October 18,

was

to

on

the

1938.)

Post"

And
paintings.

these

National Selected Morticians, San

What

28

Don't

5.

with

compete

Is

Showmanship?

yourself

But don't have more

than one
it.
surpassingly.
of six thousand
Circuses have six ringsonly to take care
the ringmaster
seeks
When
customers
simultaneously.
he turns
the climax of attention,
off everything
but the
And
spotlight.
speaksalone" quitesoftly.5
more
as
Advertisers,
a rule,givethemselves
tion
competithan their competitors
do.
You cannot
get 300 per
attention by combiningthree 100 per cent features.
cent
One snare
drum goingdown the street alone will net more
attention than six bands marchingin different directions.
Three 100 per cent attractions drag each other down
to
if that! Unless carefully
composed
30 per cent attention,
it

Do

the
build up the one main idea,every distraction" even
radio shows
tiniest"tears it down.
Many advertisements,
to

particularly,
compete
6.

Make

it

themselves

to

standstill.

crystalclear

in showmanshipalso includes absolute clarity

Sincerity
of meaning. To avoid ambiguity
may, in fact,be the
greatestfunction of showmanship.True meaningsmust
ergetica
explodethemselves. Immediately.Unmistakably.En-

every mind.
in Great Neck, a Long Island Chinaman
to

Out

have his window

The

your
and

own
so

would

Miss

Robert

America

Taylor.

has

givento

Their

the merchandise

in this

pointedout

would

be

on

out

of

faces and

attention,but the very attention they would

should be

to

lettered in three lines:

Dallas Evening News

show:

used

the

be

matter

place behind
their bodies

drawing would

counter.

of
a

off
killing
counter

might

"

attract

be that which

What

Is

Showmanship?

27

CHARLIE
HAND
LAUNDRY

whether the
out
Peoplewasted years tryingto figure
HAND
belongedto Charlie or the laundry.
To be more
serious about it" the East River Savings
Bank once
advertised "Five offices"two
close by." People
beganto call up the bank and ask them when the two
officeswould close. At the ChicagoFair,many
people
and Fortune Building
to the Time
came
to have their
fortunes told.

7.

Keep

it

game

geniusof showmanshipexpresses itselfin apt and

Take
picturesque
play,sometimes quiteunconsciously.
the escaping
GeorgiaNegro convict,chased one dark
nightby an overambitious bloodhound. The sheriff
tied to a fence with
found his dog next morning safely
the convict's suspenders.
who
Or, take the cynicalshowmanshipof the men
mailed a rich young married couplea pairof really
good
The

theater tickets with

note, "Guess

they found their

Returning,
burglars.On the table,a note
"Now

you

who

these

are

from."

valuables gone with the

in the same
handwriting:

know!"

Whether

a
a merchant,or
man,
you are an advertising
manufacturer,don't risk your pay by beingprofessionall
lesspicturesque
than the principals
in these stories. Make

and peoplewill make

to people"
interesting
for you. The smartest
important
game we ever heard

your

work

it

of

What

28

Is

Showmanship?

that of the littlelocal hardware

was

dealer who

store

in big bright
letters
D-E-V-O-E-"-R-A-Y-N-O-L-D-S
painted
letter apiece on the back of fourteen turtles,
"one
put
them in a swimming tank with fourteen littleresting
of $50 for the firstperson to
and posted
a prize
places,
"

in and tellhim that the turtles had lined themselves

come

up

to

"DEVOE
spell

"

RAYNOLDS."

What
That's easy, you say, in store windows.
about
Industrial advertising,
reallyserious work?
say. One

a large
yard
signin its freight
painted
in effect,
that said,
to allrailroademployees,
"Keep yourself
road
from beingkilled or cut up by accident so this railvention."
Conwin the goldcup at the National Safety
can

Southern railroad

bited
exhiconsider the showmanship
Along the same lines,
Kentucky,policedepartment
by the Louisville,
fore
when it put up this startling
warning:"Slow down be-

you become

statistic."

If this stillseems

let us remind you that New

flippant,
York Cityput through
time
a few years ago, for the first
and more
in history,
set of trafficlaws.
a new
adequate
of
of a vast trafficand the direct saving
The organization
least a thousand lives a year, in this case anyway, both
of the competition
in an accident preout
came
directly
vention
contest
hotlywaged among the city's
many police

at

in a giventhree-month period,
Incidentally,
precincts.
knocked down
were
some
by motor
324 fewer people
cars.

Too

much

rather once

showmanship?Every once
every

in any

too

in

while,or

manship
often,the ultraserious decryshow-

They
quantity.

say there's not

onlyno

What

Is

30

and

bankers

and

them

move

for

men,

at

faster

rate

haven't

example,
They

anything.

"molding"

for

time

advertising

Showmanship?

than

much

make

must

goods

freight

100,000

cars

day.
started

Advertising

advertising

fast-moving
is

today's

is

unfortunately,
have

often

is

to

goods

careless,

too

play

along
in

always

accepted.

long

so

not

as

its

too

real

fast

many

as

part
our

that

the

of

costly,

too

today

in

factories

may

profit-

own

publicity

the

old

type

cumbersome,
the

can

grim

furnish

too

job

of

them.

make
the

footed,
sure-

advertising,

"good-will"

Advertising

forms,

its

pays

Profit-paying

necessity.

greatest

Advertising"

luxury.

as

only

we

too

ceited
con-

passing
manship,
Show-

answer.

Only

One

Hero

JOE
wife's

my

and
all

universal

attitude

Consider:

That's

do

pay
total

they spend
Will

get"?

be

must

before

go

No.

for

Then

step

right up
with

girlswithout

have

on

Clark
romance

at

do

they

they

Gable
will

door

to

and

find love
31

get

seek

of

to

board
cardin half

tears

million

lars?
dollion
mil-

chair

for

their

the

they

cents

Myrna

to

four

take

enjoy

the

spend

their
get for

and

screen

to

Why

they

two

crazy

go

piece

away

their twenty-one
the

the

Anyway,

up.

planning

cents

do

they get

If

No.

what

in

dollars.

What

be

to

believe

people

million

man

Will

locked

Actually they pay

four

throwing

ticket.

they'llget

home.

the

that

in, thus

million

little two-inch

just a

ALL

fundamental

up

considered

money?

dollars?

million

them,

nearly

They'd

dollars
four

of

ticket

they

average

get

We

of twenty-one

an

"OF

SAID,

business.

seventeen

much

so

they

called

to

summed

Joe

that

Every day

And

movies.

at

remark

showmanship, professionalor

in.

ONCE

relations, I like myself the best."

in this artless

that

COOK

the

chairs

with
chairs

have

money?
for the

chance

nobbing
thrill of hob-

Loy.

thrills in the

million
voice

of

Only One

32

Millions of

Dick Powell.

men

Hero

will forget
that their wives

beside them and will spend two

hours and
sitting
of Alice Faye. The men
minutes in the arms
twenty-eight
their wives' hands,actually,
but mentally
may be holding
the hero's role. Robert
be up on the screen
they'll
playing
check and he
Taylormay get the million dollar salary
but the real
in lights
in Times Square"
may get his name
the lad who pays twenty-one
in every case, always
hero is,
are

cents

to

get in.

when Jack Benny uncorks his sarcasm

on
Similarly,
will find
on
a million men
Sunday night,
Mary Livingston
in his words the very things
that theywould like to" but
dare not" telltheir own
wives. And when
Mary slips
she's sayingthings
back with her wisecracks,
that many
wives would like to say" but don't,unless theywant
a
tripto Reno.
shows
the great,popular,
Without exception,
profitable
While Carl Hubuse
men.
as their leading
you and me
bell'sname
the

men

may run in the headlines of the baseball finals,

who watch the baseball game get their onlythrill

of

out

box

themselves warming up
picturing
for three
the ball over
and burning

in the

pitcher's

strikes on

every

man.

While

front of

(zk)

saw

the World
restaurant.

a
an

Series

was

on,

Lookingover

crowd
their

in
gathered
I
shoulders,

automatic baseball field inside showingthe

I was
by
impressed
particularly
progress of the game.
hits
the bartender,
who stood behind the bar between
bat in his hand.
imaginary
before home plate
as thoughpoised
waitingto
wanted.
the hit that everybody

(and between
He

stood

bang out

drinks)with

an

One

Only

Hero

Joe Louis gets

33

$200,000 check for

knockingout

before a crowd of a hundred thousand,

Schmeling
but,rest
those expensive
assured,nobody really
uses
seats
ringside
is on, because
while the fight
is down
in the
every man
out his lefthooks and
glaring
ringwith the fighters,
pushing
while the other thousands cheer.1 Millions of
jabs"
right
too anemic to fight
men
in
express themselves ferociously
the gloryand homagetheypay to their prize-ring
idols.
From the other angle,
Jack Dempsey says that his hardest
work these daysis dodgingstrangerswho want
to hit him
for their own
self-expression.
All shows
it'sGarbo's
dock's

alike,
then,in that

tears, Powell's

one

respect,whether

Cantor's humor, Bradkisses,

hooks, or Hubbell's strikeouts. The

the screen,

alwayson
in the

or

are

at

the

is

in the prize
ring,
microphone,

You, the individual member

box.
pitcher's

the audience,are

audience

of

the hero of the

day.
successfulthat forgets
completely

be
ever
can
selling
that the prospect is the Hero of the Show.
this principle:
ways
And, in fact,the only hero! Your audience numbers alinclude yourself
or
never
10, 30, 300, 300,000 heroes;
And
3 00,00 1
your goodsto raiseitto 1 1 3 1 3 o i or even
No

"There

are

all sorts

of theories

as

to

the fascination of

and
prizefights,

of them is the
intriguing
like to hit somebody and don't dare. This
of us would
notion that most
impulseis bad for us, though not so bad as givingway to it
suppressed
ourselves
be. When
would
we
we
identify
ordinarily
go to a prizefight
the
with
the
other
Then we
with one of the fighters.
man
policefighter
identify
aside in the subway, our
shoved
who
the
who
us
a ticket,
man
us
gave
or
perhaps
employer,our venerable parent, who once spanked us unjustly,
the
the
or
Wall
with the New
boy who
Street,
Deal,
capitalistic
system,
with
best girl.
our
from
sociable fortyyears ago
the church
home
went
demands
or
a partisan,
WTe also make bets. Nothing makes one so vehement
the
bet.
of
the
little psychological
a
act
Maybe
as
laying
so
analysis,
be
immoral
It
best
is
the
is
often
the
one.
as
case,
may
simplest
explanation,
no

to

doubt

most

of them

are

correct.

The

most

(Editorialin the New

win bets,but it is agreeable."

York

Times.)

One

Only

34

the

that
mistake,therefore,
expensive

most

radio
in

Sometimes

hear

we

"with the salesman

mistake

could

hero, and he
the

be

Don't

There

worse.

self
him-

ease

cast."

two-man

is

drama

as a
selling

No

for

only one
the prospect" the buyer"
slidethe spotlight
off him,

always be

The

vertise
ad-

do it.

refer to

someone

selleror

is to try to

the hero of the

as

must

customer.

make

can

of the heroes.

one

as

stage star

or

Hero

minute you

room

off his crazy ideas,off his pet peeves,

off his
particularly

whims, your show is over.

may as well go home, for your
In every theater in the land there is
You

with

room

justone

for the

most

audience is gone.

only one

pastedon its door.

of the
member
important
star

dressing

This
cast"

is

served
re-

in your

he is,in every case, the prospect. Don't ever confuse

the stage manager or producer
of the show"
yourself"
cast

with the

man.
leading

all prospects"nor

Not
colored

as

he

conversed

alone

to

man,

smart

smart

are

like the old

who, when

man

himself

to

all audiences"

man

questioned
why he alwaystalked
wandered
that he always
about,explained
he liked to talk
because,in the firstplace,
he liked to hear
and, in the second place,

talk.

Not

all audiences

are

as

naive

as

that;

but

all joinmore
less vociferously
in Joe
or
practically
Cook's statement
his wife's relations.
concerning
You

have

heard,of

that when

person fallsin
love with himself it'susually
the beginning
of a lifelong
All

romance.

we

of sex,
regardless
an
was

extreme, the
a

man

whom

can

course,

add is that

social level,
or

case

most

York

peopledo

bankbook.

of Mr. "Two-Gun"
New

so

fall,

Consider,as

Crowley. Here

Police Commissioner

Mul-

Only One

Hero

35

men
dangerous
rooney had called "one of the most
lived." If you happenedto be walking
ever
up

Avenue

End

who
West

the afternoon of

May 7, 193 1, you would

have been surprised
to find eighty-five
cops, armed with
machine guns and tear-gasbombs, shooting
it out with
"Two-Gun"
Crowley, barricaded in his sweetheart's
apartment.2
wounded.
And as he laybleeding
Crowleywas mortally
on

death,he

to

letter that may

standing
Accusingthe world of misunder-

businessman.

helpany

him, his self-love reached the peak when

"Under
but a kind
my coat is a weary heart,

wrote,

that would

"one

Don't
but in

of

case

was

This

do

compare

to

prove
than

his sweetheart

wrote

nobody any

your

customers

he
one

harm."
to

sufficient
showdown,

most

crook,

two-gun
of them

might

about themselves
onlya shade lessopinionated
poor Crowley about himself.
tendencyto be lenient,to say the least,toward
be

ourselves expressesitself
in several ways, allof which must
considered in planning
be carefully
a sales story. First,
like to be flattered. We

we

realisms of our
unpleasant
are
goingto
hopethat things

also like to escape from the

everydaylives. We like to
be better.

And, in

world
we're

us,
goes on that doesn't concern
(confor any littleattentionthat we don't deserve versely,
grateful
quitemad at any inattentionfrom places
getting

where

so

where

we

Good

How

Ranger

much

hope for somethingbetter).

a

manners,

sense

reasonable
of fairness,
or

unlike the odds that held forth on the occasion when

Asked
answered a riot call from a near-bytown.

alone, he said,"Why

not?

One

riot"

one

ranger."

un-

lone Texas

why

he

came

Only

36
selfishnessmay

lead

One

Hero

givethe other fellow an even

break" but our
first impulseis always for ourselves.
We're all quitereadyto define co-operation
as
a
"plan
wherein you and I get together
for me."
to do something
Me!
Someday someone
explainthis perpetual
may
that acts as the mainspring
in the works
self-indulgence
of Time.3
no

more

to

us

But,meanwhile,we

may
than General
questioning

fact that peoplelike to

The

who

man

Barrymore
may

well accept it with

the
Foods questions

as

three times every day.

buys the ticket is the hero of the show.
eat

get the

check.
Braddock may get
salary
the newspaper headlines. Jack Benny
may get his name
in brightlights
on
Broadway. But the real stage star,
ual
ringhero,or screen idol is not the actor, but each individ-

of the audience,in his

member

in business.
Similarly

is the

customer"

or

The

estimation.

own

hero of the

prospect. His

drama
selling
his hopes,
his
vanities,

his ambitions" these are the stufffrom which your

fears,
plotis spun. And on him" and him alone" must the spotlight

shine.
The

commercial
simplest

into salesis the automobile

sit at the wheel

exampleof converting
vanity
salesman who

of the

car.

Or,

the pect
prosbetter yet, makes

him drive it. Or the desk salesman who

mirror

H.

on

T. Webster, the newspaper

day by sendingtelegrams
containingthe one

message
one

a full-size
places

the wall in front of the desk,has you

to

not

makes

of them

had

But each took

done

amused
cartoonist,

himself

selected
acquaintances,

face the

one

summer

random, each
twenty
So
he knew,
far
word, "Congratulations."
as
at

be congratulated
to
on.
anythingin particular

him a letter of
the message as a matter
and wrote
or
course
thanks.
of
had
himself
them
done
that
he
one
Every
something
regarded
clever and
as
worthy of a congratulatory
telegram.(Fred C. Kelly,

Reader's Digest.)

Only

38

One

Hero

of linoleum on the center

pany put a five-footstrip
than two
weeks
For more
town's busiest street.
from

children

passedover

tractors

playingtag

up

to

used three times

radio spots were
sold.
than 300 linoleum rugs were

more

thing
every-

steamrollers and

Handbills

the linoleum.

of the

tributed
dis-

were
a

day,and

PaperBox Manufacturers' convention,

of Camden,
Glazed Paper Corporation,
the Springfield
line
drew attention to a new
New
"star-designed"
Jersey,
of a prize
of paper by means
contest.
They took a small
of their
it from the ceiling
roll of the paper and suspended
At the National

booth.

Conventionites

number

of

stars

on
printed

invited

then

were

to

guess the

ing
J.Ruff,advertisthat the subsequent

the roll. A.

says
manager of the company,
of orders received for this line of paper
number
above

far

was

all expectations.
hit of the show

The

at

the 1937

Lumber

Convention

Why? Simplybecause
ChicagoPaint Works.
theytook your picture.Crowds stormed the booth while
looked like a lonely
technical displays
near-bythe more

was

the

spot in the Sahara Desert.

The

company

has had several

them what the plans

asking
to locate
for display
space are for next year. They want
this sure traffic-puller.
their booths near
works perfectly
in window
The same
principle
general
the
You have to do something
to break through
displays.
letters from

other exhibitors

you and the customer's heart. The

nearlyinvisible (and sometimes entirely
glass,

invisiblewall between
window

so),keepsout rain and dirt. But

as

strongerforce" known

indifferenceand inertia"keepsout

got to

"putthe audience on

the

customers.

You
stage."

You've
have

to

do

Only One

Hero

somethingthat

30

builds that runway

rightout

into the

street.

An

if a

moves

on

dealer puts a car on a turntable which

touches a littlered spot on the window.
passer-by

automobile

the
Out

The

card in the window

new

Chevrolet" the easiestcar

West,

from

"Finger-tip
steering
to

dealer found
Chrysler

certain spot on

one

reads

handle."

that

the sales floor would

placedat

car

selltwice

as

fast

other spot. A

check-upprovedthat large
wall mirrors made it possible
for prospects sitting
in the
driver'sseat to get full car-length
of themselves
pictures
surrounded by allthe gloryof Chrysler
This
chromium.
onlyproves an axiom stated years ago by Kenneth Goode
"Don't tell people
(with less grammar than emphasis):
how good you make your goods. Tell them how good
your goodsmake them."
Hat check girls
know human nature.
Writingabout
as

them

any

in

Ken, Hubbell

For

example,
99

Robinson

out

of

100

says:
males feel it is a mark

of distinctionto have the hat check

name.

In

some

unfathomable

call them by
girl

way, it seems

to

add

bon
as
as
men-of-the-world,
self-portraits
know anything
known
to allwho
as figures
vivants,
in the nightlife of Manhattan.
about who's who
If
in Moline or Milwaukee.
it'sjust
And
as true
add an identifying
the hat check girl
like,
can
phrase
Mr. Worth?"
the market today,
"How
was
or, "I
Mr.
enjoyedyour radio show last night,
certainly
Ades,"the hand that doles out the dollarscan usually
be counted on to diga littledeeper.
find out as much as they can
So, hat check girls
about the more
or lessregular
patronsof the pleasure
to

their

Only

4O
where theylabor.
palaces
habitue what
what

another's

his interests

works.

And

At

the

Goldthwaite
"

windfall

Cleveland
told how

Co.,usingthe

Then

out

from

one

his business is,

they give him

the

tipsgo over the scale of 25 or

anywherefrom $i to an occasional

like $10,

handsome

is,what

name

are.

find

Hero

the

50^,mountingto
bonanza

They

One

same

even

or
as

once

in

while

to

such

$100.

Direct

Mail

Convention, Elmire

her

pianocompany, Sherman, Clay

idea,sold 1,500 pianosat $1.92per

Pickinga list of 5,000 families with at least one

littlegirl
in the seven-to-ten
age bracket and no piano,
to get the
theysearched the birth listsat the state capital
and date of birth of each child. Each mailing
name
exact
of the child and
the name
was
personalized
by imprinting
lifestory. Successive
by givingan imaginatively
portrayed
mailingpiecestraced the girlthroughchildhood,
and young womanhood, alwaysmentioning
adolescence,
the joysthat would come
her by name
and pointing
out
from beingable to playthe piano.
The Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company finds that
offer of a notebook with a prospect's
own
name
a simple
it will open doors at a lower cost than
on
gold-stamped
of Shorwmanship
And the publishers
any other device.
circular sent out
In Business tell us that the best-pulling
in which the prospect's
the book was
name
was
one
on
the top of the letter. In
written in brush-script
across
red, underneath,"Believe it or not, you'rea showman."
Notice that one
word, "you're."
the other fellow is the sure way to get his
Spotlighting

name.

One

Only

interest" or,

salesman

41

his
properly,

more

Sales

interest.

each

Hero

action in behalf of
your
boost sales because contests
give

contests

chance

directors use
training
clerks. They pass out
the

about

statements

forth" ask clerks

to

be

in the

Smart
spotlight.
the same
in instructing
technique
mimeographedsheets listing
fifty
to

merchandise,store
mark

appearance, and
with a "Yes"

every statement
thus bringing
the clerk into the game
or
a "No,"
his or her interest.
and doubling
participant

so

Those
invited

think this is a lot of unnecessary work are

of Paul Ivey's.We're
listen to this experience

to

his words:

"Some

time ago I
well-known
chain

buy

"'How
"

into the hardware

of
department
in a great metropolitan
store
to
center
I asked the salesgirl:
to one,
Pointing

hammer.

went

much?'

cents,'she
'Thirty-one

"I hemmed

of the

who

it in
telling

as

and hawed

counter.

which

she

answered.

and looked toward

the girl
showed
me
Finally
said cost sixty-one
cents.

the other end

another hammer
'What

is the

difference?' I asked.
"

"Thirtycents/she replied.
hammer
"So I boughtthe cheaper
and then went
upstairs
officeand looked at a copy
to the merchandise
manager's
of the firm's oversize catalog.On a page for hammers
words
told me
about four hundred
why the sixty-one
cent

hammer

was

best for

better hero.

example,that it had a hickoryhandle

I found
in his hand.
get no splinters
balanced and the hero could

use

found, for

and the hero would

that it was
the hammer

ically
scientifseveral

Only

42

I found
tiring.

hours without

Vanadium'
and that

corkscrew
the head

like

what

word
thirty-cent
pricebetween the two
a

I found that
then,miracle of miracles,

And

in the head
jigger
from flying
off.
owned

never

steel. I don't know

the difference in

covers

Hero

that the head of the hammer

but it sounds

means,

hammers.

since I

of vanadium

made

was

One

flyoff" and

of the hammer
This

hammer

was

would

prevent

revelation

from which

to

me,

the head did

alwaysimaginedthat the head

dred
of the hammer
was
supposedto falloff. Over four hunwhat the hammer
would do for me, yet
words telling
the littleclerk muffed the order by summing up the four
cents.'
hundred words in a two-word
reply"'Thirty
vestig
inIn flashing
contrast, consider R. H. Macy sending
not

this hero

'

out

to

ask 30,000

Macy'sto feature in an
an
pricelevels?" Immediately
want

the hard-boiled New

York

the fact that the world's

"What

items do you
AugustSale and at what

women,

entire

market, was
store
largest

community,even
by
complimented
should

come

to

it

for advice.
In

old "Doc" Clausen used to advertise in the

Syracuse,
the sermon
he would predict
college
paper that following
the score
This
for the coming Saturday's
football game.
basic sincerity
a
wildlyimpossible
gesture had, nevertheless,
in
since it implied
to discuss a project
a willingness
of the prospects'
interests and language.Which
terms
endeared the pastor to the college
boys. A
immediately
idea
in East Orangeuses a variation of the same
restaurant
in markingoff a special
table for lawyers.
And
in Chicago,
D. B. Felix,a manufacturer,
met
a
union labor problemthe same
The union had made
way.

Only One
of
capital

Hero

Felix's large
the
salary-said

shared with the

money

should be

men.

Felix called his five hundred

told them
"When
hired

what

he

came

you

You

me.

and
employeestogether
getting.Then he said to them,

was

here I hired you, and in a sense

you
hired me
to providethe work
and I

hired you to do it,isn'tthat so?"

A chorus of "Yes," "We
get

you," "Never thought

of it in that way, but it'sso."

"Since you have my salary,
put the
divide it

by

Have

three hundred

"Well, that's my
doesn't it? But

year.

by

much

isit?"

"Twelve

salary
per day.

we

are

It looks pretty big,

finished yet. Divide your

-not

five hundred" the number

answer

of workers.

How

cents."

"Divide

"A

and

the answer?"

you
"Yes."

work

down
figure
workingdays in the

that

per

day.

cent

and

the
by eight"
What
a

number

of hours that you

isthe answer?"

half."

"Do

me
too much?"
you think you are paying
"No!
We
it that way."
never
figured

"Would

fireme

and try
cent-and-a-half increase in your
you

"Mr. Felix,
we
for

so

did

little"you're
a

"Well, boys,the
makes

what

we

may

not

know

cheapman

answer

call mass

is

to

run

this business for

hourlyscale?"
that you
for us."

were

simplythis: mass

working
business

salaries."

livery
At the mercy of indifferenttruck drivers in the deWalker
and fragile
of their expensive
neon
signs,

Only

44

One

Hero

the respect and co-operation

Company of Detroit won
of delivery
men
languageon
by usingthe latter'sown
warninglabels:
"

FOOLIN'

No
WE
THIS Is EASY

TO

MEAN

BUST

"

THIS

is

INCH

OR

IT!

HANDLE

HER

GENTLE

GLASS

To

DON'T

DROP

HER

AN

HER

NAME

You

Is "DiNA

WILL

SURE

BUST

HER

MITE"

In

D. H. Seltzer keepsa file

Norwalk, Connecticut,
and family
ties of customers.
habits,
recording
pleasures,
Thus

he

talk with his

can

And

them.
sold half the

men

habits.
driving
and from
turn

the

One

customers

about

that
things

terest
in-

another

exampleisthe radio dealer who

in town
radios by studying
their
auto
If he knew that Joneshad a longride to

work, he listed the radio programs that could

lonelyride

into

honors waiters with

restaurant

year of service.

And

of entertainment.

minutes
thirty
a

chevron for each

givesa special
"five-year"
badge.
Waiters are onlyhuman; they,
too, like a pat on the back.
"How
Golf Course" was
the titlethat
to Play Your
Louis de Garmo
put on a golfinstructor'sbooklet that he
do for Wilson Western
had Tommy Armour
Sporting
Goods
a
Company. When
crusty director objected,
"How
can
anyone tell me how to playmy golfcourse?"
de Garmo
that the director's question
one
was
explained
that everyone would ask" and then theywould read the
booklet for

an

answer.

Only

46

he'llbe
but emotionally
there,physically,

One

Hero
to

sure

be

where
some-

else.

hero

This

works

also
principle

oil-burner dealer put an

his
homeowners
to
to
come

Chicagoan
shovel.

When

the

with

down

on

in

in

ad in the paper ing

invitplacefor a free coal

the shovel you

used

Out

reverse.

greeted
following
consolingthought"
printedupside
the scoop so you'dsurely
it at the proper
see
you

were

moment:

OWNED

IF You
MATIC

BURNER
INSTEAD

No

man

likesto

WILLIAMS

Now

You

OF

playthe

takes the prospect out

out

OiL-OWOULD

SHOVELING

BE

STAIRS
UP-

COAL.

role of villain. Good

of the villain's
role and makes

selling
a

hero

of him.4

May Company, a Los Angelesdepartmentstore,

with a large
clericalerrors
blackboard
on
puts the "Indian sign"
each
the employee's
entrance.
near
Instinctively,
if his
to see
salesperson's
eyes seek this blackboard daily
The

number

appears

on

it as

an

mistake in address which

indication that he has made

has been

back by
reported

the

delivery
department.8
you love Charlie McCarthy, here's your
"
ads for "Chase
Brands ran
Standard
'Thank
You,'
to say
full-page
Month."
A photographshows
Charlie McCarthy Appreciation
" Sanborn"
the radio saying"Thanks
the whole familyaround
Charlie,"and
a Million,
thank
if
Charlie is saying,
want
to
really
just
buy Chase
me,
"My my,
you
desire
avoid
Dated Coffee." Thus capitalizing
" Sanborn
on
to
our
playing
the role of villain.
6 United
Parcel Service,the co-operative
delivery
system used by many
frantic
is
of labels. To redriven
form
departmentstores,
by sloppyaddressing
clerks they*had Walter
Koch
do a series of posters. One
shows
a
4

With

chance

captionsaying,"If

Only

One

Herbert
"We

47

Waters, sales manager

increase morale

"What

of

workers

among

once
said,
Kresge's
by not having
any."

do you mean?" we asked.

have no 'workers" onlyco-ivorkers"

"We

This subtle
a

Hero

complimentpaidto

tremendous

of

booster

their salesstaffhas been

morale.

And

why

not?

Wouldn't

you rather be known as a co-worker?

New
York Sun once
a
ablysponsored

The

get the best advertisement for

contest

to

Father's Day
intelligent
crack
promotion.Young " Rubicam's
copywriter,
Theodore
S. Garrett,deservedly
copped the $500 with
the following
gem:
When

Pop

an

was

21...

Pop got married.

Pop had children.
Pop took the nightshift because
a

$2

more

week.
And

took

Pop never

When

wanted

to

vacation.

"Yankee"
Ingersoll

an

boughtit. (I didn't

know

Pop

until years later he had

pass up lunch for a week to get it.)

I cried because I never
had a sled Pop made
When

(He

was

I had

one.

me

When

Pop said,"Take
I

now

shook

can

the handiest guy you

chance to get a jobout

it
"

remember

hands

Pop's6 1

looks like a
the

tears

label
hopeless

and

poster says, "Send

prize
"

our

saw.)

ever

of town,
fine break."
Seems

in his eyes when

we

good-bye.

now.

firm. And
His step isstill
It's a good six months

the

it meant

offers
in your

$50 reward
solution

he's stillon
since I've
to

anyone

today"you

couldn't."
deliveryman

the old

who

may

seen

can

make

job.
Pop.

read

it

out

it. The

and win

Only

48
(Home

is

only 4

hours

should visithome

"You

often.

Hero

sister writes,

away.) My
more

One

But don't tell

it. He wouldn't like it that way."

suggested
Good
old Pop.
I can see him leaning
the neighbor's
fence.
over
Holdingup the brief,hurried letterI wrote a month
about his son in the BigCity. Beaming
ago. Bragging

Pop

until he's like to bust.

Gosh, for

there

me

every day of the

What

be

oughtto
year!

villaincould hold

In Denver, the American

Father's

Day

after that?

out

Furniture

Company gave buyers

their own
of setting
installment terms.
privilege
Not only did buyersset shorter terms, but subsequently
to live
theyseemed to feel more obliged
up to a bargain
that theyhad made.8
At conventions when Bill McDermid, the popular
sales
wanted to ringthe gong on a wordy speaker
he
adviser,
the clock and
dodgedthe role of executioner by putting
any hard
gong in the hands of a bellboy.If there were
let the boy get them!
feelings,
A few pages back we
to a
comparedyour customers
the

noted

gangster. Now,

to

close with

A tramp
comparison:

road.

Farmer

Si

was

Jones came

lift. Soon

theypassedFarmer
inquired:
"Hi, Si,what yu got?"
6

Statler Hotels hit the

bartenders

to

let

customers

same

their

own

nature

had

to

do.

more

when

vidiou
in-

they instructed

drinks. Most
to
men,
the bartender would

lookingpiggish,didn't "rim" the glass which

"

even

try
walkingdown a counalongand gave him a
Brown, who solicitousl

streak in human

pour

an

avoid
have

One

Only
"Oh,
No

Hero
49

jes'

load

o'

from

comment

and

manure

the

tramp."
Soon

tramp.

they

mer
Far-

passed

Johnson.
"Hi,

Si, what

"Oh,

jes' a

Still

no

Roberts

load

got?"
o'

the

tapped

indignation

the

farmer

tramp."
A

tramp.

question.

climbed

tramp

said,

the

Same

by.

came

and

manure

from

comment

Whereupon
wagon,

yu

on

"Please,

up
the

bit

Same

shoulder,

mister,

mention

and

Farmer

answer.

front

the

to

later,

with

me

of

the

eous
rightfirst."

Carry

Theater

Your

with

You

FEW
America's
a

play

conspicuously live

written

Drunkard,

T.

The

or

famous

Barnum's

P.

by

Settled
dozen

down

like
in

weddings

As

Associated

an

Lowe,

Fields,

Boris

Stevens

and

times

or

Ann

with

interest

audience
been

to

here, of

relation.
"The

boo

with
hour

course,

Stuart, W.

the
so

villain,cheer

in

is in the
in

songs

20

the
the

toast

barkeep.

least twice.
50

to

10

heroine,

or

C.

Collier, James

the

everyone
at

Arnold,

attended

fatherless

Almost

Drunkard"

have

They

the

stop.

already seen

Edward

Constance

and
drink
philanthropist
the play they join for an
generations.

Our

Harding,

Wood

Peggy

to

analyzesthe phenomenon:

Astor, Gloria

Karloff,

more.

hero, sigh

story

Mary

sandth
thou-

two

never

has

wood
Holly-

staff.

and

John McCormack,
Edmund

if

in

year
in

later, it passed its

thriving circus, it
Press

is

"The

1853.

Revived

as

OF

today

only

Museum.

years

cast

in

ran

performance

consecutive

ONE

successes

himself

Saved"

American

THAT

theatrical

Barnum

Fallen

exactly ninety

KNOW

After
of

gone
by-

frankly reversed
Hollywood
Not

to

see

has
the

Carry Your
show

the

or

Theater

with

audience,but

to

You

51

express themselves. The

old-fashioned "moral drama"

stilted,

seeking"to abolish
not
vulgarity"
onlygivesall moderns a tremendously
tifying
graof
but
it
feeling superiority, givesan excuse and
an
to
opportunityaudibly visiblycongregationally
blow off neurological
tion.
complexesand emotional frustra"

"

It should be

"

lesson

to

"

every advertiser.

Whether

you address an audience of several peopleor

advertise to a circulation of ninety
million,
your audience,
have just
made up of an aggregate of
as we
seen, is always
individuals.

of

One

advertising's
greatest weaknesses,
failureto appreciate
the fact that thisrather

is the
perhaps,
and continuous
striking
is the normal

dissociation of individual interests

state.

The

advertiser has

persistentl

himself (or his goods)as the hero. Advertisers

regarded
address each audience en masse, as thoughthere
regularly
thread upon which
were
alwayssome common,
tangible
But it is onlyin cases of
theycan hangtheir advertising.
when individualsunconsciously
panicor crowd hysteria,
that an individu
surrender for the moment
to crowd
suggestion,
of himself completely.1
loses sight
Otherwise,
unit in any audience is invariably
the psychologic
one"
a
ingly
individual even
in the biggest
crowds, overwhelmsingle
interested in the selfishenjoymentof his own
tions.
emoculation
is never
as "cirThe public
to accept itself
willing
merely,is never rendered homogeneousby the
fact of the advertisement.
The

shrewd

showman

in business

today,therefore,

or
ignore,nor forgetthe existence of, mass
seldom
the
showman
(but
the
certain
in
mob
cases,
psychology,whereby,
into
several thousand people,
even
or
advertiser)stimulates several people,

iThis

observation does

each
following

other's

not

example.

Cany

52

Your

Theater

'with You

doesn't follow the old-fashioned advertiser in

convince the crowd

that he"the

tryingto

advertiser" deserves

to

be

the contrary. He turns to his advantage

the fact that,
instead of contending
with sales
everywhere
the hero.

On

he is swamped at every turn with millions of

resistance,
each fairly
volunteer heroes,
to be allowed to act
panting
behalf of the advertiser and his goodsin any and every
show that may come
tactfully
arranged
selling
along.

on

Hour"

Major Bowes'

"Amateur

this to the

of well-deserved millions. The

between

tune

the

actors

difference

where it
paidradio performers,
The onlyimportant
negligible.
utterly

amateur

existedat all,
was

on
capitalized
cleverly

and

of the auin any "amateur hour" are the members

dience,
instead of being
who, for once in theirradio lives,

and hounded
by supercilious
patronized
young announcers
find themselves flatteringly
ognized
reccommercials,
by dogmatic
not
only as connoisseurs in music but as active
artists!
of actual jobsto deserving
dispensers
ment
Twenty years ago, the man who paidfor an advertiseabsorbed all the
or a salestalk or a political
meeting
the
as the boy who
owns
gloryas a matter of course, just
becomes the captain
of the team.2
football automatically
director or sales manBut the understanding
ager
advertising
show complete
nowadayssimplysets up his own
and child fill
hero and lets every man, woman,
satisfaction.
in the missing
part to his own

without

Shows

without

Rohe Walter
definition of a
2

an

the

harder
stars, although
dominating

remindingus not longago of General Robert

lets anyone else
gentleman as a "man who never
was

"businessman"
Substitute the word
excellent axiom for modern
selling.One

for
sees

and
"gentleman"
how

advertisers were
old-fashioned,
self-puffing
original,

to

E. Lee's
ferior."
feel in-

you

have

backwards
impossibly

working.

Carry Your

54

exotic atmosphere
to
givea glamorous,
of the Gods."
in "The Darling
Bates' acting

Japan alone
Blanche

Theater 'With You

to

has thrived because itis scenery.

When
It is tops in realisticsales presentation.
everyone
in the Southwest,
about the "Dust Bowl"
was
talking
The

movie

commercial

near-byIowa

suffered from

disaster in the minds

and
Register
area

to

with

shown

take movies.
movie
to

of

of advertisers. The
sent

with

These

wavingcorn
a

Alexander

new

Des

the

Moines

planeinto the stricken

then tied in
were
pictures

its own

advertisers. Thus

comingout
When

Tribune

to
geographic
proximity

fur

and green Iowa

goinginto

pasturesand

the lion'sden and

coat.

Smith, a carpet manufacturer,was

movies of
he took into court
sued for patent infringement,
the processes involved,supported
by employeeaffidavits

that the processes had been used for twenty years.

for the defendant.
To

reconcile P. T. Barnum's

dict
Ver-

realization that
profitable
the public
loves to be humbuggedwith this realism is not
difficult.The public
loves to be humbugged"when
too
As in a circus
is part of the game.
humorous deception
sideshow at Coney Island. Or in political
campaigns.
One of the most pathetic
in the world is the human
things
of children trying
desire to play. With the keen anxiety
to have a good time at a birthday
party, the great mass of
American people
will,with the slightest
encouragement,
resemblances
into the most
depressing
plungedesperately
orate
of gayety. We remember when Murray Anderson's elaband charmingstage revues
at the old Rivoli were
lowed
that folcasual "community singing"
rescued by some
as a filler. Some
day some nonpatronizing
genius

Carry Your

Theater

with

You

55

like modest, self-effacing

showmanship
GeorgeTilyou
the Coney Island Steeplechase
is goingto syndicate
idea
the audience do the entertaining
of letting
on
a national
scale and show the Federal theater projects
how they
do something
big.
mightreally
But back to Belasco. While
the American
people,
of whollyunnecessary business
recurrence
throughfrequent
and a never-ceasing
bunk-formula in all politcycles
ical
conditioned not to demand
are
dealings,
any realism
whatever in their serious affairs,
theydo demand realism

of

in their amusements.
And

all who

it will pay

have

to

of any
promotionand advertising
through
solemn"

consideration

to

their

earn

kind

the

matter

to

profits
rious"not
giveseof real

Scenery,even if only photographic

scenery,
ideas into people's
heads but also
not onlyputs the right
prevents the wrong ideas from comingin.

scenery.

Verisimilitude
Load
truth.

of
your story with realism" and the atmosphere
effectivethingin the
truth isthe most
The simple

world.

If you have

in
lining

your Easter
Belasco.

actual,copy
Not

94 per cent

If you

overcoat.

Use

100

per

that saves
in any presentation
makes it triumphant!
You

can

the
can't display

cent

verisimilitude. It'sthat

cent

hardlyexpect

like the silk

itinside out

turn
reality,

verisimilitude.
extra

last 6 per

the other 94 per

your audience

to

cent-

get into the

of itself.
story ifyou don't get into the spirit yourWitness Columbia Broadcasting's
shrewdly
president

of your
spirit

his annual
reading

statement

to

the stockholders over

the

Your

Cany

56

Theater

with

You

And
network.
R. H. Macy's
company'scoast-to-coast
unused for fifteen
planto bringto lifea pharmacypermit
and authority
to its
years in order to giveauthenticity
growingline of cut-rate drugproducts.And, as
rapidly
the addingmachine salesman said to his prospect,"These
that count."
the littlethings
are
In Wilmington,
Delaware,a store that runs "Dime Days"
Never a fifty-cen
in dimes.
makes sure to giveallchange
alwaysfivedimes.
piece"
real the claim that their refrigTo make understandably
erator
for ten out of twelve hours,Westingno
current
uses
house gave salesmen a pocket
watch with ten hours on the
dial shaded off.
Unable

bringthe circus paradewith him on every

the late HarveyMayer,who sold the advertising
call,
space
to

in circus programs, carried peanuts with him so that he

wouldn't be totally
without circus atmosphere.
Before

for a buyingtrip
Foss of
to China,Don
leaving
the Wooster Brush Company had his customers' listrun off
taken with a group
labels. In China he had his picture
on
of native hogs,
made from the photo,
had postcards
slapped
on

the

and
labels,

left no

doubt

Wooster
Walter
showed

sent

them

to

the folksback home.

that real Chinese bristleswere

Which

goinginto

brushes.

but using
the same
realism,
Conversely,
for Devoe " Reynoldsthat
Koch did a display
a horse saying,
"My tailwas never made to be a

brush."
paint
back up a claim of fuel economy, Dodge dealers
put
barrels out in front of their showrooms and advertised,
gasoline
To

"You

six barrels like this every year when

drive the economical Dodge."
save

you

Carry Your

Theater with

You

57

the wall of his rest and locker rooms, one baker has
"You Can't Make Your Quota In Here."
large
signs
saying,
On

In the

of the "o" in "Quota" is a

center

clock,which
large

reminds the routemen

that it's"time" to
realistically
get
their
call
on
customers.
going"out to
One wholesaler prepared
called "How
a salesmanual
to
Make Money in the Auto SupplyBusiness." He dramatized
his topic
by pastingan actual dollar bill
realistically
on
a

the

cover

of each manual.

For fifteensalesmen,
thiswas

but it certainly
the fact that
$15 investment,
emphasized

the boss

about real money.

talking
The EasyHousekeeping
tomers
Shop in Denver allows itscusto set their own
monthlypayments for washing
their laundry
the amount
billwould
machines at exactly
was

have amounted

of payment makes
claims for the washer.
This method

to.

the economy

istic
real-

Personality

Historyis but

of
of the showmanship
telling

David and Goliath,Alexander

the centuries

"

and

no

bus
Columpickon, Nero and his fiddle,
and Isabella'sjewels,
John Smith and Pocahontas,
sades,
Napoleon's
escape from Elba,Richard and the Cruthe cry of the dyingLawrence, "Don't give
Custer's last stand,Dewey at Manila
up the ship,"
Bay, Franklin and his kite,Lindberghlandingat
more

worlds

the

to

Paris,and all the other colorful incidents that stand

out

That
Put On

stine "

the
against

drabness of the past.

from a littlebooklet called

is a quotation
paragraph
a Good
Show, distributedby Batten,Barton,Durand successfuladvertising
Osborn, a large
agency.

Carry Your

58
It covers

over

two

stillworks.

Theater

with

You

thousand years. And in 1938 the principle

How
copiesof this morning's
many

paper could be sold ifwe

took

the

people?
in groups.
he gathers
Man
is gregarious.
Physically,
about peoeven
more
so, he is alwaysthinking
Mentally,
ple.
else in the world.
More than anything
showwith or without a reasonably
A good-looking
girl,
will alwaysattract
for her introduction,
manlike excuse
and gainmore
sex
interest,
attention,
more
discounting
of
publicity
space than the most intimate and interesting
artificial
designs.That's why you see a pretty young girl
ity."
She is "Miss Personalcover.
on
nearlyevery magazine
than any other human
More nearly
ing,
type, a pleasside of
the pleasant
daintyyoung girlpersonalizes
people!
Kenneth Goode in one of his books on advertising
gives
it is
"If for any reason
axiom in selling:
us
an
important
in the hands of a user,
to portray the product
impossible
remember

it is far

alone than the

more

out

desirable

to

portray the

user

productalone."

of the

outstanding
jobsof the
merchandising
decade have been put over
with tie-ups
with people.
and Postal Telegraph
have acquired
Western Union
a
personality
throughtheir messenger boys. Playingan
role in our national picture,
find them on
we
important
the screen, in cartoons
and comic strips,
and in the mind
of every businessman. More singing
operators are being
added by Postal Telegraph
to handle the heavy bulk of
for special
days"timelytunes
"Song-o-grams"
expected
for Easter,Mother's
have been selected to carry greetings
enough,
Interestingly
Day, Father's Day, and birthdays.

Many

Carry Your
said

they are

Theater with

You

59

have

been, in the beginning,

anyway,
"trained" by Miss Anna
Case, a former Metropolitan
to

married to a telegraph
executive.
Operasinger
George Rector,the famous chef,did a marvelous publicity
Eddie Rickenjobfor the A. " P. stores.
Captain
backer broughta colorful flying
to General
personality
Motors' Eastern Air Lines.
Paramount

Pictures' recent

film feature "Wells

Fargo"

in the British Isles" it seems

that a
run
enjoyedan amazing
lot of Englishmen
got the idea that their famous "H.G."
the author,producer,
was
or
something.
In advertising,
but true,
peoplealso like pets. Silly,
human
the best possible
substitute for it,can
or
interest,
be put into a picture
by showingan appealing
dog or cat.
There are, in New
models that
cat
York, professional
make
handsome
a
livingposing for advertisements.
Never show any scene
of life.
without some
suggestion
Animals will alwaysget attention. Jack Schwartzstein
his Yonkers Ferryinto the papers
has a knack of getting
every month.
he alwaysuses

attributes his

He

animals in his stories. In

eels,dogs,cats"
goats,chickens,

(alongwith
the New

York

placein

America

New

York

to

success

the

name

And

papers.

Times

to

get

found

one

the fact that

year he used

this whole

of the
New

menagerie
appearing
Yonkers Ferry)in

York

Yet
publicity.
two-column

isn'tthe easiest
readers of the

headline

one

ing
morn-

saying,"Sky Rains Eels on Deck of Ferryboat."

by the
Readingon, this apparent miracle was explained
he told how
of the good ship"Alpine":
gulls,
captain
the boat with their lunch in their mouths, were
over
flying
scared by the blowingof a whistle. Result" skyrains eels.

Theater

Carry Your

60

'with You

coupleof lion cubs put so much lifeinto the window

that ittook
in Philadelphia
of BoothbyKugler's
restaurant
the
In Syracuse,
line to hold back the crowds.
a police
Hill Bookstore permitted
a pet cat to have (and keep)her
A

Result" crowds

kittens in their window.

out

front and

SyracuseDailyOrange.
space in the near-by
of goldfish
for a cast, William
With onlya couple

A.

sells pipe and tobacco supplies,

who
Hollingsworth,
stoppedthe blase commuters
(including
many advertisin
the arcade of the Graybar
men) as theypouredthrough
the fishes,
An aquarium,
in New
York.
a pipe
Building
half buried in the sand" allto promote a "Treasure Pipe."
when you deperresult can be expected
And the same
sonaliz
with humans.
as
a
People,
your showmanship
not
onlyattract attention but
part of your presentation,
The Standard
givea sense of realism to your advertising.
Oil Stations that put "Call me
Joe" on attendants'lapel
buttons are appealing
interestin peoto human
forcefully
ple.
of six created some
Out in Colorado a littlegirl
records for speedin cooking.A store immediately
put
the girl
into a window
and had her perform
her miracles
before the public
for hours.
eye. Crowds gathered
Names
make news.
but it applies
That's an old adage"
The actions of people
to getting
particularly
publicity.
"when interesting"
will get even
more
publicity.
KathrynA. ("CurleyTop") Schmidt
Nine-year-old
York
vehicle for the New
provideda grandpublicity

Central Railroad.3 From

8

CurleyTop broughtdown

connection with

our

her farm

the house

when

talk before the New

back
following
dialoguecomes
the Dictaphone
who
Corporation,

Elkhart,Indiana,

near

we

had

her in New

York

in

Sales Executives Club. The

the
through
courtesy of Merrill Sands of
recorded

York

the talk:

Carry Your

62

salesman
Silex

to

Theater

with

promoter of Silex coffee machines.

Chef, he

was

able

to

get

You

As the

attention for

consumer

productthat mightnever have attained it alone.

the Trask store used college
At Erie,Pennsylvania,
girls
to

ranges, bake cakes,select bridal shower

for Mother's Day. Sales soared.
tie-up

demonstrate

all as
gifts"

In Columbus, Ohio, a

newspaper ad that
received from a local citizen
a post card just
reproduced
in Europe. The card was to the effect
who was traveling

that "The

food

better than

we

on

restaurant

ran

the lie de France'

was

good but

no

get at your restaurant."

of the best ways

of testimonials.
peopleis by means
Tried and tested" and it always
works.
Photos
real" actual lettersfrom
of actual users make peopleseem
satisfiedcustomers
giveyour article the value of their
friendship.
One hosiery
salesman carries a small camera
with him
of a customer's house,a child" or even
and takes a snapshot
which
not onlygives
a dog. He
a print
to the customer,
alwaysbuilds goodwill,but he shows the picture
out
throughthe entire neighborhood
to establish the fact that he
in the neighborhood.
has a customer, probably
satisfied,
in a neighborhood
Also" he always
starts work
by going
and selling
center
well-known
to the shopping
a fairly
He reasons
merchant.
it
that,in referring
to a customer,
One

looks better

to name

to

one

use

that everyone

knows.

of alltime was "Diamond

of the greatestshowmen
tion
Jim" Brady. Of course, in later years his uniquecollecOne

of diamonds became
could failto
a

What
buyer
great sales asset.
with
be intrigued
of dealing
at the thought

walkingdiamond

mine?

Carry Your
But

Theater

with

this story is connected

earlier experiences"
before the
He

You

63

with

of Jim

one

he

day

saw

salesman
traveling

for

the easiestsale of his

career.

Brady's

his firstdiamond.

well
ManningMax" Moore, a wholesaler in railroad supplies.
One of
their leading
salesitems was a safety
switch. In Diamond
Jim, Parker Morrell's interesting
they relate
biography,
how

Jim made

He
to

was

arrived in

officeone
agent's
purchasing

find his prospect with

his head

afternoon

buried in his

hands,

cryinglike a baby. Inquirybroughtout that duringthe

friend of the P. A., had
morninga yardman,a personal
been hit by a train and killed. Jim tells how the buyer
switch but berated him for
not
onlyordered the safety
them to him sooner.
not
selling
"I realized" Jim said,"that if I could kill a yardman
ders.
everydayI would have no trouble getting
plentyof orBut I did do the
Obviouslythat was impossible.
of the paper the little
best thing. I clipped
out
next
I hit a toughbuyerI'd
notice of the death and whenever
of
tellhim about the incident. I'd painta vivid picture
head sunk deepon chest,
this buyer,
cryingsadly."
This, of

peoplein

course,

but

sales story without

playwithout a cast.
is impossible.
Peoplethink

it is like

And

is extreme;
a

Seems

sible!
impos-

of any idea in

will carry in its candid

of the lives and activitiesof the
pictures
photo-magazine

terms

of

people. General Motors

hundreds of thousands of persons who

itscars.
and selling

are

in building
engaged

that aren't personal?If it

products
if it hasn't a
it a personality;
make
isn't a personality,
personality,
giveit one, justas Diamond Jim Bradyfound
What

about

the

Carry Your

64
for himself

dyingswitchman for
switches and justas so

those

an

themselves

to

in the littletown

insurance

put

man

All that

window.

his

ing
in selluse
regular
nonpersonality
many
that master
personality,

productstied
Mickey Mouse.
Down

Theater with You

of

Westchester,
Pennsylvania,
small picture
frame,empty, into his

in it was

white card. Below,

plain
said "Here's a picture
of something
that can
a little
sign
do you a lot of harm."
When
peoplewalked into his
store, theysaid "Joe,I bite. What's the gag?" He answered,
of wind!
How
do you
"Well, that'sa picture
know

it isn't?

Then

was

Have

he showed

ever

you

the wind?"

seen

of the wind in terms

pictures
of houses turned upside-down
by tornadoes and twisters;
and in a week he sold not onlysixteen windstorm policies
but another nine or ten fire
additions to fire policies,
or
to total strangers.
policies
The Harris Super Service Company in Van Nuys,
has
California,

them

tombstone

the lawn

on

in front of the

reads:
epitaph

station. The

IN MEMORY
RUINED

BY

OF

GOOD

OlL

INFERIOR

train Number
88
Freight
late. Sometimes
was
usually

MOTOR-

from
it was

AND

Omaha
on

GAS.
East
points
time,but usually
to

it wasn't.

In 1926,Number
88 lost its number
and acquired
From
then on, she was
the Pacemaker,
a name.
and everyone from switchman to president
took a personal
interestin

her
bringing

in

on

interestin her because when

to

have

time.

she

personality.

They took a personal

gan
she bea name
acquired

Carry Your
How
There

Theater

about your

'with You

business? Does

65
it have

personality?

thousand ways to do it. Packard cars

because of their red hub
personality
caps. Most
are

have considerable

difficulty
one
telling

car

have
men

from another,

but almost anyone knows a Packard

by those octagonal
red hub caps. An
dealer in California calls
appliance

himself "Washer

Wilson."

Rex

Cole

built

delivery

trucks

shapedlike G-E Refrigerators.

Antoine,in New
Orleans,has a national reputation
because theyturn out
the house lights
for a few seconds as theyserve
your
Suzette.
Restaurants LongchampspioflamingCrepes
neered
a no-tipping
policy.People talked about it.
has even
Personality
caughtup with the Sears Roebuck
Sears sellswomen's hats signed
catalogue.
by Ann Sothand other movie stars.
Thus the hats acquire
ern
personality
from the style
okayof screen idols. The Dobbs
Hat box is known
because of the New
at a glance
York
that runs
around the box.
The
Fromm
Cityskyline
Brothers in Wisconsin individualized their silverfoxes by
brass medallions on the nose
of each animal and
putting
for each fox. You mail your mea pedigree
dallion
furnishing
the pedigree.
and back comes
to Fromm
People
talk about it.
Nevelow's

in San

givingeach

sale its

race

track

Antonio
own

put

When

name.

opened,they ran

over

sales by
special
Alamo

Downs

$100,000 Sweepstakes"

favorite!" Another sale was

"Everyvalue a ten-to-one
of
known
as a "Hoss-Trading
Sale,"a subtle suggestion
bargain-values.
In Salt Lake City,a printer
paintedhis presses" proverbiall
black" in bright
then offered fivedollars
colors,

Carry Your

66
to

anyone

a scrap
finding

town,

same

of paper

named

lumberman

Theater

'with You

the floor. In the

on

Green

in for green

went

even
neckties,
green fences,
green stationery,
green suits,

got himself

with

number
telephone
special

the

prefix

"Green."

Of
have

course,
a name

every businessman is so fortunate as to

that lends itself
to such spectacular
handling,
not

but into every businesspersonality

be injected.
We
can
have recounted ideas that did it in many differentbusinesses"f

manufacturing
washingmachines to selling
hats. For all of them there'sjustone simplecommon
denominator. The instances above are simply
a repetition
of the formula of successfulmen
life.

They

in every walk of
themselves with definite
distinguish
ality.
person-

Dawes

did it with his

pipe;"Teddy"
underslung
Roosevelt posedonly for action pictures;
Ted
Lewis
"Is everyquestion:
picked
up a trade-mark in his repeated
body
happy?"and Al Smith made a world conscious of
a brown
derby.
Distinction

In every business there are alwayscertain elementscither in naming,

that
or
designing,
packaging,
selling"
will lend themselves
tinctiveness. Here
Hair

Dressing

Cranium

Food

to

are

some
a

kind of distinctionor

few of the trade

Insecticides

names

of 1939:

Brassieres

Bug-A-Boo

Bali Topper

Kiss
Cupid's

Devil-Dust

Hearts of Love

Doom
Liquid

Fade-Away
FlamingYouth

Kiss-O-Love

Miss Moth

La-Em-Strait

Sweet Dreams

Her

Life Bliss

Yellow

Nu-Vu

Salvation

Zip-Zap

Chaser

Death

Flatter-U
Secret

Thrill

dis-

Carry Your

Try

Theater with You

67

a differenceof this kind in

ness.
develop
your busiUse a distinctive
Any store can.
duce
package"intro
choose uniquenames.
new
products"
American Radiator " Standard Sanitary
the trade
uses

to

"Hostess"

name

for its

line of beautifiedkitchen

new

sinks" and the selectionseems

and

to

be

with
justified

more

beingdone in the kitchen.

entertaining
The "Sleep
Shop"at Lewis " Congeris almost a store
within a store, with allthe individual appeal
that Franklin
Simon gave to itsCarmoor style
for men
that Rusor
sek's gave to their Marilyn
Modes for women.
Wanamaker's in Philadelphia
and the Hotel Astor in New
York
have made their clocks famed meeting
places.
Wieboldt's in Chicago
has even
gone so far as to issue
their own
store
pum""
They call the coupons "Wammoney.
more

like the old Indian currency" and issue it with

of one dollar or over.
A Wampum
Club has
purchases
been

for
organized

marked

in

of allages

terms
are

of

youngsters, and toy

Wampum

enthusiasticover

currency.
the scheme

store'snewspaper ads,which"

pricetags are
Boys and girls
and watch

store
duringspecial
"offer two free bits of Wampum to club members
bringin the ad. The ads also boast "A Wampum

the

events

who
ing
Trad-

Post in every Wieboldt Store."

Even handicaps
be turned into
can
Gimbels
through
it into a
it,turning

runs
alley

New

in

good will. An
scaped
Philadelphia.
They land-

nursery lane.
and effectivebit of
Yorkers witnessed a pleasant

Frederic March, of movie fame,

recently.
showmanship
starred in a play
and his wife,Florence Eldridge,
were
it
Husband."
called "Yr.
Obedient
Unfortunately,
cold" after about three days. But that wasn't
flopped"

Your

Cany

68

The

the end.
ad

on

the

Theater

'with You

the folding,
there
day following

the theatricalpages of

was

an

of the newspapers over

of the principals
and the producer.A cartoon

names

from The

borrowed

New

some

Yorker

showed

trapeze artist

the air,
the outstretched
through
soaring
missing
obviously
hands of his swinging
read simply:
partner. The caption
"Whoops, sorry!"
For many years young men
workingat soda fountains,
these days,
have been handicapped
restaurateurs
hard-working
The nationwide
by lack of public
appreciation.
contest, conducted by Drug Topics,to find a respectable
has finally
for the "soda jerker"
name
at the fountain,
closed" the

"fountaineer"

name

was

selected because of its

to "engineer."
similarity
Why must drivers' and

clerks' uniforms

drab?

American

Even

small-town

to
enoughimagination

uniforms.
other

your

How

from

store

red kerchiefs

to

drab khaki

let your store

look justlike every
about your trucks?
They should suggest

Don't

store.

add

alwaysbe
Legion Band has

of them should be

distance of

fifty
yards.Everyone

advertisement" with individuality.

rolling
JacobMange " Son in St. Louis uses a pony cart
deliver their infants'and juvenile
wear
packages.

to

Chance
that stand

makes

never

out

the

are

things.Start todayto

a
names

business famous.
that have

done

The

names

outstanding

be different. It's a short

cut

to

fame!

Color

Red
the

and

corner

Green!
turns

the light
at
Stop and Go! When
red" you stop! When
it turns green"

Carry Your

70
an

Theater

industrialplant
at lunchtime,and

as

'with You

workmen

streamed

ful
theywould find the road covered with rows of beautiAt Binghamton,
New
York, where they
shingles.
in twenty-two
obtained,resulting
started,128 leads were
than
saleswithin a few days"and alwaysat prices
higher
tained
obwas
existing
competinglevels. Further publicity
by nightinstallationswith floodlights.
of Showmanship in
Harper and Brothers,publishers
tell us that cherry-colored
Business,
replycards outpull
out

any other color 10 per

The
newspapers are

cent

to

20

per

cent.

making big progress in putting

Take the hint" use itin your
color into daily
advertising.
and in your store and window
direct mail advertising
plays.
disUse it in your exterior designs.
Use it in your
and wrapping. Use it on your trucks.
packages
colors other
Some stores allow salespeople
to wear
no
than blue or black,lesttheycompete with the store'sown
In contrast, other stores
or merchandise.
counter
displays
sellthousands of house dresses in a day by putting
one
on
each girl
as a selling
sample. It dependson the lines sold.
When
color,
SchenleypromotedDubonnet as a new
Men's hat
tie-ups.
many stores boosted saleswith timely
Burgundy as another
promotedSparkling
departments
with Schenley.Stores find that cosmetics
color tie-up
blend
whose colorings
sell quicker
when sold by girls
Blondes and
with the shade theyare selling.
harmoniously
redheads

now

grace the cosmetic

counters

by brunettes.
formerly
monopolized
of a leading
Chicagostore caters
of its patrons with stockings
dyed to
sun-tan.

which

were

hosierydepartment
to the tanned legs
match the perfect

Carry Your
Since
its

Theater

'with You

71

color

association with
providesa recognizable
product,the Comfort Coal and Lumber
Company

standardized

on

white

for trucks,salesmen's

cars,

and

so

forth.
the
her
she

this didn't prove practical,

since
Unfortunately,
white car parkedin front of a woman's
home
told
that a salesman was
comingto collect for the coal" so
ignoredthe doorbell.

Sound

"I love

you"

is

alwaysspoken"seldom written. In
of the historic phrases
of alltime have come
most
fact,
to
us
throughthe spoken rather than the printedword.
From
be destroyed"
must
to "They shall not
"Carthage
has been spokenbefore beingwritten.
pass,"
history
And
sound is stillimportant"
because it gets results,
take the story in
spurs peopleto action. For example,
the New
York newspapers about the man
who was
sitting
beside his radio and heard

dramatized

version of

fire

flames and screeching

sirens.
"completewith crackling
to set
to the story, he proceeded
Whereupon, according
the building
fire.
on
Other evidence of the potency of radio is revealed by
of Amos and Andy, who, when discussing
the experience
in their script
to buy a taxicab,
ceived
rea need for $1.20 more
the mail. And
thousands of cash donations through
that the
in fantasy
Maxwell House no longerannounces
"Showboat
will next week be in Memphis" because experience
showed that hundreds of gullible
peopleran down
the
thus not onlymissing
radio night"
to the river front on
the show.
boat but missing
When

Orson

Welles

gave

modernized

version of

an

Carry Your

72
H. G. Wells's

over
fantasy

November, 1938, his

a

great many

Theater

'with You

the air one

in
Sunday evening
fected
afrealisticpresentation
strangely

listeners. As his audience heard the

"invasion" of the United

States

by

men

from Mars, who

the
Jersey,
many of the listenersaccepted
the
invasion as a reality.
For several hours,throughout
in the New
York metropolitan
country, but particularly
hundreds fled to the hills;
a minor
area, there was
panic:
the Martians;
and telephone
many of them armed to repel
wires were
with calls to learn the results of the
clogged
cials
offiand Broadcasting
It took harried police
"fighting."
that they
half the night
to convince the more
gullible
had been listening
to a play.
This incident proveda lot of things.First,
the power
of sound alone to create immediate mass
No
hysteria.
printed
page could have had similar effect. Critics like
radio with the old figure
that 85 per cent of
to swamp
know comes
what we
throughthe eye and 15 per cent
by ear. Today thishas allthe accuracy of that old Moran
" Mack minstrel gag in which Mack
explained
why the
than the black horses by pointing
white horses ate more
landed in New

that there were

out

more

white horses. There's been less

coni
MarGutenbergand the printing
press preceded
hundreds of years. The
and the radio by many

radio.

85:15 ratio was

fine for

our

childhood.

But with the

keptrunningfor 5.1 hours of the day,

longerso great. Further studyshows that
hours per day it
a set the more
a person owns
longer

average set now

the ratio is no
the

is in

use.

But

to

return

to

Orson

Welles"

boldly advertised that the crowd

the

paidno

WashingtonPost
attention

to

four

Carry

Your

Theater

with

You

that the broadcast

announcements

The

73

pure
listensto

Post

that no one
implied
ments.
announceis true only
up to the pointsuggested
by
in Showmanship in Business when I (kg)

This
your authors
said that"
From

ment.
entertain-

was

the very

demanded

the very nature

of radio
beginning,
serted
insimplecommercial script
tactfully

in the

same

vein

the entertainment

as

ture.
fea-

in this case, to consider themselves

Professing,
dramatic producers
whose benevolence would
be rewarded out of sheer gratitude,
radio advertisers
not
onlyphrasedtheir plugsin dull and matter-offact language,
but,for some
strange reason, pitched
their commercial
ent,
differannouncingin an entirely
inharmonious
deliberately
key. So, where
a
smart, suave, smooth,
every condition suggested
with amusement,
sophisticated
blendingof advertising
the early
radio shows keptthe two
elements
In the hands of a few good
blatantly
apart.
showmen
this custom
is gradually
breaking.Soon
.

...

great showman

some

as

will dramatize

he does his entertainment.

In sales meetings,
there
We

ran

contest

for sound.
good possibilities

are

for Wallach

chain,in which each salesman

Hooked
The

up

to

announcer

the
"even

his advertisements

radio there
mentioned

odds
betting

let the crowd

Brothers,a men's

was

was

the

men

represented
by a boat.
concealed microphone.
cussed
and their boats,dis-

and" with the aid of

hear

Victor

record.

The

phonograph

few bars of the "Stars and

Forever,"allegedly
playedby the
Stripes
it 'was the Marine Band
Band.
Incidentally,
five cent

wear

announcer

U.
on

gave

S. Marine
a

seventy-

an

imagi-

Carry

74

Theater

Your

You

with

of a short race, at the end of which Walnary account

lach's president
actuallysteppedforward at the meeting

prizeto the winner.

is an imaginary
"Voice
Another stunt for sales meetings
who discusses the selling
of Experience,"
problemsof the

and handed

audience

and

small

reveals all the

Your

answers.

local radio

rigup this equipmentfor you for only a few

ings
dollars. Harry Alexander used to enliven the sales meetof the American
Type Founders with a "March of
sands
A. T. F. distributes thouTime"
type of presentation.
from tinybits of
and thousands of items to printers,
type up to massive Kelly presses. Little radio skits
of each item and condramatized the profit
cluded
possibilities
musical background:"A. T. F.
with a stirring
store

can

Marches

On!"

for sound in window

plays.
disbig possibilities
If we
sound for Santa Glaus, why
use
synthetic
bells? Or if we
brides in
not
a littlerealisticjingle
use
white to selltrousseaux, why not a few bars of Lohengrin
than
can't imagineanything
to helpalong? We
worse
There

street

are

with all store

that time comes,

some

windows
stores

wired
can

for sound, but until

make

discreet

use

of it

for interior display.

The
same
profitable.
applies
sound
In face-to-face selling,
is important.Percy
the bond-selling
activities of power
Whiting,directing
companies,had his salesmen take prospects out to the
waterfall sitesand let them stand listening
to the rumbling
of water.
Then they took them into the power
torrent
of the turbines.
and let them listen to the whirring
plants
dramatized its noiseless typeRemingtonRand similarly
very

Carry Your
writer

while

Theater

by askingthe
their productwas

Radio, of

radio audience

is a

course,

'with You

used in

The

of

number

beingmade

sets

to

listen carefully

studio.

crowningexampleof

commercial
large,
profitable,
million entries in

75

with

contest
mounts

in automobile

scale.

every
models.

sound

on

Sinclair

pulledtwo
radio advertising
only.
day,with special
gains
It has been

revealed

of our
that 85 per cent
Or did. But what
eye.

knowledgecomes
throughthe
salesman worthy of the name
'write to a prospect in preference
would
with
to talking
the firstmass
him?
Radio provides
method of competing
with printing
of mass
communication
and will
as a means
go a longway towards changingthe 85-15 ratio.
So" at the risk of spiking
our
own
story" we say, 'watch
for sound.

And

the

to

time you want

don't forget
to
somebody'spocketbook,

on

his

out

next

to

make

keep an

love

eye

ear.

Glamour

demurelydivine in a
"Ice Sable,"wearinga toque called
fur coat named
"Fickle as a Feather,"wearinga dress "Coronation
Revere," a shade of hose called "Myth," a silk slip
if evanescent
"Caress,"and a euphonious,
girdle
named
"Hug-Me-Tighter."And do you take the
wind out of these air castles by offering,
prosaically,
in
End
Cent Sale Today, Week
"One
Specials
She

comes

into your

store,

Toiletries"?

gist,
Mclnerneyin the American Drughave no rightto
that we
charmingly

So writes Miss Ruth

so

wiselyand

Carry

76
cheat

readers

our

Your

by tryingto

Theater
do

it

as

'with You
well.

Let

her

continue:
of potential
has plenty
"theater."
Everydrugstore
is like a shot in the arm.
It
Price as a main appeal
for a
been ascertained that even
has now
definitely
homelyarticlelike a washingmachine, only8% are
is
sold for economy'ssake;the chief sales reason
in a cerhealth
tain
beauty. One out of four women
medium-incomed
town
managed to find $10 to
$25 for a custom-tailored corset, but their purchases
of house furnishings,
at rock-bottom
even
depression
prices,
dropped82%.
Thanks
and the
to Hollywood, the magazines,
to tellwhere
radio,we have almost lost the ability
glamourstops and reality
begins.It takes ten times
half as many
to attract
more
advertising
peopleto
the shoppingcenter
the theatrical district.
to
as
For some
illusory
reason, we
buy twenty times more
of a shade named
"Desert Sand" than when
hosiery
it is called plain"beige."Worth
" Worth, the
men's hat organization,
reports that a man's hat,
named, sellsthree to five times better than
exotically
"

when

unnamed.

But the feminine reaction

for things,
runs

cognomens
Temptingtitlestwist

Take

Miss

our

1000%

to

to

tivating
cap-

2000%.

hearts.

word
Mclnerney's

for it: An

appealto

glamour has an immediate and a rapideffect. And is

Which
portant
profitable.
bringsto mind Ogden Nash's imtwo-line poem about "Breaking
the Ice." You
recall it:

Candy is dandy;
But liquor
is quicker.

Shoot

78

for the Heart

them in the Denver courts, Bonfilscharged

against
brought
that the judgebefore whom
the case was beingheard had
obtained his place
throughthe power of the complainant.
Bonfilswas declared in contempt of court and was brought
in Honolulu
to trialbefore the same
was
judge.Tammen
at

the time.

Bonfils' defense
oratory.

was

of reasoning
and
masterpiece

In part he said:

"I stand before this court

of my
conscious of
rectitude;

conscious
today,

integrity,
honestyand
havingcommitted no wrong against
any judgment,
based upon prejudice,
malice or suspicion.
I haven't
and never
have had anything
but the kindliest
now,
and best wishes for this court.
feeling
"The finding
of this court
is a small matter
to
I am but a unit in this great populame
personally.
tion,
an
unimportantcog in the great whirling
wheels of this busy world.
I ask no greater rights
than the humblest man
who has ever
or
privileges
own

stood before this court, and I

am

but in whatever
consideration,
been

guidedby
of all
"

entitled to
I have

no

more

done, I have

terests
thoughtwas for the best inber.
greatestgoodfor the greatestnumI

what

the

I have tried in

humble

way to smooth out

for those that follow after,
to make
roughplaces
world

the
the

littlebetter for

this way, and,

havingpassed
if throughignorance
I have transgressed
any of the
laws of this state, I shall not pleadthat as an excuse,
but stand readywith mental tranquillity
and repose
unafraid and unashamed
receive the judgto
ment
a

"

"

of this court."

Whereupon he was sentenced to sixtydays in

fined $5,000, and assessed one
half of
county jail,

the
the

Shoot
court

for

for the Heart

When

costs.
a

ten
supersedeas,

But the

he gave notice of appeal

and applied
days'stay of execution was granted.

indicated that Tammen

court

treatment

upon
returned

He

79

his

would

return.

afterwards" with

soon

der
chipon his shouland
courteous, dignified,

idea of

making the
plea of Bonfils. The
comprehensive
Tammen's
trialin the following
way:
and

no

marched

suffersimilar

author

describes

JudgeShattuck's court, listened

for a time to the charges,
then,when sentence
was
about to be passed
him for his part in the conon
tempt,
stand
jumpedto his feet,spun the attorney's
of his way, shook his fistat the Judgeand bawled:
out
"Look
here, Judge Shattuck,you know and I
that this is nothing
know
but a cat and dog fight.
for twenty years, if you
You can put me in that jail
He

want,

As
the
for

into

but /'//get you yet!"

Tammen
sat down, amid

horrified silence,

Judge,his face white and his mouth open, stared

seconds.
Then he said huskily:
thirty
nearly

"Case dismissed"
after his rip-snorting
did Bonfils go to jail
in itselfone
of the
partner had made this speech,
Nor

bare-faced

most

The
we

are

of contempt

acts

record.

up the
when he
in Esquire
admirably

late Clarence Darrow

at
getting

on

A skillful
lawyerdoes

not

summed

tirehimself

principle
wrote:

for
hunting

in the box; if he knows much

or intelligence
learning
and his making,he knows that all beings
about man
act

from

not

emotions

and that
and instincts,

motive factor.

If deliberation counts

itis to retard decision.

reason

is

for anything,

Shoot

80

for the Heart

lect
Assumingthat a juroris not a half-wit,his intellowing
can
for folalwaysfurnish fairly
good reasons
his instincts and emotions.

"The
knows."

heart has many

When

ago he combined

Pascal
most

which

reasons

wrote

reason

those words

of the "Ten

never

many
Commandments

years
of

If you're
Selling."
aimingfor a man's pocketbook"start
Don't start at his
at his heart,
not
at the head.
shooting
head when you can start nine inches nearer
to his pocket.
Let's take an examplein merchandise which we
allknow.
Departmentstores sell thousands and thousands and
thousands
of dollars' worth
of women's
hosieryto
The Gotham
Silk HosieryCompany did a trewomen.
mendous
business with women.
They wanted to sell
women's
It
to men
to use
as
a gift
to women.
hosiery
should have been a good gift
item,but it wasn't. Why?
It'stoo practical.
It has no sentiment.
It's justtoo useful.
(By the way, you know the story of the man who
and said,"I want
walked into a department
store
to buy
and the girlsaid,"Are
three pairof women's
hosiery";
these for your wife,or would you like to see something
a

littlebetter?")

Well, here's what

Gotham

did.

stead
In-

of

as hosiery,
hosiery
theyrolled it up
justoffering
and put it on the back of a littleScottie dog,or tucked it
of a littletoy mailman.
Or they put it in
under the arm
valentines or little footballs. They
littleheart-shaped
took merchandise that couldn't be sold at 69 cents, plus
a little
toy that you can buy in the dime store for a nickel
three cents),
for two
or
(thattheyboughtin quantities

put the

two

of them

the 69-centitem
together"

and the

Shoot

for the Heart

item" marked

3-cent

81

them

and sold thousands

"85^ special,"

of them.

Why?
They didn't add one extra instant of wear to
that hosiery.They didn't add a single
thingto the value
of it to the wearer.
But they did add to it a certain intangibl
as
somethingwhich we know as showmanship,
ment,
as
beauty,a littleheart throb,a littlesentieye appeal,
that you can
hand this hosiery
wife or
so
to your
and it represents a little thoughtfulnes
your daughter
rather than justplainmerchandise.
Now
take another example. Our
friend,John Van
of BuildingSupply News, had a daughtera
Deventer
few years ago.
About ten daysafter the child was
born
addressed to the child" not to him,
a littlepackage
came
He openedit,and in it
not
to his wife,but to the child.
from

littlesilver spoon with a littlenote

Blauvelt of the Comfort Coal and Lumber
was

that he

for littleJoan.

cream

"We

can't

lifewould

hoped that
buy

Mrs. Van

lumber

from

Hiram

Company, saying
and
alwaysbe peaches
turned to John and said,

this

man"

don't

we

want

buy coal from anybody else,I

the reason
ture.
want
to know
why." That's only human nathere was
Now
nothingin that littlesilver spoon,
that added anythingto
which
only cost a few pennies,
of the coal,but there was
the heating
something
qualities

lumber.

that added

gets out of
can

if we

But

to

ever

the satisfactionthat Mrs.

Van

Blauvelt.

And

buyingfrom

givethat

to a

customer

Hiram

Deventer

when

you'realwaysgoingto

you
get the

business.
Western

Union

has cashed

in

richlyon

bit of

emo-

Shoot

82

for the Heart

tional strategy. We're

referring
againto the use of pictorial
seasonal decorations on
telegrams.You've seen
those beautifulNorman
Rockwell paintings
that grace the
top of a twenty-one cent telegram.A thousand-dollar
that gives
when
a million-dollar thrill. Time
was
painting
of the emotional values of telegrams
most
were
negative,
if not actually
frightening.
But no more.
Easter bunnies with longears helpcarry
Or Christmas bells
a message of cheer and
springtime.
and chimneystell you that somebodywishes he or she
with you to share a holiday.Actually,
were
you pay
about one
ten-thousandth of a cent for the atmosphere.
And

get,as

we

Western

said,a million-dollar thrill. And

Union

sees

itsgreeting
business

as

sult
re-

higher

zoom

every year.
United Air Lines' free-rideoffer to wives is said

to

be

for several unexpected

cause
honeymoons"all beresponsible
two
can
as one.
marriages
flyas cheaply
Proposed
that mighthave hung fire
professions
among the traveling
another season
rushed ahead to take placebefore
were
some
by
longbusiness trip.By air. Less romantically,
the fact that it costs

the way,

dealer

to

deliver

for one's local

more

Detroit-made

car

into

mobile
automost

airline to
enterprising
step,
doordeliver the buyer,himself,f.o.b. Detroit factory
has led lots of new
car
approached,
properly
buyers,
to Detroit to drive back
to pay for an
airplane
expedition

American

in their

cities than it

costs

cars.

Joe Lowry, an insurance

a
see

prospect who
the

an

child.

had

man,

justbecome

"Sure," answered

once
a

droppedin

father. He
the

to

asked

see

to

beaming parent,

Shoot
the
leading

for the Heart

83

"Mighty fine young fellow you are,

be a fine man.
son,"mused Joe. "You'll probably
Grow
too, and be a famous
up bigand probably
go to college,
man
some
day. Daddy is sure to send you to college"
that is,if he lives!" Joe stoppedand glancedat the
then continued,addressing
the sleeping
"Of
father,
child,
if Daddy doesn't live,no one
knows
what will
course,
happen to you. In that case there is only one way to
If you could talk,you'dsell him the
take care of you.
idea. You're a good little salesman and your Daddy
loves you.
I would tell him, but he might not believe
He'd believe you, though. Maybe I'd better tell
me.
him for you." Turning to the father,he sold him a
way.

$4,000 endowment.
Another

insurance agent, who

with his
was
friendly
teria.
annuityprospect,stoppedwith him before a cheapcafeHe

asked him

to

step inside for

Old

moment.

coffee at a nickel a cup. The

drinking
of these
salesman pointed
out that twenty years ago none
men
expectedto be broke" that,like the prospect,they
the
had been optimistic
about the future. Pulling
out
the white tiled
he signed
his man
on
annuityapplication,
men

sat

around

table of the cafeteria.

in any commercial
Motion, practically
speaking,
worth
and

comes
considering,

reaction

are

said

to

quantities
tion
onlyfrom emotion. Ac-

be

alwaysequal.The

verse
re-

Action will result from reaction.

true.
equally
keen the
the emotional reaction,the more
The sharper
cally
buyingimpulse.The proper emotional reaction practiis

guarantees a sale.

used,attracts
skillfully
Showmanship,

favorable

atten-

Shoot

84

for the Heart

tion;and,more

the particular
important,
emphasizes
point
upon which this favorable attention should most
naturally
focus. Controlled emotion is the logical
and necessary
tool,even in intellectualtransactions. A good showman
mightbe defined as one who takes no chances with mass
intellect. He knows that peoplein commercially
able
profitnumbers are moved
not
by argument, not by logic,
not
even
by their own best interest. We like to think
that we are logical
likes to think that
persons. No man
he doesn't use

his brain.

But the factsare

As Bert Brownold

says in The
of Motivation: 2

Some

of the best

purelyemotional

to

of the intellectualare

Heart

that he doesn't.

Decides: The

examplesof appealwhich is
exclusion
the almost complete
found

in the

Who

arts.

been stirred by dance music,and in

not

by a
by a

way

way
felt an

funeral

solemn
vibrant

emotion

and
dirge,
march?
military
has

has

different

in stillanother
has

Who

difficultof definition when

beautiful painting?
Who

at a

cholog
Psy-

never

not

gazing

been moved

by a book, or a play? Who has not feltthe sweet,

that a song, familiar in childhood
nostalgic
stirring
but forgotten
throughthe years, can awaken?
Strangeas the thoughtmay seem when firstpresented
to us, even
so prosaic
a transaction as the sale
.

of

load of bricks has itsinception

in

an

emotional

impulse.
of showmanship
and emotions,Batten,
subject
tion
observaBarton,Durstine " Osborn made the following
On

the

in
2

one

issue of The

Cincinnati: The

Wedge:

National Underwriter

Company, 1936,pp. 16-17.

Shoot

86

for the Heart

producesit is something
apart
from knowledge a sympathyfor the way people
of drama and humor, a lightthink and live,
a sense
of
hearted courage that sees onlythe eternal realities
emotions and is undisturbed by the passing
human
of material things.
phantasmagoria
The

power

which
"

Showmanshipis a great emotional force. Use it as

There's nothing
about Myrna
such in your selling.
logical
herself in William Powell's arms,
Loy when she places
and laysher head on his shoulders.
fluttersher eyelids,
Yet theaters from Casco,Maine,to Del

Monte, California,

There's no
signfor their pictures.
fans jump deliriously
"reason why" when fight
to their
Yet
feetto cheer a champ as he knocks out a challenger.
fans line up week afterweek to get ringside
seats for the
fights.
There's no reason
to the antics of Orphan Annie
or
endeared themselves to our naso
tion
Skippy.Yet they've
the comics were
voted the "most
that in a recent poll
read" section of our daily
With
papers. Not the news.

hangout

war

the "SRO"

in three continents.

in the
financialhistory

Not

the stock market.

With

making. But the comics. The

for reader popularity
firstplace
comics won
26,among
said
once
000,000
newspaper readers. Israel Zangwill
that every kingshould have a novelist in his cabinet to
felt. There mightbe more
tell him how the people
kings
advice had been taken.
in Europetodayif ZangwilPs
Take your lesson from the big-time
shows.
Use the
formula that theyuse on the air" in the movies"
same
the stage"in books" and shows of all kinds. Appeal
on
Shoot for
to pride.Appealto fear. Appealto love.
the

heart,not

the head.

Don't

Tell Me

Let

"

"Don't

"

Guess

look back"

wife;and
turned

Me

said Lot

she looked
into

ADAPTED

pillar of

Lot's wife turned

blame.

to

"rubber."

was

salt"

GENESIS

FROM

IN

his

to

back and

THE

19

MODERN

Lot,of

FLIP

course,

was

ARGOT,

really

If Lot hadn't said

but the conventional

anything
"Let's go!" Lot's wife probablywouldn't have
and so would have lost her placein
thoughtof turning,
history.
Yet one wonders!
Maybe Lot had more wisdom than
creditshim with. If,for any reason, Lot didn't
posterity
his wife too highly
as a portable
esteem
asset, he chose
of freezing
with diabolical accuracy his method
her.
the time-honored formula for
Remember
Curiosity!
a successfulplay:
writing
to

Act

I:

Act

II:

Act

III:

Get your characters up

Throw
at 'em.
stones

a tree.

Get 'em down.

GeorgeM. Cohan's dictum about havingyour audience

at the end of the first
act made him a rich man,
guessing
87

Don't

88

let'ssee ifwe

so

can't use

Tell Me-Let

Me

his formula in

our

Guess

salesmethods.

Suspenseshould be the aim of the openingof every

good sales presentation.
Mysterybooks are in a class of
their own.
Mysterypictures
packmovie houses. Your
loves to be asked to playgames.
To guess. Particularl
public
for

Inquiry
among
hour

an

Fair

to
out

one

Continental Can's booth

the

World's
Chicago
the fact that not
pusha button broughtto light
of four of them knew what he or she was waiting
at

many of them were

pushthe button that

for.

And

came

to

pushit for

one

line for hours

to

to

of any kind.
millions of people
who stood in line for

small reward

so
a

at

scared when

uniformed

of every four. Yet

do" theyknew not what!
out

their

attendant had

theywaited

alwaysholds
Uncertainty
Appealto curiosity.
Justas
window
stopping

the mystery
or

turn

touch will make

our

in

terest.
in-

traffic-

successfuladvertisement,
it will
so

the effectivenessof your own

personal
selling.
Salesmen for the EncyclopediaEritannica learned long
add

to

book at the beginning

to open their sample
ago that it is folly
it from beginning
and start to go through
to end.

gets the
prospect immediately

that he or
impression
the whole
she is stuck for the time needed to go through
the Britannic a salesmen jump right
into the
Now
book.
middle of the book, starting
at some
lively
spot,and skip
The

back

that the interest of the prospect is

osity
uncertainty.
They further appealto curi-

and forth,so

maintained

by
such questions
as, "What
by asking

or

"How

far away

theyshow
all questions.
in the big
wife is sitting

is the sun?"

you how the Eritannica answers

The doorbell rings.Your

Of

makes ink black?"

course,

Don't

Tell Me-Let

Me

Guess

"Eno Crime
to
easy chair listening
Tale."
Professional showmen
are

89
Club"

or

"Witches'

holdingher interest
with mystery. She leaves the radio reluctantly
to open
the front door and face a routeman
from your local laundry
who stands before her with a large
button on his lapel
reading,
"Can you drink it?" He smiles,
takes off his hat,and
he answers
to the badge. As he starts to talk,
the
points
in
unspokenquestion

your wife's mind: "Can you

drink

what?"
He says, "Mrs. Robinson,when we rinse
your laundry
the seventh time,the water
is so clear that you can drink
it. Do

is done
you believe that when laundry
isreally
clean enoughto drink?"
Your

the water

at

home

wife,of

confesses that

it isn't. With
that as a
probably
the routeman, goes into a longscientific
start, our friend,
backed with allthe authority
of the
story of bacteriology,
of hygiene
of a state university.
He describes
department
made by the university
and points
tests that were
out the
values in the cleanliness of the finalrinse.
hygienic
This story in itselfis quite
dry,but he gets and holds
course,

your

wife's interest with that "Can you drink it" introduction.

In other words, he has used the same
element

in his sales story that holds your wife at the radio,and

his planworks, because your wife standing
at
naturally
the front door isthe same
that she was ten seconds
woman

before

as

she sat in the comfort of her easy chair.

doesn't

Human

miraculous and sudden

change
is about to tella sales story. Any
justbecause someone
if
sales story can be made just
as a prizefight"
as thrilling
into it.
we
put enoughshowmanship
nature

Salesmen

undergoany

for Scottissue sellpaper towels with the

state-

Don't Tell Me"

90
ment, "I

This

never

saw

goes
that
same

paper towel that was worth a damn."

rise out of prospects,who think that

be

must

The salesman then

littlebit nuts.

the differencebetween Scottissue products

explain
and ordinary
paper towels. Also,theyhave found
for a competing
of praise
a word
producthas the
mediate
it leads prospectsimeffect. Comingunexpectedly,

on

to

wonder

to

make

John

what the salesman will say

Why"

peoplemore confident of the rest.

The "slam-bang"
is not alwaysthe
Knute

from
then

next

to

And
many
years ago,
up for his magnanimity.
B. Kennedy put minor admissions of unfortunate

weaknesses in his pioneer

"Reason

"but

Guess

alwaysgets a

the salesman

Let Me

Rockne

copy

to

make

effectiveapproach.

most

footballgames

by "inquiring."
He sent a powerful
in at the opening
whistle
team
had a more
second team watching
the game
powerful
the sidelines. The firstteam
did the inquiring"
and
the second team
answered the questions.
Stars like

Carideo

won

the sidelinesin the firstquarter to get a

detached and cool picture
of their opponents'
weaknesses.
sat

on

does
Thus, asking
questions

it gives
prospectsa chance

more

than

arouse

blow off steam

to

curiosity;
and expose

theirfeelings.
"Have

the

you

ever

ridden in

morning?" Thus

street

car

at

six o'clock in

lifeinsurance salesman holds the

interestof prospectsand tellshow the cars are fullof old

with dinner pails"
of pitiable
old age without
men
cases
the

from planned
that could come
security
investing.
Use more
marks.
Don't present every fact
question
in the form of a direct statement.
in
Appealto curiosity
Don't simply
of expression.
your manner
say, "This kind
of stationery
will save you money." Instead,
ask,"Do

Don't Tell Me-Let

Me

Guess

9i

can
save
you know how thisstationery
you
then proceed
to tellhow certain economies

of

means

and
production,
a question,
you

mass

prospect answer

so

make

your story than if you

in a direct manner.

him far

made
simply

to

Use

money?" And
are effectedby
forth. By makinga
more

ceptive
re-

your presentation

pencil.Wave it in the air. Carrya little

Take it out when you start to
too.
pad in your pocket,
mention figures.
It attracts and holds attention. The
prospect doesn't know what you are goingto do with it.
He wonders.
Which keeps
him watching
and listening
sold The
Womrath's,a New York chain of bookstores,
Door, a mystery novel by Mary Roberts Rinehart,
with
fullof clues and the question,
a window
did these
"How
clues helpsolve the murder of Sarah Gittings?"
Bernard Finn used the technique
of the mystery-thrill
dime novel in putting
for the EasyWashingMachine
over
his "Man Hunt for Public Enemy No. i,"the
Corporation
his wife by hard work because he
who was
man
killing
her of the comforts of an EasyWasher.
was
depriving
With
a

your

allthe realism of the Womrath

crime fileand sleuth kit. The

of

window, he

crime fileshowed

sent
a

out

series

as follows:
photographs,
captioned

POLICE

of

PHOTO

TAKEN

AT

lyingdead

woman

ENLARGEMENT

OF

SCENE

beside

SECTIONS

OF

(pictUTC

CRIME

washboard).
OF

POLICE

PHOTOGRAPHS

of close-up
wrinkled
of woman's forehead,
(pictures
with
RETAKE

furrows).
OF

SNAPSHOT

FOUND

ZILCH's

BY

PEERLOCK

HOMES

IN

(photOradio
victim's husband,enjoying
graphof Mr. Zilch,
while wife sitsnear by looking
exhausted).
SECRET

SEARCH

OF

B.

PRIVATE

PAPERS

Tell Me"

Don't

92

crime filewinds

The

fiend

Let Me

up with the

Guess

that
explanation

the

DirtyDan Drudgery,who, aided and abetted

attitude of self-satisfied
lows
husbands,alby the complacent
millions of women
to struggle
washdaywith
through
was

of

the old-fashioned instruments

washboard

and

filecontained

crime

kids,where

and

to

of the

reminder

constant

printin
finger-

home

promptlywent

course,

they were

the

as

sleuth kit enclosed with the

artificial
mustache

an

These,of

set.

the

The

iron.

known

torture

dealer's salesmen.
Down
a

at

Dallas,
Texas,GeorgeHennerich

milk drink that his Ice Cream

new

put

and says to
milk drink."

The

up a
flavor?"
it up.
takes

The

an

about

tute
InstiMerchandising

over.

salesman

clerk says,

salesman answers,

"No

"What
naturally,

flavor.

Justshake

gins
any flavor in it." As the mixer bewhir and the wheels beginto turn, the salesman

I don't

to

us

goes into
the clerk behind the counter, "Make me

to
helping

was

store

told

want

out
envelope

of his pocket,
hands it to the

drug

clerk says,
do you
"What

clerk,and says, "Wait, mix this in it." The

"What's

that?"
I'm

care?

I want

The

payingfor

salesman answers,

I guess I can put anything

clerk stands there with his mouth

the drink.

in it." The

The salesman
open, wonderingwhat is goingon.
designand says, "Boy,is that
sipsthe drink of his own
wide

out
good!" As he starts to walk out of the store, he pulls
and says to the clerk,"Make
of those envelopes
a couple
ica
one." Well, there isn'tenoughmoney in Ameryourself
ing
to stop that clerk from shaking
up that drink and tast-

he gets a chance.
happens? It's peanut butter. A

it himself the

What

moment

new

milk

"Don't Tell Me-Let

94

He

then turned

the

on

magic lantern

Guess

Me

showed

and

on

selection of actual pages from the book.

Mysteryworks at trade conventions as well. Even

screen

carried

Christian Science Monitor

Leach

" Goode

how

story on

Brands
helpedPopular

put

the

Ryan,
"Pop,"a

over

of Emmett
tin's
Markitchen cleanser,
at the 1927 convention
National Association of Food Distributors. Before
ads

the convention,teaser

"Let Pop do it" or

Journal:
At the convention,
Pop came

boy who
In" and

put

see

in the Association's
appeared
isin the kitchen."
"Pop's
place
lifein the form of

to

formed
uni-

folks to "Pop
inviting
and "Popguns"
helped
"Lollipops"

handed

the booth.

cards

out

the story.

over

Trade paper editors often

mystery

use

est
freshen inter-

to

ture
everydayproblems.A furniture paper ran a picof a crowd storming
a store, captioned
it,"What did
Read our April
Rogersstore do to get this crowd?

in

the

issue and find out."

on

Blase operagoers, comingout of Rochester's opera house

amazed to find the
the season's openingnight,
were

Democrat-Chronicle
Which

simplya

was

attention

page.
Readers

to

put

over

Sun

you

can

dot

Of

up of dots?

learned that there

page, that each dot

were

enough
music

recentlyfound their
column
an
explanatory

editorialpage, except for

of dots.
the left,
a great mass

editorialmade

tuxedos.

the Democrat-Chronicle's

of the Baltimore

loo-linehalf-tone screen
an

in

strong-arm short-cut to get

whole
on

dressed

newsboys

And

how

page!

million

Could
not.

course
or

so

full-page
you skip
Reading,

dots

on

the

and
a Federal jobholder,
represented

Don't

Tell Me-Let

Me

Guess

95

of the Baltimore Sun, that was

that,in the opinion
lot

whole

too

many.
Station WWL,
a

in New

sent
Orleans,

simplebroadside.

very
It

sentence.

said,"Our

the back of

on

At

to

itslistsof prospects

the top

story is so

simplewe

postage stamp." Attached

justone

was

tell it

can

was

glassine

envelope.Contents (as you'veguessed):One

postage stamp, green side up.
stamp

read,"We

over, you

believe

we

you turned the

increase your
can

of the fastidiouscard

sales." At the bottom

card for those who

When

shared the radio

penny

reply
station'senterprisin
was

optimism.
Alan Flint put a touch of suspense into an exhibit at his
Dealers convention when
he
States Lumber
Mountain
of the 1920 convention and asked folks
picture
old faces.
to identify
advertising
Harry Singer,the energetic
manager of
medicine
Magazine?sent prospectsa regulation
Simplicity
showed

label read

The

box.

"IJ for business." Inside

was

format
inthe not unexpected
within which was
largecapsule,
in Simplicity
that advertising
a tonic for
was
slow sales.
When

spokein Wichita,Kansas,for a

we

invited us

Station KANS
notice

we

and

go

on

a "Round
together

threw
one

to

of

our

guestswas

retailersgroup,

the air. On
Table

who
Garfield Leiter,

outpulled
"mysterymailing"
any
He

mailed

Harry'scard, by

women

the way, reads

hour's

of Showmanship,"

Garfield's,
a women's
shop. He
specialty
one

an

three

hand-scribbled

operates
told how

forts.
efprevious
note
saying,

"Harry Singer"and 8,000,000Women.'

Don't

96
Next

"Beware!

week

A.
(signed)

Moth."

Womrath's

sold

Tell Me-Let

I'llstart

to

eat

Showmanship in

Me

Guess

up your

fur

Business with

of course,
referring,
questions
asked,did (a) a
showmanship.How, the questions
that asked

seriesof

coat,

sellrailroad tickets?
matches

(b) horseshoes sellreal estate?

play
disto
cat

(c)

2
sell refrigerators?

Up in Webster,Massachusetts,
everyone in town
got a
mysterious
phone call one Monday morning. A voice
said,"Fridayand Saturdayare Crazy Days on Main
Street." And hung up! Thursday,
a huge
newspaper
ad announced
the folks
a "CrazyDays Sale."
Business,
the Webster
merchants NUTS.
were
told,was
driving
And now
and
theywere just
nutty enoughto chopprices
For two
givethe Websterians "CrazyBargains."
days
only. On Saturdaymorningthe Chamber of Commerce
the
had to phonethe highschool to get thirty
to help
girls
crazy merchants handle the crazy crowds.
who sellssecurities,
has
Jr.,
PercyWhiting,

mystery
way of using
He sellsan investment
Fund.
money

to

an

get attention and prove

trust

known

as

effective
a

point.

Investors
Republic

When

Investors Fund, your

you buy Republic
is in turn reinvested by them in the shares of fifty

Investors Fund offers

companies.Republic
ifseveralof the companies
because even
were
you safety"
invested
to fail,
onlya small part of your money is actually
in the stock of those failing
companies.In other words,
in spreading
there'ssafety
your investment. All buying
is done by a committee of market experts,headed by
W. R. Bull,an outstanding
authority.

well-known

If

ask Harpers (or Womrath's)

interested,

about

the book.

Don't
Now

of
common

he

Tell Me"

Let Me

Guess

97

ter
Whiting's
selling
problemboils down to the matshowingyou that you are not an expert in picking

stocks" whereas

givesyou

the

his committee

listsof stocks shown

two

is.

Therefore,

below:

Group A
Co.
SugarRefining

American

FreeportTexas
Bethlehem

Co.

Steel Corp.

P. Lorillard Co. (Old

Gold)

U. S. Industrial Alcohol
U. S. Rubber

Co.

Co.

U. S.

" MiningCo.
Smelting,
Refining
Pan-American
Petroleum " Transport
Co.
Chicago" Northwestern RailwayCo.

Crucible Steel Co. of America

Group

Otis Elevator Co.

Standard
North

Oil Co. of New

American

Matheson

Jersey

Co.

Alkali Works, Inc.

International Nickel Co. of Canada, Ltd.

Baldwin

Locomotive

Works

Pipe" FoundryCo.

U. S.

Loose-Wiles
Kennecott

Southern

Biscuit Co.

CopperCorp.
RailwayCo.

that in 1924 the total value of each list

(one share of each stock) was $1,000. He further tells
of one listwas $740 and
you that fiveyears later the value
the value of the other listwas
$1,430. He then asks you
He

to

tellsyou

pickthe winninglist.
and you usually
You pick"
pickwrong.

Next, he

turns

Don't

98

Tell Me-Let

Me

Guess

the page and reveals the actual figures.

Then he tactfully
is an expert in his own
out that every man
business,
points
that you are an expert in yours, and that security
men

spendyears

to

learn the values of stocks" in order

to

make

profitable.
If by chance you pickthe right
he congratulate
list,
that nine times out of ten the wrong
out
you" and points
listis picked.He further says that in investing
money
of the time" and that one sucmost
cessful
you have to be right
investment isnot enough. His "Which
iswhich?
investments

your

"

introduction catches and holds your interest. And

proves his point.

Take

exampleof mystery:
the kind that was
curiosity,

another

the eternal

ally
usu-

direct

appealto
crystallized"
manentl
per-

in Lot's wife.

your main street and your attention is

before the window
group of peoplestanding

walk down

You

arrested

by a
the crowd"
of a drugstore.
Curiosity
impels
you to join
in the
and what do you see? A hugefaucet is suspended
of water.
stream
a continuous
window; from it is pouring
into a basin below.
There's the water, pouringsteadily
And

yet the basin

never

runs

over.

of Profascinating
phenomenonis part of a display
and there are placards
tooth brushes,
ing
announcphy-lac-tic
bristlesstand up under the assault
that Pro-phy-lac-tic
will sell a gross of
of continuous wetting.This display
It will double and triple
toothbrushes in a week.
regular
This

sales.

Mysteryexcursions
some

time.

You

pay

going"nobody knows

have been
two

in Englandfor
popular

dollars and get

where.

The

on

train that's

is handed
engineer

Don't

Me"

Tell

Let

Guess

Me

99

sealed

envelope

at

up

included

all

Even

here,
the

the

in

will

with
the

selling.

Do
Or
In

to

With

to

sales

the

ask
Ah!

the

of

examples

and

swim

there

we've

had
two

are

ends

lunch,

second,
Use

and

them

both

analyze

to

saying

doing

by

use

thing
some-

something

in

own

your

own

your

for

room

ways

selling: first, by

your

twist.

of

way

story.

the

works

in

of

advantage
story

usually

ticket.

that

now

train

get

you

twist;

sales

Look

put

in

right

take

you

teaser.

get

noticed

shoot

every

and

have

your

you

do

series

mystery

Stop

presenting

brief

mystery

of

the

and

where

price

method

curiosity

has

the

in

you

that

lake

pretty

some

time

starting

at

there's

over

prospect's

something
sales

own

your
element

mystery

straight, rapid-fire
natural

that

it.

It's

strongly,

it is

into

curiosity?
be

can

story
a

fashion?

right
sure-fire

used

as

now"

way

sales.

more

mystery

why

it is

That's

pulling
not

used

another

so

more.

mystery!

only

reasonable

Hitch

Your

Wagon

to

Star

"No,"
Rothschild

Baron

to

man

who

wanted

him, "I won't lend you the money,

you arm
Thus

in

arm

across

SAID

THE

to

WEALTHY

borrow

but I will walk

the floor of the

from
with

Exchange."
firstexamples
of

a
againone of the
commercial celebrity
and a forerunner of the movie
tie-up"
of our present day. Lux advertises its soap as the
tie-up
And thus gets the same
favorite of the Hollywoodstars.
dent.
in the Rothschild inciafforded the borrower
advantage
in arm
of walkingarm
Lux gets the privilege
(in
we

record

Ladies' Home

Journal and McCaU's) with the much

beauties of
this for obvious

silver screen.

our

Hollywoodsubmits

vied
en-

to

reasons.
publicity

dailylives.
So, if you can harness this great force to your sales plan,
in the words of Westbrook
"you'vegot something
Pegler,
there." An outstanding
examplewas the General Electric
ness.
Busidescribes in American
which Gene Whitmore
tie-up
decorated train,coaches
He
says, "A brilliantly
equippedwith demonstration kitchens,and loaded with
Bette Davis,LyleTalbot,
movie stars such as Leo Carillo,
The

movies

are

tremendous

100

force in

our

Hitch

io2

Your

Wagon

MargaretMitchell's Gone With

circles. The
sensation in publishing
was

natural" and

counterparts of Scarlett'sdresses

Star
created

the Wind

with
tie-up

manufacturers

smart

to

clothes

had

soon

readyfor

alleged
publicthat

Scarlett-conscious.
strangely
Licensees for Nevawet, a waterproofing
process, tied in
with The Rains Came by Louis Bromfield. Book jackets
idea. By the
processing
helpeddramatize an intangible
that ordinary
material can't
way, don't let anyone tellyou
be dramatized. It justtakes a littlethought.One of
is wallthe ceilings
papered
Nevawet's reception
including
rooms,
Nevawet
ads featuring
with department
store

had

become

merchandise.
of "Color is so important
this fall,"
caption
in with
a dress line by tying
C. H. " D. Robbins promoted
BenjaminMoore, a paintmanufacturer. Robbins had
Under

about 550

Each

the

who

accounts

of these

used "Peak of the Week"

accounts

was

furnished with

out
14"x 20",in sixcolors,
pointing

the

that

Robbins went
inspiration
based
paintbusiness,a move

paintmanufacturers

know

more

poster

of color,
importance

and that for their

firm in the

Dresses.

to
on

the oldest
the

theory

about color than

benefited by giving
anyone else. The dress manufacturer
material to promote the sales of his
his retailer physical
The

retailer'sadvantage
was

in

a new
presenting
And
the colors he presented.
angleand authenticating
the paintmanufacturer received the publicity
through
he could never
channels and in places
licity
expect to have puband through
the mail under
namely,in dress shops,
their sponsorship.
The dizzy
of danger
air hostessesrise
to which
heights

dresses.

Hitch

Your

Wagon

to

Star

103

have

giventhem a similarly
dizzyriseto fame and glamour
in the public
eye. They'realwaysnews, thanks to the
of such publicity
men
as Eastern Air Lines' Beverly
genius
Griffith. The
George E. Keith Company, maker of
Walk-Over
in which the public
shoes,arranged
a tie-up
was
broughtinto a national contest with air-linertrips
as
Walk-Over
prizes.The air-lines'young women
praise
shoes,of course.
Radio,since the sponsors of programs

own

has offered lessand less possibility

for these

againa tremendous
public.And smart

the best stars,

But
tie-ups.

force existsin the hold of radio

on

its

it. In California
on
capitalize
used the JackBenny violin episode
for a
a hat store
the humorous
window.
touch, they
Using,naturally,
showed Benny at the age of six learning
to playthe violin.
Another
pose showed him in cowboy togs as "Buck"
cards
Benny with the big sombrero. And window
showed him wearinga StylePark hat. On sale inside.
is
exampleof allstar hitching
Maybe the world's prize
in
of Who's Who
the enterprising
use
by the publishers
America to get newspaper publicity.
By addingEdgar
and
men
leading
Bergento the 31,000 other supposedly
women

stores

can

of America, Who's

Who

of newspaper space
in Charlie McCarthy.

amount
large

was

enabled

to

get

terest
inthroughthe public's

with four of the

Thus, you have justread of tie-ups

types of

screen,
publicexpression:
with profit
radio. Presumably
to all concerned.
books,circus,
available to stores
A wealth of such tie-ups
are
if theywill onlykeeptheir eyes open.
the latestcharacter to
Along with World Fair tie-ins,

popularorthodox

Hitch

104

Your

Wagon

to

Star

help manufacturers make money is the Lone Ranger.

developedas a radio scripthero, the Lone
Originally
for a variety
of products.He's
Rangeris now plugging
and store windows.
At an
in the movies,comic strips,
Gimbels has built a "RangerTrading
expense of $9,000,
Post" in their toy department.
A radio character crashing
the dog with a vengeance.
the comics isthe man
biting
to embrace
anythingthat's proProverbially
unwilling
when
radio,many papers canceled their Popeyecontracts
Lone
the air for Popsicle.
he went
on
Notwithstanding,
this phenomeno
Rangeris now in the comics. Asked to explain
the promotion
geniusin this
Raymond Spector,
the
is the girl,
who, losing
case, says "the onlyparallel
decided to relax and enjoy
to avoid being
kissed,
struggle
herself." The Lone Ranger presents another interesting
of the films. Whereas
Mickey
aspect in his crashing
Mouse
words

of

To

movies

to

merchandise

(and,in the

tory
a watch facjudgein Newark, "pulled
the Lone Ranger has moved
bankruptcy"),

Federal

of

out

from

from

moved

observed,performed
the role of assisting
Pictures).
angelfor Republic

merchandise

movies

to

the Charles Dana

Gibson

(and, some

the
girls,

Howard

ler
Chand-

Fisher girls,
a gento the Harrison
even
eration
Christy
girls,
far more
than any candy
meant
back, "Huyler's"
name

has

ever

before

meant

or

since.

box

of their

candywas a uniquegift.A highcompliment.This fact

that the reader may fully
is expanded
so
to this length
realizethe shock his father received when
the

he firstencountered

sign"Hamburger sandwich,"or

the like,
in the

realizethat

they,alongwith

Huylerwindows

and

allthe rest, had had

came

to

to

go into the luncheon business.

Your

Hitch
The
wagon

that

star

to

they and

Star

105

the others had

hooked

their

traffic.

to was

Because

Wagon

the circulation of the

and
magazines

furnishes traffic"customers

or

advertiser,
highrates

an

papers
great news-

lected"fo
colprospects already
collected for their
are

use.

Now, justas good

store

locations and

carefully
moted
pro-

circulation alike furnish trafficto any

article,
so

any famous

stituti
inor
character,
personality,
from "Dopey"to Good Housekeeping
Institute,
from Wally Simpsonto Shirley
Temple,furnishestraffic.
method was, of course,
The old-fashioned elementary
the testimonial. Often enoughone
doesn't have to buy
Almost any good advertiser can
these connections.
get
all the endorsements he wants
(from famous peoplewho
wouldn't be bothered with his product)
by a simpleoffer
One
that person's
in his advertisements.
to run
portrait
of near-medical endorseis getting
ments
a multitude
cigarette
into allsorts of smalltime
itsfree publicity
by scattering
talent. Another, with equalabandon,we
are
told,
made a straight
trade with one
moving picture
producer

hookingup

which

to

hereafter all your

said,in effect,

stars

for a longtime and

smokingour cigarettes
for any stars but yours.
publicity
publish

These, of
of
more

are

normal

showmanship.Greater

abuses of

to

of
free gift

the wrong-way
Corrigan,
suitsof clothes by a New

Mr.

ten

we

won't

element
powerful
has led to
sophistication

subtle forms of association. Two

made

sum

course,

so

have been

of the many

fers
of-

were
aviator,

York

tailorand

a
a

planes.
of money
for the endorsement of a gadgetfor airwith any person who
And it'salwaysthe same

Hitch

106

fame.

acquires
buy

short

fame

to

with

bandwagon,

of

Plenty
cut

its

Your

Wagon
often

others,

by

climbing

Star

wisely,
his"

to

on

of

crowd

cheering

to

fans

want

or

to

her"

already

on

hand.
Hitch

your

(honest)

way
can

you
value

things,
appeal.

of

the

on

to

wagon
you
who

can,

sincerity,

Hitch

star.

whenever

stands

connection
the

well
will

can,

you
in

depend,

simplicity,

the

as

and

goods

your
to

any

public
do

so

any

ality
personThe

eye.
many

naturalness

other

of

the

Stick

to

the

Script

waitingon
climbs
The

the

tireless

reaches for

ladder

and

WEAR,

IS

son
eight-year-old

makes

lots of noise.

boys'moccasins, puts

some

in front of the littleboy, and

INDIANS

SALESMAN

SHOE

Her

woman.

wall
sliding

salesman

TIRED

says, "The

kind

the

them
REAL

Sonny!"

Repeatingthis true incident each time, Elmer Wheeler,

of the Tested Selling
Institute,introduces his
president
it is the best
story of the magic of tested selling.And
the necessity,
for a
even
proofof the desirability,
possible
fixed script"
for when
that one
phrasewas used properly,
sales of moccasins
increased
tremendously.A copyrighted
"tested selling"
is given further romance
phrase,
in the book

Tested

Hearst's American
in sure-shot

Sentences

Weekly,

That

where

have
selling

been

Mr.

Sell*

and

Wheeler's

related

at

in

Mr.

tures
adven-

considerable

length.
reaches its peak in the tested sales talk.
selling
Formerlyknown as a canned sales talk or a standardized
Tested

New

York:

Prentice-Hall,Inc., 1937.
107

Stick

io8

to

the

Script

the hatred of millions of salesmen.

sales talk,it has drawn

for the relatively

few who
good livings
it" while the larger
carded
disuse
percentage,who grumblingly
it,have struggled
a stacked selling
valiantly
against
deck.
They don't know it,but they're
tryingto swim
upstream. They are usinghit-or-misssalesstrategywhen
theycould be bankingon a sure thing.
But it has earned

Either the salesman

or

But

once

the

smart

foot"
a

or

his company

littleanalyzing,

of any sales problem.

a lot of analyzing,
rather,
the studyis made, and the sales course
mapped,
salesman should stick

to

the

lifeinsurance company

would

to

course

it would
Disregarding
syllable.

or

do

must

be

as

the last

foolish as

be if it set its premiums

the latter
its mortality
tables. In fact,
consulting
stricted"l
Salesmen,less reprohibited
by law. Fortunately.

without
is

their
to

an

extent

that would

own

hunches

and free will

bankruptour
quickly

friends in

the insurance business.

Some

time ago, we

of eleven

distributed a

to a group
questionnaire

candysalesmen. We asked them to tellus how

selling
problemsin the course of their
theymet specific
"How
do you approach
work.
The firstquestion
was:
the dealer and tell our story?"One answer
"I go
was:
into the store and tellthe story just
to.
as Mr. S. tellsus
No use to repeat it" we allknow itby heart."
ferent
this question,
Ten other men, answering
gave ten diffor the canvass.
That's how well all of them
styles
knew it by heart!
But to return
friend who claimed he was
to our
doing
told. We
asked the men
all questions
as he was
to answer
used buff. We
asked for size
white paper. He
on

Stick

no

to

the

Script

beside the

able
point. The sales manger of Vineglo,
an
fellow named Davis,supplied
his men
with a tested selling
talk. At the risk of getting
their enmity,
he insistedthat
theymemorize it!
This story applies
salesman who
to a new
particularly
decided to try out his ability
and the famous salestalk on a
friend who was
in a county courthouse. The
a janitor
friend greeted
him with enthusiasm but no
He
money.
said,however, he did know somebody who did have
salesman
money and could be sold. He led the perplexed
of courthouse corridors and delivered him
a maze
through
into the private
chambers of a Federal judge.
suddenly
scared stiff,
The salesman was
Sales
because,although
was
ManagerDavis had assured his men that "Vineglo"
allright
in the eyes of the law, the salesman feared that he
fact and be
some
might"in his confusion" misrepresent
The
into jail.
put immediately
presence of a Federal
that he mightbe shot before sunrise.
judgeeven suggested
but with fortunate presHe was
frightened"
thoroughly
ence
talk which he
of mind, he recalled the tested selling
he could mushad in his pocket.So, with allthe dignity
ter,
and read itin itsentirety.
it out of his pocket
he pulled
the parenthesized
Four thousand words,including
answers
to sixteen possible
objections!
The judge
bought!
While no isolatedsale could possibly
prove any point,
this story rather nicelyillustratesthe value of a wellplannedand tested selling
spiel.But" let'sget down to
facts and see exactly
what the tested selling
plandoes.
1.
2.

It opens with a sure interest-getter.

facts.
It tellsall pertinent

Stick
3
to

to

the

It does

make

Script

in

include

not

that is not
anything

needed

the sale.

It arranges the information in the best

4.

possible

sequence.
5.

It closes with

6.

It'stested.

bang.

Let's take these features one

by

one

and

see

how

they

achieve their objective.

1.

Start

The

right

firstten seconds of

seconds
precious

in

from which

givethe

sale a slow

Like the
Loose-

sales interview

to

start

openingof

from which

vaudeville

it may

act"

never

most

bang." Salesmen

the cracker boxes,take

a

enter

one
a

recover.

be sure-fire.

it must

Wiles,the cracker baker,aftermuch

it silently
with

the

Either theyprovide
a springselling.
board
to jump into the sales story" or
they

with sales openers, found

with

are

method

experimenting
that "opened

grocery store, walk

over

ine
competingcracker and exammagnifying
glass.Soon the grocer's
a

"What's the matter?"

curiosity
gets the better of him.
he asks. Whereupon the salesman hands him the magnifying
and tellshim to examine the two
crackers,
glass
works.
the Loose- Wiles product.This opening
especially
the world's least
Even on those grocers,who are probably
class of shopkeepers.
impressible
G. E. De Nike, advertising
manager of National Union
Radio Company, teaches his salesmen to open by showing
the dealer fifteencents, throw

the money

and say, "Mr. Dealer,you lose fifteencents

sellany tube other than ours."

on

the counter,

every time you

Stick

ii2

Tell all the

2.

If there

are

rules for

the

touch allthe bases.

any

majoror
Nor

matter.

Script

facts

any

as
rigid

as

the

to

minor
can

selling
properly,
theyare

tainly
cer-

in baseball that says you have to

You can't skip
third base and score in
one

league.Or sandlot diamond,for that

facts and
skipselling
you consistently

often in the order book

you will if you doubleand allyour advertising

check your salestalk,
as well.
of the Allen-Ingraham
Willard Hall, sales manager

score

as

Company^checked
his

ran

to

on

the salesstories of

and found that the average

men

to eighty
sixty
per
on

up

as

cent

prospect. Let

of the
us

number

of

only from
facts that should be passed
told

man

quote from his

own

story as it

time ago in Printer's Ink.

some

plete.
giveour man a sales kit which is quitecomround out his story with
It is designed
to
mechanical aids,demonstrating
matter, photographs,
printed
and so forth. It should givehim
devices,
close to answering
all he needs to come
the usual
he starts out his sales story isfour
When
questions.

We

square.

Like this:

It'sa

and convincing,
but it
good story,complete
of data. While the
means
a pound or
so
carrying
salesman isin our school,
this doesn't seem
important,
but

as

soon

as

sales story.

he getsout he
This he does

starts

to cut

the
despite

best salesbrains in the country may

down

on

his

fact that the

have spent hun-

Stick

the

to

Script

dreds of dollars' worth

down

itsessentials. Here

to

shelf area

The
From

in

the
picture

of time

ishow

on

how

cuts

it.

housewife

may get the idea that

certain cabinet. And

little
space inside a
givethe man a sheet of paper to spreadout
the floor to show Mrs. Housewife
exactly

we

out

he

is very important.
refrigerator

there is too
so

the story
getting

much

This idea helps

us sell,
space she'llhave.
but the salesman reasons
thus: "I don't think it'sso
hot.

Sometimes

there isn'troom

So he takes the shelf area

story out

looks
four-square
presentation

Next
We

there isthe thermometer

know

to

spreadit out."

of his kit and

like this:

"

useful salestool.

how convincing
itis when
just

It enables the salesman

which

Again he

may

seem

reasons,

to

to

used erly.
propdramatize something

be trite otherwise.

"Any prospect

should

that her ice box is hotter than it should be."

leaves the thermometer

home

and

So he

four-square

the visual demonstrator,

which
a book

allthe salespoints
seems
pictorially,
thick

the

know

looks like this:

story now

Next

our

to

"Maybe

carry in his
I could cut

some

him

bit too

says to himself,
I
of the pictures.

pocket. He
out

to

shows

Stick

ii4

reallyhave

many
another

out, and

come

The

anyhow!"

too

corner

the

to

Script
pictures

off:

comes

there he

gathersspeed.We givehim a
struction
conour
pieceof insulation which isuseful in telling
good does that
story. He asks,"What
in my pocket;
do?
It bulges
peoplewill think I'm
I'llleave it behind."
carrying
my lunch.
From

other features follow in order.

The
his

ruler
folding

and does

arrangement goes
device which
behind.

turns

All
to

the

assumes

go
him.

can

sellyour

any of the other

This

The

terior
in-

the board, the thermal

motor

and

on

in relation

nut

to

off is left

venience
their incon-

is Price.

and price
on
products
price,
completestory told,but if

alone,you'll
get your
to sell,
or
youVe quality
you

it.
replace

the four-square
Eventually,
story
round
of
almost
nut,
shape a very small,

and the kernel of that

If you

by

the

out

not

breaks

He

mechanical

or
excellence,

intangibles,
you won't

get everything

want.

down
whittling

to
process that the salesman gives
the sales story reminds us of the farmer who tried to save
his horse one
oat less every day. His
grainby feeding

theorywas

that the horse would

never

miss the

oat.

The

Stick

to

the

Script

115

that the horse never

did miss the oat" he just
story runs
died of starvation. Many sales cave
in because sales fodder
is

'Customers
lacking.

never

miss the fact" but the

sale dies.
whether by radio,color pages,
Any sales promotion"
visit" seeks very definite emotional
or
telephone,
personal
does.
as any theatricalshow
response from a prospect;just
Can you picture
a show
goingover if an actor leaves out
lines? A well-planned
ized
standarda few of the important
presentation
puts over a 'whole show every time. It
doesn't skipany of the bases. It's a home run
for the
order book

3.

Cut

"Do

every hit.

on

useless

out

you know

the bothersome

cooed
every rock in this river?" sweetly
of the boat.
to the captain
woman

"No!"

thundered

"How

then

where

talk

the

can

you
the rocks are?"
shot the

Back

answer:

captain.
steer

the boat if you

"I know

where

don't know

theyain't!"
alwayspertinent

old story, perhaps,

but with an
moral.
The salestalk givena sales force goes "where the
Perhaps
rocks ain't." Why not use it? It'ssafe,
anyway.

An

lot better than

Many

salesmen

are

merelysafe.
thrown

for

loss because

troduce
theyin-

that are not needed to make

thoughts
many
than fast trains" need streamlining
sale. Sales talks" more
too

so

that

theyarouse

the leastresistance in the minds

of

their prospects. A few pages back we told you about the

eleven candy salesmen and how they failed to mention
some

of the

most

virtues of their product.

important
selling

Stick

n6

to

the

Script

studyof their sales methods showed that they

but that theyput in a
not
material,
onlyleft out important
In other
lot of talk that had no selling
value whatsoever.
rocks of their own
in the river.
words, theywere
putting
found that
In checking
the candy sales talks,
over
we
many employedconversation that not onlystole precious
facts in the battle for the
time but neglected
pertinent
attention.
prospect's
A

further

4.

Keep
When

firsttee

them

in line

you go out to playgolfyou expect to see the

in front of the clubhouse,
and you know that the

eighteenth
green
don't jump around

is

going to bringyou

from hole

to

with putters. There is an

and you follow it. If you went

tees

found that third base

was

back

in.

You

hole,nor

do you drive off

form for golf
accepted

baseball game and

located in the outfield and the
to

five-inning
playing
games, with four outs to
an
thing
someinning,
you would be pretty sure that there was
from behind
Or if Carl Hubbell pitched
screwy.
second base, you would
think something
was
certainly
has form.
like golf,
cockeyed. For baseball,
Yet selling
tributi
disor
or
advertising
any aspect of modern
which, besides beingthe nation's most vital occupation,
teams

were

can

itselfbe made

one

of the greatestsports on

with a complete
earth,is sometimes approached
disregard
of form. Don't do it. Decide the sequence of your
material" then stick to it. In his famous movie
Make
den

Sales Presentation

"How

to

Richard BorStayPresented,"
this point. His partner, Alvin Busse,enacts
emphasizes
the role of the oilburner salesman who jumbles
his sales
a

Stick

n8

salesman

the

to

Script

he holds the "Buying

talks,
Spots"in one

them
places

the

on

washingmachine

spot

the aid of these stickers,

salesmen stick
the spotsare

numbered

and

hand and
With

by spot.

to

the

for
script"

alwaysare packedin

the

same

sequence.
5.

Then

Daniel
"When

close with

Webster

bang!

said of the conclusion

of

speech:

quit,
quitall over." Many salesmen ramble
and on way past the point
where there is an opportuon
nity
to close and get the order.
Frequently
theytalk
ing
themselves out of an order. A well-planned,
tested sellall over"" and with a
how to "quit
story knows just
before
The Airway vacuum
cleaner people,
signature.
of a prospect's
out
emptyingthe dirt squeezed
rug onto
the order blank,handed her a pencil
to stirthe dirt. Thus
ing
standthe salesman skillfully
managedto leave the woman
in the
with an order blank in one
hand and a pencil
you

other!

6.

Ifs tested

There

be

onlyone best way to tell a sales story.

It should be the job of the management
what
to find out
that story is
It should be the jobof the salesmen to stick
does
to that story. Jack Benny does it;John Barrymore
it. When
theystep up to the "mike" or out on the stage,
what theyare goingto say and just
theyknow exactly
how it is going to be said. Barrymore memorizes
it;
Benny,with a weeklychangein show, has no time to
memorize, but he carries a carefully
script
typewritten
can

into the studio and then sticks to it. He

does it in

man-

Stick
that

ner

the

to

Script

reminds

never

119

the audience of that

there
sheet in his hand, but itis always
Don't underestimate the

for word.

to

be

care

typewritten
word
repeated

that is needed in

whether itbe a Shakespearean

writing"
playfor Barrytalk for
playfor Benny,or a Real Silk selling
more, a Jello
the

you.
In flow

Write

To

I (kg) refer
Advertising,

to

this

point:
Rogers,in his gum-chewing,
rope-twirling
used to spendhours peckingon an old
writer,
typeand
the
promptu
imwriting
re-writing apparently

Will
act,

Booth Targags that made him famous.

dean of American
stilluses a small
stylists,
kington,

promisingcombinations of words
before committing
them even
draft.
to his penciled
Ed Wynn, with a half century of money-making
the same
to chuckling
audiences,
success
telling
jokes
rehearsed his radio-timing
with the
stillmeticulously
pad

to

try

out

and the ear of a musician. Irvin

eye of an actor
"I rush
Cobb, the humorist,said of his lightest
quips,
An inch-and-a-half an hour!"
glacier.
tread fearfully
where amateurs
Thus do professionals
that competent
Failure to recognize
rush in.
is a highly
technical art has cost American
writing
ahead like a

...

business a great many million dollars. All too many

out
Withexecutives feel an ex-officioability
to write.
benefit of

judgethe

work

training,
they criticizeand
literary
of writers.

Unskilled

men,

who

with a profesa game

sional
starting
bones in a broken leg,
baseball team, of setting
of lecturing
of trying
in chemistry,
a law case, or of
adoff their own
toss
a dance
orchestra,
directing

wouldn't

New

York:

dream

of

Longmans,Green

"

Company, 1936.

Stick

120

vertising

with

perfection

world

business

than

working
finds

to

up

the

ideal

neat

of

the

climax

too

Its

best

very

first

brains

the

the

sale

second

or

sales

planned
salesman

smart

entire

upset

can

The

the

standardized

after

act

soon.

and

sequence"

trick.

Nothing

the

putting

provide.

can

surely

more

is

writing,

easily worthy

is

sionals
profes-

assurance.

supreme

like

Selling,

Script

"correct"

still, they

Worse

copy.

the

to

talk

sticks

to

it.

trouble

persuading
talk.

sales

salesman
The

to

sales

see

Warfield

"Don't

better?"
"All

The

right,

sir.

wrote

think

salesman

the

win.

had

to

sales

play?

it."

The

Warfield,

I'll

use

"

your

then

manager

do

could
Then

sales

man,
sales-

said,

salesman

maybe,

the

Venice."
the

asked

sales

minute.

ardized
stand-

took

of

The

est
great-

his

manager

performance,

that

the

use

"Merchant

in

paused

salesman
You

certain

the

who

manager

Warfield

write

you

sales

Finally

after

Shakespeare

asked:

David

manager,

"Did

"No,

of

tells

Comyns

Ray

he
talk."

it

said:

Beauty

and

"

Forever

Profit
"

IN
O.

Mills,a

which
the

restaurant

man,

waitresses and

COLUMBUS,

OHIO,

alarmed

was

patrons knocked

at

JAMES

the

over

rate

and

at

broke

Althoughthe bottles didn't cost much,

the breakage
added up. Whereupon he took a bold step.
He boughta set of beautiful bottles at a cost nearlyfive
times that of the old bottles. Stunned by the beautyof
the new
the edge of each table
water
bottles,
on
sitting
to

bottles.

water

greet their eyes like

row

of soldiers,
patrons and

waitresses alike have treated them

is practically
down
admire

the

to

Breakage
reverently.

his
nil. In addition,

new

customers

quently
fre-

ask him where

bottles,

theycan
saler,
wholehis crockery

be

bought. Mills sends them over to

take them home" and
where theybuy the bottles,
the bottles act as an advertising
billboard for Mills. All
because he invested in a touch of beauty.
A man
mistake in underestimating
one
you and I know made just
the public's
love for beauty. And that mistake
cost

him

Henry

three hundred

Ford.

He

million dollars. His

didn't realize
121

soon

name

enough that

is

the

Forever
Beauty"and Profit"

122

public,
whollyrelieved of the earlier problem
of passable
colorful
roads,had begunto want a beautiful,
automobile.
Chevrolet did. And it cost Henry Ford a
his earlierlead in the automobile
ransom
to regain
king's
sign.
industry.
Today the Ford car is a triumphin good deBut it was
lesson.
an
expensive
American

A while back I (zk) was

asked

to

talk to the American

Association. The librarieswanted to know how

Library
I told
to use
a little
showmanship.Among other things
them that the librarieswere
unattractive in appearquite
ance.
that onlythe other day I visited my
I pointed
out
and noticed that the funeral home next door
branch library
Little
better lookingthan the library
to it was
was.
made it look attracand landscaping
tive.1
really
green awnings

I recommended
the libraries
to
Among other things,
that theyadd a touch of beautyand,putting
my head right
in the noose, I said,"While you are beautifying
brarie
the liwith some
of the librarians."
you mightdo something
I suggested
that while putting
the Sherwin-Williams
the buildings
on
theymightwell put a littleCotyon
of the girls.
Now
whenever I come
some
to the officeof
the Publishers9

Weekly, the

convention,Fred

trade paper that covered

to
Melcher, the publisher,
points

the
me

and says, "Look, here comes

Lady Esther."
It's worth
that few
repeating
peoplerealize that

United
1When
man

came

States

travel
point-to-point

I mentioned
us."

When

Chamber
of Commerce
a
in my hands, and said,"My boy, you
who
"we" were,
the answer
"We
was,
later the National
Selected Morticians

card

I asked

funeral director." A month

booked our talk for their national convention
are

now

this before the Rochester

put his
up afterwards,

will hear from

in automobiles

"

topic:
"Showmanshipin

ness."
Busi-

Forever
Beauty"and Profit"
makes

123

almost $4,000,000,industry,
by itself,
grossing
crowded
ooo
a year.
boards,
billstations,
Despite
glaring
filling
and ambitious hot-dog
ascribe this,
must
stands,
we
in part, to a yearning
for beauty.
With littleelse but beautyto offer,
Nature,year in and
crowds by the millions. Whether
it'sthe
year out, pulls
vast
tion
beautyof the Grand Canyon or the simpleattracof a shadylane,our entire nervous
and physical
tems
syswith consistent regularity
react
to the callof Nature's
of the sea, the variety
of beautiful
beauty. The simplicity
mountains,both act as tonics for our beauty-starved
lace.
popuan

Fortunes have been made

by

men

who

have

capitalize

publicimpulsetoward beauty. Many forms of

entertainment are
based principally
kind of
on
some
out
beauty. Few forms of entertainment can get alongwithkind of beauty. And in merchandising,
some
too, it
the crowds.
and holding
playsa major part in getting
that it has reNash Kelvinator Corporation
tained
announces
for
industrial stylists
of the country's
one
leading
in both its automobile and refrigerator
operations
"face-lifting"
on

this

of
style

believes that the

divisions" the management
as the quality
productis now justas important

and mechanical

dependability.
rated,
and redecothe Sante Fe Chief was
When
redesigned
in key citiesalongitsroute held fashion shows
stores
the train arrived in the terminal,thus capitalizin
when
the interest aroused by this beautiful train.
on
Riding out to Denver on the beautiful Burlington
of the
Zephyr,we reflected on the recent streamlining
railroad industry.Back in New
York, we investigate

Forever
Beauty"and Profit"

124

there
and found that although

hundred

hundred

this country every

streamlined. Not one in

around
rolling

locomotives
about

over

are

are

thousand

day,only
ten

sand!
thou-

by skillfuldramatization of this handful of

beautifulengines,
the roads have recently
giventhe public
Yet

and

new

more

enthusiastic attitude toward

the whole

railroad industry.

Whether

it'sthe uniforms of the West

the
Point cadets,

of the new
railroad trains,
of a
the jacket
or
streamlining
of beauty."
new
book, we are alwayscaughtby a "thing
Smart manufacturers would

not

continue

to

pay thousands

of dollarsto

like Henry Dreyfuss

unless beauty
designers
scale and its sales
a weighing
paid.Dreyfuss
redesigned
doubled. This is fact. Not theory.Beautyis not only
active and immediate cash asset.
a "joyforever" but an
The housebuilder who invested ninety
in littlered
cents
curtains found that his ninety-cent
curtains would sell a
than any similar investment.
$5,000house quicker
Abbott Kimball,an advertising
asked his
agent, once
art director if he really
thoughtthat beautypaid. The
"I once
ad for a job and seart director replied,
ran
an
cured
fifteenreplies.
I called on you firstbecause your
better looking
than any of the others."
was
stationery
for beauty
Stores find an opportunity
in countless phases
of their operation.
is a small
store
Good-looking
design

investment in

terms

have

windows

of itseventual dividends.

become
gradually

better

And

store

looking.Polly

that talented and able director of the New

Pettit,

York

stores

found from sales reports of large

have potent sales appeaL
that beautiful windows

R. H.

this fact,
was
Macy, recognizing

School of

has
Display,

to spend
willing

regularly selling for

is the

there

is

of

value

that

ways

many

we

expression,

is

If

not.

grand
Look

for
so

you

all

Either

use

they

are

around

it in

they
you

them

Box

added

that

are

There

business.

first

either

this

good
be

are

idea.

and

often

that

directors."

being
they

envelopes,

your

that

call

Ruth

impression

or

looking"

sure

portant."
im-

they

are

plus

so

that

most

consumer

the

may

is the

so

in

neyed
old, hack-

"casting

the

gain good

to

capitalize on
your

appeal

eye

that

today"

letterheads,

represent

you.

this

reach

Your

not,

opportunity

to

Paper

believe

to

in

impression

because

important.

appeal.

eye

that

attention"

statements"

your

aptly

forms

printed

make

have

the

Boxed"

demonstrated

truth

realize

men

called

more

might

beginning

first

"The

has

given

Better

National

been

of

add

Mclnerney

has

amount

good-looking girlsto

Even

it

almost

are

Personnel

for

and

beauty

devastating

Are

the

by

than

more

profitable.

cash

The

ton

Goods

"Better

Association"

more

are

Profit" Forever

dollars

slogan sponsored

new

Manufacturers'

they

several

bulk.

in

product

same

and

Beauty"

126

you

or

for

minus

they
are

are

losing

will.
all

sorts

of

Beauty

opportunities
is

profitable"

10

Sex

Is Here

Stay

to

WRITING
bacco

for
said

Road," the "oversexed"

than

more

It is

York

be devoted

human

to

of
to

is

race

but
ideals,

to

has been

running
Atkinson

theater's lack

maintain

to

that

of
the

the fine aspects of the

inimply that the human race is nocent
to

corruption.The

promote

"TO-

OF

Times:

sensibilities. But

theater should

DEFENSE

York, Brooks

thingto deplorethe

one

fastidious

playthat

six years in New

in the New

once

IN

code

function

of standards

tell the truth about

or

to

of

art

is

not

establish social

all the

peoplewho

inhabit the world.

Mr.

Atkinson, as

dramatic

less committed

critic,
is,of

course,

more

that since
to the principle
professionally
playsare written to be produced,anythingthat may properly
be written may
with equalpropriety
be produced.
That in turn means
discrim
offering
playsas "entertainment" inat a $3.30
top, eighttimes a week, openly
to the general
public. It sounds brutal,even here,to say
for the benefit of our book sales that the most
profitable
"truth" in "Tobacco
Road's" six-year
is the pursuit
in
run
or

127

Sex

128

and

of the scenery of
of a
demonstration

out

This
to

of

members

lives were

Stay

to

by her own
girl
was
activity
specialized
young

father.

given

audience,old and young, whose

mixed

the
lacking

Is Here

kick of

exact

knowledgeas

that

to

branch of their education.

Publishers of

books have,somewhat
larly,
simipornographic
with
always confused muddle-headed magistrates
arguments about "art" and "literature." The only real
involved is not the truth of the matter
ever
question
sented
repreply
the skillof the artistwho presented
it,but simnor
of both truth
of the prostitution
the social desirability
of its exploiter.
and art to the commercial profit
is enabled to carry on from day to
So longas society
routines onlyby the simple
expedient
day itsless enticing
of resolutely
keepingits clothes on, except, let us say, at

beaches and formal dances,the

use

of

much

too

sex

in business

playingcards,a
of how far any individual is willing
to cheat to his
question
with those of his
in commercial
own
profit
competition
fellow artistswho, from one stupid
inhibition or another,
will remain, like

stick

to more

Too
as

too

much

too

much

skill in

temperate vehicles and

use

of

inexcusable

and

littlesex!

Sex

raw

sex,

on

so

suffer.

the other hand, may

be

its antipodal
blunder:
as
unprofitable
as

sentiment"

above-the-belt

sex"

is not

force in all human affairsbut

onlythe greatestmotivating
the single,
reliable,
unvarying,nondeterioratabsolutely
like alcohol
ingforce in business. Raw sex used temperately,
used temperately,
is perfectly
and genpermissible
erally
of some
desirable. The failureto find vigorous
use
attraction to promote practically
sex
any business might

Sex

Is Here

to

Stay

129

be regarded
evidence
as prima-facie
reasonably

George Seldes' book, You

confidential report made by
stop sendingus your old men
tired and

bottles the minute

water

Americans
me

and have

worn-out

some

us
picture

younger

Miami

men

as

Can't Print That!

M.
as

to

be put

to

bed

here.

some

look

with

No

exhausted
feverish,

"Please

speakers.
They

hot-

wonder

Send

race.

charm."

started
Beach, literally,
was

whole

tells of

Paul-Boncour.

they get

with

of mismanagement.

its way

on

groups of

by getting
bathing

to pose in
high-school
girls
suits for the Sunday rotogravures. Hot
chance New
that! One of the most
Englandwinter sportshave against
of recent
encroachments in what used to
sex
interesting
be an utterly
masculine fieldis the craze
for young female
drum
majors with American Legion bands. In fact,
of ideas on how a football
throughHollywood perversion

audience

ought to behave, our spectator sports,like our

have gone Ziegfeld,
if not Koster and Rial.
parades,
public
Even

small-town

formed
high-school
girls,

Clubs," paradeat intermissions. And

The

"Pep

"Miss

Lady Gobehind to joina

diva" could have left her hair and horse

modern

into

beautycontest.
hit of the day at a luncheon of the Women's
tional
NaPress Club in Washingtonwas
the HollySylvia,
wood
ance
beautyexpert. And the all-time highfor attend-

at

the New

York

Sales Executives' Club

Also, you
theyhad SallyRand.
complaintmade by a C.I.O. unit
Relations Board that theycouldn't

was

the

day

have read of the

may
Labor
to the National

get

quorum

for labor

Sex Is Here

130

to

Stay

because every meetingnightthe company

ran
a
meetings
with the union.
show in competition
free strip-tease
At a recent
meetingof the State Librarian Association
that the
of the delegates
made by one
was
a complaint
down
tab in her filing
SEX
longbefore
system was worn
the

of the other tabs,and she wanted

rest

equipmentmanufacturers
tab with every set.
the
Out in Chicago

couldn't furnish

Bibles from house

selling
hundred men
has nearly
who
seven

The

Bibles.

Bible

an

John Hertel Company

business

to

house.

make

if the

know

to

extra

does
In

SEX

nice

fact,it

selling
living

$19.50on

easy payments, and

the company gives
premium if you pay
you a handsome
cash. After experimenting
with different premiumsfor
costs

many years, it has found that the best on-the-line-cashbook!

ter is a good SEX
This

is all good and

proper,

so

longas

it is

frankly
it
by calling

and is not made dishonest

as sex
recognized
else. Outside of sportsevents like baseball and
anything
few forms of entertainment can survive without
boxing,
have onlyto read
interest. Music has it. We
some
sex

Gilman's

Lawrence
York

Philharmonic

in the programs of the New

Orchestra to see that there is a "boynotes

twist in music.
meets-girl"
in
a

one

issue of the New

story of

an

of business

was

more

have it. And

certainly
World-Telegramthere was

Books

York

acrobats' convention

at

which

the chief bit

the unanimous
sex

of a resolution advocatin
passing
cally
appealin tightrope
walking.Practi-

allpleasure
whether
cruises,
the frozen Land

of the

to

attract

their customers

Sun or humid Africa,

Midnight
in a bathing
on
a girl
or two
relyregularly
suit,
generally

to

Sex Is Here
American

an

to

Stay

girl.Bali

alone

131
seems

able

introduce

to

an

note.
original

items less sexy than tours, and even

such
sexy"items as furniture and rubber tires,
rely

Other

"un-

girl
decoys. The WhitingPlover PaperCo., for example,
dramatizes the secretive quality
of their Permanent Opaque
Bond by running
insert in which the leading
a trade-paper
characters are three partially
clad girls.
Coveringeach
is a differenttype of paper. The firstgirl
girl's
picture
is covered with ordinary
Her outline is,of course,
bond.
it. The second girl
is shielded with
quitevisiblethrough
permanizedpaper, which givesher a bit more
privacy.
The third girl,
however,protected
by Permanized Opaque
invisible"until curious prospects liftthe
Bond, is entirely
is based on the
paper. The soundness of this practice
fact that any group of buyersof furniture,
tires,
bicycles,
is identical with the audience required
or printing
bottles,
at "Tobacco
Road," or
a matinee crowd
by the acrobats,
upon

any

other section of the Great American

good

will and

respect

were

so

Public whose

coveted by
strongly

M. Paul-Boncour.
Gene

Fowler

described with

conversation between
Denver

Post,and

once
copublisher,

considerable

Joe Ward,

onetime

a
eloquence

editor of the

nameless cub reporter. Fred Bonfils,

wished a young cub on Ward.
Owners
a

of newspapers often bedevil their editors with friends of

friends of theirs. This lad came
his second
to Ward
on
with excitement,eyes
day on the job,almost frothing
bulging:
*

^Timber

Line:

Story of Bonfilsand Tammen.

Friede,Inc.,1933, pp. 130-131.

New

York:

Covici.

Sex Is Here

32

to

Stay

"Mr. Ward, I've got a sensationalstory!"

had been writing
Ward
Babylonian
paragraphs
snorted and
a lull. He
pushedup his glasses,
during
licked his lips."Well, what is it? Murder?"
"No, sir. I was walkinglast nightpast the East
."
Denver High School,when I looked
.

"Is this a story of your

life?" Ward

own

asked.

but I was walking

."
"No, sir,
and get down
"Well,"Ward said,
"quit
walking,
.

to

facts."

"Well,I saw

doing
.

to

Ward

folded his arms

"Yes,sir.
the shadow

...

and theywere
people,
I don't know
justhow

."

"Like Adam

Ward

lot of young

theywere

put it

and leaned back in his chair.

and Eve?"
I counted

of the

fifteen

couples.Rightin

highschool."

cleared his throat.

"Son," he said,"this

thinghas been goingon for thousands of years,

lighten
maybe millions. Evidently
your parentsdidn't ento describe the effects if not
'try
you, so I'll
of this phenomenon. You can preach
the cause
this practice,
what you saw, in
against
denouncing
of the nation. You may write books
every pulpit
it;you may create playscondemningit;
attacking
"

"

you may call out allthe armies of the Lord, as well

as of the United States Government, to suppress it
but,son, mark my word, you will never succeed in
"

with
makingit unpopular

the masses."

know
out
before,
stores,as we have pointed
Department
the importance
A hairpin
of good-looking
ufacturer
mansalesgirls.
sales with a "Search for Talent."
skyrocketed
Stores doubled their displays
of his products
in order to
take part in this beautycontest.
were
Winning girls
givenmovie contracts.

Sex

134

Brassieres
plication.
gone

and

with such

allthe way

Is Here

to

Stay

have
perfumes,quitenaturally,
names

as

"Sensation,""Allure,"

But the possibilities

"Fig Leaf," "Intime," "Scandal."
dance profor other goods are shown
a radio
by calling
gram

"Cheek

to

Cheek,"

or

fur

coat

"Rumble

Seat

Coat."
ever,
Swope'sstaid General Electric Company, howsuch mechanical
the same
trivances
conuses
appealin selling
surrounded
sun
as
lamps when it shows a man
with admiringwomen
as a result of the healthy
afterglow
from sun-lamp treatments.
Knowing the appealthat movies have when they are
advertised "For Men
chant
merOnly," a Ventura, California,
the same
uses
signover a peepholein order to get
Not so very.
to look at his display. Radical?
women
London
a conservative
Selfridges,
departmentstore, used
the same
packed the crowds out front with a
principle,
Towels
ing!
sellwere
signreading"For the clean minded."
Gerard

They
monkey

tell of
cage

at

two

the

old
zoo.

ladies who

Seeingno

the
visiting
quired
monkeys, they inwere

of the

When
told that the
keeper about them.
inside,mating,one of the ladies asked the
monkeys were
for some
out
keeperif he thoughtthey would come
nuts.
peaHe replied,
"Would
you?"

Next
sex

time

into your

publicwants

you

wonder

if it's advisable

to

put

little

campaign"and you'rewonderingif the

it" just
stop and think: do you?
next

11

This

In

Corner"

Conflict

REACH

INTO

YOUR

WASTE-

basket and

You and thirtypullout today's

newspaper.
six million other fairly
live Americans
bought a paper
Couldn't
live without
today. Why?
knowing
you
about the wars
in the world" or the rest of the front-page
You
news?
cause
pay a million dollars a day for papers be-

you are interested in conflict" and

of conflicts.
The

human

animal

news

is

series

has

ries
struggled
throughlongcentuand then to take or
to survive,
nature, first,
against
and territory.
protect, as the case might be, its women
And now
that socially
ambitious governments remove
the
last individual incentives to fight
for personal
and financial
Americans sitaround like idle firemen
we
recognition,
playingcheckers.
nevertheless,
Subconsciously,
peoplestillcrave action.

And

get it. If you

can

furnish it,fine. You'll

coin

in conflicting
For, above all,
peopledelight
tion.
ac-

money.
We

all love

contests

or

the

notice
fights:

how

closely

read.
In office,
are
sporting
pages of a newspaper
in the street, the fighting
or
politics,
man
or
dog gets far
more
than a three-alarm fire.
attention,proportionately,
this by adding
Ely Culbertson,for one, capitalized
on
135

In This Corner"

136
the

Conflict

of the proverbial
bridge-table
atmosphere
argument

or

of subconscious sex conflict,

exploitation
so subtle in his personal
promotion.
Madison Square
broke because
went
Garden, which nearly
rather not fight,
will reap a
professional
fighters
of turning
fortune out of itsnew
its floor over
to
policy
in hockey,
the amateurs
and Softballbaseball,
basketball,
and more
who will fight.
Broadcasts of more
sporting
ball,
basketevents
are
football,
beingutilized for advertising"
have been so well sewed up that
and boxing
baseball,
his

to
squabble

Tide

Associated Oil

Water

meets.

Not

content

Mills starteda

forced

was

wait for the

to

turn

to

track

eral
open, Genseriesof broadcasts from the Southern
to

season

to

of several

bigleaguebaseball teams.
Even the thirstfor beautythrives better with a bit
of conflict to brighten
up the dull rubbing.Elizabeth
Arden planned
derella
Cina nationwide search for the modern
and, as the Financial World shrewdlyobserved,
for the bottle manufacturers
a real opportunity
provided
to take up their slack by makinga line of glass
slippers.
Vapo-Rubfeatured a national radio contest for boy and
apparently
pavingthe way for six-day,
girlviolinists,
behalf of its
on
contest
nonstop, no-hoarseness singing
and throat departments.
nose
"Your wife won't win the sweepstakes"
reads the cover
of a booklet. That titlehas a chipon its shoulder. It
almost picks
It pulls.
a fight.
National Distillersplannedan interesting
with
tie-up

training
camps

the horse

race

between

while its "Crab Orchard"

to
rights

the

use

War

Admiral

and

whiskeyobtained
of War

Admiral's

Sea Biscuit,

vertisi
exclusive ad-

picture.

In This Corner"

Conflict

137

for the

publicare, of course, one of the

mechanisms
for getting
sales action
widelyrecognized
the interest of millions.
throughconflict" theychallenge

Prize
most

contests

amateurs
MajorBowes earned $150 a minute by pitting
each other on a national network.
The rewards
against

great for everyone

were

In San

connected

with the

contests.

Antonio,Texas,an iceman named

the stage of a
on
refrigerator
150 pounds of ice in the box.
the peopleof the town
among
a

Kissinger
put
local theater,
and placed
Then

he had

contest

ice
guess how much
would be leftat the end of twenty days. The box was
and every time you or
placedin the lobby;it was sealed,
your friendswent
about how much

to

the movies you and theyconjectured

ice was
in the box.
At the end of the
to

days,out came twenty-four

poundsof ice.
In Holyoke,Massachusetts,
the Dreikorn Bakeryran a
popularity
contest, with each wrapper good for ten votes.
In one day 59,000 bread wrappers were
delivered by the
twenty

post office.
In

Carson's ran a special

for brides and
contest
Chicago,
brides-to-be. A blueprint
floor plan of a "Home
for
Two"
and contestants
had to recommend
was
supplied"
Carson's store, of course.
From
On
the
furnishings.
sixth floor they set up the actual home" "in the nude."
Prizes of

of

$1,500 in merchandise

certificates
were

rated

to
secondaryimportance.The bigthing,
according

contestants,

was

FUN.1

When
the New
York Times published
a half-column
story on
the winners of the Old Gold
the
it,not accidentally,
on
contest, it ran
amusement

page.

In

138
While
on

some

others
sales,

contests
are

are

run

This

Corner"

Conflict

for their direct influence

for the purpose of

sales ammunition.
providing

in Boston, for example,

ran
a stocking
thon
maraSlattery's
allowed to compete for cash
in which salesgirls
were
at cost.
$85. Hosierywas sold to the girls
totaling
prizes
of hose" wear
them
The girls
to alternate two
were
pairs
of the
continuously
duringstore hours. Though some
eliminated after the firstweek, proving
that
entrants
were
than others,the
some
peopleare harder on stockings
for four months.
lasted many girls
dars
Huge calenhosiery
dramatized the endurance test.
in Slattery's
windows
contest
run
was
a mileage
by Healy
convincing
Equally
wore
ured
measpedometers,
Shopsin Detroit. The salesgirls
the mileage
the
that theycovered while theywore
better than 173 miles per
stockings.
averaged
Stockings
in
and the story was dramatized in a window
display
pair,
tance
which the backgroundwas
a huge map
markingthe dis-

from Detroit
The

Electra

to

Cleveland.

Company

of Kansas

Cityran a contest at
the Electric Show
in Atlantic City. Its electric switch
and
Electra
was
on
display"
operatedautomatically"
asked delegates
times it would
be
to
guess how
many
operatedduringthe periodof the show. It was used
times" which, Electra explained
later in Direct
235,000
Mail Advertising,
of thirteen years of
the equivalent
was
normal
The

use.

ChicagoAmerican put tags on a few fish in Fox

Lake, offered cash prizesto folks that caughtthem.
the public
What
didn't know
that the paper had a
was
deeperinterestin this stunt than justto build readers for

In This

Corner"
It

its sporting
page.

real estate

Conflict

helpingto

was

put

over

near-by

development.

of the time-hallowed

One

139

is the
industry
contests

manufacturers'
the

among

side of manufacturers

was

customs

of the men's

of window
sponsorship
A

stores.

Clement

recent

thorn

wear

play
disin the

Kieffer of the Klein-

who took so many

firstprizes
Company in Buffalo,
with his displays
that he began to demoralize the other
the sponsors have been
In self-protection
contestants.
him on the judgingcommittee
in order to give
putting
the other man
Latest candidate for promotion
a chance.
pany
is Les Blei of the Nebraska
to judgeship
ClothingComin Omaha, who has been winningtoo many
prizes
haus

for the manufacturers' comfort.

the Kennedy Piggly
Virginia,
Wiggly stores
offered a prizeof $1.50 to the two
managers who kept
A negative
the dirtieststores.
but effective.
approach"
In Wise,

Prize

contests

for salesmen

are

also valuable.

Labor

produceand sellmore
goods,and lifewould
if wise executives could find
be lots richer for everybody,
toward a neutralizin
to offsetthe union tendency
a way
ambition.
This might be done by
of purelypersonal
and bonuses without any hidden strings
gifts,
giving
prizes,
attached. Make effortreally
worth while.
Back in 1934, when Congressman
Bruce Barton was
in
the advertising
his agency wrote
business,
a
full-page
ad for Electrolux refrigerators
it
in which
trade-paper
urgedgas companiesto enter the Electrolux sales contest
To Run
earlyand get as a bonus a free copy of How
Better Sales Contests by Zenn Kaufman.2
Some
thouunits would

New

York:

Harper

"

Bros.,1935.

In This

140

Corner"

Conflict

givenaway" to helpgas
copiesof the book were
companies
put over their contest locally.
If CongressmanBarton, now
at his biggest
job,can
friends to use on Republican
his Republican
persuade
sort of incentives and competitive
party workers the same
be generated
strategy,enoughpolitical
energy will easily
of presidents.
to elect a couple
sand

Richard Grant, onetime

sales manager

of General Motors, has

president
the battery
in an automobile" he

and

likened
is

now

vice

salesman

to

alwaysgivingout

and ideas.
information,
energy in the form of enthusiasm,
the comparison,
he points
out
that,as in the
Continuing

of the electricbattery,
unless something
is done larly
reguthe salesman with new
his
to recharge
enthusiasm,

case

morale is sure

itselfout.

to wear

Conflict between

salesmen has been

proveda

antidote for

down"
recharging
"running
plannedcontest provides:
1.

2.

The

changein

scenery.

incentive of

A chance

sure-fire

sales. A

well-

game.3

rewards.
tangible

beat the other fellow and

lic
get pubfor it.
recognition

In

to

Birmingham,
Alabama, a

carriers with

minimum

newspaper stimulated its

"Balloon Race."
Every boy getting
a
of

number

was
subscriptions
to enter
qualified
a balloon in the flight.
And one extra balloon for each
four subscriptions
the minimum.
over
The releasing
of
the balloons at the cityairport
the occasion for a
was
3

No

sales manager

could watch
in "Tom

the

scene
fence-painting

was

the soul of

fine sales manager.

David

Selznick's swell picturization

of
without
Sawyer"
that in Tom
realizing

In This

142

Corner"

Conflict

of two store-wide teams

to promote
captains
hosiery
of both guarded the Scoreboard
sales. Cutout
figures
view of customers
the main
which was
on
placedin plain
made

floor.
Orchestra has used contest
Philadelphia
debs
technique.To aid ticket sales,Philadelphia
society
the same
in teams
in much
were
organized
way as a group
Thus
of Fuller Brush salesmen.
givingMr. Stokowski
the benefit of the same
that is used by
selling
techniques
the Philadelphia
industrialistswho
must
pay his deficits
Even

the staid

if ticket sales won't.

Merle

Thorpe,in

tellsof
Business,

the editorial columns

conversation

with

of his Nation's

tor
swimming instruc-

of
a difference in the temperaments
describing
Americans
and Europeans.In Europe a group
goes
and decides to swim
to
over
an
swimming for pleasure
the instructor explained.
island,
They start out leisurely,
each other, lookingat the clouds, enjoying
to
talking
"Last one
themselves. Americans in the same
spot yell,
to the island is a sissy! Everybodyjumps in and threshes
who

was

"

to

the island with

six-beat crawl.

that "perhaps
this national trait
was
Thorpe'scomment
We
thrive on
not
our
competition,
explains
progress.
men
businessAmerican
only in our playbut in our work.
have done it with shoes and ships
and sealing
wax,
with steel and automobiles and piece
goods. These games
lots or finely
not
are
playedin vacant
equippedgymnasiums.
and
They are playeddailyacross the counters
the office desks of the nation. They are
not
actually
But Amerigames at all" but jobsthat have to be done.

In

This

Corner"

Conflict

143

by their enthusiasms,their ambitions,have

games."

cans,

them

In Cleveland, an

electrical dealer dramatized

of American
burningqualities
endurance

for

boards
used

test.
one

hundred

one

In

his window

lamps each.

hundred

American-made

the

bulbs with
he

wired
On

bulbs,on

two
one

made

perior
su-

simple

square
board he

the other

one

of

make.
foreign
Althoughboth boards were
of the
conditions,fifty-two
subjectto exactlythe same
of the American
bulbs had
bulbs and only two
foreign
above the
burned out after twenty-one days. A caption
read: WHY
ARE
CHEAPER
TREE
BULBS
MAZDA
XMAS
display

hundred

IN

THE

THAN

END

NON-MAZDA

BULBS.

In the presence of the president

of the Chamber
of
and the chief of the Fire Department,the
Commerce

Company stageda safety

ironingexhibition
in the Pasadena, California,
dinary
municipalbuilding.An orboard was
irons" one
with
set up, and two
ironing
without "Heat
Control"" were
and one
placedon the
H.

L. Miller

board

at

8:20

a.m.

At

10:10

the
heat control fellthrough

a.m.

the

iron

without

board,burninga hole its own

was
a fire which
starting
put out by a fireman
standingby. The iron with "Heat Control" merely
and caused no flame.
A few
scorched the board slightly
days after this exhibit both irons,the ironingboard, and

size and

the burned
store

bits of charcoal
window.

The

were

moved

shown
exhibit,

into the

pany's
com-

with

appropriate
testimonials,
proved to be a

cards and
explanation
features
the safety
simplerealisticmethod of emphasizing

of

"Heat

Control" iron.

In This Corner"

144

Conflict

dramatize its shelf paper the Dennison

To

Company

had

hold up
representative

Chine Glass shelf paper.

of its new

turing
Manufaca

sample

Visitors were

vited
in-

ink or alcoholic beverages

the paper.
on
squirt
to be completely
ruined,
Then, when the sample
appeared
wipedoff,provingrealistical
every trace of a stain was
surface of the paper practically
insured
that the glasslike
itsstainproof
quality.
The MichiganLadder Company decided to placea
ladder and photograph
sales
it. The
Chevrolet on
a
to

confided

manager

to

that

us

the

thoughtthat
personally
too

for any ladder

much

allow his

to
car

used.

was

to

car

The ladder

Bendix introduced

demonstrations
arranging

Automatic
miles

an

with

to

at

the time of the

stunt

he

weightof a "Chewie" was

endure.
clined
he deAccordingly

be used for the

test.

Another

won.

blowout
hydraulic
in which

stabilizerby

driver fired a Colt

into his front tire while

hour.

at seventy
driving
lines Dodge dealers were

Alongthe same
the safety
steel construction of their roof
over
putting
teen
with fourstreets
a Dodge around
by driving
principal
Western
Union boyssitting
on
top of it.
A Yonkers judge
made the firstpage of the New
York
Times by banning
hikers. Instead of asking
shorts on girl
"Is this a private
or
can
fight,
anyone
get into it?"
the Yonkers Ferryjumpedright
in and announced
vate
prifor girl
hikers to use to changeto
rooms
dressing
their pants. The Times
gave the Ferryas much space as
the judge.
In Kansas City,
the Katz Drug Company stolethe town
mammoth

of dollars
auction,
gave away thousands

This

In

of

Corner"

merchandise.

the

each

Kroger

free.

broke

its

phone

call

pursuit

his

to

good

the

selling"
attention.

in

get

Air

their

collusion"

to

defiantly

Army

but
isn't

It

U.

the

still

give

Army

be

that

of

balloon

big

city.

brought

out

two

fashion.

We

credit

Kroger

with

for
that

manager

working

leased
re-

pound

the

store

by

and

the

neat

chain

every
S.

in

Louis

hour

over

Base

duty

St.
would

schedule,

hovered

did

in

have

could

packed

auction.

appointed

an

before

near-by

the

balloons

balloon

hour

job.

publicity
Put

small

which

little

at

given

was

They

coffee

small

balloon

mooring,

how

knows

An

planes,

suspect

doing

large

of

new

bid

to

store.

night

hundred

catching

coffee

the

which

Katz

introduced

that

from

at

on

stores

announcing

anyone

with

purchase

auditorium

city

145

"Money"

with

away

Conflict

him

on

gags.

element

your
The

of

conflict

windows.

public

in

It's
is

always

your
an

advertising"
established

ready

for

way
a

in

your
to

fight.

get

12

Timing

Counts

AT
moment,

newspapers

(a)

For

PRACTICALLY

THE

SAME

announced:

Travelers

Insurance:

safetybooklet

is

entitled "Death

Beginsat Forty." Statistics demonstrate

of death increases in almost geometrithat the possibility
cal
ratio as speedincreases above fortymiles an hour.
(b)

For Fisk Tires:

technical research bureau

is

developmentof tougherand lighter

thetic
synof the future that
rubber tires for superhighways
hundred
will permitspeedlimits of one
miles an hour.
That incongruity
in human
nature
which, strange as it
ing
is,simultaneously
sincerely
applaudsboth these conflictwith by any
be seriously
reckoned
must
conceptions
who
would
make
at showmanship.
money
Americans
are
chargedwith a restlessness
particularly
that forces them to go faster and faster. In pursuit
of
what?
often to be in as much
rush as the
(They seem
littlecolored boy who, asked what he would
do if he got
letter from the Klu Kluxers, answered, "I
a
threatening
would
read it on the train.") It is improbable
that they
working on

the

146

Timing Counts

147

and a further look

rushinganywhere in particular"
the impression
that,like most of the reckless motorists
gives
the road, nobody would miss them even
if they
on
several hours late. But it is this force,say those
were
have some
who directly
stake in promoting
or
indirectly
in promotingnew
counts
or
changesin styles
vogues, that acfor much of the alleged
for novelty.
demand
are

careful observer,however, should

The

is another

very

note

that there

trait in human
real,although
opposite,

human unwillingness
to depart
sarily
unnecesgeneral
from a habitual straight
line. Practically
body
everytime or another
at one
gets bored with something
and welcomes
but actual newness
and
a timely
variation;
real changeare about the last thinganybody wants.
It
took as longfor the automobile to discard its horse-andbuggy whip socket as it did for army aviators to discard
their spurs. The constant
clash between a fidgety
ing
cravfor new
sensations and the unswerving
devotion to the
of habit makes the delicate judgment
of "timing"
delights
almost as vitalin showmanship
as in billiardsor boxing.
When
"Bingo"and "Monopoly"cut into the playing
of old-fashioned poker,
Card Comthe U. S. Playing
pany
nature"

didn't fold up; it swung

called

"Po-Ke-No," which

broughtout

"Pokerette."

in with

went

well

so

After

modern

game
that it then

bridgehad

run

the

the National Distillers'

auction,
gamut from whist to duplicate
offer of a set of rules for five-suitbridgebrought
in

than

more

that what
suit for

12,000

this country needs far

is an
bridgeplayers

In New

wit's observation

some
requests"despite

extra

than

more

shirt for

Haven, the local gas company

an

extra

pokerplayers.

showed

thirteen

Timing Counts

148

told the public

that
Fridaythe thirteenth,
the cats spelled
bringing
good luck because theywere
Pontiac
users
a thirteen per cent
savingon appliances.
ran
a whole
compaignunder the theme, "The hat of the
tied in with fashion
month plusthe car of the year""
editors" showingthe "hottest" hat fashion of the month"
thus creating
a fashion interestin the Pontiac car.
of Max Spivak,
Lane Bryantgot
Under the guidance
citieswith a telein four large
the interest of the women
air-cooled linen
of Grace Barrie wearing
an
photopicture
frock. Grace came
New
York store
to Lane
Bryant's
Wide
News
and World
snappedher wearingthe frock.
The picture
in the store in eighteen
utes
minwas
developed
and was immediately
turntable to
put on a wirephoto
in Chicago,
be radioed to reproducers
Detroit,St. Louis,
Within
and Philadelphia.
a
coupleof minutes these
photoswere in the windows, actually
job
doinga selling
for Lane Bryant.Mary Morris, that exciting
editor of
the Detroit News, ran a two-column
of Gracie
picture
her story, "Gracie Barrie Shopsin New
and captioned
York and Detroit on Same Day." She went
on
to say,
"The beauteous Gracie Barrie,Broadway actress, prepares
for summer
of the new
air-cooled
one
by purchasing
York store.
sheers in a New
Tix via wirephoto

black

cats

on

dress in Detroit branch store.' Time

out

to

check

and we
find
enough,here's the wirephoto
picture,
the dress itselfhas just
arrived in Detroit." Then a descripti
of the dress followed,
endingwith, "The dress
is $10.95"smart
that Barrie girl."
picker,
However, Lane Bryantwas not the firstto use wirephotos.The Hecht Company in Baltimore had a whole

sure

Timing

150

Counts

the trade,confessed that his Dallas branch

better than any of twenty-two others.
Beatrice Creamery,Tulsa, Oklahoma,
S.

had held up
EarlyR. Cass of

agreedwith John

Jonesof Ralston Purina Company, St. Louis,Missouri,

of the

western
brightest
spots on the Southwise
horizon. StephenDouglasof Croker did likewith Judson Sayre of Bendix Home
Appliances.

that Dallas

All of

was

one

which, illustratedwith candid

shots,made

camera

effectiveand

timelyadvertising.
In Enterprise,
Oregon,when the temperature registered
around 35" below zero, Ira Snyder,a local lumber and
in the
every furnace owner
letter read: "If you had a Fairbanks-Morse

fuel dealer,
sent

city.The
automatic
would

not

letter to

coal stoker in your home

this
there had been a
have known

morning,you
changein the

until you had gone outdoors and looked at the

thermometer.
In weather like this your furnace chores

weather

onlyfiveminutes a day and your home automatically

remains the desired temperature."
And, as a result of this
sold.
ten stokers were
letter,
timely
York
The
Empire Gold Buying Service in New
of
watched for the Supreme Court decision on the price
interest" changed its copy
in
gold with split-second
York papers between editions. Perhaps
of the
New
one
shrewdest examples
of timeliness was
furnished by the
afternoon
York Chevrolet dealer who boughtearly
New
advertisements" and in
editions" checked his competitors'
the evening
editions his advertisement priced
his cars $5
in the
lower than any other Chevrolet dealer advertising
take

newspaper.

Anythingthat

is

new

adds interest. T.

W.

Mather

Timing Counts

151

ties in with the circus by

Company, Pasadena, California,
noveltysoap for children in wild animal shape.
selling
"This Year's Crop of Misses" was
a good headline for a
with a popular
dress ad that tied up so perfectly
song.
for a
In Florida,last winter, we
cents
paidtwenty-five
copy

of the New

York

by waitinguntil the
a

dime,

or

do

until the
the

same

next
next

Times

of the

morning,we

same

could have got it for

for
afternoon,

thingbecause

we

date,whereas

nickel.

sands
Thou-

crave
instinctively

of newness.
feeling
first-run
cents
to see
Why is it that peoplewill pay fifty
the day theyhit town
when, by waitingtwo
or
pictures
three or four weeks, they can
the same
see
picturein
with the addition of a double
neighborhoodplayhouses"
feature" for thirty
or
fortyper cent less?
What
is it that makes the newsreels so popular? Is it
alone?
Not by a longshot. It'sthe
the interest in news
the screen
the news
that we
feel hapfact that we
see
on
pened
of the newsyesterday. Of course, a largeportion
reels that you see are old material dug out of morgues and
filesto helpround out hard-to-get
material.
You
current
probablydon't realize this as you sitin your plush-bottom
movie seat, but this week's crop of news
is well padded
with old shots: old war
scenes, old ball game
openings,
and so forth. A scheduled or
old riot scenes, old parades,
advertised showingof old newsreels would
ence,
get no audipeoplepay to see shows billed as
yet a great many
current.
Simply because people want what seems
timely.
Don't let it count
Timing counts.
you out.
the

13

Slow

Your

Down

Bandivagon

No

OF

DISCUSSION

shipwould be completewithout mention

promotionpieceRuthrauff " Ryan once
"SLOW

THE

DOWN

CANT
the head

UP

of the excellent

put out, called

THE

BANDWAGON,

KEEP

SHOWMAN-

WITH

THE

PARADE!

PHANTS
ELE"

of the

paradeis fine,but beingan hour

of large-scale
The
ahead of it is bad.
essence
cial
commersuccess
mightbe said to consist in doing
(a) an utterly
expectedthing
the appropriate
time
(b) at precisely
and doing it so simplythat nobody can
(c)

Beingat

miss it.
is the removal
perfect
exampleof forceful simplicity
circular sent out by the Fifth Avenue
B. M. Leoculists,
they moved to a different store in the
voy, Inc.,when
same
building.On a largephotographof the building
(intelligently
grayedout so as to show only their store
A

old and new) the copy

sites,
ABOUT
HERE

JUNE

1ST,

of
(tail
CORNER

TO

an

read:

1938, WE
arrow)

HERE

JUST

(head of
152

MOVING

ARE

AROUND
an

FROM
THE

arrow)

Slow

Your

Down

Bandwagon

153

CORNER" curved
THE
only was the "JUST AROUND
but both the
the arrowhead with the shaft;
to join
closely
identifiedwith black
and the avenue
street
were
plainly
And" equally
numbers.
nothing
absolutely
important"
and emphasizing
else on the page but a lot of clarifying
about a changewhite space! One isreluctant to lyricize
than a
of-address notice;but this one might teach more
dozen confusing
books. If this praise
seems
advertising
Not

bit overexuberant,remember

of

store'sold

across
directly

customers

can

that

not

be counted

the street; and that

one

twenty per
on

to

cent

follow it

of the world's

most

nearlywent broke because of moving

three blocks diagonally
up Fifth Avenue.
takes time to absorb. Your mind, when
The public
And,
you write copy, is two jumpsahead of each word.
boasts
when properly
even
excited,
your American public
blood when it comes
to jumpingto
very littlekangaroo
the crack of your interests. A reader is always
two
jumps
The
behind you.
publicmind, as we have suggested
times,is amazingly
perhaps
thirty-five
simple.
circus managers, promoters attemptPoliticalspeakers,
ing
the unusual,
in mass, avoid the subtle,
to interestpeople
the new
as theywould
smallpox.Stump orators know
forth the loudest applause,
that the triteis likely
to bring
Because itsmusic is great,its plotsimple,
opera survives.
Peopledon't pay to see boxingas an art; theywant a
of their own
fighter
enoughto stick out his
type. Dumb
jaw and "take it." The domestic, familytype movie
(likethose in the Judge Hardy'sFamilyseries),
cerned
confamous

modistes

with

scenes

home,
neighbor's

like those in your own

and your
will always
reap a box officefar larger
much

Slow

154

than those films whose

Your

Down

reels

Bandwagon

involved with

are

complex

plotor wordy dialogue.

The

without
at

the

however, seldom failsus.

screen,

do what
exception,

moment

we

villainare

almost

before

know

to

we

we

expect it. The

most
alCharacters,

expect of them

do

hero,the heroine,the

Nor
immediately
recognized.
who

to

isit long

who
will emerge victorious,

is going

be the goat.
In any enterprise,
it is certain

lose your audience

you'll
make
clear in advance the
if you don't,unmistakably,
entire pattern of your proposition.
Peoplewon't listen
unless it'sclear why they're
being
longeven to flattery
flattered. On

the other hand, ifyou mark

out

milestones,

of checking
and giveeverybodythe pleasure
speak,
tain
cerup with you and of markingmutual progress, you're
with you.
to keepthe crowd
mentally,
Physically,
who couldn't survive a ball game
emotionally.
Speakers,
without a score
card,address audiences without the slightest
advance hint either of how many
pointsare to be
scored or of the meeting's
ultimate goal.
Of course, it'sin face-to-face selling
that the gearing
so

to

down

is needed

most.

Aside from

the clerk who

won't

of sales value,the greatest menace

to a sale
say anything
is the salesperson
who burdens the prospect with a mass
of

detail,
tomer
unimportantand confusing
puttingthe cusin the position
of the man
in the restaurant
to whom
the waiter pours out an offer of apple,
peach,pineapple,
and cocoanut
custard pie.
strawberry,
Good
showmanshipis not tricky.It's not involved.
It'snot complicated.
On the contrary" it strivesto simplify
the art of sales communication" avoiding
tortuous

Your

Down

Slow

Bandwagon

155

takingin its placethe surer and simple

of emodemonstration" of eye appeal"
devices of graphic
tional
Good
reactions.
showmanship cuts down the
do the work
of a sales story. It lets each picture
length
wordiness

of

and

thousand

words.

friend Bill Burruss" who

Our

to the salesmen
taughtselling
tellsa perfectly
marvelous story that
of rushing
ahead of the buyer.

tellsof

He
Kansas

time when

ran

an

Norge

dealers-

illustratesthe

perils

insurance business in

his partner the world's

inherited through

Cityand

dumbest

he

of

cently
re-

This

salesman.

man

knew

absolutely
nothing.

Bill adds that he

onlyknew one person who was dumber

who not onlydidn't know anything
"and that was a girl"
but didn't even
suspect anything.
a sales
But,to get on with the story,Bill was conducting
the men
about a
meetingone morning and was telling
with
a
experience
very disappointing
prospect who
wouldn't buy. Bill described in detail the manner
in
he had handled the interview" then asked if anyone
could pointout where he made his mistake in sales procedure.

which

There

was

brief pause" then

our

dumb

friend raised

his hand.
us

"Justa minute,"Bill said. "Instead of giving

the pollecture,
icy."
suppose you go out and try selling

The

amazingfact is that the boy did. When he came

back theyasked him to tell how
he did it. He said,
"First I told him how much we paidwhen he died" and I
asked him
he told

me.

to

tellme

Then

and asked him

to

how

he got if he died. And

I told him how much he
got ifhe lived

tellme

much

how

much

he got if he lived"

and he did.
to

Down

Slow

156

I told him the

Then

how

tell me

I reminded

Then

Your

Bandwagon

premium and

much

the insurance

cost"

him

that if he didn't

buy

nothing"then I asked him to tell me

got if he didn't buy" and he did" then I
he got

write

out

While

check for the

Billasked him"

"And

7 didn't sellhim?"

did you,
To which

over

did.

the insurance
how

much

asked

he

him

to

the lad's experience,

by any chance,ask
our

he

and

he didF

premium"and

the salesmen marveled

asked him

him

why

friend answered

dumb

"Oh, yes, I asked him that."

"What

"He
what

did he

say?"

said you talked

the hell you were

damned

so

fast he didn't know

saying."
Ruthrauff " Ryan, havingcautioned its clients to keep
their bandwagonslowed down, gives
in another advertisement
of the people:
this picture
Love"
WHAT

HAVE

fear

"

THESE

TO

baby's
cry
DO

WITH

ADVERTISING?

thousands at Coney Island

People
perspiring
its replicas
scattered throughoutthe land.
or
Gaudy pennants. The crunch of peanut shells
underfoot. Chewing gum.
Mustard
dripping
from hot dogs. Peoplestruggling
for a view of
.

"

some

freak in
and

side show.

crowdingfor

Red-faced

ing
elbow-

men

the vicarious thrillof

cooch

dancer.
and jostling
to watch
a traffic
pushing
Stoppingfor the shudder of
cop serve a summons.
in complacent
gapingat a gory accident. Staring
excavation.
at a building
to
stupefaction
Fighting
board crowded
Women
other
street
cars.
tearing

People
.

ij

Slow

intelligence,

the

stupid

That

dull.

for

That

fallacy

greater

the

all

lost

all

the
unable

she"

or

the

sorts

to

value

understand

of

average

welcome
So"

the

people"

the

simplicity

anything

the

simple,
few

as

else.

the

and

more

of

charm

unaffected,
catches

enough

smart

well

dred
hunlectual
intel-

own

mind,

ease

utterly

few

their

the

greater

No

advertising

and

in

engaged

gent.
intelli-

clever.

striving

as

for

only

the

to

be

must

Einstein,

completely

of

appeal

for

the

is

simplicity

things

Albert

excepted,

austere,

the

to

not

money

actively

simplicity.

complete
sternly

clever

ever

he"

will

warmly

attuned

that

conception

Stein,

rackets

Bandwagon

pace.

does

professionals

Your

accurately

simplicity

Gertrude

man.

is

thinking

citizen's

There's

that

Down

the

the

neously
simulta-

to

preciate
ap-

millions

14

Don't

Be

Wooden

Indian

THE
contest

we

ever

heard

of

was

MOST
one

EXCITING

in Arizona

out

SALES

that

fairlyexplodedwith action. No simplewall-bulletin

spottedwith thumbtacks to indicate the salesmen. (Did
who
pointedto a map
you hear about the sales manager
and said,"These
pinheadsare our branch managers"?)
This contest
Brothers,Dodge
run
was
by MacArthur
dealers in Tucson.
a
as
They dramatized the contest
in itselfshould suggest action. They took
Which
'war.
that an
into their contest
the whole town
by advertising
American
flagover their store would be pulleddown any
A cannon
was
placed
day that theydidn't sell ten cars.
their lawn" and was
to be fired every time theysold a
on
might be seated in a Ford showroom
Dodge. A man
down
the street, pen in hand, readyto signfor a new
car,
sold another Dodge.
BANG!"
when
Charles MacArthur
sances"w
arrested as publicnuiBrothers were
The
MacArthur
action than theyexpected"
more
was
though
than they wanted.
not
more
The

he

was

Wooden

Indian is dead.

tops in window

We

when
display"
159

remember

can
no

when

self-respecti

Don't Be

160

Wooden

Indian

But he's gone. Gone

Tableaux are gone,
and bootleggers.
with bustles,
buggies,
A gentle
art" but unable to keepup with the pace
too.
store
cigar

of

would be without him.

nation that

Tableaux
because

not

and

was

headed for double-feature talkies.

Indians"

Wooden

they didn't move

theydidn't move

at

all. One

they'vedisappeared
fast enough,but because
of popular
tainment"the
entera symbol

introduction to what we now

early
call window
display.
built by America's firstcomIndian was
The Wooden
mercial
the records" but he
His name
showman.
escaped
was
probablyan ancestor of our friend George Wellbaum" who so ablycarrieson the showman's tradition in
York TelephoneCompany.
of the New
the windows
estimate of
Our education in history
our
was
neglected"
of living
number
Indians is pretty sketchy
the maximum
"but we'd bet a goodcigar
that the number of Indians" at
the number of people
who see Wellnever
a peak"
equaled

other an

baum's windows

in

week.

motion

in his windows

number

of

He

worked

peoplewho
out

with the use of

experimented
and systematically
clocked the
stoppedto look at each display.

has

GeorgeWellbaum

all sorts

of contrivances

to

combine

color

interesting
design.But found nothingto compare
with motion.
Simplyto disconnect the electricalsocket
almost any moving display
will cut down the number
on
of lookers by sixty,
seventy, and eighty
per cent.
and

Dan

Prosnit" who

has handled

surveys for more

that the largest
crowd

he

New

of Natural

York's Museum

than
ever

research and merchandising

fortytrade
saw

papers" tellsus

exhibit in
single
Historywas gathered
at

Be

Dorft
around
With

Indian

161

bowl containing
sand snake.
a small crawling
glass
staticdisplays
allthe elaborate and expensive
in that
a

to

museum

show

Wooden

compete

with" the littlesand snake stole the

because it moved.

of

peoplemove
throughTimes Squarein
York every night.And the competition
New
for their
attention is spirited.
Among the most successful of the
who firstapplied
the prinis DouglasLeigh,
competitors
ciple
of the animated cartoon
made
to electric signs.He
his characters move,
composedlittleskits"and soon had
of the thousands jamming the sidewalks
a good proportion
the skits but
the signs,
not
onlywatching
opposite
for the "second
also waitingthroughthe advertising
Thousands

show."
At

the

ChicagoFair,the
able

was

the
by letting
to

throw

Owens

crowds

get maximum

to

customers

IllinoisGlass Company
at

minimum

cost

do the work.

real baseballs at

vited
Peoplewere inthus givglass
bull's-eye,
ing

urge pent up for decades.

A coal dealer capitalized
this same
on
cherished,
secretly
them

chance

to

release an

illicit
impulsewhen he
slightly
to his yardand allowed
entrance
gong
There

installed a gong
his customers
to

near

the

ringthe
the back of his shop.
to summon
a salesman from
is hardlya man
alive who
as
a small boy didn't
in a fire alarm.
to turn
Only the fear of mother

yearn
and the cops restrained us.
But we
lost the itch.
never
And rememberingthis paidthe coal dealer richly.
If you
semblance

then a
move,
something
of action is the next best thing.A 2 x 6 piece
of wood, seemingly
thrust through
a store
window, was
used by W. E. Cooperin Alhambra, California,
to bring
can't

make
actually

Don't

62

attention to
as

if the

dramatic

Be

Wooden

display.The

window

half the wood

shattered;

were
glass

the outside of the window

Indian
was
was

painted
on
pasted

while the other half

was

on

the inside.
author of "Sam"
Slants*
Selling
Vining's
Vining,
schools. When
he tellsof the
sometimes talks at cooking
tons!""
"Butiron handles buttons,he yells
way his Westinghouse
Sam

and

A
Club

tosses

while back
and of

of them

thousand

spokebefore

we

the

out

into the audience.

Rotary
Philadelphia

of
took part in the usual ceremony
the American
flag.Between us we have
course

to

courtesy

but at Philadelphi
spokenfor a goodmany organizations,
bit of drama.
Concealed
a really
theyprovided
surprising
behind the American flag
electricfan and while
was
a tiny
the club sang the anthem the fan went
to work
the same
as thoughit were
flag,
giving
impression

from
A

steaming
battleship
up

brand

William

new

Bill Tell,the Swiss

or

We

near-byDelaware

with

sales contest

Tell Contest.

his son's head

the

had

the

flying
River.

lots of action is the

all remember

who
patriot

on

to

lose his life. Put the

the story of

appleoff
of the boy
picture
shoot

an

and the

on
apple
your wall. Give your salesmen one shot
dart for certain sales
at the applewith a steel-pointed
achievements" with extra points
for each time theyhappen
to hit the apple.

As Mr. Goode

hardware

salesmen

handles toward
to
impulse
1New

mentioned
sell more

Your

hammers

the outside of the

grasp the hammer

York:

in Move

Prentice-Hall,
Inc.,1938.

the
by pointing

counter

is incited.

Merchandise,
because the

Don't

Be

Indian

Wooden

163

Along this line,one of the best uses of motion is to let

the customer
move
something.KrogerStores found long
rolled a can
toward a
ago that if a clerk "accidentally"
would pickit up, look at it" and
customer, the customer
be more
to buy it" than if the can
simplysat on the
likely
of motion in
Another suggestion
edge of the counter.
the
in chalk on
the pathof footprints
these stores was
floor.

would

Customers

follow the trailto

an

open bin

bargain
prices.Here
of action would speedsales.
a semblance
again,
angles"
triFor years stores ran art exhibits of fancytowers"
tectural
archian
achieving
logcabins" made of packages"
screamed
"Don't
that practically
completeness

where

merchandise

touch."

And

was

the

featured at

didn't.

customers

But

the

stores

They jumbledthe merchandise in easyto-get-atpiles.Always took one or two units off a full
else had
that someone
the impression
so as to give
display,
thus making it easy for a woman
made a purchase"
to
pickup a package.And havingit in her hand" buy it.
is that you get a
of personal
One advantage
selling
he
But more
chance to see your customer.
important"
learned better.

gets

chance

chance
to

put on

to

see

you.

In other words, you

get

littleshow.

of putting
on
And, speaking

show, a World's Fair is a

sional
showmanshipon a profesexampleof practical
in planning
even
spree. So it'sa goodguidepost"
play.
disminiatures as a side-streetwindow
comparative

de luxe

such

Or

even

the face-to-face sale of

ten-cent

door

mat.

All of the successful shows

some

element

of action,such

at
as

the
the

ChicagoFair had
Chryslerdaredevil

Be

Don't

164
racetrack"

Wooden

Indian

Continental Can

Company'spush-a-buttonmachine which had action

and-make-your-own-tin-can-bank
or

and motion.

surface hasn't been

The

scratched.

There's

big
One departchance for motion in all kinds of selling.
ment
set a display
store
has,contrariwise,
ledgehalfway
of escalators. A sort of gravitybetween floors,
alongside
feed of prospects. A

furniture company

puts motion

with an old grandmother

advertising
display
back and forth and cooingabout "76 years
rocking
of good furniture." (Credit line to Earl Slingland
of
General Outdoor.) A direct mail piecegets extra interest
because a jack-in-the-box
bobs up as you open it,and
than a thousand other
it'snot three per cent more
expensive
that liestillin your hand as you take them
pieces
mailing
of envelopes.
Motion scores
at every shot.
out
An insurance salesman gets attention by breaking
a pencil

into

outdoor

an

in

he throws it away and says to an amazed prospect

won't support your wife.
"Arithmetic and figuring
two"

If you die tomorrow,

there's onlyone thing
that will take
of her. That's lifeinsurance." A clothing
salesman
care
carries a littlemagnifying
in his
glass

pocketand

The customer
peep at the worsted.
understand what he sees, but he naturally
assumes
to

fabric must

be

good or

the salesman wouldn't

asks

tomers
cus-

doesn't
that the

show

it so

carefully.
The

Reader's

Digesttold of

County,Ohio, who
eighteen
years and
No

has been

has

never

sheriffdown

re-elected every year for

made
election speech.
an

oratory" yet he's alwayselected.

How

does he do it?

in Marshall

15

"My

Is

Business

Different"

IN
newspaper
for Waco

editorial
what

man

said,"Will
in San

some

man

RECENT

in Waco

did for San

Antonio

do

do
tonio?"
An-

editorials
inspire
His name
Porter Loring.
like this all over
Texas?
was
The act that broughtforth statewide editorial praise
cost
thropy
onlya thousand dollars or so and was very simplephilanHe gave the community an iron lung.
indeed.
ness.
busiFor the minute we won't tell you Porter Loring's
You
won't guess it while we
consider his simple
and its trethe results of his generosity
mendous
act, expand on
of business good will.
amount
and from allkinds of peopleletters
From every source
What

did this San Antonio

TEXAS,

WACO,

have been written

to

that

man

man

and

to

his wife.

Civic clubs

have the
so
passedresolutions commending the gift;
the Health Department;and
Parent-Teacher Association,
and twenty-six
doctors of that cityhave already
a hundred
written personal
letters and cards of appreciation.
On two
occasions station WOAI
has spokenof it in its
"Newscasts"
and plans
made for a broadcast by the
were
have

166

"My

Business Is

local medical

Different"

in by
society,
participated

the Association,
with the

news

commentator

167
the doctors of
on

the inside

of San Antonio's "iron

that

over
news

itsaction. Speaklung"to explain

ing
Kenneth
station,
McClure, an outstanding
said:

narrator,
We

had occasion

todayto

observe

new
something
under the sun, and we feel that we have helped
selves
ourtime to investigate.
to knowledgeby taking
What
and learned about was
iron lung,
we
saw
an
the firstto arrive in this section a gift
to the community
from Porter Loring. Mr. Loringknows
much
about the strange ways of Destiny,
and as a
resulthe has frequently
gone out of his way to make
lifemore
livable and more
like him
We
enjoyable.
for that and we
think that his gift
of the
is one
finestacts of public
interestthat we have ever known.
This station speaks
the minds of thousands as we
whom
this
extend our thanks to Porter Loring,
one
call FRIEND.
communitycan really
"

talked of
stood out as the most
respirator
store, Frank
clothing
thingin town, San Antonio's largest
it in their window
for
to display
Bros.,asked permission
tonio
a week.
They ran this advertisement in their San AnBecause

the

papers:
IRON

On

account

LUNG

NOW

ON

DISPLAY!

of its public
we
interest,

have asked

the Iron Lung

to display
permission
Loring's
in our windows, and he has granted
our
request as
the respirator
to our
as he has given
city.
graciously

Porter

It

can

be

seen

in

our

Alamo

Plaza windows

from

ber
Tuesday,September2ist, throughSunday,Septem26th.

"My

68

Business Is

Different"

Throughthe courtesy of the San Antonio Health

Department,a trained nurse will be in attendance
the function of the Iron Lung and answer
to explain
your questions.

CityHealth Departmentdid keepa

dutyin front of the store'sshow window

The
on

uses,

and

more

now

to return

Porter

to

Loringis a

person could

stood

Porter Loring's
name.
bearing
of Mr. Loring's
the question
ness.
busi-

funeral director.

Yes, a funeral director. The

which

to

officiall
its
explain

than 60,000 fellow citizens have

there and read the card

And

nurse

last type of business in

be expected
to exhibit any
possibly
such outstanding
showmanship.If any business represents
the South Pole of merchandising
it
opportunities,
It cannot, of course, do anymay be funeral directing.
thing
fort
efthat would create business. Its "production"
be confined to a competitive
at best must
type of promotion
for the largest
share of whatever business
possible
If showmanship
like Porter Loring's
in a natural way.
comes
and the
it can be used everywhere,
be used there,
can
of some
others around the country contradict
accomplishments
ness
those in easier fieldswho parrot "My busiflatly
won't helpmy problems."
is different;
showmanship
eral
For, lestyou think that Porter Loringis the onlyfundone the dramatic thing,
director who has tactfully
let'sconsider what another funeral director has done.
Up
Gill Brothers promoteda city-wide
in Minneapolis,
safety
that
intersectionssigns
at all dangerous
campaign,
placing
read,"Tom, Dick and Harry to all the world. But all
fic
the trafthe world to Mother."
Moreover,theysupplied
The
book.
division with a safety-ordinance
police
a

"My

Business Is

Different"

169

of the town
mayor
Gill Brothers name

books with the

acceptedthe safety
them and offered them for
on
printed
distribution. Further,the police
even
department
public
drivers to break a cityordinance and paste
encouraged
These stickers also had the
stickers on their cars.
safety
the inside. Fortythousand were
distributed
firm name
on
Gill Brothers paid the expense of a
in Minneapolis.
"CourtesyCar" driven by a policeofficer. As the car
spedalongthe highwayswarningmotorists about minor
violations of trafficrules that created major threats to
the car.
This "Courtesy
Car"
their name
on
was
safety,
attracted much
attention,naturally,
gaininggratifying
newspaper publicity.
in
a real estate
man
"My business is different,"
repeated
stillanother city. Along came
ever,
howa promotion
man,
him how to sell an expensive
site.
to show
factory
of Paris model of the factory
and
They made up a plaster
built a cardboard box with "fallaway"
When
covers.
site,
felloutward theyreproduced
of the
the covers
a diagram
the factory.
Inside the top cover
of
streets
surrounding
the box was
a blue-print
showingall the building
pasted
specifications.
They sent three hundred of these models
the firstday.
to prospective
buyers. Sold the plant
said the rural lifeinsurance
"My business is different,"
able.
agent. But one of them had an idea that has been profitBecause

most

farmers haven't time

to

listen to

bringsa farm hand with him when

he calls. The farmer is gladto listenwhile the hired hand
does the milking,
or
plowing,
any other jobthat can't be
interrupted.
said a manufacturer of balsa
"My business is different,"
sales talk,this
,

man

Business Is

"My

Different"

productcould be
into
his samples
dramatized quite
simplyby manufacturing
hammers.
Now, instead of
the form of small sledge
terested
block of wood to an uninlooking
handingan ordinary
purchasing
agent,the balsa wood salesman walks
the door with one shoulder bendingbeneath the
through
hammers, thus immediately
weightof these small sledge
interest from the purchasing
gaininga sort of reverse
wood"

until he

agent, who, of

discovered

course,

When

heavy wood.

that his

assumes

the hammer

he takes it in his

own

is of very
hands,the

accentuated.
is vividly
of lightness
impression
soiled collar and the halfthe laundryman's
Remember

desired

starved

restaurant

man

who

didn't take time

to

eat

and

often the world's

are
people
of their own
shows*
in the exploitation
showmen
worst
the rudiments of professional
ship
showmanThe lack of even
baseball is positively
Even
in promoting
appalling.
the leastexpensive
maker, conspicuous
good-will
courtesy,
absent. A world-famous show takes place
is generally
in
fiasco. With
the Yankee Stadium" the Schmeling-Louis
show
realizethat professional

million dollars'worth

of ticketsto selland whole pages

of free space to throw away, the promotors didn't use a

that could be comparedwith the
bit of promotion
single
of
showmanship

funeral directors Porter

Loringand

Gill

Brothers.
The

movies

daily
presenta

great show, but

motion-picture-theate
that they
operators are at it so continuously
much
of the
miss the boat when it comes
to exhibiting
real showmanship
that was
so
conspicuous
twenty years
into their
people
jobof bringing
ago in their hard daily
theaters. Possibly
the double-feature killed motion-picture
for the last ten year"
theater promotion.Certainly,

Business Is

"My

Different"

171

lowance
and, after makingalsteadily
gone down the hill,
it is now
for the naturally
superior
opportunity,
baseball'spromotion.And
as bad as professional
probably
the
be classed as bad showmanship:
of it mightreally
most
each other until theyarc forced
operatorscompete against
of one; theyadd gamfeaturesfor the price
two
to give
bling
side shows,organized
so loosely
as to be questionable
such as "Screeno" or "Bank Nite";and finally,
legally,
and sundryother
glassware,
theygiveaway free dishes,
it has

novelties.
A hotel man,

John Tenney at

the Ritz in Atlantic

City,

of some
a taste
incidentally,
gave a group of theater men
that some
and he handled it so skillfully
real showmanship,
of
of them don't yet suspectthat it was synthesized
out
vention
ConTheater Operators
thin air. With the New
Jersey
at his hotel,
Tenneywas faced with the problem
them to open an unpromising-looking
of helping
tion
convenwith a bang. Addinga lot of imagination
to the
material he could reach,he announced

by

at

certain

vention
open the cona button in Hollywoodto release a
pressing

"Miss

moment

that

MacDonald"
Jeanette

would

table in Atlantic City. Then, to

speaker's
he announced that while she was at
make itmore
exciting,
solos at the opening
she would sing
some
it,
meeting.
At five minutes to ten the chairman beganto call for
would be in readiness for
so that the entire meeting
quiet
when she spokeat ten
the beautiful Miss MacDonald

gavelat

the

held the stop watch in his hand

fiveminutes as the magic
and counted off the intervening
o'clock.

moment

stood at

The

chairman

At
approached.
in a
a microphone

hall and,

as

"Miss

ten

wife
Mr. Tenney's
o'clock,

small

room

next

to

the

tion
conven-

welMacDonald," courteously

"My

Business Is

Different"

of all Hollywood. She

in the name
delegates
she would be to singa few
also told them how pleased
records lay on the
Two
phonograph
songs for them.
When
to be played.
table beside the microphone
waiting
cheered lustily"
and
theyhad been run off,the delegates
be sent to Miss
of appreciation
authorized that a telegram
Florence Tenney,the visiting
MacDonald
immediately.
back to the Atlantic Citybeach to enjoy
went
guestartist,
still
her sun bath" and to this day a few of the delegates
corned the

Miss MacDonald

think that itwas

who

sang for them from

Hollywood.
York, another notable hotel showman, Charlie
of the Hawaiian Grill
Swafford,dramatized the opening
In New

graph
with Postal TeleHotel by arranging
Lexington
to call up near-by
businessmen,playa few bars of
the phone,and wind up with a
Hawaiian music over
cheeryinvitation to dance away their cares in the hulaof the Hawaiian Grill.
hula atmosphere
of a hotel trade paper once
Yet the publisher
told us
in the running
for showmanship
that there was no place
of
This publisher
to his own
a hotel!
fifty-yea
pointed
"without the need of any showmanship."
record of success
that in the next fifty
What he was failing
to realize was
whether
of allbusiness,
relationsactivities
years the public
will move
the movement,
ward"wi
forhe joins
more
or not
swiftly
at

the

tempo.

a new

Your

business is different. Yes.

isn't. All

revolves
selling
around

prospect,not
may,

the

around
nature

But

your audience
the humanity
of the

of the

therefore,
accept the axiom that

human conduct

They won't"

product.You
the principles
of

You can move

to meet
staple.
will make
theycan't"no advertising
are

them.

them"

"My

174

Business Is

he takes
for centuries,

membered

Different"

of his
out
envelope
hands it to Ambassador
Herrick, and modestly
pocket,
adds, "I am Charles Lindbergh."
Unconscious
showmanship? Probably!Much of the
best showmanship
is unconscious.
For we're alwaysputting
kind of show"and
can't alwayscarry the
some
we
on
in our hand.
script
But that show goes on every minute of every day,and
the extent
it is a good show, an honest and sincere
to which
show, and an entertaining
show, determines your box
office. Let us pause on this last page to giveproper emphasis
words, honest and sincere. Any house
to these two
endure.
With
built on sand cannot
out.
ballyhoo.Or withcornerstoned on integrity
and sincerity,
But, once
showmanshipshould fear nothing.As Alexander Pope

put it,"A decent boldness

an

meets

ever

with friends."

You

bugles,
flags,
you can't blow too many
to tell the other
showmanship"
you can't find too much
And
fellow a story that's honest.
to him.
helpful
In politics
Box office can be counted in many
ways.
can't flytoo

many

of tickets;
of votes; in the movies, in terms
in
which are the publicrecogof profits,
business,in terms
nition
in

terms

genuineservice to the community. But in a

largersense there is always the personalshow that all
are
puttingon every day,for as that magnificent
pioneer
in showmanship,
said,"All the world's a
Shakespeare,
and women
merelyplayers."So,
stage,And all the men
when our show is good and honest and sincere
best of all,
of

we

can

count

good will

of

our
our

box officein

familyand

our

terms

of the affection and

friends.

Index

Brady,"Diamond
Abbott, Ross,

Electric

Acme

Bromfield,Louis, 102
Brownold, Bertram, 84
Browne
Vintners,101
Building Supply News,
Bull,W. R., 96

Company,

62
Jim,'*

37

46, 47

Advertising,
15, 42,
Alexander, Harry, 74
American
Furniture
Company, 48
Burlington
Zephyr,123
American
Burruss,W. B., 155
Library Association, 122
American
Management Association, Busse,Alvin, 116

81

125

American
American

Radiator " Standard

tary
Sani-

Company, 67
Type Founders, 74

Dale, 13
Carnegie,

Animals, 59
Antoine, 65

Carson, Pirie Scott, 137

Arden, Elizabeth,136
Aspley,J. C., 109
Atkinson, Brooks, 127

Certain-teed

Carrier,2

Co., 45
Cheney Hammer
American,
138
Chicago

Chicago Paint Works,

Christian

Baby Ruth,

Sun,

57"84
Belasco,David,
Bendix,

Science

95

"

Osborn,

Columbia
Comfort

Broadcasting
System,56
Coal

and

Lumber

pany,
Com-

71, 81

53

Comyns, Ray,

144

120

Conklin, A. B., 61

Blauvelt,Hiram, 81
Blaw-Knox
Co., 24
Blei,Les, 139
Bloy, Michael, 141

Continental

Can

W.
Cooler,

E.,

Company, 88, 164

162

Corrigan,Douglas,9, 105
Coughlin,Rev. Father,19

Bonfils,Fred, 77, 131

Borden, Richard, 116

Bowes, Major Edward,

38

Monitor, 94

Clausen,"Doc," 42
Cohan, George M., 87
Cole Brothers Circus,101
Color, 9

101

Barnum, P. T., 16, 50

Barton, Bruce, 139
Batten, Barton, Durstine

Corporation,

69

Baltimore

Products

Credit, 48

"CurleyTop," 60

137
177

Index

i78
Electric

General

Company,

117, 134

Gill Brothers, 168

Darrow, Clarence, 79

ManufacturingCompany,

Dennison
144

De
Des

Nike, George, 1 1 1
Moines
Register "

Devoe

"

Tribune, 54

Gilman, Lawrence, 130

Gimbels, 67, 103
Goldthwaite, Elmire, 40
Goode, Kenneth, 39, 58, 73,
Gotham

Grant, Richard,

Raynolds,27

Disney,Walter, i
Dixon, Joseph,3
Dobbs
" Co., 65
Dodge Motors, 56, 159
93,
Donnelley,R. H., Corporation,

Hall,Willard, 112

Super Service Company, 64

Elizabeth,29

Hawes,

Bakery,137
Henry, 124
Dreyfuss,
Durstine,Roy, 12, 19
Dreikorn

140

Griffith,
Beverly,
103

Harris

133

Heitkamp, F. B., 149

Hennerich, George, 92
Hertel, John, Company,
Healy Shops, 138
Hill

Eastern

119, 162
Silk HosieryCompany, 80

Bookstore,60

Hoke, Henry,

Airlines,
56, 103

16

SavingsBank, 27

Hollingworth,W.

Easy Housekeeping Shop, 57

Easy Washing Machine Corporation,

Hubbell, Carl,116

East River

130

A., 60

9i

Einstein,Albert, 158
Electra Company, 138

Ice Cream

Electrolux, 139

Empire Gold

MerchandisingInstitute,

92

Buying Service,150

Encyclopedia Britannic
Eno Crime Club, 89

a, 88

Kamen,
Katz

Kay,

Drug Company,

Day, 47
D.
B., 42
Felix,
Fields,W. C., 3
Father's

Kieffer, Clement,
Kimball, Abbott,

tion,
AssociaFlorists TelegraphDelivery

Koch, Walter, 54

Kleinhaus

Company,

131

Brothers,65
Labor, 42, 46, 47
Lane

Garfield's,
95
Garrett, T. S. 47

139
124

Kresges,47
Kroger Grocery, 17,
Kugler, Boothby,60

141

Fromm

103

Kennedy PigglyWiggly Stores, 139

Finn, Bernard, 91
Fisk Tires, 146
Flint,Allan, 95

Ford, Henry, 121

Foss, Don, 56
Fowler, Gene, 77,

144

Kaufman, Zenn, 25, 39, 139

Keith, George E., Company,
Kennedy, John B., 90

Bryant,148

Laucks, I. F., 3
Lee, Robert E., 52

139

145,

163

Index

179

Douglas,161
Leigh,

New

Leiter,Garfield, 95
Levoy, B. M., 152

New

Lewis

"

130

Conger,67, 133

Club,

Executives

129

3
Corporation,

Telephone Company,

York
160

133,

Ranger, 104
Longchamps, 65

Sun, 47

York

New

Lone

Wiles, in
Loring,Porter,
Lot, 87

Sales

York

New

C. O., 93
Lilliblade,
Lindbergh,Charles, 174
Lionel

Orchestra,

Philharmonic

York

New

York

Times,

New

York

World-Telegram, 130

Old

Gold,

137

3, 127,

Loose-

166

137

Illinois Glass

Owens

Company,

3,

161
Mac

Brothers, 159

Arthur

MacDougall " Southwick,

McCarthy, Charlie, 3, 46

141

Pascal,Blaise,
77

William, 48
Mclnerney, Ruth, 75
Macy, R. H., 17, 29, 42, 56, 125

McDermid,

Paul-Boncour,Joseph,129

Pegler,Westbrook, 100
Penny Furniture Company,

Mange, Jacob, 68
W.,

Mather, T.

148

Company,

May Company, 46
Mayer, Harvey, 56

Michigan Ladder Company,

Mickey Mouse, 2, 64,104
Mills, James O., 121
Miller,H. L., Company,

Postal

144

Day,

Ink,

112

98
Pro-phy-lac-tic,
Prosnit,Dan,

143

Moore, Benjamin, 102

Mother's

141

58
Telegraph,

Printer's

Packaging, 125

Mountain

37

Insurance

40

Popeye, 104
Popular Brands, 94
Porter Cable Company,

Melcher, Fred, 122

Mellor, Sam, 141

Modern

Life

Mutual

Phoenix

160

Publicity,
24, 38, 59,

60

Publishers' Weekly,

122

62

Murphy, Andy,

Dealers,95

States Lumber
125

Rahr, Fred, 69

Digest, The,

Reader's

Research,
Nash

123
Corporation,

Kelvinator

National

Dairy, 3

National

Distillers,
137

National

Labor

Relations

National

SafetyCouncil,

National

Selected

National

Union

Nebraska

Nevawet,
York

130

Morticians, 122

Radio

74

Company,

ClothingCompany,

Brothers,Barnum
Ringling
8,

28

1 1 1

139

102

Nevelow's,65
New

42

Rickenbacker, Eddie, 59
Rinehart, Mary Roberts,
Board,

Central Railroad,60

69, 164

Rector,George,59

Remington Rand,

Nash, Ogden, 76

20,

91
"

Bailey,

100

Robbins, C. H. " D.,

Robinson, Hubbell, 39
Rochester

102

Democrat-Chronicle, 94

Rockne, Knute, 90
Rockwell, Norman,
Ruff, A. J.,38

81

Index

i8o
Ruthrauff

Ryan, 152,

"

Ryan, Leach

"

157

Trapp,L. A.,

94

Trask

Goode,

133

Co., 62
U

United
United
United

Saks Fifth Avenue, 21

Sales,special,
56, 62, 65

Sands, Merrill, 60
Sante

Air

Lines, 82
Parcel Service,46
States

pany,
Com-

147

Chief, 123

Fe

PlayingCard

Schenley,70
Schwartzstein,Jack, 59
Scottissue,
90
Sears Roebuck, 17, 65
Seldes,George, 129

Selfridge's,
134
Selling,
34, 36, 37,

41,

Van

Deventer,John,

Vineglo,109
Vining,Sam,

162

56, 83

H., 44
Shell Gasoline, 149
Sherman, Clay " Co.,

81

Seltzer,D.

Rubber
Sieberling

Co.,

Wallach
Walker

40
3

SimplicityMagazine, 95

Singer,Harry, 95
138
Slattery's,
Earl, 164
Slingland,
Smith, Alexander, 54
Snow
White, i, 29
Snyder, Ira, 150
Glazed
Springfield

38

Company,

44

Walter, Rohe, 52
Wanamaker, John, 15
Waters, Herbert, 56
Webster, H. T., 36
Wellbaum, George, 160
Welles, Orson, 71
Western
Union, 13, 26, 58, 81,
56
Wesringhouse,
Wheeler, Elmer, 107

Silex,62

Spector,Raymond,

Brothers,73
"

Whiting,Percy,74
Corpora- Whiting,Percy,Jr.,96
Paper tion,
WhitingPlover Paper Co., 131
104

Whitmore, Gene,

Spivak,Max, 148

100

Statler Hotels, 48

Who's

Stayform Company,

Wieboldt, 67
Wilson, "Washer," 65

141

Stein,Gertrude, 158
Studebaker, 101
Swafford, Charles, 172
Swope, Gerard, 134

Who

Window

America,

Womrath's,

91,

96

Wooster
Brush Company,
World's Fair, 13, 88, 163
Worth
" Worth, 76
119

Harry,77

Taylor,John, 37
Tenney, John, 171
Thorpe, Merle, 142
Associated

Yonkers
Oil

Co., 136

Young

Ferry,59,
"

22

"Tobacco

Road," 127

144

Rubicam, 47

Tilyou,George,55
Time,

103

28, 56, 60, 64, 74,

display,

Wynn, Ed,

Tidewater

in

9i

Sylvia,129

Tammen,

144

86
Israel,
Zangwill,

c6