A. F. Lange ion Department MODERN BUSINESS WRITING MODERN BUSINESS A STUDY OF THE PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING EFFECTIVE ADVERTISEMENTS AND BUSINESS LETTERS BY CHARLES HARVEY RAYMOND, A.B., HARVARD In charge of Instruction in English in Business Practice, University of California NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 1921 Copyright* 1921, by THE CENTURY Co. . r FOREWORD The power consistently to make an effective appeal is the distinguishing characteristic of the successful writer of modern business letters and advertisements. It is possible to write an appeal that is constantly ef- fective, rather than occasionally effective, only by basing the appeal upon a practical and definite plan, worked out in accordance with an analytical study and a systematic application of the underlying prin- ciples which the experience of business men in thousands of selling cam- paigns has proved to be fundamental. These fundamental principles underlying the selling appeal are dis- cussed and analyzed, step by step, in the first chapters of this book. Their practical application is made clear by the analyzing of a large number of business letters and advertisements which are quoted for purposes of illustration. This procedure, which is followed throughout the book, gives to the discussion a highly practical, rather than a merely theoretical value. Literally thousands of business letters and adver- tisements, embodying the practice of many of the most successful Ameri- can business concerns, have been carefully studied in selecting the specimens quoted. With the recognition of the importance of advertisements as an es- sential and highly important factor in distribution, has come a more belated recognition of that other highly important factor in distribu- tion the business sales letter. Attention is just now being generally turned to the rich possibilities, heretofore almost neglected, of effecting sales direct-by-mail. The sales letter is now regarded as a highly im- portant factor in distribution because, in many lines of business, it offers a remarkably simple and undoubtedly effective means of making a direct and personal selling appeal by the outlay of a relatively small expendi- ture. The experience of an increasing number of concerns, and among them many small concerns that can not afford the outlay in cash neces- sitated by an advertising campaign, affords ample proof that the di- rect-by-mail selling campaign, if carefully planned and effectively exe- cuted, is highly profitable. 562:* FOREWORD *:,, : /A . However, the effort in the sales letter is not always directed toward effecting an immediate sale. A large number of firms, including many of the big organizations whose individual expenditures mount upwards into a hundred thousand dollars a year, are employing the sales letter as a means of supplementing, and not as a means of supplanting, the selling effort put forth in their advertisements in magazines, in news- papers, in periodicals, and on billboards. These concerns are employ- ing business letters to the jobber, or to the dealer, as a means of paving the way for the visit of their salesman ; they are employing business let- ters to the individual prospect as a means of bringing new customers to the dealer's door, or as a means of clinching the prospect's interest already awakened by advertisements in the magazines or elsewhere; they are employing business letters to the salesman as a means of stimu- lating his interest in, and his knowledge of, the product he is selling; they are employing them as a means of educating him in the most effec- tive selling appeals^ as a means of keeping him constantly in touch with his firm and as a means of keeping his enthusiasm at high pitch. Of all classes of business letters, the last class to win recognition is the so-called routine, or " everyday," letters of business, that is, letters acknowledging orders, letters acknowledging inquiries, letters adjust- ing complaints, letters collecting overdue accounts, etc. Inasmuch as these letters are written to the firm's customers, to those already directly and vitally interested in the product, they are now coming to be regarded as of the very first importance. The future orders placed or withheld by these customers determine in a large measure the success or failure of the firm. Therefore the time is fast passing when letters of everyday correspondence, addressed to customers or to interested prospective customers, can be written in a routine way. Business men are insisting that it takes something more than the mere omission of certain "hackneyed words and phrases" to make highly effective every- day letters of business. These everyday letters, in fact, are now generally regarded in the light of sales letters, and, as demanding, as such, the same careful study and attention that are given to any other sales letters. The adjustment letter is properly regarded as a sales letter in that it is the effort of the correspondent not only to adjust the difficulty but also to "re-sell" the dissatisfied customer, that is, to re-establish the customer's confidence in the product and in the concern, to the end that future sales will FOREWORD vii result. The collection letter is properly regarded as a sales letter in that it is the effort of the correspondent not only to collect the money due but to collect it without losing the customer's goodwill, or, better, to collect it in such a way that the goodwill of the customer will be even more firmly established than ever. The order letter is properly re- garded as a sales letter in that it is the effort of the correspondent not only to acknowledge the order in question but also to create confidence that will result in future orders, and to impress upon the customer a realization of the spirit of courtesy and of the spirit of service that actuate the firm. Because these everyday letters embody every element of the effective selling appeal, it seems to be rational and proper to introduce them after a discussion of the selling appeal, rather than prior thereto. They are, therefore, dealt with in Part II. This logical arrangement is based upon the sound premise that no correspondent unfamiliar with the underly- ing principles of the selling appeal can write everyday letters in the effective way that a good business policy dictates they shall be written. The last two chapters are devoted to the make-up of the letter and to excerpts quoted from House Instructions to Correspondents that have been issued by several representative American business concerns. The person without experience in business correspondence may begin with a study of this section; for others, it will serve for purposes of refer- ence. ACKNOWLEDGMENT Special acknowledgment for assistance in the preparation of this volume is due my father, Colonel Henry I. Raymond, for his consistent and loyal cooperation over a period of more than a year. The writer is also pleased to acknowledge his obligation to Professor W. K. Smart of Northwestern University for his helpful suggestions and criticisms. A very large number of American business concerns have contributed copies of their letters and advertisements, and have offered suggestions born of years of successful selling experience. To them I extend my heartfelt thanks; without their cordial cooperation the volume could not have been written. In particular I am indebted to The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, for many ideas embodied in the chapters on Everyday Letters. Unfortunately the limitations of space prevent my acknowledging individually the assistance from all other sources. The following list is therefore by no means inclusive: The B. F. Goodrich Company The International Harvester Company The Monroe Calculating Machine Company The Hampshire Paper Company The Sherwin-Williams Company Fayette B. Plumb, Incorporated W. B. Raymond, of the Ramsay Oppenheim Company Clark Wing, of the Folger Coffee Company Miss Henrietta Schlesinger, a former student of the author's The Hudson Motor Car Company The Beech-Nut Packing Company The Angier Chemical Company The Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company The Burroughs Adding Machine Company The Multigraph The Columbia Graphophone Company The Norton Company ix ACKNOWLEDGMENT Montgomery Ward & Company The Harvey Glove Company The Chalmers Motor Company The Crane Company Lord & Thomas The Cadillac Motor Car Company The Shaw- Walker Company The Aunt Jemima Mills Company The H. K. McCann Company The New Durco Manufacturing Company The Packard Motor Car Company The Indian Packing Corporation CONTENTS PART I. THE SELLING APPEAL CHAPTER PAGE I THE PROSPECT 5 II THE PRODUCT 19 III THE CENTRAL SELLING POINT 35 IV SUGGESTION: THE PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL 45 V SUGGESTION: THE APPLICATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE AP- PEAL 59 VI INSTINCTS 79 VII DELIBERATION 95 VIII THE CHOICE OF THE APPEAL Ill IX THE STEPS OF THE SELLING APPEAL 119 X THE REASON WHY APPEAL 127 XI THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 143 XII THE BEGINNING 157 XIII DESCRIPTION AND EXPLANATION 167 XIV PROOF 191 XV PERSUASION 203 XVI INDUCEMENT 213 XVII THE CLINCHER 227 XVIII THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE SELLING APPEAL 239 XIX THE TONE OF THE SELLING APPEAL 259 XX FOLLOW-UP LETTERS 277 XXI BUSINESS LETTERS MISCELLANEOUS 299 XXII ADVERTISEMENTS MISCELLANEOUS 309 PART II. EVERYDAY LETTERS XXIII WRITING THE EVERYDAY LETTERS 323 XXIV LETTERS OF PERSONAL INFORMATION 329 XXV LETTERS OF INQUIRY 339 XXVI ORDER LETTERS WRITTEN BY THE BUYER , . 347 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XXVII ORDER LETTERS WRITTEN BY THE SELLER 355 XXVIII ADJUSTMENT LETTERS . 373 XXIX CREDIT LETTERS ... 401 XXX COLLECTION LETTERS 415 XXXI HOUSE INSTRUCTIONS TO CORRESPONDENTS 437 XXXII THE MAKE-UP OF THE LETTER 453 INDEX . . 471 MODERN BUSINESS WRITING PABT I THE SELLING APPEAL CHAPTER I THE PROSPECT OUTLINE (I) In writing the business letter, or advertisement, no less than in making the "sales talk," the needs, desires, and interests that are the direct result of circumstances surrounding the prospect, dictate both the selection of selling arguments and the way in which they are developed. (II) Information bearing upon the individual" prospect may be had from: (a) Information cards filled out by salesmen. (b) Conferences with salesmen. (c) The dealer. (d) Selling experience of the writer. (e) Past correspondence with the prospect. (III) Information bearing on the prospect when he is a member of a class (lawyers, doctors, farmers, etc.), that has certain needs and interests in common, may be had from : (a) Talking with members of that class. (b) Selling experience of the writer. (c) Trade journals having a bearing upon any given class of pros- pects, and newspapers published in the various sections of the country from which orders come. (IV) Knowledge of human nature aids the writer in determining the most effective means of appeal. Modern Business Writing CHAPTER I THE PROSPECT "Every man is the center of his own particular universe. His interests are first. To sell him on any important matter, you have got to base your appeal on him, what he likes, what his ideas are." Judson McGee, President and General Manager, New Durco Manufacturing Company. "The safest way is to meet in person the average person whom one meets in print. A house-to-house canvass develops selling arguments quicker than anything else." Lord & Thomas, "Real Salesmanship in Print." A CORRESPONDENT who had been trying without success to sell a farm tractor to a rancher in the Santa Clara valley, California, learned that the prospect was the father of a boy about 15 years of age. The following sales appeal, directed at the rancher's interest in his boy, sold the tractor : The tractor tends to keep your boy on the place. In fact, it gives you an EXTRA MAN, because a 15-year-old boy who can't handle a four-horse team can handle the Bean Track-pull Tractor. Now a boy hates to take care of horses but likes to drive a machine ; so instead of horses sending him off to the city for more interesting work, the tractor keeps him at home and you and the good wife have him near you. The secret is that you have given him an interesting new productive ability that pleases him, be- cause it makes him feel that he is useful, that he is adding to the earning power of the land. Boys don't want "city life" so much as they want an INTERESTING, USEFUL occupation. In the light of his own personal needs and desires, each individual prospect classifies products that he is asked to buy. Products that en- able him to meet a need, he automatically classifies as necessary ; products that enable him to gratify a desire, as desirable. Products that come neither in the one catagory nor in the other, he classifies as unnecessary or undesirable. His interest in your selling appeal is, necessarily, a 5 6 THE SELLING APPEAL selfish interest. Its shibboleth: "Wherein does the product meet my need or gratify my desire ? ' ' The selling appeal, therefore, must invariably be expressed in terms of the prospect's individual needs and desires. Your problem, first, is to determine definitely the dominant interest of the prospect in ques- tion, and, then, to emphasize that merit of your product which will meet most directly this particular interest. ''What is the prospect interested in?" "What are his needs ?"- "his desires?" "his daily problems?" "What prejudices of his, if any, must I remove before I can induce him to buy my product, or accept my proposal ? ' ' Before the selling appeal can be planned, these questions must be an- swered. And when they are answered with some degree of accuracy, then will the appeal really strike home. If you show the prospect definitely that your product, or your proposal, will enable him to realize a larger financial return on his business investment, or will add to his comfort or convenience, or will solve any of the problems, or overcome any of the obstacles, that daily confront him, he will give you his order, or will agree to your proposal. The circumstances surrounding the prospect thus dictate both the selection of the selling argument and the manner in which it is to be developed. No efficient salesman, and no efficient sales correspondent, would think of making the selfsame sales appeal to the cross-roads grocer who has little competition and to a grocer in a large city where compe- tition is keen ; to a doctor and to a lawyer ; to a man whose hobby is base- ball and to a man who is keenly interested in grand opera. No efficient credit manager would think of making by word of mouth or by letter the selfsame appeal for the payment of an overdue account to a man whose credit standing was doubtful and to an old customer who, up to that time, had always paid his bills promptly. Modern business correspondents, and advertisers, recognize this bald fact, and, recognizing it, plan their appeal on the following basis : (1) Know your prospect. (2) Know your product. (3) Match the needs, or desires, of your prospect (a) with a merit of your product, i. e., with endurance, su- perior flavor, economy .of operation, or other factor of merit; or, THE PROSPECT 7 (b) with the argument you employ in influencing him to ac- cept your proposal, i. e., with an argument that will in- fluence him to pay his overdue account, or to accept a reasonable adjustment of his complaint, etc., as the case may be. The personal tone in the following letter is due in large measure to the fact that the correspondent was equipped with an intimate ac- quaintance with the circumstances surrounding the prospect in ques- tion: Hill & Homans, Oskadalia, Washington. Gentlemen : When Bud Dolan drives in on the stage from Short Plains tomorrow morning, with a broken spring part on a disk leveler, you are going to remember what I wrote you last fall about our new San Francisco branch and warehouse. From three to four weeks is entirely too long to expect a cus- tomer to wait for a new part like that at this season of the year in Washington. Of course it may not be a spring part and it may not be tomorrow morning, but you are getting the call for parts now every day, and service is an important feature to your trade. In fact Dave Russell, our man in your State, tells me that there are quite a few people already in your territory who are going 40 miles to Canisteo to get the more prompt service our re- tailer there is now able to offer because of our San Francisco branch. Dave Russell will be in Oskadalia about the twentieth and when he arrives I want you to let him explain how promptly we are getting our shipments into Washington. I guess I can leave it to Dave to tell you how much better and more complete our line is than any other in the field. I do want to tell you personally, however, .that the New Durco 's line is not only a shade better in any respect you can mention, but that our service is 50 per cent better. With the county seat now located at Oskadalia, you are well on the road to a much larger town and a bigger volume of coun- 8 THE SELLING APPEAL try trade. The New Durco Company's line will be an asset to you in handling this bigger business. As you know, I am here on the job at the factory all the time and can promise you the personal attention a business like yours needs at headquarters. Information of the definite sort employed in the above letter is most readily supplied the correspondent by the salesman. A large number of concerns therefore require their salesmen to fill out on cards pro- vided for the purpose information bearing upon each individual pros- pect and customer, to which the correspondent may easily refer. This information, when the prospect is a dealer, will give the size of his business, the sort of competition he is facing, the nature of the demands made upon him by his customers, his business methods and habits, his income, the size of his family, his personal interests, i. e., his " hobbies," and any similar data which will enable the correspondent to have a fair insight into the personality, into the needs, of the man to whom he writes. The salesman, indeed, since he comes into close, personal contact with the various dealers, is often in a position to suggest for the cor- respondent's use sales arguments, and methods of appeal, that will be effective. The correspondent should therefore keep in close touch, should confer frequently, with the man on the road; the relation be- tween correspondent and salesman should be that of two men who are working together in harmony toward a common goal, the efforts of each supplementing the efforts of the other in closing the sale, and in estab- lishing good-will that will result in future sales. Information furnished by the salesman often enables the corre- spondent to build up good-will by developing a spirit of cooperation be- tween the dealer and the house : Dear Sir: It is indeed a pleasure to learn through our Mr. Johnson that you have moved your paint stock to the front of your store. We certainly appreciate, Mr. Anderson, this splendid move on your part. Lots of goods are sold by suggestion, and this is especially true of Paints and Varnishes. You will be surprised at the sales you undoubtedly will put over as a result of the prominent posi- tion you are giving your paint stock. THE PROSPECT 9 We hope that your business is holding up nicely in all lines and we assure you that it is our desire at all times to be of any assistance to you that we can be. The following letter, establishing between correspondent and dealer friendly relations that likely will lead to sales, was based upon informa- tion furnished by the salesman : Gentlemen : Fred Clark told us about the personal discussion he started when he was in your store last October. As I got the story, Mr. Smith maintained that more than five per cent of your patrons were women. And Mr. Newman inclined to the opinion that fully twenty per cent were either women, or men who have been sent to make a purchase for the wife at home. Fred told me he thought Mr. Newman's estimate was about as you would find it if you checked up your trade carefully for a month or so. He said that you were going to keep such a check on customers for the month of December and let me know the results. But we have n 't heard a thing from you regarding this test. I am particularly interested because we have several retailers in the West who are keeping this data. I have been trying for a number of years to get an accurate estimate of the percentage of women purchasers in our trade. If you kept this data and have not mislaid it, I wish you would send me the percentages. I know Mr. Smith will not attempt to hold back, even if he did fall short in his estimate. If the sample of weather we 've been having lately is anything like what it is up your way, trade ought to be brisk on those 7-C Ideals you ordered in September. The dealer is in a position to furnish information relative to the needs of the individual customer. The following letter is based upon information thus furnishd: Dear Madam: You take pride in keeping your home attractive. The Lord Hardware Company, our agent in your locality, says you do, so 10 THE SELLING APPEAL we are writing to tell you about our Decorative Department. The proper blending of colors for both the exterior and in- terior is a problem which can only be solved in a satisfactory manner by experts. Right here is where we can prove of as- sistance to you. You want your home decorated differently from other homes you want it to look as up-to-date as possible, but in accomplish- ing this, you do not want to pay more than you otherwise would have to pay. We maintain a Decorative Department that can show you how to decorate your home (both inside and outside) artistically and economically. Our artists will help you plan color combinations for all surfaces, and their recommendations will be illustrated by means of color plates worked out in the actual Paints and Varnishes. By looking at the color plates you can get a good idea of how the exterior, and each room in your home, will look after it has been decorated. Understand us, we offer you this service free of charge. You are not obliged to use Sherwin-Williams Paints and Varnishes when you decorate your home. Fill in the attached blank and mail it to us in the enclosed envelope. There 's a Sherwin-Williams Paint, Varnish, Stain, and Enamel made for each purpose each one will give you the best results at the lowest possible cost. A complete assortment of Sherwin-Williams Products is carried by The Lord Hardware Company, 4525 Central Avenue. They will be pleased to assist you with your painting problem. A number of correspondent supervisors, in addition to consulting with salesmen from time to time, make it a point to "get out on the road" for one or two months each year and thus make doubly sure that they are "in step" with men to whom they write during the other ten or twelve months. Correspondents are also able to add to their information by con- sulting whatever past correspondence there has been with the pros- pect or customer. In making a selling appeal, it is often impossible to gain a definite insight into the individual needs and interests of each separate pros- THE PROSPECT 11 pect. Obviously, the advertiser can not acquire intimate acquaintance with the circumstances surrounding each one of the thousands of pros- pects to whom his advertisement appeals. Likewise, in sending out the same form letter to 1,000 or 50,000 prospects in the course of a mail sales campaign, the correspondent can not expect first to establish per- sonal contact with each individual prospect. The only alternative then is to group the prospects, in accordance with common needs and interests, into separate classes. To illustrate : All attorneys have certain needs and interests in common, and these needs and interests are quite dissimilar to those of the medical men. Hence attorneys and doctors form two separate classes relative to the aims and purposes of the selling appeal. The character of the product and the nature of the sales campaign determine the basis of classification. Classification may thus be based upon occupation, as druggists, grocers, insurancemen, farmers; or on relative income, as men of wealth, men of moderate resources, men whose means are only sufficient for the bare necessities of life; or on locality, as Easterners, Westerners, Northeners, Southerners; or on sex, nation- ality, religion, political bias, or on any line of cleavage sufficient for your purpose. Square your classification with this general rule, that members of any one class shall have enough in common to make it possible that the same series of sales arguments will appeal virtually to all of them. Having determined to which class you may most profitably make your appeal, ascertain the needs of the class by talking with as many as possible of its individual members. Then base your selling argument on the firsthand information thus ascertained. One of the most productive appeals ever made by an eastern tractor concern resulted from a talk that a representative of the firm had with a California rancher. "My ranch is so big," said the rancher in an- swer to a leading question, "that sometimes I have to use a tractor day and night; that 's why I like a 'hard work' tractor, a tractor I know will never 'quit.' Sometimes, after I Ve been working pretty steady all day, I wake up at night to hear the old 'hard work' tractor clicking it off across my fields with never a hitch or miss, just as regular as can be and I tell you it 's mighty sweet music to my ears." Embodied in an advertisement, and in a series of sales letters, that 12 THE SELLING APPEAL expression of opinion sold tractors to California ranchers owning large acreage because it matched the actual interests, the vital needs, of the class of men to whom it was written. The correspondent, in making a class appeal, measured up to the first prerequisite of effective sales- manship: he "got in step" with his prospective customers; he made his sales appeal not from the standpoint of the tractor concern but from the pivotal viewpoint of the ranchers considering the purchase of a tractor. The following advertisement makes a definite and effective appeal to garage owners as a class : HOW ONE GARAGE OWNER REDUCED HIS SPONGE BILLS By Elmer R. Murphy, President. In a Chicago garage not long ago, I overheard the owner com- plaining about the high cost of sponges. "We buy a large bale," he said, "and they seem to be gone in no time." ' * How do you buy them by the pound ? " I asked. "Yes," he responded, "why not?" "That 's why they 're so high," I said. "They are probably loaded with epsom salts or glucose to increase their weight. This loading disappears the first time you wash the sponges." He'd never heard of buying by the piece, and he hadn't thought of getting an advertised brand. Sponges were just sponges to him. I sent him a "Colossus" sponge weighing about 10 ounces and asked him to compare it with one of his. A few days later he telephoned, "I have learned something. I tested your sponge with one of ours of the same weight. After washing them both, I found yours was 50 per cent larger than ours. I am sure we have been paying for considerable * ' loading ' ' in our sponges. ' * From now on we are going to buy sponges by the piece. ' ' Adopt this plan in buying your sponges. Demand quotations on a certain size sponge by the piece, instead of by the pound. The U. S. Army and Navy have adopted this plan. So have the leading railways, manufacturers, painters, decorators, and hun- dreds of others. Every sponge we sell is guaranteed to be a pure sponge. It THE PROSPECT 13 is marked with the "Colossus" trade mark either on a tag on the sponge or on a label on the bale. Send us a specimen of the sponges you have been using and we shall send you a sample of "Colossus" in the size and grade best fitted to your needs. Here is an excerpt from a letter that makes a direct, personal ap- peal because it was written with a knowledge of the problems confront- ing farmers as a class: Are you ready for the corn harvest ? We know how you feel about it, especially if you still go into the field with a corn knife and chop, chop, chop. During corn harvesting time, the dew always falls heavily, with the result that the corn fairly drips water early in the morning. You 've got to kind o' sit around and wait for the sun to dry up the dew before you can get to work. Several hours each day are wasted in this way and the harvest extends beyond the time when the corn is in the best condition to cut : that is, just when the ears begin to glaze, and the stalks and leaves still contain all of the nutritious juices. With a good corn binder all this is changed. You go into the field early, at just the right time, and you cut and shock more in a day than six or seven men can possibly do with corn knives. If you haven't a binder, get one by all means. You will find that it will take the backache out of the corn harvest. The following excerpt from a letter shows that the correspondent was familiar with the problems confronting young men recently gradu- ated from high school and just getting a start in business: Let me cite a few instances where you might find a training in effective Business English of distinct value to you. Suppose the general manager were to call you into his office and ask a number of questions about your work. Could you an- swer them briefly and concisely, yet fully? Would you be able to think of the exact words and their meaning so that he would understand you at once, without having to ask you to explain? Could you talk to him without hesitating or faltering, so that he 14 THE SELLING APPEAL would immediately have immense respect for your ability to think clearly ? What would you do if some manufacturer in some near-by town had open a good paying proposition which you were con- fident you could fill which you wanted very much? He would probably send word for you to write him a letter of application. Would you be able to tell him in writing just why you were fitted for the work ? Would your Business English sell him on your ability ? Some imagine that it takes long years of education, with spe- cial talent, to be able to do these things, but it doesn't. The ability to speak and write concisely is developed through training such as you would get from the La Salle course in effective Busi- ness English. The trained business correspondent will do well to consult continu- ally trade journals that have a bearing upon any given class of pros- pects, and to consult newspapers in the various sections from which orders come. This will keep him informed as to business, crop condi- tions, weather and similar conditions in the different localities and will enable him to inject a "personal tone" into the letter. Note how such information was used in the following paragraph. It will be a pleasure to answer any other questions about our No. 10 Corn Planter that you want to ask. But you had better let us hear from you right away; later on we may not be able to make delivery as soon as you would want us to, for orders are coming in a great deal faster than we could have anticipated. We know that weather conditions have been just right for com planting in your part of the country, and we don't want you to meet with disappointment at the start of what will undoubtedly be a mighty profitable season. That 's why we say. order now, while we can still promise early delivery. A letter of that sort gives the prospect a feeling that he is being given individual information and advice by a man who is well informed as to his problems; that his request for information has been taken up per- sonally and separately. THE PROSPECT 15 By making a careful firsthand study of conditions surrounding bankers, and by keeping check on timely articles appearing in the "Bankers' Monthly," the correspondent who wrote the following letter was able to make a most effective "class" appeal: Gentlemen : A nation-wide investigation just completed by the "Bankers' Monthly" shows that the costs of doing business in the bank have increased from 35% to 50% in the last five years. The Liberty Loans have brought in millions of new depositors. The small accounts of these bond investors have increased the payments and the stationery expenses and in many cases have compelled the banks to enlarge their quarters all additional ex- pense. And the "Bankers' Monthly" adds: "A vital problem, there- fore confronts the banker. He must look to mechanical aids and improved equipment for relief." Just now Mr. C. P. Kasper has a good opportunity to show you the Monroe Calculating Machine and let you try it out on your own figures and let you be the judge as to whether the Mon- roe can cut down your "overhead" and save you time, money, and costly errors. Simply check below and return this letter in the envelope en- closed. You will have the satisfaction of knowing you have n 't passed up something worth while without at least an investiga- tion. Very truly yours, (signed) Assistant Sales Manager. EMF-HD Yes : We are willing to try a Monroe with- out obligation, (check here) In addition to the correspondent's fund of direct information bear- ing upon the individual prospect or upon any class of prospects, "com- mon sense" will frequently guide him in the method of presenting his appeal. His common sense will tell him that business men are invariably 16 THE SELLING APPEAL interested in building up trade, in keeping abreast of competition, in effecting economies; farmers, in any product that will be of real service to them ; dealers, in any product that will bring in more money more customers to the store. He will know that arguments of "style" and ' ' exclusiveness ' ' are most effectively employed in letters to women ; that "price" and "quality" are effective in appealing to men as a class. In similar manner the list might be further extended. CHAPTER II THE PRODUCT OUTLINE (I) Enthusiasm confidence the ability to present facts in the direct, con- vincing manner that grips the attention of the prospect these important factors in the business letter are born only of a full and detailed knowl- edge concerning your product. (II) You should therefore acquire a knowledge of: (a) The raw material; its selection. (b) Factory methods; steps in production. (c) Distribution; experience of sales manager and experience of sales- men, etc. (d) The firm behind the product; its character and aims. (Ill) In acquiring this knowledge search for facts that: (a) Have a direct bearing upon the prospect's interests. (b) Have "dramatic" or "news" value. (c) Are vivified by the use of imagination. CHAPTER II THE PRODUCT "Tlie facts in the case are good enough for any letter, much better than the radiant 'moonshine' and much harder to get. First get the facts: then get all the facts. Don't guess, don't imagine, don't infer; just dig, dig, die, for the facts." George W. Coleman, "Letters That Make Good." "Never act without full information." Lord & Thomas, "Salesmanship in Print." A CORRESPONDENCE supervisor employed by a large manu- <~V facturing concern in the East reported for work dressed in over- ells and flannel shirt. He spent a month on the factory floor, learning everything that he could about the raw material, following one by one the various steps in the manufacture of the finished product, talking with expert mechanics at their machines, absorbing some of the enthu- siasm, the pride in work well done, the loyalty of foreman, who, in a number of cases, had served the company faithfully for years. He spent another month talking with foreign buyers intrusted with the painstaking selection of the raw product, with traveling salesmen of years of successful selling experience, with department heads, sales managers, with executive heads of the organization. Then and not until then did the new correspondence supervisor start revising correspondence, start writing letters that would truly rep- resent his company. "Know your product." Here is a rule, important as any in the world of business. Enthusiasm --confidence the ability to present facts in the direct, convincing man- ner that grips the attention of the prospect these important factors in the selling appeal are born only of full and detailed knowledge con- cerning the product which you have for sale, a knowledge that results in a staunch belief in the concern manufacturing the product. Delve deep into the very heart of the business until you have the facts, facts definite, concrete, unadorned, then, in your selling ap- 19 20 THE SELLING APPEAL peal, present these facts in such a way that they will certainly be of interest to the reader. Your facts will be of interest to the reader if they: (1) Have a direct bearing upon his interests. (2) Have "dramatic" or "news" value. (3) Are vivified by the use of imagination. (1) Have a direct bearing upon his interests. The first point (see Chapter I) dictates that you carefully select such facts concerning your product as will most certainly show the prospect an opportunity for either gain or enjoyment ; that you express these facts in simple terms that he can understand, and link them with his daily experience, showing their application to his daily tasks. (2) Have "dramatic" or "news" value. By no means overlook the opportunity of "dramatizing" such facts as you have at hand; of presenting them from the standpoint of their "news value." What sort of facts possess news value? The news- paper reporter can answer that question. He knows that people are interested in facts having to do with the unusual, with contests of any kind, with prominent persons, with well-known places, with timely events, with historical events. In every business there are facts which, if carefully compiled, will prove of certain interest to dealer or consumer. The grand opera "star" who sang the Marseillaise for phonograph record was a sur- vivor of the Battle of Verdun ; a famous author and a noted millionaire have placed orders for one of the least expensive makes of watches; a dealer in a town of a few thousand inhabitants moved across his counter a thousand dollars' worth of a certain product in three months' time; grains of wheat are "shot from guns" in making a certain break- fast food; an automobile of a certain make was chosen as the "official army machine" in France; a Colonel on foreign service wrote home for a dozen bars of an inexpensive brand of soap; marching American "doughboys" cheered when they saw, in France, a bill poster adver- tising a prominent make of clothes, because the sign reminded them of home ; a marvelous swinging basket takes the place of clothes lines in a modern laundry; Lincoln knew the man who started the first commer- cial drop forging plant in America, and pistols forged at the plant were used by a famous cavalry troop during the Civil War. These facts and THE PRODUCT 21 a host of others lend dramatic value and "news interest" to advertise- ments and sales letters. In the following letter, the product is linked with an item of current news interest : Dear Sir: In winning the trans-continental army air service race Lieut. W. B. Maynard flew from the Atlantic to the Pacific and back again, a distance of 5,400 miles, in 49 hours' actual flying time. His total elapsed time for the entire trip, however, was 7 days, 3 hours and 21 minutes. It is interesting to contrast this wonderful achievement with the record made three years ago by a stock Hudson Super-Six over the same course. The Hudson made the round trip from San Francisco to New York in 10 days, 21 hours and 3 minutes, a dis- tance of 7,952 miles. It crossed mountain and rivers, rural high- ways and desert trails in establishing a mark which will stand despite the efforts of others to better it. Lieut. Maynard flew as a crow would fly. He was delayed in Cheyenne by a broken radiator. At San Francisco the plane re- quired new wings and the replacement of other parts. Near Omaha a broken crank-shaft made necessary the installation of a new engine which was taken from the plane of a disabled con- testant. Traveling 2,552 miles further than did Maynard, a distance equal almost to once again across the continent, the Hudson Super- Six was but 3 days, 18 hours longer in making the entire journey and the same Super-Six motor was running as smoothly at the fin- ish as it was at the start. Had rain not delayed the car 6 hours in New York and 15 hours in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, its record would have been lowered 21 hours. The patented Super-Six motor, which can be obtained only in a Hudson, gives a 72 per cent increase in power without any in- crease in weight or the sacrifice of simplicity. * The result is the supreme endurance proved in the most terrific tests to which any car has been subjected as well as in the tests made by more than 70,000 owners. . An advertisement of news interest ; 22 THE SELLING APPEAL THEY CARRIED ROLAND ROHLFS TO THE ROOF OF THE WORLD Climbing from Roosevelt Field into the unknown reaches of the air, Roland Rohlfs recently established a new world's alti- tude record of 34,610 feet. His whistling Curtiss Wasp, developing four hundred horse- power, was equipped with AC Titan Spark Plugs. Six and one-half miles above the ground, the cold pierces the leather and the fur of the aviator's suit and cuts to the very mar- row of the bone. And in flying to such a height, the aviator passed through many zones of constantly changing temperatures and densities. Yet so perfect were the AC Spark Plugs that not once did Rohlfs' engine miss, nor did the porcelains crack under the in- tense engine heat or in that arctic, atmospheric cold. To the automobile owner, Roland Rohlfs' record-breaking achievement has this significance : The AC Titan Spark Plugs that carried Rohlfs higher than man had ever been, are of the same basic design as the AC Titan Spark Plugs which have been specially developed for automobile igni- tion. They will serve just as faithfully in your less exacting service. An interesting "news item" having to do with the service rendered by this "veteran" hammer during the war, forms the basis of the following advertisement : A veteran Plumb Hammer that saw severe service. This is the wonderful story of a wonderful hammer that helped to win the war. The picture of the wonderful hammer is shown on the left. When it entered the service of the Allies it was the spruce, trim counterpart of the smart-looking hammer on the right. Dur- ing the entire four years of war, this grim, scarred veteran was used to straighten bayonets. From its known length of service it is estimated that this PLUMB Hammer struck 2,400,000 blows for liberty. Two million, four hundred thousand ! THE PRODUCT 2:< Every blow fell straight and true because PLUMB Hammers are all designed to strike that way. The life of the hammer is not half spent. Today after the severest service, its face is not * ' mushroomed, ' ' cracked or chipped. It withstood the battle with only a few scratches to tell the story of its service, because built into it is the quality that makes men say of all PLUMB Hammers, Hatchets and Axes "They 're Worth More." The following advertisment is based upon facts of historical inter- est: From the Time of the Pharaohs to Your Shave This Morning. In the Vllth Egyptian Room of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, there are two razors belonging to the time of the XVIIIth Dynasty (1580 B. c.) The high caste Egyptians of that period shaved not only the face, but the entire head. They wore wigs or other head-cover- ings. Those old Egyptian beards seen in ancient carvings were false beards. Sandals were owned only by the grandees, seldom worn, often carried by an accompanying slave. The man being shaved squatted upon his haunches; the barber had the chair. And the razor then used, 3,499 years ago, was the single-bladed, regular razor used by every barber without excep- tion today. Think of the many different sorts of razors that must have been invented, used for a time, and then dropped even from the long memory of History in the course of those 3,499 years. These ancient razors were single-bladed like Genco Razors of today. Barbers still use only this one type of razor, because a better tool for shaving purposes has never been discovered. Also, because they know, and will tell you if you ask, that any blade must be stropped to deliver a perfect shave. You, too, can strop a regular razor for a perfect shave every morning. An advertisement that makes use of facts of historic interest : Even prehistoric man felt the value of time. He knotted a grass rope set it afire. The slowly creeping sparks marked Time's swift flight. 24 THE SELLING APPEAL A crude device yet it brought a vague new sense of control a foretaste of the satisfaction modern man finds in working a schedule. Down through the ages, man's realization of the value of time has steadily grown. The world's time-meters have developed amazingly. But to the creative instinct of this low-browed troglodyte we owe man's first upward step toward the marvelous time-pieces of today ELGIN WATCHES Almost any housewife would be interested in an explanation of the working of the novel device that, in the modern laundry, takes the place of clothesline. The following advertisement, therefore, contains in- formation likely to be of interest to the prospect : A clothesline miles long would be required to dry the daily wash of the average daily laundry. In common with the housewives of the land early laundries used such a line beginning the drying of clothes with a wringer and finishing them on the clothesline. But wringers and clotheslines alike are unknown in the modern laundry. How to dispense with them was a riddle that long baffled laun- drymen. It was left for an ingenious engineer to solve the prob- lem. He did it by inventing the spinning "basket" a device that extracts the water from wet clothes almost in the twinkling of an eye. It is this magic "basket" that is wringer and clothesline in modern laundries. If after placing a few wet clothes in your market basket, you will swing the basket in a circle, the water will be seen to leave the clothes and escape through the spaces between the wil- lows. But the clothes themselves will not move. They will remain firmly in place just as does water when you whirl a filled basket. It is by this principle that water is removed from clothes in modern laundries only the "basket" in which your washing is placed, spins like a top. In the sides of the basket are many holes THE PRODUCT 25 through which the water makes "its escape. Of course the device is encased just as you might confine a spinning top in a teacup. But while the basket whirls, speedily, only the water leaves. There is no movement in the clothes themselves. Neither is there any wear that weakens fabrics. Upon removal from the spinning " basket" the clothes are ready for the next step in the laundering process. There are no but- tons broken or torn off, and none of the rough usage that ages wearing apparel. In your city are modern laundries where these improved methods are used. You will find them an ideal place to send your family wash. (3) Are vivified by the use of imagination. In presenting facts concerning your product, regard them and the product from an imaginative viewpoint. Imagination is simply the faculty of picturing in your mind 's eye, first, the manifold factors which produce your finished product, and, second, the manifold services the finished product renders. Consider the product of the rubber industry. Imagination will enable you to look away beyond the manufacturing plant to the rubber forests, thousands of miles distant ; to visualize the toiling natives, the white men supervising the work, the narrow rail line winding through the jungle, the great steamships waiting at wharves for cargo, the long lines of freight cars bearing your rubber to your factory; to visualize, as you write your letter, the hundreds of factory workers, the long, even rows of machinery, the huge manufacturing plant in operation a plant so vast as to resemble a small city, and yet so compact and systematized that each one of a thousand separate, distinct operations is subject to the closest scrutiny. These diverse factors entering into manufacture insure the produc- tion of a finished and fit product, representing a worthy work well done. In a second imaginative effort, visualize the various services rendered by rubber in this work-a-day world. Get a proper conception of the dignity and the worth of your product, by summing up in your mind its myriad uses for pleasure and for profit in everyday life. Call to mind that fires could scarcely be extinguished without use of rubber hose ; that the vast volume of traffic moved by automobile would come to 26 THE SELLING APPEAL a standstill without rubber tires and casings; that hospital equipment would be incomplete without rubber surgical goods, etc. Whether or not these facts called up by the imagination facts concerning the production of your product and the service it renders are mentioned in any given letter, their presence in your mind will most certainly furnish the background the tone of the letter ; they will give to the letter an added sincerity, an earnestness, that will help sell the goods. The following excerpt from an article entitled "Words that Sing Their Way into Your Pocketbook," contributed anonymously to the "Atlantic Monthly," tells how one writer of advertisements makes effective use of imagination : "What is tea, anyway ugly, shriveled, dried leaves which color hot water a yellowish brown, which make it taste unpleasant and keep you awake, unless you are used to drinking them; you don't sell a man an auger, you sell him the hole. My problem is not to sell tea. That would be difficult, indeed. I 've got to sell you that magic spell that is brewed nowhere else but in a teapot ; I 've got to make you think of that spell as a part of Golden Glow tea. "So I sit at my desk trying to recall all the delightful associa- tions I ever had with tea. I draw in my breath and bring back to my nostrils ghostly odors of the fragrance of bygone tea parties. There 's a certain cosy fire, a green tea-set, and the snow falling heavily outside; a cold tramp, that ended with red cheeks and a steaming cup of tea. There steals the memory of a woman sit- ting in a tall chair like a duchess, behind the richness of the silver pot and shining cups. Oh, there are a thousand such memories ! Breakfasts, splendid sunset times, and midnight madness. Tea the very thought of it begins to drug me with its enchantments, with its fragrance. Haunting pictures of Japanese hillsides, and sunshine, and blue skies are winnowed back and forth by soft winds. "And so I grip my pencil and begin to weave the echo of my memories into a song of tea. By and by, if I 'm kicky and have sweated hard enough, I have written a piece of copy that reflects the witchery of my memories, that sing out to you to stop reading about the President, and stocks, and German perfidy, and take a THE PRODUCT 27 moment to hear how tempting Golden Tea is, to realize what you are missing until you have some yourself. " Or it may not be tea that Mr. Bouncing sells. It may be some- thing like a steel monkey-wrench. Then my mind feels the thun- der of the mighty hammers, pulses with the roar of industry, and sees the Niagaras of hot sparks leaping from the burning steel. I spend three days talking with the smudged-faced mechanics, about round-shouldered nuts, brittle edges, and barked knuckles; and instead of a delicate legend about tea, a chorus of endurance, strength, accuracy, tough steel, and service rings out from the page. I can't choose my subject, you know and I 've got to make my song echo all the way down to your pocketbook or it 's no good." The product, tea, is the "ugly, shriveled, dried leaves, which color hot water a yellowish brown"; soap is a mixture of certain oils with a base; the phonograph is a collection of wood, rubber and steel; these products, considered from the unimaginative standpoint of physical fact, possess but little attraction for the prospect. But magnetize them by a current of imagination and they will draw him. Once you describe their uses, once you cause the prospect to visualize himself as enjoying the pleasures they render or the benefits they confer, his desire to possess is immediately awakened. Who would not like to enjoy the "magic spell" which is brewed nowhere else but in a teapot; "the feeling of liquid clearness" that comes from hearing the voice of Alma Gluck on the phonograph? The prospect no longer looks upon your product as "ugly, shriveled, dried leaves," but as a beverage that makes for relaxation and ease; not as a "mixture of certain oils with a base," but as an agency of cleanliness; not as a "collection of wood, rubber and steel," but as a voice that thrills him with the power and beauty of song. In identifying your product as possessing an individuality that sets it apart from competing products, make use of your imagination, telling the prospect facts that are of interest concerning its manufacture and its uses. The Billings and Spencer advertisements have made an effective appeal to the imagination, because when one thinks of Billings and Spencer he recalls interesting circumstances surrounding that firm; he thinks of the pistols that were furnished the Black Horse Troop by 28 THE SELLING APPEAL that firm, during the Civil War ; he thinks of Lincoln, who knew Billings and placed confidence in him ; he thinks of the white heat of glaring fur- naces, with their " Niagaras of sparks," and of the quiet workmen who are "an embodiment of the New England conscience." Note how vividness is attained through the use of imagination in telling of the process of manufacture, in the following Billings and Spencer Company advertisements : THE STORY OF A GREAT SMITH They stagger away from the glaring furnace mouth, three men bearing between them a white hot billet of steel. It slides sparkling under the waiting die of the great steam hammer, and down comes the ponderous blow with an earth- shaking thud, again and again with a burst of sparks, until a crank shaft takes shape for a war car at the front. Then under the steel ram of a trimming press that stands thrice the height of a man, where the extra metal is sheared off from the six foot shaft with the quiet ease that comes only of infinite power. Then again under the hammer for a final crashing blow that there may be no doubt of absolute accuracy and another drop forging is added to the pile that is going 3,000 miles to help win the war. So with a hundred such steam and drop hammers, a hundred such presses, thundering along through the day's work amid an inferno of noise and Niagaras of white-hot sparks, while the great hot piles of forgings grow diaphragms for French seventy-fives, parts for aeroplane engines, forgings for automatics and machine guns, differential housings for war trucks, parts for tractors, tools, and the very machines themselves which will work in other forges all over the world. These great buildings bursting with the drive of industry these quiet rooms where expert craftsmen all day long work with painstaking care on the micrometer hand-work of the master dies have grown from the vision of one man. Half a century ago he founded the first commercial drop forging plant in America on the ideal best expressed when he said: "Into every one of our forgings goes our whole reputation." THE PRODUCT 29 BEING A THOUSAND TIMES EIGHT In a great quiet room of the Billings and Spencer plant, row upon row of master craftsmen give the best there is in them to a work as delicate as fine watchmaking. They are cutting, with lifetime trained fingers, the shapes of the forgings in great blocks of solid steel. They are making the master dies, and no matter how long the task may take, the only requirement is absolute accuracy abso- lute compliance with specifications. For when the die is gripped in the ram of a great drop hammer when it falls with crashing weight upon the bars of white-hot steel forgings take shape which duplicate the die to the hair's breadth of an inch. The die cutter is right, not once, but a thou- sand times. So it is with the men to whom fourteen-foot hammers are pliant servants and the men who for a lifetime have studied steel and the men who do nothing all day long but temper dies their only goal is that the Triangle B forging shall be right, not once, but always. This company is the first commercial drop forging plant in America. When Abraham Lincoln entrusted to C. E. Billings the forg- ings of the pistols of the Black Horse Cavalry, he made possible the beginning of that long and honorable record which has cul- minated in the great Billings and Spencer plant of today. ' ' Into every forging goes our entire reputation." That is the Billings and Spencer creed. This advertisement illustrates how effectively imagination may be employed even in a short advertisement : NATURE'S FLAVORS Sailors tell us that oftentimes from miles at sea they can tell they are nearing the Spice Isles the soft breezes blow to them the sweet aroma of nature's own flavors. To these very isles go our own spice buyers there to choose out and buy only the most select spice crops. 30 THE SELLING APPEAL These spices come to us direct from the lands of their growth, and in our splendid mill in Philadelphia, we grind and pack them. Colburn's Spices are not tampered with; they are prepared so that you can have the true flavors that nature has given them and they are packed in patented sifting and pouring top canisters that keep the flavor in. For over sixtj^ years Colburn's Spices have been the seasoning used by cooks that have a pride in their cooking good grocers everywhere sell Colburn's Spices. The use of the imagination explains the effectiveness of the appeal made by this advertisement : THE MODERN GENIE OF THE CAN The days of magic are gone. The wizardry of yesterday is the reality of today. Aladdin's lamp has long been lost but its genie still lives in the spirit of modern science and industry. In this sense, the DEL MONTE can is a magic container that annihilates distance and merges all seasons into one long fruitful summer. Like the genie of the fable, it is ever at your command ready to serve you the delicious products of the world's finest orchards and gardens at any moment on all occasions. Just say DEL MONTE to your grocer and you may serve what you will luscious pineapple from far-off Hawaii golden, full-flavored peaches and succulent pears ruddy, tree-ripened apricots, juicy plums and sweetest cherries from California's fairest valleys famous Santa Clara prunes raisins from Fresno Oregon apples and berries tenderest asparagi s from the Sacramento 's fertile delta red ripe tomatoes, delicious young peas, beans, spinach, pumpkin and squash or any of the many other delicious varieties in the broad DEL MONTE line. All are grown where they attain their finest flavor. In each is that natural goodness preserved intact. This is the wizardry of the DEL MONTE can. All its wizardry is summed up in the far- reaching influence of the DEL MONTE ideal in the thorough- ness and care, the long years of experience, the scientific equip- THE PRODUCT 31 ment and the unremitting attention given by experts to every stage in the growth, harvest and preparation of DEL MONTE products from the planting of the seed until the perfectly flavored fruit or vegetable is ready to be served on your table. CHAPTER III THE CENTRAL SELLING POINT OUTLINE (I) The Central Selling Point is the most effective reason for the purchase of your product that you can advance, taking into consideration the needs and desires of the individual prospect, or any class of prospects. (II) Since too many claims only confuse the prospect, each selling appeal should he built around a single central selling point, whether this point bo endurance, convenience, ease of operation, or what not. CHAPTER III THE CENTRAL SELLING POINT "Learn what most buyers want. Then give to your product that characteristic, if the article deserves it. . . . Varying claims are elusive. Too many claims are confusing. One great distinction is usually enough." Lord & Thomas creeds, "Individuality." "The thought is the kernel around which the whole letter is written. It is the essence of what is to flavor the compound. The thought can be expressed in a single sentence when once it is understood, yet to be fully comprehended in its various relationships affecting the purpose of the letter, it needs amplifica- tion and elaboration. And the entire letter is merely this necessary amplification. When finished, it leaves the one vibrant thought, without confusion or mixture of ideas." Wm. H. Ingersoll, "Letters That Make Good." THE Central Selling Point may be defined as being the most effective reason for the purchase of your product that you can advance, tak- ing into consideration the needs and desires of the individual prospect, or of any one class of prospects. In selecting it, match the needs and desires of your prospect with the merits of the product, and by the elimination of all less effective "talking points," determine upon the one predominating selling point that will most surely cause the prospect to act. " United States Tires are Good Tires." "Best in the Long Run." "99 44/100 Per Cent Pure." ' * The Pen That Writes Like You. ' ' "You can't Forget the Flavor." These are business slogans that have been used successfully to clinch the attention of the buying public upon a single predominating point of superiority or worth. The central selling point emphasized by the United States Tire Company in its famous slogan is that of "solid value"; the slogan means, "you get your money's worth when you buy 35 36 THE SELLING APPEAL our tires." The Goodrich slogan "Best in the Long Run" gives expression to "endurance" as the central selling point. That behind the Ivory Soap slogan is "purity"; behind the Penpoint slogan, "con- venience"; behind the Beech-Nut slogan, "flavor." The following slogans are each built around one such central selling point : "White trucks have the stamina." (Endurance.) "Aims as easy as pointing the finger." (Convenience.) ' l They wear like a pig 's nose. ' ' (Endurance. ) "The most beautiful car in America." (Beauty of design.) "If it 's weighed on a Fairbanks, there 's no argument." (Reli- ability. ) 1 1 Clear as a bell. ' ' ( Tone quality. ) Available central selling points are numerically equal to the reasons that cause a man or woman to determine upon the purchase of a given product. Guided always by the needs and desires of the prospect, you may select as your dominant central selling point : Economy Safety Endurance Convenience Healthfulness Beauty Cleanliness and purity Eff ciency Appetizing qualities Exc.asiveness Comfort and a host of other qualities that match a need, or an inherited instinct, of the prospect. Economy as a central selling point rarely stands alone. If your product is lower in price than other products, you must impress upon the prospect its good quality, or he will take "economy" to mean "cheap- ness." If your product costs as much, or more, than competing prod- ucts, and you urge economy as a selling point, you must persuade the prospect that its endurance, convenience, scientific construction, or other merit, makes it more economical in the long run. Economy, in that it has reference to an ultimate, rather than an immediate, saving in money, is closely linked with whatever selling point you may advance in selling an article that is essentially useful. THE CENTRAL SELLING POINT 37 The mind can easily digest and assimilate a single idea ; the presenta- tion of a number of ideas, or selling points, leads only to confusion. It usually is best, therefore, in an advertising campaign, in any one sales letter, or in a series of sales letters, to limit yourself to the development of a single central selling point. If for any reason you deem it inadvis- able to adhere strictly to this rule, do not fail to see to it that among the several points you may develop, you give to one point chief emphasis. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent in driving home a single business slogan, and in emphasizing and developing, in business letters and in advertisements, the central selling point that lies behind it. The direct result has been the sale of millions of dollars' worth of products. Note the confusion of claims in the following paragraph from an advertisement : This car meets every requirement of the automobilist. It has beauty and grace of design, ease, comfort, speed, power, dura- bility, combined with flexibility, utility, and economy. The vivid impression left in the mind by the following advertisement is due to the fact that the advertiser has limited himself to a single cen- tral selling point, endurance: WHERE STRENGTH MEANS SAFETY A storm-tossed sea a giant liner crowded to the rails with panic-stricken humanity and the only thing between the rock- bound coast and eternity an AC CO CHAIN and it held. At such nerve-racking times you can't blame people for asking will the captain fail us? Will the anchor chains hold? In the hour of peril, you can't measure human life nor human suffering in dollars and cents. Ocean travel demands SAFETY. Before a seaman can secure a pilot's license he must pass the examiner's test. Before an ACCO CHAIN can get a ''commis- sion" it must prove its STRENGTH every link must test up to its rated capacity to make SAFETY ABSOLUTE. ACCO CHAINS are tested with the largest and most modern type of chain tester in the world. 38 THE SELLING APPEAL You can stake your last dollar that every link in every chain will HOLD for the purpose intended. And we make chains for every known requirement from Plumbers' Safety Chain to Ships' Anchor Chain all sizes, styles, and finishes. Economy, through saving money in marketing farm produce by the use of motor trucks, is the central selling point in the following direct sales letter. Note how effectively the point is introduced at the begin- ning and summed up at the end, of the letter : Dear Sir : There has been a lot of talk about making Alexandria Pike a free road, but so far no definite action has been taken. You must still pay tribute to an old worn-out system of road maintenance and every time you dig down into your pocket for the price of the toll, you experience a feeling of being ' ' held up ' ' on the public highway. But the toll that you pay to the gate-keeper is small in com- parison with the tax which is levied upon you by the horse and wagon method of marketing your produce. The valuable time which this method requires you to lose between your farm and the city markets is a tax on your profits it is the heaviest toll you pay. There are many farmers in Campbell and the adjoining counties who have solved the problem of quicker. and cheaper transporta- tion. For the slow and unprofitable horse and wagon equipment they have substituted swift, reliable International Motor Trucks. If you are not acquainted with some of these men who pass you on the road in their trucks, we shall be glad to give you their names and addresses. An International Motor Truck will enable you to secure the highest market prices for your produce and to add to your list of customers. This rapid delivery system will make it possible for you to produce and market more crops, at an increased profit, with a corresponding decrease in transportation costs, because the upkeep of an International Motor Truck is less than that of horses required to do the same work. Investigate this proposition thoroughly. Figure the cost of your present horse and wagon delivery system and then let us THE CENTRAL SELLING POINT 39 show you how much cheaper you can do the work with an Inter- national Truck. We will give you a demonstration on request. Stop paying toll to the horse and wagon method. "Superior flavor" is the central selling point chosen by the Beech- Nut Packing Company for emphasis in a large number of advertisements and sales letters. Even in letters advancing a selling point other than this, the opportunity is seized of making brief mention of the flavor of the product. "Beech-Nut Jaffee is more economical than other drinks" is the central selling point in this letter to a dealer. The selling point, ' ' Superior flavor, ' ' is, however, given brief mention : Dear Sir : Just another reminder about Beech-Nut Jaffee. You grocers these days have so few articles that mean real economy to offer your customers that the following about Jaffee will interest you : Jaffee makes 100 cups to the pound. Jaffee requires but one-third the amount of sugar needed for coffee or tea. Furthermore, Jaffee is unique in that it has real flavor. It is a product that will build new business without disturbing the old. It will cost you - - for a one dozen case, to tie up with our advertising campaign to start October 22. Order a case of Jaffee from your jobber today. In impressing upon their correspondents the advantage to be gained by limiting each sales letter to a single selling point, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company quotes three letters, the first of which attempts to develop five different selling points, and the last two of which are each devoted solely to the development of a single point : Dear Sir: If some tire company were doing things to increase your tire business and your efficiency, you would feel like buying repair material from them, wouldn't you? Well, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company is doing several things to help you. 40 THE SELLING APPEAL First of all, we have taken our repair plants out of our branches. We are not going to compete with the people we sell material to. Then, we adjust all tires on their merits. We liberally adjust defective tires, but we do not cut prices by making adjustments on abused tires. Thus we create more business for you because "tire abusers" will have to have their tires repaired when they injure them just as they would have to have their shoes repaired. Another assistance is a separate department at our factory- supervised by one of our expert repairmen for vulcanizers who want to come in and get the benefit of our years of experience in tire repairing. Still another feature we publish a complete * ' Tire Repairman 's Manual," which is a snap-shot of our repair department and ex- periences. This we send to those who are not in a position to take advantage of our repair school. We also run a column of helpful vulcanizing hints in the ' ' Good- year Tire News," where vulcanizers can exchange ideas. All of this is simply to show you that the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company is interested in vulcanizers and that its interest is not limited to the sale of repair material. We realize the part the vulcanizer plays in tire conservation and in tire service. Therefore we want to give you the best we Ve got, not only in material but in helpful service as well. The following five selling points, no one of which is developed effectively, are touched upon in the above letter : (1) Taking of the repair shops out of the branches. (2) Adjustment policy. (3) Repair school. (4) Tire Repairman's Manual. (5) Tire News. Note how much more vivid is the impression made by the single selling point developed in the following letter: Dear Sir: What is Goodyear doing for vulcanizers ? Well, we have taken our repair plants out of our branches for one thing. THE CENTRAL SELLING POINT 41 And that 's fairly important, we think, to refuse to compete with people to whom we want to sell repair material. Don't you agree that cooperation is better than competition at any stage of the game ? That's our program. P. S. Cooperation means working together. By it we both accomplish more. A second selling point is developed in a second letter: Dear Sir : A master vulcanizer's certificate should be framed and hung on the wall in your shop. You can't buy one any more than you can a University degree. But you can get one by completing a course in the Goodyear School of Tire Repairing and it 's a mighty good school. If you can't take the course, maybe one of your employees would like to. Send him in; we '11 take care of him; and we won't charge you, or him, one penny. P. S. This is not a bait to sell materials. It 's simply another example of Goodyear cooperation. CHAPTER IV SUGGESTION THE PRINCIPLES OP THE APPEAL OUTLINE I. The selling appeal is directed at getting the prospect to accept the idea we wish him to accept and to act in the way we wish him to act. II. The prospect will accept the idea we wish him to accept and will act in the way we wish him to act, as the result of one of two mental processes: (A) The Reasoning, or Deliberative, Process. (B) The Suggestive, or Instinctive, Process. III. Steps of the Suggestive, or Instinctive, Process : (A) A memory of past experience, stored in the prospect's sub- conscious mind, is awakened by suggesting to him an idea closely associated with this past experience. (B) This memory of past experience, being recalled, awakens in the prospect emotions, which may be defined as "tendencies to feel," and which, if our selling appeal is effective, result in feelings akin to feelings which accompanied the original experience. (C) These feelings result in instincts, which may be defined as "ten- dencies to act," and which, if our selling appeal is effective, result in action similar to action taken at the time of the original experience. CHAPTER IV SUGGESTION THE selling appeal always is directed at getting the prospect to accept the idea we wish him to accept and to act in the way we wish him to act. The idea we wish him to accept is the idea that he wants our product ; the action we wish him to take is action leading to the fulfillment of his want through the purchase of the product. The prospect will accept an idea, or he will act along certain definite lines, as the result of one of two mental processes: (1) The Reasoning, or Deliberative, Process. (2) The Suggestive, or Instinctive, Process. In reaching a decision by the Reasoning, or Deliberative, Process, the prospect takes time carefully to weigh the advantages of purchase against the disadvantages of purchase. His decision is reached slowly and "deliberate!} 7 ," in response to the workings of his " conscious, " or reasoning mind. In reaching a decision by the Suggestive, or Instinctive, Process, the prospect acts without pausing rationally to weigh the advantages on the one hand against the disadvantages on the other hand. His buying decision is reached quickly and ' ' instinctively, ' ' in response to the work- ings of his subconscious mind. Let us consider first the principles underlying the Suggestive Process. The steps in this process are three : (a) A memory of past experience, stored in the prospect's sub- conscious mind, is awakened by suggesting to him an idea closely associated with this past experience. (b) This memory of past experience being recalled, awakens in the prospect emotions which may be defined as " tendencies to feel," and which, if our selling appeal is effective, result in feel- ings akin to the feelings which accompanied the original experi- ence. 45 46 THE PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL (c) These feelings result in instincts, which may be defined as "tendencies to act," and which, if our selling appeal is effective, result in action similar to action taken at the time of the original experience. (a) A memory of past experience, stored in the prospect's sub- conscious mind, is awakened by suggesting to him an idea closely associated with this past experience. The subconscious mind may be regarded as a storehouse of memories which are the result of the past experience of the individual and of the past experience of the race. Ordinarily, we are not conscious, that is, we are not aware, of these memories. It is as if they were books, or chapters of books, in a great library, awaiting the call number that will bring them into circulation ; for long periods they remain hibernating in the storehouse of the mind. We ourselves are able to awaken these memories, to quicken them to life. It is a common practice for us to "search the memory" for almost forgotten recollections of days gone by. Thus, as I sit in the late after- noon, I begin to ponder over the experiences of my boyhood days. I recall the willow trees that led, and doubtless still lead, to the swimming pool where I used to swim as a boy. Of its own accord, the recollection of the willow trees awakens recollection of the cool water of the swimming pool. Hence, it will be noted that, once I start my train of thought, I am unable to stop it with a single recollection. This latter recollection awakens in turn still another recollection. I recall Tommy Rice, and Billy Hannaford, and Jimmy Blake, and half a dozen others of my boyhood friends with whom I used to go swimming, and, thinking of them, I recall the school- house where we went to school, the games of marbles we played in the dust of the schoolyard, the sandwich luncheons we ate from tan-colored, cardboard lunch boxes. Thus my mind is so constituted that, as we say, "one idea leads to another." Having been grouped together associated in my past ex- perience, my ideas continually tend to group themselves together again, and one idea being recalled recalls the remaining ideas of the group, until the past experience itself, in all its essential details, is recalled. This principle, upon which the awakening of memories is based, is known as the Principle of the Association of Ideas. SUGGESTION: THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 47 In the above case, the idea of the willow tree is recalled of my own accord. Therefore, the recalling of this idea and of succeeding ones associated with it, is not the result of Suggestion. The ideas are not "suggested" to me, but are "called up" by me. Only when the first idea is recalled by some outside agency may it be said that a memory of past experience is awakened by Suggestion. On looking out of a window, did I see a willow tree and did this willow tree recall the idea of the willow tree of my boyhood, this first recollec- tion, together with the associated recollections it awakens, would be purely the result of Suggestion. In an advertisement, did a picture of a camp fire, or reference to a camp fire, recall to my mind first one, and then a number, of recollections of days spent in the woods, these recol- lections would be purely the result of Suggestion. (b) This memory of past experience being recalled, awakens in the prospect emotions, which may be defined as "tendencies to feel," and which, if our selling appeal is effective, result in feel- ings akin to feelings which accompanied the original experience. A memory of past experience, once it is recalled, gives rise to tendencies which incline us to feel very much as we felt at the time of the original experience. These tendencies to feel are called emotions. If they are strong enough, they result in our being aware of feelings akin to our feelings at the time of our original experience. In such case, when the camp fire awakens my memory of appetizing bacon cooked and eaten in the great out-of-doors, I again feel my "mouth watering," I again feel the urge of a healthy, out-of-door appetite. The awakened memory thus gives me a tendency to "live over again" my past ex- perience. In the above instance, my feelings are pleasing ones. And it is of prime importance to note that these pleasing feelings, based upon an agreeable experience, cause me to regard as pleasing and desirable things associated with this experience. I regard the bacon, which the illustration represents as being cooked over a camp fire, as altogether desirable. If, on the other hand, my original experiences are disagreeable, and awaken in me displeasing feelings, I regard the things associated with these experiences as displeasing. For example: Instead of suggesting 48 THE PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL to me an agreeable experience concerned with eating appetizing bacon around a camp fire, did the advertisement suggest to me a disagreeable experience of eating unappetizing bacon in a boarding house, my dis- pleasing feelings awakened by this suggestion would cause me to regard the bacon as undesirable. Only when unopposed by displeasing feelings, will pleasing feelings exert their strongest and most positive influence. Thus the pleasing feelings of appetizing food, so long as they are unopposed, make the food seem to me highly desirable ; this desire, however, soon wanes when a displeasing feeling of unappetizing food is suggested to me. (c) These feelings result in instincts, which may be defined as " tendencies to act," and which, if our selling appeal is effective, result in action similar to action taken at the time of the original experience. The feelings awakened when a memory of past experience is recalled, give rise to instincts, or "tendencies to act," which, if strong enough, result in action similar to the action taken at the time of the original experience. When again I feel the keen urge of appetite, my inclination is to eat food similar to that once eaten around the smouldering camp fire. If this instinct, this tendency to act, is strong enough, it will result in my taking action similar to the action I took at the time of my original experience ; that is, it will result in my eating food of the same kind. Since the above instinct is the result of pleasing feelings, based upon agreeable experience, it inclines me to repeat the enjoyable experi- ence. In the case of displeasing feelings awakened by recalling a disagree- able experience, it is to be noted that my instinct inclines me to refrain from repeating the experience. Thus when I am aware of displeasing feelings awakened by my experience with unappetizing food, my instinct inclines me to refrain from eating food of the same kind. Our selling appeal concerns itself with such instincts of the prospect 's as incline him to action of a positive sort, and not with such instincts as incline him to action of a negative sort. We are concerned with getting the prospect to do something we wish him to do, to purchase our product; we are not concerned with getting him to refrain from doing SUGGESTION: THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 49 something we do not wish him to do. Our selling appeal, therefore, is based upon pleasing experiences which give rise to pleasing feelings that the product is desirable, and which, in this manner, lead to instincts dictating purchase of the product. Our only concern with displeasing feelings is to avoid awakening them in the reader's mind, Jest they incline him to refrain from taking the action we wish him to take. Ideas which suggest these displeasing feelings to the reader are known as "negative" ideas; suggestion employed in presenting these "negative" ideas is known as ' * negative ' ' suggestion. When, in the selling appeal, "negative" ideas are presented to the prospect, they result in opening up to him two opposing lines of possible action, and thus they cause him to resort to his reasoning mind to weigh the advantages of one line of action against the disadvantages of the opposing line of action. In other words, his decision, in such case, is made as the result of the workings of the Reasoning Process, and not as the result of the Suggestive Process. Our appeal by Suggestion has failed of its purpose. For example: The positive suggestion of appetizing food eaten around a camp fire awakens a pleasing feeling that inclines me to eat food of the same kind. The negative suggestion of unappetizing food awakens a displeasing feeling that inclines me to refrain from eating food of the same kind. Let us suppose that these two contrasted feel- ings are suggested to me by two different advertisements, or by two different references in the same advertisement. The result is that one instinct impels me in one direction, and one instinct in an opposite direction. These two lines of opposing action must be referred to my reasoning mind for decision, for my instincts cannot dictate action when one alternative opposes the other; my instincts can dictate action, only when one possible line of action is presented. Note how steps (a), (b), (c) of the appeal by Suggestion are em- ployed in the following advertisement: REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE A KID HOW GOOD MOTHER'S APPLE BUTTER TASTED? Remember, after a hard day's play when you were so hungry that you just couldn't wait until meal time how your mother 50 THE PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL used to cut off a generous slice of bread and cover it thick with apple butter 1 Of course you remember. And you 've never tasted anything since, that tasted quite so good, have you? Call back those careless, carefree, childhood days with Libby's Apple Butter. Taste it once and you '11 declare that Libby chefs must have used the very recipe your mother used. Taste it and you '11 picture in your mind the juicy, red-ripe apples that contribute to its making. You '11 linger long over the fragrance of its Orient-grown spices, its tang of sparkling cider, its subtle cane sugar sweetness. Keep Libby's Apple Butter in the pantry and, like in days when you were a kid, you '11 often long to slip out there and slyly enjoy a slice of bread heaped high with the irresistible spread. You '11 want the children to have it, too and sometimes you '11 wonder whether they can possibly enjoy it more than you. Order Libby's Apple Butter from your grocer he has it or will gladly get it for you. In the above advertisement, the steps of the appeal by Suggestion are applied as follows: (A) Mention of the days when mother used to spread a slice of bread thick with apple butter, suggests to the reader a memory of past experience closely associated with the eating of appetizing food. (B) This memory, being recalled, results in emotions, or " ten- dencies to feel, ' ' which result in feelings akin to the feelings which accompanied the original experience; that is, the reader feels his * ' mouth water. ' ' ( C ) These feelings result in instincts which incline the reader to repeat his former action of eating apple butter. The following advertisement likewise is based upon the appeal by Suggestion : DO YOU REMEMBER LAST SUMMER, FELLOWS? Particularly that day when your boat stole as quietly as a moccasin-shod Apache to the spot where the trees cast their shade SUGGESTION: THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 51 over the water ? Then suddenly, astern, a ' ' plop, " as a lusty bass, having gorged himself on minnows, arose to make dessert of an incautious fly? Then the whir-r-r of your steady Meek Reel, as you cast into the depths. The strike! A-a-ah! Say, didn't that "ornery" fish run? He did a hundred yards in nothing flat, but you did n 't have time to worry, because you knew Meek was * t on his trail" all the time. Wasn't it some fight when you and your Meek Reel decided he had run long enough? It was a good thing that you had a "Bristol" Steel Fishing Rod that day. Its pliancy and strength saved you from defeat time after time as that cuss tried every trick known to his trade. But the result was never in doubt, with your Meek Reel and your "Bristol" Rod on the job. Gee, but wasn't it a great supper that followed? Makes you hungry to think of it, doesn't it? Well, Spring is only a few months away. Are you going fishin ' again! Thought so. Then be sure you take some friends along. Let them know how good * l Bristol ' ' Steel Fishing Rods and Meek Reels really are, so they will have the right kind of tackle for bars and any other fish they want. They 're the standard for all fish- ing, in all kinds of weather, in all kinds of water. By the way, if your tackle needs repairing or overhauling, send it to us during the winter months. Don't wait until the rush is on. Now is the time to prepare. We prefer that you and your friends buy ' ' Bristol ' ' Steel Fish- ing Rods and Meek or Blue Grass Reels of your sporting goods dealer, but if he can not supply you, or doesn't appear anxious to do so, we will equip you by mail at catalog prices. Refuse substitutes. Send for "Bristol" and Meek illustrated catalog to- day. It 's free. Thus far we have considered only such memories of past experience as have been stored in the subconscious mind by the experience of the individual during his lifetime. Another class of memories also must be taken into consideration; memories stored in the subconscious mind, not by the experience of the individual himself but by the experience of his ancestors who have lived in countless centuries gone by; that is, 52 THE PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL memories stored in the subconscious mind by the experience of the race. Consider, in this regard, the following bit of verse which, as I read it, this evening, arouses in me poignant sensations of pity and of sorrow : There 's a dead loon in the camp tonight, killed by a clever fool. And down the lake a live loon calling In part, the recollections which this verse suggests to my mind, and which result in feelings of pity and sorrow, are the result of my own personal experience; in part they are the result of the experience of the race. By reason of my own personal experience, I recall a camp I have known in the moonlight; I see the campfire flicker and die out; I see the faces of my friends in the shadows ; I hear again the lonely call of a bird across the lake. But my personal experience does not include the body of a dead bird thrown down in the tall grass at one side of the camp, just outside of the shadows of firelight. In my own experience alone there has been nothing so distressing as to cause to awaken the poignant feelings that the verse actually does awaken. The poignancy of my feelings is due to the fact that the experiences of my ancestors in by-gone centuries have left racial memories in my subconscious mind, just as my own experiences have left personal memories there. And some of the sorrow, some of the longing, some of the loneliness of my ancestors, whose experience it was to sit at night in the shadows and listen to the dismal sound of birds calling across the hike, come to me upon my reading of the verse, and are in a large part responsible for the poignancy of the feelings that are awakened. A lake at night, and a lonely bird calling across the lake, must be an integral part of this racial experience, for it is the suggestion of these things that quickens into life the racial memory, just as it is the sug- gestion of the willow tree of my boyhood days that quickens into life the personal memory. The racial memory of these things is not, it is true, imprinted on my subconscious mind in such a way that I am able to recall them with any degree of definiteness. My subconscious mind, even when the memory is awakened, does not furnish me with a definite and detailed picture of the lakes near which my ancestors camped in SUGGESTION: THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 53 the evening, nor does my subconscious mind furnish me with a definite conception of the sound the birds made calling across the lakes. All of this is vague ; beyond my power to recall. But the memories, vague as they are, nevertheless persist. Once they are recalled, they awaken emotions of pity and sorrow and loneliness akin to the emotions felt by my ancestors at the "time of the original experience, just as my personal memories of the swimming pool, once they are recalled, awaken emotions akin to the emotions I felt in my boyhood days. Likewise, these racial memories, once they are recalled, incline me to act in pretty much the same way my ancestors acted at the time of the original experience. Just as my ancestors, oppressed with a feeling of gloom and melancholy, heaped wood upon the fire that the cheerful blaze might dispel the feeling of foreboding and gloom, just as my ancestors huddled nearer together seeking the solace of human com- panionship, so do I act upon reading the bit of verse that suggests the racial memory to my mind, paralleling their action by snapping on an electric light that the room might be brighter and more cheerful ; so do I act, turning to my friend, who has been reading in silence, and engaging him in conversation that I may be more aware of his companionship. Because the original racial experience was a disagreeable one, my ten- dency now is to take such steps as will enable me to refrain from a repeti- tion of the experience ; had the original racial experience been an agree- able one, my tendency would be to repeat the experience. Instincts which I inherit from my ancestors thus enable me, without reasoning out my decision, to arrive at a decision that will bring pleasing, or displeasing things, into a relation which will be most conducive to my well being. Suggestion thus causes me not only to parallel action I took in the past, but also to parallel action my ancestors took in the past. I am inclined to repeat, under given conditions, action I already have taken, or action my ancestors already have taken, under similar conditions. So vast has been the experience of my ancestors, over so long a period of time has it extended, that the influence of racial memories is in reality felt in every emotion I feel, in every suggested action I take. No emo- tion of mine can be said to be purely a personal emotion, no instinct of mine can be said to be purely a personal instinct. When the memor- ies of the swimming pool of my boyhood days are suggested to me, the very emotions I feel and the very instincts I respond to, are influenced 54 THE PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL by the instincts and emotions of ancestors of mine who for generations past have taken keen delight in swimming, and whose experiences have left racial memories in my subconscious mind. Similarly, every ex- perience I have in this lifetime has its corresponding-racial memory ; every experience of mine is, in greater or less degree, a duplication of an ex- perience through which millions of the members of the race already have passed. My ancestors, as they went about at night, were in constant danger of attack from thieves bent upon robbing them, or from personal ene- mies bent upon killing them. The crouching figure of the footpad along a lonely highway suggests to my subconscious mind a recollection of the past experience of my ancestors; this first recollection awakens other associated recollections of the racial experience, until the experi- ence, in all its essential details, is recalled. And, aroused by these recol- lections, I respond immediately to the same emotion of courage, to the same instinct of fighting, to which my brave ancestors, under similar conditions, responded. Or, if mine has been a heritage from ancestors who were lacking in courage, I respond to the same emotion of fear, to the same instinct of flight, that my timorous ancestors responded to when in the presence of similar danger. In like manner, we respond, as did our ancestors, to emotions of am- bition, of pride, and of love ; and, in like manner, we respond to the in- stincts that correspond to these emotions. We are impelled by the emo- tion of ambition to put forth our best effort in an attempt to excel in competitive contests ; we are impelled by the emotion of pride to attach inordinate importance to our own personal possessions and to our own personal ideas; we are impelled by the emotion of love to cherish and to safeguard those near and dear to us just as our ancestors, confront- ing the same, or similar conditions, were similarly impelled by the emotions of ambition, pride, or love. The experience of our ancestors in killing wild animals, to provide themselves with food and to protect their own lives and the lives of those near to them, have implanted in our subconscious minds racial memories which, when awakened, give rise to the somewhat brutal "hunt- ing instinct," the instinct 4o 'kill. The following advertisement by Sug- gestion is aimed at awakening these memories. SUGGESTION: THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 55 HE 'S CHARGING STOP HIM! Here he comes six hundred pounds of wounded, raving, fight- ing grizzly! Wicked, pointed .head stretched out evil little pig eyes glaring hate long yellow tusks snapping in bloody foam high shoulders rocking with effort as they drive the ten- inch hooked chisels of claws rippling through the moss smash through the witch-hopples here he comes! Easy does it take your time ! The little .250-3000 Savage rises easily, smoothly, into line. Squeezing the pistol-grip frozen against the stock seeing both sights following that slavering chin with the bead holding your breath and shutting down stead- ily with your, trigger-finger. Bang ! Fingers racing, before the end of the shot you 're reloaded and ready again. But he 's down. Crumpled end over end in his stride. That vicious little 87 grain pointed bullet, traveling 3000 feet per second, smashed through his jaw, shivered his neck vertebra to splinters, and splashed them through his lungs. Never knew what struck him dead when he hit the ground. Only seven pounds of rifle the .250-3000 Savage. Six shots in two seconds, if you need them that fast and each of them with a gilt-edge target accuracy that would hit the 800 yard military bullseye, and punch enough to slam through half -inch steel boiler- plate at a hundred yards. Solid breech hammerless, with checked extra-full pistol-grip and forearm and corrugated steel shotgun buttplate and trigger. See it at your dealer's. He can supply you. For complete description write us. CHAPTER V SUGGESTION THE APPLICATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL OUTLINE The steps in the selling appeal by Suggestion are as follows: (A) A memory of past experience is suggested to the prospect. (1) The memory must be based upon a real and vital experience. (2) The suggested idea employed in awakening the memory must parallel as nearly as possible the circumstances of the original experience. (B) The emotions, awakened by this memory, give rise to pleasing feelings which the prospect attaches to things associated in his experience as pleas- ing, and which, in this manner, cause him to regard these things as desir- able. (1) We must make certain that the feelings we arouse in the prospect are pleasing feelings. (2) We must make certain that the prospect attaches these pleasing feelings to the product. (3) We must conserve and strengthen the pleasing feelings we have caused the prospect to attach to the product. (C) These pleasing feelings give rise to instincts which result in such action as will enable him again to possess and enjoy these desirable things. (1) We may cause the prospect more readily to take action leading to the purchase of the product if we represent this action as being similar to action he already has taken. (2) We may cause the prospect more readily to take action leading to the purchase of the product if we remove every hindrance that stands in the way of his taking action. (3) We may ca.use the prospect more readily to take action leading to the purchase of the product if we keep from his mind all ideas of opposing action. CHAPTER V SUGGESTION THE APPLICATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL IN Chapter IV we discussed the principles, of the appeal by Suggestion. It now remains for us to consider with definite detail the applica- tion of these principles in the selling appeal. The steps in the appeal by Suggestion, as we already have outlined them, are, in brief, as follows: (A) A memory of past experience is suggested to the prospect. (B) The emotions, awakened by this memory, give rise to pleasing feelings which the prospect attaches to things associated in his experience as pleasing, and which, in this manner, cause him to regard these things as desirable. (C) These pleasing feelings give rise to instincts which result in such action as will enable him again to possess and enjoy these desirable things. Let us take up, step by step, these three phases of the appeal. (A) A memory of past experience is suggested to the prospect. (1) The memory must be based upon a real and vital ex- perience. (2) The suggested idea employed in awakening the memory must parallel as nearly as possible the cir- cumstances of the original experience. ( 1 ) The memory must be based upon a real and vital experience. We cannot expect the memory we suggest to arouse emotions that; are strong and positive, unless it is based upon a real and vital experi- ence of the prospect's. Reference to the cool waters of a swimming hole is not likely to awaken strong emotions in prospects brought up in a large city. Their boyhood experiences did not concern swimming 59 60 APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL holes like those that were the delight of the boy brought up on the farm or in the small country town. Whatever association there is in the mind of the city dweller, between the idea of a swimming hole and a feeling of rest and relaxation, it, likely, is the result of his experience of reading about swimming holes in books and magazines. Similarly, reference to appetizing foods "such as mother used to cook" does not awaken strong emotions in the mind of a prospect whose mother, having spent her time in discharging and incurring social obligations, has not found time to cook. In awakening by Suggestion a personal experience of the prospect's, select, then, an experience that has foundation in fact. Advertisers apply this simple principle day after day in their illus- trations in magazines. In advertisement after advertisement, they de- pict scenes common to this, or to that, class of prospects. They depict a business man seated in his office using the advertised office device ; they picture the housewife ordering the advertised brand of coffee over the telephone, or from the grocer's clerk in person; they show a man shav- ing himself with the advertised make of safety razor before a washstand and mirror; or, they show him in an early morning street car, going on his way to work, smoking the advertised brand of cigarette. These sug- gested scenes, representing experiences akin to actual experiences of the prospects', are effective in awakening memories. The picturing of these scenes common to everyday experience, or a reference to them in the text of the advertisement, is effective also by reason of a second circumstance : the picture or reference causes the pros- pect to associate the product with his everyday life, so that his office tends to suggest to him the advertised office device, so that his ride downtown in the morning in a street car tends to suggest to him the advertised brand of cigarettes. He now links together these ideas just as I linked together the idea of the willow tree and the idea of the swimming hole. This comes about because in his experience as in my experience, the two things have related themselves to each other by reason of being once presented to the mind as integral parts of one single experience. Thus, by picturing in our advertisements scenes common to the prospect's everyday life, or by referring in our advertisements and in our sales letters to these scenes, we cause the prospect to form a new association of ideas, an association that is most vital to our purpose of keeping the thought of our product in his mind as he goes about his daily tasks. SUGGESTION: THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 61 In the case of an appeal calculated to awaken feelings of parental love, or of ambition, or of pride, or of similar feelings, based upon racial experience rather than upon personal experience, the awakened memory naturally will influence all classes of prospects very nearly alike, since all share the inheritance of racial experiences. Even in this case, how- ever, the prospect ordinarily will be the more readily influenced, if the suggestion is one he naturally can associate with the circumstances of his daily life. (A) A memory of past experience is suggested to the prospect. (2) The suggested idea employed in awakening the memory must parallel as nearly as possible the cir- cumstances of the original experience. This principle dictates that no false note be sounded, that no faulty reference be allowed to intrude into the picture we employ in suggest- ing to the business man his experience of sitting at an office desk, or in suggesting to the housewife her daily experience of ordering groceries. The office we depict must strike the business man as being his office ; the grocery store we depict must strike the woman as being the grocery store at which she trades. And the same principle applies to the other illustrations above cited. In carrying out this principle, a certain firm selling men's clothing finds that illustrations drawn from life, showing a wrinkle or crease where it naturally would appear, are more effective than illustrations showing suits without wrinkle or crease. Automobile advertisers, among others, employ actual photographs, in order that the illustration in the advertisement may appear altogether natural and true to life. (B) The emotions awakened by this memory, give rise to pleas- ing feelings which the prospect attaches to things associated in his experience as pleasing, and which, in this manner, cause him to regard these things as desirable. (1) We must make certain that the feelings we arouse in the prospect are pleasing feelings. (2) We must make certain that the prospect attaches these feelings to the product. (3) We must conserve and strengthen the pleasing feel- ings we have caused the prospect to attach to the product. 62 APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL (1) We must make certain that the feelings we arouse in the pros- pect are pleasing feelings. It is vital, as we have seen in Chapter IV, that the experiences we suggest to the prospect be pleasing ones. Therefore let our advertise- ments and sales letters reflect cheerfulness and optimism. Let the character who is drinking coffee in our advertisement, for example, wear an expression of reasonable enjoyment and satisfaction, not a dour and dyspeptic expresssion. Here, however, a word of warning. Under the heading (A-2), it is seen that the suggestion we bring forth in our selling appeal must be a natural one, one ''true to life." Therefore, in depicting characters who are enjoying the uses of our product, let us not make their expres- sion so "pleasing" that it will be unnatural. It does not suit the pur- poses of our selling appeal to depict mother, father and the children rushing into the dining room with every manifestation of extreme and un- controllable joy, to hail the appearance upon the breakfast table of our brand of coffee, or of our brand of breakfast food. The prospect can tell at a glance that this scene is not true to life, that the appearance of our brand of coffee or of our breakfast food on the breakfast table cannot reasonably be expected to give rise to such deep emotions. (B) The emotions awakened by this memory, give rise to pleas- ing feelings which the prospect attaches to things associated in his experience as pleasing, and which, in this manner, cause him to regard these things as desirable. (2) We must make certain that the prospect attaches these pleas- ing feelings to the product. (a) By causing him to compare the product with some thing already associated in his experi- ence as pleasing. (b) By picturing to him those benefits and pleas- ures he will realize from possession of the prod- uct which are most likely to be regarded by him as pleasing. (a) By causing him to compare the product with some thing already associated in his experience as pleasing. Rarely will our product, in and of itself, be so closely associated SUGGESTION: THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 63 with the past experience of the prospect, as readily to suggest to him a memory of this past experience. Therefore we ordinarily must awaken the memory by suggesting to the prospect some pleasing idea which is separate and apart from our product and which idea the prospect asso- ciates with his past experience more intimately than he does our product. Once this memory is awakened, our task is so to shape the pleasing feel- ings accompanying its awakening that the prospect naturally and im- mediately will attach these feelings to the product itself, and so will re- gard the product as desirable. This task we accomplish by a method of comparison based upon the law known as the Law of the Fusion of Ideas. This method of comparison and the law itself will be made clear by an illustration : One of the most effective of the Scranton Lace ad- vertisements consists of a picture of a very dainty and altogether attrac- tive girl looking out a window draped with lace curtains. The girl, drawn by Colles Phillips, suggests to the reader of the advertisement such memories, and such pleasing feelings, as the sight of things of beauty and exquisite daintiness is certain to suggest; and the girl in association with the lace curtains suggests these feelings in a far more effective manner than would the lace curtains alone; just as the camp fire in association with the advertised food suggests pleasing feelings in a far more effective manner than would the food alone. These pleasing feelings, being awakened, now attach themselves to other elements in the Scranton Lace advertisement the lace curtains at the window, the name "Scranton Lace" at the bottom of the adver- tisement and the net result is that the reader begins to feel that lace curtains of this make are highly desirable. The idea responsible for the awakening of these pleasing feelings is the idea presented by the picture of the attractive girl. The feelings awakened by this one element of the advertisement color the reader's view respecting not only the idea responsible for the awakening of the feeling, but also all other ideas in the advertisement. Because the reader is aware of a pleasing and agreeable feeling, all ideas that come under his observation appear to him as pleasing and agreeable. So it is that separate ideas which we suggest at any one time tend to "fuse" into one central feeling or impression, agreeable or disagree- able according as the main idea from which the impression springs is an agreeable or a disagreeable one. This Law of the Fusion of Ideas may be summed up briefly as follows : The prospect 's feelings at any given 64 APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL time influence his attitude toward any and all ideas which are presented to his mind at that time, and are not attached solely to the idea which awakened them. Of this principle our daily experience gives us ample proof. Let us assume that I am kept awake until a late hour at night by noisy neigh- bors in the house next door, and that, as a result, I go to the office the next morning ' t feeling ' ' irritable. My whole outlook upon life is colored by this feeling. I do not attribute it solely to the noisy neighbors who are directly responsible for it. Rather, I nod curtly in return to the affable greeting of the man who runs the elevator in the office building ; I express myself in an irritated snarl when someone slams an office win- dow; I grow surly when the stenographer makes however so slight a mistake in taking my dictation, a mistake I ordinarily would overlook. My feeling of irritation, because I fail to trace it directly to its source, colors my attitude toward every thing that comes under my observation. Additional illustrations of the application of this principle: An advertiser employs a picture of violets, to suggest to the reader the pleas- ing feelings associated with fresh fragrance, and, in the same advertise- ment, includes his 'own brand of soap. The net result is that the reader attaches the pleasing feeling associated with fresh fragrance not alone to the violets but as well to the advertiser's brand of soap. A second advertiser employs a picture of an Indian runner, moving alongside of the advertiser's make of automobile truck, to suggest feelings asso- ciated with ease of motion and of endurance. A third advertiser em- ploys a picture of an athlete drinking coffee to suggest feelings associated with robust health. By a method of comparison, based upon the law of the Fusion of Ideas, the advertisers in question are able to persuade the prospect that the soap is desirable because of its fragrance, that the truck is desirable because of its ease of motion and endurance, and that the coffee is de- sirable because of its healthful qualities. The Law of Fusion, it is readily seen, dictates that all elements in the advertisement which do not directly concern the product itself, such as the elements of color, of line, of characters and of scenes, must so blend in harmony as to unite in building up the pleasing suggestion we wish the prospect to associate with our product. An advertisement aimed at suggesting a feeling of daintiness and beauty, should reflect SUGGESTION: THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 65 daintiness and beauty in its every element; an advertisement aimed at suggesting a feeling of strength, should reflect strength and force in its every element, and so on. (B-2) We must make certain that the prospect attaches these pleasing feelings to the product. (b) By picturing to him those benefits and pleasures he will realize from possession of the product which are most likely to be regarded by him as pleasing. The method of comparison in suggesting a memory, does not lead the prospect to regard our product as desirable in and of itself. His pleas- ing feelings toward the product are reflected feelings that he attaches to the product in an indirect way. We must now go a step further and present the product to the pros- pect in such a manner that he will regard the product as desirable in itself. To do this we must make the lace curtains, as well as the girl, in the advertisement, bear some of the burden of awakening pleasing feelings. Our aim, therefore, must be to present the product in as pleasing a manner as possible. This we do by emphasizing those features of the product that are most likely to be regarded by the prospect as pleasing, avoiding emphasis upon features less likely to be so regarded by him. For example : Let us suppose that we are planning a selling appeal by Suggestion aimed at enrolling students in a correspondence course. A correspondence course consists of so many lessons, which call for so many hours' study each night. That is one way in which we may tell about the course. But it readity will be seen that such a description of the course is not calculated to awaken pleasing feelings in the prospect. He, in common with other human beings, already has placed study, like other things that make for drudgery, in a class of undesirable things. Let us see if we cannot find some feature of the course that he will regard as more pleasing. Our course consists of something more than so many lessons of mimeographed material calling for so many hours' study a week. It includes opportunities for winning promotion and attaining success. This idea will draw the prospect like a magnet; for promotion and success, like other things that enable him to better his condition in life, he already has placed in a class of desirable things. 66 ^APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL By placing our emphasis upon the idea of promotion and success, and by withdrawing emphasis from the idea of study, we shall cause the prospect to place our product in a class of desirable things and to with- draw the product from a class of undesirable things. This we shall accomplish by the simple method of picturing to the prospect those bene- fits and pleasures he will derive from the use of the product which are most likely to be regarded by him as being highly desirable. The principle we thus carry out is the keynote of the majority of successful selling appeals. It is as fundamental as any principle that regulates human conduct. "I don't want to take this medicine; it 's nasty and bitter." The small boy places the potion in a class of things undesirable. "Drink it, Bobby; then tomorrow you '11 be well again, and you will be able to go out in the backyard and fly kites with the boys." The father takes it out of that class and puts it in a class of desirable things. Anything that associates itself in Bobby's mind with an early chance to play with his chums is instinctively classified by him as desirable. An advertising manager employed this very method when, by pic- turing the pleasures of motoring through pleasant, sunlit countrysides, he took the Chalmers automobile out of the class of things made of wood, steel, and rubber, and placed it in the more desirable class of things that make for pleasure. It is to be noted that all prospects do not accept as desirable the same class of things. A class of things exclusive, or socially distinctive, will readily appeal to a woman prospect, while a class of things in the nature of a permanent investment will more likely appeal to her more business-like husband. Correspondingly, in a selling appeal to women, put the diamond ring in a class of things exclusive and socially dis- tinctive, and in a selling appeal to men put the diamond in a class of things that constitutes a permanent investment. (B) The emotions awakened by this memory give rise to pleas- ing feelings which the prospect attaches to things associated in his experience as pleasing, and which, in this manner, cause him to regard these things as desirable. (3) We must conserve and strengthen the pleasing feel- ings we have caused the prospect to attach to the product. SUGGESTION: THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 67 (a) By withholding all contrary or opposing feel- ings. (b) By eliminating from the prospect's mind all contrary or opposing feelings we find implanted therein. (a) By withholding all contrary or opposing feelings. Consider the strong negative Suggestion contained in the following excerpt from an advertisement: Our oranges are not pulpy, stringy, and tasteless, like some you have eaten ; but juicy, luscious, and full of flavor. The advertiser has, of course, denied pointblank that his oranges have any of the objectionable qualities mentioned, and yet the very mention of these qualities has suggested to the prospect displeasing feelings which diminish the force of the pleasing feelings later suggested by mention of the acceptable qualities. "I do not believe any of my opponents are liars," declares the can- didate for political office. Most persons in the audience get the im- pression that there is likelihood he does believe some of his opponents are liars. Once presented to the mind, an idea, whether suggested in a positive or in a negative way, awakens feelings of its own accord. The political candidate would avoid misunderstanding did he leave out the negative suggestion and say : "I believe that all my opponents are truthful men." In this positive statement, there is no negative idea of 1 'lying" to work itself into the mind. Thus a statement like, "I am sure, Mr. Jones, that you will have no cause for dissatisfaction in accepting our services," starts Mr. Jones to wondering whether or not the services will be satisfactory. But, "I am sure, Mr. Jones, that you will be satisfied with our services," brings no such negative idea to his mind. With singleness of purpose then, hold up before the prospect a single idea the idea -of pleasure and gratification that will result to him from possession of the product. Avoid not only the direct suggestion of negative ideas, such as were employed in the orange advertisement above, but avoid, too, all forms of argument, or proof, that invite comparison between your product and those manufactured by your competitors, and which comparison indirectly will suggest to him negative ideas con- 68 APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL cerned with the desirability of competing products. Assume tactfully that there is but one possible idea, that of acceptance, and this an idea the prospect readily and willingly adopts. Det him feel that you and he are in agreement, working toward a common end; not that you are endeavoring by argument to convince him. Note how the above principle is applied in the following advertise- ment: American women have a sort of a sixth sense, by which they know the best in everything that contributes to social distinction. Men must frequently undergo a sort of a social education in order to be able to select with discrimination. But, an American woman usually knows, unerringly, the one product in its particular field, in which she can properly feel a pride af possession. It would be idle to pretend that this element does not con- tribute to the almost universal preference which the Cadillac en- joys with American women. Basically, of course, the Cadillac appeals to them because it is the Cadillac with all that that implies in surpassing smooth per- formance. They are as appreciative as any man could be, of the delights of being able to depend, day after day, and month after month, on the same superlative quality of motoring. Thousands of them dispense with a chauffeur, and revel in driving the Cadillac as a rest and a refreshment, instead of an irksome responsibility. But, underneath all this, sense tells them that the Cadillac is the car they should own, because of the high position conceded to it the world over. The men who first had this vision of Cadillac leadership, are working together today, to keep it true to its traditions, and steadily raise it beyond its highest previous standards. CADILLAC (B-3) We must conserve and strengthen the pleasing feelings we have caused the prospect to attach to the product, (b) By eliminating from the prospect's mind all con- SUGGESTION: THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 69 trary or opposing feelings we find implanted therein. Although it is our purpose, in effecting the prospect 's acceptance of an idea by Suggestion, to focus his rnind solely upon the idea, and so upon the feeling, we wish him to accept, we nevertheless must remember that, do as we may, the prospect's past experience generally will furnish him with opposing ideas, sometimes forceful, sometimes relatively weak and ineffective. These opposing ideas, so long as they persist, prevent the prospect's immediate acceptance of the positive idea we present to him; our aim, therefore, must be, insofar as possible, to blot out these opposing ideas. Let us see how this may be effectively accomplished. The first time I was told that the Sonora phonograph is superior in tone to other phono- graphs, I was aware of conflicting ideas which prevented my acceptance of this claim. These conflicting ideas were due to the fact that my past experience had furnished me with a belief in the superior tone of an- other make of phonograph. Reading in succeeding Sonora advertise- ments a repetition of the claim of tone superiority, I found the conflict- ing ideas diminish in power. Finally, the claim having been impressed upon my mind a sufficient number of times, I accepted it as true. I had no logical reason for believing the Sonora tone superior to the tone of any one of a half dozen other phonographs. I had not heard the Sonora play a single selection. I instinctively accepted the idea as true simply because, by reiteration, it had forced out of my mind all conflicting ideas with which my past experience had furnished me. In like manner, we unconsciously have accepted as true the idea that United States tires are good tires, although many of us have never put them to the test of performance. We have accepted as true the idea that Ivory soap is exceptionally pure, although we have taken no steps toward proving its purity. Our acceptance of these, and of other ideas similarly presented to our minds, is explained by the psychological fact that the tendency of the mind is to accept as true any idea that is presented to it, a tendency which results in the fading out of opposing ideas each time the positive idea is repeated. The force of such repetition of a positive idea will be the more marked if each advertisement, or letter, is similar in type and make-up to other 70 APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL units in the series. The trade name, or trade slogan, should be con- spicuously displayed time after time in the same position. Some con- cerns identify each selling appeal as one of a series by employing a trade figure, such as the colored chef of the Cream of Wheat Company. The colored chef is depicted always in the same attire ; variety is obtained by changing the background of the advertisement. The Indian Packing Company (Council Meats) reverse this process, keeping the same back- ground, a view of the Wisconsin countryside from the windows of the packing plant, and changing the figures in the foreground. The Good- year Tire and Eubber Company on one of their campaigns successfully employed their tire, with its trade name towards the reader, as a trade figure, the tire rolling in separate advertisements past scene after scene of national interest. (C) These pleasing feelings give rise to instincts which result in such action as will enable him again to possess and enjoy these desirable things. (1) We may cause the prospect more readily to take action leading to the purchase of the product if we represent this action as being similar to action he already has taken. (2) We may cause the prospect more readily to take ac- tion leading to the purchase of the product if we re- move every hindrance that stands in the way of his taking action. (3) We may cause the prospect more readily to take ac- tion leading to the purchase of the product if we keep from his mind all ideas of opposing action. We have now caused the prospect, as the result of the pleasing feel-' ings which he attaches to our product, to regard the product as desir- able; we have caused him to accept the idea that he wants our product. It remains for us to cause him to act upon this feeling ; that is, to pur- chase the product. (I) W-e may cause the prospect more readily to take action SUGGESTION: THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 71 leading to the purchase of the product if we represent this action as being similar to action he already has taken. A soldier of long years of service, upon hearing the word "salute," will instinctively bring his heels together and bring his hand rigidly to the brim of his cap, whether he is walking along the street, or upon the parade ground, whether he hears the word spoken in a spirit of fun by a civilian friend, or by a superior officer. This is a simple mani- festation of the important law which dictates that, once we have taken a given action, it is much easier for us to repeat this action than it is to taken a new and unfamiliar action. This law, as we have seen, is one of the cardinal laws upon which is based the appeal by Suggestion. In accordance with this law, it is advisable to represent the action we wish the prospect to take, as being in line with action which he is accus- tomed to taking. Dictaphone advertisements refer to the Dictaphone as being "as necessary to office efficiency as your telephone or your typewriter," thus causing the prospect to regard action leading to the purchase of the Dictaphone as similar to action he already has taken in purchasing other products. A similar classification is made by a syrup manufacturer: "As essential on the table as bread, butter, and sugar." An advertisement aimed at selling walnuts, speaks of walnuts as being just as much a part of the Christmas dinner as the Christmas turkey, thus putting walnuts in a class of things the prospect is accus- tomed to buying. A garage man who re-treads tires advertises: "You don't throw away } T our shoes when the soles are worn out ; you have them half soled. Why then throw away your tires when the uppers are still serviceable?" And so the list might be extended. Scorces of adver- tisers have taken advantage of the fact that one of the easiest ways to get the prospect to purchase the product is to cause him to place it in a class with things he is accustomed to purchasing. (C) These pleasing feelings give rise to instincts which result in such action as will enable him again to possess and enjoy these desirable things. (2) We may cause the prospect more readily to take ac- tion leading to the purchase of the product if we re- move every hindrance that stands in the way of his taking action. 72 APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL The easier it is for the prospect to take the action we wish him to take, the more likely is he to take this action. Therefore we must smooth the way leading to action; we must make it easy for him to order our product, to notify our salesman to call, to send for our printed circular, or to take whatever steps leading to the purchase of our product we may wish him to take. This we may accomplish by including in the business letter order blanks, appointment forms, or other blanks that may be easily filled out, and by employing similar means of facilitating his ordering. In advertisements, the same end may be accomplished by including in the copy coupons so arranged as to be filled out by the prospect with a minimum of effort; or, by indicating in the copy just where, and, if necessary, just how, the product may be purchased. (C) These pleasing feelings give rise to instincts which result in such action as will enable him again to possess and enjoy these desirable things. (3) We may cause the prospect more readily to take ac- tion leading to the purchase of the product if we keep from his mind all ideas of opposing action. Just as, in getting the prospect to feel that our product is desirable, we avoid suggesting to him negative feelings, so, in getting him to act upon his feelings that the product is desirable, we avoid suggesting to him negative actions. Thus, in stimulating action, ' ' Sign the inclosed order blank at once, ' ' is more effective than the negative, ' ' Do not delay ; sign the inclosed or- der blank." The psychological urge to immediate action generally is all the more effective if it is expressed in the imperative form the form of direct command. Each of us has an inherited tendency to act in re- sponse to such a direct command, since our ancestors, organized as they were in clans or groups for protection, formed the habit of obeying the commands of their superiors. THE USE OF NEGATIVE SUGGESTION We have seen that negative Suggestion awakens displeasing feelings and, on this account, is to be avoided. There is, however, an exception to this rule. Sometimes, although not often, it suits the purposes of the selling appeal to awaken displeasing feelings. In such cases, nega- tive Suggestion may be effectively employed. SUGGESTION: THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 73 In the following excerpt from an advertisement, the advertiser de- liberately suggests displeasing feelings by means of negative Sugges- tion: Next time, you may be at the wheel when the automobile skids on the slippery street and sweeps down upon helpless women and children waiting for the street car. The guilt will then be yours ; it will be but little consolation for you to say: "If I only had put on non-skid chains at the first drop of rain. ' ' It is obvious that such negative appeals as the above stress the pain that will result if the product is not purchased, rather than empha- size the pleasure that will come from its purchase. The displeasing feeling does not, therefore, attach itself to the product, but to circum- stances which result from the prospect's failure to buy the product. The advertiser is not approaching the prospect from the positive view- point and saying to him, "Do what I wish you to and you will reap pleasure and enjoyment; on the contrary, he is approaching the prospect from the negative viewpoint and saying, "Refrain from doing what you are doing, or you will suffer pain." In the case of the majority of products, human beings respond less readily to a negative appeal than to a positive appeal. The average man is more likely to buy the average product if you show him the pleasure he will gain, rather than the disaster and disappointment he will escape, by its purchase. During the Great War, for example, the positive appeal to patriotism and pride proved more effective in get- ting Americans to enlist, than did the negative appeal to fear of Ger- man world conquest. The negative emotions awakened resulted in very deep feelings, but these feelings, being negative in their nature, did not lead to positive action. Insurance companies, however, and manufacturers of certain lines of products automobile tire chains, fire extinguishers, and similar safety devices are forced to resort to negative appeal. This results from the fact that human beings are prone to neglect steps that will safeguard the future, and are inclined to "let tomorrow take care of itself." Hence, negative suggestion acts as a shock to awaken us from our lethargy. The negative appeal, for its "shocking" effect upon the pros- pect, is sometimes effective, after positive appeals have failed to impress 74 APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL the prospect. Thus some correspondence schools use the negative appeal, an appeal to the fear of a penniless old age, an appeal to the fear of failure, etc., when the positive appeal to ambition has proved ineffective. Since fear is a strongly inherited instinct, this sort of appeal usually awakens vigorous emotions, howsoever displeasing and disheartening. It will be noted that when we employ negative suggestion, unlike when we employ positive suggestion, we are in reality holding up to the prospect alternate lines of action. In the case of the correspond- ence school appeal, these lines of action are: (1) continue to get along without the instruction provided in our course, and your old age will be penniless; (2) enroll in our course, and you will have enough money to make you comfortable in your old age. In the case of the automobile tire chain advertisement, the alternate lines of action are: (1) run the risk of crushing out the lives of innocent women and children; (2) put anti-skid chains on your automobile tires. By thus presenting two opposing lines of action, our negative appeal constitutes an apparent, although not an actual, exception to the prin- ciple that, in responding to the Appeal by Suggestion, the prospect responds without weighing the evidence in hand, without considering the advantages against the disadvantages of action we wish him to take. The exception is only an apparent one, because the alternate lines of action are so obviously unequal that it requires little, if any, reasoning to determine which line of action is the more desirable. The prospect's decision between such obviously unequal alternatives is made instinc- tively. However, in case the disparity between the alternatives is less marked, as between the purchase of non-skid tires and the purchase of non- skid chains, the prospect cannot be expected to arrive at a decision, except by a process of his reasoning mind. To sum up the application of the principles of the appeal by Sug- gestion : First : Select a memory that is based upon a real and vital ex- perience of the prospect's, and make your suggestion of this memory so natural that the prospect readily will associate it with his experience. SUGGESTION: THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 75 Second: Cause the prospect to attach to your product the pleasing feelings awakened by this memory, by : (a) Comparison. (b) Emphasizing those uses of your product most likely to be regarded by him as pleasing. (c) Keeping from his mind, or eliminating from his mind, all opposing feelings. Third : Now that the prospect regards your product as desirable, facilitate his taking action leading to its purchase by : (a) Representing this action as being similar to action he already has taken. (b) Removing every possible hindrance to action. (c) Keeping from his mind all ideas of opposing action. Negative Suggestion: Negative suggestion is employed only when it suits the purposes of the selling appeal to awaken dis- pleasing feelings. CHAPTER VI INSTINCTS OUTLINE The instincts to which the writer of business letters, or of advertisements, may effectively appeal, include: (a) The feeding instinct. (b) The fearing instinct. (c) The instinct of fighting and competition. (d) The instinct of devotion. (e) The social instincts. (f) The instincts of imitation, ornamentation, pride, play, comfort, cleanli- ness, acquisitiveness, constructiveness, and sympathy. CHAPTER VI INSTINCTS "Man is born into this world accompanied by a rich psychical disposition which furnishes him ready-made all his motives for conduct, all his desires economic or wasteful, moral or depraved, crass or aesthetic. He can show a demand for nothing that is not prompted by this galaxy of instincts. He is a mosaic of unit tendencies to react faithfully in certain ways when certain stimuli are present." Dr. Carleton H. Parker, "American Economic Review." WE have seen that the experience of the human race, in its struggle for existence through the ages, has been handed down to the individual in the form of racial memories. These memories, once awak- ened, cause man, under given circumstances, to duplicate action taken by his ancestors, under similar circumstances. He acts upon impulse, without pausing to reason upon the necessity for action. His racial memories mark for him well-defined grooves that lead to action, and cause him to move along these grooves under an impelling force. Among man's strongest instincts are those directly related to self- preservation. He must obtain food sufficient to maintain life, he must exercise caution in the presence of danger, he must protect himself against his enemies. His very existence is subject to the law which dictates ''the survival of the fittest." The instincts of feeding, fearing, and fighting, therefore, are part of the human inheritance. The feeding instinct is associated with the emotion of hunger and with the sense of taste. An appeal to this instinct is particularly effec- tive in selling foods that are essentially appetizing. The fearing instinct is associated with the emotions of fearfulness, caution, and timidity. It causes the prospect to avoid the presence, of danger, to take such precautions as will safeguard his life and his inter- ests. An appeal to this instinct is effective in the cases of life insurance, automobile tire chains, fire extinguishers, burglar alarms, and safety devices of all kinds. 79 80 THE SELLING APPEAL Instincts of fighting and competition are associated with the emotion of ambition, that is, with the desire to get ahead in the world, to be successful, to excel. Ambition makes the individual eager for his own advancement, and therefore desirous of acquiring objects which will make for such advancement. It makes him desirous of emulating one who has won success, and jealous of the achievements of one who is nearing the goal toward which he himself is striving. It forms the basis of appeal in selling encyclopedias and other books that improve the mind, enrollments in correspondence courses, etc. Since the instinct of competition makes the individual jealous of his competitors, this instinct can be played upon in selling a wide variety of products. The farmer will have an instinctive desire to purchase your product if .you tell him that twenty farmers in his county have increased their efficiency through its use; likewise, the business man, if you tell him that three firms in his city, competitors of his, have cut down expenses through the use of your product. Because of this in- stinct of competition, the prospect pays a tribute of admiration to the victor in competitive contest. He holds in high regard any product which has won a prize or award of merit. The second class of inherited instincts are those which insure the preservation of the race, as distinguished from that of the individual. Chief among these is the instinct of devotion, which is associated with the emotions of affection, loyalty, and faithfulness. This instinct re- sults in parental desire to offer every advantage, and every protection, to the children of the home. It can be appealed to in selling toys, children's clothes, books, courses of study, healthful foods, and all prod- ucts of mental or physical benefit to children. A third class forms the so-called social instincts. Ancient society had its leaders, chosen mainly on the basis of achievement in battle. Select, exclusive groups sprang up. The individual made continual effort to rise to supremacy in the class he was born in, and then strove to rise to membership in classes higher in the social scale. Hence, the selling appeal to the desire for "exclusiveness" is an effective one. The prospect is inclined favorably toward a product that is distinctive, be- cause he feels that its possession will set him apart from members of his class. A woman will buy an expensive dress of exclusive type that she may appear as the "best dressed" member of her social set; she will INSTINCTS 81 buy expensive furniture, china, or silverware, that her home may be set apart as the most luxurious in appointment. The desire for distinction within the group is closely associated with the desire to advance to higher groups. The latter desire causes men and women to follow the example of those they regard as standing high in favor. Thus, a young man in business will select wearing apparel of a style that has been adopted by leaders in the business world; a woman will follow the fashion in dress that, she believes, has been set by women of wealth and social position. The products sold by appealing to the social instincts include wearing apparel, expensive toilet articles, furniture, expensive watches, and expensive automobiles, particularly enclosed cars of the sedan type, and "nobby" cars of distinctive design. Consider now, without classification, the following instincts: The instinct of imitation. The instinct of ornamentation. The instinct of pride. The instinct of play. The instinct of comfort. The instinct of cleanliness. The "instinct of acquisitiveness. The instinct of curiosity. The instinct of construct iveness. The instinct of sympathy. The instinct of imitation inclines the prospect to act as others act ; to adopt styles that have been set by the majority ; to purchase products that are in large demand. Thus, by impressing upon the prospect the popularity of your product, you can shape his buying decision. The prospect is most likely to imitate persons he holds in high regard. Depict a ragged tramp washing with your soap, and you awaken in the reader little or no desire to imitate this action; none of us is inclined to imitate a disreputable person. But let your illustration show an apparently successful and well-groomed business man performing the same action, and the inclination to imitate is strong. Depict your toilet preparation in use by women of refinement and culture, and women readers of the advertisement will have a strong inclination to imitate 82 THE SELLING APPEAL their action. This will be especially true if the characters in the adver- tisement appear true to life and if they are manifestly getting enjoyment and pleasure from the use of your product. The instinct of ornamentation brings about an excessive pride in appearance and a desire to display in a favorable light one's beauty and personal belongings. The sex instinct, associated with the desire to appear attractive in the eyes of the opposite sex, leads to ornamenta- tion. The instinct of pride influences the prospect to show preference for his own ability, his own judgment, his own interests, his own possessions. It influences him in the purchase of any product that will enable him to appear to better advantage, or, conversely, that will enable him to avoid appearing at a disadvantage. Lotions that remove blemishes from the skin or improve the complexion, patent medicines, and systems of exer- cise that remove excessive weight, are sold on the basis of an appeal to pride. The instinct of play dictates the purchase of toys by children, and the purchase of sports accessories by men and women. It sometimes is made the basis of appeal in advertising summer resorts. But, probably, a more effective appeal in this case is the appeal to the instinct of comfort, with its promise of restfulness, ease, and relaxation. The instinct of cleanliness, with its attendant desire for purity and wholesomeness, forms the basis of effective appeal in selling soaps, wash- ing powders, foods packed in airtight containers, and similar products. The instinct of acquisitiveness is associated with the individual's desire to add to his worldly store, even in a measure over and above what is necessary for his needs. Savings banks' accounts, investments, china and glassware of a distinctive pattern, and exclusive furniture of a period, lend themselves to this form of appeal. The appeal to the instinct of curiosity can be employed as a means of getting the prospect's attention. Thus the heading of an advertise- ment may purposely be so worded as to leave the reader in doubt as to the message to be conveyed by the text, and hence stimulate his curiosity to read further. A sentence or two at the beginning of the sales letter may serve a similar purpose. This appeal to curiosity should never have the appearance of an artificial device obviously intended to trap the reader's attention. The reader must not be left with the impression INSTINCTS 83 that he has been tricked into devoting time to your selling appeal; nor must his curiosity so overbalance his interest in your appeal that he pays but scant attention to the merits of your product. The instinct of const ructiveness causes the prospect to construct, to build, for the sheer joy of creating. It is the basis of appeal in selling carpenters' outfits and building and repair material, such as can be used by the prospect in his home, and in selling toys that call for a certain amount of constructive effort. The instinct of sympathy inclines us to pity and to assist those who are less fortunate than we are. The various instincts are so closely related, merging one into the other, that any system of classification necessarily must be a more or less arbitrary one. The above classification, therefore, does not pretend to set fixed and definite limits; nor is it by any means exhaustive. It is simply offered as the most useful Working basis for the planning of the selling appeal. An appeal to a woman 's pride in her own judgment and ability : THE GREAT DISCOVERY ABOUT LIGHTNING Leave it to a woman to find beauty in the common things! She will take a spray of blossoms or a bit of ribbon and per- form wonders with it. It is the women who have made The Great Discovery about light! They have found that it has not only a practical use but a decorative use. It not only saves eyes but gives restful, pleasing effects for the eyes to look at. With a few extra lamps, a bit of silk or cretonne, and once in a while a change in the fixtures or glassware, a clever woman will make a brand new home out of the old one. If you think NATIONAL MAZDA means nothing but a * * lamp, ' ' ask the women. Since the original MAZDA lamp there has been no development in home lighting of greater importance than this new tipless white MAZDA lamp shown here ! It warms and softens and dif- fuses the light in a way that cannot be imagined it must be seen. Ask your lamp dealer to show you the new white MAZDA lamp and be sure to see it lighted. An appeal chiefly to the instinct of cleanliness : 84 THE SELLING APPEAL Out of its crystal clearness the fragrance of violets! So clear you can look right through it ! But dip it in water and see what a delicious fragrance, what a wild-wood freshness it holds in its transparent depths ! Jergen's Violet Transparent Soap makes you feel as fresh and clean as it looks. During your day at the office coming in from the dusty streets bathe your face and hands in its pure refreshing lather. See what a clean fragrance it gives your skin. Whenever you feel tired and grimy, freshen up with Jergen's Violet Transparent. It gives you instantly a pure, rich, cleansing lather, even in hard water. And its clean fresh odor makes it the one scented soap that men like to use. Get a cake today ! It is sold wherever soap is sold. Parental love is played upon in the following beginning paragraphs of an advertisement : " GENTLEMEN, THIS IS MY SON!" Just imagine that moment of glory when you shall introduce That Boy of yours to men of affairs your boy, who so soon will step into the business world, to meet stiff competition, hard prob- lems, dangerous temptations. You smile happily at the pride you feel, and at the same time cringe a bit as the question pounds itself against your ribs: ''Did I do everything I might have done to give him initiative and to make him self-reliant and manly ? ' ' Today your greatest joy is to "do something" for that boy of yours, and you ask : "What Christmas gift will make him happiest will he appreciate most keenly what will help him most ? ' ' You can answer that question right now give him "The American Boy ' ' and his pride in the gift will equal your pride in him. "The American Boy" knows that "boys will be boys" and should be ! but it knows also that boys will be men. It attracts boys, fascinating them, now holds 500,000 of them between the ages of ten and twenty years, by sheer merit which boys are quick INSTINCTS 85 to discover; it gives them information which they can get in no other way about the vital things in life shows the value of char- acter as well as cleverness ; gives them a look-ahead and some prep- aration for the work-world which your boy will be stepping into almost before you know it. An appeal to mother love : Cunning Woolens, Delicate Frocks, Tiny Wraps of Silk. They can be laundered to suit the most fastidious baby. Of course, He 's particular. "Fussy as an old bachelor," mothers say. He takes the greatest delight in his own blue quilted silk bathrobe and is especially fond of the dotted Swiss rompers. From his bootees to his bib, each garment must be sweet and clean for the daintiest baby in the world. His little petti-skirts of finest cashmere with sweet baby scallops, the frocks of batiste tinily tucked and daintily embroidered, cunning negligee jackets of pale crepe de chine and French knots he adores to put them on so spic and fresh from their Lux launderings. And his wool things so silly small they look like make-believe are all very real to him. Not a single scratchy shirt, not one shrunken band in his whole wardrobe ! they 're kept so soft and fine with Lux. Never allow pretty things to stay soiled. His clothes have to be done so often and so carefully they need the most careful laundering there is. Gather them up every night and toss them into a big bowlful of Lax suds. The lovely trans- parent flakes melt the instant they touch hot water and whisk into a wonderful bubbly lather. Then just sousing and gentle pressing of the rich suds through the soiled spots. No matting and shrinking of these important soft little woolens, because there 's no rubbing, you see, to hurt the fine fibres. He can wear the most delicately tinted silks without feeling the least bit extravagant. Oh, it- 's easy to let Lux take care of his pretty things to keep every baby garment fresh and lovely! Your grocer, druggist, or department store has Lux. Lever Bros. Co., Cambridge, Mass. 86 THE SELLING APPEAL The following advertisement exemplifies the appeal to the feeding instinct (the instinct of appetite) : FOR LIVELY OUT-O'-DOOR APPETITES At the close of a long summer Sunday supper on the lawn, and a Swift 's Premium Ham, baked to a tempting brownness ! The first whiff of its steaming fragrance makes everybody "hungry as a bear." How appetizing the tender pink slices curl from the knife. How satisfying to out-o'-door appetites is the mellow flavor ! This flavor is due to the long, slow Premium cure to the hang- ing in the warm, sweet smoke of smoldering wood fires until each Premium Ham has become wonderfully savory and delicate through and through. Whenever you buy, look for the Swift's Premium brand which distinguishes the finer ham. Ask your dealer to show you the label. The appeal to the desire for health is combined with the "appetite" appeal in the following advertisement : THE HEALTH BASKET THE MODERN WAY OF KEEPING FAMILIES WELL Here is the delicious, efficient and simple way of keeping whole families well and practically all doctors advocate it. Keep a full basket of luscious fresh fruit called a "health basket" always within the family's reach. That plentiful sup- ply encourages frequent and regular eating and forms one of the most valuable habits that physicians know. Note the men, women, and children who are particularly bright- eyed and alert. YOU '11 find that they are usually lovers of fresh fruit. Oranges are probably the ideal fruit because of their healthful properties, and Nature's provision to furnish them fresh the year round. The best way is to eat one kind of fruit and to eat it every day. Oranges contain valuable salts and acids natural appetizers and digestants which make entire* meals taste and digest better. INSTINCTS 87 Withal, they are luscious food in themselves. So they are too good and too valuable to eat merely as an occasional delight. Try the "health basket" regularly for thirty days as a test. Serve delicious orange salads and desserts. Let the children take oranges to school. Ask for orange juice at soda fountains. Once you know what this wonderful habit means, you '11 need no more urging. Sunkist are the uniformly good oranges fresh the year round, sweet, juicy, tender, practically seedless. All first-class dealers sell them by the box or by the dozen. An automobile can be sold by an appeal to * i exclusiveness ' ' : Styles travel from east to west with the sun. That which Fifth Avenue approves today becomes the countrywide accepted vogue tomorrow. The Jordan Silhouette Sedan anticipates ad- vanced styles. It marks the advent of the new light-weight, four-door Sedan, compact in capacity, European in lowness, square-cornered a little bit of what friend England calls "nippy." In common with the other new Silhouette models it possesses a new power unit a dynamic, light bundle of energy, which marks the passing of the days of excessive bulk and burden in open and closed cars, driven regretfully by people who love snap. A new motor designed and built exactly to suit such an ideal car was necessary, of course. It 's a Six assuredly because that is the world trend of motor design. The answer is simple. The Six furnishes the greatest power for its weight and simplicity with the least vibration. In this motor, the forces of vibration go down to defeat. The appeal in the following paragraphs from an advertisement is 1o ambition, and to fear of failure: TWO LITTLE HOUSES THAT STOOD SIDE BY SIDE Two little houses stood side by side, in a suburb outside New York. And in each of them a man and woman worked, and loved, and dreamed their dreams of the future. 88 THE SELLING APPEAL In the fifteen years that have gone by the two little houses have grown a bit gray and shabby. The man and woman who lived in one of them have moved on and up ; they dwell in a spacious home, and his name is spoken with the names of men who are influential and who do big things. But in the other little house the other man and woman still dwell, and they, too, have grown a little grayer with the passing years; but the love has not gone out of the woman's eyes. Still she waits, and still she trusts, firm in the belief that some day her husband must win. THE TRAGEDY OF THE MAN WHO LACKS SOME ONE THING Down town, where they know her husband, they have given up all idea that he will ever be one of the big prizes in the business. "A good fellow," they say, "honest and hard working; but there 's something lacking in him." So they have let him work away the years of promise ; until now he has come to the years when men no longer expect success. He is one of the tragedies of the business world ; and in that world there are no words sadder than these: "There 's something lacking in him." Thousands of men who might have repaired the lack, if they had begun early enough, are condemned to small positions for life, because of it. If you really care about your future, you will sit down with a pencil today and analyze your assets. Just what is it you lack to make yourself a really all-round man fit for the positions that demand familiarity with more than one department of business? ANALYZE YOUR ASSETS. WHAT DO YOU LACK? Is it a knowledge of business fundamentals you lack? Is it executive ability you lack? Is it knowledge of accountancy and business finance you lack? Or of the principles of organization? Or of advertising and sell- ing? Or of factory organization? Or of sales management? Whatever the weak link in your chain of success may be, the tools for strengthening it are here, at your command. INSTINCTS 89 The Alexander Hamilton Institute can help you. The following excerpt from an advertisement illustrates the appeal to ambition : "$100 A WEEK! THINK WHAT THAT MEANS TO US!" "They Ve made me Superintendent and doubled my salary! Now we can have the comforts and pleasures we dreamed of our own home, a maid for you, Nell, and no more worrying about the cost of living ! "The president called me in today and told me. He said he picked me for promotion three months ago when he learned 1 was studying at home with the International Correspondence Schools. Now my chance has come and thanks to the I. C. S. I 'm ready for it. ' ' Thousands of men now know the joy of happy, prosperous homes because they let the International Correspondence Schools prepare them in spare hours for bigger work and better pay. Why don't you study some one thing and get ready for a real job, at a salary that will give your wife and children the things you would like them to have ? You can do it! More than two million have done it in the last twenty-seven years. More than 100,000 are doing it right now. Without obligation, find out how you can join them. Mark and mail this coupon ! Although the personal pronoun "you" is not emphasized in the fol- lowing advertisement, the fear played upon, though only a fear of failure called up by a vision of wasted years, is one that is actual and vital from the prospect's standpoint: "THE YEARS THAT THE LOCUST HATH EATEN" A solemn sounding line it is, full of sad significance. The y ears when there were no crops, because they were destroyed by the enemies of crops. The years when men worked and made 90 THE SELLING APPEAL no progress, when the end of the year found them a little poorer than its beginning, because a part of their little span of life was gone and had produced no increase. In almost every life there are some fruitless years; but the tragedies occur when year after year, men go feeding their lives to the locust of indecision, or the locust of laziness, or the locust of too great concentration on a petty task. In every week of every year the Alexander Hamilton Institute is brought into contact with such tragedies. "I WISH I HAD ACTED EARLIER" "My experience with the Alexander Hamilton Institute leaves me only with the regret that I did not make contact with it at an earlier time," says one man. For that regret there is no healing. The years when one might have acted, and did not: these are "the years that the locust hath eaten. ' ' "If I had read your course before getting mixed up in my mining proposition, it would have kept me out of trouble," an- other writes. He might have read it before; the opportunity was offered to him time after time, in such advertisements as this, but he did not act. And Fate exacted payment for those wasted opportunities, "the years that the locust hath eaten." "If I had enrolled with you a year or two ago, I should be better able to handle the problems put up to me every day," another says. He is making progress now, rapid progress ; but the progress might just as well have started two years earlier. THE PUNISHMENT OF WASTED YEARS This happened just the other day: A man wrote asking that some one call on him who could give him detailed information as to just how the Alexander Hamilton Institute has helped more than 95,000 men to greater success. The representative found a man past fifty years of age, occupy- ing a modest position in a great corporation. He sat down to INSTINCTS 91 explain the Institute's plan and method. And as he talked, nam- ing one and another who now occupy high positions, he looked across at the grey-haired man who was plainly disturbed by emotion. The representative of the Institute turned away his eyes; he knew that the man was thinking. His thoughts were turned back over the fields of wasted opportunity; he was plagued by the thought of "the years that the locust hath eaten." TODAY YOU MAY START FORWARD WITH 95,000 OTHERS You can hardly call this an advertisement about the Alexander Hamilton Institute. The facts about its Modern Business Course and Service have been printed so many times that few men need to have them repeated. The average man could say them almost by heart. He knows that the Institute is the American institution that specializes in taking men who know only one department of business, and round- ing them out into fitness for higher executive tasks. He knows that 95,000 men, in every State and city of this country, are proof of its strength and standing; he knows that business and educational authority of the highest standing is rep- resented in the Advisory Council of the Alexander Hamilton Institute. ADVISORY COUNCIL This Advisory Council consists of Frank A. Vanderlip, the financier; General Colemaii DuPont, the well known business executive; John Hays Hammond, the eminent engineer; Jeremiah W. Jinks, the statistician and economist, and Joseph French John- son, Dean of the New York University School of Commerce. This advertisement is directed to the man who knows all this and, knowing it, has let the weeks and months and years slip by years that might have meant so much to him, and now are gone and beyond recalling, "years that the locust hath eaten." It is directed to the man who, looking ahead, would escape the im- pending peril of these wasted years. 92 THE SELLING APPEAL TAKE THE FIRST STEP BY SENDING FOR "FORGING AHEAD IN BUSINESS" To such men and to all men of earnest purpose who seek to avoid these wasted years, the Alexander Hamilton Institute comes now, asking for only one moment of firm decision one moment in which to take the first step that can begin to turn ordinary years into great years of progress. A book has been published for you entitled "Forging Ahead in Business. ' 7 It is not a book for drifters ; but to men who are asking them- selves: "Where am I going to be ten years from now?" it is offered freely and gladly without the slightest obligation. Today your copy of "Forging Ahead in Business" is waiting. Send for it now. Note that in the third paragraph of the above advertisement the appeal is directly aimed at each of three general classes of men who are failures: (1) men of indecision, (2) men who are lazy, and (3) men who concentrate unduly on petty tasks. This is pretty certain to include the reader of the advertisement. The facts illustrated are: (1) that the appeal in the advertisement is aimed at a more general class of prospects than the appeal in the direct sales letter, and (2) notwithstanding this, th appeal is made to match, as nearly as possible, the desires of readers it hopes to influence. CHAPTER VII DELIBERATION OUTLINE I. In arriving at a buying decision by a process of Deliberation, the prospect will weigh the advantages offered by your product against the advantages offered by competing products. II. Your aim, therefore, is to frame your selling argument in such a way that he will make this comparison readily, and in such a way that the comparison will result favorably to your product. III. To accomplish this aim, plan your selling appeal in accordance with the following steps : (a) Win the prospect's acceptance of a standard of comparison by which he may judge between your product and competing products. (b) Show him that, judged by this standard, your product is superior. (c) Cause him to act upon the basis of the decision formed by (a) and (b). IV. Education, a preliminary step: getting the prospect to agree to the use of your type of product. CHAPTER VII DELIBERATION THE appeal by Deliberation frankly concedes that the prospect will refuse to act upon impulse, that he will not be induced to arrive at a buying decision until he carefully weighs the advantages favoring the purchase of your product against the advantages favoring the pur- chase of competing products. Thus there enters into the calculation the element of comparison, and hence the appeal by Deliberation must be so planned as to enable the prospect to make this comparison readily and logically, and, at the same time, the appeal must be so planned as to make certain that the comparison will be favorable to the purchase of the product. Consider the steps necessary in arriving at this desired result : (1) Cause the prospect, in the light of his own needs, to agree upon a standard of comparison by which to measure your product against competing products. The process of comparison necessitates the selection of some standard by which the prospect may measure up one product against the other; failing the selection of such a standard, the prospect will be unable to arrive at a logical decision. Suppose, for example, that one advertiser proves the ABC farm tractor superior in endurance; that a competitor proves the LMN farm tractor superior in ease of operation, and that a second competitor proves the XYZ farm tractor superior in economy of operation. Each will have shown his farm tractor superior in one re- gard, yet the farmer will be unable to make a logical comparison be- tween the three makes of farm tractors until he has selected a definite standard of judgment, i.e., until he has decided to compare the three tractors either on a basis of endurance, or on a basis of ease or economy of operation. Once, however, the farmer selects a definite standard, he will measure all three farm tractors in accordance therewith, and he will buy that make of farm tractor which most nearly measures up to the standard. 95 96 THE PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL It is obvious that the farmer likely will accept as his standard of comparison that standard which most closely matches his needs. The owner of a large ranch would probably accept endurance as his standard, since this quality in a tractor most directly meets the needs of a farmer who has a large acreage to cultivate. The owner of an orchard, on the other hand, probably would select ease of operation (ability to turn quickly in a small area) as his standard. The standard of comparison which you ask the prospect to accept, is, of course, embodied in your central selling point. It will be remembered that this central selling point is selected by matching the merits of the product with the needs of the prospect. The more nearly it matches his needs, the more certain he will accept it as his standard of comparison. The standard of comparison once selected by your prospect, the second step in the appeal by Deliberation is to : (2) Show the prospect that, judged in accordance with this standard of comparison, your product is superior to other products. 1 If endurance is the standard which has been accepted by the farmer, your task is to convince him that your tractor is superior in endurance to any other tractor he might buy. This is accomplished by explaining to him those features in the construction of your tractor, which make for superior endurance. Obviously, it is useless for you to go ahead with the development of this second step of the appeal by Deliberation, unless you have made certain that, by reason of your development of the first step, the farmer now accepts your central selling point as his standard of comparison. For example : it will serve no purpose to convince the prospect that your tractor is superior in endurance, if he is inclined to accept ease of opera- tion as his standard of comparison. In such case he would say, at the end of your second step of the selling appeal: "I appreciate the fact that your tractor has superior endurance, but even so I am not con- vinced that it is the best tractor for my needs. In fact, the tractor I want is a tractor that is easy to operate." Step I of the appeal by Deliberation must therefore be disposed of before Step II is taken up. i Do not needlessly call the prospect's attention to the possibility of his buying a competing product. See Chapter X, page 134. DELIBERATION: THE REASON WHY APPEAL 97 When you reach the third step in the appeal by Deliberation, that of causing the farmer to buy your tractor, he already is agreed (a) that it is to his interest to judge between your tractor and any competing tractor, on the basis of endurance; and (b) that, judged in accordance with this standard, your tractor is superior. To close the sale, it now remains for you to : (3) Cause the farmer (prospect) to act upon the basis of the decision formed by steps I and II ; that is, cause him to pur- chase your tractor. The three main steps in the appeal by Deliberation, aimed at selling farm tractors, may then be outlined as follows : (1) Cause the farmer to agree, in the light of his own needs, upon a standard of comparison (or central selling point) by which to measure your product against competing prod- ucts. (Match the central selling point with the prospect's needs.) (2) Show the farmer that, judged in accordance with this stand- ard of comparison, your product is superior to competing products. (Show that the central selling point applies most definitely to your product.) (3) Cause the farmer to act upon the buying decision formed by steps I and II. These three steps may be stated as follows: (1) "Endurance is the factor in farm tractors which most closely meets your needs. ' ' (2) "My farm tractor is superior in endurance." (3) Therefore buy my farm tractor. 1 i The student of logic readily will recognize in this outline an application of the syllogism, the three steps of which govern the logical presentation of argument. The syllogism in this case would be: (I) "I shall buy any farm tractor that has the greatest endurance." (Statement of a general rule or principle applying to all products of a given class.) (II) "Your tractor has the greatest endurance." (Application of this rule to a specific case in point.) (III) "Therefore I shall buy your farm tractor." (Conclusion drawn from premises I and II.) 98 THE PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL Judge for yourself just how much emphasis to place upon just how much space to give any one of the three steps. If convinced through talks with prospects that owners of large farms are inclined in judging a tractor, to consider "economy of operation" as of equal importance to, or possibly of greater importance than endurance, devote relatively more space to step I, thus establishing the advantage of accepting endurance as a basis of judgment by convincing him that this standard most directly matches his needs. If, on the other hand, you are certain that the prospect realizes the paramount importance of the principle of endur- ance, that he recognizes the fact that this principle most directly matches his needs, Step I may consist of only a sentence or two emphasizing a principle he already accepts as true, or Step I may be omitted. Again, it may be that in your advertisements and previous sales letters you have established your tractor as a "big, heavy, 'hard- work' machine" of superior endurance, and you therefore are convinced that the prospect accepts this as a fact. In such a case, you would devote relatively little space to the development of Step I, i.e., to showing that your tractor has superior endurance. Or, again, it may be that your previous selling effort has caused the farmer both to accept endurance as his standard of comparison and to agree that your tractor is superior in endurance to all competing tractors. In such case the farmer virtually has reached a buying decision ; the only obstacle that prevents a consummation of the sale lies in the fact that he is reluctant to act at once upon the decision which he has reached. Your selling effort, therefore, will be directed at urging upon him in one way or another the necessity for immediate action (Step III). The first part of the following letter is aimed at (1) getting the prospect to recognize a need that is met by time-saving (the central selling point) in office devices, and thus causing him to use time-saving as his standard of judgment in judging between different office devices. The standard of time-saving having thus been established, the corre- spondent then shows (2) its application to his make of office device, that is, he offers evidence that his office device saves more time than does any other: Dear Sir: You are busy. You have n 't time for a hundred and one really important things you would like to ' t get at. ' ' Shorthand dictation DELIBERATION : THE REASON WHY APPEAL 99 with its interruptions and annoyances and distractions, for ex- ample, eats up a lot of valuable time. You are a lot busier on non- essentials than j^ou should be. Not that you wouldn't get away from a system that is incon- venient, limited in dictation speed and in the production of finished type writing, to say nothing of its costing way above par of course you would if you knew a probably better way. All right, then consider the Dictaphone on the basis of its accom- plishment with thousands of other business men. The men who dictate to the Dictaphone appreciate its value as a personal asset in conserving time ; in getting the thing done instantly ; in being always available; unlimited in speed and capacity; absolutely accurate in short, because it is the ideal private secretary, with no human failings. You need the Dictaphone in your business. And we want you to give us the opportunity to prove it it won't cost you any- thing. We install the system, train your dictators and stenographers to use it without any interruption of your current work. If we don 't prove it will save its cost we will take it out and thank you for giving us the opportunity. Just give us the chance. Beginning the letter with Step I, as in the above example, gives the correspondent a tactical advantage. The central selling point (time- saving as applied to office devices) was originally selected by him as being directly in line with the needs of the prospect. Before planning the letter, the correspondent satisfied himself that business men want office devices that save time, rather than office devices that are attractive in appearance, or that have any other distinguishing merit. For this reason, the prospect is likely to agree almost immediately to the argument advanced in Step I, that is, to the argument that time-saving in office devices is a standard that meets his needs. His agreement having been won concerning this point, he is in a frame of mind that inclines him to agree concerning arguments next introduced as to the superior time- saving qualities of this particular make of product (Step II). Again, in developing Step I the writer is " talking" the prospect's needs, a discussion the prospect is certain to be vitally interested in. 100 THE PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL This the writer is doing, rather than emphasizing his desire to sell a certain make of product. The writer's attitude, in fact, is wholly lacking in partisanship. He does not at the outset try to limit the farmer, for example, to the purchase of a single make of tractor. On the other hand, he permits the farmer a wide field of choice, opening the way for him to make a judicial selection from among all makes of tractors. The only limitation the writer places upon the farmer's choice, is that selec- tion be made on the basis of superior endurance. By explaining in definite terms that this basis meets directly a vital need of the prospect, the correspondent shows him clearly that it is a logical one. Reliability is the standard of judgment established in the following letter. Just two short paragraphs at the beginning are given over to winning the prospect's acceptance, of this standard, by showing him that it meets his needs : Dear Sir : Upon your choice of a binder may depend your profit or loss from your grain crop, for after you have once started to cut the grain there is no time to wait for repairs on the machine you have purchased, or to look for another. The grain won't wait for you. There is but one way to buy a binder. That is on the strength of its reputation for doing good work year after year without breaking down. The Deering is such a binder. Over two millions have been sold, and farmers all over the country tell us of the use of Deer- ing machines for from twelve to fifteen years. Some of them have spent so little for repairs that they do not consider it worth men- tioning. This is because, etc We' assume, in working out the above o.u-tline, that the comparison the farmer makes is a comparison between your farm tractor and com- peting makes of farm tractors. That is, we assume that he accepts the necessity of buying farm tractors as a type of motive power and that it remains only for him to decide which particular make of farm tractor he will buy. This assumption is not always correct. It may be that the farmer js by no means certain that farm tractors as a type of motive power meet his needs more directly than do horses as a type. DELIBERATION: THE REASON WHY APPEAL '{ ;$p If he is in this frame of mind, the first comparison he will make will be not as between your farm tractor and competing makes of farm tractors, but as between farm tractors and horses. It is useless, then, in such instance, for you to proceed to prove your tractor superior to all other tractors in the market, for, even though he were convinced of this, he would say : * ' All well and good. I agree that you have the best farm tractor made. But I don't want to buy a tractor. I Ve always used horses for farm work, and I see no advantage in changing to tractors." His attitude would be similar to that of a housewife unfamiliar with the advantages of canned preserved fruits, or of canned soups, who might say: "You no doubt have the best canned fruits, and the best canned soups that are made. But I see no reason for buying fruit or soup in cans. I 'd rather put up my own fruits and make my own soup, as I Ve always done. ' ' The man planning the selling appeal, in such cases, is under the necessity of beginning his appeal by "educating" the rancher as to the advantages of a farm tractor, and the housewife as to the advantages of canned fruits and soups. The first step in the letter to the rancher consists in showing to him the advantage of using a tractor (not necessarily your tractor, but a tractor of any make) as against the disadvantages of continuing to do the work with a horse. Once the rancher admits it is to his benefit to replace his horses by tractor-power once he recognizes the need you may then convince him of the advantages of purchasing your tractor, rather than purchasing a tractor made by one of your competitors. A campaign of "education" was necessary before automobiles were substituted for delivery trucks, safety razors for the "old fashioned" razor, farm tractors for horses, and canned foods for foods prepared by the housewife. You may judge in your talks with the prospect whether or not "education" is necessary in his case. As a general rule, "education" is effective when (as in the case of a new invention) the prospect is unfamiliar with the advantages of the sort of product you have for sale ; or, again, when he is unaccustomed to spending money for a product of the same sort as yours, that is to say, when you have to change his buying habits by inducing him to spend money for something he has been getting along without. 102 THE PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL If you face the necessity of changing buying habits that are firmly fixed, the first two or three sales letters (or advertisements) in a series may be devoted entirely to "education." Selling arguments applicable to your particular make of product may, in later letters, be then intro- duced. The danger of overdoing the element of "education" (unless you have a monopoly) lies in the fact that you carry a double selling burden, i.e., you are pushing the sale of tractors as a class the sale of your competitors' tractor as well as your own. The selling appeal devoted to educating the prospect is developed in much the same way as any other direct sales letter ; the difference being that, in educating the prospect, you bring out the advantages of tractors as a type as against the disadvantages of horse-power and man-power rather than the advantages of your particular make of tractor as against the disadvantages of competing tractors. Dear Sir: The largest profit-eating feature in a man's business is his free delivery service, especially when he desires to give his cus- Education: tomers the promptest service that can be obtained. Acquainting Jn the lagt fgw yearg y(m haye no doubt noticed t h e Prospect with ^^ cageg where Motor Tn^fe have replaced Horses. ewe/i of Now there must be a good reason for such a change and Power nTfl ^ ere is ' The STAGE COACH has been replaced by the Type. railroad because Railroad Transportation is cheaper, quicker, more prompt, and more reliable than the STAGE COACH. The same principles apply to the change from horses to motor trucks. Now in your business you very likely have more horses and wagons in your service than you absolutely need, simply so you can be in a position to give your customers prompt service and keep from having your perishable articles spoiling by being carried around on a long trip under the hot sun, in the summer time, and from freezing, in the winter time. There is where you are running up your expense and losing money rapidly, a fact which you no doubt realize. Don't let the objection come into your mind that the cost of the investment in a motor truck is too high if you do, you are object- DELIBERATION : THE REASON WHY APPEAL 103 Folder de- pended upon in getting prospect to buy Interna- tional Truck rather than a truck manu- factured by competitors. ing too quickly. The cost of International Motor Trucks is no greater than the cost of horse and wagon outfits capable of doing the same work, and your saving comes in on MAIN- TENANCE. Business men who use International Motor Trucks say that figure as they may, they find that a Motor Truck costs less to maintain and keep up than horse and wagon outfits that do the same amount of work. Read over the enclosed folder note the construction of the International Motor Truck and the advantages of motor delivery. Write or 'phone us, and we shall tell you what a motor truck will do for you, showing you how you can add greater profits to your bank account. Education : Limiting the prospect to your "type" of product. "Buy our corn binder. Dear Sir : You would not think of harvesting your grain with a sickle this method is too slow and expensive. Then why cut corn with a knife? It is almost as slow and expensive a method as the other and just as imprac- ticable. Few men can cut more than an acre a day with a knife, while a man with a brisk walking team and a good corn binder can cut from five to seven acres without being tired at quitting time. As you know, there is one best time for cutting corn a period of only a few days when it is at its highest point of feeding value. A few days' delay on account of insufficient help, and the stalks and leaves, a good one-third the feeding value, will become dry and crisp and of little use for fodder. So with you it is probably not so much a question of a corn binder as it is which corn binder. We advise the Mil- waukee, naturally. But we have some good practical rea- Limiting the sons for doing so. prospect to It has a wide reputation for good work gained through a your make period of over 16 years service. Some of the first binders of product. ai . e s till doing good work. There is nothing new or untried about its construction to be worked out at your expense. It will do better work in short and thrashy corn than most machines because of two strong throat rods one below the lower 104 THE PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL conveyor chain and one above it. These hold the stalks firmly against the conveyor chains until the stalks reach the binding attachment. Among other conveniences the Milwaukee can be supplied with a thoroughly practical bundle loader in place of the bundle carrier, to be used in cutting corn for silo filling, or for immediate feeding purposes. This saves time and labor. Some of the good features of the Milwaukee corn binder will not be observed from a hasty examination on the sales floor. They are realized only after actual use we refer to the workmanship and materials that make it possible for the machine to work year after year without giving trouble. But there are a good many features that you will appreciate immediately. We invite you to see them at Brown Bros. The first three paragraphs in the following letter educate the farmer in the advantages of a grain drill as a type, over the disadvantages of sowing broadcast. The fourth paragraph is aimed at winning the farmer's acceptance of the central selling point "special design that meets the needs of the locality"; the fifth paragraph shows the applica- tion of this central selling point to the product, and the final para- graph is aimed as causing the farmer to act upon the basis of his buying decision formed by the preceding paragraphs : Dear Sir: (1) If every farmer in this country could use a good drill for seeding there would be a wonderful increase in the yield per acre. (2) Those who sow broadcast perhaps do not realize they are losing from four to six bushels per acre. In broadcasting, half the seed is not covered. It is blown away or picked up by the birds. Some of it, on the other hand, is covered so deep that it can never come up, and some of it is so thin that the grain will winter kill. (3) With properly drilled grain the stand in the field is even- no thin spots, no uneven grain, for the accurate feed sows the seed uniformly and the furrow openers place the seed in the ground evenly and cover it proper! y. At harvest time you DELIBERATION: THE REASON WHY APPEAL 105 will find a field of evenly-ripened grain, with an increased yield per acre that can be marketed at top price. (4) In selecting a drill, care should be taken to get one adapted to the section in which it is used. A grain drill good for one section of the country may not be adapted to another. (5) In this respect, the Kentucky drill stands at the top of the list. It is built to do the work in your locality, we believe, better than it can be done by any other drill. It has every adjustment for quickly regulating the desired quantity of grain to be sowed per acre. (6) Just examine the inclosed folder carefully and then examine the drill itself at Bayer Bros. They will explain the work- ings of the drill to you. And they will give you the names of successful and responsible farmers in this section who have never used anything but a Kentucky. The following advertisement is based upon the assumption that the prospect already has accepted the central selling point (Reliability) as his standard of comparison. No attempt is made to develop Step I of the appeal by Deliberation; the advertisement begins with Step II, showing that the central selling point applies to the product : THIS MAN CAN'T MAKE A MISTAKE IN TEMPERING PLUMB HAMMERS, HATCHETS, AND AXES Of the dozens of men who temper hammers, hatchets, and axes in the Plumb factory, NOT ONE ever makes a mistake. Not one of them ever allows a hammer, a hatchet, or an axe to get a degree too hot or too cold for perfect results. Because he can not. The remarkable perfection of workmanship in Plumb Hammers is not due to any superhuman qualities in the men. They are not required to judge of the metal by its color. The plumb tempering furnaces are watched by electrical pyrometers that maintain an exact heat ALL the time. Likewise the cooling bath is kept uniformly cool by a refrigerat- ing plant, adjusted to deliver fresh, cold water constantly at exactly the right temperature for the work in hand. 106 THE PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL It is impossible for the men who handle this work to make a mistake, because they are scientifically safeguarded. And be- cause of these safeguards, the PLUMB Hammer, Hatchet or Axe you buy is ALWAYS SURE to be tempered just right. To further insure PLUMB Hammers, Hatchets and Axes against variation of temper, they always are ground before be- ing tempered. Where this precaution is not taken, the heat of grinding is liable to draw the temper. We take no chances. Such refinements of manufacture make better tools and cause men to say of PLUMB Hammers, Hatchets, and Axes, "They 're worth more." The employment of Steps I, II, and III is exemplified in the following letter: Dear Sir: Some day this Spring, just after you have put in your crop, look at that field. Step I What you will see will be only the very outside of the soil. You won 't be able to see what makes the seed grow, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, etc. You know that these elements are there because they make standard of comparison." the seed grow > but you can * see them ' Don't you know that the same thing is true when you look at a machine? You see the outside only the surface yet the actual merit, the skill that has been built into the machine, lies underneath and can not be examined. Whatever quality is there comes out as service which you get, and you don't know how much quality is there until after you have used the machine. This should be especially remembered when it comes to pur- chasing a farm tractor. You may think that for you the day of the tractor is distant, but it is n 't. You, and every other good farmer, are coming to it sooner than you expect. We honestly believe that more quality has been built into the Titan 10-20 than into any other tractor made. Take the Step II carburetor, for example. It 's an exclusive, patented "Our trac- Titan f eature? an( j W JH handle anything from kerosene to DELIBERATION: THE REASON WHY APPEAL 107 tor is su gasoline, just as satisfactorily as 99 out of 100 other car- perior in buretors handle gasoline only. 'inbuilt' That means that from the Titan 10-20 you will get power quality." at the drawbar for about half the expense of gasoline power, because you know that kerosene is only half as expensive as gasoline. There is other quality built into the Titan that you can't see pistons, cylinders, oiling, ignition, power transmission every detail has been designed, after years of careful study, to operate satisfactorily on kerosene. That means the materials are of a different quality, differently heat treated, differently handled in the shop. Examine one of these machines at the store of your dealer, J. W. Brown. He '11 be glad to give you the names of some tep Titan owners close by and let you know when the tractor "There- . will be in the field. We '11 be willing to leave our case en- ctor" tirely in your hands if you will spend two hours in the field with the Titan. The above letter is planned on the following basis: Central selling point: " inbuilt" quality. Step I. (Matching central selling point with the needs of the prospect) "Any tractor that is superior in * inbuilt' quality will give you the best service on your farm ; therefore, it is to your in- terest to use ' inbuilt ' quality as a standard of comparison in judg- ing tractors. ' ' Step II. (Showing central selling point applies to the product) "Because of its construction, and of our years of experience, our tractor is superior in ' inbuilt ' quality. ' ' Step III. (Causing the prospect to act upon the basis of his buying decision formed by Steps I and II.) "Therefore take the necessary steps to buy our tractor, and thus, in the most effective way, to meet your needs." CHAPTER VIII THE CHOICE OF THE APPEAL OUTLINE I. The appeal by Suggestion is emphasized in selling products which enable the prospect to realize pleasure or satisfaction by gratifying an emotional desire. II. The appeal by Deliberation is emphasized in selling products which enable the prospect to realize a gain in dollars and cents. CHAPTER VIII THE CHOICE OF THE APPEAL THE appeal by Suggestion results in immediate action, the appeal by Deliberation results in delayed action. The latter is characterized by a resultant loss of time in causing the prospect to arrive at a buying decision. Why then employ the appeal by Deliberation at all? Why can not the man who has a product to sell, always rely upon the appeal by Sug- gestion, winning the prospect to his way of thinking without loss of time ? The answer is more or less obvious. The specific process by which the prospect arrives at a buying decision has direct relation to the na- ture of the product. Products may be serviceable or they may be of the nature of a lux- ury. In the purchase of a luxury, the memories and impressions stored in the subconscious mind, when once awakened by Suggestion, will likely impel the individual to act upon instinct. But not so, if the product is essentially of a serviceable nature, a product that promises gain in dollars and cents. In this latter case, the individual, before investing his money, will weigh carefully the advantages for and against purchase, and employing his reasoning mind he will arrive at a buy- ing decision by a process of Deliberation. ''Without thinking," the business man may purchase luscious oranges on display in the grocer's window that appeal to his instinct of appetite, and his wife may likewise purchase an expensive fur wrap displayed in the furrier's window that appeals to her instinct of exclusiveness. The oranges, and the expensive fur wrap, are products which enable the prospect to gratify emotional desires. But one can hardly imagine a business man deciding on impulse to buy a product of so serviceable a nature as an automobile delivery truck. Experienced salesmen know that he will, on the contrary, ' * rea- son out" the advisability of accepting such ideas as they want him to 111 112 THK SELLING APPEAL accept, and of taking such action as they want him to take. His busi- ness would soon suffer if this were not his habit. It is clear then that when the product gratifies an emotional desire, when it gives promise of pleasure and enjoyment, the appeal by Sug- gestion is indicated; and that when the product meets a need, when it gives promise of a gain in dollars and cents, the appeal by Deliberation is indicated. To advertising men, the appeal which is based upon the principles of Suggestion is known as the Short Circuit, or Human Interest, appeal ; the appeal which is based upon the principles of Deliberation is known as the Long Circuit, or Reason Why, appeal. The Short Circuit appeal, being based upon Suggestion, is therefore properly emphasized in selling all articles of an intimate and personal nature. Articles in this list include: (1) Foods, particularly such foods as gratify the sense of taste, rather than provide necessary nourishment. (2) Cigars, smoking tobacco, candy, drinks, since these afford personal enjoyment by enabling the prospect to gratify an appetite. (3) Wearing apparel, particularly such wearing apparel as im- proves the appearance. (4) Jewelry, toilet articles, expensive dresses, wraps, furs, and other products that give enjoyment by adorning the person. (5) Life insurance (unless it is regarded as an investment), safety devices, and similar articles that enable the prospect to look out for his own personal, safety and that of his family. (6) Motion pictures, phonographs, books, and similar products that contribute to the enjoyment of the prospect, and of his family, and do noit put money in the pocket. It is by no means always easy to determine whether a product comes under one sort of appeal or the other. An electric washing machine, for example, may be regarded as a highly useful article which meets a need by effecting a saving in time and money. Or it may be regarded as an article which enables the housewife to gratify her desire for rest and relaxation. An automobile may be regarded as meeting a need of the business man, or as enabling him, or his wife, to gratify a desire for THE CHOICE OP THE APPEAL 113 social prestige. The relative effectiveness of the two sorts of appeal in the case of any given product, may be determined by the salesmen on the road, or by the representative of the advertising agency in a house-to- house canvass, or, preferably, by both. Contrast the following two electric washer advertisements, the first emphasizing the Short Circuit appeal, tin 1 second emphasizing the Rea- son Why appeal : What a perfectly glorious gift. Blue Bird! solving forever the greatest problem, the greatest burden of housework. An hour or so of a morning and the week's washing vanishes. On the line by noon, without rubbing or puddling without work, without rending, without wear on the clothes. Such is the Blue Bird's way. Isn't it amazing to realize that now "the washing" is only a source of gladness a delightful means of unlimited cleanliness? The 1900 Cataract Washer operates on a Figure 8 principle, by which the sudsy, cleansing water is forced through the clothes in a figure H movement which sends it through them four times as often as does the ordinary washer. This is an exclusive feature of the 1!)0() Washer. You can swing the wringer which works electrically from the washer over to the rinse water, then to the blue water, and then to the clothes-basket, without moving or shifting the washer an inch. The gleaming copper tub has no parts to rub against the clothes to cause wear and tear, and no heavy cylinders to lift out and clean after the wash is finished. Delicate waists, fine underwear, or even bed and table linen can be washed in the 1900. This means a big saving in laundry bills. And you have the comfort- able knowledge that your clothes are not being washed in the same water as other people 's. Just connect your 1900 Washer with the electric light socket and pull back the lever. Off it starts, and in less than ten minutes out come the clothes, white and clean. Costs less than two cents an hour to operate. The tubs come in two sizes, holding the equivalent of eight and twelve sheets. 114 THE SELLING APPEAL The Blue Bird Washer advertisement, aimed at awakening the in- stinct of comfort, with its promise of rest and relaxation, gives no tangible, definite facts concerning the construction of the product such as would enable the reader, by employing her reasoning mind, to de- termine upon the selection of this make of washer rather than upon a washer of another make. The appeal is clearly centered on the emo- tions; there is but little attempt made to influence the reasoning mind. The 1900 Washer advertisement, on the other hand, gives concrete information about the construction of the product, telling of the ex- clusive Figure 8 construction and pointing out its advantages. The ad- vertisement thus offers the prospect opportunity to compare this dis- tinguishing feature with distinguishing features of competing washers she may have heard of and in this way to arrive at a logical, reasoned decision. This advertisement is clearly centered on the reasoning mind ; it awakens comparatively little emotional desire. The question of price may determine your selection of the sort of ap- peal that will be the most effective. The prospect of average means, ordinarily will not respond to instinct when the purchase necessitates the expenditure of a considerable sum of money. Buying assumes an importance that causes him to resort to reason, unless the desire to pos- sess is very keen indeed. A wealthy prospect, however, might well act upon impulse in making the same expensive purchase, since the expendi- ture of a considerable sum of money assumes in his mind no importance. Expensive automobiles, for pleasure, are thus sold on the basis of a Short Circuit appeal made to the inherited desire for such social distinction as comes from possessing any article that is costly and exclusive in type. If you are facing keen competition, it is generally advisable to de- vote relatively large space to the Reason Wliy appeal. By an appeal to the sense of taste, you may create a keen desire for oranges, yet the feature that distinguishes your brand of oranges may readily be one that can be made evident to the reasoning mind more easily than to the instincts. If you were to limit yourself to the Short Circuit appeal, it is quite likely that your competitors would reap a considerable share of the harvest springing from the seed sown by your advertisements and letters. Since women are emotitmal in nature, they are more likely to respond to the appeal to the emotions and instincts than are men. Business men THE CHOICE OF THE APPEAL 115 and farmers, and other men of practical dispositions, are less responsive to the emotional appeal than are writers, actors, and musicians. It is highly advisable, in planning the selling appeal, to take ad- vantage of employing both sorts of appeal in any given sales letter or advertisement, giving emphasis to that sort of appeal which the nature of the product indicates, and employing in support of the appeal thus emphasized, the second sort of appeal. In making a Reason Why appeal, for example, keep continually in mind that the reader, whether he be a lawyer, druggist, or business man, is responsive to human emotions and instincts ; that, apart from his in- terest in effecting a gain in dollars and cents, he, in common with mil- lions of others, will respond to an emotional appeal to pride, ambition, loyalty, fear, etc. To illustrate : You are trying to sell an automobile delivery truck to the owner of a department store. Since your product is essentially a serviceable one, you begin with the Reason Why appeal, by matching his needs. You devote the greater part of the appeal to show him that the purchase of your truck will save him more money than would his purchase of a competing .truck. Once you have made this clear, you can spur him to immediate action by a Short Circuit appeal to his inherited instinct of ambition, that is, to his desire to get ahead of those who are compet- ing with him, by saying : Competition is mighty keen these days, as you know. And three of your competitors have cut down delivery costs by buying A. B. C. trucks. That means they are now able to sell at a lower figure than the other fellow, because their overhead has been re- duced. Indeed, it is impossible to present any buying proposal to the pros- pect's reasoning mind without awakening some emotional reaction; for inherited instincts, reflecting as they do the experience of the race over a period of centuries, are many and varied. In selling stock in a new concern, you may devote an hour or two to the presentation of logical arguments aimed at convincing the prospect's reasoning mind of the probability of a generous financial return upon the investment. You calculate that he will form his buying decision deliberately, having 116 THE SELLING APPEAL calmly and coolly balanced the chances of financial gain against the chances of financial loss. And yet, in the end, his instinct of acquisi- tiveness having been awakened, he may form his buying decision im- pulsively rather than deliberately. Thus there is opportunity to employ the Short Circuit appeal effectively even in those advertisements and letters in which the Reason Why appeal is emphasized. Contrariwise, in making the Short Circuit appeal, do not necessar- ily limit yourself to the play upon human instincts; bring in oppor- tunely the selling argument that matches a need. In selling eyeglasses, for example, you may begin with a Short Circuit appeal to the pros- pect's inherited fear of dimming vision, and develop this in the bod\ r of the appeal. Then, changing you tack, show him a Reason Why your eyeglasses, by increasing his business efficiency, will enable him to ef- fect a gain in dollars and cents. In many other cases, when, by the appeal to the instincts, you are able to create a keen desire for your product, it will often be necessary to add a definite "reason why" your product is superior, before the prospect will act upon the urging of his desire. I. Attention Interest II. Desire Belief III. Conviction IV. Action CHAPTER IX THE STEPS OF THE SELLING APPEAL OUTLINE The Beginning of the Selling Appeal. Description and Explanation. Proof. Persuasion Inducement Clincher. CHAPTER IX THE STEPS OP THE SELLING APPEAL BEFORE applying the principles underlying the Appeal by Sugges- tion and the principles underlying the Appeal by Deliberation, it is necessary that we have clearly in mind the various separate elements of the selling appeal. These may be outlined as follows: (1) Attention. (2) Interest. (3) Desire. (4) Belief. (5) Conviction. (6) Action. Consider first : (1) Attention. jThe Beginning of the (2) Interest. [Selling appeal. These two steps are accomplished by and in the Beginning of the business letter or advertisement. You must attract the Attention of the prospect to your written selling appeal, to bring it under his considera- tion at all. In the case of a business letter, this is comparatively easy. Not often do business men toss a letter unopened into the wastebasket. In the case of advertisements, however, the task of winning attention is comparatively a difficult one. As the prospect turns the pages of the magazine, he is not unlikely to pass your advertisement by, with scant 'attention, or with none at all, unless some attention-getting factor inherent in the illustration, in the catchline, in the arrangement or in the "lay-out" of the advertisement, happens to grip and hold his at- tention. Attention will be but momentary unless you so order your selling 119 120 THE STEPS OF THE SELLING APPEAL appeal as straightway to develop attention into interest. Interest is at- tention intensified, or galvanized into something more vital than a de- vice to catch the eye for the moment. Illustrations in colors attractive to the eye and catchlines in type that is distinctive and striking will momentarily arrest attention. But to compel interest the illustration or the catchline must convey to the prospect a message recognized by him as having to do with the realization of his needs or of his desires. Or, it must convey to him a message that makes so strong an appeal to his curiosity as to cause him to want to know what is dealt with next in the advertisement ; or, a message that tells him that the information con- tained in the advertisement is new, unusual, or linked with the news of the day, or with things of general interest to him. Similarly, the prospect will be interested in the opening paragraph of your business letter only in case that paragraph promises him a benefit or gain, only in case it makes a strong appeal to his curiosity, or contains informa- tion, of the sort that is certain to be of general interest to him. Consider now : (3) Desire J Description and (4) Belief | Explanation Attention won and interest compelled, the next step is to create a desire to possess the product you have for sale. Description and Ex- planation accomplishes this by "telling about" 1 the product in such a way as to enable the prospect to see the application of its uses to his interests. A desire for a product always is associated in one's mind with the possession of the product, and with its employment to one 's own ends. Once having caused the prospect to desire to possess the product, you must next awaken in his mind a feeling of belief. Earnestness, sin- cerity, and truthfulness on the part of the man who writes the selling appeal will result, on the part of the prospect, in a belief in the product and in the firm that manufactures it. In telling about your product, avoid therefore the slightest semblance of exaggerated claims; let your selling appeal reflect a genuine desire to serve the best interests of the prospect. i For a discussion of the employment of Description and Explanation in telling about your type of product, and in telling about your central selling point, see Chapter X, page 131. DESCRIPTION AND EXPLANATION 121 Obviously, in employing Description and Explanation, that is, in telling about your product, you can not tell all about it- If you were to tell everything there is to tell about a product so relatively simple as a match, you would write a volume. You could begin by giving a de- scription of the physical appearance of the match; you would then be employing Direct Description. You could then go on to tell of all the various factors that go into the making of the match, starting with the tree in the forest, the cutting of it down, the sawing of it up, the get- ting of the wood to the factory; you could then tell of the factory methods, of the factory workers themselves, and of the innumerable operations that enter into production. Description of this sort we call Description By Make-Up. You could then go on to tell of the uses to which a match is put ; for lighting of fires, nightly, in a myriad of hom.es, of candles on a thousand altars, of gas jets by housewives preparing the evening meal, of the after-dinner cigar by the man of the house, and so on indefinitely. This sort of description telling of the service ren- dered by the product, that is, telling of the uses to which it may be put, we call Description By Use. We have, then, three general types of Description and Explanation : (1) Direct. (2) ByMake-Up. (3) By Use. In employing Description and Explanation in the selling appeal, we must necessarily limit ourselves to those few definite details concern- ing the physical appearance, the make-up, and the use, of the product, that are most certain to influence the prospect in reaching his buying decision. In the catalogue, pamphlet, or circular supplementing the selling appeal as set forth in the advertisement or letter, we may tell more in detail about the product. But even here the details we give must be carefully selected. Consider now: (5) Conviction. | Proof. The prospect's belief that your product will meet his needs, or gratify his desires, may be developed into conviction by Proof; in other words, his belief may, by this means, be developed into a feeling of certainty. There are two kinds of Proof : Direct and Indirect. 122 THE STEPS OF THE SELLING APPEAL Direct Proof * consists of definite, concrete evidence that your prod- uct, when put to. the test of performance, has "made good." Direct Proof may be in the form of an official record of an endurance test through which your product has passed successfully; or it may consist of statements of satisfied owners. Indirect Proof consists in any evidence of your willingness to allow the prospect himself to put the product to the test of performance, thus enabling him to judge whether or not the product "makes good." An offer of demonstration is a form of Indirect Proof, since it enables the prospect to test your product by performance before definitely com- mitting himself to its purchase. When you send the prospect a sample of your product, you are offering him Indirect Proof, since the sample gives him an opportunity of himself putting the product to the test of performance. Consider now: (6) Action: (a) Persuasion. (b) Inducement. (c) Clincher. The prospect is now convinced that it is to his interest to purchase the product. It but remains for you to cause him to act at once upon the basis of this conviction, not permitting him, through procrastination, to put off his purchase. The three remaining elements of the selling appeal Persuasion, In- ducement, and Clincher all are aimed at causing the prospect to act at once upon his conviction that the product will meet his needs, or upon his conviction .that the product will gratify his emotional desires. (6) Action. (a) Persuasion. Proof convinces the prospect that your product has "made good" for other users. Persuasion convinces the prospect that the product will make good for him. In effecting this you must match the product as definitely as possible with his needs or with his emotional desires. Thus iFor a discussion of the employment of Proof in connection with your type of product, and in connection with your central selling point, see Chapter X, page 131. PERSUASION; INDUCEMENT; CLINCHER 123 it will be seen that Persuasion is nothing more nor less than the "you" attitude that dominates the entire selling appeal. Sometimes, however, a short paragraph of Persuasion, aimed at vividly summing up for the prospect the immediate benefit to him that will result from purchase, is placed near the end of the selling appeal. (6) Action. (b) Inducement. Any concession in price or terms, any offer of service or any offer of assistance to the prospect, may be looked upon as an Inducement, since it marks a departure from the routine of ordinary business trans- actions, it being on your part a special effort to get the prospect to buy. The Inducements most familiar to us are : special reduction of price for a limited period; installment payments; premiums; free repair service for a specified period after purchase. (6) Action (c) The Clincher. The Clincher, or climax, of the selling appeal contains three ele- ments. These are : (1) "Make it easy for the prospect to order." x (2) Employ a psychological urge to "do it now." 1 (3) Sum up persuasively the central selling appeal. In "making it easy for the prospect to order," remove insofar as possible all obstacles which make buying an effort. Inclose an order blank or appointment blank which easily may be filled out ; or inclose a stamped, addressed envelope. Or, give him the telephone number of your local agent or representative, so that it will require a minimum of effort for him to ask for a demonstration or for him to place an order. The psychological urge to "do it now" is as a rule put in the im- perative form, the form of command, since the prospect's tendency is to obey a direct command. "Do it NOW ! " " Sign the enclosed coupon today ! " " Act at once ! ' ' are the expressions that, in the past, have been in general use. But these old expressions are fast wearing out and it behooves the correspondent of today to coin other expressions, carrying i Compare Chapter V, page 72. 124 THE STEPS OF THE SELLING APPEAL the same import but echoing not so familiarly in the ear of the prospect. In bringing in this element of the Clincher, proper care must be exer- cised to avoid the appearance of a too positive and dictatorial attitude. The third and most important element of the Clincher is the vigor- ous, brief summing up of the central selling appeal with a view to "driv- ing home" its application to the prospect. At the end of the selling ap- peal, it is often possible to sum up so vigorously the argument that has gone before that the final impression of opportunity for gain left in the prospect's mind is a forceful stimulus to immediate action. CHAPTER X THE REASON WHY APPEAL OUTLINE The four steps of Deliberation, in their relation to the six elements of the selling appeal. CHAPTER X THE REASON WHY APPEAL A CAREFUL reading of Chapter VII on Deliberation will enable ~\ the writer of the selling appeal to determine just what line of argument he is going to stress in mapping out the Reason Why appeal. After applying the principles set forth in Chapter VII, he will know just how much stress he is to place upon each one of the four steps of Deliberation, and, indeed, whether he may not omit altogether one or more of the steps. These steps, to recapitulate, are: (I) Educating the prospect to accept the use of your type of product. (II) Causing the prospect, now that he has accepted the use of your type of product, to accept your central selling point as his standard of comparison in judging between products of this type. (III) Causing the prospect, now that he has accepted your central selling point as his standard of comparison, to agree that, judged in accordance with this standard, your product is superior. (IV) Causing the prospect to act upon the basis of his buying decision formed by the previous steps. Having determined which of these four steps are to be emphasized, and which are to be dealt with briefly, or disregarded entirely, the ad- vertiser, or the business correspondent, is now ready to plan the Reason Why appeal step by step in accordance with the elements of the selling appeal which were outlined in the last chapter. These elements are : r Attention I. The Beginning J T [Interest , ^ fDesire II. Description and Explanation .{ _ . . 127 128 THE REASON WHY APPEAL III. Proof Conviction IV. Persuasion 1 Inducement L Action Clincher T ml -p, . . rAttention I. The Beginning J T x | Interest In the Beginning of the Reason Why appeal, the aim is to win the prospect's attention and compel his interest, by causing him immediately to recognize the existence of a need. The various methods, ineffective and effective, of beginning the Reason Why appeal, may be illustrated as follows : I. Ineffective (a) Product emphasized: "My make of farm tractor is the best on the market." (b) Concern emphasized: "My concern makes the best farm tractors made. ' ' II. Effective. Needs and interests of prospect emphasized: "You can do twice as much work on the farm, at less cost, if you em- ploy farm tractors rather than horses." It is to be noted, in the above effective Beginning, that Education, the first step in the Deliberative Process, is taken up. The advertiser deems it necessary to take up this first step because he feels that the prospect has not as yet accepted the superiority of tractors as a type of motive power, over horses as a type of motive power. Did the advertiser feel, on the other hand, that the prospect already had been educated in the use of tractors as a type of motive power, he would eliminate this first step and he would take up, in the Beginning, the second step in the Deliberative Process : Causing the prospect to ac- cept the central selling point as his standard of comparison. This step can be developed as follows: "You can do more work on your farm, at less cost, if you em- ploy that farm tractor which has superior endurance." Again, did the advertiser feel that the prospect already had accepted THE BEGINNING OF THE APPEAL 129 endurance as a standard of comparison in judging between different makes of tractors, he would eliminate the first step, as well as the second step, and he would take up, in the Beginning, the third step of the De- liberative Process: Causing the prospect to agree that, judged in ac- cordance with the standard of endurance, the advertiser's make of tractor is superior. This step can be developed as follows : "You can do more work on your farm, at less cost, if you em- ploy my make of tractor. Because of its patented engine, it has superior endurance." And, finally, did the advertiser feel that the prospect already had agreed that the advertised make of tractor is superior in endurance to competing makes of tractors, he would eliminate this tnird step; as well as the first and second steps, and would take up, in the Beginning, the fourth step of the Deliberative Process: Causing the prospect to act at once upon the basis of a buying decision already formed. This step can be developed as follows : "You realize that you can do more work on your farm, at less cost, if you buy my make of tractor. But the opportunity to make more money by harvesting a larger and better crop, will be lost to you unless you act at once. The time when you will need a tractor, is at hand; our supply of tractors is limited." It is thus clear that any one of the four steps of the Deliberative Process can be taken up in the Beginning of the selling appeal. It like- wise is clear that, no matter which of the four steps you deem it is wise to take up, you should emphasize the needs and interests of the prospect. The more personal and direct the Beginning, the more closely linked with the daily needs, and with daily experiences of the individual pros- pect or group of prospects, the more certain is it to be effective. Con- trast, in this regard, the following two Beginnings, each of which empha- sizes Education : (I) Dear Sir: Farmers all over the United States are face to face today with the problem of keeping hired help on the farm. Wages of farm workers, already double what they used to be, are going up 130 THE REASON WHY APPEAL steadily. And it 's mighty hard to get workers during the busy season at any price. The man who is helping with your farm work might quit to- morrow. That 's something to worry about, is n 't it ? But you would n 't have to worry if you had a gasoline motor on the job to do your heavy work. Gasoline motors don't go on a strike. Day in and day out, they more than take the place of hired men. (II) Dear Sir: What would you do if your hired man quit tomorrow ? That 's something to worry about, is n 't it ? . But you would n 't have to worry if you had a gasoline motor on the job to do the heavy work. Day in and day out, gasoline motors more than take the place of hired men. They never go on a strike, and the wages you pay them in operation and mainte- nance costs are mighty low. That 's a big item these days, when you, and thousands of other farmers all over the United States, are face to face with the prob- lem of keeping hired help on the farm. The wage of farm work- ers, already double what it used to be, is going up steadily, isn't it ? And it 's mighty hard to get workers during the busy season at any price. The second Beginning is more effective than the first, because it gives definite, vivid impression to a problem undoubtedly in the pros- pect's mind. There is a definiteness a concreteness to that incisive 1 'What would you do if your hired man quit tomorrow?" that brings up in the prospect's mind a definite, vivid picture of a need linked in- timately with his daily life. It therefore grips his interest much more surely than the more general proposition, "Farmers all over the United States are face to face today with the problem of keeping hired help on the farm." The prospect faces this problem, to be sure, but it is not presented from his individual viewpoint ; it is not linked closely with his daily life. It is not always possible to make the Beginning of an advertisement as personal as is the Beginning of the second letter quoted above, since in the former the selling appeal is aimed at a large number of prospects DESCRIPTION AND EXPLANATION 131 whose daily needs and interests while similar are not likely identical. However, its Beginning should be as personal and direct as is compatible with the dissimilar individual needs and interests of those to whom the selling appeal is directed. C Desire II. Description and Explanation j . III. Proof Conviction In developing each of the first three steps of the Deliberative Process, Description and Explanation, and Proof, are employed as follows : In developing Step I, you employ Description and Explanation when you tell of the work a tractor can accomplish compared with the work horses can accomplish (Description by Use) ; and you employ Proof when you cite the experience of a farmer who has been able to accomplish more more work, at less cost, by substituting tractor power for horse power. In developing Step II, you employ Description and Explanation when you tell of the work any tractor which is superior in endurance can accomplish (Description by Use) ; and you employ Proof when you cite the experience of a farmer who has been able to accomplish more work, at less cost, by employing a tractor which is superior in endurance. In developing Step III, you employ Description and Explanation when you tell of the work which your particular nxake of tractor, because of its superior endurance, can accomplish (Description by Use) ; and you employ Proof when you cite the experience of a farmer who has been able to accomplish more work, at less cost, by employing your make of tractor. Thus in the first three steps of the Deliberative Process, Description and Explanation, and Proof, concern themselves with : The tractor as a type: Step I. Tractors as their usefulness is affected by the quality of en- durance: Step II. Your particular make of tractor: Step III. In this chapter, we shall deal with the principles underlying the use of Description and Explanation, and Proof, as these principles are applied in Step III, since, in this third step, these two elements of the selling appeal concern themselves with the important task of acquainting 132 THE REASON WHY APPEAL the prospect with the merits of our particular make of tractor. Once the application of these principles in Step III is clearly understood, their application in Steps I and II can readily be deduced. In Step III, in employing Description and Explanation, you "tell about" the features which distinguish your make of tractor (physical appearance, construction, uses) in such a way that the prospect will be led to believe in its superior endurance. This element in the written appeal takes the place of the salesman's demonstration. In employing Proof, you advance concrete evidence of the superiority of your tractor, in such a way that the prospect's belief in its superior endurance will develop into conviction. (II) Description and Explanation. Direct Description, that is, a description of the physical appearance of the product, rarely is employed in selling a product that meets a need. Obviously the prospect is more interested in the construction of the product, or in its uses, than he is in "what it looks like." If the product will render him the sort of efficient and economical service you lead him to expect, he will not particularly care whether or not the product itself is attractive in appearance. Description By Make-Up and Description By Use are therefore ordinarily emphasized in the Reason Why appeal. Every product that is placed upon the market should be associated in the mind of the buying public with a single distinguishing feature that sets it apart from its competitors. That is, every manufacturer should have a potential monopoly. This distinguishing feature may have to do with any one of the numerous factors that go into the manu- facture or "make-up," of the finished product; such as the sort of ma- terials used, the care exercised in factory inspection, or the care taken in the training of workmen, or with the special processes of manufac- ture, or with the long established business reputation of the concern. It may have to do with some special service the product will render that other products of the same type are not capable of rendering, or, at least, not so efficiently. In any case it will serve to give the product individuality in the mind of the prospect; it will serve to furnish him with a concrete Reason Why he should buy your product, rather than a competing product. DESCRIPTION AND EXPLANATION 133 Consider the distinguishing features, established in the public mind by means of description and explanation, that identify the follow- ing products with their related central selling points: Timken Roller Bearings. Central Selling Point : endurance. Distinguishing feature: tapered shape of bearing. Miller Tires. Central Selling Point : uniform endurance. Distinguishing feature: method of training workmen. South Bend Watch. Central Selling Point: accuracy. Distinguishing feature: method of testing watch for accuracy, in the four positions in which it is carried or placed by the owner. Billings and Spencer Company. Central Selling Point: reliability, "Rely on me." Distinguishing feature : perfected methods of manufacture, due to the fact that this is the oldest established firm of its kind in America. Stafford's Ink. Central Selling Point : ease of operation. Distinguishing feature: since this ink absorbs moisture from the air, it will not become "gummy." The above examples suffice to emphasize the importance in advertise- ments and sales letters of Description and Explanation. This element alone gives to your product individuality, distinctiveness. It alone sets your product apart, in the eyes of the prospect, from other products of the same or of a similar type, and thus gives him when ordering a logical reason for specifying your brand. A good way of testing the effectiveness of Description and Explanation is this: erase the name of your concern from your advertisement or letter, and substitute the name of another concern in the same line of business. If the selling appeal, with the competitor's name substituted, is equally effective, your descrip- tion and explanation has failed to serve its purpose. It has consisted simply in a blanket and general claim that any manufacturer can make for his product, rather than in a definite and specific claim that brings 134 THE REASON WHY APPEAL out some distinctive feature characteristic of your particular make of product. In making the appeal that matches a need, the distinctive feature of your product then must be one that will clearly show the product's superiority over competing products. This does not mean that, in de- veloping your Reason Why appeal, you must emphasize the weak points about competing trucks, for example, as well as the strong points about your make of truck. Such a step is seldom the part of wisdom. Your task is to concentrate the prospect 's attention upon your product ; and to accomplish this it is as a rule necessary to avoid bringing in com- peting ideas. At the same time -you must realize that, since the product meets a need, the prospect will weigh arguments you advance on behalf of your product with arguments he has heard in favor of products manu- factured by competitors. Your best plan is to emphasize the merit of your product that will most readily show its superiority over com- peting products; then, when the prospect makes the comparison that he is certain to make, the result will be favorable to your product. Note that the distinguishing features of the Timken Roller Bear- ing, Miller Tires, and other serviceable products, are of the sort that make an appeal to the intellect, that is, to the reasoning mind, rather than to the emotions. The tapered shape of a bearing arouses little or no emotion ; it does, however, appeal readily to the intellect as a feature of interest and importance; it starts the prospect to weighing, in his reasoning mind, this feature of superiority with other features he has heard brought forward by other makers of bearings. The method of training workmen, employed as a distinguishing feature by the company manufacturing Miller Tires, makes a similar intellectual appeal. These are the sort of downright, practical features employed in the Reason Why appeal. The following are examples of Description and Explanation setting forth, in the Reason Why appeal, a distinctive feature of the product : Product: Kelly Caterpillar Truck Tires. Central Selling Point: Superior Traction. Distinguishing Feature : "Kelly Caterpillar Truck Tires operate in exactly the same manner as an elephant's foot. The system of side air pockets forms a irumber of massive segments, each of which spreads as it DESCRIPTION AND EXPLANATION 135 comes under load compression, gripping the ground, preventing skidding and slipping, and making the truck as sure-footed as an elephant. "This system of air pockets is patented. No other tire manu- facturer can use it. ' ' Product : Duracord, Central Selling Point : Endurance. Distinguishing Feature: "Duracord is different. It has a covering of thick, heavy strands woven like fire hose. It can be battered and pounded and abused and stand up as no other cord will. (Illustration) "Here is the ordinary braided cord cable cover- ing. Note the open and porous covering, easily cut, stretched or unravelled. Compare it with Duracord. (Second Illustration) "Here is Duracord thick heavy strands woven like a piece of fire hose, not braided. Picture shows outside covering only, with impregnating compound removed." (Ill) Proof. Proof, as it is employed in Step III, may consist of any statement that shows your product has stood the actual test of performance, or any statement that shows your willingness to let the prospect judge of its superior merit by himself putting it to the test of performance. Since Proof thus consists of evidence of your product's superiority that admits of no dispute, it is one of the most important elements of the Reason Why appeal. Every such selling appeal should have in it the element of Proof. Proof may consist of a sentence or two giving the experience of a satisfied user of your product, as : Wanamakers gave our office filing system a trial six months ago, to see whether or not it would actually effect a saving in time. They have just notified us that they are going to install the system in all their offices. In the above letter, the central selling point is "time saving"; the purpose of the Proof employed is to convince the prospect that this par- ticular make of filing cabinet will save him more time than any other make. It will thus be seen that Proof, like Description and Explana- 136 THE REASON WHY APPEAL tion, is linked closely with the central selling point, the purpose of both of these elements being to show the prospect the application of the central selling point to the product, Here is another example of Proof which consists of a recital of the experience of a satisfied user: It is usual to think of Italy when we think of the best maca- roni. When we started to make LUXURY macaroni and spa- ghetti, we had this in mind. The inclosed letter from the cap- tain of an Italian steamship gives us an idea of how closely we follow our ideal. The letter was written some time ago. The captain was in last week to order a supply for his next voyage. Many advertisements and sales letters are built almost solely around Proof. This practice may be safely followed only when the prospect already has (1) been educated to the use of the type of your product, and when he has (2) accepted your central selling point as his standard of comparison, and when he has (3) accepted the application of the cen- tral selling point to your product, and thus has a clear understanding of the distinguishing feature which sets apart your product from other products. Therefore, advertisements or letters devoted solely to Proof come after the advertising campaign has been under way for some time. The following is an advertisement of this type : THE VERDICT OF MILLIONS OP TIRE MILES "We kept cost records of standard makes of truck tires and as a result adopted Goodyear Solid Tires for all our 12 trucks. Our experience with them dates from 1915, and has been decidedly gratifying, mileages always averaging at least 15,000 and running up to 33,000." . . . Burton Phinney, Purchasing Agent, City Fuel Co., Boston. The first Goodyear Solid Tire ever used by the City Fuel Com- pany of Boston ran 29,000 miles. This was by no means an extraordinary Goodyear mileage but it was an unusual mileage for the City Fuel Company. It was their introduction to the stamina of the Goodyear Solid Tire after experience with practically all other well-known makes. So more of the tenacious Goodyear Solid Tires immediately were put to the test of the concern's severe hauling duty. PROOF 137 Officials checked the records as these tires labored month after month out of the littered coal yards and over many rough pave- ments with dead-weight tonnages. In due time it was observed that, while the greatest individual mileage obtained from another make had been 12,000, all the Goodyear mileages averaged 25 per cent higher. Indeed, it was observed and recorded that all the Goodyear Solid Tires on the trucks carrying the heaviest burdens averaged above 20,000 miles. Subjected to conditions such as most quickly grind the miles out of tough rubber compounds, these tires had demonstrated the superiority of their treads. Punished constantly by strains such as sometimes wrench solid tires loose from steel bases, these had proved the massive strength of their whole construction. Now, the major result of the City Fuel Company's experience, totalling millions of tire miles, is noted in the fact that every wheel of every truck is Goody ear-shod. In indicating another factor in this result, the company points to important attention received from a local Goodyear Truck Tire Service Station, one of hundreds serving truck owners everywhere throughout the country. (IV) (A) Persuasion. (B) Inducement. [-Action (C) Clincher. Persuasion. Inducement, and Clincher, do not concern themselves so much with causing the prospect to form a decision, as they concern themselves with causing him to act upon a decision already formed, or at least, already partly formed. These three elements therefore are largely devoted to developing the fourth and last step of the Delibera- tive Process : Causing the prospect to act upon the basis of a buying decision already formed. (A) Persiiasion. Your aim in employing Persuasion is to cause the prospect to act at once upon his buying decision, by impressing upon him as briefly and 138 THE REASON WHY APPEAL as directly as possible the immediate benefit to him from the purchase of the product. The following paragraph of Persuasion, which was placed near the end of a sales letter, applies the uses of the product directly to daily tasks of the individual prospect : Think a minute in your order and invoice department, where work is constant and where the biggest economics can be shown in all the varied elements of your business how frequently the call comes for a number of copies of some bulletin, office report, or form. A great many times you turn down the proposition because of the difficulty in getting copies. If you had DITTO, with its accurate simplicity, with its speed and economy, you would go ahead without hesitation. Persuasion, in the Reason Why appeal, also may consist of a para- graph or two of Short Circuit appeal, aimed at arousing the emotions. The letter from which the following paragraph is taken is devoted in large part to the Reason Why appeal, the central selling point being "saving in money," and the product being one that meets a need. This final paragraph, however, consists in a Short Circuit appeal to the emo- tion of fear : But our factory equipment not only saves you money. It en- ables you to sleep nights, and to spend your days free from worry. You know that men who are working with you are safe from ac- cidental death. You know that the time will never come when a workman from the factory floor will rush into your office with the dreaded word: "Brown has been killed; he touched the un- protected switch ! ' ' (B) Inducement. Any offer which will enable the reader to purchase your product under especially advantageous terms, or any offer which will enable him, after he has purchased it, to realize from its use added advantages not realized by the purchaser of the average product, may be classed as an Inducement. Here is a "service" Inducement offered in the final paragraph of a sales letter: PERSUASION; INDUCEMENT; CLINCHER 139 When you send in your orders, be sure to tell me if you must have immediate delivery, for your need always brings special service. I can smooth out the wrinkles caused by worry over de- layed shipments, and bring a smile of contentment to your face. Here is a " price" Inducement offered in the final two paragraphs of another sales letter : Normally, when an argument like ours is advanced, it is gen- erally in the way of an explanation of an increase in price. You, therefore, will be agreeably surprised at the price we are selling LUXURY. It is lower than the prices quoted by our standard competitors. Mr. Blackmail, our salesman, will be in Chicago. He will have samples of LUXURY. Once you see them, you will be convinced that our story of quality has a true ring. He will quote you a price that will be an agreeable surprise to you in these days of high prices. I believe his visit will result in a mutually advan- tageous arrangement. (C) Clincher, or Climax. (1) Make it easy for the prospect to order. (2) Employ a psychological urge to "do it now." (3) Sum up persuasively the central selling appeal. (1) Make it easy for the prospect to order. The following example illustrates the method employed in making it pv)ssible for the prospect to order with as little ' * bother ' ' as possible. Indicate the items you want by checking them off on the order blank. I 've had the girl typewrite in your name and address at the top, so you won't have to bother to do that. Just initial the blank with your pen or pencil and return it to us in the stamped, addressed envelope provided. (2) Employ a psychological urge to "do it now." The following example illustrates this principle: Indicate on the order blank the items you want; then put the blank in the inclosed envelope. That 's all you have to do. But HO THE REASON WHY APPEAL you will always look upon it as a mighty good day's work. If you put the blank aside, you may forget it. Fill it out, now. (3) Sum up persuasively the central selling appeal. This is most effectively accomplished if the summing up be expressed in a short sentence or two, as in the following examples : Remember while your typist is fumbling with the carbon paper for six or eight copies, the DITTO operator is running off the entire set. (Central Selling Point: "Ditto saves time.") Think this over our goods don't need clerks to push them across they pull themselves. (Central Selling Point: ''The ready demand for Council Meats, a demand created by adver- tising backed by quality, means profits for the grocer.") The three elements of the Clincher are most often combined in a single brief paragraph at the end of the letter, as in the following example : Sign your name on the inclosed postcard and start it on its way to us right now. The sooner you place your order, the sooner will profits begin to come in. These various elements of the selling appeal, as applied in this chap- ter to the Reason Why appeal, will be discussed separately and in detail in following chapters. It is true that each of the separate elements is not always present in definite, concrete form in every Reason Why advertisement, or in every Reason Why sales letter. Each of the ele- ments, however, must play its part in the selling campaign as a whole, for to cause the prospect to arrive at a definite and logical buying decision the campaign as a whole must first win the prospect's attention, must develop his attention into interest by awakening in him a recogni- tion of a need, must develop his interest into a desire to possess the product, must develop his desire into belief in the product, must develop his belief into conviction, and his conviction into action. In planning the Reason Why appeal, the wise salesman takes into consideration these separate stages in the process of consummating the sale ; weighs one carefully against the other; decides which elements are to be given cardinal emphasis, which elements are to be emphasized but little, and, it may be, which elements, emphasized in previous selling appeals, may be now dispensed with altogether. CHAPTER XI THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL OUTLINE I. The aim of the Short Circuit Appeal is: (A) To cause the prospect to be aware of an emotional desire. (B) To cause him to associate this desire with the possession of your product. (C) To cause him instinctively to gratify the desire by purchasing your product. (A) To cause the prospect to be aware of an emotional desire: (1) The Beginning of the selling appeal. (B) To cause him to associate this desire with the possession of your product : (1) Description and Explanation. (2) Indirect Proof. (C) To cause him instinctively to gratify the desire by purchasing your product : (1) Persuasion. (2) Inducement. (3) Clincher. CHAPTER XI THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL RARELY, in employing the Short Circuit appeal, is it advisable to attempt to educate the prospect in the use of your type of product. Since the prospect's emotional desires are based upon mem- ories formed by his past experience, he will have no desire to possess a product of a type with which he is not familiar. Employ then the appeal to his reasoning mind in acquainting him with the nature of your type of product, and with the advantages of the type ; after he is familiar with the type of product, you may then employ the Short Circuit appeal. The aim of the Short Circuit appeal is to cause the prospect to be aware of an emotional desire ; to cause him to associate this desire with possession of your product, and, finally, to cause him instinctively to gratify the desire by purchasing the product. With this fact in mind, consider the application to the Short Circuit appeal of the various elements of the selling appeal : C Attention (1) The Beginning j Jnterest In beginning the Short Circuit appeal you must at once win the prospect's interest by causing him to recognize the existence of an emo- tional desire. This beginning of an advertisement aimed at selling Libby's Apple Butter awakens in the very first sentence an emotional desire for appe- tizing food: REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE A KID HOW GOOD MOTHER'S APPLE BUTTER TASTED? Remember, after a hard day's play when you were so hungry you could n 't wait until meal time how mother used to cut off a generous slice of bread and cover it with thick apple butter. The following beginning of a sales letter aimed at selling mattresses 143 144 THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL awakens in the very first sentence an emotional desire for comfort, and for relaxation : Remember when you were a youngster how your mother used to say, " As soon as that child's head touches the pillow he 's asleep"? Your slumber could be as untroubled as that now if you slept on a Daly Mattress. ... , -r, , f Desire (II) Description and Explanation Belief In emplo3 r ing Description and Explanation in the Short Circuit ap- peal, you must tell about your product in such a way as to cause the prospect to attach to the product the emotional desire which you have awakened. In your Description and Explanation you may identify your product ; that is, you may acquaint the prospect with that distinguishing feature that sets it apart from competing products (as you did in the Reason Why appeal), but in the Short Circuit appeal, the distinguishing feature must be of the sort that associates itself with an emotional desire, and not with a gain in dollars and cents. Thus the Council Meats advertisements, making a Short Circuit ap- peal aimed at arousing an emotional desire for appetizing food, are planned on the following basis : Central Selling Point : Appetizing Qualities. Distinguishing Feature: " These foods are packed in the sun- light and fresh air of the country." In these Council Meats advertisements, illustrations depicting the pleasant, sunlit country near the packing plant, and words descriptive of this country, make an appeal to the emotions, rather than an appeal to the reasoning mind. The idea of the sunlit country scene causes the reader to associate the canned meats with things that are fresh and pure, because his subconscious mind furnishes him with memories of fresh country scenes which he himself has gazed upon. The following employment of Description By Use and of Description By Make-Up arouses pleasing sensations allied with the instinct of comfort : When you stretch out on a Daly Mattress, you simply can't help relaxing. It 's like lying on the soft, cool green of a summer DESCRIPTION AND EXPLANATION 145 meadow. You don't know there 's a bed under you. It 's buoy- ant, and yet it is soothing; you float away on a magic carpet, and when you get back it 's tomorrow morning. After you know the care put into the making of every DALY Mattress, however, you see the reason for this wonderful comfort. Down in Sunny Alabama, there 's a great cotton plantation where every ounce of cotton that goes into these mattresses is raised. All day long, week after week, this cotton is carefully tended by experts, and when picking time comes, great armies of men and boys gather the huge bales to send to our factories. Here it is carefully cleaned, and only the finest long-fibered parts are chosen to be pressed into layers of soft white felt. Seven of these layers are tightly packed into the mattress. The edges are carefully rolled and stitched time after time, so that unsanitary, dust-catching tufts are done away with. Thus a mat- tress of the utmost comfort and cleanliness is manufactured. (Ill) Proof Conviction Indirect Proof is more effective than is Direct Proof, in the Short Circuit appeal, for the reason that it is advisable to avoid inviting too direct a comparison between your product and competing products. Thus a table of comparative costs of operation would be out of place in a letter or advertisement emphasizing the appeal to inherited ten- dencies, but would be effective in making an appeal to the reasoning mind. The following single sentence of Proof is included in the Short Circuit letter aimed at selling mattresses: Thousands of healthy Americans came down to breakfast this morning clear-eyed and refreshed after a night of real rest on a Daly Mattress. Note that, even when employing the above sentence of Proof, the correspondent does not relax his effort to awaken the instinct of comfort. (IV) (A) Persuasion (B) Inducement (C) Clincher Action 146 THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL As in the Reason Why appeal, Persuasion, Inducement, and Clincher are employed in getting the prospect to act at once. (A) Persuasion. In the Short Circuit appeal Persuasion consists in matching your product with the emotional desires of the prospect, and not, as in the Reason Why appeal, with the needs of the prospect. Persuasion as employed in the Short Circuit appeal shows the prospect precisely wherein the product will give pleasure, or satisfaction, to him. Thus, in making the Short Circuit appeal, as in making the Reason Why appeal, it is evident that the persuasive, or "3^011" element, enters into the selling appeal as a whole. A separate short paragraph devoted solely to Persuasion is sometimes employed near the end of the Short Circuit appeal to focus accurately the prospect 's attention upon his own emotional desires as affected advantageously by possession of the prod- uct. The following two paragraphs of Persuasion are effective : Half the day's battle is won with a start like that. What 's that old story they always tell about a man who was grouchy because he got out of the wrong side of the bed ? Poor old fellow nine chances out of ten it was the bed itself and not the way he got out, that ruined his disposition. The competition in the business world today is too keen for any man to allow a sluggish brain or a sour disposition to handicap him. It is those few extra ounces of energy that pull you ahead in the race. (B) Inducement. Inducements are offered in accordance with the principles deduced in making the Reason Why appeal. For example : All over the United States this week the DALY Mattress is being sold at specially reduced prices. There is only one place in Berkeley where you can buy this mattress at Hink 's on Shattuck Avenue. They have put in a complete and varied stock for this sale. CLINCHER 147 (C) Clincher. As in the case of the Reason Why appeal, the Clincher consists of three elements : (1) Make it easy for the prospect to order. (2) Employ a psychological urge to "do it now." (3) Sum up persuasively the central selling appeal. The following Clincher is effective : Today is Monday; go in this morning while you have a wide choice and pick out the mattress that suits you. You '11 sleep like a child on it. For convenience, the Short Circuit appeal may be divided into two classes : (1) The appeal that awakens in the prospect a desire to gratify some sense; that is, to gratify the sense of smell, or the sense of touch, or the sense of hearing, etc. (2) The appeal that awakens in the prospect a desire to gratify some emotion; that is, to gratify the emotion of ambition, or the emotion of pride, etc. (I) The appeal to the senses. Description and Explanation is the element of the selling appeal that mainly is employed in the appeal to the senses. By "telling about" your product, about its attractive physical appearance, about the satis- fying uses to which it may be put, about the tempting ingredients that go into its making, you create in the mind of the prospect such a pleas- ing mental picture of the product, such a vivid anticipation of the pleasure that will result from its use, and such a keen realization of the pleasing ingredients used in its production, that he is moved to gratify his sense of taste, of smell, of hearing, of touch, or of sight, by pur- chasing it. The sight of luscious oranges temptingly displayed in the grocer's window, will cause the prospect to feel a keen urge to gratify his sense of taste by eating one. A mental picture that will be equally attractive (or as nearly so as possible) must be created in the advertisement or 148 THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL sales letter. The prospect must be made to visualize, in his mind's eye, the oranges, as scarcely less luscious, less tempting to the appetite, or less to be desired than do they appear to the physical eye. This is accom- plished by direct description, by giving the prospect an attractive picture of the physical appearance of the fruit. The appeal is doubly effective if accompanied by an illustration, as in the case of advertisements. Employing the appeal to the senses, a number of firms have seized upon the opportunity of including an attractive illustration of this kind in their letter-heads. A description of the enjoyment resulting from the use of the product also may be employed in the appeal to the senses. In the grocery store, the demonstrator may get the prospect to taste your brand of fresh fruit juice and thus to acquire at first hand a keen appreciation of the pleasure that results from its use. In your written appeal, you can describe so temptingly the flavor of the fresh orange juice that the prospect will experience in considerable degree the same pleasure that he might derive from sampling it. A description of the various pleasing factors that enter into the mak- ing of the product also may be employed. If the prospect were to walk through your sunny California orchards, if he were to visit in person your airy, sunlit packing plant, he would feel a keen desire to eat the oranges. By the effective use of words, and by the employment of illustrations, yon can give him such a vivid and compelling picture of the orchards and of the packing plant that, in his imagination, he will visit the scenes you describe. Opportunities for employing the Short Circuit appeal to the Senses are numerous. An appeal to the sense of smell can be employed to good effect in selling an expensive perfume; here you describe so vividly an exquisite bouquet as it applies to all perfumes, and then to your perfume in particular, that the prospect will be moved to gratify this special sense, by purchasing your product. This desire would first attach itself to any perfume of exquisite bouquet, and then to your perfume as having the most exquisite bouquet, appealing to her sense of smell in a maximum degree. You might appeal to the sense of touch by describing the ' ' feel, ' ' the "sleek softness," of an expensive fur cloak as it slips over the shoulders of a woman in evening dress ; you might appeal to the sense of hearing by so graphically describing the sound of a rousing march air of a mill- THE APPEAL TO THE EMOTIONS 149 tary band, as reproduced on a phonograph record, that the prospect would desire to hear the record. Your description, in either case, should be so vivid that the prospect almost can smell the exquisite bouquet of your perfume, almost can feel the expensive fur cloak slip over her shoulders, almost can hear the rous- ing air played by the military band. The principles underlying descrip- tion as employed in the appeal to the senses are dealt with in Chapter XIII. (II) The appeal to the emotions. In making this sort of Short Circuit appeal, the purpose of your effort is to arouse some emotion of the prospect's, such as pride, ambition, devotion. This may be accomplished in two ways : (A) By persuasively exhorting, or urging, him, to respond to the emotion that is being played upon. (B) By describing the use of your product; that is, the benefit, or pleasure, to him from possession, in a manner that will awaken emotion. (A) By persuasively exhorting, or urging him, to respond to the emotion that is being played upon. Here is a persuasive appeal by exhortation to the emotion of pride. It was sent out by a correspondence school to prospects who had failed to respond to less vigorous appeals in former letters : Show her you can succeed. Other men men whose wives be- lieve in them not a bit more loyally that your wife believes in you have done it. Don 't let your wife come to realize that you are a failure. Make good ! The above sort of appeal should be used advisedly. Otherwise, the prospect might resent it as an attempt to dictate to him ; he might feel that he was the object of a "curtain lecture." But when tactfully em- ployed, exhortation often is an effective method of arousing to action a prospect indifferent to the advantages you offer. The ''curtain lecture" is least likely to awaken resentment in the reader if the advertisement is written in conversational form. In such 150 THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL an advertisement, one character, representing the reader, is shown receiving advice from a second character, a business friend or associate who is in a position to extend friendly counsel. For example : (The old clerk extends advice to the office "cub," pointing meanwhile to the general manager, who is seen, through a half- open door, seated at his desk in an inner office.) "LOOK AT HIM TODAY!" "He started in here just as you are doing. Now he 's General Manager and makes more in a day than he used to make in a week. I '11 tell you how he did it. The first week he was here he began to train for the job ahead by studying in spare time with the International Correspondence Schools. Inside of six months he got his first promotion. But he kept right on with the I. C. S. I tell you a man like that is bound to get ahead. Some day he '11 be President of the Company. You 've got the same chance he had, young man, and if I were you I 'd follow his example. Take up some I. C. S. course and do it right away. Use your spare time. Study. What you are in a few years is entirely up to you. ' ' This is the story of thousands of successful men. They did their work well, and in spare time, with I. C. S. help, trained them- selves for advancement. That 's the thing for you to do. What- ever your chosen work may be, there is an I. C. S. Course that will prepare you right at home for a better position with bigger pay. More than 100,000 men are getting ready for promotion right now in the I. C. S. way. Let us tell you what we are doing for them and what we can do for you. The way to find out is easy. Just mark and mail this coupon. It won't cost you a cent nor obligate you in the least, but it may be the first step toward a bigger, happier future. Don't lose a minute. Mark this coupon and get it into the mail right now. II. The appeal to the emotions. (B) By describing the use of the product; that is, the benefit, or pleasure, to him from possession, in a manner that will awaken emotion. THE APPEAL TO THE EMOTIONS 151 A description of the benefit or pleasure to be derived from the use of your product, offers the most effective means of appealing to the emo- tions. Show the young man in business that the "use" of your corre- spondence course training will enable him to win promotion to "that job ahead," and you are likely to arouse his emotion of ambition. Or, again, by employing a description of the benefits to be derived from his possession of the mental training offered, you may arouse his emotion of ambition, by holding out a promise of the pleasure that will come to him from the increase in salary due to his promotion, or that may come from his buying a home, or from giving his wife enough money to satisfy her needs or even her desires for luxury, or that may come from educat- ing his children in the best schools. The woman in the home will be likely to respond to the emotion of comfort if you give her a keen appre- ciation of the benefits to be derived from the use of your electric vacuum cleaner, i.e., if you point out that by using it she will do away with the drudgery of house-work, will be enabled to spend more time each day in rest and recreation. The woman desirous of social position will probably respond to your emotional appeal to the instinct of " exclusiveness " if yon point out that possession of your expensive automobile of distinctive design will set her apart from other women. In each case, the opportunity for benefit or pleasure is one which, embodying as it does a realization of the ideals of the hopes and long- ings of the prospect, is highly effective in arousing emotion. To be effective in the highest possible degree, this emotional appeal must be intensely intimate and personal. The prospect must see him- self, as an individual, realizing the benefits derived from the purchase of your product: being called to the manager's office and notified of the long-sought-f or promotion ; buying the new home ; giving his wife an ample allowance ; putting aside money for the education of his children. For this reason, the emotional appeal must be linked closely with the daily life and the daily experience, with the daily hopes and aspirations, of the prospect. And before you can appeal to the aspirations of a young man in business (for example), you must have a definite con- ception of what the young man in business aspires to. One correspondence school made the mistake of attempting to awaken ambition in young business men by pointing to the fact that Abraham Lincoln, because he trained his mind at home, became President. This appeal was ineffective, because it did not match the prospect's aspira- 152 THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL tions. A boy in High School might, perhaps, be stimulated by Lincoln 's example, the boy's eyes fixed on the stars, in his heart a boy's dream that some day he may be president. But men in the business world have for the most part put aside such hopes ; their aspirations are more intimately linked with their daily tasks. They aspire to win promotion in business, they aspire to be "big men" in the eyes of their associates. Hold up to them the successes of men like Schwab and Vanderlip. This will appeal to them more intimately than the chance of being president. Hence before attempting the appeal to the emotions, ask yourself: What does the business man aspire to? What is his idea of a successful life, of a happy life ? The farmer, What does he aspire to ? The woman in the home, the woman in society What? Such questions as these must be answered before you can expect your emotional appeal to strike home. Correspondence schools ' advertisements almost invariably depict some scene that is familiar to the average person of the class to which the emotional appeal is made. It may be a line of workers at the pay window, or it may be a scene in the average business office, or in the average home of the average young man in business. When such familiar scenes are presented to the prospect, he figuratively steps into the advertisement; he feels that it is he who is getting the increased wages at the pay window, he who is being promised promotion in the business office, he who is being joyfully greeted at the door of his home by his wife, to whom he has just shouted .out fhe news of his promo- tion. And under the stimulus of imagination, he determines to take the step that will enable him, in reality, to win these things. The mental picture that is presented in the direct sales letter should be as natural and intim,ate, so far as is humanly possible, as the picture seen in advertisements that count. To accomplish this, call up in your mind a picture of the sort of home the prospect resides in; of the sort of office he works in; of the sort of wife that shares his hopes for success. Then endeavor, earnestly and truthfully, to show him wherein your correspondence course will solve his daily problems, wherein it will assist him in the realization of his hopes for the future. A large part of the copy devoted to the appeal to the emotions (particularly in sales letters) is ineffective, because it consists largely in bombast ; because it is manifestly insincere. Sincerity, manifest in the avoidance of exaggerated claims, is an element as important in the emotional appeal as in any other. PRINCIPLES OF THE APPEAL 153 In the following letter, the cardinal principles underlying the Short Circuit appeal are exemplified : Dear Sir : (1) Remember when you were a youngster how your Mother used to say, * ' As soon as that child 's head touches the pillow he 's asleep"? Your slumber could be as untroubled as that now if you slept on a DALY mattress. (2) When you stretch out on a DALY mattress, you simply can't help relaxing. It 's like lying on the soft, cool green jTl P l( O f a summe r meadow. You don't know there 's a bed Explanation llncler vou - Jt * s buoyant and yet it is soothing; you float away on a magic carpet, and when you get back it is tomorrow morning. (3) After you know the care put into the making of every DALY mattress, however, you see the reason for this won- derful comfort. Down in Sunny Alabama, there 's a great Ex lawition cot ^ on plantation where every ounce of cotton that goes into these mattresses is raised. All day long, week after week, this cotton is carefully tended by experts, and when picking time comes great armies of men and boys gather the huge bales to send to our factories. (4) Here it is carefully cleaned, and only the finest long-fibered parts are chosen to be pressed into layers of soft white felt. n j l{ Seven of these layers are tightly packed into each mattress. ^ , The edges are carefullv rolled and stitched time after time, Explanation so that unsanitary dust-catching tufts are done away with. Thus a mattress of the utmost cleanliness and comfort is manu- factured. (5) Thousands of healthy Americans came down to breakfast this morning clear-eyed and refreshed after a night of real Proof rest on a DALY mattress. Half the day's battle is won Persuasion with a start like that. What 's that old story they always tell about a man who was grouchy because he got out of the wrong side of the bed? Poor old fellow nine chances out of ten it was the bed itself, and not the way he got out, that ruined his disposition ! (6) The competition in the business world today is too keen for 154 THE SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL any man to allow a sluggish brain or a sour disposition to Persuasion , ,. , . T , . ,, ,, handicap him. It is those few extra ounces of energy that pull you ahead in the race. (7) All over the United States this week the DALY mattress is being sold at specially reduced prices. There is only Inducement . _, . . -,. one place in Berkeley where you can buy this mattress at Hink's on Shattuck Avenue. They have put in a complete and varied stock for this sale. (8) Today is Monday; go in this morning while you have a wide choice and pick out the mattress that suits your Clincher , Ar .,, . .., . ., , needs. You 11 sleep like a child on it. CHAPTER XII WINNING ATTENTION, COMPELLING INTEREST THE BEGINNING OUTLINE I. The prospect, upon reading the first two or three sentences of your sales letter or advertisement, immediately decides whether or not to continue on to the end. II. The Beginning of tlte selling appeal should, therefore, compel his interest at virtually the same moment that it wins his attention. III. "Attention-getting" devices employed in advertisements include: (a) Magnitude of illustration of catchline. (b) Isolation: employment of a generous amount of white space. (c) Odd, unusual, or striking designs. (d) Colors attractive to the eye. (e) Characters in action. IV. "Attention-getting" devices employed in letters include: (a) Paper of reasonably high grade. (b) Letterhead attractively and neatly executed. (c) Letter itself neatly typed, with ample margins. (d) A short paragraph or two limited to not more than three or four lines. V. In compelling the reader's interest, observe the following rules: (a) Be definite. (b) Present your selling point from the standpoint of the reader. CHAPTER XII THE BEGINNING "The beginning of the sales letter or advertisement should definitely point the way to the prospect's profit, pleasure, or satisfaction. Many beginnings have proved ineffective because they have presented a general claim from, the standpoint of the concern attempting to sell the goods, rather than from the viewpoint of the prospective purchaser" Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, "Instructions to Correspondents." THE prospect, upon reading the first two or three sentences of your letter or advertisement, immediately decides whether or not to continue on to the end. It is your task to plan the beginning in such a way as to convince him in a few words that your message is vital to his needs or to his desires, that he can not afford to dismiss it from his mind. It is not enough to plan your beginning merely to win his attention; it must compel his interest as well. In planning an advertisement, you may employ "attention-getting" devices of various sorts. The very size the magnitude of your illus- tration may catch his eye. His eye may pause on the advertisement because of a generous proportion of white space; because the design is odd, unusual or striking; because the colors are attractive to the eye; because the characters are in action. The catchline, too, may be in large or unusual type ; may arouse curiosity by putting a question and withholding the answer. Ordinarily, however, it is best to employ an illustration and a catchline which win attention and, at the same time, compel interest by creating some situation closely linked with the reader's needs and desires. The following catchlines are effective in compelling interest at the same time that they win attention : THAT ENGINE NOISE YOU CAN'T EXPLAIN INSURES MAXIMUM MILEAGE FOR EVERY TRUCK 157 158 WINNING ATTENTION, COMPELLING INTEREST HOW THEY SATISFY YOUR HUNGER! CARRYING A TON A MILE FOR LESS THAN A CENT HOW TO REDUCE PRESENT HOMEBUILDING COST HAVE YOU A BABY? YOUR BOY! " HAPPINESS " DOESN'T HALF EXPRESS IT SUPPOSE EVERY SPARE HOUR WERE AN EXTRA DOLLAR- ENDURING CHARM SAVES STOCKINGS SAVES DARNING AND A WONDERFUL SAVER OF SHOES The following catchlines of advertisements are of a type that excite curiosity : NO NAME OVER THE DOOR, YET EVERYBODY KNOWS THE VOICE UNHEARD "MUSCLE FORGERY" STEAM BURIED ALIVE ALL PITTSBURG WAS AMAZED DID THIS EVER HAPPEN TO YOU? WHAT SAVED THIS BUILDING? THE BEGINNING OP THE SELLING APPEAL 159 IS YOUR HOME AN EGG-SHELL? In the case of the writing of sales letters, there are certain mechanical devices the writer may profitably employ to insure the reader's attention paper of reasonably high grade; letterhead, attractive and neatly executed ; the letter itself neatly typed, generous margins giving a white contrast, attractive to the eye. Then instinctively will he feel that .your message is worthy of his attention. A short opening paragraph or two, each consisting of not more than four or five typewritten lines, is likewise an effective device for winning attention. The display head, consisting of a short phrase or sentence either in capitals or underlined, is sometimes emplo3 T ed at the beginning of the letter. This corresponds to the catchline of the advertisement. It sums up vigorously the message you have to convey and brings this brief summary to the immediate attention of the reader. There are two objections to the display head : one is, that it suggests to many readers a form letter, rather than a personal communication ; the other, that it is too "sensational" in appearance. When, however, it consists of a con- servative statement directly pertinent to the interests of the reader, it can be used to good effect. The following are examples of the display head beginning: SAVE 10 PER CENT IN THE UPKEEP OF YOUR TIRES. ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY OFFICE EXPENSE NOW. OUR SERVICE MEANS DOLLARS TO YOU. The display head is sometimes effective in arousing curiosity, as in the following examples: IS THERE ANY WEIGHT TO THE FISH? BARNUM, THE CIRCUS MAN, WAS WRONG! A good salesman knows that it is not possible to bolster up weak selling arguments by raising the tone of his voice an octave. Similarly the efficient correspondent avoids employing sentences of the "scare headline" type, aimed only at winning attention. The following ex- amples illustrate the error of this practice : 160 WINNING ATTENTION, COMPELLING INTEREST Make a million dollars in the oil boom in Texas ! The chance of your life ! An opportunity that will never come again ! MURDER ! MURDER ! MURDER ! That 's what is happening this very day at our store. We 're slaughtering prices as they 've never been slaughtered before. The average reader, sensing at the start insincerit} r and buncombe, will go no farther. And if the reader credulous at the beginning continues to the end, the body of the letter is certain to furnish an anti- climax of disappointment and disillusionment. Equally ineffective is the attempt to win attention .by employing the type of the beginning that combines slang with the use of the exclama- tion point. In the use of slang, keep away from the threadbare expres- sions that have long since lost their effectiveness. Do not use such words as "pep," "jazz," and "bunk." A forceful, vigorous expression like "pull" ("advertisements that pull") is permissible, since no sub- stitute word can be found that will bring out your meaning so clearly. In winning attention, either in the sales letter or in the advertisement, observe this cardinal principle which underlies the successful beginning of the selling appeal : Keep in mind the needs and desires of the prospect; keep in mind your central selling point; then match the one with the other as briefly, vividly, and with the greatest degree of interest possible. But do not "shout." Be simple, be natural. In compelling the prospect's interest, observe the following two rules : (1) Be definite. Avoid general statements that give him only an inkling that your message is vital to his needs, but that do not specifically show him wherein he will gain. (2) Present your selling appeal from the standpoint of the pros- pect, rather than from the standpoint of the firm. (1) Be definite. Contrast the following general claim : THE BEGINNING OF THE SELLING APPEAL 161 It pays some farmers who operate trucks to equip them with pneumatic truck tires even though the first cost is higher than for solids. with the following definite and convincing statement : Mr. Ellsworth of Ottawa, Illinois, estimates he saved $15 to $25 on each load of ten hogs, by hauling them to market on his truck. (2) Present your selling appeal from the standpoint of the prospect. Contrast the following beginning, which fails to bring home vividly to the prospect the benefits of purchase: Service station dealers must advertise to get their share of the business. Our steel road signs are an economical, satisfactory means. with the Beginning written from the standpoint of the prospect : Many farmers near you operate cars and you would like to get their business; yet they are hard to reach economically without advertising. From the standpoint of sentence structure, there are four classes of beginnings : (1) Direct Question. (2) Statement of Fact. (3) Direct Command. (4) "If Clause." (1) Direct Question. It is instinctive in human beings to ''take sides"; to decide "for or against." For this reason, a direct question at the beginning of a sales letter will generally compel the interest of the reader. "Would you do so-and-so, under such-and-such conditions?" is the query. And the prospect, instinctively, frames an answer, "yes," or "no." The question thus starts his mind revolving in the direction of your selling appeal. The following examples show the use made of the direct question beginning : 162 WINNING ATTENTION, COMPELLING INTEREST Did you ever notice as you drive along the road that the cleanest fields of corn are almost always evenly checked ? Straight rows are easier to cultivate than crooked ones that is reasonable but there is a big difference in cultivators, too. Some cultivators can not be swung in close to the row without injuring the corn, and others will not dodge quickly. International Cultivators are built to do clean work in crooked rows, where hills are out of line and quick dodging is necessary. Isn't it a pleasure to look over a farm where practically all of the work is done by labor-saving outfits? Here ? s wh^re life ceases to be a drudge. How heavily do the mail-order houses hit into your trade ? Do you want us to help you in the fight ? Would you think of destroying your house just because there was a leak in the roof ? Then why throw away an automobile tire as long as the foundation the core is solid ? Our re-treading process will just about double the life of your tire, at considerably less than half the cost of a new one. (2) Statement of Fact, Some correspondents object to the direct question opening on the ground that a question, by indicating to the prospect "both sides of the fence," brings in frequently an element of doubt that is lacking when the more positive, forthright ' ' Statement of Fact ' ' opening is used ; as, for example : You can't do very much with two cents nowadays, especially in some directions. In these times of excessively high prices, that small amount of money would n 't buy much food, but if it is spent in a certain way it will do more than you realize. Spent in hired man's wages, two cents would get you practically nothing. But supposing that you could : Pump 3,000 gallons of water for two cents Cut V/z tons of silage for two cents Grind six bushels of corn for two cents THE BEGINNING OF THE SELLING APPEAL 163 You would jump at the chance, would n 't you f Well, we are offering you one now, an I. H. C. gasoline engine that will do these things at a cost of two cents for fuel. When you buy lubricants, there are certain points which you consider important. They must be filtered, not bleached; they must contain no free acid ; they must reduce the friction of the wearing parts to a minimum; the inevitable carbon deposit must be as small as possible. RUNRITE Oils and Greases excel in all of these trouble-saving features. You don't care about a "pretty" truck. The main idea in your farm hauling is service. If a motor truck can move your grain, live stock, and produce economically, and earn you a profit, you cannot afford to be without it. (3) Direct Command. The direct command opening contains an even more positive urge than the statement of fact method. Care should be taken that the direct com- mand at the beginning of the letter does not lead to an unduly insistent or overbearing tone. The following are examples of the effective use made of this form of opening : Make farm machinery do your work for you. Look beyond the price tag to results. Be sure that your office force is working at 100-per-cent- efficiency. Invest your money where it will bring you in the highest return compatible with assurance that your investment is a safe one. (4) "If Clause." The "if clause" beginning is used to advantage in opening up to the mind of the prospect a line Of interesting speculation, as : 164 WINNING ATTENTION, COMPELLING INTEREST If you were in Paris this Spring . . . You eould n 't make a bit better selection of the latest styles than you can make by looking through the pages of our catalogue. If 156 Nurserymen dropped into your office . . . And said, "Mr. Wood, last season we saved a lot of money on our packing and got far better results than ever before . . ." You 'd prick up your ears and want to know how it was done, would n 't you ? , These men are too busy to come and tell you this, but if you 're willing to take our word for it ... 156 nurseries packed their stock last Spring with KEEPDRY. And almost all of them have written us expressing the conclusion given above, and saying that they will use KEEPDRY a good deal more extensively this year than ever before. If I came to you sat across from you at your desk and said that I could tell you how to get more business for less money than it costs now . . . Or, if I said that I could show you how to save 25 to 75 cents out of every dollar you spend for printing . . . You would not let me get away before you had this informa- tion. Now I can't come to you in person, but I have come to you by mail twice and made identically this offer. If we had said at the beginning of this letter that we were en- closing our check for $100 you would be interested and doubtless highly pleased ; you would certainly read the letter through to see why we were so liberal. You will find we overlooked the check, but we expect to tell you in a few words how we can save you that amount many times over. CHAPTER XIII AWAKENING DESIRE, WINNING BELIEF DESCRIPTION AND EXPLANATION OUTLINE Part I, The Reason Why appeal: A. In the Reason Why appeal, the information with which your Description and Explanation supplies the prospect, is information which makes an appeal to the reasoning mind. B. In employing Description and Explanation, awaken in the prospect a desire to possess your product: (1) By telling about the product from the standpoint of the prospect. C. In employing Description and Explanation, win the prospect's belief in your product : (1) By being definite. (2) By avoiding exaggerated claims. Part II, The Short Circuit appeal: A. In the Short Circuit appeal, many of the same principles apply in the employment of Description and Explanation that apply in its employment in the Reason Why appeal. There is much the same need : (1) For telling about the product from the standpoint of the prospect. (2) For being definite. (3) For avoiding exaggerated claims. B. There is, however, a highly important difference between the employment of Description and Explanation in the one appeal and its employment in the other : (1) In the Short Circuit appeal, the information with which your Description and Explanation supplies the prospect, is information which makes an appeal to the emotions, and not (as is the case in the Reason Why appeal) information which makes an appeal to the reasoning mind. CHAPTER XIII DESCRIPTION AND EXPLANATION "Tell him (the prospect] what the product will do for him>, rather than describe tlte product itself. . . . Unconsciously, the prospect sees how the prod- uct will help in the day's work, or make his life happier, or improve Little Johnnie's appearance, as the case may be. "Avoid too many technical words, for the message might pass over his head. Describe the product in the prospect's own language, so that he can get your message easily. The recipient of your letter is too busy to figure it out, and if it puzzles him, it is a candidate for the waste basket." R. D. Brigham in "Printer's Ink." IN the Reason Why appeal, the aim of Description and Explanation is to tell about your product 1 in such a way that the prospect will regard the product as one which directly meets his needs. The informa- tion which your Description and Explanation supplies the prospect is information which makes an appeal to his reasoning mind. In the Short Circuit appeal, on the other hand, the aim of Description and Explanation is to tell about the product in such a way that the pros- pect will regard the product as one which gratifies his emotional desires. The information which your Description and Explanation supplies the prospect is information which makes an appeal to his emotions. (1) Description and Explanation in the Reason Why appeal. Were the prospect to visit your salesroom, he would likely be sup- plied with information which would cause him to regard your make of tractor as one which directly meets his needs. He would see then what ttae tractor l ' looks like ' ' ; and consequently its rugged, stalwart appear- ance would be associated in his mind with endurance. When he looked at the strong, powerful motor and listened to your explanation of its construction, he would begin to believe in its superior endurance. This i For a discussion of the employment of Description and Explanation in telling about your type of product, and in telling about your central selling point, see Chapter X, paga 131. 167 168 AWAKENING "DESIRE, WINNING BELIEF belief would be strengthened when you went on to explain in definite detail the consistent service a motor so constructed would render in planting and harvesting the crops of his farm. At this stage of the sale, the prospect has adequate information con- cerning : (A) The physical appearance of your product. (B) Its construction, or "make-up." (C) Its uses as applied directly to his needs. These three points of information correspond to the three kinds of Description and Explanation: (A) Direct describing the physical appearance of the product. (B) By Make-Up telling of the forces and materials that enter into its construction. (C) By Use telling of the service it will render the prospect. (A) Direct Description. The Reason Why appeal, being concerned with a product that meets a need, lends itself less frequently to the employment of Direct De- scription than it does to the employment of Description by Use and Description by Make-up. Occasionally, however, Direct Description may be effectively employed in the Reason Why appeal, as is the case in the following excerpt from an advertisement : Over the hill of traction progress has come the massive Kelly- Springfield Caterpillar Tire for Trucks the greatest advance in solid tire construction since the beginning of the industry. Its elephant-footed sureness and lasting economy have imme- diately appealed to the heaviest truck users in the world. . . . As a new force in world industry, the Kelly-Springfield Tire has taken its place among the mighty. The careful selection of three words ' t massive, " ' ' elephant-footed, ' ' and "mighty" is responsible in large measure for the picture that this brief description creates for us. (B) Description by Make-up. The following advertisement furnishes an example of Description by DESCRIPTION: REASON WHY APPEAL 169 Make-up. Note that, in establishing the endurance of Federal Tires, a single distinguishing feature in the construction of the tire is empha- sized : It is not enough for you to be told that tens of thousands of car owners prefer Federal Tires as a result of their experience. You want to know why to know wherein Federal Tires are superior why they are able to wear longer, are freer from com- mon tire trouble, and what makes it possible for them to render more satisfactory service. The reason is this: In the base of every Federal Tire there are four endless twisted steel cables of great tensile strength that securely clamp every inch of the tire's base to the rim. There is no "play" between tire and rim to breed ruinous damages, because the Federal Tire, so correctly, firmly, and permanently held in place, is immune to internal wear. Rim-wear is as fatal to a tire's usefulness as the worst roads can ever be, except with Federal Tires, because the Double-Cable- Base construction eliminates rim-wear, at the same time preserving the tire so that every mile of its life is saved for road service. Uniform endurance is the central selling point in the following Miller Tire advertisement. A single distinguishing feature in the construction of the tire (uniform workmanship) is brought out in the description. We do not claim that no tires equal the Miller. Other makers build some tires as good. But how can the buyer tell those "lucky" casings from thousands of lesser ones that look identical? The greatest problem a manufacturer faces is how to build all tires like his best ones. This we have solved. And the reason each Miller wears like its brother is much discussed. Here are the facts : Any maker who wants to pay the price can get the same super- quality of raw materials. Also the same machinery, for machines are standard too. But uniform mileage is governed by uniform workmanship and must be, as long as tires contain handwork. If the workman- ship varies, the mileage is bound to vary. 170 AWAKENING DESIRE, WINNING BELIEF That 's why we took a mark that was set by champions, and trained other tire makers to this single standard. Each builder signs every tire he makes. If ever one comes back, his score is penalized. This method, tested now three years, has proved to be the mile- age solution. The result is a new class of long distance tires tires that wear the same under like conditions. Not occasionally some that give exceptional service, but more than 99 in 100. It takes much time to train uniform builders. Hence to make the best tires we had to forsake all thought of making the most. So to get these remarkable long-distance Millers the buoyant cord or the sturdy fabric type be sure to go to the authorized Miller dealer or to write for his name. Description by Make-up is by no means limited to telling of the sort of material that goes into your product, or of special methods used in its manufacture. Any factor that enters into the making of your product comes under this head. You may, for example, tell of the careful se- lection of raw material, of the long-standing reputation of your con- cern, since these, and numerous other factors, enter into the making of the product. Consider, in this connection, the following examples of Description by Make-up : More than a quarter of a centry ago the Long-Bell Lumber Co. began to acquire its immense timber holdings in the famous Cal- casieu Southern Pine districts. Pioneering in virgin timber, this company's experts had no difficulty in picking the best the very cream of the forests. Therefore quality from the source is an- other reason why the Long-Bell Lumber Co.'s lumber products are worthy of the trade brand : LONG-BELL. Today these mechanical wonders, known to the trade as "skid- ders, ' ' are clearing wide lanes through these virgin tracts of pine, each sending to the mills a thousand trees a day trees from fifty to one hundred feet tall straight, smooth, and unblemished. Nature made them, pioneering woodsmen marked them as the best, and thirteen modern Long-Bell mills are turning them into DESCRIPTION: REASON .WHY APPEAL 171 quality lumber lumber so nearly perfect that we are proud to brand it with our name. It is our mark of accomplishment. It is the consumer's mark of assurance. Since Marcus Whitman saved Oregon to the Union in 1843, countless millions of sheep from the great ranges of the West have contributed their fleece to provide woolens, first for the pioneer, and now for all America. The West produces wonderful wool, and the soft, pure moun- tain waters of Oregon make the fleece white and fluffy. Since the establishment of the Oregon City Woolen Mills in 1864, millions of yards of Mackinaw fabrics, Overcoatings, Flan- nels, Indian Blankets, Motor Robes, have come from our looms. At the Philadelphia Centennial in 1876, Oregon City products won the highest honors. And at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915, this maintenance of old-time quality again won highest award in competition with the world. (C) Description by Use. Of the three types of description and explanation, that By Use is most frequently employed. Describe the product by telling the pros- pect how and when he may use it to advantage ; then he will see at once that it meets his need. Description by Use is employed in the following examples taken from direct sales letters : Suppose you had a gross invoice of $293.76, less 30% and 5% discount. Could any one of your present office force figure the net amount and be sure of the result in three seconds? He could on the MONROE Calculating Machine. And he would KNOW he was right the first time. The MONROE Visible Check would guarantee that for him. Besides, he can figure percentages, payrolls, costs, estimates, extensions, check your incoming invoices, and, in fact, figure every possible item of your business yes, do the work of three or four clerks who rely on paper and pencil methods. The Multigraph is a live business-getter. Give it the oppor- tunity and it will produce more, dollar for dollar, than any sales- man. 172 AWAKENING DESIRE, WINNING BELIEF The reason is simple. The Multigraph multiplies personality. It carries the best of you (if you '11 give it up) to the best of those you want to reach. And it does it on the personal equation man to man goods to market ! The Multigraph advertising and that means personal letters and printed folders, booklets, enclosures, etc. gets in where hu- man salesmen cannot go. Goes in when the prospect is "at at- tention." Goes in without competition being aware. This isn't theory. Direct advertising the kind The Multi- graph does is the biggest single force in advertising. In it lies the strength of mail-order houses. And with the same Multigraph equipment that does your di- rect advertising you can do scores of other things, too. Print your stationery and system forms, for example, at a saving of 25% to 75%. Your own employees do the work, in your own office. Description and Explanation, setting forth as it does the distinguish- ing point of superiority of the product, must accomplish two aims : (1) Awaken in the prospect a desire to possess your product. (2) Win the prospect's belief in 3 r our product. (I) Awaken in the prospect a desire to possess your product. (a) By telling about the product from the standpoint of the prospect. Each one of us is absorbed in his own interests. Once we regard a product as coming within the purlieu of these interests, we attach to it a feeling of value. Unless you were a contractor, you would attach little value to a steam roller that you might happen to see crushing rock in the street. It is true that the heavy machine is in reality worth hundreds of dollars; but you pass it by with scarcely a thought or a second glance, because you are not conscious of any need that it meets; because you do not think of it in terms of your daily life. You do, how- ever, attach a feeling of value to the automobile touring car that passes you when you are on your way to the office in the morning. You realize at once that this car would meet a need of yours; it would enable you to go to and from your office in a shorter time, with greater comfort. DESCRIPTION: SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 173 It would afford you the healthful and pleasant experience of an oc- casional Sunday outing in the country. You even picture yourself at the wheel of the automobile, on your way downtown to your office; or touring along pleasant country roads on Sunday. You think of the automobile in terms of your own experience, as directly meeting your needs; it appeals to you as a valuable product; you would like to own it, It is therefore essential that you tell about your product from the standpoint of the prospect. If you employ Description by Make-up, take him on a "personally-conducted" tour of your factory, or cause him, in his imagination, to accompany the foreign buyers as they select the raw material in far-off markets. Emphasize the "you" attitude so consistently, make your description so vivid, that he will feel that he is present in person at the scenes you describe. It is especially important that you emphasize the "you" attitude in employing Description by Use. Instead of describing in an abstract way the service your truck will render the farmer, put him, in your description, at the wheel of the truck and take him about a farm as nearly like his as possible, pointing out as you go the uses of the tractor. This will cause him to imagine himself already in possession, it will give him an anticipatory appreciation of the benefits he will derive from its use. It will cause him to regard the truck in the light of his daily needs. Consider the following example of Description By Use in which the "you" element is neglected: Our corn binder cuts five to seven acres a day, rain or shine. It binds the bundles firmly and lays them on the ground without breaking off the ears. It forms evenly butted bundles and puts the band around the middle, where it belongs. When used along with a silo, it cuts the corn at the right time to get all the food value out of the stalks and leaves. The following description, in which the "you" attitude is empha- sized, forms part of a business letter that brought results : "A Deering corn binder will go into your field at daybreak and cut corn all day, rain or shine. Tough stalks don't inter- fere. It cuts from five to seven acres a day, binds the bundles firmly and lays them on the ground without breaking off the ears. 174 AWAKENING DESIRE, WINNING BELIEF Then you can drive along and pick them up, or, better still, if you have a wagon elevator, you can load them as fast as thty are bound. A Deering corn binder forms evenly butted bundles and puts the band around the middle, where it belongs. It is adjustable for your short or tall corn or for corn that has been blown down. It leaves no loose nor slovenly looking bundles. It clears the field for your plowing. If you own a silo, or plan to build one, a Deering corn binder makes it possible for you to cut your corn at the right time to get all the food value out of the stalks and leaves. The following description not only "puts the farmer at the *wheel of the tractor" but expresses itself in terms that he understands: Say you are going along and happen to hit a soft spot. You simply "gee" or "haw" the front end by turning the steering wheel and pull just as you do with a team. That 's where the patented front drive principle comes in the patent allows you to steer with the track that pulls. The above examples show that simply to explain the workings of your product is not enough, you must explain them so that the prospect will see vividly exactly what bearing they have upon his needs. (2) Win the prospect's belief in your product. (a) By being definite. In definite, concrete terms, say what you have to say about your product; avoid generalities. "Best," "finest," "superior," are words that no longer have a place in the selling appeal. They represent broad, general claims such as any manufacturer can make. Employed so fre- quently, these words no longer make impression upon the mind of the prospect. Therefore, do not claim that your product is the "best" or the "finest" or that its qualities are "superior"; go ahead and tell definitely and specifically wherein it is the "best." Compare the following general statement : We select only the best coffee beans on the market. This gives to our coffee its superior flavor. DESCRIPTION: SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 175 With the following more definite statement: Apples small in size are fine in flavor and juicy. Every bit of them is concentrated goodness. Larger apples run more to pulpi- ness; the flavor may be there but it 's not there in its delicious, concentrated form. It 's the same way with coffee beans. The small-sized ones the ones grown at a high altitude have a fine aroma, packed in tight. In larger, pulpier beans, the aroma is faint, diluted. We select the small sized beans for your, morning cup of cof- fee. They 're more expensive, of course, and harder to get. But you couldn't get that fine, delicate, concentrated aroma of real coffee without them. "A hairspring is an extremely delicate bit of mechanism, requiring great care in handling," is the generality employed by one concern to impress upon its customers the fact that a timepiece no matter how well made it is will soon get out of order unless given proper care. But how much more interesting, and convincing, is this definite statement of fact by another concern : The hairspring is the brain of the watch. It is the most deli- cate tension spring made. For use in the small-sized watch, 84,000 springs are made from one pound of steel, raising the value of that pound from $5 to $300,000. The Waltham hairspring is drawn through diamond surfaces, and for the smaller watches, to one third the thickness of a hu- man hair. A firm manufacturing automobile tires tells of the principle of con- struction in the following definite terms: The tire structure is built up of many sinewy cords tens of thousands of them in many layers. Each adds its individual strength to the tremenduous sum total of the tire as a whole. The layers of cords are placed diagonally in opposite directions. Each cord and each layer has free play entirely unrestricted by cross-weave. And then, too, cords and layers are impregnated with live, springy rubber. 176 AWAKENING DESIRE, WINNING BELIEF Compare the above definite statement with the following statement, made up of generalities, lacking entirely in definite information : Our tires are made to endure, for endurance is built into them. They will not fail. Their powerful, scientific construction assures you endurance. The following three Diamond Brand Walnut advertisements give information concerning the product which is interesting because it is definite : " Budding" is the process of "grafting" a bud from one tree generally some specially thin-shelled, perfected variety on the stump of a young native (wild) seedling. The bud sprouts and develops into the trunk of the tree, and the walnuts it bears are of the same fine quality and flavor as those produced by the mother tree from which the bud was taken. THE FIRST STEP TOWARD DIAMOND BRAND QUALITY Even before Diamond Brand groves are planted we begin the work that insures you better walnuts. Our experts select the best varieties then by "budding" and "grafting" they literally "breed quality in." This is just one of the reasons for the superiority of Diamond Brand. Trees that are started in this way; trees that are sprayed and guarded from blight ; trees that are tended and nurtured throughout their growth, naturally produce superior walnuts. Then we grade the walnuts by hand and finally test them by actual crack a painstaking system that further safeguards their quality. Diamond Brand Walnuts may cost a few cents more per pound than ordina^ walnuts, but they are actually cheaper because you get more good walnut meats. For the Christmas holidays, of course, you will have walnuts. Use them the year round for cake, candy, blanched in cookies, and for other every-day foods they are as nutritious as they are ap- petizing. Say Diamond Brand to your dealer! Two kinds "Soft DESCRIPTION: 'SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 177 Shells" and "Budded Walnuts, "both of the tested Diamond Brand quality. The "Budded" cost a few cents more a pound than the "Soft Shells" because they have extra plump kernels, extra-thin shells, and therefore a greater proportion of meat to the pound. IT IS THE MEAT IN THE WALNUT NOT THE SHELL, YOU WANT Most walnuts look good on the outside, but you want only nuts that are perfect inside, as well. That is the only kind we mean to sell you, and for years we sought for a method that would enable us to look inside each walnut, as it were, and sort out the good nuts from the bad. Finally we invented (and patented) the VACUUM SORTER, which does this very thing. It works like your vacuum cleaner. As the walnuts pass under the machine on an endless belt, a strong draft of air sucks up and lifts out all the walnuts with withered or light-weight meats, thus leaving only the good, full-meated walnuts for our Diamond Brand. This is only one of the methods of grading, sorting and testing by which we insure the quality of Diamond Brand Walnuts. It is one of the reasons why Diamond Brand Walnuts are cheaper than ordinary walnuts, even though they may cost a few cents more per pound. You get a maximum of meat a minimum of shells. Eat walnuts today as you did at Christmas time they are as healthful as they are good, and add much to the attractiveness of desserts, cakes and many every-day dishes. Say Diamond Brand to your dealer! Two kinds "Soft Shells" and "Budded Walnuts," both of the tested Diamond Brand quality. The "Budded" cost a few cents more per pound than the "Soft Shells" because they have extra plump kernels, extra-thin shells, and therefore a greater proportion of meats to the pound. THE FINAL INSPECTION Before we release a shipment of Diamond Brand Walnuts, an 178 AWAKENING DESIRE, WINNING BELIEF inspector visits the warehouse, takes a double handful of nuts from every tenth bag and cracks them to make sure of their quality. Only when they test up to our official cracking standard (at least nine perfect nuts out of every ten) are the walnuts shipped out as Diamond Brand. TEST-CRACKED TO PROVE THEM BEST This man is paid to find fault with Diamond Brand Walnuts if he can. When he says they are good, you can be sure of their quality. No Diamond Brand Walnuts reach your table until they have passed a similar inspection (see marginal note). Diamond Brand Walnuts are naturally good any way as good as California's soil and sunshine (aided by our horticultural ex- perts) can make them. But after harvesting, they are subjected to a rigid system of cleaning and grading, vacuum-machine and hand sorting, and finally to the inspector's cracking test, so that you may always be absolutely sure of getting only big, full-meated walnuts under the guaranteed Diamond Brand. Diamond Brand Walnuts may cost a few cents more per pound than no-name walnuts, but they are worth more because you get more walnut meats not empty shells. You will enjoy walnuts now just as much as you did during the holidays. Send for our free booklet "100 Delicious Walnut Recipes" (by Miss Alice Bradley, one of the foremost culinary experts in America), and learn of all the tempting ways to use walnuts. (2) Win the prospect's belief in your product, (b) By avoiding exaggerated claims. Limit yourself to a conservative statement of such claims as you feel sure will be realized through the purchase of your product. No one believes in the braggart, in the man who is continually claiming for him- self abilities that he does not possess. We have confidence in the quiet, self-contained chap who first considers carefully what he is going to say and then, with full confidence, speaks the truth. The same thing applies to your product. If you tell the prospect that it will "cut his office expenses in half," that it is a "veritable gold mine," that it will EFFECTIVE SELECTION OF WORDS 179 " double his earning capacity in a month," he instinctively puts you in the class with the blustering braggart, and your product with you. One successful concern has adopted the rule of checking against actual performance every claim made for their product. The result has been more sales and uniformly satisfied customers. Under separate heading, we shall next consider : The selection of words, and the use of figures of speech, in effective Description and Explanation. The selection of simple Anglo-Saxon words, easy of comprehension, makes for clearness. Technical terms are proper enough when writing to an engineer, to a mechanic or other prospect familiar with such terms. Thus technical terms in common use have a place in a letter ex- plaining to a garage man the workings of -a motor ; but such terms are out of place in a letter explaining to a, housewife the mechanism of an electric washing machine. In either case, make the description and ex- planation as simple, direct, and clear as can be. Give your letter a personal tone by avoiding the use of words little known; words that ''smack of the dictionary and the book of synonyms." Express your personality naturally and simply: your letter, as one correspondent puts it, is "you on paper." At the same time, strive in your daily speech to attain such sharp, incisive, direct expression that your "paper conversation" will be forceful and clear. Since most verbs express ac- tion and most adjectives quality, -the effective use of these parts of speech is highly important. Each word in your description should do its part in building up the central impression you seek to create in the prospect's mind. With care, then, select your words. Vital words have personality just as men and women have personality. There are words so strong and robust as to connote endurance, such as "surge," "mammoth," "mighty," "forge," "grim," "huge," and "rugged." Note how these words of strong personality are used in the following opening paragraph of a Billings and Spencer advertisement : As the mighty tractor surges forward, dragging its gang plows behind it against the tremendous strain of the resisting earth, every Triangle B forging that has made its grim strength possible says: "Rely on me! I shall not fail." 180 AWAKENING DESIRE, WINNING BELIEF Note in the following paragraph the force of a single word "burly": Look at this burly section of the Ajax Road King. Look at this section of steel rail. The same scientific principle gives greater strength to both. Those strong supporting shoulders at the base of the Royal King tread, are like those shoulders built into the steel rail. They serve the self-same purpose. A class of words of quiet personality connote smoothness and silence ; such words as have the "s" sound and the sound of "e." One writer speaks of Kipling's words as "stilling you with their sereneness." The effect is much the same as when we read that the Cadillac automobile is a "magnificently smooth and steady piece of motive power," and that it has "splendid ease and beauty of action." There are brisk, cheery words, like "tang," and "zest"; there are heavy words that connote sorrow, like "gloom," and "turgid." In the following paragraph from the beginning of Poc's "Fall of the House of Usher" note how words of cheerless personality are con- sistently employed to give an impression of foreboding and gloom : During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the au- tumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singu- larly dreary tract of country ; and at length found myself, as the shades of evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit. I say insufferable ; for the feeling was unrelieved by any of that half- pleasurable, because poetic, sentiment, with which the mind usually receives even the sternest natural images of the desolate or terrible. I looked upon the scene before me upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain upon the bleak walls upon vacant, eye-like windows upon a few rank sedges and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensa- tion more properly than to the after-dream of the reveler upon opium the bitter lapse into everyday life the hideous dropping off of the veil. There was an iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the EFFECTIVE SELECTION OF WORDS 181 heart an unredeemed dreariness of thought which no goading of the imagination could torture into aught of the sublime. ... I reined my horse to the precipitous brink of a black and lurid tarn that lay in unruffled luster by the dwelling, and gazed down but with a shudder even more thrilling than before upon the re- modeled and inverted images of the gray sedge, and the ghastly tree-stems, and the vacant and eye-like windows. Note the use of words of cheerful personality in the following open- ing paragraph from a short story by Guy de Maupassant: Before the gate of the farm men dressed in holiday attire waited. The May sun poured its clear light upon full-blown apple trees, round like immense white bouquets, which placed over the entire court a roof of flowers. They sewed ceaselessly about them a snowfall of minute petals, which hovered, and turned, and tumbled into the high grass, where dandelions shone like flames, where poppies were drops of blood. There is no more certain way of making your description effective than by the use of Figures of Speech. This intentional deviation from the plain and ordinary mode of speaking and writing is solely for the sake of greater effect. It gains this effect by making the description more clear and concrete, or more emphatic. "Steel Files Built Like a Skyscraper" is a figure of speech; it involves a comparison; its purpose is to link the vivid impression, already in the prospect's mind, of a "towering structure, strong as adamant, built around a channel steel skeleton," with an impression that you are trying to create in his mind regarding the steel files. Everyone has a definite impression of silence undisturbed by the quiet ticking of a clock. So we know just how little noise the L. C. Smith Bros. Typewriter makes in operation when we read that it ' * sounds more like a clock ticking than like the ordinary typewriter." Every- one has an impression of the fineness of mechanical construction of a jeweled watch, so we know what the same company means when they say that the typewriter is equipped with ball bearings, "like a fine, jewelled watch. ' ' The Shaw-Walker slogan, "Steel Files That Are Built Like a Sky- scraper," is one of the most valuable business assets of the firm. Here 182 AWAKENING DESIRE, WINNING BELIEF is what W. H. McNiff, sales manager, says about it and about the value of figures of speech in a letter to salesmen : One good picture is worth a million words. If you took a million words to tell the story of Shaw-Walker quality, you 'd very likely tell it thoroughly. But you 'd also be staging an endurance contest between yourself and your audience. But how about the picture? " Built Like a Skyscraper." Now you have it before you. You 've conjured up a mental picture of a towering structure, strong as adamant, built around a channel steel skeleton, beautifully finished, substantial, lasting. You find the thought pleasant and the comparison convincing. You 're mighty satisfied with your cleverness in seeing for your- self how logical the whole thing is. Your prospect is just as imaginative and otherwise human as you are. Tell him that your file is "Built Like a Skyscraper." He '11 just say * * oh " and begin showing an intelligent interest in the rest of your talk. The figure of speech that sells The Multigraph "The Rapid-Fire Gun on the business firing Line" gives a mighty definite idea of the purpose served by that busy little machine, sending out daily its thou- sands of business letters in support of your advertisements and sales- men. When the manufacturer of truck tires speaks of the " elephant - footed sureness" of his product, you realize at once how ponderous, powerful, and lasting are the tires. Note the effective use of figures of speech as outlined in the follow- ing description of an automobile tire : The Miller Cord Tire is buoyant, over-sized, elastic (direct description) ; thousands of cable cords as strong as bow strings, floated in new live rubber. It gives and takes as it rolls on the rough of the road it neutralizes shocks you ride with 'bird-like ease. Uniform Millers are the only tires geared-to-the-road. This tread of many caterpillar feet engages the road like cogs the FIGURES OF SPEECH 183 scientific way. That means positive traction, full power ahead, and safety. Consider the effective use of figures of speech in the following ex- amples : After a hot game of tennis, a "long" cool drink of our iced tea will make you feel as alive as a newly-strung racket. Coffee makes the difference between damp fog and warm sun- shine in starting the da} r . USCO rubber heels put a pad of springy rubber between you and the unyielding surfaces over which you walk, giving to each step a buoyancy as free and easy as a ramble along country roads. Clean as the north wind itself such is the Northern Fibre Folded towel. It is a new and distinctly different towel, made from the heart of the great northern spruce. Bearing its mighty burden as lightly as a thorough-bred bears his rider, this great truck moved with quiet dignity, secure in the proud supremacy of illimitable power and perfection of detail. Those thick, beveled cleats of rubber are like the cleats on an athlete's shoes. They hold on a quick start or instant stop. They are cleats of safety when your car is in motion. Colgate's the only refill shaving stick. It 's just like putting a new battery in a flash-light. The figure of speech need not always be fully expressed. When we read that a certain automobile goes with ease up grades that no other machine but an aeroplane would attempt, we think instinctively of this automobile as having the fleet, certain power of the aeroplanes we have seen skimming overhead. Whether the comparison is fully expressed or whether we are left to make the implied comparison for ourselves, the impression *left in our minds is a definite and a vivid one. (II.) Description and Explanation in the Short Circuit appeal. Many of the same principles which apply in the employment of De- 184 AWAKENING DESIRE, WINNING BELIEF scription and Explanation in the Reason Why appeal, apply in its employ- merit in the Short Circuit appeal. In the Short Circuit appeal, much the same need exists for telling about the product from the standpoint of the prospect, for definiteness, and for the avoidance of exaggerated claims, that exists in the Reason Why appeal. It must be remembered, however, that there is a highly important difference between the employment of Description and Explanation in the one appeal and its employment in the other. In the Reason Why appeal, Description and Explanation embodies such information as is most likely to influence the reasoning mind of the prospect ; in the Short Circuit appeal, on the other hand, Description and Explanation embodies such information as is most likely to awaken the emotional desires of the prospect. Note the emotional appeal the appeal to the instinct of appetite in the following Short Circuit advertisement, in which Description by Make-up is emphasized : Out of our great ovens pours a never-ending stream of Kel- logg 's each flake rich with flavor which made and holds the name of Kellogg 's. Many things have been done to create their perfection for you they have been cooked, and baked, and flaked, and toasted. And you must have Kellogg 's just as they are, fresh from the oven. So the great current of flakes flows swiftly on, scenting the air with their tempting aroma, to be packed quickly and sealed air-tight in the Wax-tite packages. The flavor and freshness and taste are as unchanged as though you filled your dish from the tossing current of flakes at the great oven door. In the following Short Circuit advertisement, Description by Use is employed in awakening the instinct of appetite : HONEST, MAN! DON'T YOU JUST HANKER FOR A PIPING HOT PLATEFUL? There 's a sparkle in your eye as you put fragrant, golden- brown Aunt Jemima pancakes on your plate ! Spread a lump DESCRIPTION: SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 185 of yellow butter on each one and swim them in maple syrup when your knife cuts the rich, tender morsel and you get a mouthful, um-m-m ! What a flavor ! And this breakfast is easiest for "the wife" to prepare. Aunt Jemima Pancake Flour is complete with even the sweet milk mixed in and so rich it needs no eggs. There 's no pantrj^-search- ing for ingredients, no measuring, no testing the simple addi- tion of water makes perfect pancakes every time. Order today a red package of Aunt Jemima Pancake Flour and enjoy this satisfying breakfast learn why it is America's favor- ite breakfast. Learn what jimdandy muffins, waffles, and bread- sticks it makes, too. By contrasting the appeal to the emotions made by Description and Explanation in the two above Short Circuit advertisements, with the appeal to the reasoning mind made by Description and Explanation in the Reason Why advertisements which we have previously considered in this chapter, you can obtain a clear understanding of the difference between the employment of Description and Explanation in the one ap- peal and in the other. It will, for example, be obvious to you that the following Description and Explanation, taken from the Federal Tire Reason Why advertisement, embodies such information as is most likely to influence the reasoning mind of the prospect : In the base of every Federal Tire there are four endless twisted cables of great tensile strength that securely clamp every inch of the tire's base to the rim. There is no "play" between tire and rim to breed ruinous damages, because the Federal Tire, so correctly, firmly, and permanently held in place, is immune to internal wear. On the other hand, it will be obvious to you that the following Descrip- tion and Explanation, taken from the Aunt Jemima Pancake Flour Short Circuit advertisement, embodies such information as is most likely to awaken the emotional desires of the prospect : There 's a sparkle in your eyes as you put fragrant, golden- brown Aunt Jemima pancakes on your plate ! Spread a lump of 186 AWAKENING DESIRE, WINNING BELIEF yellow butter on each one and swim them in maple syrup when your knife cuts the rich, tender morsel and you get a mouthful, UHi-m-m ! What a flavor ! Under separate heading, we shall next consider : The selection of words, and of figures of speech, in Description and Explanation, with special reference to the Short Circuit ap- peal. In the Short Circuit appeal, the emotions which your Description and Explanation awakens must be pleasing emotions, that is, emotions which give rise to pleasing feelings, for it is evident that the prospect will desire to possess a product which suggests pleasing feelings, and it likewise is evident that the prospect will desire to refrain from possess- ing a product which suggests displeasing feelings. It is therefore necessary, in employing Description and Explanation in the Short Circuit appeal, that you select words, including figures of speech, that suggest pleasing and agreeable associations, and, conversely, that you refrain from selecting words that suggest the contrary. The prospect has classified in his mind the words, perfume, tang, wind-swept, fragrant, golden, sweet, delicate, beautiful, mellow, savory, as associated with things pleasing and agreeable; the words, odor, oily, greasy, as calling up rather disagreeable associations; the words, smell, stench, as calling up associations altogether disagreeable. The mention by you of any word in the above category will at once suggest to the mind of the prospect corresponding associations, agreeable or disagree- able, and these associations, in turn, will result in corresponding feel- ings, pleasing or displeasing. So also is it with objects and places linked in his mind with pleasing associations, or the contrary. The mention of the "wild wood violet," the "perfume of the rose," the "song of the thrush," the "golden beauty of the dawn," gives to him at once a pleasing feeling, from agreeable as- sociation. This pleasing feeling he will unconsciously attach to the product you are describing, if in your description you make reference to these things of pleasing association. Note the choice of words, and the use of figures of speech, of pleasing association in the following advertisement, which has been successfully employed by a national advertiser: DESCRIPTION: SHORT CIRCUIT APPEAL 187 THE MOMENT YOU DIP IT IN WATER FRESH, LIVING FRAGRANCE ! Its beautiful clearness, its refreshing fragrance, make this soap a joy to wash or bathe with. Lift it up and hold it to the light. Clear as a mountain pool ! Yet hidden somewhere in its crystal depth is the delicious fra- grance of sweet wild violets. Dip it in water! Instantly all this imprisoned fragrance is released. Jergens Violet Transparent Soap gives you, even in hard water, a rich, snowy lather that soothes and refreshes you leaves your skin delightfully smooth and clean. And its woody odor of fresh violets lingers on your face and hands. Use Jergens Violet Transparent Soap whenever you are dusty and tired. You can't imagine how refreshing the simple bathing of your face and hands can be until you use this soap. Get a cake and try it tonight. It is sold wherever soap is sold. In the following advertisement, advantage is taken of the pleasing association linked with food eaten "down on the farm" : FROM THE CHOICEST HONEY-BEARING FLOWERS THAT GROW Who remembers the waffles, butter cakes, and hot biscuits trickling with real honey that we ate at Nature 's factory down on the farm? Who wants those meals back again wants Airline Honey. "Pure Honey" Yes! But better than that it 's real, old- fashioned Golden Delight that we loved so well and have some- times missed so much. Airline Honey comes from a few flowers, selected by a fifty- year-old compan3 r of bee experts. It has only the one, real golden color always the same old delightful taste. Infinite care in selecting uniformly high-grade honey is the rea- son for packing under the Airline label. Neither we nor the bees can change the quality of Nature's sweets we can only make certain that when you buy Airline Honey you are picking delight from the choicest honey-bearing flowers that grow. 188 AWAKENING DESIRE, WINNING BELIEF The pleasing association linked with food eaten "down on the farm," also is taken advantage of in the following advertisement : JONES DAIRY FARM SAUSAGE From the snow-covered Wisconsin fields to those who prize good food. More than 30 years ago the neighbors came through the drifts to the Jones homestead to get it. And today Jones Dairy Farm Sausage is the same as it was then a sausage made by a treasured New England recipe from choice, young pork and homegrown spices. The keenness of the pleasing association loses its edge, if a word displeasing in association, however slightly so, is brought in. Consider the following: Snowdrift is sweet what you mean when you say "sweet" cream. Snowdrift is fresh as you use the word to describe new- laid eggs. You know how much nicer eggs and butter are when they are fresh. Did you ever stop to think that all shortening is fat, and is just as much better when it is fresh, too ? Here the association is" a bit displeasing, as it leads us to experience displeasing feelings from association with butter and eggs, not fresh. The word "fat" is also displeasing, in association with things to eat. The following description loses in effectiveness because of "sterilize" and "immaculate," neither of which words is pleasantly associated with foods : Sun-Maid raisins are packed in a plant that is flooded with California's famous sunshine and air. Special machines are here used to sterilize Sun-Maid raisins. This product comes to you as immaculate as you yourself would make it. Remember these facts when you buy raisins, for you want a brand like this. CHAPTER XIV DEVELOPING BELIEF INTO CONVICTION PROOF OUTLINE I. Any definite data which serves to show that your product has made good by performance, or which serves to show your willingness to let the prospect himself judge of the merits of your product, may be regarded as Proof. II. The usual methods of Proof are : (a) Proof by record of performance. (b) Proof by giving list of users, or experience of users. (c) Proof by guarantee or money-back offer. (d) Proof by affording the prospect an opportunity to test the product. CHAPTER XIV PROOF DESCRIPTION and Explanation has caused the prospect to believe in the superiority of your product. You must now develop this belief into a well-founded conviction that your product is superior. 1 This is accomplished by the presentation of Proof. The usual methods of Proof are : (1) Proof by record of performance in competitive contest or official test. (2) Proof by giving list of users, or experience of users. (3) Proof by guarantee or money-back offer. (4) Proof by affording the prospect an opportunity to test the product. (1) Proof by record of performance in competitive contest or official test. Your automobile has won first place on the Indianapolis Speed- way, or has received, elsewhere, the highest award in a contest of endur- ance or of economy of operation. Your food product was awarded first price at the State Fair or at the 1915 Exposition. Or an official test, not competitive, was, perhaps, made in the case of your automobile or food product. The type of Proof by record of performance consists of a statement of the above facts. Here following is Proof of this type, as the result of an official test, in a sales letter : A Chalmers seven-passenger car set a new mark for flexibility and economy in Chicago a few days ago. Driven by amateurs, it traversed the dense "loop" traffic, using high gear only, without stop of motor, and attained a total of 586.8 miles within 24 hours from noon of March 26 to noon of 1 For a discussion of the Employment of Proof in connection with your type of product, and in connection with your central selling point, see Chapter X, page 131. 191 192 DEVELOPING BELIEF INTO CONVICTION March 27. The gasoline consumption was a trifle better than an average of 14 miles to the gallon. A representative of the Contest Board of the American Auto- mobile Association rode in the Chalmers throughout this test and has certified to these facts. The car used was taken right off the salesroom floor of the Chalmers distributor. It might have been sold to the next cus- tomer for a seven-passenger. We have the precise mate to that car on our sales floor. It is capable of doing everything that the seven-passenger did in the Chicago traffic test. Why look further for a car than this big seven-passenger Chalmers, with its wide flexibility and economy? Come over to our place and let us show you the car. Let us demonstrate it to you. Note in the above example that "A representative of the Contest Board of the American Automobile Association rode in the Chalmers throughout this test," and that, "The car used was taken right off the salesroom floor of the Chalmers distributor. It might have been sold to the next customer for a seven-passenger." These statements establish two important facts: (1) That the test was certified by an unbiased judge. (2) That the car making the test was a " stock" car. (2) Proof by (a) giving list of users, or by (b) experience of users. Proof of this type consists in your giving the names of satisfied users of your product, or in your telling, if authorized, their experience with the product. "Ask the Man Who Owns One," and "Users Know" are business slogans that reflect this sort of proof. The use of testimonials also is of this type. Here is an example of (a) Proof by list of users: You know these people, of course : Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. Ford Motor Co. Standard Oil Co. PERFORMANCE TESTIMONIALS 193 Illinois Steel Co. Hyatt Roller Bearing Co. Atlantic and Pacific Co. These names were taken at random from a long list. They have all purchased Dictaphones this past month. It 's not their first purchase; they have been adding to their equipment, some of these companies having hundreds of Dictaphones. Have you seen the Dictaphone in operation or talked with some friend about it? A post card has been enclosed so that we may know. Just check it and drop it in the mail. Proof by list of users may consist in a short sentence or two, such as: This is the same truck that is used by the National Construction Co., to do all their heavy hauling. Here is an example of (b) Proof by giving the experience of the user : ' ' One form that cost us $1.30 a thousand before we had a Multi- graph," says Mr. Johnson of the Merchants' Collection Agency of Denver, "now costs us 50 cents. Another blank for which we paid $2.50 a thousand is now costing 25 cents. We have had our Multigraph nearly five years and today it is just as good as new. It paid for itself the first year we had it and it has returned more than 110 per cent on the investment ever since. ' ' Note how much more convincing is a definite statement of facts as the above than the following generality : "We have used our duplicating machine for two years and during that time it has given complete satisfaction." The first example tells the prospect exactly what the Multigraph has accomplished ; the second example gives him no definite facts and figures upon which to base a buying decision. The following example of Proof by testimonial would be far more effective had it included a definite statement of the amount of time and money saved : 194 DEVELOPING BELIEF INTO CONVICTION The office equipment we are using you installed for us about ten years ago. Some one has truly said that ' ' Time is the stuff that Life is Made of," and your equipment saves time. It may be that Proof by testimonial is included in the pamphlet or catalogue, or is inclosed on a separate sheet of letter paper, and that reference to it is made in the letter, as : Read on pages 5, 6, and 7 of our catalogue, letters written by some of the most eminent musicians in the world Paderewski, Leschetizky, Moskowski, Guilmant, Emil Sauer, Damrosch, and Sousa who have critically examined our lessons and given them their sanction because they appreciate the unusual musical worth of the work presented. Note that the following sales letters are devoted almost entirely to Proof of the "user" type: Referring to your intercommunicating problem regarding which we have corresponded with you before : Ask Mr. Pacauley of Packard Motor Company. Ask Mr. Bee of Palmer-Bee Company. Ask Mr. Hatch of Michigan Liability Company. Ask Mr. Holmer of Beecher, Peck & Lewis. Ask Mr. Cash of North way Motors Company. Ask Mr. Warner of Oakland Motor Company. Ask Mr. VanDusen of Kreage Company. Ask Dr. Torrey of the Dauid Whitney Building whether they would try to do business without the Dicto- graph System ; and the need for the System in their offices is not greater than in yours right now. And so, since it is up to me to show you that this is the case, I want you to give me ten minutes, at your convenience, to demon- strate to you on your desk, just what the Dictograph will do for you. There is no obligation whatsoever attached to this demonstration so please have your secretary fill in and mail the enclosed card today. H. E. Messiner, Manager for the John F. Jelke Co., down on PERFORMANCE TESTIMONIALS 195 Market Street, has a real story to tell to any one interested in Transportation Service. Here 's the story : "We operate a model 2-D (2 ton) which has been on the street every day for two years. The other is a model 3-E (3 ton) which we have been operating^ for nearly a year. Our experience with Packard trucks is very satisfactory. We also operate a number of Packard trucks in Chicago, where our factory is located, and some of these we have had on the streets five or six yearsand give splendid service. ' ' Truck owners are finding that Packard established service records make the Packard trucks a safe investment anywhere. (3) Proof by guarantee, or by money -back offer. Proof by guarantee must be made in good faith and lived up to. It is best to make the guarantee absolute, and thus avoid suspicion of "strings being tied to the offer." This method of Proof has so fre- quently been employed by manufacturers of goods of relatively little merit that it no longer is as effective as it formerly was. However, in the following excerpt from a sales letter, it is used with good effect : We will do more than simply tell you that this course will in- crease your efficiency we will guarantee you satisfaction. If, after you have completed the course, you should not be entirely satisfied, let us know. We will refund the entire amount of tuition, in accordance with the terms of our money-back guaran- tee bond. In other words, you won't risk a cent; we assume all the responsibility. Groceries are often sold under guarantee : Buy a half-pound can of our coffee at your grocer's. Take it home, open it, use as much of the coffee as you want. We know from experience that you will find (1) that less of the coffee is required for each cup than is the case with the coffee you have been using, and (2) that the delicate flavor the aroma of our coffee is far superior. But if you are not persuaded of these two 196 DEVELOPING BELIEF INTO CONVICTION things, take the can with as much or as little of the coffee as is left in it back to the grocer's. He will refund your money just as cheerfully as he took it, without a word of explanation on your part. This is our guarantee. (4) Proof by affording the prospect an opportunity to test the prod- uct. This type of Proof consists in inclosing in the letter a sample of your product, or in affording the prospect any other opportunity to test for himself the product's superiority. It is illustrated in this excerpt from a sales letter : If there 's an arm on your office chair . . . Please make this test: Take the enclosed strip of Angier's Coilwrap and wind it several times around the arm. Pull it hard and tight. Note what a firm, neat-appearing job it makes. Then consider this : Coils of wire that are similarly wrapped cannot rust, corrode, nor tarnish, no matter how or where they are exposed. For Coilwrap in addition to being tough and durable is abso- lutely proof against water, moisture, and dirt. These are the reasons why American Steel and Wire, Youngstown Sheet and Tube, Na- tional Indiarubber, Jones and Laughlin, Halcomb Steel, Hazard, and many other widely known manufacturers Have substituted Coilwrap for burlap at a saving from 15 to 40 per cent. If the nature of the product permits, make the test a definite one, conclusive to the prospect of the superiority of your product, as in the following example : Take a pinch of Swans Down Cake Flour between your thumb and 'finger ; rub them together and note what a smooth, even, and soft substance it is. Perform this same experiment with bread flour. You will find it coarse and granular. For this reason, when Swans Down Cake Flour is sifted, it becomes light and fluffy and maintains this same characteristic when baked into PROOF BY TEST OF PRODUCT 197 a cake. Bread flour, however, when sifted, only falls into a piJe, like sand, and sifting does not help very much. Proof by test should observe three rules : (1) Be certain that your product will stand the test. (2) Be specific in your instructions so the prospect will know just how to make the test. (3) Be clear in telling the prospect just what results he may find from the test. Here is an offer of Proof by test : even if the prospect does not actu- ally make it, the offer impresses him with your good faith in standing back o^your goods: To prove our claims, put a Miller opposite your favorite tire. Keep careful record of the mileage each gives. Then you will see for yourself why quality tire buyers everywhere are insisting oil Millers. The same idea is carried out in the following sales letter : Last night my wife and I went for a ride. We had driven only a short distance when she remarked: "I wonder why one side of this car rides so much smoother than the other ? ' ' Finally I told her of a little test I was making by equipping one side of the car with Silvertown Cord Tires and the other with plain fabrics. For the benefit of my good customers, I wanted to see if Silver- towns really ride easier and absorb the jolts better than fabric tires. Let us equip one sMe of your car with Goodrich Silvertown Cord Tires and if you are not convinced that they ride easier, pro- tect the mechanism of your car from vibration, and save you gasoline, you pay us only the fabric price. But if you find our statements true, you are to put Silvertowns on all four wheels. Then you '11 know what real motoring enjoy- ment is. Why not give the proposition a trial ? The Proof by test method of determining the superiority of a har- 198 DEVELOPING BELIEF INTO CONVICTION vester is clearly and succinctly indicated in the following excerpt from a sales letter : Your neighbor, J. L. Smith, will let you climb on the seat of his International Harvester. Do it the next time you get a chance. The reason for its good work will be plain. First you will notice that the gangs swing parallel to one another. This enables you to get closer to the row and do better work, without injuring the corn, than you can do with an old-style cultivator. You will notice that quick dodging is made easy by reason of pivot axle construction. * The following letter is based upon Proof by test, since the reader is given instructions as to how he may determine for himself the superior merit of the product : Stop today at any street corner and watch the automobiles streaming past. Notice the number of cars having their hoods shrouded in unsightly bandages. Then look for the Hudson White Triangle, motordom's mark of distinction. You will not find a single Super-Six with a cover- ing of any kind on its hood or radiator and, regardless of what corner you pick, you will count more Hudsons than any other fine car. The reason is to be found in the fact that the Super-Six is the ideal all-the-year-round car. It knows no seasons. The shutters on the radiator and the louvre plates insure the operation of the motor at its most efficient temperature regardless of the weather. In the touring models, the curtains are hand-tailored to every car, assuring a perfect fit and the protection of the passengers against the cold. Opening on rods with the doors, these curtains give enclosed car comfort and convenience even when the mercury is below zero. As a result, the Hudson is even more of a necessity in winter than it is in summer. Let us prove it to you on the coldest and the stormiest day you can pick out. An expression of your willingness to give a demonstration of "serv- ice" is a form of Proof by test. It affords the prospect an opportunity PROOF BY TEST OF PRODUCT m 199 to determine for himself, by test, what your product can do for him. Note the following letter : Referring to my letter of March 13 : I wish you would let me show you what the DICTOGRAPH SYSTEM can do for your organization. The enclosed proof of our second advertisement in the ''New York Times" tells only a small part of the story. A five-minute demonstration on your own desk, just as you would use the Dictograph in your daily work, will astonish you. The Dictograph will convert wasted time into productive effort for you, and for everyone else in your organization. We are ready to lay before you definite testimony as to our ability to solve your particular problems. The demonstration can be made at your convenience, and will, not obligate you in any way whatsoever. Have the coupon filled in and mailed today. A statement showing your willingness to have your product judged solely on its merits serves as effective proof. There is the element of Proof in this statement : Visits to our baking plants, and to other baking plants in the Bay Cities, will clearly demonstrate to the housewife why there are first and second quality breads. Your visit to the modern, scientific Remar Baking Plant will do far more than the printed word to tell you why Remar is a first quality bread. Remar bread is baked in a modern, sunlit baking plant at 46th, Adeline and Linden Streets, Oakland. A most important rule in employing Proof of any kind, is this : " Be definite." Give exact data, exact facts and figures; give names and addresses, avoid generalities. "Thousands of satisfied truck owners are using our tires," is not nearly so effective as the more definite: "Over half the truck tonnage of America is carried on Fire- stones. ' ' 200 And DEVELOPING BELIEF INTO CONVICTION 1 ' We have sold a number of tractors to farmers in your vicinity ' ' fails, where this definite statement : "John W. Brown of Auber (R. F. D. 10) and S. J. King of Stanton (R. F. D. 2), each purchased one of our tractors a little over a year ago. Write to them and ask them what sort of service they are getting. Or, better still, drive over and call on one or both of them." succeeds. CHAPTER XV CAUSING THE PROSPECT TO ACT AT ONCE I. PERSUASION OUTLINE (I) Persuasion consists in emphasizing the "you" attitude. It is the element of direct personal appeal; the element that brings home vividly to the prospect the benefit, or enjoyment, he will realize from the purchase of your product. II) Since the selling appeal should be closely linked with the needs and desires of the prospect, it follows that Persuasion enters into all of the various elements, from the Beginning to the Clincher. Sometimes, how- ever, a short paragraph limited solely to Persuasion may be included near the end of the appeal. CHAPTER XV CAUSING THE PROSPECT TO ACT AT ONCE I. PERSUASION IN business letter or advertisement, Persuasion aims to bring vividly home to the prospect the benefit (or enjoyment) to him of his pos- session of your product or of his acceptance of your proposal. Persuasion is the element of direct personal appeal ; the element that emphasizes to the nth degree the "you" attitude, showing the prospect clearly and specifically wherein the product matches his need or his desire. "You have given me a pretty good description of your product, so I know what it looks like; I know what material goes into it, and what service it renders. I have proof that the product has been of great service to others. I am convinced that it will do what you claim for it. All well and good. But now the question comes up : What has all this to do with me?" Persuasion answers the question. It is that part of the selling appeal written with an eye single on the prospect. He learns from other elements the facts about the product ; Persuasion shows him the direct bearing of these facts upon his daily life. Persuasion permeates the whole fabric of the written appeal, it leavens the whole lump. It enters into the Beginning, it enters into Description of the product, into the Inducement, into the Clincher. It enters into the Beginning of the letter, since here you bring the central selling argu- ment into direct relation with the prospect 's interests ; into Description, since you tell the prospect about the product in such a way as to cause him to visualize himself in possession of the product and in enjoyment of its uses; into the Inducement, since you select that particular one most likely to influence him; and into the Clincher, since you select for final emphasis the selling point that will be the most effective in causing him to act. As a matter of fact the principles of Persuasion determine in a manner the central selling point around which the letter is written. Every letter or advertisement must limit itself to information closely related to the prospect 's needs ; else the selling appeal will not compel his 203 204 CAUSING THE PROSPECT TO ACT AT ONCE interest. In the following letter, the writer takes up at once the needs of the individual prospect, thus bringing in the persuasive element at the beginning. In each succeeding paragraph, the persuasive element is emphasized : As you walk home at night have you ever wondered why the street lamps gleam so steadity? Answer an efficient machine. Dynamos are so efficient because they operate with the least friction possible. They give uninterrupted service at minimum cost, which is efficiency. In packing your product this is also what YOU are striving for uninterrupted service with minimum cost. And so we can help you, because during our many years' experience we have de- veloped waterproof packing paper to its highest point of efficiency. You can buy our product cloth lined, plain, innerstrung with yarns, whichever you wish. If we haven't what you want in stock, we '11 make it for you. In fact, we 're equipped to transform our material into any special shape such as different sized sheets, COILWRAP, TIRE- WRAP, BALEWRAP, GUMMEDTAPE, BARRELCOVERS, etc. If YOU have a particular packing problem just write us a letter and we '11 endeavor to work it out. Our facilities and service are at your command. Do you ship in boxes? Then Angier WATERPROOF CASE- LINERS made like the enclosed sample are just the thing. They '11 enable your packer to give you better protection and unin- terrupted service at minimum cost. And should you crate your shipments, we can make a water- proof hood or CRATELINER to pull down over your product so it will arrive at its destination looking like what it is brand new. So if you 're interested in CASE or CRATELINERS, jot down inside dimensions at the top of the enclosed card and we '11 make up a sample for you no charge. Or if you want to know more about ANGIER KEEPDRY, IN- NERCOAT, INNERSTRUNG, etc. (supplied in either rolls or sheets), won't you just check the post card and drop it in the next mail? PERSUASION: THE "YOU" ATTITUDE 205 The purely persuasive element predominates in the following letter; and the ' ' you ' ' attitude is emphasized from the very start : You are called by the sea. You are lured by the magic of the woods. You are filled with the desire to "get away from it all," to let the world go hang and to rest. To lie on the warm sand, drowsing in the sun, and to feel the salt air in your face; to hear the surf rhythmically beating in, watch it lazily swish at your feet and to know you have nothing to do this is rest. This is real relaxation. You sleep out of doors. You fall asleep watching the stars through the pines, and all night long your sleep is sound, un- troubled. The morning brings a sense of well-being. You are glad to be alive ! A dip in the breakers, a run along the beach, and you are ready for the breakfast that has been prepared for you. There is fruit, cereal, delicious coffee with rich cream ; and there are fresh eggs with juicy ham or waffles and maple syrup. How good it tastes! Ask your neighbor, Mr. Perry, of the good time he had with us last season. Ask him about our basket-lunches, and ask him what he had for dinner. Have him tell you of those little attentions that made him appreciate our service. Get him to tell you how he spent his days, boating, fishing, swimming, or just lazing about, and you will want to come at once. Let us know when you can get away from town. Let us know when to expect you; your room will be waiting for you. Come and rest at Pine- Crest by the Sea. Departing from the practice followed in the above two letters, you may begin the selling appeal with information vital to the prospect's interests, and wait until later in the appeal to point out to him the specific application of this information to his needs. Note that the per- suasive element is not brought in until the concluding paragraph in the following letter: It is our opinion that a high grade, high priced automobile should be purchased to keep and use, not for one or two seasons, but for many. If such a car be properly maintained and regularly and expertly 206 CAUSING THE PROSPECT TO ACT AT ONCE overhauled, it will be subject to but little mechanical depreciation. It will continue to run, and run well, for years. The chief direction in which such a car, so maintained, can de- preciate is one of style and minor accessory improvements. Such depreciation has a marked effect upon the value of a car IF IT IS TO BE SOLD. It has, however, little effect upon the value of a car from the point of view of usefulness to its owner. Fundamental mechanical changes in high grade cars during the past five years have been very slight. Many 1909 models are giving their owners as complete satisfaction as when new. Why not consider your car as a permanent investment instead of a short term, quick "turnover" proposition? Would it not be better business? Note that the purely persuasive element of the following Short Circuit appeal is not introduced until within the last paragraphs : Crisp, scrunchy trout fried to a delicate gold with just a hint of that smoky, campfire flavor that no chef under the sun can ever imitate that 's real food ! Blue, blue water with lucid depths, just begging for a morning plunge Swift playing currents that challenge the patldler to flex every muscle in combat- Seasoned old guides who pull on their pipes as they tell you impossible yarns, over the red coals of a dying fire Ah ! You 've guessed it ! Vacation ! That magic word that promises so much. Sounds like a James Fenimore Cooper story, does n't it ? And yet it 's possible to have just that kind of a time if you go to Miramichi. Can you imagine what two weeks of roughing it like that would do for you ? Why, man, you 'd be a changed being, after sleeping out under the stars every night with the pungent fragrance of pines in every lungful of crisp night air, and eating rough, whole- some food. It 's only an overnight trip on the Southern Pacific to Mira- michi. Stop in today at our office at 782 Jackson Street, and PERSUASION: THE "YOU" ATTITUDE 207 let us tell you the rest of the story. You never knew there could be such a vacation. In many letters, a brief persuasive paragraph near the end impresses upon the prospect the benefits to be derived by him from possession of the product; Such paragraphs are the following: In your own office, this little machine will soon pay for itself then give big annual returns, as well as insure the accuracy of your figure work. Can you afford to be without it? You 've found washing clothes a drudgery ; you Ve found send- ing them to the laundry expensive. Why put up with drudgery or expense any longer ? Our washing machine eliminates both. You owe it to yourself to find out just the extent to which this equipment will be a profitable investment for your department. If it will lead to more convenient, efficient and economical opera- tion, you will want it. If not "You Can't Buy a Multigraph Unless You Need One." In other letters, two or three paragraphs are given over to pure per- suasion : Is n 't it about time to be thinking of your requirements for Fall packing? In just this morning's mail came an order from our old friends, J. Van Lindley Nursery Co. (Pomona, N. C.), for 30 rolls of K1630 36" wide. Which of the enclosed samples are most suitable for YOUR Fall packing and how many rolls will YOU need? If you wish any of them cut into sheets, the nominal charge is 25 cents per 100 yards. Next time you dictate to a stenographer remember this: You are stopping her in her work. She will come at once if she is available; otherwise you will wait for her and perhaps lose the logical inspiration you have all ready to put into words. Likely enough when you start dictating, you will be interrupted 208 CAUSING THE PROSPECT TO ACT AT ONCE the telephone, a visitor's card, a subordinate asking for instruc- tions. Your stenographer will sit there meanwhile waiting for you to go on. And you will finish when you can. You obviate all reason or necessity for this waste of time when you dictate on the Dictaphone. And you save at least a third on the cost of letters when you do. Note that by emphasizing strongly the persuasive appeal, the follow- ing letter secures a markedly informal tone : We can help you A LOT ! Think how much YOU can USE US to build yourself a bigger, better-paying glove business. We 're right here, in the West. You get the quickest possible service, only a few days and you have the gloves. Our reserve stock is complete, so you can really USE OUR FACTORY for your stock room. And our busy manufacturing plant is YOURS. Our dies tools machines, and trained glove makers are just eager to work for you. Then if we happen to be out of some style you order, do we "back order" it DO WE? NOT US ! WE MAKE ITq-u-i-c-k. This means DOLLARS IN YOUR POCKET. For you can do more business. With LESS MONEY TIED UP. Can keep your stock fresh and clean sending mail orders often. We 're fixed to give you just a little Better Service than ANYONE ELSE- GOSPEL TRUTH ! You know Harvey Gloves hand and machine sewed. They 're MONEY-MAKERS for you. They 're soft and snug. They FIT and they DON'T RIP THAT '8 important. So if you don't use us y-o-u l-o-s-e. Make out your order NOW or mail card for samples and leave the assortment to me. I '11 send you the kinds you LIKE. It 's your move. Yours for quick service The following letters are ineffective because their appeal is lacking entirely in the persuasive element : PERSUASION: THE "YOU" ATTITUDE 209 Answering your inquiry we hand you herewith our booklet which you will find full of valuable information regarding piston rings. If your dealer does not handle Smith-Black products or supply your needs, the following jobbers carry complete service and can give your requirements. We are in receipt of a letter from the S. 0. Black Electric Co. of St. Louis, advising us that you are interested in the X-RAY LITE. Inasmuch as we have a stock of the above accessory, we would be pleased to have you call at our store, 1872 Blake St., and per- mit us to show them to you. Trusting to see you at an early date. . . . CHAPTER XVI CAUSING THE PROSPECT TO ACT AT ONCE II. INDUCEMENT OUTLINE (I) An Inducement presents an added reason for purchase. It has no concern with the merit of the product; it simply presents a concession, and this concession relates to the conditions under which the product may be pur- chased. (II) Inducements are of the following sorts: (a) A reduction in purchase price. (b) Payment on easy terms. (c) Special service. CHAPTER XVI CAUSING THE PROSPECT TO ACT AT ONCE II. INDUCEMENT AN Inducement is an added reason for purchase. Its purpose is to stimulate to immediate action. It has no concern with the merit of the product : it simply presents a concession, and this concession relates to the conditions under which the product may be purchased. It offers a reduction in price, or payment on easy terms, that lightens the financial stress of purchase: or it offers a special service that will increase the benefit and thus will assure to the prospect value in full for his money. Consider first, Inducements that consist in : (1) A reduction in price. (2) Payment on easy terms. (1) A reduction in price. The reduction-in-price Inducement must be attended by an explana- tion that makes the ' ' cut ' ' plausible ; by an explanation that divorces the price reduction from suspicion of "cheapening" the product in quality or in desirability. Naturally the prospect assumes that a standard product is worth the fixed price. A sudden, unexplained reduction in price will react in such a way as to destroy confidence. The following reasons and devices are effective in explaining a cut in price : (1) Discount for cash. (2) Cut in price applying only to a specially favored list of old customers. (3) For a limited period, as an introductory offer to familiarize the buyirg public with the quality of the product. 213 214 CAUSING THE PKOSPECT TO ACT AT ONCE (4) Because of the sale of the product "direct from factory to consumer, ' ' with the elimination of middlemen 's profits. (5) To keep up volume of trade during dull period (generally during the summer months). (6) Because goods have been slightly soiled, although not mate- rially injured. (7) Because of special sales month-end, anniversary, quarterly, removal, etc. These and other related Inducements of cut in price enter into a large number of successful selling appeals. Whatever the explanation, it must be straightforward, based upon fact ; it must voice a frank dis- closure of the manufacturer's or dealer's position. In each of the above methods of explaining reduction in price, pos- sibly excepting (2) and (4), the time element, it will be noted, is an all- important factor. That is, the price reduction is contingent upon the prospect's acting within a limited period. At the end of this set time the price will go back to the fixed figure, or the goods specially priced, be disposed of. By impressing upon the prospect that the special oppor- tunity is his only if he accepts without delay, you may the more certainly spur him to immediate action. Ordinarily, then, there are two separate elements to the Inducement : (a) Setting forth the Inducement itself. (b) Reminding the prospect that he will lose the advantage of- fered by it unless he acts at once. Note, in the following Inducements, that both these elements are brought into play: We have never reduced the price of Blenton's Coffee for pur- poses of "special sale. ' ' We, can 't afford to. We put the highest quality into it and then charge 1 a price that will enable us to realize a fair profit. We do, however, offer Blenton's at a special reduction in price, when introducing it into territories where it is not ye.t known. This introductory price is 40 cents a pound a reduction of 25 cents. Each person is limited to ten pounds. Once you have ordered Blenton's Coffee you will prefer- it for its INDUCEMENT : A REDUCTION IN PRICE 215 smoothness its richness its fine aroma. You will order it ag'ain and again. You will tell your friends about it. That 's why it pays us to make this special introductory offer. But remember this: the special offer lapses after next Monday. You have our word for it that it will not ~be repeated. After Monday, Blenton's Coffee will sell in San Antonio , as elsewhere, at the fixed price of 65 cents a pound. So this unusual opportun- ity will ~be yours only if yon order from your regular grocer at* once. This month is "between seasons" in the tailoring business. It 's too late for my customers to order summer suits; it 's too early for them to think about ordering for the fall and winter. Of course it 's to my interest to keep my expert workmen busy this month, too even if I have to charge less for the suits they make. So I Ve decided upon a blanket reduction of 20 per cent on the first 200 suits ordered. I am first notifying my regular customers of this reduction. Farly next week I shall advertise it to the public. A saving of 20 per cent on a $60 suit ? Figure out for j^ourself what that amounts to. And 3 r ou have the best grades of fall suitings to select from. Only you 'II have to hurry to get one of the 200. The explanation of the Inducement comes first, then the reminder. The reminder of loss through delay acts as a positive stimulus to immediate action, and hence provides effective material for the close of the appeal. An Inducement, equivalent to a reduction in price, consists in offer- ing two articles for the price of one. Magazine and book publishers fre- quently employ this inducement, as follows : With every subscription to ' ' IDEAS ' ' received before January, we will include a copy of the practical handbook for business executives, "Business Problems Made Easy." Over 20,000 copies of this book have been sold at the regular price of $1. You get it free of charge with a $2 subscription to "IDEAS" if you act at once. An Inducement informing that an advance in price is imminent is of 216 CAUSING THE PROSPECT TO ACT AT ONCE similar nature to one offering an actual cut in price. It presents an opportunity of saving money by immediate purchase. Note the follow- ing: There have been strong advances in diamond prices during the past five months. However, our foreign agencies' contracts en- able us to offer diamonds in many of the weights at the prices quoted in the net price list attached to the front cover of our " Diamond Booklet." These prices will be maintained for the next 60 days only, after which time we look for a still further advance. The prices we quote you are special wholesale net cash factory prices for an immediate order. The increasing cost of bicycle material and labor may make it necessary to increase these prices in the near future. An Inducement announcing that unless the prospect orders at once, it may be impossible to obtain the product at any price, is similar to the above. Note the following : With the exceptional shortage of cars which we are experi- encing, an early selection is advisable. May we have the opportunity of talking over our transportation requirements for the coming season? A 'phone call will bring a Twin-Six to your door. The following letter is devoted entirely to a reduction-in-price In- ducement. Such a letter may be employed provided previous letters or advertisements have convinced the prospect of the merits of your product : Dear Sir: $2 to $3 a dozen EXTRA PROFIT. Do you want it ? Last week I was in Chicago buying leather to cut up into "HARVEY GLOVES." Prices were STIFF, but I found one of the tanners who needed business pretty badly, and I got some high-grade horse-hide at a low grade price bought ALL I COULD GET. INDUCEMENT: A REDUCTION IN PRICE 217 It 's being made into Gloves NOW. Samples ready NEXT WEEK. Ten days later the BEST WILL BE GONE. (Our salesmen won't have these. This lot goes quick to MAIL ORDER CUSTOMERS ONLY.) $9 will buy gloves worth $12 ! Want to see them? You really CAN'T AFFORD to miss this chance. Just mail the enclosed card. DO IT THIS MINUTE, while you have it in mind, and I '11 send you on approval 1 Dozen Pairs 12 kinds of these SPECIALS prepaid. Return at our expense any or all of them, and order those you want. Act now These won't last. (2) Inducements offering payment on easy terms. The Inducement offering payment by installments, or on specially extended credit terms, is frequently based upon this principle: "Let the product pay for itself"; or, "Enjoy the product while you are paying for it. ' ' For example : I will send you your choice of three washers on 30 days' trial, freight prepaid. You don't invest a penny or even decide to buy until the washer has been used a month. Then you can pay me in monthly installments, or you can pay me in cash and get the cash discount, if you prefer. You won't have to delay on account of price, for I make washers all the way from $6.50 up. Any one of them will save you at least 80 cents a week, outside the saving on clothes. And that is more than you pay by installments. And a second example : The terms of payment for the Nutshell Course are so easy that they need stand in nobody's way only $1 down, and then $4 a month for six months. Think what a small sum this is when compared with the in- creased earning power which the Nutshell Course tan give you. Even a $5 raise in salary would pay the entire cost in five weeks. 218 CAUSING THE PROSPECT TO ACT AT ONCE The "let the goods pay for themselves" Inducement is emphasized in the following letter to a dealer: This morning I am sending you a package by insured parcel post. There 's a mighty interesting story back of that package. A few weeks ago The Palmolive Company ran a national magazine advertisement introducing Palmolive Shaving Cream. We of- fered to send a sample tube of the cream upon receipt of ten cents. Eighteen thousand men sent their dimes to Milwaukee. The minute each man applied that rich, creamy, delightfully soothing Palm and Olive oil lather, he KNEW that at last he had found HIS shaving cream. And almost to a man, that army of satisfied shavers went a-shop- ping for Palmolive. Thousands of full-sized tubes were purchased. Hundreds of men asked their druggists for Palmolive and couldn't get it. I know, because they took the trouble to write and tell me so. That was what worried me. Here were men sold on Palmolive. Ready and anxious to purchase. And no shaving cream to meet the demand. Another full-page advertisement in colors was scheduled for the "SATURDAY EVENING POST," issue of April 19th. We were face-to-face with the same condition. I spent a lot of time studying the problem, and the result was that package I sent you this morning. In that box you will find one-dozen 35-cent packages of Palm- olive Shaving Cream, with an attractive container ; twelve sample tubes to distribute among your best trade; an attention-compelling counter display and two full-sized reproductions of that "SATUR- DAY EVENING POST" advertisement. In sending you this package, I am not trying to force a lot of goods on you. I am not even asking you to buy anything now. But here 's what I want you to do : Place that carton of shaving cream on your show-case, along with the counter display; dis- tribute those samples to representative men in your town ; and put up those magazine reproductions in your store in good time to link up with our national campaign, which will be launched April 19th. So whole-heart edlv do I believe in Palmolive that if you will INDUCEMENT: PAYMENT ON EASY TERMS 219 co-operate with me, I will GUARANTEE the sale of this shaving cream. You are at liberty to return all or any part of this dozen of Palmolive Shaving Cream if it does not sell. Pay the enclosed memorandum invoice when you have sold the goods. Isn't that fair enough ? No shaving cream manufacturer ever made you this kind of a proposition before. But Palmolive is so much better than any shaving cream on the market, that I know I am playing safe. Take home one of those sample tubes tonight. Try the cream tomorrow morning, and you will agree with me. Consider now the third form of Inducement : (3) Special Service. The offer of special service expresses or implies a willingness on the seller's part to co-operate with the prospect to the prospect's benefit. This service may be advanced readily without suspicion of * ' cheapening ' ' the product. Without money-charge, the manufacturer may provide form sales letters, on the dealer 's stationery, to. be mailed by the dealer to local trade; or he may offer to bear the expense of a local newspaper adver- tising campaign, or he may install window displays, or demonstration stands or he may have his trained salesman instruct the grocer's clerks in the sale of the* product. Some concerns introducing a new brand of goods have extended dealer-co-operation to such a limit as to take surplus stock of competing products off the dealer's hands. The vast majority of concerns furnish the dealer pamphlets and circulars descriptive of their products, to fa- cilitate sales. Again, the' manufacturer may include in his advertisement of the product a coupon calling for samples. The names and addresses of persons sending in these advertisement coupons furnish a ready reference list of prospects in a dealer's neighborhood. The manufacturer then acquaints the dealer- with* this list and agrees to send out sales letfers advertising the product and the dealer jointly, provided the dealer will place a trial order. These sales letters may inclose coupons good for second samples to be obtained at the grocer's, or coupons P lans ? signatures, etc., may go on the same sheet, in the one operation. Unexcelled is the work of the Mimeo- graph now and needed. Get booklet "M" from local dealer, or A. B. Dick Company, Chicago and New York. In the above advertisement, we are led by easy steps to the accept- ance of the copy writer's idea of the value of the Mimeograph. We agree at once that the typewriter is a great improvement over the quill, and, having gone thus far, we have little hesitancy in taking the second step: "the Mimeograph is an equally great improvement over the type- writer. ' ' The development by Experience of User (that is, by citing the experi- ence of a user) is particularly effective when the user has much the same needs as has the prospect. A farmer will be inclined to purchase your tractor if other farmers in the sa'me county have profited from its use ; a retail grocer will be inclined to lay in a stock of your washing powder if other grocers in the same locality have found a ready demand for it. Although the basis of this appeal consists of proof of the "list of users" type, there is, nevertheless, opportunity of effectively bringing in De- scription and Explanation, Inducement, Persuasion, and the other ele- BY EXPERIENCE OF USER 253 ments of the direct sales letter. Note how this is accomplished in the following letter : The majority of farmers in the Nedley Valley last year experi- enced poor crops on account of the early frost. However, Experience . . . f User there is one farmer in the vicinity of Upperton who did not encounter such misfortune. He is R. 0. Allen. Allen is the owner of a large, systematically operated fruit ranch, his principal crop being prunes. We asked him why his crops withstood the severe weather, and we believe he will tell you just what he told us. The conservation of the moisture in the soil, through the use of the disk harrow, he said, gave his crops an early start and made them sufficiently strong to withstand the killing E X pLation effects of "Jack Frost." The principle of moisture, conservation, as is borne out in this and thousands of other cases, underlies the secret of success- ful crop growing. Moisture can be conserved better by the use of the disk harrow than by any other method known. Deering disk, peg-tooth and spring-tooth harrows meet every requirement of the farmer in preparing seed beds, killing weeds, and conserving the moisture in the soil of vineyards and orchards. Made of the best materials, with the same painstaking care and rigid inspection and tests that are characteristic of all I. H. C. products, they are recognized as standard machines. Willis, Johnson and Jones, of Upperton handle the Deering line of tillage implements. Go in and ask them about a Clincher disk peg- or spring-tooth harrow. It may mean the saving of your next year's crop. In the above letter, the experience of the user makes up a "striking example" illustrative of the following conclusion: "Moisture conserva- tion is the underlying secret of successful crop growing." The Experi- ence of User form of development often thus lends itself to incorporation in other forms. (7) Narrative. The Narrative, or ' ' Story, ' ' plan of development takes its name from 254 THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE SELLING APPEAL short fiction with which magazine readers are familiar. As in short fiction, ' ' the story is not told until the end. ' ' Pertinent facts that reveal the author's purpose are withheld from the reader at the start, thus creating an element of suspense. To illustrate : The catchline of the average advertisement ' ' tells the story ' ' about as follows : JAMES THOMPSON WON SUCCESS BECAUSE HE TALKED CONVINCINGLY The same advertisement, if written in the short story form, would begin : HOW JAMES THOMPSON WON SUCCESS The short story advertisement opens with an interesting incident that sets the "plot" in motion. This is followed by a second, and, perhaps, a third incident, developing further the reader's interest, and leading him to the climax, or dramatic moment of the story. The de- nouement, or explanation, follows swiftly upon the climax, giving the reader an insight into the hidden causes that explain the action taken by the characters in the story. A plan of such an advertisement is as follows : First incident : Putting through a big business deal, involving millions of dollars, depends wholly upon one thing the backing of a great financier, who is bitterly opposed to the deal. Second incident : James Thompson is asked to attempt to influ- ence this financier, and agrees to do so. (Will he succeed?) Third incident: On the train taking him to the conference Thompson gives evidence of his ability to win the friendship, and confidence, of men and women of all classes. By sheer, force of personality, he becomes the most popular man on board. Fourth incident: Thompson goes into the office of the great financier. His friend, somewhat doubtful as to the outcome, waits outside, wondering whether or not Thompson will win the confidence of this financier as readily as he did that of passengers on the train. Climax : Thompson and the financier come out of the office arm in arm*. Thompson has succeeded. BY NARRATIVE 255 Explanation: Thompson explains to his friend that his ability to influence people is due to a course in "How To Be a Con- vincing Talker" which is given by the Independence Corporation. "Sales Talk": Thompson explains the nature of the course and tells why it has benefited him. Clincher: Develop, your abilit} r to influence men and women. Mail the coupon today. The narrative form is employed effectively in the following advertise- ment based upon the Short-Circuit appeal : The Cook Whose Cabin Became More Famous Than Uncle Tom's. In the days "befo' de war" a genial open-hearted Southern gentleman, Colonel Higbee by name, was the hospitable master of a large Louisiana plantation. Passengers on the old Mississippi river-.boats never failed to point out the stately white-pillared mansion, and their mouths watered as they told of the wonderful dinners and breakfasts he was famous for giving. Oh, the meals that "Colonel Higbee 's Jemima" used to cook! Chicken dinners that left the Colonel and his guests with their faces wreathed in smiles and gravy. Corn fritters, waffles and beaten biscuits that seemed to melt in your mouth, but most of all pancakes ! Golden-brown were those pancakes Aunt Jemima made and so tender, so delectable, that they were at once the delight of every- one who tasted them and the despair of other cooks. For none of the other Southern mammies had a recipe that would make pancakes like that, try as they would. As the time went on, the fame of these wonderful pancakes spread through the whole South and visitors, after the war, always found their way to Aunt Jemima's cabin. Many tempting offers were made to Jemima for the secret of her famous cakes, but for years she could not be persuaded to part with it. Finally, how- 256 THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE SELLING APPEAL ever, she was induced to sell it, and after some experimenting, it was prepared for distribution, ready mixed. Even milk is in it in powdered form ! And now Aunt Jemima Pancake Flour is known to every house- wife everyone has heard of it, though not everyone knows the romance of its origin. Grocers everywhere carry it in stock and hardly a kitchen in America does not contain one of the famous red packages with the smiling Aunt Jemima face upon it hardly a family has not learned the secret of the pancakes that brought fame to a Louisi- ana mammy ! CHAPTER XIX THE TONE OF THE SELLING APPEAL OUTLINE I. Let the tone of your selling appeal reflect the "individuality" the busi- ness character of your concern. II. In the language of the prospect's daily life, express your selling appeal naturally, choosing the sort of words he is accustomed to using. III. The nature of the product has direct bearing upon the tone of the selling appeal. IV. It is advisable for the seller to avoid putting too much effort into the selling appeal. V. The selling appeal should be authoritative in tone. CHAPTER XIX THE TONE OF THE SELLING APPEAL f( I pictured that letter making its way into the humble homes all over the country; I could see it carried from town by the father of the family; I watched the members of the family bending over it after supper by the light of the kerosene lamp. That picture had been with me when I wrote the letter, and therefore I had tried to write as informally and sincerely as though I were present in each home, talking and answering the questions of the occupants." From an article contributed anonymously to the "American Magazine" by the head of a big American concern. ABOVE all things else, the tone of the business letter and that of the advertisement must be natural. As in conversational business English the tone of the speaker reflects his own individuality while taking cognizance of the character and individuality of the prospect, and of the nature of the product, so must the written sales appeal : (1) Reflect the character, the individuality, of the concern it represents. (2) Take cognizance of the individuality of the prospect, or group of prospects, to whom it is written. (1) Reflect the character, the individuality, of the concern it repre- sents. A successful business concern, like an individual, develops a certain individuality. This individuality is in part a reflection of the person- ality of the separate members who dictate the established order of busi- ness conduct of the firm ; in part, a reflection of the conditions under which the business is conducted. Read the dignified, and yet friendly, advertisements of the Cadillac Motor Company ; its individuality becomes at once apparent. There is marked individuality, also, attaching to the advertisements of the Billings & Spencer Company, and to the John Wanamaker advertisements, and to those of Marshall Field & Company. 259 260 THE TONE OF THE SELLING APPEAL There is individuality of a different, although no less effective sort, attaching to the Edgworth Tobacco advertisements. A trade mark, or a trade slogan, or an insistence through repetition upon a single central selling argument, any or all will serve to fix in the prospect's mind the individuality of the firm. This will manifest itself, also, in the selection of words ; in the type used, or in the arrangement of type, in an adver- tisement; likewise, in the letter-head in brief, in all factors that go to make up the "tone" of the appeal. (2) Take cognizance of the prospect, or group of prospects, to whom it is written. In writing, no less than in talking, it is necessary to express yourself in terms that will be most readily understood by the person you are addressing. Express your selling appeal clearly and simply then, in the language of the prospect's daily life, from his viewpoint. Make certain that your explanation is one that he can readily understand; it is not alone sufficient that some business associate or friend under- stands it, better equipped than is the prospect with information concern- ing the product. Choose the sort of words that the prospect is accustomed to using; words of some dignity, in the case of a man in a position of responsibility or influence; simpler words, those in common use, in the case of the aver- age man. But make this choice a natural one, as you instinctively would do in conversing with one type of man or the other. At all times, avoid using "for effect" unusual words that are foreign to everyday usage. The best plan is to visualize the prospect, and then to write to him as naturally and as forcefully as you would talk to him, were he seated across from you at your desk. The sort of words you use will vary somewhat with the product you have for sale as well as with the prospect to whom you write. Employ short, simple words in selling the average product that meets a need. In selling an expensive product, one in the nature of a luxury, give your letter a more "dignified" tone. This dignity is acquired by the use of somewhat longer words. It is well to avoid an appearance of too much effort in your selling appeal; do not urge overmuch, nor become too insistent concerning the MAKE YOUR APPEAL AUTHORITATIVE 261 merits of your product. Anxiety on your part causes the prospect to think that your selling task is a difficult one. Let the tone of your appeal convey your impression that the prospect will buy just as soon as you have furnished him with the requisite information. And, finally, make your appeal authoritative in tone. The prospect will not believe in your product unless you show him. that you yourself believe in it. Be confident, therefore, in affirming its merits ; only in this way will you win the confidence of the reader. Let your confidence, however, be tinged with a rational conservatism; let it be based upon substantiated claims and not upon claims that are exaggerated. An overweening self-confidence leads to a boastful, arrogant attitude which the prospect is quick to resent. Advertisements, and letters, of * ' everyday ' ' tone are of the sort used in appealing to business men. They employ short sentences and lose no time in getting down to the heart of the selling appeal, stripping it of all unnecessary ideas and of all unnecessary verbiage : WHO ARE THE BEST JUDGES OF FAN BELTS? . The car builder has much at stake in the selection of a fan belt to be used as standard equipment. It is a vital part of the car and thus the builder's reputation is involved in its perform- ance. So car builders can not choose at random. They do not judge a fan belt by its weight, its "feel," its appearance for all these may mean nothing when it comes time for the belt to display its qualities in actual service. Probably no other item of car equipment is tested with such pitiless severity as are fan belts. They are tested for heat-resist- ance, for oil-resistance, for water-resistance tested to the col- lapsible point. They are tested for shrinkage, for stretching, for slipping, and the car maker shows no mercy. He can't afford to. Just how important the motor car industry considers these tests is shown in the remarkable unanimity of choice, i.e., in the fact that ONLY ONE MAKE OF BELT has been selected for use on 8 out of every 10 cars being built in America today. That belt is Gilmer. Can you safely ignore the matured judgment of experts ? When 262 THE TONE OF THE SELLING APPEAL you need a new fan belt remember the name of the belt that proved itself fit for service on 80 per cent, of all cars produced. Remember every make of belt has been tested alike. Remember Gilrner. Every belt is plainly marked with the trade name "Gilmer" and marked for the car it fits. The written selling appeal aimed at influencing farmers is simple, direct, and straightforward in tone. The farmer, before arriving at a buying decision, exacts more complete information than does the average prospect : HARDIE SPRAYERS BETTER THAN EVER Hardie stands for spraying efficiency fast and thorough work. Hardie Sprayers have always been fundamentally right built to give long and economical service. But experience is a great teacher, and as we come into close contact with orchard conditions from year to year, we find we can make Hardie Sprayers even better. Our experience has en- abled us to foresee the exacting requirements of the up-to-date orchards the heavy demands put upon the sprayers, and to have a Hardie ready to meet them. 1920 HARDIE IMPROVEMENTS So this year we are giving you more horse-power in the engine with less fuel consumption cutting down the cost of operation. And now, also the pump is stronger and more powerful chain drive prevents any slippage and delivers full power from the engine to the pump means bigger capacity and higher pressure more rapid work. With the new 1920 underfeed suction, longer life is assured. This new device prevents gritty, destructive dirt and sand from entering the pump and therefore you can clean the pump easily. Add to these features new construction which lowers the center of gravity, giving greater clearance in closely set orchards the rapid tank filler recently improved so that its capacity is greatly increased, rigid frame construction that holds engine and mechan- ism securely in place and allows for adjustment to take up wear, THE "EVERYDAY" TONE 263 and many other well known superiorities of Hardie Sprayers. That means you can spray your orchard with greater rapidity and with far greater effectiveness with a Hardie Sprayer. The wisdom of using a Hardie shows both in your increased crop of clean, fine fruit and in the lessened cost of spraying bigger profits for your orchard. With fruit so high-priced, why not make certain that you get all possible profit from the orchard? A Hardie enables you to do it. The ' ' everyday- ' ' tone, in the appeal to women, is a bit more restrained, a bit less abrupt, than in the appeal to men, since women are less accus- tomed to the direct, abrupt methods of business. For example : TWO OF THE MANY DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE ELECTRIC SWEEPER- VAC 1. The Motor Driven Brush operated electrically at the proper speed to remove every speck of threads, lint and hair and to vibrate the nap without injury to the rug. 2. The Sweeper- Vac Combines TWO CLEANERS IN ONE either the plain suction type or the Motor Driven Brush type. Yes, there they both are in the one Sweeper-Vac. Choose whichever you wish. One turn of that lever gives it to you. If you are in doubt which of the two recognized types of Vacuum Cleaner you ought to have, this doubt may be dispelled at once, for the ELECTRIC SWEEPER-VAC combines both types either one instantly at your command. For a Vacuum Cleaner there is another step beyond even good construction and efficiency, before it can fully please the house- wife. It must be light and easy to operate and as free as possible from need of the "trouble-man," so that the housewife can feel at rest while she works. 264 THE TONE OF THE SELLING APPEAL This is the Electric Sweeper-Vac way. If you could see how we make the Sweeper- Vac and watch our rigid three-fold inspection of every cleaner, we believe you would buy it even if it did not have its score or more of unusual features. Even in selling a product of a nature a man would regard as prac- tical, advertisers are accustomed, in appealing to women, to employ an appeal calculated to reach the emotions, as well as to reach the intellect. Such an appeal is employed on the theory that women are more likely to respond to the emotions, and less likely to be guided by "cold" reason and logic, than are men. In the following advertisement, logical reasons as to why Ivory Soap Flakes render better service than do competing soap flakes, are presented in an "emotional" tone: THERE 'S NO TELL-TALE LAUNDERED LOOK TO SILKS THAT HAVE BEEN WASHED WITH IVORY SOAP FLAKES It 's really fascinating to see a silk frock transformed into a thing of beauty again, after a dip into the wonder-working suds of Ivory Soap Flakes. The secret lies in the mildness and purity of the rich Ivory lather, which dissolves the dirt instantly, without affecting the lustrous finish. (Did you know that many manufacturers of fine silks and silk garments recommend Ivory Soap for washing their products?) No rubbing is needed, so you '11 have none of the tiny wrinkles that simply will not press out of silk, once they are in. You can't imagine, until you have tried it, what a big help Ivory Soap Flakes is in keeping your loveliest things like new. You never have to worry about a thing Ivory Soap Flakes can not injure any fabric or color that water alone will not harm, because it is genuine Ivory Soap, pure, mild, unadulterated. For 41 years, expert laundresses have been washing these same fabrics perfectly with Ivory Soap. Now that Ivory comes also in these quick-working flakes, it makes the washing of silks so easy and safe that it really is no task at all. More obviously emotional in tone than the above advertisement, is the THE EMOTIONAL TONE 265 following advertisement, typical of a large number of advertisements employed in selling to women : THE SWEETEST HOUR OF THE DAY The bed-time hour, when happy children, weary-limbed and heavy-eyed, troop off to bed. In that twilight hour, there is the mother's happiest moment or her most disturbed, depending upon the mood in which the children finish their day. There is a direct relation between your children's mental state and the clothes they wear. If they are free to play to their hearts' content, without dread of harming their clothes, they trundle off to bed wholesomely tired, sleepy, and thoroughly lovable ; but how can they be otherwise than irritable and nervous if they have been cramped and fettered all day long because they were too ' * dressed up " to romp like other children ? Children should be dressed for play, just as they should for nice occasions. In play-hours, they should wear sensible wash garments, designed to stand childhood's wear-and-tear. Then they are happy in play, and well dressed when the occasion re- quires. ' * Slipova ' ' play-clothes are thoroughly sensible garments, made of guaranteed standard fabrics, and absolutely fast in color. They can be slipped on or off in a jiffy, and will make many trips to the washtub. They are made in plain or stylishly trimmed patterns, in solid shades or in brilliant designs. The following advertisement likewise is emotional in tone: "AT DAWNING" Hear This Beautiful Ballad Sung by the Gifted Irish Tenor, and Marvelously Reproduced by THE AEOLIAN-VOCALION "When the dawn flames in the sky, I love you." Once in a generation there comes to us a true ballad singer one whose voice, by its sheer beauty and natural quality, can make us sad or glad, as the spirit of his song dictates, and whose 266 THE TONE OF THE SELLING APPEAL own spirit truly grasps and voices the sentiment he is expressing. From Ireland he will most frequently come. The isle of fairies and poetry seems best able to produce those wonderful tenors whom we welcome and hold as long as we may. Colin 'More is such a singer. This talented young tenor has a magnificent future. His singing of the old familiar ballads that everyone loves has never been surpassed. Due to the extraor- dinary results accomplished in recording, by the new system em- ployed in making Victor Records, and the perfect reproductions made possible by the superior construction of the Aeolian-Vocalion, we are today in a position to enjoy Colin 'More 's, and other singers' art, as never before. The Aeolian-Vocalion is an unequalled medium for interpreting Vocalion and all other makes of records. Its universal tone arm is so constructed that the Vocalion will play all records at their best. The unparalleled tone of the Vocalion, the beauty of its cases, the simplicity and efficiency of its mechanical features, and its exclusive tone-control the Graduola by which, for the first time, an artistic means of personally playing the phonograph is pre- sented, make the Aeolian-Vocalion the supreme phonograph on the market today. The "personal" tone is used in selling to men a relatively inexpen- sive product that gives satisfaction or pleasure, in contrast with one that directly meets a business need : MAKES YOUR FACE FEEL FINE How the Double Bevel Blade Gives You a New Kind of Shave By A. C. Penn Do you know why you 're dissatisfied with your shaving? Do you know why you go on trying razor after razor? Do you know why you try to cultivate resignation each day, when your roughened skin shrinks away from your harsh razor edge? I am going to tell you why. It 's because you have not TAKES COGNIZANCE OF THE PROSPECT 267 yet used a razor blade which shaves off the beard and nothing else. The difference between a cut, a scrape, and a shave is less than l-1000th of an inch ! The Double-Bevel on the Penn Blade takes care of this l-1000th. One day some years ago, in a little side-street shop in a Eu- ropean city, I bought a hand-ground razor. When I shaved with it, I could hardly feel the edge. After I had finished, my face actually felt better than before I had started. And when I touched my face, the skin felt so smooth that I kept running my hand over my cheek. I went back to that small shop, and asked the owner how he produced such a remarkable edge. This is what he told me : "When a razor scrapes and leaves your face sore, that 's be- cause it is shaving off some of the skin along with the beard. "The blade is digging into the surface of the skin. The pres- sure necessary to carry it through the beard makes it drag. "In grinding my razors, I add an extra bevel very narrow you can hardly see it right close to the edge. "This bevel lifts up the keen edge, and holds it flat against the face. Thus it shaves off the beard, but does not dig into the skin. "That 's why my edge leaves your face feeling fine." I saw immediately that this was the razor edge which thousands of men were looking for. When I came home, I started the work of applying this double- bevel principle to the safety-razor blade which has to be very thin, and has to be machine-ground. It was no easy problem. Now after years of study and painstaking experiment, I have it. Unless you are willing to get a Penn Razor and try the Penn Double-Bevel Blade, you will not believe that any razor edge can actually make your face feel fine after shaving. But when you do this, you '11 be the happiest shaver going. And like every other Penn shaver you '11 tell your friends about your discovery. 268 THE TONE OF THE SELLING APPEAL Perm Double-Bevel Blades fit all models of Penn Razors. The New Penn Adjustable Razor and ten Double-Bevel Blades, in leather case, $5. Penn Shaving Sets, including Adjustable Razor, ten blades, and Honing Strop, in leather case, $7.50 and $10. Note ; If the store where you usually trade has not yet stocked Penn Adjustable Razors, write us. We 11 see that you are sup- plied. The "personal," or conversational, tone is most likely to be effective if the words of the conversation are "spoken" by characters in the ad- vertisement. The prospect is more likely to accept personal advice that seems to come from persons represented in the advertisement, than to accept personal advice presented direct by the copy writer. The follow- ing is an example of this type of advertisement : (The illustration shows a well-dressed woman talking with her friends.) "I SAVED $100 ON MY CLOTHES THIS SEASON" "Yes, I made this dress myself. It cost exactly $18.50 for the materials and I have n 't seen anything in the shops for as much as $75 that I like so well. You know I never used to sew at all. But since I 've learned I Ve made so many pretty things this dress, a tailored suit, two house dresses, three petticoats, several blouses and lots of lingerie. Then I made three school dresses for Betty and the dearest little coat from one of my own. Why we have more and prettier things than we ever have had and I was just figuring up yesterday I 've already saved $100 on my clothes this season. ' ' Thousands of women in city, town and country are telling prac- tically this same story since learning at home through the Woman 's Institute to make their own clothes. . . . (The advertisement goes on to explain the dressmaking course offered by the Woman's Institute.) The " personal plus" tone is employed in selling the same type of product that the "personal" tone is employed in selling. It is more in- formal, more ' * cheerful, ' ' and more * * breezy ' ' than the * * personal tone ' ' : TAKES COGNIZANCE OF THE PROSPECT 269 HOW MANY FACES HAS FOUR BITS? Funny thing about money. A half dollar looks different every time you take it out of your pocket. It 's hardly big enough to count when you 're taking a girl to a show and supper, but next day it looks like a million dollars when you invest it in a lunch counter. The more it buys, the harder it is to spend. All of which is suggested by what a millionaire said to me the other evening as free a spender as ever I passed a hotel evening with: "Look here, Jim," he said, "I can't see that 50 cent size of Mennen 's it 's too much coin to spend for shaving cream. ' ' "But it 's a bigger tube," I protested. "I know," he answered, slipping thirty-five cents to the waiter, "but thirty-five cents is my price for shaving cream." "Ain't nature wonderful?" In our 50-cent tube of Mennen 's shaving cream there 's enough shaving cream to bring peace and joy of living into a man's life every morning for many months Enough cream to soften the meanness out of two seasons' crops of stubble. And a quality of shaving cream so fine, so unusual, so remark- able Say, have you ever tried Mennen shaving cream ? Have you ever taken half an inch on a drenched brush and whipped it for three minutes into a creamy, firm, moist lather with the brush only using a lot of water hot or cold and then slipped the razor down the east facade of your jaw in the most deliciously glorious shave of your career? You Ve got to know Mennen 's to like it. Send me twelve cents and I '11 mail a demonstration tube. Try it! Then reason with yourself calmly if many months of such shaves are n 't worth the price of two Perfectos. The "slangy" tone ordinarily is employed in selling products that give pleasure and enjoyment. It often is used in advertising tobacco, and similar products: 270 THE TONE OF THE SELLING APPEAL YOUR BREAKFAST IN YOUR BED ON SUNDAY MORNING- And a pipe of Velvet afterwards. That 's the life ! That 's when Velvet's lazy old mellowness just seems to get next to you and tickle you 'most to death. As Velvet Joe says : ' ' Blessed be hard work so 's we can knock off and smoke a lazy pipeful. ' ' Maybe you think that mild tobacco can't have much taste. Maybe you think tobacco 's got to be strong to let you know you 're smoking. Wrong twice in the same place ! There is n 't any tastier, realer pipe tobacco than honest Ken- tucky Burley. And after it 's been aged in the wood two years it 's so smooth and mild and mellow that well, it 's Velvet ! No use a-talking. There 's more smooth smoke and sunny good fellowship in a friendly old pipe of Velvet than you '11 find any- where else in a month of Sundays. The "slangy" tone often is employed in selling products that provide recreation. The following advertisement is written in the cadence of a popular song sung by a vaudeville entertainer: EXCLUSIVE COLUMBIA ARTISTS IN THE LATEST SONG HITS Who kids them along in the latest song on Columbia Records only ? Al Jolson ! Who raises the roof with melodious mirth on Columbia Records only ? Nora Bayes ! Who knows how to mix song with laughter and tricks on Colum- bia Records only? Van & Schenck! Who jazzes the house by just opening his mouth on Columbia Records only ? Harry Fox ! Who starts on the quiet and ends in a riot on Columbia Records only ? Bert Williams ! Where do you find the newest of song hits by all the most popu- lar artists? On their exclusive Columbia Records! Where best will you hear these Columbia Records played ? On the Columbia Grafonola! TAKES COGNIZANCE OF THE PROSPECT 271 Contrast the tone of the above advertisement with that of the follow- ing advertisement, which, being aimed at appealing to persons who appre- ciate more classical music, employs a dignified, "exclusive" tone. Note that the "exclusive" tone employs longer, more "dignified" words, and longer sentences : The final silver thread of music spun by the wizard bow of a Ysaye the tears and feeling in the tender depths of Fremstad's noble voice the sheer magnificence of a thrilling orchestra finale all these elusive tonal beauties are caught and expressed in Columbia Records, from the faintest whisper to the vastest tidal wave of sound. Volume TONE feeling the most delicate shading of a theme, are delicately preserved and supremely present in every Columbia Record, an exquisite tone-perfection that does not vanish with use. You can test these exclusive qualities in a series of home recitals such as no concert audience is ever privileged to hear. See the nearest Columbia Dealer today and arrange for your demonstra- tion. The ' * exclusive ' ' tone is used in suggesting the prestige of the firm be- hind the product. For example : Conference among Cadillac engineers, designers, and craftsmen has been continuing over a long period of years. It begins anew each morning, with the one unchanging thought of bringing the car to a higher degree of positiveness and certainty. There is not so much as a nut or a bolt in its construction that has not passed under rigid scrutiny times without number. Every Cadillac which leaves production is like every other in the application of these principles excepting that the process of improvement is continuous. When some other car has engaged the same skill over the same long period then, and not till then, can there be another car com- parable to the Cadillac in reliability. The following advertisement illustrates the use of longer and more "dignified" words in the "exclusive" appeal aimed at selling an expen- sive product to a woman : 272 THE TONE OF THE SELLING APPEAL THE ETRUSCAN A Distinctive Gorham Design in Solid Silver This design, with its Greek fret, or key motif, is a pattern of singular simplicity and strength. It embraces a complete assortment of Table Silver, Dinnerware, and Tea and Coffee Services. A silverware pattern of such merit and distinction is not to be limited in its uses, but is worthy to officiate in all departments of the table. Best of all, it is a pattern of which you will never tire, for the Etruscans flourished 1000 years before the Christian era, and after 25 centuries the world still does honor to Etruscan art. The art which has survived 25 centuries of change is a safe choice in period silverware. It is Gorham Made and Bears This Indenture The employment of words of a foreign language in surrounding the product with an atmosphere of ' * exclusiveness ' ' : SO ENCHANTING A GIFT UN NOEL TRES JOYEUX! With Djer-Kiss Paris-created Djer-Kiss in joyous Holiday sets! This fairy fountain of Versailles is pictured on the box. Is it not wonderful, Madame, Mademoiselle, that there should be given to those who admire an opportunity to bestow so en- chanting a gift ! Last year, indeed, so many wished for these sets that there were not enough to go 'round. This year there will be more. But you will be wise if you let fall a hint just a soft little whisper so that the giver, lui ou elle, shall be forewarned and forehanded. Then, too, if you seek something simpler, each Specialite whether it be Extract, Face Powder, Talc, Sachet, Toilet Water, Vegetale, Soap, or Rouge is in itself a gift most acceptable a gift quite complete in grace and charm. TAKES COGNIZANCE OF THE PROSPECT 273 In the smart little shop. In the leading big shops. In charm- ing Holiday boxes will they be found. These single specialites. These Djer-Kiss sets in five varied combinations from more elaborate for madame, for mademoiselle, to the simple three-piece sets so approved by monsieur. DJER-KISS CHAPTER XX FOLLOW-UP LETTERS OUTLINE I. Principles underlying the writing of Follow-Up Letters. II. Sources for compiling the Mailing List. III. Means of testing the pulling power of the appeal. CHAPTER XX FOLLOW-UP LETTERS "But there are various kinds of letters sales letters, collection letters, pro- motion letters, and many others, so we naturally wonder to which classification the term 'follow-up' applies, and why. The explanation is simple. Every let- ter which is written is written for a purpose. Until that purpose is accom-, plished, the letter has only partly succeeded. A sales letter is written for the purpose of making a sale, and if the first letter fails it should be followed by another letter, and another, and another, until the sale is made. A collection letter is sent to get money, and if it fails its followers should go on and on until one finally 'brings home the bacon.' Advertising letters are intended to bring inquiries and when one or twenty fail, the twenty-first should not end the series unless it gets what it goes after." 0. H. Kepley, in "Follow-Up Letters," issued by The American Multigraph Sales Company. (1) Principles underlying the writing of Follow-Up Letters. Each separate advertisement in an advertising campaign is closely related, in purpose and in subject matter, to preceding and to subsequent advertisements. Never does one advertisement stand alone. The selling campaign extending, it may be, over a period of years is planned as a whole, of which each separate appeal is a component part. It may be that the first advertisements are planned at "educating" the prospect; advertisements next following, it may be, are aimed at acquainting the prospect with the distinguishing merit which makes the product stand apart from other products of the same type; and, based upon the assumption that the prospect now is familiar with the service rendered by the type of product and with the distinguishing merits of the particular make of product, the final advertisements, it may be, are devoted either to proof or to publicity, that is, to impressing forcefully upon the mind of the prospect the trade name of the product. Business letters, like advertisements, are most likely to be effective when they are arranged as related units in a series. Such a series is known as a Follow-Up Series, since each letter after the first is so planned 277 278 FOLLOW-UP LETTERS as to ' ' follow up ' ' the appeal of the letter or letters that have preceded it. In the case of sales letters, 1 the Follow-Up Series may be classified in accordance with the duration of the appeal, as follows : (1) Wear-Out. (2) Continuous. In the Wear-out Series, each letter aims either at closing the sale im- mediately by mail, or, more likely, at causing the prospect immediately to agree to a demonstration or to the visit of a salesman, the expectation being that the visit or the demonstration will end in a sale. The series ends only when returns no longer make it profitable to send out addi- tional letters to the prospects still on the mailing list. The Wear-Out series is based upon the principle that no two prospects, even though members of the same class, respond exactly in the same way to any given sales appeal; hence, different selling arguments or different methods of presenting the same argument must be employed in dealing effectively with different prospects. This series has, it may be said, the virtue of persistency; as by its very reiteration of selling arguments, it likely will make a lasting impression of the merits of the product upon the mind of the prospect. If the central selling argument has been carefully selected after talk- ing with a considerable number of members of the class to which the appeal is made, and therefore may be relied upon to match the vital needs of this class, the better plan is to limit the Wear-Out series to this one selling argument, advancing it from different angles in each letter, and thus finally winning its acceptance by the largest possible number of prospects on the mailing list. When, however, two or more selling arguments of cardinal importance suggest themselves, the series may be effectively developed around more than one point, with the expectation that prospects who are unresponsive to the first selling argument will be influenced by the second. The Continuous Follow-Up entails a steady and consistent effort to develop trade. Its likely purpose is to keep up a continual flow of infor- mation that will interest the prospect, or the customer, in your goods, or that will interest him in the service you extend, or that will increase i The principles underlying the planning of Follow-up Letters in a Collection Series, are dealt with in Chapter XXX. UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES 279 his confidence in your firm. Letters in the Continuous series are sent out season after season, year after year, at irregular intervals. The dealer makes effective use of the Continuous Follow-Up series. The owner of the corner drug store, or the grocery store, for example, calls attention to the completeness or desirability of the stock he carries ; he advances reasons why the prospect should make his purchases at the "neighborhood" store; he gives notification of sales, of seasonable offer- ings; he emphasizes courtesy and service. The banker stresses the im- portance of the principle of thrift. The owner of a music store sends out a list of new records, a list of songs just out, etc. The manufacturer uses the series in calling to the dealer's attention new lines, new service features; and in keeping the dealer informed as to trade conditions. The salesman employs this series to keep himself in touch with the dealer between visits. Carefully check the mailing list as orders and inquiries resulting from the Follow-Up series come in. An order eliminates the name from the list of prospects and places it in the customer file. An inquiry gener- ally calls for the dictation of a special letter. If the special letter does not bring an order, dictate a second letter, or mail an additional form letter in the Follow-Up series, as circumstances may dictate. If you continually receive inquiries of a like sort, make up a new series of form letters covering the specific points, thus saving the expense involved in dictating special letters. For example: a firm manufacturing paints has put out a series of form letters pushing the sale of house paints. Numerous inquiries come in asking whether the paint is suitable for interior decoration. The firm promptly checks off on the original mail- ing list the names of those making inquiry and adds these names to a list of prospects whose inquiries may be answered through the series of form letters dealing with interior decoration. In answer to an inquiry, a letter whether "form" or "special" may be of some length. The prospect has taken the trouble to ask you for information about your product, or to mail in the coupon attached to your advertisement. You can properly assume that he is sufficiently interested to take time to go into the details of your offer. Whatever the class of Follow-Up, observe the following rule : Do not suggest to the prospect that you feel you are annoying or "bothering" him. 280 FOLLOW-UP LETTERS In writing a Follow-Up series in which the separate letters call for answers, observe the following two rules: Do not adopt a grieved, injured tone when the prospect fails to answer your letters. Remember that he is under no obligation to you. Do not become discouraged because previous letters have gone unanswered. Maintain, throughout the Follow-Up series, the same attitude of confidence in your product, and of assurance that the prospect will benefit from its purchase. Here are two letters in a Continuous Follow-Up Series which enables the wholesaler to keep in touch with the dealer : Dear Sir : The dependability of the stock you buy is just as important as the dependability of the firm from which you buy it. p . . , Have you ever handled Red Cedar boards? Do you know you can get Red Cedar boards just as well as Fir, Hemlock, or Pine ? If red cedar has stood the test of being put into the ground and put on a roof the two hardest tests it could be put to Application . . and is in constant demand, do you not think it would stand the rot test any place it was put? I can supply you red cedar in straight or mixed cars with shingles and fir. I shall be very glad to quote you prices upon application. The stock is air dried. Try some of it in a mixed car. SAY! How do YOU feel about YOUR LOSS of money and prestige, caused by delays on "prompt" shipments? Almost any old mill can handle easy orders that you are n 't in much of a hurry for; it takes the best of efficiency and organization to meet emergencies. If you will send me your HARD orders, the ones you are in a hurry for, I can prove to you the reliability of the mills I represent much more quickly, for you will be watching for results, and performance will count with you where pretty sales talk would only be an aggrava- tion. Send your hard ones in to me; but put on your order all you UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES 281 want in the car. Do not expect to get any additions in unless you wire them. When you send in your orders be sure to tell me if you must have immediate delivery, for your need always brings Clincher . special service. 1 can smooth out the wrinkles caused by worry over delayed shipments, and bring a smile of contentment to your face. Dear Sir : The Gray 's Harbor Lumber Company of Hoquiam, Washington, have wired me that they want to sell several cars of 2 x 4's No. 1 Common S1S1E, assorted as follow and at prices shown : 100 2x4 8' No 1 Common S1S1E 40c $14 00 45c $15 25 200 " 10' ? * 20 50 2175 400 " 12' J 5 18 50 1975 300 ' ' 14' J J 1850 1975 500 ' ' 16' > ) 19.50 20.75 400 ' ' 18' ) J 20 50 2175 200 " 20' > . 20.50 21.75 This is the only assortment I can give you at the prices noted, which show a discount of $5.50 off on 10' and longer and $10 off on 8' lengths. This is first class stock. I can recommend it to you highly. Wire or telephone your order at my expense for a nice assorted car of 2 x 4's like the above. I am only authorized to sell a limited number of cars at this price, as their regular discount is $5 off on any other assortment of dimension. Do not wait send your order in at once. If I have not shown delivered price on your rate of freight, your price will be on the basis of discount noted above for this assortment. Note the various selling points developed one at a time in the follow- ing series. The spirit of institution back of the product is given special emphasis : 282 FOLLOW-UP LETTERS I Dear Mr. Smith : At dinner last evening a prominent business man happened to mention that his final selection in buying a car was made only after thorough consideration of his business, social. Principle and domestic needs. It is a source of gratification to the Citizens Motor Car Com- pany to find men buying Passenger Transportation upon such a basis. It allows us to study individually our prospective customers' needs, giving them an unbiased and sincere statement con- Application . . cerning the most economical car for their use. II Dear Mr. Smith: Surely you would n't buy a thing simply because it was cheap. There is just one sensible, straightforward thing to do and that is buy your automobile from people who have presige }} een j n the business more than a short time, who have achieved something of international importance, whose name stands for all you would have your own stand for. There are some automobile makers who justify every confi- dence Packard is one of them. Clincher III Dear Mr. Smith: If you have to throw away good Cord tires after six, seven, or eight thousand miles you can hardly charge that to the Predicament tire manufacture. It is usually engine vibration that cuts down tire mileage. Almost any Packard owner will tell you that he is getting from _ ten to sixteen thousand miles on good Cord tires. The rea- son for this exceedingly high mileage is the simple fact that a twelve C3 7 linder "V" type motor has less vibration than any other engine known measured at any speed. IV Dear Mr. Smith: I feel that an enclosed body should be a thing of beauty UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES 283 something enduring. And I think you will agree with en a me that it would be a waste of time in the long run to put a beautiful body on a medium grade chassis. Of course some people will do it there will always be people who will com- promise with themselves on matters of quality. We extend to you the services of our Custom Body Depart- ment. Application . V Dear Mr. Smith: J. W. Packard, when first building cars on a commercial basis, Proof: stated prestige of firm "We will build only the best in quality and workman- ship sacrificing nothing to produce a car with a low mainte- nance cost." This was twenty years ago. Packard policy has never changed. Twin-Six maintenance figures, even after 100,000 miles opera- tion, are unusually low. VI Dear Mr. Smith: Will you kindly check the records of your car against the fol- lowing testimonial of a Packard Twin-Six owner: Proof "Since July, my Twin has travelled 63,000 miles and is still sweet. It has surprised me to find that I can get from 10 to 13 miles on a gallon and 12 to 16 miles on Cord tires. Some day I may want a new car, but not yet by a long shot. ' ' As we see it, the only reason a Twin-Six can give you maximum comfort, safety, appearance, and yet give you a record like escnp wn ^ e above, is because we put enough sound engineering and by make-up . . . . , . good material into it in the first place. It would please us to give you a demonstration and show you specific records of many Twin-Six owners. 284 FOLLOW-UP LETTERS VII Dear Mr. Smith : With the exceptional shortage of cars which we are experi- encing, an early selection is advisable. Inducement _ r & May we have the opportunity of talking over your transportation requirements for the coming season? A 'phone call will bring a Twin-Six to your door. The distinguishing merit of the Hudson automobile "a patented motor which increases motor power 72 per cent" and thus makes for endurance is given emphasis in each letter of the Follow-Up series be- low. Note, throughout the series, the constant employment of proof of one kind and another : I Dear Sir: Out of the more than 9,000 Hudson Super-Sixes built and sold . this year, over 6,000 have been purchased by owners of earlier Hudson models. What greater tribute than this could be paid to that uniform and continuous satisfaction Hudson cars have given their owners for the past ten years ? You will see more Hudsons on any city boulevards or stretch of country road than any other high grade automobile. It is the choice of the business-man, the farmer, the rancher and the tour- ist. The reason for this universal popularity could only be the in- trinsic merit of the car itself, its superior performance, beauty, comfort, reliability and durability the result of the patented motor to be obtained only in the Hudson. By the use of this exclusive principle of design Hudson en- gineers increased the power of the motor 72 per cent, with- Desdnption . . . , . .~ . ,. ., , out any increase in weight or the sacrifice of simplicity. This is accomplished by the minimizing of destructive vibration. The results of the great endurance gained may be seen in the fact that the Hudson Super-Six has won more worth-while records than any other stock car. Clincher * UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES 285 II Dear Sir: The supreme endurance and reliability which have helped to make the Hudson Super-Six the largest selling fine car on the world, are the result of its patented motor. The Super-Six motor can be obtained in no other car than a Hudson. The exclusive principle upon which it is built minimizes destructive vibration and increases the power of the motor 72 per cent, without any increase in weight or the sacrifice of simplicity. The many records held by the Super-Six, more than were ever before held by any stock car, were made possible only because of the exclusive design of its motor. You will remember how a Super-Six stock car made the round trip from San Francisco to New York in 10 days, 21 hours, an achievement that has never been equaled although many others have tried. But that was only one of the many achievements which were un- dertaken, not to show brute speed, but to prove the reliability and dependability of the car itself. Since then more than 60,000 Super-Sixes have amply demonstrated this same quality in the hands of their owners. There have never been enough Super-Sixes built to supply all who wished them and this year the demand is greater than Inducement ever before. So if you wish a car even for use next spring, the only way to assure delivery is to order now. Ill Dear Sir: "The man who does not consider the re-sale value of his car when he buys it is overlooking one of the most important Principle . , , points of his purchase. This was the remark of a Super-Six owner who has driven three Hudsons during the past ten years. "Nothing shows the quality of a car better than the price it will bring after several years of service," he added. Therefore it is notable that Hudson cars have a higher re-sale value than any other fine automobile on the market. To Application prove this, look in the want ad columns of your newspaper 286 FOLLOW-UP LETTERS today. Notice how few, if any, Hudsons are offered for sale and then notice the prices that are obtained for used Super-Sixes. The reason is the superior endurance of the car itself. The patented motor which can be obtained only in a Super-Six Description , . . _ . not only increases the power 72 per cent without any in- by wiQ,K6~up . . '" crease in weight or the sacrifice of simplicity, but it minimizes destructive vibration and thus lengthens the life of the car beyond anything previously known. Greater power means more wonderful performance while the fact that it is obtained without any increase in weight means the greatest possible economy of gasoline and tires. Simplicity means greater reliability. All together these things spell the satisfaction that more than 70,000 owners have found in their Super-Sixes. In the face of the greatly increased demand, the only way to avoid disappointment in the deliverv of your car is to Inducement order now as our allotment is strictly limited and the present shortage is bound to continue well into next year. IV Dear Sir : One of the most important factors to consider in buying an Principle automobile is the factory behind the car. The plant of the Hudson Motor Car Company at Detroit is the largest factory in the world devoted exclusively to the manufacture of fine automobiles. It covers more than twenty-six acres of ground and includes more than 1,000,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Within its walls there are carried on more than 10,000 different operations necessary in building Hudson cars, the perfec- ,np i ^ n ^ .^ e q u ip men t assu ring the high quality of its output. Material is purchased in the immense quantities necessary to make possible the turning out of a car of the highest quality at the lowest possible price. These facilities make possible the manufacturing efficiency, the result of which is the delivery of such extraordinary value that the Hudson Super-Six has become the most popular and largest selling fine car in the world. In addition the Super-Six has a patented motor obtainable in UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES 287 no other car. By the use of an exclusive principle the power is increased 72 per cent without any increase in weight or the sacrifice of simplicity. To obtain a Hudson, even for delivery next year, it is necessary to act now as the demand has always been greater than the Inducement supply and our allotment is strictly limited. Two of the Follow-Up letters given below are devoted to explaining the distinguishing feature in the construction of Kelly-Springfield tires, and its effectiveness in making for endurance. The third letter is given over to a summary of selling points : I Gentlemen : When Nature got around to designing the elephant, she realized - that she would have to provide something unusual in the Comparison way of feet. Ordinary stock equipment would not do. The elephant was sent out for a trial spin. So satisfactorily did his pedal equipment meet all demands that so far as we know there has never been a change in the design from that day to this. The next chance you get, watch the elephant's foot in action. It spreads out, gripping the ground and giving a traction that would be impossible if the foot were hard like a horse's hoof. Its flexibility enables it to accommodate itself to the ground over which it is passing. The elephant's surefootedness is proverbial. The likeness of the Kelly-Springfield Caterpillar truck tire to an elephant's foot was noticed when the first Caterpillar e ^ C1 was put in commission. The way in which its massive segments came down on the ground, gripped the road and yet released it without holding back the truck, immediately sug- gested the elephant's power, surefootedness and ability to walk away under a load, with this difference, that whereas the elephant moves slowly, the Caterpillar moves fast. The superiority which the Caterpillar's patent-protected side vent construction gives it over any other type of heavy duty truck has been amply demonstrated on the trucks of some of the biggest fleet owners of America. Its remarkable traction qualities and the almost incredible mileage it is giving 288 FOLLOW-UP LETTERS have won instant recognition from men whose business it is to know tires. Caterpillars are made in sizes suitable for trucks of all types and weights. II Gentlemen : Put your four finger-tips together on the top of your desk, press down and push hard. Your fingers slip along the Comparison * desk. Spread your fingers apart and try the same experiment. Your hand doesn't slip when your fingers are spread. The force of the push is split out in four different directions. The experiment illustrates in a crude way the advantage which the Kelly-Springfield Caterpillar tire has over other types of truck tires. Its side vents (an exclusive, patent-protected Kelly feature) form a number of massive segments, each of which e ^ spreads when it touches the ground, distributing the weight put upon it, preventing skidding and slipping and conserv- ing the power of the engine. One of the big features of the Kelly Carterpillar, aside from its remarkable traction, is the fact that the so-called "traction wave/' so destructive to the ordinary type of truck tire, is eliminated. The side vents permit each segment to expand under load com- pression. Instead of the rubber wave's traveling around the circumference of the moving wheel several thousand times a day, it is broken every few inches and so has no opportunity to do any damage. The Kelly Caterpillar is unique among truck tires. That its superiority over the regular endless type is actual, not merely theoretical, is the testimony of hundreds of truck owners, among them the operators of some of the biggest fleets in America. Caterpillars are made in sizes suitable for trucks of all types and weights. UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES 289 III Gentlemen : What do you know about Caterpillars? Not the wooly kind that drops down your neck when you are picnicking. We mean Kelly-Springfield Caterpillar truck tires. The Kelly Caterpillar is unique. There is no tire like it, nor can there be. The system of side vents which distinguishes it from other truck tires is an exclusive, patent-protected Kelly fea- ture. Briefly, the advantages which the side vent construction possesses are these : gives a leech-like grip ; breaks up the tire-wrecking traction wave; enables the resilient rubber segments to expand quickly under load compression, thus saving the engine and chassis and cutting down repair bills by absorbing road shocks at the point of contact ; makes possible consistently remarkable mileage because of the practical elimination of the traction wave ; saves power, oil and gasoline because of the extraordinary traction qualities which it gives the tire. Claims? We 're prepared to substantiate them by the testi- mony of some of the biggest corporations in the United States concerns whose tire costs are figured to the fraction of a cent. Caterpillars are made in sizes for trucks of all sizes and weights. If you have n 't had a chance to become acquainted with Clincher them we d like to introduce you. The correspondent 's aim in the following series is : (1) Consistently to bring to the prospect's attention proof that this machine has made good when put to the test of performance in the hands of the users. (2) Persistently to impress upon him the actual value to him of the service such a calculating machine renders. 290 FOLLOW-UP LETTERS I Gentlemen : If you have a pencil and pad handy and the time please work out this calculation by hand: Striking Example Divide 432,242,690 by 89572597 and carry the answer to ten decimal places. Not that you have occasion to use such a problem but simply to illustrate a point that may prove of value to you. It takes you about nine minutes (unless you 're a figure wizard) and then you are not absolutely sure that your solution is cor- rect, without rechecking. Now consider this : If you could have near you an assistant that would enable you to figure such a problem in 30 seconds and afford you a ' ri P l Positive Proof of Accuracy in the bargain yes, do all your f)')i 7/Q figure-work with proportionate speed and accuracy, it would be worth investigating, would n 't it ? That 's just our reason in asking you to figure it out to give you a little idea of what the Monroe Calculating Machine offers you in comparison. So simple your office boy can operate it- Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying, Dividing all with equal fa- cility. A try-out of a day or two on your own figures is the fairest test and since there is no obligation involved may we not r ' expect the simple return of the card noting your wishes ? II Gentlemen : You are busy and so we are only going to ask a minute or two for our story ; a short story but honestly worth your while. If you could have near you, at a cost of 16V2C a day, an as- . . sistant that would enable you to extend and check your invoices, figure payrolls, find costs, foot ledgers, compute interest, prove freight bills and allowances, convert foreign currency, make estimates, solve engineering formulae involving UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES 291 square and cube root in fact, do any and all figure-work that you may have, simply and directly and in a fraction of the time now expended, you would be interested, wouldn't you? Just now our Mr. G. K. Kendall has a very good opportunity f to show you the MONROE Calculating Machine, let you try it out on your own figure-work and you can judge for yourself whether it is suited to your figure-needs and will effect worth-while economies in your business. No cost or obligation involved. Simply check your wishes on the card enclosed and please mail so that we will get it in Clincher . , the morning s delivery. Ill Gentlemen : When you went to school and the problem was to find the dif- ference between 8 and 3, were you taught to subtract 3, or did your teacher tell you to use some roundabout method, Example such as adding the complement to secure the proper an- swer of 5? Naturally you were taught the direct method, the Straight Line from Problem to Result. Because this principle has been followed in the construction of the MONROE Calculating Ma- chine, it can be used efficiently by unskilled help in handling all figure-work, from the simplest to the most exacting. It is 90% machine and 10% operator. The MONROE Multiplies, Divides and Subtracts with the same simplicity that it Adds, and it is one of the most efficient adding machines ever offered. The MONROE has a two-way mechanism. The forward ac- tion adds and multiples. The reverse action subtracts and e !* C1 divides. In Multiplication you have before you in the machine the Multiplicand, and Multiplier and Product. In division, the Dividend, Divisor and Quotient are shown. No machine is properly a calculating machine without these features. Just now we have a very good opportunity to show you the MONROE and let you try it out on your own figures and let you be the judge whether the MONROE can save you time, money and costly errors. 292 FOLLOW-UP LETTERS Simply use the back of this letter for your reply. Pen or pencil will do. We are not fussy. And the return en- velope will help you. Return your reply to us without de- lay. IV Gentlemen : And here 's something else, To help you get an accurate estimate of the value of the MON- ROE Calculating Machine to your business. We are willing to deliver a Monroe to your offices on TEN DAYS APPROVAL and let you thoroughly apply it to your figure-work. That is the best way for you to judge and you can then satisfy yourselves whether the Monroe will not only do your adding but your multiplications, divisions, subtractions as easily and directly as your adding machine adds. Simply check your wishes in the lower left hand corner of this letterhead and return in the envelope enclosed for your con- venience. Yes: Without cost or obligation, we are willing to try out the Mon- roe on Ten Days Approval. Check here V Gentlemen : If the writer came to your office and offered to work for you and proved that he could do twice the amount of work that any of your clerks is now doing, and would agree to work Example .... A , , for the same salary or less, you would jump at the chance to place me in your service, would n 't you ? That is in effect what we propose to do when we seek your con- sent to the little time needed to point out the economies and serv- ice others are daily noting in the use of the MONROE. For example, just take the experience of the STATE TAX COMMISSIONER of Albany, New York, from whose state- Proof ment we quote in part : UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES 293 "One man with a Monroe Calculating Machine can do as much work as seven men can without a machine. The in- vestment in Monroe machines made a net saving in this de- partment in one year of $85,000." Since about five minutes is all that is asked to point out the MONROE differences that have interested others, why not CON- VINCE YOURSELVES that the MONROE will do just what we claim for it. YOU RISK NOTHING, so simply send along the postcard. VI Gentlemen : The business judgment of over 300 of the representative firms of Atlanta and immediate vicinity recommends the MON- ROE Calculating Machine. And each one of these firms has backed that judgment by the installation of from one to 10 machines. What advantages has the MONROE? 1. Perfect adaptibility for handling anything you may have in figures. 2 ' Self - checkin S and P erfect ACCURACY. 3. Greater speed and, therefore, time-saving. 4. No long training in operation required both Speed and Ac- curacy dependent upon the machine and not upon the skill of the operator. Sounds like a " large order," yet all that is asked is a few minutes' demonstration on your actual figures. The writer is the representative for the territory in which your offices are located. Will you grant him the little time needed to at least acquaint you with the Monroe and with what it can do for you ? Simply note below a day and hour most Clincher . , ,. . , 1 ,, ., convenient for you and drop this letter in the mail. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Hour A. M P. M. (II). Sources for compiling the Mailing List. Buy an automobile, pay for your license tag, and start out to enjoy 294 FOLLOW-UP LETTERS your first week-end. When you get back home, likely you will find await- ing you a letter from a garage owner who carries a full line of automo- bile accessories. The letter assures you of courteous service and of rea- sonable prices. How did the garage owner know that you had recently bought an automobile? From the records of the State office where you took out your license, perhaps. From daily or weekly bulletins published in the interests of the automobile trade, probably. From the man who sold you the car, possibly. At any rate your name as the purchaser of an auto- mobile is on the mailing list of the garage owner. Similarly as in your purchase of an automobile, the man who buys a home, or who gets married, finds awaiting him a letter from a house- furnishing concern; the family moving from one apartment house to another, a letter from a firm selling rugs ; the man newly arrived in the city, a letter from a bank inviting an open account. In each case the name of the recipient of the letter is on the mailing list of the concern sending out the selling appeal; the name probably taken from the daily newspaper record of real estate sales, from the county clerk's office record of marriage licenses, from the lists of a mov- ing-van or from the penciled stubs of an expressman 's wagon. The source of the mailing list is variable. The principle back of the selection of names and addresses is invariable ; that is, the names must represent persons likely to be interested in the purchase of your product, and the addresses, accurate as possible. Perhaps the simplest way of acquiring a mailing list is to make use* of one of a number of special lists compiled by an addresssing concern, an advertising agency, or other similar corporation, who make a business of selling the right to use their lists. Each separate list represents a different class of prospects. Many firms, however, prefer to compile their own lists, on the principle that these will more clearly represent the class of prospects they- have in mind in planning their selling appeal. Ordinarily a firm's mailing list will include the names of customers and of prospective customers, these latter being those who have made in- quiries. The credit accounts' book will furnish the names of customers having open accounts. Slips from the alteration department, delivery slips, C. O. D. slips, etc., will furnish the names of customers not hav- ing credit accounts. Salesmen on the road and dealers are in a position to furnish lists SOURCES FOR COMPILING MAILING LISTS 295 of "live" prospects. School teachers, postmasters, ministers, bank em- ployees, editors of newspapers in small towns, and lawyers, often are willing to furnish names for the mailing list for a money remuneration, or in consideration of a gift or trade favor. Not a few firms make effective use of the newspapers in compiling a mailing list, assembling the names of bankers, merchants, clubmen, women prominent in society, or other members of a class directly inter- ested in the product. Directories of various sorts are excellent sources for the mailing list. These include city, and telephone directories, and others gotten out by civic organizations, by lodges and clubs, by organ- izations of men engaged in any given line of business, and "Blue Books" containing the names of persons of wealth, and other similar publications. Make use only of directories of recent date, to avoid too large a per- centage of inaccuracies in the addresses. Rating books published by mercantile agencies furnish information, reliable and up to date, being constantly revised. The rating books, however, do not give street addresses. Manufacturers get the names of prospects for their mailing lists by including in advertisements an offer of free samples. Retail stores con- duct guessing and voting contests, for a like purpose, requiring con- testants to fill in names and addresses on blanks. Mailing lists should be corrected by elimination of names on envelopes returned with the postmaster's mark, "Unclaimed," or "Not at this ad- dress." In addition to this revision, names should be checked each six months against the rating book and against new editions of directories. (III). Means of testing the pulling power of the appeal. No matter how carefully compiled your mailing list, do not send out form letters to every name on it until you have first conducted a test of the pulling power of the letters. Conduct this test by selecting several hundred, or, if the list is an unusually long one, as many as a thousand names from the list, as a trial expedient. By sending out letters pri- marily to this limited number, you may determine, without large ex- penditure of money, what the percentage of returns is likely to be. Make certain, however, that conditions dictating the prospect's purchase of your product do not change materially between the times that you send out letters to names on the test list, and to those on the longer list. The test letters might sell raincoats during a period of rainy weather, or bathing suits during a hot spell, and yet later letters fail because of 296 FOLLOW-UP LETTERS the passing of the rain or the abating of the heat. The sales correspond- ent must closely observe business conditions in general, local manifesta- tions of prosperity or the reverse, forecasts of the weather and change of seasons, lest there creep into his calculations a discrepancy so great as to discount the verdict of the test. Two or three different form letters, instead of one only, are sometimes sent out in the names of persons on the test list, the idea being to employ later for the longer list that letter that shows the biggest percentage of returns. The use of a key makes it possible to check up on the returns from a form letter, avoiding confusion with the returns from any other let- ter you may have sent out. The easiest way to key a form letter is to use in each series a different style of inquiry blank or order blank, or post- card, addressed envelope, or other enclosure. The return of the en- closure, with the customer's order, will readily serve to identify the series of letters which is responsible for the business. The various styles of the enclosure require but little variation to insure ready identification. It is often the case that the enclosure will bear a single and inconspicuous distinguishing mark, such as "Dept. A," or "Room 13," or "P. 0. Box 180, " as a part of the address. It may consist of an inconspicuous mark, such as ' ' Form 801 " in a corner of the enclosure, which, if noticed at all by the prospect, will be taken by him for a printer 's mark. CHAPTER XXI BUSINESS LETTERS MISCELLANEOUS Types of business letters that will suggest to the correspondent the manifold possibilities of selling goods and of winning good^will by mail, are contained in this chapter. CHAPTER XXI BUSINESS LETTERS MISCELLANEOUS A LETTER to the jobber, acquainting him, in advance, with adver- tisements that soon are to appear : Gentlemen : Here 's the next COUNCIL MEAT ad which is to appear in the " Saturday Evening Post" of October 11. On the back is the ad for the "Ladies Home Journal" appearing November 1. They make you smack your lips (in anticipation), don't they? COUNCIL MEATS are as appetizingly delicious as food can be. Are you prepared for the ever increasing consumer demand for COUNCIL MEATS? Finest quality meats, packed amidst surroundings of sunshine and pure air in the wholesome country, carrying a label with an incomparable shelf value, priced right and allowing the dealer his proper profit these are the reasons WHY you should be stocked up with COUNCIL MEATS. They 're economical, too. Think this over they don't need clerks to push them across they "pull" themselves. A letter to the jobber's salesman must enlist his cooperation in push- ing the sale of your product, and at the same time furnish him with sell- ing arguments he can use in getting the retailer to push the product : Dear Sir : "I 'se in town, Honey." "He who whispers down a well About the things he has to sell Will not make the shining dollars Like he who climbs a tree and hollers. ' ' No one need apologize for making a noise about AUNT JE- 299 300 BUSINESS LETTERS MISCELLANEOUS MIMA PANCAKE AND BUCKWHEAT FLOUR. It is an article of real merit, backed up by a responsible company that has been making a specialty of Self-Rising Pancake and Buck- wheat Flour for a great many years. It ranks as the leader of them all. Two great plants at St. Joseph, Missouri, are running day and night, with a capacity of 20 car loads 20,000 cases or 720,000 red and yellow packages every 24 hours, endeavoring to supply the demand that has been created through honest advertising, honest goods, efficient sales work, with the cooperation you men are giving us. It might not be out of order to tell you that AUNT JEMIMA PANCAKE FLOUR is being shipped to, and sold in, nearly all the civilized countries of the world, a pretty good in- dication of its popularity. NOW is the time to sell it ! This is the best time of all the year. Just see that every grocer you call on has at least a case in stock ; it will sell itself. Don 't forget this one important point during these days of old H. C. L. : AUNT JEMIMA PANCAKE AND BUCKWHEAT FLOUR has not advanced in price: it is the most economical food on the market today. Your good firm has it in stock. Sell it and it will stay sold ! We still have a few sets of those famous Aunt Jemima Rag Dolls left. Your name and address will bring you a set. Thanks for taking the time to read this letter. The salesman will be stimulated to greater selling effort if you ex- plain to him, in your letters, that your product is being sold readily by other members of your sales force : Dear Brown : I talked last night with a certain Canned Meat Salesman who heads the list each month for the greatest amount of individual sales for his company. The fellow had just made 13 towns in six weeks. Out of those 13 towns, he had sold 13 hotels, every one he had stopped at. He also sold nine schools, such as Military Colleges, Universities, etc. The school orders varied in amounts from $400 to $1,500. ADVICE TO SALESMEN 301 He had also sold a large industrial plant that owned their "employee's store" an order for $1,000 worth of goods. Corned beef sixes and Sausage Meat were two of the principal items. There are hundreds of schools, institutions, hotels, etc., that should be serving Council Meats and they will if you make it a point to see them. Sell them through the Wholesale Grocer. Letters conveying sound selling advice may be sent to the salesman, or dealer, at frequent intervals : Dear Sir : Suppose you had a personal letter of introduction to every business man in your town. Selling Shaw-Walker steel letter files would be easy wouldn't it? You 'd find interest and re- sponsiveness wherever you went. Well, Shaw-Walker advertising has supplied you with a claim on your customer's interest bigger than a personal letter. It gives you one of the greatest slogans in the history of business 'Built Like a Skyscraper." Do you know that this selling phrase has got fixed in every- body 's mind ? That when you mention it, your prospect is eager to hear the rest of the story? Don't neglect this hard-hitting, money-making slogan. Of course, we want you to talk about drawers that run silent, smooth, and speedy for 100 years; about the voluntary slide; about the big filing capacity; about good looks and "limousine" enamel finish. But make all your selling talk center around * * Built Like a Skyscraper." There are lots of steel letter files with a name, but ours is the only one with a personality. Get that home to your prospects. The business letter is being profitably employed by the savings de- partments of banks : Dear Sir: It gives us pleasure to inclose a Term Savings pass book in which is credited an initial deposit of 50 cents in favor of Miss Anita Jane Loomis. 302 BUSINESS LETTERS MISCELLANEOUS We hope, of course, that you will keep the account alive and let it grow by adding small sums to it regularly. Don't forget that even so insignificant an amount as one dol- lar a week will swell to a total of $1200 by the time your daugh- ter reaches her sixteenth birthday. And this fund may provide the means for her college education or her vocational training. But don't do all the saving yourself. Give her the chance to earn small sums and help build up her account. Show her what she can accomplish with it later. The savings instinct cannot be instilled in a child at too early an age. For after all, the habit of thrift is in our day a real measure of financial success. In connection with our savings accounts, we have provided small home banks which we loan to our depositors, free of charge. These banks have helped many of our depositors to save the nickels and dimes which might have been spent for things of little or no value. Should you desire one of these safes, ask your teller for one when you make your next deposit. All deposits will draw interest at the usual rate of interest paid by this bank, which is now 4% per annum, compounded semi-an- nually. It is often well to remind the customer that the company's interest in his welfare, and their willingness to be of service to him, do not terminate with his purchase of their product : Dear Sir: It pleases us to know that you have become the owner of a new Cadillac. We have every confidence that your experience with the car will prove the wisdom of your judgment in selecting a Cadillac. The enthusiastic cooperation we have enjoyed from Cadillac users has been one of the important factors instrumental in en- abling us to produce a car that has met with such splendid favor. As an owner of a Cadillac we hope you will let us have any suggestion for improvement which may occur to you. We appreciate the business you have favored us with and thank you for it. DEVELOPING COOPERATION 303 An occasional letter is an important factor in developing a spirit of cooperation between this bank and its customers : Dear Sir: In presenting you with this copy of our Fiftieth Anniversary Booklet, we take this occasion to thank you for the support you have given this institution. It has been a great satisfaction to the Humboldt Savings Bank to be able to put at your disposal a handsome banking home, complete banking facilities, and the ready services of experienced officers and staff. There is greater prosperit3 r in store for all right now; that is, if we you, this Bank, San Francisco, America keep present prosperity fundamentally sound. To do this every one must continue to add to capital accumulated during the War, and not spend that capital Liberty Bonds, for example for luxuries. Fifty years of progress and usefulness have been gratifying. This booklet reviews it briefly. It is our greatest purpose to make the years ahead yet more profitable to our many and loyal de- positors. A Trust Department will be added to our facilities about the beginning of the year. The Humboldt Savings Bank will then have complete facilities to care for every financial need of every depositor. We want to come in closer contact with each client it will in- crease our ability to serve well. It is upon such a basis that we invite your continued patronage. It is upon such terms that we ask you to direct your friends to us. Sent out at the beginning of each year, a letter similar to the follow- ing is an effective means of building up, and of keeping, customer good- will: Gentlemen : The Monroe Calculating Machine Company, in entering its sixth year as a service organization, extends to all its users the heartiest of good wishes for a Prosperous and Happy New Year. Just one year ago we sent out an announcement to all of our users, assuring them of our desire to render them every service possible in connection with their use of the Monroe Machine, to 304 BUSINESS LETTERS MISCELLANEOUS the end that we might continue to make good our claim that we have no dissatisfied customers. To our older customers we wish to repeat and emphasize this offer of continued service. We wish, too, to extend it for the first time to the thousands of new users added during 1918. In each of the 62 offices located in the United States, and in the many offices in foreign countries, there is a Monroe representa- tive always at hand who is willing to wait upon you, without cost, to see that you receive maximum service from the Monroe Machine at all times. Among the thousands of users of Monroe Machines, there may be some to whom, through lack of knowledge of conditions on our part, we have sometimes failed in rendering service. If there are such cases, we solicit the opportunity of having our repre- sentative call upon you, to the end that you may receive efficient service and absolute satisfaction. We want your Monroe to ac- complish all you expect it to accomplish and we want your oper- ators to know all there is to know about Monroe application to your particular work. Let us have your frank criticism now and at all times. We wish you every success as we enter into the new era of World Peace and Prosperity that means so much to all of us. You may interest the prospect in your product by inviting him to attend an exhibition, or exhibit, where it is being demonstrated : Gentlemen : The Annual Exhibit of the Brooklyn Engineers' Club will be held at the 23rd Regiment Armory, Brooklyn, April 28 to May 3, inclusive. The purpose of this exhibit is to bring together under one roof, the most improved methods in labor-saving machinery, the high- est standards reached by our industrial engineers. A warm welcome awaits you at the Monroe Booths, where you can spend a most profitable 10 or 15 minutes in witnessing a demonstration of the Monroe Calculating Machine. Bring along a sample of your own engineering formulae and see how easily the Monroe can reduce it to a simple mechanical process. Whether figuring beam stresses, girder equations in- ADVANCING FUTURE SALES 305 volving square root, or the simpler computations such as the mak- ing of payrolls, figuring percentages, billing, inventories, etc., the Monroe is the quickest, surest route to the desired result the Correct Answer. Even though you may not be in the market at this time for the superior service the Monroe offers, come in and get acquainted anyway. Yours sincerely, P. S. We inclose with our compliments a special invitation for Executive Night, the opening night of the Exhibit, April 28. Having sold the prospect wall paper, the correspondent may assume that he is * * in the market ' ' for paints and varnishes, since these products, too, are essential in ' ' freshing up ' ' the home. The following letter was based upon such an assumption : Dear Sir : It often happens that new Wall Paper on the wall also makes it desirable to freshen up the woodwork and floors with a little Paint or Varnish. You saved money by buying your Wall Paper from us, and if you intend doing any painting we want to send you one of our Paint Books too. You can save money by buying your Paint and Varnish from us because we own our own Paint Plant and sell direct from Factory- to-You. You get the benefit of the saving. Manufacturing our own Paints also allows us to be absolutely certain of the ingredients entering into their composition, mak- ing it possible for us to guarantee results. A very complete line of Paints and Varnishes is shown in this catalogue. It makes no difference whether you intend painting your house, barn, automobile, or a piece of furniture, you will find in this book an article that is especially intended for that particular purpose and guaranteed to satisfy you completely. The use of good Paint or Varnish is economical because it not only beautifies the surface, but preserves it as well, making re- painting unnecessary for a long time. It is false economy to use any but material of the very best. This is the kind of paint we sell, a fact that is attested to by thousands and thousands of sat- isfied users. We want you to see what we have to offer. BUSINESS LETTERS MISCELLANEOUS Send for a copy of this catalogue, compare the prices we ask with those you have to pay locally or elsewhere, and "Buy Where You Can Buy Best." This book contains information that will be helpful at any time you intend painting or varnishing any- thing. The mere fact that you send for it does not obligate you to purchase paint from us. Mail the inclosed card today, before you forget it. Paving the way for the salesman, or agent : Gentlemen : Our Mr. C. F. Metzger has assumed charge of Monroe inter- ests in the section of Newark and vicinity where your business is located. The choice of Mr. Metzger for this important position was based upon the thorough and business-like manner with which he tackled his first job with the Monroe. We feel certain that the customer's needs will have first consideration with Mr. Metz- ger. Whether you are using the Monroe at this time or not on your figure-work, we would appreciate having you meet Mr. Metzger. His business is not simply to "make a sale" but to look over your figure-work, and offer such suggestions as you think worth listening to. That is the Monroe idea of SERVICE to customers or future customers. For your own satisfaction will you check below a convenient day and hour for a call by Mr. Metzger and return this letter in the enclosed stamped envelope? Yours very truly, (signed) Local Manager GLL-HD Mon. Tues. W T ed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Hour.. .A.M.. ..P. Ml CHAPTER XXII ADVERTISEMENTS MISCELLANEOUS OUTLINE I. Advertisements aimed at fixing the trade name permanently in the mind of the buying public. II. Advertisements emphasizing the character and reputation of the concern be- hind the product. III. Advertisements educating the public in the customary uses, and in the care, of the product. IV. Advertisements educating the public in hitherto undeveloped uses of the product. V. Advertisements assisting the dealer, or the representative. CHAPTER XXII ADVERTISEMENTS MISCELLANEOUS THE day will perhaps come when you will have covered each one of the six elements of the selling appeal time and time again, in your written and spoken appeals. The prospect then will be familiar with the points of superiority concerning the construction, and con- cerning the uses, of your product ; the product will be definitely identi- fied in his mind. Your selling effort then may be directed along one of several lines, always remembering that you do not entirely abandon the selling arguments which have been instrumental in the success of your product : (1) You may employ advertisements aimed at firmly fixing your trade name in the mind of the buying public, and aimed at keeping it fixed there, rather than aimed at telling in any detail about the merits of your product. (2) You may emphasize in your selling appeal the character and reputation of the firm behind the product. (3) You may educate the public in the customary uses, and in the care, of your product. (4) You may educate the public in hitherto undeveloped uses of your product. (5) You may assist your dealer, or your representative, in dis- posing of the product. (1) Advertisements aimed at fixing the trade name permanently in the mind of the buying public, rather than at telling in detail about the merits of the product. For a number of years, the Cream of Wheat advertisements have been of this type. The colored chef is presented time after time, as a means of keeping the trade name firmly fixed in the public mind; very 309 310 ADVERTISEMENTS MISCELLANEOUS little is said about the merits of the product. A distinguishing char- acteristic of advertisements of this type is the magnitude of the catch- line or of the illustration. Thus the Council Meat advertisements show a dozen or more cans of Council Meats rolling towards the reader from the country district where the plant is situated, the can nearest the reader being at least "life size." The effect of this illustration is not only to fix in the reader's mind the trade name, "Council Meats," but also to fix in his mind the appearance of the container in which the meats are sold, to the end that the reader will recognize the container when he sees it displayed on the grocer's shelves, or in the grocer's win- dow. Indeed, whether or not the main effort in the advertisement is to fix in the reader 's mind the trade name, it is essential, when the article advertised is an article that is sold over the counter in the original con- tainer, that the container be included in the illustration in one way or the other, so that the reader easily will identify the container at the dealer 's. Since very little is said about the product in advertisements aimed at fixing the trade name in the reader's mind, advantage should be taken of every opportunity to make effective use of Suggestion. The Dutch Cleanser advertisements are worth studying in this regard; although little is said about the merits of the product, although effort is plainly directed at fixing in our minds the trade name of the product, neverthe- less the trim, determined figure of the Dutch Girl chasing dirt suggests to the reader very forcibly the cleansing properties of the product. Advertisements aimed at fixing the trade name in the reader's mind, are not always introduced near the end of the advertising campaign, but sometimes are employed intermittently in the earlier stages of the campaign. This employment is with a view to identifying definitely in the reader's mind the trade name, while, at the same time, preceding and subsequent advertisements are telling him about the distinguishing merits of the product. Especially is it essential that you fix in the reader's mind your trade name, when your product is of the nature of a staple, like sugar, and canned meats, and breakfast foods ; or when, although not a staple, it nevertheless faces keen competition of other products, like toilet water, and shaving soap. The reader of the ad- vertisement is buying such products as these regularly , and, everything else being equal, he is pretty likely to buy a product of a make that is most firmly fixed in his mind. EMPHASIZING CHARACTER 311 (2) Advertisements emphasizing the character and reputation of the concern behind the product. Instead of relying upon the "tone" of the selling appeal, or, per- haps, upon a sentence or two, to set forth the character of the concern behind the product, advertisements of this type limit themselves almost entirely to impressing upon the public "the spirit behind the institu- tion." The Cadillac advertisements, the Hyatt Roller Bearing adver- tisements, and the advertisements of the Billings & Spencer Company are of this type. The following is an example of this type : It has taken seventeen years to make the Cadillac what it is today. Such an achievement is not to be attained in a single year scarcely in a decade. No matter how sincere the desire, no matter how complete the manufacturing equipment, 110 matter how capable the executive minds, time is indispensable. It must be a growth, an unfoldment, nourished by the highest ideals. It is possible only with an assembly of skilled craftsmen work- ing in unison, year after year. Long training in Cadillac standards has so imbued Cadillac craftsmen with the Cadillac spirit, that the unworthy method and the inexpert practice would excite their contempt. Any organization may be likened to a fine machine. It may be well designed, its parts may be accurately made and carefully assembled, but its highest efficiency is reached only after it has been "run in" and its components brought into thorough accord. The "running in" process of the machine may be a matter of days or weeks, but in a huge organization it is a matter of years. The Cadillac organization comprises thousands of high-type hu- man units. The most essential of these, through years of associa- tion, have come to co-operate in a harmony which parallels the product the Cadillac Car Standard of the World. (3) Advertisements educating the public in the customary uses, and in the care, of the product. Advertisements of this type sometimes are employed before the ad- 312 ADVERTISEMENTS MISCELLANEOUS vertising campaign is well under way. Thus a safety razor company that sells a razor stropper found that purchasers of the stropper were dissatisfied with the product because they did not understand its use; because they were trying to use it on blades in need of honing, rather than using it, after each shave, on blades that had not reached an acute stage of dullness. An educational campaign, explaining the use to which the stropper is properly put, resulted in larger sales. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company employ advertisements educating the public in the customary uses, and in the care, of their product, not because their customers are dissatisfied, but for the pur- pose of increasing customer satisfaction by enabling customers to get the very maximum of possible service out of the tires they have pur- chased. The following is one such advertisement : INCREASING MILEAGE 40% BY ADJUSTING BRAKES F. Hilgemeier & Brother of Indianapolis used Goodyear Tires on their automobiles. They didn't think that care- ful attention to such things as brake adjustment could in- crease the uniformly satisfactory mileage of Goodyears. But they finally agreed to let their Goodyear Service Station, the Meridian Service Company, inspect their tires regularly. On July 29th, of this year, they wrote that company: ''Upon your advice we had the brakes of our cars carefully adjusted and we can say that it has increased the life of the tires at least forty per cent." Ask your Goodyear Service Station, write to Akron, for Lesson 6 of the Goodyear Conser- vation Course telling how to increase tire mileages by guard- ing against damage from chains, car tracks, and brakes. Not even the Goodyear All-Weather Tread can resist the wear caused by unequally adjusted brakes. If one brake-band grips more tightly than the other, all the work of stopping the car falls on one tire. The tread of that tire is violently rasped and scraped by road or pavement whenever the car is stopped. This rasping and scraping tears down the tread and shortens its life by many miles. EDUCATING THE CUSTOMER 313 Stops can be made quicker and with greater safety if the brakes are equally adjusted; thus both wheels are used. Natu- rally there is less wear and tear on the tires. Sometimes the difference of adjustment is enough to lock one wheel when the car is going down a steep grade, and the tread may then be rasped to the fabric by a quarter of a mile of fast going. In such cases a Goodyear Strap-On Boot should be applied im- mediately to protect the body of the tire from moisture, grit and further wear. By thus protecting the tire until it is permanently repaired, as much as a thousand miles, perhaps several thousand, may be saved. Proper adjustment of brakes is one of a number of little things that save big tire bills. Another is "truing up" of wheels de- scribed in Lesson I of the Goodyear Conservation Course. Still others are the proper care of tread cuts described in Les- son 2; proper inflation, described in Lesson 3; the repair of stone bruises, described in Lesson 4; and the proper care of tubes, described in Lesson 5. Lesson 6, in addition to describing the injuries that result from unequally adjusted brakes, tells also about the costly damage to tires when they are run in car tracks, and when chains are improperly used. Of course in every case where tire injuries are mentioned in these lessons, the cause is given, the result, and then a simple method of prevention and cure. Ask your Goodyear Service Station, or write to Akron for the six lessons of this complete course on tire care. GOODYEAR TIRE SAVERS (4) Advertisements educating the public in hitherto undeveloped uses of the product. Of this type are advertisements aimed at establishing a habit of buy- ing cranberries every month of the year, not just during the holiday 314 ADVERTISEMENTS MISCELLANEOUS seasons; advertisements aimed at establishing a habit of employing canned milk in the preparation of foods in which the prospect has been accustomed to using fresh milk. Advertisements of this type are most likely to be effective when they include recipes showing how the advertised food may be prepared with other foods the housewife is accustomed to using; or recipes suggesting new and appetizing dishes. The average housewife is eager to ' ' try out ' ' a new recipe and ordinarily will read with* interest an advertisement in which such a recipe is given. The following advertisement is aimed at getting housewives to use lemon with fish : FISH IS DOUBLY GOOD WITH LEMON Lemon adds to fish just what fish needs to make it ideal food. It lends a tang and a delicious flavor that no chef would ever let fish lack. It provides healthful alkaline salts that everyone should have with fish and meat, according to eminent dietitians, to overcome the excess acids in these dishes. And it supplies a digestive aid that makes fish and meat more efficient foods in helping the body to make use of their full nutri- tion. So it is almost essential to serve lemon with fish, and it is highly desirable with scores of other foods. When it comes to cooking, lemons head the modern dietitian's list in all hospitals and well managed homes. If you want attractive flavors and more healthful meals make it a rule to use the lemon freely. California SUNKIST Uniformly Good Lemons California Sunkist Lemons are practically seedless, juicy, tart, full flavored. They are the best lemons available for garnishing because they 're so juicy and the skins are waxy, clean, and bright. EDUCATING HOUSEWIVES 315 All first-class retailers sell them. Buy a dozen today and use them in scores of ways. The following advertisement is aimed at educating housewives in using raisins in bread : THAT CHARM IN RAISINS It Creates an Irresistible Attraction Try it in this Cocoa Cake. Make the best plain cake that you know how and serve to your family and friends. Then make the same cake with raisins. Note the added popularity that the raisins bring to that same cake. Try it with bread serve plain bread and raisin bread side by side. See your folks choose the bread with raisins. There 's a compelling charm and irresistible appeal in the foods that contain raisins. The Cocoa Cake has it. Read the recipe. Try it and see how good it is. Then use raisins to make the so-called plain foods attain a higher plane in flavor and nutrition. In boiled rice, bread-puddings, simple cakes, pies, cookies, rolls and breads, one may create "luxury flavors" at plain-food costs. The family will like these foods better and you can serve them more frequently. Thus raisins used in various ways can help you save on bills. SUN-MAID RAISINS Always ask for Sun-Maid Raisins. They are made from Cali- fornia's finest grapes grapes so delicate and tender that you may seldom taste them fresh because they can not stand long shipment. Taste them as raisins plump, tender, thin-skinned and meaty and you '11 always get this kind. Send for our free book, "Sun-Maid Recipes," which contains 100 excellent suggestions for their use. Three varieties: Sun-Maid Seeded (seeds removed) ; Sun-Maid Seedless (grown without seeds) ; Sun-Maid Clusters (on the stem). All first-class dealers sell them at the price of other kinds. 316 ADVERTISEMENTS MISCELLANEOUS California Associated Raisin Co. Membership 9,000 Growers From California Ask for Raisin Candy Delicious, Healthful and Nutritious. (5) Advertisements assisting the dealer, or the representative. Manufacturers of yeast employ advertisements encouraging the pur- chase of bread, to the end that their business may be increased through the increase in the baker's business. Other concerns direct their adver- tising effort toward bringing more trade to the dealer's door, or toward confirming public confidence in the dealer. For example: UNITED STATES TIRES SALES & SERVICE DEPOT This Sign Is For Your Protection The outside of a garage does n't indicate the kind of service you get within. But the United States Tire Sales and Service Depot Sign does. Only good dealers are permitted to display it. In any of the thousands of places you find it you can know that it marks a place where you should get good tires and good tire service. And good tire service means not only putting on tires, providing air, testing your wheels for alignments and reliable repair work but straightforward, honest advice as to the tires best adapted to j^our own use. United States Tire Sales and Service Depot Dealers are in the enviable position of being able to meet and meet exactly the individual requirements of our customers. For the United States Tire line consists of five separate types. 1 'Royal Cord," "Nobby," "Chain," "Usco," and ''Plain." ASSISTING THE DEALER 317 So the United States Tire Sales and Service Depot Dealer can be absolutely unbiased in the matter of advice. Back of him and back of the tires he sells, is the good faith of the United States Rubber Company, the oldest and largest rubber organization in the world. Consult him. Let him help you. Look for the United States Tire Sales and Service Depot Sign. UNITED STATES TIRES ARE GOOD TIRES PART II EVERYDAY LETTERS Writing the Everyday Letter Letters of Personal Information Letters of Inquiry Order Letters Written by the Buyer Order Letters Written by the Seller Adjustment Letters Credit Letters Collection Letters CHAPTER XXIII WRITING THE EVERYDAY LETTERS OUTLINE I. Inasmuch as Everyday Letters are written, for the most part, to customers of the firm to men upon whose future orders the success or failure of the firm in large measure depends they exert as great, and sometimes a greater, influence upon the total volume of sales as is exerted by direct sales letters and advertisements. II. There is no place, in the Everyday Letter, for any word, or group of words, which does not assist in building up good-will, or in closing the sale, either by: (a) Expressing courtesy. (b) Emphasizing service. (c) Advancing (either directly or indirectly) arguments which result in sales or which cause the prospect to accept your proposal. CHAPTER XXIII WRITING THE EVERYDAY LETTERS LETTERS of " everyday" correspondence are letters answering inquiries, letters collecting overdue accounts, letters answering complaints, letters acknowledging orders, and similar letters. Although these "everyday" letters are not ordinarily written with a view to effecting an immediate sale, they exert as great, and sometimes a greater, influence upon the total volume of sales as is exerted by direct sales letters and advertisements. They are written, for the most part, to customers of the firm; and thus it is their highly important purpose to build up customer confidence in the product, and in the spirit of courtesy, and in the spirit of service, that characterize the firm behind the product, to the end that the firm's customers will continue to order again and again. In writing the everyday letter, it is essential that you insure a per- sonal tone by avoiding all worn-out, stilted expressions which hark back to the days when correspondence was chiefly for the purpose of record, and letters were, therefore, couched in legal phrases. There is today no excuse for employing such old and antiquated phrases as "Yours of the 10th inst. received, contents noted, and duly filed"; or "I beg to state that your kind order will receive our prompt attention," or "Thanking you for your kind favor, we beg to remain." We do not talk in such a stilted fashion ; there is no reason why we should write that way. 1 Such antiquated phraseology, besides being so formal and common- place as to do away with whatever personal tone a letter might other- wise have, causes unnecessary expense in dictation. B. F. Goodrich correspondents saved their concern $22,000 in one year by leaving out all formal, meaningless words and phrases. Another concern made a saving relatively as important after it had discovered that out of thirty- three letters sent in one week to the same dealer, a customer of long 1 For a list of stereotyped words and expressions, see pages 443-446. 323 324 EVERYDAY LETTERS standing, twenty-one ended with the well-worn expression, " Trusting that you will favor us with your orders in the future. ' ' In addition to causing an unnecessary expense, stilted words, and words that have become meaningless through long, continued usage, occupy in the letter valuable space which should be taken up by words actively on the firing line. Indeed there is no place in the business letter for any word, or group of words, which does not assist in building up good-will, or in closing the sale, either by : (1) Expressing courtesy. (2) Emphasizing service. (3) Advancing (either directly or indirectly) arguments which result in sales or which cause the prospect to accept your proposal. On this basis, consider the relative effectiveness of the following ways of beginning a business letter : Stilted We beg to acknowledge the receipt of your inquiry of Emphasiz- ^ e 12th inst. concerning Goodyear tires and prices. i n g It is a pleasure to tell you about Goodyear tires and Courtesy prices, in answer to your inquiry of January 12. Emphasiz- Your inquiry of January 12 about Goodyear tires and i n g prices is timely. Forty per cent of the motorists in the "Sales United States ride on Goodyear tires. As a dealer, you Talk" will therefore appreciate that the demand, etc. Note, in the last two beginnings above, that the acknowledgment, and the date, of the letter which the correspondent is answering, do not constitute the main thought of the opening sentence but properly are subordinated to the main thought. The following examples illustrate the way to bring in casually the acknowledgment of the letter you are answering : w We have your letter of March 13 and would say in reply Emphasis *^at it will be entirely satisfactory to handle your account as you suggest. Correct ^ w ^ ^ e entirely satisfactory to handle your account Emphasis as you suggest in your letter of March 13. We have your letter of August 2 stating that you have AVOID NEGATIVE IDEAS 325 Wrong not received an order for tires which you turned in to us. Emphasis After searching through our files carefully, we do not seem to be able to find any order from you. Correct After a careful search we cannot find the order you Emphasis mention in your letter of August 2. Business tact dictates that you keep continually before the customer the positive idea of the service and courtesy you are anxious to extend to him and that you throw as little emphasis as possible upon the nega- tive idea that, for the time being, something has gone wrong. Look for- ward, in other words, and not backward. Do not spend time lamenting the fact that things have not turned out exactly as the customer, and as you, expected they would, but devote your effort to showing him that you are eager to extend every possible effort to right them. Every business man, and every business concern, in the world makes mistakes ; that is only human. But the business man, who holds permanently the goodwill and the loj^alty of his customers, is the successful business man, who sees in every mistake an opportunity for service. Consider the two following ways of beginning a business letter : We are sorry you were offended at our letter of January Negative 18. We are certain, however, you misunderstand us. We feel we should thank you especially for your letter of Positive January 21, for it helps us to clear up an evident mis- understanding. We are compelled to refer your letter of June 5 to our Negative Pittsburg branch as you are located in their territory. As our Pittsburg branch is nearer and can serve you more Positive economically, we have referred your letter of June 5 to them. We are indeed sorry to learn from your letter of September 30 Negative that the washing machine you recently purchased from us is not giving satisfactory service. Thank you for writing us so fully on September 30 concerning Positive the washing machine you recently purchased from us. We feel sure that your clear explanation will enable us to tell you just what to do to overcome the difficulty you are having. Some of the credits you ask for on our verification letter Negative of January 1, cannot be allowed. 326 EVERYDAY LETTERS To help us straighten out the differences you mention in our Positive verification letter of January 1, will you not check over a few of the items ? In the last analysis, the most certain way of getting a personal, courteous tone in your letter is by being courteous, kindly, and sym- pathetic towards men and women with whom you come into daily contact ; by putting aside every vestige of the narrow spirit of selfishness; by avoiding narrowing prejudices ; by trying consistently to get a sym- pathetic insight into the "other fellow's" point-of-view. Then will the habit of courtesy reflect itself in the tone of every business letter you write. Once you have adopted this attitude of frankness and fair-dealing, you are justified in writing your letters with full confidence that you will adjust the complaint, collect the overdue account, or accomplish whatever your purpose may be. CHAPTER XXIV LETTERS OF PERSONAL INFORMATION OUTLINE (I) The purpose of Letters of Personal Information is to advance certain definite information in as brief and accessible a manner as possible. (II) These letters are classified under: (a) Introduction, (h) Application. (c) Reference. (d) Recommendation. CHAPTER XXIV LETTERS OF PERSONAL INFORMATION LEARNESS, conciseness, accuracy these are the chief requisites of the business letter that comes under the general heading of "Letters of Personal Information." These letters are classified under: (1) Introduction. (2) Application. (3) Reference. (4) Recommendation. Their purpose is to advance certain definite information in a form as brief and accessible as possible. The problem in writing them is to get the facts clearly before the reader. The "point of contact" is estab- lished as quickly as possible; that is, the reader is promptly told the reason for the letter's being written to him. The facts to be made known to him are then presented in logical order. The Letter of Introduction is a personal note to make known to a third person, a friend or an acquaintance of the writer's. This will introduce to you (Mr. James Ord, an editorial writer on the staff of the "Trans-Bay News." Mr. Ord is preparing a series of articles on living conditions among workers employed in the iron trades in the Bay District. You will find him honest as can be, accurate, conscientious and unbiased in conducting his investigation and in making his report. As Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, I have had occasion to follow closely his work on the "News" for the past five years. I personally shall appreciate any courtesy you extend to him. Note that the above letter has four main bearings : (1) It establishes business identity of the man it introduces. 329 330 LETTERS OF PERSONAL INFORMATION (2) Explains definitely why he is seeking an introduction. (3) Vouches for him. (4) Expresses appreciation for any courtesy that may be ex- tended to him. In introducing by letter a casual acquaintance, you may omit elements (3) and (4). But even then, your willingness to introduce him by letter to one of your business friends implies that you vouch for his integrity. The Letter of Application for a Position is made up of six elements : (1) A statement that you are an applicant for the position. (2) Your qualifications : (a) Experience. (b) Education. (3) References. (4) Information of a personal sort. (5) Salary you expect. (6) Request for a personal interview. Establish at once the "point of contact" by letting the employer know that you are an applicant for the position he has vacant. Other- wise he will not be interested in reading your qualifications, references, etc., for it will not be clear to him what bearing these facts have upon his interests. The second paragraph deals with your qualifications. In answering an advertisement that calls for certain definite qualifications, give yours in the order laid down in the advertisement. If not, ask yourself what questions your prospective employer would put to you if he were in his office talking with you. Give first your business experience and training. This carries more weight than your training in a university or school. If you have had no training in the position to be filled, clearly explain just wherein the position you have held has qualified you for the one you are seeking. Be definite. Give the names of the firms you have worked for, the exact nature of the employment, the results accomplished, and the length of service. If employed at the time of writing, explain frankly why you are seeking other employment. You may, for example, explain that, with THE LETTER OF APPLICATION 331 the consent of your employers, you are leaving your present position to seek a position that offers greater opportunity for advancement. Be definite in telling of your education : what universities or schools you have attended, what courses of study you have completed. If you have pursued any definite line of study, explain in detail the bearing upon the position sought. Then give your references. Write down names, positions, and ad- dresses of men who will certify to your ability and to your character. Personal information comes next. Tell your age, nationality, habits of life, health, married or single, and so on. Make statement of the salary you expect to receive. To this state- ment you may properly add that you will accept the position at the stated salary, advancement within a reasonable period being contingent upon your proved ability. Business men have little respect for an appli- cant willing to accept a position that offers no future. As an earnest of your conviction that you are qualified for the posi- tion, in closing your letter, ask for a personal interview. State that you can come to the manager's office at any hour that suits his convenience. If your hours are limited, state what hours you have free. Give your address and telephone number so that he readily may get in touch with you. Make your letter carry conviction. Let no tone of apology creep into it, or of uncertainty as to your ability to fill the position. You are not "begging" for anything; your right to sell your services is similar to your right to sell a product in which you believe. Here is an example illustrating the elements of a Letter of Applica- tion: Dear Sir : Mr. J. W. Smithson of the Smithson Advertising Agency has told me that you have open a position as Correspondence Super- visor. Please consider me an applicant. My business experience is as follows: From July, 1916, to January, 1918, as salesman with the W. K. Hanscom Co. From January, 1918, until the present date, as Assistant Corre- spondence Supervisor with the same company. Under the direc- tion of Mr. J. W. Monger, Correspondence Supervisor, I have 332 LETTERS OF PERSONAL INFORMATION assisted in revising the system of correspondence of the company. Mr. Monger understands that I am desirous of leaving the Hans- corn Co. to accept a position that offers promotion and a larger salary. His name is included in the list of references given in this letter. My educational experience : A four-year commercial course at the University of California, terminating in graduation in 1916. I was one of eight members of my class to be graduated with highest honors. My references, by permission, are : Mr. J. W. Monger, Correspondence Supervisor, W. K. Hanscom Co., San Francisco. Mr. J. A. Haskell, Sales Manager, W. K. Hanscom Co. Prof. Ira B. Cross r University of California, Berkeley. I am 25 years of age, of American parentage, and married. I am willing to start in at a salary of $2,400 (the amount Mr. Smithson says you are offering), salary increases to be contingent upon my ability to prove the value of my services to your firm. I shall be glad to call at your office for a personal interview between the hours of three and five o'clock Wednesday or Satur- day afternoon. (Telephone Main 823.) Very truly yours, The Letter of Application you have just read has for its single pur- pose the presentation of that precise amount of definite data the pros- pective employer needs before calling the applicant to his office for a personal interview. There is a second type of Letter of Application. In this, the appli- cant, in addition to using such of the above data as may serve his pur- pose, makes a definite effort to "sell" his services. His effort could be no more definite were he trying to sell his company's product. He regards the letter as purely and simply a "direct sales letter." Here is an example of a "direct sales letter" made use of by a suc- cessful applicant in selling his services : Dear Sir : If I sat across from you at your desk and proved to you that over 25 per cent of the retail grocers in the western territory THE LETTER OP APPLICATION 333 rarely have a call from a S. W. Black salesman rarely hear an S. W. Black selling appeal year after year If I showed you that at least two of your biggest competitors are getting these retail grocers' trade And then if I could show you how YOU can get your share of this undeveloped business You 'd be interested, would n 't you 1 Well, that 's exactly what I 'm going to tell you by mail. A part of the 25 per cent are grocers at the little crossroads towns towns off the beaten path, where your salesman can't reach them without too much travel expense. The balance of the 25 per cent are grocers in the cities who are so far out and scattered that your salesmen can't get in personal touch with them more than once every two or three weeks. Per- haps you '11 say, * * Oh, yes, but these are little fellows, with trade that doesn't amount to much." But that trade, in the aggre- gate, amounts to quite a tidy sum each year, doesn't it? And, besides, these little fellows have a way of "growing up." And you don't want your competitor to get their goodwill away from you while they are maturing. NOW there 's an easy way a mighty inexpensive way of getting in touch with the 25 per cent. Just by mail. Tell them by mail of your product, of your prices, of your guarantee, of your service to them, exactly as your salesman would. Sales will result I can prove it. I can prove, too, that I can write the sales letters that will de- velop this untouched business. I have had two years' experience as salesman on the road, with the C. A. Hexler Co.; three years' experience dictating corre- spondence for the H. A. Anderson Co. I am a graduate of the class of 1914 at the University of California, where I took the four- year commercial course. I want to leave my present position with the Anderson Co. because they make comparatively few sales by mail; they sell an expensive product and develop only a limited territory. Mr. W. L. Nedler, Sales Manager of the H. A. Anderson Co., and Mr. H. A. Anderson, President of the firm, have given me permission to use their names as references. 334 LETTERS OF PERSONAL INFORMATION Grant me a personal interview and I shall be glad to go over my qualifications with you. My telephone number is Grant 1067. Meanwhile, perhaps you will want to talk over the undeveloped 25 per cent with your sales manager. He may be glad to discuss the prospect of getting their business. Very truly yours, The following " direct sales letter" also was employed in securing a position : Dear Sir: Your best salesman the one who brings in the biggest orders is the salesman who knows the most about human nature. He knows men knows what selling arguments will appeal to them knows exactly how and when to make the appeal. That 's true, isn't it? Then why not select a newspaper man a newspaper man who has had some selling experience for the position of salesman which you advertised this morning in ''The Tribune"? Every month he has spent on a newspaper staff has thrown him into contact with scores of people: people in every walk of life. He has had a chance to see life "from the inside," as few men in other occupations see it. As an applicant for the position I have the following qualifica- tions : Nine months as salesman with the 0. B. Jenks Co. Four years as reporter on "The Tribune." I want to give up my present position on "The Tribune" because of the larger financial return in business. My references, by permission, are : Mr. Alvin S. Smith, News Editor, ' ' The Tribune ' ' ; Mr. Rodney Brink, City Editor, "The Tribune"; Mr. L. L. Slack, Sales Man- ager, 0. B. Jenks Co. I am 27 years of age, of American parentage, and unmarried. The salary that will be paid me after I show I can deliver the sales is of more concern to me than the amount I am paid at the start. I can come to your office for a personal interview any afternoon after 3 o'clock. My telephone number is Main 7861. THE REFERENCE LETTER 335 How many successful men men you know or know about got their training on a newspaper? Yours truly, A Reference Letter is one written by an employer to the person named as a reference in the letter of application. The letter comprises the following elements : (1) Applicant's name, and position sought. (2) Position applicant has held under the man to whom the letter is written. (3) Request for certain definite information as to ability of appli- cant. (4) Expression of appreciation for the courtesy of an expected answer. To make identification certain, it is the practice of some firms to paste a picture of the applicant in the upper right hand corner of the letter. Here is an example of a Letter of Reference : Gentlemen : John A. Axton has applied to us for a position as blacksmith. His application states that he was emjployed by you in a similar position for five years, and that he left your employ because he wanted to settle with his family in a smaller town. We require all applicants to furnish responsible references, and we shall appreciate answers to the questions below, as well as any other information you may give us concerning the applicant. We shall be glad at any time to reciprocate. Respectfully, (1) Is his statement correct? (2) Is he of good character and habits? (3) Did he have the confidence of his employers? (4) Can he acceptably fill the position applied for? A Letter of Recommendation is (1) general, or (2) personal. If general, it is addressed "To Whom it May Concern"; it may be pre- sented to more than one individual. If personal, it is addressed to one person by name. In either case, the information it contains must be 336 LETTERS OF PERSONAL INFORMATION definite; the expression of opinion conservative. The writer must make it clear that he bases his opinion of the applicant upon first hand knowl- edge and not upon hearsay. He must state definitely the sort of position for which he recommends the applicant. The following Letter of Recommendation is effective : For the last seven years, our firm has employed Mr. James Osgood as salesman. The last five, he worked under my personal supervision. He knows human nature, knows how to put this knowledge into practice in making a sale. He is industrious, courteous, reliable, efficient. Competing with 47 salesmen, he won the recent six-month sales contest in his district. He is leaving us because of his wife's failing health, her physician recommending a change to the climate of California. I heartily recommend him for a position as salesman. CHAPTER XXV LETTERS OF INQUIRY OUTLINE 1. Letters of Inquiry ask for information. They must be brief, and definite. (Note: Inquiry Letters that have a place in the Order Series are discussed un- der (b) and (c) in Chapter XXVI.) CHAPTER XXV LETTERS OF INQUIRY LETTERS of Inquiry ask for information. 1 They must be brief as possible, while containing a statement of all facts and explana- tions necessary to guide the reader in making full reply. They must be definite, that the reader may know at once precisely what information is desired. If the inquiry is stated in vague, indefinite terms, the reader either will have to include in his answer more information than is necessary, or else go to the trouble of writing a letter asking for more definite details. The following is an example of a letter of inquiry : Mr. James A. Ackers, Secretary, Albany Chamber of Commerce, Albany, New York. Dear Sir: The Dwyer Manufacturing Co. is considering the establishment of a branch factory in or near Albany. For eight years we have had in operation branch factories in Newark, New Jersey, and Albion, Illinois, each employing 200 workers and covering two acres. If we came to your city we should start with a force of 20 workmen and increase the number as business in that section might warrant. Before sending a man to make a survey, we should like to have information on the 'following points : (1) Cost per acre of suitable factory sites. (2) Available factory facilities. (3) Available water supply and rate to factories for water. (4) Average rental for employee's cottage within half a mile radius of the factory district. Are available housing accom- modations adequate? i See Order Letters (Chapter XXVI), under (b) and (c), for a discussion of Inquiry Letters in the Order Series. 339 340 LETTERS OF INQUIRY We shall appreciate your cooperation in furnishing us this information. In the above letter of inquiry, the correspondent first explains the circumstances that necessitate the request for information, thus giving the reader an adequate understanding of his needs. With these needs in mind, the reader is then in a position to give intelligent consideration to the queries for information. The short queries are paragraphed separately and numbered, that the reader may give his answers in the same order, referring readily by number to each separate query. The letter closes with an expression of appreciation of the expected courtesy of a reply. Inquiry letters are thus made up of three elements : (1) Circumstances that necessitate request for information. (2) Information desired. (3) Expression of appreciation. In the following letter, the correspondent explains in considerable detail the circumstances that make necessary his request for information. Note, however, that this explanation is limited to such details as will guide the reader in furnishing definite, complete information : Mail Sales Promotion Co., 876 Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Gentlemen : As the owner of a drug store, I am interested in your advertise- ment in "The Tribune" of August 30. I estimate that there are between three and four thousand families living in my district who buy their drugs and druggists' sundries, including candy and cigars, "in the city." What I want to do is to bring these families to my store by telling them about my prices, quality, and service. This being a new departure for me, I don't know how to go about it. I want to make the appeal as personal as possible, hence I prefer to send out letters rather than folders or post cards. But I don't want to send out letters cheap or shoddy in appear- ance. EXCLUDE IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 341 Another difficulty, I shall need help in planning effective letters. The item of expense is an important one, as I am just building up my trade. You say in your advertisement that you map out and execute mail sales campaigns. Will you please tell me the best, and in the end the least expensive, way of getting these prospective cus- tomers into my store ? Exclude all explanation excepting only that which is of real assist- ance to the reader in framing a complete answer. Consider the irrelevant explanation in the following letter of inquiry : A. W. Stone Company, 926 Main Street, Los Angeles, Calif. Gentlemen : I am going to take my three children for a month's vacation at the beach, and neighbors who went there last year tell me they suffered a good deal from sunburn. I know that " Vacation Balm" is good for sunburn. What I want to find out is the price, and whether it can safely be spread on the face, like cold cream, without injury to the complexion. The same letter properly written reads : A. W. Stone Company, 926 Main Street, Los Angeles, Calif. Gentlemen : Please tell me the price of "Vacation Balm." Can it be spread on the face, like cold cream, without injury to the complexion? In bringing the letter to a close, avoid the use of the familiar expres- sion, "Thanking you in advance for your courtesy." It is, of course, impossible to thank a person "in advance" for a courtesy not yet ex- tended. Effective substitute expressions include: "I shall appreciate your cooperation in furnishing this information," and "Your courtesy will be appreciated." Do not adopt a "begging" or apologetic tone in making your inquiry. 342 LETTERS OF INQUIRY Do not suggest to the reader, by employing such expressions as the follow- ing, that you are imposing upon his time and patience : I realize this is asking a big favor, but if it is n 't putting you to too great an inconvenience I shall certainly appreciate your furnishing me the information I need. I trust this is n 't putting you to too great trouble and incon- venience. Pardon my taking up the time of a busy man, but be assured that I shall appreciate any information you can find time to send me. These expressions serve no purpose in the letter of inquiry. If yon are not entitled to the information you are asking for, if you are making unjust demands upon the time of a busy man, the best plan is to tear up the letter before it is sent out. No such letter of inquiry should be mailed. Make sure that your inquiry is warranted; then confine your- self to manly, straightforward expressions of courtesy that are without suggestion of apology. Ordinarily it will be apparent to the reader that your inquiry is warranted; that it is to his interest, as well as to yours, to furnish the desired information. The secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, for example, saw at once that it was to his interest to answer an inquiry that might lead to bringing a new factory to Albany. It was not neces- sary for the correspondent to point out this obvious fact. It some- limes happens, however, that the inquiry does appear unwarranted ; that the gain to the reader in answering is not evident at first glance. In such case, it is well for the correspondent to point out briefly the bearing the inquiry has upon the reader's interests. Since the effort in a letter of this sort is directed at getting the reader in agreement, at overcoming his expected reluctance to act, the letter is similar in plan and purpose to a direct sales letter. The beginning must have a direct bearing upon the reader's interests. The "reason why" that is advanced later in the letter must show him a definite opportunity for gain. The following is a letter of this type : OPPORTUNITY FOR GAIN SHOWN 343 Advertising Manager, C. W. Little Office Appliance Co., 1222 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Dear Sir: An effective C. W. Little Office Appliance Co. direct sales letter furnished interesting material for discussion last night by 80 students in the night school classes of the Carleton Business Col- lege. The class will devote the next six months to a study of business letters of all kinds. As instructor of the class, I am therefore interested in getting for class discussion as complete a set as possible of the letters you are using in your mail sales campaign. An outline of the working principles of your plan of direct advertising also would be of great assistance. Over 75 per cent of the students are employed during the day in downtown business offices. Your letters, therefore, will make a real sales appeal to a good many prospective customers. And they certainly will help us a lot in giving a practical value to our work. I am enclosing stamps for your convenience in answering. You may be sure that your cooperation in our work here will be appre- ciated, and that we shall be glad at any time of an opportunity to reciprocate your courtesy. CHAPTER XXVI ORDER LETTERS LETTERS WRITTEN BY THE BUYER OUTLINE (1) Order Letters written by the buyer are of four classes: (a) Letters ordering goods. (b) Letters asking for price quotation with a view to ordering. (c) Letters making inquiry concerning earlier shipment than is neces- sary, special prices, terms, etc., previous to placing an order. (d) Letters giving notification of mistake in filling an order. o CHAPTER XXYI LETTERS WRITTEN BY THE BUYER RDER letters are of two classes : (1) Letters written by the buyer. (2) Letters written by the seller. (See Chapter XXVII.) (1) Letters written ~by the buyer. (a) Ordering goods. (b) Asking for price quotations with a view to ordering. (c) Making inquiry concerning earlier than customary ship- ment, special prices, terms, etc., previous to placing an order (d) Giving notification of mistake in filling an order. These are the so-called "routine" letters of business. Their sole pur- pose is to furnish the seller with such definite information as will enable him, without further inquiry or delay, to meet the requirements of the buyer. They, therefore, consist in a brief, concise statement of pertinent facts. The expression of courtesy as a rule is limited to the single word "please." (a) Ordering goods. The letter ordering goods must : (1) Give all details necessary for the identification of the goods, such as trade name, catalogue number (if any), price, quality, quantity, style, size, color, shape, etc. This information must be specific. It is not enough to say, "one pair of ladies' street shoes." You must definitely identify the shoes, by saying, "one pair of ladies' street shoes, Cuban heel, broad toe, tan, size 5B." 347 348 ORDER LETTERS (2) Tell how you want the shipment made. (3) State your method of payment. Even when you have a standing agreement as to payment, it is best to avoid any possibility of a misunderstanding by giving this information. If you inclose check, money order, or other means of payment, refer to it in your letter and write below the letter at the left hand side the word "Inclosure" or the abbreviation "Incl." (4) If you are entitled to a discount, or if you are purchasing the goods under terms of some special agreement, make this clear. (5) Tell when you expect shipment to be made, explaining, if need be, that early shipment is desirable or necessary. (6) Sign your name in full. In giving your address, include street number, city, and state. The following letter is lacking in definite information : Marshall Field & Co. State and Randolph Sts., Chicago, Illinois. Gentlemen : Please send me one pair of ladies' street shoes, six pair of silk hose, three cakes of soap, and half a dozen Arrow collars. Please send these goods as soon as possible. The above letter leaves the seller in doubt concerning three highly important points: (1) identification of the goods, (2) means of shipment, and (3) method of payment. The letter should read as follows: Marshall Field & Co. State and Randolph Sts., Chicago, Illinois. Gentlemen : Please send me the following articles by American Express as soon as possible : 1 pr. ladies' street shoes, Cuban heel, broad toe, tan, size 5B ; price about $8.50. USE OF TRADE TERMS 349 6 prs. ladies' ribbed silk hose, seamless, black, size 9; price about $1.35 a pair. 3 cakes Cashmere Bouquet soap, scented, small size; price 25 cents. % doz. Arrow collars, Marley, size 15 ; price $1.50. Send these goods C. 0. D., express charges collect. When the price is definitely known, the best practice is to extend the cost of each article to the end of the line and write in the total amount of the order at the foot of the column of separate costs. This plan is illustrated in the following letter: Dennison Manufacturing Co., 1007 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Gentlemen : Please send me, at your earliest convenience, by American Ex- press, the following: 1000 baggage tags, best quality, white, not strung, size 2 13/le" x 1%" $1.00 6 boxes gummed luggage labels, best quality, size 43,4" x 2%" 90 1 quart bottle of Dennison 's Extra Adhesive Mucilage, No. 13 . . 4.50 Total $6.40 Charge this order to my account. When one firm is buying materials or supplies from another, a free use may be made of trade terms and abbreviations familiar to business men: A. S. Seedley & Co. 1816 Market Street, San Francisco, Calif. Gentlemen : Please ship the following : Grade X38 LUSTRO 7500 sheets 30" x 30" $151.23 350 ORDER LETTERS Grade X40 LUSTRO 3000 sheets 12" x 12" 9.16 " X36 " 1000 " 24"x24".. 7.61 Total $168.00 This material is to be invoiced f.o.b. your factory ; terms 30-2-10, as in your quotation No. 7632 of December 15. We note that shipment is promised within two days from receipt of this order. When, as in the above letter, the order is based upon a quotation furnished by the seller, the number and date of the quotation should be given. In ordering goods, many large firms make use of a printed order blank, filling in the itemized order and any necessary special instructions. A blank of this kind makes for convenience and accuracy. (b) Asking for price quotations with a view to ordering. The same elements that enter into the order letter, are contained in the buyer's letter asking quotations, since it is upon the quotations furnished that the order is based. It is advisable in the letter asking for quotations to add to the other elements a statement of the specific pur- pose for which you want the goods. This gives the seller an accurate knowledge of your needs and guides him in determining whether or not he can meet them. For example: Gentlemen : Please quote us your best price and let us know how soon you can deliver steel balls in lots of 1000 to 2000, ranging in sizes from 11/2" to 2V 2 ". We would make use of these in the centrifugal cups of the XC type of machine which you furnished last year. The quality may be of any range from soft to hardened steel. The question of delivery is highly important since our need is urgent. If quotations are asked upon more than one article, each item should be separately paragraphed, as in the letter ordering goods. MAKING SPECIAL INQUIRY 351 (c) Making inquiry concerning earlier than customary shipment, special prices, terms, etc. If prices, terms, or date of shipment is not satisfactory to the buyer, he writes a letter similar to the following: Gentlemen : We received today your letter of December 10, quoting a price of $21.40 a thousand on 9000 sheets of Grade AX Lustro Sheeting, size 12" x 12". We have given your sample a thorough test and find it of high quality. We believe it will be a big seller once it is properly intro- duced. Just now, however, we would have to sell it in competition with more widely advertised brands that cost our competitors a trifle less than the price you quote. However, if you were to make us a satisfactory exclusive agency proposition for the Columbus territory, we would be in a position to push the sale of this product. We naturally want to be sure that we shall get the full benefit of business that is developed by our efforts. Please let us know at once whether you are interested in having us handle Lustro Sheeting on this basis. (d) Giving notification of a mistake in filling an order. If there has been some error in filling the order, the buyer writes a letter similar to the following : Gentlemen : On January 8 we sent you our order No. 5738 for 9000 sheets of Grade AX Lustro Sheeting. A copy of the order is inclosed. Please note that it calls definitely for size 12" x 12". You shipped this order January 11 and it reached us January 13. We are surprised to find that 4000 of the 9000 sheets are size 36" x 36". Evidently the 36" x 36" sheets were shipped in error. We have not found this size a ready seller. If, however, you can extend payment to 90 days, and still allow the ten per cent cash discount, we can arrange to keep them. We shall hold the 4000 sheets subject to your directions. 352 ORDER LETTERS We request immediate shipment of an additional 4000 of the size indicated in the order. The above type of letter covers the following points : (1) Conditions laid down in the order. (2) Wherein seller has failed to meet these conditions. (3) Adjustment that to buyer seems fit. CHAPTER XXVII ORDER LETTERS LETTERS WRITTEN BY THE SELLER OUTLINE (1) Order Letters -written by the seller may be classified as follows: (A) Letters answering inquiries that may lead to orders (1) When the inquiry concerns the type of product you have for sale. (2) When the inquiry concerns a different type of product. (B) Letters acknowledging an order (1) When the buyer has given full information. (2) When full information is lacking. (3) When the buyer has not made satisfactory credit arrange- ments. (4) When the order is from a new customer. O CHAPTER XXVII ORDER LETTERS LETTERS WRITTEN BY THE SELLER RDER letters written by the seller may be classified as follows: (1) Letters answering inquiries that may lead to orders. (a) When the inquiry concerns the type of product you have for sale. (b) When the inquiry concerns a different type of product. (2) Letters acknowledging an order. (a) When the buyer has given full information. (b) When full information is lacking. (c) When the buyer has not made satisfactory credit arrange- ments. (d) When the order is from a new customer. (1) Letters answering inquiries that may lead to orders. The letter answering an inquiry that may lead to an order is, essen- tially, a direct sales letter. The effort is to sell to a prospect who already has evinced his interest in the product. If the inquiry simply consists in a coupon detached from an adver- tisement, you may, in answer, make use of form letters, with name and address filled in at the top (see Chapter XXXI). If the inquiry asks for special information, a special letter that will meet the individual require- ments of the writer is called for. Some correspondents have done away with form letters, deeming it a better business policy to deal individually with each inquiry received. Follow this example only when it is certain that a larger volume of sales will pay for the added cost of dictating each letter. It is generally advisable to have ready for use separate paragraphs, or letters, covering the points of inquiry ordinarily made. You can then instruct the stenographer to add a sentence or two making 355 356 ORDER LETTERS direct reference to the needs of the individual prospect, and thus give a personal tone to the letter as a whole. 1 (a) When the inquiry concerns the type of product you have for sale. Here is a letter written when the inquiry concerned the type of prod- uct the manufacturer had for sale : Dear Sir : It is a pleasure to learn from your letter of July 10 that you are interested in Dover Typewriter desks. Your specifications call for a desk which permits the machine to remain in a horizontal position when raised or lowered for cover- ing. The Dover No. 10 is the ideal desk for this purpose. In order that you may see it illustrated in both the upright and lowered positions we are mailing you our 1918 catalogue. If you will turn to page 10, you will find just how efficiently this desk operates. Notice also that it costs no more than other standard equipment. No other desk requires so small a space as this folding type. It is, therefore, very desirable for offices occupied by several persons. You can get this desk in both the mahogany and quarter-sawed oak, in various styles and sizes. Should you decide on any of our equipment, we can give you almost immediate delivery. Note that the above letter covers the following points: (1) Expresses courtesy. (2) Supplies the requisite information. (3) Makes a "bid" for the sale by pointing out the merits of the product. Courtesy is best expressed in opening sentences, such as, "It is a pleasure to answer your inquiry of July 29 concerning the #23 Pioneer Bicycle," or, "We are glad, in answering your inquiry of July 29, to give you full information concerning the #23 Pioneer Bicycle." Avoid i See page 448. COVER DEFINITELY EACH POINT 357 uninteresting- openings. "We are in receipt of your inquiry of July 29 concerning the #23 Pioneer Bicycle," and, "We beg to acknowledge your inquiry of July 29 concerning etc.," simply consist in bald, uninterest- ing statements of trite facts. Your receipt of the letter, or its date, is not a vital factor in your effort to sell the product. Bring in these points incidentally. Your expression of courtesy, however, is always an essential element of the letter. It makes the prospect feel at once that you appreciate his inquiry and that you have his interests at heart. In supplying the requisite information, read over carefully the prospect's letter and make certain that you cover definitely each point it brings up. Direct his attention to your catalogue, pamphlet, or bulle- tin, since it contains more exhaustive matter than you can possibly get into a short letter. In doing so, cite the catalogue page; then he will have no difficulty in turning to it. Or go a step further, instruct your stenographer to turn down one or more pages and to mark with pen the important paragraphs. Familiarize yourself with information con- tained in the various pieces of "sales literature" published by your firm, that you may mail to each individual prospect the printed material most certain to be of value to him. Your "bid" for the sale will follow the principles laid down for any other sales letter. It will match the needs of the prospect as you deter- mine them by reading his letter of inquiry. It may include a sentence or two, or one or two short paragraphs of description and explanation ; of proof, perhaps, in the form of a statement, "Marshall Field & Co. have equipped their store with these fixtures." Likewise, persuasion, inducement, and the clincher have a place in the "bid." But in introducing these last three elements, remember that the pros- pect is already at least partly in agreement with you. You do not have to emphasize so vigorously the necessity for immediate action as you would were your selling task more difficult. Barring idle curiosity, he is be- yond this point. Your aim 'therefore is to confirm, rather than to awaken, belief. Confidently take the attitude that the prospect's good judgment has led him to make the inquiry and that the selfsame good judgment will lead him to buy as soon as he has full information upon which to base a decision. If your first letter does not bring his order, you may in subsequent letters give more insistent emphasis to the ele- ments of persuasion, inducement, and clincher, bearing in mind always that it never pays to give the impression that you are trying too hard 358 ORDER LETTERS to make the sale, for undue effort on your part gives the prospect a feel ing that the battle is going against you. It may be that your first letter in answer to an inquiry informs the prospect that a salesman will call upon him in person. If this is the case, a letter similar to the following will be written : Dear Sir : It is a pleasure to learn from your inquiry of September 10 that you are interested in obtaining a broad knowledge of busi- ness practice. The demand for well-trained executives, for men highly trained in not one but all branches of business, is greater today than ever before. Your inquiry therefore is particularly timely. "We are enclosing "Winning Your Way in Business," with our compliments. Turn to page 10 and you will readily see the op- portunity open to our graduates, as outlined by some of the best known business . executives in the country. No doubt you want to know exactly how the course can be applied to your individual needs. We have therefore asked Mr. R. A. Sanderson, who is in charge of our Dallas office, to get in touch with you at once. He can give you this information in person much better than we can by correspondence. You may be sure that Mr. Sanderson will cooperate with you in every way. The following two letters are in answer to an inquiry that may lead to an order. In each case, the aim of the letter is to put the prospect in touch with the dealer : Dear Sir : The experience of over 60,000 satisfied owners is the best as- surance you can have in your selection of a Hudson Super-Six. It means more than any claims we might make. There are particulars of course about the Hudson Super-Six that you will want to know, details about the beauty and com- pleteness of the several different body models. W>e have referred your letter to our nearest dealer, and inclose a card of introduc- tion. We want you to have an opportunity to examine the new Hudsons their charm of line and appointment. TYPES OF INQUIRY LETTERS 359 Dear Sir: We shall not try to tell you about the Essex in this letter. We would rather have the car speak for itself. We have therefore forwarded your letter to our nearest dealer, to whom the inclosed card of introduction is addressed. The beauty, comfort, and permanence of the Essex can only be appreciated by a personal inspection and by riding in it. Pick out the roughest roads and the steepest hills and judge for yourself. We assure you of our appreciation of your inquiry, and we be- lieve that your anticipation will be more than realized. (b) AVhen the inquiry concerns a different type of product. When the prospect's inquiry concerns a different type of product from the one you have for sale, your selling task is to show him that your type of product meets his needs better than the type he has in mind. The two following letters illustrate the wrong and the right way to accomplish this task: Dear Sir: We are in receipt of your letter of July 10 requesting informa- tion concerning horizontal typewriter desks. We are sorry, how- ever, to advise you that we no longer manufacture this type of desk. As a matter of fact our "Eclipse Adjustable" is superior to the horizontal type. We are sending you a catalogue that you may see illustrated its superior advantages. If you are inter- ested in this desk, please let us know. Neither courtesy, service, nor "sales talk" is emphasized in the hackneyed, uninteresting sentence that opens this letter. The first im- pression made upon the reader is therefore not particularly a pleasing one. The second sentence brings up abruptly a distinctly unpleasant and annoying thought. In the second paragraph, the "sales talk" con- sists in a statement that is not supported by explanation or proof. The final sentence, the clincher of the letter, is obviously weak in that it brings in a strong element of doubt. Here is the same letter as it was actually sent out : 360 ORDER LETTERS Dear Sir: We are glad to know from your letter of July 10 that you are in the market for typewriter desks. Although we have discontinued the manufacture of the hor- izontal desk, the "Eclipse Adjustable," which is illustrated on page 8 of the inclosed circular, is a successor to all horizontal types. Because of its unique and practical construction, it does away with all unsanitary, dust-collecting corners and also eliminates the continuous mechanical repairs that are so necessary to the horizontal type. One adjustment on installation gives you every advantage offered by any other desk. And our experts make all adjustments on installation. The McClellan Co., of your city, and the Holt Co., of Marion, both have replaced their horizontal equipment with the "Eclipse" and we suggest you ask them regarding the results they have achieved. We are in a position to make excellent deliveries on any of the seven types shown in the circular. The opening of this letter gives a pleasing impression. The cor- respondent avoids the blunt statement of disagreeable fact that, "We are sorry, however, to advise you that we no longer manufacture this type of desk." The same thought is expressed in a more tactful, less abrupt way. It is brought in incidentally, being subordinated to the main thought of the sentence, which is, " * Eclipse Adjustable' ... is the successor of all horizontal types." The prospect scarcely has time to feel disappointment at not receiving the precise information he asked for, before he is plunged into a consideration of other informa- tion of even greater interest to him. It is always advisable, in writing to a prospective customer, thus to minimize facts that are unpleasant and to emphasize facts that are pleasing to him. This practice is employed in the two following letters: Dear Sir : The order for red tubes with which you kindly favored us in your letter of October 17, leads us to believe that you would be TACT IN BUSINESS LETTERS 361 interested in the reasons why we manufacture uncolored tubes only. We realize that there is a demand for a red tube and it would be an easy matter to add the necessary compound to our present product to make it red in color. We could also color our heavy tourist tube and so supply the demand for a thick red tube. We have not colored our tubes, however, because in tests conducted by our experimental department, which have included red tubes, our present uncolored tube has proved to give the best service. It has been our experience that those who prefer red tubes, do so because of the appearance. What they really want in a tube, however, is service. Where these things have been ex- plained to them, you will have no trouble in selling them our un- colored tubes and we know they will give better satisfaction in the end. But more important than this, the laminated construction that is explained in the inclosed booklet, offers an advantage that would be worth more than red color even if the red color actually possessed an advantage. We will gladly refer your order to a concern in this city who can supply red tubes, if you wish, but we confidently believe that your patrons will be better satisfied with uncolored laminated tubes. Dear Sir : To be perfectly frank with you we would not recommend that you begin using blemished tires. All second-quality tires are sold strictly unguaranteed. They may run one mile or they may run to their full mileage. In either case, you are by no means certain of securing a fair return for your money. You will find that while the initial cost of a second-quality tire is lower than the first cost of a fully guaranteed casing, in the long run the cost per mile of the former is higher. If it proves to be defective, you have no protection from the manufacturer. All you can do is to buy another tire. On the other hand, if you purchase a fully guaranteed casing 362 ORDER LETTERS at a fair price, you not only receive the service which the local dealer offers you, but you also receive the guarantee back of the tire. Even if it proves defective, the tire manufacturer is only too glad to make it right. Occasionally we do have in stock a few seconds that we are glad to dispose of, but ordinarily our seconds are marketed through jobbers who make a specialty of seconds. Your local dealer has a good stock of Goodyear first-quality tires on hand. Why not ask him for the tires you desire? He can supply you at once and you will then be assured of the cer- tain satisfaction that goes with them. In each of the above examples, the prospect is given in the opening paragraph the answer to his letter of inquiry. Without being forced to read through several paragraphs in praise of a substitute product, he learns at once the correspondent's answer to his query. He is not tricked into reading the letter; he is told at the start, as in all fairness he should be told, that the letter will urge the purchase of some type of product other than the one he had thought of purchasing. And yet he is told this in such a tactful way as to win at once his interest in the ''sales talk" with which it is so closely linked. Note, in the clinchers employed in the two letters, the incisive summary of the central selling arguments. (2) Letters acknowledging an order. (a) When the buyer has given full instruction. The following is an ineffective letter acknowledging an order: Dear Sir: We are in receipt of your order of August 15. We beg to state that it will be shipped via Southern Pacific on August 23. Thanking you for this and other kind favors, we beg to re- main, The above letter consists in formal, impersonal and hackneyed ex- pressions aimed almost solely at informing the customer that his order has been received and that it will be shipped on August 23. This in- formation, of course, is of importance to him in the conduct of his busi- ness. It is necessary that he be told and told promptly that there TACT IN BUSINESS LETTERS 363 has been no delay in the receipt of his order and that it is being filled. But from your standpoint it is likewise highly important that he know you cordially appreciate his placing an order with your firm, and that you stand ready to extend him every courtesy and service in filling it. The most effective way of making certain of future orders is to show him that he has your cordial cooperation. Remember always that cus- tomer goodwill is one pf your most valuable business assets. A loyal customer a customer who feels that he is in personal touch with the "house," and who therefore believes strongly in it as an institution is likely to be a permanent customer. Consider the re-written version of the same letter: Dear Sir: We thank you for your order of August 15. It will go forward promptly over the Southern Pacific on August 23. We feel con- fident that you will find the canned peaches up to the high standard of the other Vernon products you have been handling. We have taken every precaution to have them carefully packed and shipped. Please notify us promptly if they do not arrive on time, and in the best of condition. Along with the order, we are sending pamphlets giving facts about the Vernon line that will interest your customers. We are also including for your use some of our latest and most effective window cards. Let us know when we may serve you further. Note that the cordial, personal tone of this letter is due in part to the avoidance of stereotyped expressions. Courtesy is expressed naturally at the very start of the letter, while the date of the order is properly brought in only incidentally. The correspondent has taken the trouble to ascertain that this particular grocer has handled other Vernon products, and makes capital of this fact in the first paragraph. Service and cooperation are emphasized in the following two para- graphs. The last paragraph consists in a "bid" for future business. Not all letters acknowledging orders contain the same amount of detail that is in this letter. Letters more brief may effectively be written. But even in a more brief letter, the spirit of cooperation should be empha- sized, if only in a short sentence or two. 3G4 ORDER LETTERS The letter acknowledging an order, when the buyer has given full in- formation, should therefore: (1) Thank the customer for the order. (2) State how and when the goods will be shipped. (3) Express confidence in the product. (4) Make a "bid" for future orders. The following fifth element sometimes is included in a letter of the above type: (5) Express willingness to make prompt adjustment should any unexpected difficulty or delay occur. Information as to how and when the goods will be shipped always should be definite. If possible, include under this element the ap- proximate date of expected arrival of the goods. Confidence in the product is expressed by the use of sentences such as, "This brand has been a ready seller throughout the state and we feel confident you will have success with it," or, "We feel sure you will be pleased with the high quality of these goods. ' ' Avoid the use of such doubtful suggestions as, "We trust these goods will prove satisfactory," or, "We hope these goods will meet with your approval." Stand fairly and squarely behind your product. In making a "bid" for future business, emphasize courtesy and service. A sentence or two of "sales talk," bringing out the merits of some product other than the one ordered, may now and then be effec- tively employed. The following is a brief letter acknowledging an order in which service is emphasized in the final paragraph: Dear Sir: We acknowledge with thanks your order of October 3 for 2-32 x 3/12 tubes. The tubes are being carefully packed now and will go forward to you by American Express tonight. You should receive them by Wednesday morning. If you desire information concerning automobile accessories of any kind, we shall be glad to have you write us. Remember that our free information department is at your service. It will be a pleasure to give you the benefit of our long experience. TACT IN BUSINESS LETTERS 365 Another example of an effective letter of the same type: Dear Sir: "We thank you for your order of November 8. All of the goods are in stock and they are being packed now for immediate ship- ment by Adams Express. They should therefore reach you by November 16 at the latest. This means that you will get them in plenty of time for the Christmas trade. By ordering early, you have enabled us to make careful selection from our full stock. You will notice that the line of toys, in particular, is a mighty complete and attractive one. We shall be glad to give you as prompt service later on on an} r other orders for Christmas goods. Inasmuch as shipments will be subject to the usual delays of holiday times, we suggest, how- ever, that you place at once any future orders you may be con- templating. A printed post card may sometimes be employed in acknowledging small orders of a ' ' routine ' ' sort from a firm that is a regular customer. Since a large number of such small orders may be received monthly from any one firm, it is not necessary to acknowledge each one by letter. The post card acknowledgment should never be used when the personal element enters into the order, when it is from a new customer, or when it is a large one. Blank spaces on the post card are filled in with data concerning the order, and space is left for special instructions or re- marks. For example: Dear Sir: We thank you for your order No. - which will be entered for immediate shipment. It has been registered under our No. , to which you will please refer if you have occasion to write about it. If we are unable to ship promptly we shall write you under separate cover. In acknowledging, by post card or by letter, an order from a firm that is doing business on a large scale, identify the order by reference both 366 ORDER LETTERS to the number given it by the customer firm and to your invoice number. (b) When full information is lacking. In may be that you are unable immediately to fill the order because the customer has failed accurately to identify the goods, or because he has left out other necessary instructions. In such case, avoid placing undue emphasis upon his error. Emphasize at the start the ' ' pleasant ' ' elements of courtesy and service; then, when the customer is in the proper frame of mind, disclose his error, adding that your desire to serve him to the very best of your ability explains why you call it to his at- tention rather than ship the goods upon incomplete information. The following letter illustrates this principle : Dear Sir: Your order of August 21, which just came in, is appreciated. We are glad that you are going to give Champion products a trial. Your confidence is well placed, for our line was never bet- ter nor more complete. In going over the order, we find a few items that are not clear. Since a small error might mean no end of trouble, we want at once to check up all items. We are enclosing another order blank, filled out to meet your requirements as we interpret them. If the filled order blank is accurate, just sign and return in the inclosed stamped envelope. If not accurate, you can make up the order as you want it on the blank form and we will ship accordingly. Let us take this occasion to say that there is a great deal more to our business than merely filling your orders. Our policy is designed to help the dealer increase his sales, and we want you to get the full benefit of it. (c) When the buyer has not made satisfactory credit arrangements. Here is an ineffective letter of this type: Dear Sir: The information afforded by the agencies warrants us shipping your order of April 29 on our regular ten-day-schedule, but it scarcely warrants our extending to you our preferred credit TACT IN BUSINESS LETTERS 367 terms, as you requested in your letter. We require all of our customers to fill in a property statement before credit is extended to any considerable amount. We are enclosing such a state- ment to be filled out by you. Please send it back to us with a personal letter telling us just what your business opportunities and expectations are. We appreciate this, our first order from you, and trust that we can make arrangements to be of service to you in filling your future orders on the basis you request. The unpleasant fact that preferred credit terms can not at once be extended is unduly emphasized by being brought in at the very start of this letter. The first impression made upon the customer is a dis- agreeable one. The half-hearted expression of courtesy and service, when it does come, is passed over because his mind already is taken up with the rebuff offered him at the beginning. The following letter, covering the same ground, is the one that ac- tually was mailed: Dear Sir: Your order for April 29 has been entered for shipment on our usual ten-day schedule. We believe this is our first dealing with you and therefore we take pleasure in welcoming you and in showing you our appre- ciation of your business. The information afforded by the agencies entirely warrants our shipment of this first order, but we do not doubt that you would prefer to come to a more personal understanding with us as to the basis on which credit may be extended to the amount you may require. For that reason, we are enclosing the usual property state- ment. We should be glad if you would write us, in addition, stating your business opportunities and expectations, so we may find ourselves in a position to be of service to you. We shall do everything possible on our side to increase per- sonal acquaintance and confidence that may result in mutual ad- vantage. For a lesson in business tact, study carefully the letter above, and 368 ORDER LETTERS roll the previous letter written to the customer who had failed to give full information in ordering goods. In the one case, a refusal to grant at once preferred credit terms, and, in the other, a customer's error that results in delay in the shipment of the goods, lose their disagreeable features and, looked at rightly, become opportunities for the manu- facturer to prove his willingness to extend courtesy and service. Take up business problems and annoyances with the earnest desire to extend to the prospect or customer every possible courtesy and service, to deal with the "other fellow" in a fair, square, and manly way, and many, or perhaps all, of the disagreeable features will fade away. (d) When the order is from a new customer. A letter longer than ordinary is written to the customer ordering goods for the first time. Courtesy, service, and the quality of the goods are dwelt upon, that the new customer, inspired with a feeling of con- fidence in the firm and its products, may become a permanent one. For example : Dear Sir: Your order of November 10 has just arrived and we thank you for it. Because this is the first business we have received from you, we are glad of this opportunity to add your name to our long list of enthusiastic dealers. Every article you specify is in stock. The order will go for- ward by American Express today. The sooner you get these goods, the sooner your profits will come; hence we are shipping by the quickest way. Your first order for Atlas means that you are going to sell a high grade product for a firm vitally interested in making 3 r our business more profitable. We have found that the best way to do this is to make and keep for you hundreds of satisfied cus- tomers. You will find in the shipment numerous advertising features, all designed to help you sell more goods. These helps, with Atlas national advertising, which is built right around the dealer, are sure to bring you new customers and additional business. What we want to do is to help you sell more goods. Our en- LETTER TO A NEW CUSTOMER 369 tire sales program is devoted to that idea. Let us make your problems our problems. Write us when you are in need of more goods. It will be a pleasure to discuss your selling problems with you at any time. A second letter acknowledging an order from a new customer: Dear Sir: Thanks for your order from our lubrication oil line. Every precaution has been taken to insure its reaching you in the short- est possible time. You are now buying direct from our big Oil Plant. As a result, you get better quality and service, and you save money by our direct selling methods. The price you pay is based upon actual factory costs, and the saving to you is a mighty big one one you can not afford to overlook. m All products of the "Runrite" brand are produced for some particular purpose, to make some particular machine or mechan- ism RUN RIGHT. We want to make it plain that they are guar- anteed to give absolute satisfaction. They must make good or you are to return at our expense the unused portion. We will refund the FULL purchase price of ALL you ordered. Your continued oil business is greatly desired. So that we may have it, you will be kind enough to insist that you be satisfied with every single item you buy from us. "Runrite" products will please your friends as well as they please you, and any word of commendation to them will be greatly appreciated by us. Remember that "Runrite" makes things RUN RIGHT any time anywhere and the price is rock-bottom. Your future orders will be tended to very carefully. CHAPTER XXVIII ADJUSTMENT LETTERS OUTLINE (I) The Adjustment Letter is one in answer to a complaint of a dissatisfied customer. It is fundamentally a sales letter. Its purpose is to ''re-sell" the man to whom goods were sold. (II) In writing the adjustment letter, emphasize (particularly at the begin- ning) pleasant facts, facts that show what you can do to assist the cus- tomer; give as little emphasis as possible to unpleasant facts, facts that show what you can not do. (Ill) Adjustment letters may be classified as follows: (a) House at fault, claim granted. (b) Customer at fault, claim granted. (c) Customer at fault, claim refused. (d) Fault undetermined, decision withheld pending investigation. (e) Fault undetermined, claim granted without waiting for result of investigation. CHAPTER XXVIII ADJUSTMENT LETTERS "No matter how 'down' the complainant may be, the one handling the com- plaint is a cheerful soul, seeing from the beginning that there is a possible solu- tion that will please the customer, that her woes are to be relieved, that she is to be put in the right frame of mind." Evelyn M. Watson in "Printer's Ink." "Remember, a letter adjusting a complaint of a customer should open by agreeing with him in something. It might agree that his experience must have been annoying, or express confidence that a satisfactory adjustment will be made, but it should begin with some sentence that brings the customer and the house closer together. An explanation of the facts should follow; then the conces- sion the house is willing to make; then the conclusion." L. A. McQueen in Bulletins to Goodrich Correspondents. THE Adjustment Letter is one in answer to a complaint of a dissatis- fied customer. The goods, perhaps, miscarried, or came to hand in a damaged condition, or the trial use of the product in accordance with your instructions failed in his hands, or the articles of merchan- dise received did not tally with the duplicate of the shipping order. He may have reason for his complaint, or his grievance may be purely an imaginary one. He may be at fault not you. He may make a de- mand for adjustment, utterly unreasonable. But your problem, in any case, is one and the same, namely: to re-establish his confidence in the product, and win back his goodwill. The Adjustment Letter fundamentally is a sales letter. Its real purpose is to "re-sell" the man to whom the goods were sold, and thus to re-create a feeling of business confidence that paves the way for fu- ture sales. An adjustment letter affords the efficient correspondent a rare op- portunity to give the customer a striking example of the spirit of courtesy, and of the spirit of fair dealing, and of the spirit of service that underlie the policy of the firm. Look upon this matter, in the light 373 374 ADJUSTMENT LETTERS of this opportunity. Make certain that each adjustment letter you write has positive virtues that will establish business friendships. It is not enough that it simply have the purely negative virtue of silencing the complainant. You yourself should never write in the heat of temper; should never show exasperation -over the unreasonableness of the claim. Maintain toward the complainant the positive virtues of patience, calmness, and courtesy, and the "unreasonable" customer will assume a like attitude toward you. Do not interpret this as meaning to grant in blanket form every re- quest for adjustment. But, at all times, even when you refuse a re- quest outright, handle the facts so tactfully and so courteously that the complainant will see the reasonableness and the downright fairness of the stand you take. Note the following letter written by an angry customer, and the two letters following it, illustrating the wrong and the right way of making a reply : Gentlemen : I 've spent the last week explaining to at least a dozen of my good customers that I 'd have electros on hand for them just as soon as some fool in your office woke up to the fact that I placed my order for them on November 3, now more than three weeks ago. I Ve waited and waited for this order to come through until my patience is just about out. The next time your Mr. Allen comes in here asking for more orders and druling around about L. & L. service, I 'm going to kick him out. This isn't the first time the same thing has happened; last month I waited and waited for a shipment of paint to come through, and by the time it got here most of my orders for it had gone to my competitors. If any one in your office has the common decency to look out for the interests of your customers, will he tell me this: HOW MUCH LONGER DO I HAVE TO KEEP MY CUSTOMERS WAITING FOR THOSE ELECTROS? You bet, after this, I 'm through for good and all with L. & L. My competitors are getting service and I 'm going to get it, too. This is the wrong way to answer the above complaint : TACT IN ADJUSTMENT LETTERS 375 Dear Sir: Your complaint of November 26 about the non-delivery of your electros has been received. No, we 're not all fools around this office. As a matter of fact, we 're looking out for the interests of our customers just as you are for yours. If you would stop to think, you would realize that local manu- facturers can't begin to keep up as yet with the post-war demand made upon them. They 're filling our orders just as quickly as they can, and they 're not filling the other fellow 's any quicker. Now, Mr. Smith, if you will just have a little mortal patience, we '11 get your electros to you as soon as we can. You 're in luck to get them at all under present conditions. And you can't get them from our competitors any quicker than you can from us. This is the right way to answer the same complaint : Dear Sir: We are mighty glad you wrote us concerning the non-delivery of the electros ordered on November 3. We appreciate your de- sire to serve your customers promptly, and it is our desire to co- operate with you in every possible way to this end. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to explain the situa- tion. At the close of the war, local manufacturers were swamped with orders that had been accumulating during the four years previous. For the past three months, they have been unable to handle more than half of the immense number of orders received. This situation, of course, has made immediate delivery of orders an impossibility. We are inclosing copies of letters to this ef- fect from three of the biggest manufacturing concerns, concerns that manufacture materials for our competitors as well as for ourselves. Your order was placed for manufacture the day it was re- ceived. We are doing everything in our power to hurry it along, and you may be sure that just as soon as it is ready we shall rush 376 ADJUSTMENT LETTERS it forward to you. We shall notify you by wire when to expect it, so that you in turn can notify your customers. Meanwhile we shall be glad to have you show them the letters from the three manufacturing concerns, and, if you desire, this letter. This will convince them of the necessity for delaj^. If there is any way in which we can further co-operate with you, Mr. Smith, do not hesitate to call upon us. It is our aim to serve you to the very best of our ability. In writing an adjustment letter, it is good practice to emphasize what you can offer the customer, rather than what you cannot. In the following letter, the fact that the correspondent cannot allow the claim is unduly stressed ; the fact that he can offer helpful sugges- tions is insufficiently stressed : Dear Sir: We are very sorry that we cannot refund you the purchase price on the L. & L. Electric Sweeper returned to us for inspection, as requested in your letter of August 9. The windings of this motor show signs of having been badly burned out, no doubt be- cause you used 220 volts, instead of the 110 volts specified in the set of instructions given you when you purchased the sweeper. Our records show that, before leaving the factory, the motor was carefully tested and found to be in the best of condition. So you, not we, are at fault, and we cannot therefore allow your claim. If you wish, however, we can replace the damaged motor with a 220 volt motor, charging you just the cost to us, namely, $6. Let us know if this arrangement is not satisfactory to you. A similar letter written with the emphasis upon what the firm can do reads as follows: Dear Sir : Thank you for returning your ammeter for examination by one of our engineers. We fully appreciate that the service you received was some- what disappointing. In addition to directing your attention to PAMPHLETS PROVE EFFECTIVE 377 the inclosed booklet on "Common Causes of Ammeter Trouble," may we explain just what caused the unsatisfactory service you received from this particular instrument ? As you doubtless know, there are two distinct types of electric current the alternating and direct. An ammeter that is de- signed for use with direct current cannot be used on an alternat- ing system. This explains the difficulty you experienced. However, the in- jury is so slight that it can easily be repaired. In view of the small service you received, we shall gladly do the work at cost, namely : $6. The job will be fully guaranteed and we are sure the repaired ammeter will give you first class service the kind for which all Volta products are famous. May we have your instructions to proceed with the work? Whenever possible, follow the example set in the above letter, and mail to the customer such booklets of instruction, or pamphlets, as will assist in showing him the way out of his difficulty. Since an adjustment letter has to do with facts that in themselves are annoying and disagreeable, it is of the utmost importance that the tone of the beginning sentence be a cheerful one: Your prompt notification of the non-arrival of the furniture gives us the opportunity to straighten out the matter without any unnecessary delay. Do not impress upon the customer unduly the disagreeable features of the situation, as in the last sentence of the following paragraph, stress- ing a disagreeable fact already known to the customer : We received this morning the bicycle returned to us for in- spection. Your letter of March 3, states that you believe the tire was defective and that therefore you are entitled to receive your money back. Or: We are sorry to hear that your opinion of the Redfern Bicycle Co. has been lowered to the extent stated in your letter. 378 ADJUSTMENT LETTERS Adjustment Letters distribute themselves into five general classes: (1) House at fault, claim granted. (2) Customer at fault, claim granted. (3) Customer at fault, claim refused. (4) Fault undetermined, decision withheld pending investigation. (5) Fault undetermined, claim granted without waiting for re- sults of investigation. (1) House at fault, claim granted. If the house is at fault, be frank ; admit the error and then rectify it without delay. For example: Dear Sir: AVe are glad you notified us promptly that the rocker which we shipped you on July 8 reached you in damaged condition. You are perfectly justified in your request that we make good the damage. The following repairs will be shipped to you at once, charges prepaid, by parcel post: one pair of runners for rocker D1672 Our refund check for 50 cents is inclosed as an allowance to cover any expense there may be in placing the runner in service- able shape. It is our desire that the purchase give you the best of service for years to come. Evidently the error was made by an inspector in our shipping department, since you say the wooden crate was unbroken in ship- ment. In the interests of our customers, we have adopted a strict ruling that every package that goes out must be checked on an inspector's record. You will realize, however, that among thou- sands of packages outgoing every hour, one not in perfect condi- tion might escape the scrutiny of the inspector at rare intervals, in spite of every precaution. We are mighty sorry this did occur in your case. You may be sure that we shall do everything in our power to see that it does not occur again. The following elements contained in adjustment letters of all types are examplified in the above letter: ELEMENTS OF ADJUSTMENT LETTERS 379 (1) Beginning: "get in step with the customer" by an expres- sion of courtesy, agreement, or understanding that will bind the customer and the house more closely together. (2) Statement of action house is going to take, that is, as to whether claim is granted in whole or in part, is refused, or is to be investigated. (3) Explanation of reasons for the action of the house. (4) Clincher: statement of house's attitude toward customers in dealing with a difficulty of this sort, aimed at convincing cus- tomer that the house has his interests at heart. Note in the above letter the application of these elements, as fol- lows : Beginning: "get in step with the customer." "We are glad you notified us promptly that the rocker which we shipped you on July 8 reached you in a damaged condition. ' ' Statement of action house is going to take : "The following repairs will be shipped to you at once, charges prepaid, by parcel post : "one pair of runners for rocker, D1672 "Our refund check for 50 cents, etc." Note that the customer is told that his .claim is granted in full, and that he is given specific details as to just how and when the adjustment is to be made. Since this is a fact pleasing to the customer, it is brought in early in the letter, rather than being withheld until the cause of the difficulty has been explained. The correspondent makes it clear that the claim is granted willingly. Explanation of reasons for action of the house. "Evidently the error was made by an inspector in our shipping department, since you say the wooden crate was unbroken in ship- ment. In the interests of our customers, we have adopted a strict ruling that every package that goes out must be checked on an 380 ADJUSTMENT LETTERS inspector's record. You will realize, however, that among thou- sands of packages outgoing every hour, etc." Note that the correspondent admits frankly the error which causes him to grant the claim in full ; he tells the customer exactly wherein the house is at fault. He then impresses upon the customer, however, that such errors are the exception rather than the rule, and that the house takes every precaution to guard against them. Clincher: statement of house's attitude toward customers. "We a're mighty sorry this did occur in your case. You may be sure that we shall do everything in our power to see that it does not occur again." Howsoever high the standard of workmanship, and howsoever rigid the system of factory inspection, defects will develop now and then in the manufactured product. AVhen the customer returns such a product, frankly admit its defects, and at once make it good. To act frankly and openly is the attitude of fair-dealing: to excuse and explain is the habit of insincerity. This situation is handled effectively in the fol- lowing letter: Dear Sir: We find the pen you wrote us about on May 18 is not up to our standard, and you have done us a real favor in returning it. A new pen which has been carefully tested and packed will go forward to you by mail at once. It should reach you about the same time as this letter. We regret the annoyance that it has caused you, but we are glad to take advantage of this opportunity to make things right. While admitting full respousibilty for errors and showing willing- ness to make prompt adjustment, the efficient correspondent will in every legitimate way protect the house from unnecessary expense. The follow- ing letter shows too little regard for the interests of the house : Dear Sir : Thank you for notifying us in your letter of June 6 that our last shipment to you, invoice 1682, consisted of pints, instead of HOUSE SHOULD BE PROTECTED 381 quarts, of Maroon and Light Brown Floor Paint. W.e have a strict ruling that each order be carefully checked before leaving the shipping room, but this is apparently one of those annoying mistakes that occur in spite of every precaution we can take. We are indeed sorry that you have been put to this inconvenience. We are filling the order correctly and shall send it forward by Southern Pacific today, so that there will be the least possible delay. Please return the other shipment to us by freight collect. We shall promptly issue credit for it. In the interests of the house and without detriment to the customer, the letter is better written in this wise : Dear Sir : Thank you for notifying us in your letter of June 6 that our last shipment to you, invoice 1862, consisted of pints, instead of quarts, of Maroon and Light Brown Floor Paint. We have a strict rule that each order be carefully checked before leaving the shipping room, but this apparently is one of those annoying mis- takes that occur in spite of every precaution. We are indeed sorry that you have been put to this inconvenience. We realize from your letter that you are anxious to meet the needs of your customers with the least possible delay. Probably the best plan to this end, is to go ahead and sell to them two pints, when they ask for a quart, and thus clean up the stock on hand. Just charge the price you ordinarily do for a quart, and we shall gladly make up the difference to you. In this way, you can begin selling the paint at once. But remember that if for any reason you desire to wait to have the original order filled, we stand ready to pay freight charges, and grant you full credit, on the returned shipment. We want to serve you to the very best of our ability. (2) Customer at fault, claim granted. This involves a concession on the part of the house. It amounts to a special trade favor. As such, the correspondent should capitalize on it, as an earnest of the courteous treatment and of the superior service that is characteristic of the dealings of the firm. The concession should 382 ADJUSTMENT LETTERS be extended in a straightforward manner so as not to cause the customer to feel he is receiving more than is his due. No one cares to be re- garded in the light of "a deserving but needy object of charity." The following type of letter is not diplomatic : Dear Sir: It is your fault, or at least of some one in your office, that the melons we shipped you on June 8 did not reach your place in the best of condition. We have traced the shipment and find that it was left in the warehouse for five days before your wagon called for it. Under such conditions of course it is to be expected that the melons would not please your customers. We can't see where you are entitled to a refund of any sort on the melons that were spoiled, but in this case we are going to make an exception. We '11 allow you a 20 per cent discount on the order, and we consider this a mighty fair offer under the circumstances. The next time we ship you high grade melons, you will have better luck if you instruct your delivery boy to call for them promptly. We always let you know in plenty of time when to expect them. You can always count on us doing our part. The beginning of the letter is abrupt and not pleasing in tone. The letter goes on to magnify the customer's error: the concession is granted grudgingly. Its last paragraph addresses the customer as though he were a small boy meriting a curtain lecture: the attitude of the firm throughout is one of condescension and superiority. The difficulty with the letter is that the correspondent takes up the adjustment from the house's standpoint and not from the customer's. The following type of letter is diplomatic: Dear Sir: We are glad, in answering your letter of November 6, to ex- plain why the Alcott canned goods you received October 30 are not of the brand you intended. The inclosed duplicate shows that the Alcott brand was specified. Some one in your office must have inadvertently entered the wrong brand on the order sheet. You will find the Alcott brand of the very same high quality as the D'Oro brand, which you have been selling. But you ANALYSIS OF ADJUSTMENT LETTER 383 know best what will please your customers, and if the Alcott brand does not meet your needs we shall gladly make an ex- change. We want to do everything in our power to give our customers complete satisfaction. A dissatisfied customer, we feel, is a greater loss than many times the small extra cost of shipment charges. Consider in the above letter the application of the elements common to adjustment letters of all types: Beginning: "get in step with customer." This is effected in the first sentence by the expression of courtesy. . Statement of action house is going to take. It is often advisable, as in this case, to explain the circum- stances responsible for the error before telling definitely what ac- tion the house is going to take. The customer first learns that it is he who is in error. Once realizing this, he is certain to be strongly impressed by a straightforward, ungrudging statement of the concession of the house. Explanation of reasons for action of the house. The reason for the action of the house lies in the house's desire to satisfy completely its customers. The tone of the letter as a whole makes evident this desire. Clincher: statement of the house's attitude toward customers. This element concerns the same point as does the preceding ele- ment : the house 's desire to satisfy completely its customers. The point properly is emphasized in the final paragraph. One impor- tant result of emphasizing this point is that the house is thus able to make capital out of its- concession. Note that, in explaining the circumstances responsible for the error, the correspondent makes reference to the records on hand, thus leaving no doubt in the customer's mind as to who made the mistake. The cor- respondent then minimizes the customer's error by saying ''Someone 384 ADJUSTMENT LETTERS in your store must have inadvertently entered the wrong brand on the order sheet." It is never advisable to magnify a customer's error; no man likes to be impressed with the fact that he has made a serious, fool- hardy mistake. At the same time the customer must be made clearly to realize that the mistake rests with him. When the claim of a customer who is at fault is granted only in part, the concession made by the house is naturally not so great as when the claim is granted in full. Nevertheless it is a concession and as such it should be capitalized. In writing the following letter, the correspondent failed to capitalize on his concession. He contented himself with prov- ing that the customer was in the wrong. The letter is as follows : We have your letter asking us to allow you to return a ship- ment of oil stain, on the ground that we were so slow in shipping it that it arrived too late to do any good. Inasmuch as we made shipment on the same day your order was received, we took up the .matter with the Railroad Co. They state that the shipment arrived at Urbana on January 6 and was de- livered January 12. They further state that the 0. X. A. Trans- fer Co. have drayman's orders to haul your goods and that the cause of the non-delivery was due to the transfer people neglect- ing to take the shipment out of the freight yards. It would n 't be worth our while to pay freight to Chicago on the shipment, so keep it on hand and sell it as you can. We '11 extend credit on it to June 1, by which time you no doubt will have disposed of it. It seems to me, Mr. Brown, that this is a mighty careless outfit that is handling your freight. Next time, why not check up on them before you write a letter laying the blame on us ? The letter was rewritten properly, as follows : Dear Sir : Thank you for notifying us in your letter of January 18 that the shipment of oil stain ordered from us reached you too late to meet the demands of your trade. The letter from the Railroad Co. which we are inclosing shows that the shipment was delivered to them here on January 6, the CUSTOMER AT FAULT 385 day we received the order, and that it reached Urbana January 8. The letter also makes it clear that the 0. X. A. Transfer Co., who have drayman's orders to haul your goods, neglected to take the shipment out of the freight yards until January 14. Evidently your delay in receiving the goods was due to them. While the error was not made at our end of the line, we want to do everything we can to help straighten out the difficulty. To this end, we can arrange to extend credit on the goods until June 1. That will give you plenty of time to dispose of them. We are glad to have had this opportunity of locating the diffi- culty for you, because we feel that it will eliminate any possi- bility of troublesome delays in your receiving future orders from us. Our aim is not to limit our service to just "what the letter of the law demands, ' ' but to lend you every possible assistance in developing and holding a highly prosperous business. (3) Customer at fault, claim refused. The customer being at fault and his claim refused, make it apparent to him in your explanation that the action of the house is fair and rea- sonable. Show him that you realize how he feels about it and that you are trying to look at the matter from his viewpoint; that you desire to be fair, and to keep his interests in view, in the hope, even, that the re- fusal may in the end work a net gain to him. Convince him not that he is unreasonable, but that you are fair. This will incline him to be fair with you. And emphasize always the pleasant facts, those that show what you can do for him, and not those that show what you can not do. The following letter refusing a claim is undiplomatic in the ex- treme : Dear Sir: We are surprised that you would write to ask us for a 10 per cent cash discount on your order for D'Oro canned fruits. Just because you have been handling the El Gordo brand, on a basis of 10 per cent discount for c&sh, is no reason why you should expect to handle the D 'Oro brand in the same way. In the first place, the D'Oro products cost you very little more than the other brand. And yet you sell them for from five to ten cents more a ean, because your customers know their flavor is 386 ADJUSTMENT LETTERS superior, that they are the very choicest selection of fruits that southern California can produce. If you 'd stop to think a minute, you 'd realize that the D 'Oro fruits must cost us more than the other brands cost the other fellow, and that the only way we can allow you as high a profit on them as we do is by eliminating all cash discounts. At the same time we keep our credit losses at a negligible figure by deal- ing only with merchants of high credit rating. Put the D'Oro fruits on your shelves and see if they don't put more money in your pocket than any brand you 've been handling. We want to be of every possible service to you, but we certainly can't see our way clear to allowing you more profit when the profit you 're making now is greater than you make on other lines. The above letter shows the mistake of trying to prove that the cus- tomer is unreasonable, rather than trying to show him that the house wants to be fair. Here is a letter emphasizing the fairness of the house. The explanation develops from the customer's viewpoint and is directly in line with his interests. It shows him that in the long run the refusal of the claim actually means a net gain to him : Dear Sir : We understand how you feel about expecting a 10 per cent cash discount on your order for D'Oro canned fruits. You have been handling the El Gordo brand, on a basis of 10 per cent discount for cash. This is your first order for D'Oro. Naturally you ex- pect the same discount to apply. We are glad of this opportunity to explain the situation. D'Oro fruit products cost you just a little more a case than the El Gordo brand. And yet you are able to sell D'Oro for from five to ten cents more a can. Why? Because the D'Oro brand is a selection of the choicest fruits that southern California can produce. Ask your customers if the flavor is not far and away superior to that of any other brand. Other grocers, upon applying this test, find almost invariably that their customers prefer D'Oro. Under such circumstances, the D'Oro fruits must cost us more ANALYSIS OF ADJUSTMENT LETTER 387 than the other brands cost our competitors. As a matter of fact, they do. The only way we keep the prices down, and the dealer's profits up, is to do business o-nly with dealers, like yourself, of the highest credit rating, and to fix one price for all 60 days, or a small cash discount for immediate payment. We do not have to put a premium on cash payments, as our credit losses are negli- gible. The point is this : if we allowed the 10 per cent cash discount to dealers, we should have to advance our prices accordingly. We know that you would not want us, in your case, to make an exception to our general rule. Once you have 1 given D'Oro a trial, it will mean for you, as it has meant for scores of other dealers, more profits and better sat- isfied customers. You will find that our national advertising campaign has backed up "superior flavor" in creating a big de- mand that means dollars to you. Let us hear from you at any time we can be of service. Our effort always is to give you high quality goods, for which there is a ready demand, at the lowest possible prices. The letter just quoted ean be analyzed as follows: Beginning: "Get in step with customer." The effect of the first paragraph is to make the customer feel that the house under- stands his difficulty and is in sympathy with him. Statement of action house is going to take. Since the statement of action in this type of letter has to do with facts which, stated at the outset, would be disagreeable, the statement is not brought out until near the end of the letter, not until the customer has been prepared to see that the action of the house is fair and just. Explanation of reason for house's action. This is taken up from the customer's viewpoint and makes clear that in the long run the house's refusal means a net gain to him. Clincher: Statement of house's attitude toward customers. This is set forth in the final paragraph : ' ' Our effort always is to give you high quality goods, for which there is a ready demand, at the lowest possible prices." Note that the central argument, or selling point "D'Oro will mean increased profits for you " is 388 . ADJUSTMENT LETTERS summed up in the clincher. Such a summing up is always effec- tive when your effort to bring the reader around to your way of thinking is made by the use of argument. In letters refusing a claim, it is possible now and then to suggest a simple solution of the customer 's difficulty. For example : Dear Madam : Your direct letter, telling us of the trouble you have had with the " smokeless" fry pan, merits prompt reply. We are glad you have written us so frankly and in such detail. This is a difficulty seldom reported, but we are pleased to have your letter so we may clear up the matter to your entire satis- faction. The pan you have, No. 40, is made of sheet iron, commonly called Russian Iron. Hence it is subject to the action of the atmosphere, as is any utensil made of this metal. Moisture affects all such metals ; drip pans, too, would be subject to rust if exposed. Clean the fry pan very, very thoroughly, freeing it from rust. Put on a coating of oil, lard, or other saltless grease, when the pan is not in use, until such coating forms a permanent film, worked into the very pores of the metal. You might return your Russian Iron utensil, pay the small dif- ference in price, and receive a pan with a more desirable finish. But the Russian Iron "smokeless" fry pan, cleaned of rust, and oiled when not in use, will, after a few treatments, prove just as satisfactory as the enamelled pan. Russian Iron utensils hold the heat and are excellent for frying purposes. Note in the above letter that what the house can do i.e., can offer a remedy is emphasized, and no emphasis at all is given to what the house can not do i.e., can not grant the claim. Make a practice of explaining in definite detail such circumstances as show that the fault lies with the customer and not with the house. It is not enough to say : Our examination shows that the break in the tire you returned is due to a stone bruise, and not to a defect in the tire. As the tire DETAILED EXPLANATION CALLED FOR 389 seems otherwise to be in good condition, it can be resectioned at a cost of two dollars and seventy-five cents. It takes more than this slight evidence to convince the customer that he is in the wrong. The following detailed explanation is more con- vincing : We are very glad you sent in your 30 x 31/2 Clincher Plain Tire, because after looking it over carefully, we find certain conditions we want to call your attention to. The diagonal break you noticed on the inside of the tire is the telltale mark of an injury from the outside, such as a stone bruise. The tire is dented in, breaking the innermost plies of the fabric. With the natural bending and flexing of the tire with each revolu- tion of the wheel, a hole is gradually worn to the outer casing. The spot soon becomes too weak to sustain the air pressure within Then a blowout occurs. Your tire must have been improperly inflated. You can readily see why this is so. A tire that is fully inflated is not easily dented in. In fact, it takes a most severe blow to break the fabric when the tire is inflated to its proper pressure. We are inclosing two service bulletins which tell you just how this tire condition is brought about and how, by maintaining proper air pressure, it can be avoided. As the tire seems otherwise to be in good condition, it can be re-sectioned at a cost of two dollars and seventy-five cents. This would be the most economical way of handling the matter. As the tire still has considerable service in it, we feel that repairing it would be worth while. Of course we guarantee all of our repair work. When the adjustment letter is largely a master of figures, make cer- tain that the figures you employ are presented in so clear a way as to enable the customer to see- at a glance precisely where he made his mis- take. Dear Sir : In your remittance of March 9 covering invoice of Febru- 390 ADJUSTMENT LETTERS ary 1 for $25.65 you sent us a check for $23.01 Cash discount 1.21 Credit Memo #143. . 1.43 $25.65 In your remittance of September 20 you sent us a check for. $4. 50 Deduct cash discount 25 and Credit Memo #143.. 1.43 $6.18 You see you used the credit memorandum on March 9 and then used it a second time on September 20. The cash discount is given as a premium for payment on the tenth of the month, and it would not be fair to those customers who do remit before the expiration of the discount rate, to give a longer time to others. W!e return your check for $4.50 and if you find we are correct please send a new check for $6.18. (4) Fault undetermined, decision withheld pending investigation. Investigation to determine where the error lies may be necessary before a claim can be adjusted. In such case, write at once a brief letter, as follows : Dear Sir: We appreciate your letter of August 6, giving us prompt notifi- cation that your shipment of furniture has been delayed; it will enable us to straighten out matters without unnecessary loss of time. Our records show that the goods left our shipping room July 27 and should have reached you August 2. We are therefore tracing the shipment. Just as soon as we can determine the cause of delay, we shall write you again. You may be sure tha>t we shall do everything we can to minimize the inconvenience to you. A letter of the above sort must : ANALYSIS OF ADJUSTMENT LETTER 391 Beginning: "get in step with the customer." Express courtes}^. Statement of action house is going to take. Explain that prompt investigation has been ordered and that customer will be notified as soon as result is known. Explanation of reasons for house 's action. While you can not give a full explanation of the cause of the delay, give as much information as you have on hand. Clincher : statement of house 's attitude toward customers. Express your willingness to cooperate in every way possible to- ward minimizing the inconvenience to the customer. (5) Fault undetermined, claim granted without waiting for results of investigation. A house may make a practice of allowing all claims for adjustment, regardless as to where the fault lies. Its first concern is to make good the claim, then fix the responsibility. The resultant expense is charged to advertising. An example follows : Dear Sir : Since your furniture arrived in a damaged condition, we are glad to refund your money. Thank you very much for promptly notifying us. Our check is inclosed. Just leave in the hands of the transportation company the ship- ment you refused to accept. We shall take up directly with the company the matter of adjustment. We certainly do not want you to be inconvenienced unnecessarily. If you are still in need of furniture, we shall welcome an oppor- tunity to make good on this order. Accidents of this kind rarely occur and we are confident that we can get a duplicate shipment to you in perfect condition. In concluding our study of adjustment letters, we shall consider, one by one, the following topics : (1) Adjustment letters of a routine sort. (2) Adjustment letters written before a complaint has been lodged. 392 ADJUSTMENT LETTERS (3) "Sales talk" in the adjustment letter. (4) Tact in adjustment letters. (5) Words and expressions to be avoided. (1) Adjustment letters of a routine sort. In adjusting a complaint made by an individual customer, or by an angry person, or by one put to serious inconveniences, it is well to write at considerable length. Take space to explain in detail the circumstances accountable for the difficulty and to emphasize courtesy and service. When, however, the claim involves interruption of service in the routine of business, the adjustment letter to a business man may be written more briefly. The brief letter contains, in more condensed form, the same elements as the longer letter. The following are examples of adjustment letters of the briefer type : Gentlemen : We are glad to take up with you the matter of freight allow- ance on invoices #3336 and #3337, as requested in your letter of December 9. You will find attached a credit memorandum on invoice #3337. Regarding invoice #3336, which covers a quantity of Dry Arsenate of Lead : it was our understanding and Mr. Bolton 's that on account of the price billed on this particular shipment it was to be f. o. b. Chicago. If this is not in line with your understand- ing, please hold the matter in abeyance until Mr. Bolton is in Oklahoma City in January. If we are incorrect in our under- standing, he will make the adjustment. Dear Sir : Answering your letter of May 20. The local manufacturers who are handling our orders for elec- tros are unable to cope with the amount of work they are getting 1 , and can 't promise shipment on your order before two weeks ' time. We regret this delay and shall do everything in our power to hurry matters along. Dear Sir : We shall be glad to furnish you without charge the parts of the Redgate Bicycle which you report missing in your letter of April BEFORE COMPLAINT IS LODGED 393 6. We are mighty sorry this mistake occurred, and you may be sure we shall take every possible step to prevent its occurring again. Please send us the inspector's card which was packed with the bicycle, so that we may investigate this shortage at the factory. Dear Sir : We are sending you today by American Express the delayed item Saws #6238 which you wrote about March 3. You may be sure that we shall take the opportunity of tracing down this error in our checking system. Our aim is to make the system as nearly perfect as pos- sible. We are sorry that you have been put to this inconvenience. Dear Sir : Thank you for notifying us that part of the shipment of Alcott canned goods was received in damaged condition. Please have your freight agent mark your freight bill so as to show the damage; then send the bill to us. Wte shall be glad to file a claim in your behalf against the railroad company. If you are in need of goods to take the place of those damaged, we can give you immediate shipment. In any event, you may be sure that we shall protect you against loss on the damaged goods. (2) Adjustment letters written before a complaint has been lodged. Many effective adjustment letters are written before the customer has lodged a complaint. Finding that you are unable to ship the order at the time specified, or that items have been omitted through error, or that the transaction involves any other cause for complaint, write the customer at once, forestalling the necessity of his making a claim against you. The following is a letter of this type : Dear Sir: We are sending you this afternoon, by American Express, pre- paid, the following item : 3 XL Saws, No. 2 omitted from your order #3762, which we shipped June 7 by Southern Pacific. 394 ADJUSTMENT LETTERS We just discovered the error in checking over your order. \Vc regret the error on our part, and trust that the omitted item will reach you about the same time as the original shipment. In the case of a long-established customer not having placed an order 1'or some time, the adjustment letter will be written to ascertain whether or not the customer has some cause for complaint that he has not made known to the house. Such a letter will make clear to the customer that the house stands ready to meet him more than half way in adjusting any difficulty that may exist : Dear Sir : SOMETHING 'S WRONG I don't know WHAT ! Your name came up in the office this morning, and they asked me why we had n 't had an order from you for so long. I was stumped I DIDN'T KNOW! It 's been bothering me ever since. And I CAN 'T figure it out. There must be a reason or we 'd have heard from you. WHY IS IT?- WHY? WHY? WHY? Have we offended you? Or perhaps disappointed you in some way ? Surely we did n 't INTEND to. But we 're human same as you. Heaven knows we all DO TRY, but sometimes mistakes will happen. You '11 find us quick to correct them, and GLAD OF THE CHANCE. So tell me will you just what 's wrong? Here 's one of our envelopes with a stamp on it. Just turn this letter over and write me on the back of it and tell me the trouble. And please do it NOW. I 'd do as much, and more, for you. Will you DO it ? I 'm waiting. The effort in this letter is to bring to light any cause for complaint that the customer who has failed to re-order may have : Dear Sir: Within the last two or three months an unusual number of THE ELEMENT OF "SALES TALK" 395 reports have come to us about our customers not having received our catalogues. In some cases, this information came directly from the customers, and in others from our own investigation. This Fall is not the time to miss getting the new edition of our "Catalogue and Buyer's Guide." The opportunities to save money are too great in this new book to have any of our acquaint- ances miss them. You see, in some instances, we bought mer- chandise a year and a half ago for this catalogue. This makes it possible for us to give you very attractive bargains. For example, you will find a storm serge (page 188) all wool and a yard wide, for 98 cents, which we could today sell to whole- salers for more than we ask you. The minute you start your fall shopping and note how everything has advanced in price you '11 realize how unusual this bargain is. Turning to page 307 you will notice an all-wool olive and blue mixture, all-weather ulster at $22.50. On page 622 of the furniture section we show a rocker, beautiful in line and workmanship, entirely covered with Brown Spanish Artificial Leather for $8.98. Page 3 is a special bargain page of women's wearing apparel. These garments are made from material that we bought before the present high cost of fabrics. A six months' guaranteed work shoe for men is featured (page 370) at $4.50. By all means I want you to have our big fall book, Number 89. I believe when you receive it you will agree with me that it is a wonderful book and wonderfully priced. If you will mail the inclosed card today your book will be sent you immediately. Yours very truly, P. S. Your name does not appear among those who have re- cently ordered from us, and we thought perhaps it was because you did not have a catalogue. It may be that some other reason has kept you from ordering perhaps we have been at fault somewhere. ' If so, won 't you please tell me about it and give me an opportunity to correct matters ? (3) "Sales talk" in the adjustment letter. When feasible, add a little "sales talk" to your adjustment letter, as follows : 396 ADJUSTMENT LETTERS Dear Sir : We take pleasure in inclosing our check for $15.82 to pay you for goods ordered from us on August 10 and for cost of transporta- tion. We are sorry that our error in billing the goods has put you to inconvenience. It is our desire to accord our customers such reliable service and such fair treatment as to compel their confidence. If we are in any way at fault in filling an order, we always rectify the error to the satisfaction of the customer concerned. Our merchandise is of high quality; our prices, considering present day market conditions, are reasonable, as you may readily see by referring to our catalogue. We are, therefore, in a position to serve you well in the future. Have no hesitancy in calling upon us at any time we can be of assistance to you. You may be assured that we shall take every precaution in seeing that your next order is correctly billed and is shipped promptly. (4) Tact in adjustment letters. Letters suggesting a remedy need not always include a refusal of the customer's claim. Even when granting his claim, it is possible tactfully 1<; suggest a remedy that may and probably will result in his keeping the goods. For example: Dear Sir : Thank you for letting us know that the pen you bought has not proved satisfactory. We stand behind every pen we sell, and our advertised guarantee means exactly what it says "satisfac- tion guaranteed or money refunded." So, if you will send back the pen to us, we shall send you another that will have such care- ful inspection before it leaves the factory that we can assure you it will write perfectly. We try to make every pen right before it goes out, but the best of inspection systems is sometimes at fault. When any trouble does occur, it is our invariable rule to" satisfy the customer. We appreciate this opportunity to make things right. The pen can be safely returned to us in the same box, but before WORDS TO BE AVOIDED 397 you go to the trouble of wrapping and mailing it, try out this suggestion : Just unscrew the end of the barrel, place the point of the pen under a faucet, and let the water run through the feed for a moment. Then shake out the water from the feed, fill the barrel with ink, and screw in the feed end. The pen ought to write then if not defective. When the feed of the pen has been thoroughly dried out, it is hard for the ink to run through until first the feed is moistened with water. We find this simple remedy corrects difficulty, and you perhaps will have a like experience. But if not, please remember that your money or a new pen awaits you. (5) Words and expressions to be avoided. In writing adjustment letters, avoid using the following words and expressions: Complaint as in the sentence, "Your complaint of June 6 has been received." This word is harsh and disagreeable. as in the expression, "The furniture which you claim (or state or say) arrived in a damaged condition." This gives the customer the impression that you doubt his word. Say, "The furniture which arrived in a damaged condition," or, "which you report arrived in a damaged condition." as in the sentence, "You may be certain this error will never Never happen again." This is an exaggeration, since this, or Happen similar errors, may happen again no matter what precau- Again tion you take. Say, "You may be certain we shall take every precaution to prevent this error happening again." as in the sentence, "We shall be glad to set you right To set you again, any time you are in doubt as to your bill." This Right expression obviously is lacking in tact. as in the sentence, "All we ask is fairness, Mr. Smith." All we ask This gives the impression that you consider his attitude is fairness unfair. CHAPTER XXIX CREDIT LETTERS OUTLINE (I) The Credit Letter is a business letter having to do with the granting or refusing of credit. (II) Credit letters are grouped in three general classes: (a) Letters refusing a request for credit. (b) Letters asking for credit information.. (c) Letters granting in full or in part a request for credit. CHAPTER XXIX CREDIT LETTERS THE Credit Letter is a business letter having to do with the granting, refusing, or limiting of credit. Before considering its basic prin- ciples, let us inquire into the functions of a credit manager. It is his essential function to maintain a positive, an unswerving policy of sound financing. His calm judgment consistently dictates that credit be extended only on a basis of ability to fulfill business obligations. This policy is his sheet-anchor; without it his mercantile bark drifts surely toward the treacherous rocks of bankruptcy. Relative to the granting of credit, the manager bases his decision upon exact information. The financial standing of an applicant is listed in the reports of Dun's and Bradstreet's, the commercial agencies. For information of a more detailed sort, the credit manager will apply to his salesmen, to members of other concerns, to banks, and to business men acquainted with the applicant. He asks the applicant to fill in an infor- mation blank as to liabilities and assets, as to the minimum amount of credit desired, as to references, etc. The applicant supplements this by a personal letter setting forth his " business opportunities and expecta- tions." This credit information is brought up to date once or twice a year and is added to continually as new facts develop. Information sheets ought to show in accurate detail the business character, and the capital, and the capability of applicants for credit, and likewise of all former applicants who have become creditors. Thus, at the very outset, the credit manager ascertains the conditions under which the applicant is doing business. Then, later, to safeguard mutual interests, the manager keeps a watchful eye on the creditor's business, lest undue expansion cause liabilities to overbalance assets. Delegated the power to withhold, cancel, or curtail credit, the credit man- ager above any other officer of the firm is in a position to acquire an intimate knowledge of business conditions surrounding the customer. ITis relation to the customer becomes that of confidant and business 401 402 CREDIT LETTERS adviser. In times of business depression, the customer appeals to him for more time in which to meet his bills ; in times of prosperity, he applies to him for a more generous credit allowance, on the basis of increased profits. Continuous study of trade conditions enables the credit manager to dispense to his customers valuable information concerning supply and demand, concerning the varying price levels, and concerning similar fac- tors that influence buying and selling. From long experience, he is able to gauge the business barometer, giving the customer warning at the approach of storm, signalling him when the business barometer has cleared. By giving this information in a dignified and tactful manner, he wins business friends and builds up goodwill ; adhering always, how- ever, to his fixed policy of sound business financing. A wise credit manager keeps trade news of this informatory sort circu- lating, outgoing from his office, every month of the year. As a matter of fact, he conducts a continuous campaign of education, in order to im- press upon his customers the importance of sound credit dealings. The customer becomes schooled in receiving credit advice. He is not likely, then, to take offense when the credit manager, becoming more personal, tells him that it is advisable for valid reasons to curtail his credit. With delegated powers, the credit manager holds a position of strate- gic advantage. Credit is a business asset intrinsically valuable to the customer. It enables him to expand his business upon a relatively small outlay of cash. For example : the retailer who is allowed by the jobber 30 days' credit on $500 worth of groceries, may realize in sales, by the end of 30 days, cash enough to make up a substantial part of the pay- ment of the bill. The credit manager, therefore, has at his disposal a commodity that is highly desirable. When granting the use of this com- modity, he is extending a real service, one that enables the customer to expand his business, and, thereby, a service that enables him to increase his profits. Hence, no business letter offers a more effective opportunity than does the credit letter for winning new customers, and for building up the confidence and goodwill of old customers. The credit letter, like all business communications, is fundamentally a sales letter; its prime object is to increase profits by increasing the volume of profitable sales. The credit manager should realize that the extension of credit is his ' ' stock in trade ' ' ; that it is his most important selling force. Like any inducement, it will be effective only if its in- CREDIT A VALUABLE COMMODITY 403 trinsic value is impressed upon the customer at every turn. If the credit manager permits the customer to regard the extension of credit as a service of little value, to look upon it as something to be given away freely and eagerly, to consider it as something granted without and before care- ful, thoughtful investigation, he fails utterly to take advantage of his highly strategic position. Every credit letter should convey, directly or by inference, this vital message : Credit is a highly important and valuable business commodity. It is not a gift to be carelessly handed about. It is a service granted only after serious and mature consideration. In one way or other, this message must be continually hammered home. The customer must recognize that the granting of credit con- stitutes a service that is of the highest importance to him. This will go far toward insuring prompt payment of accounts. The customer who appreciates the value of credit will not run the risk of losing it by failing to meet promptly his obligations. The tone of the credit letter, while personal and friendly, should reflect the dignity and conservatism of a man in a position of high re- sponsibility. There is no place here for levity and jocoseness. Here there should be a firm insistence upon the customer's regularity in com- plying with the fixed requirements of the firm's policy : this has to do with the furnishing of personal credit information, regularly, and with the paying of an account, promptly. In discussing credit matters that intimately concern the customer, assume an attitude of frankness, but an attitude devoid of apology. How- ever, except in extreme cases, take every precaution, lest some word or phrase suggest to the customer that your discussion is a reflection upon his honor and integrity. Avoid, for this reason, a negative suggestion, such as: ''Be assured that we do not mean to question your ability to meet your obligations"; or a suggestion of this character: "We are afraid that you construed our last letter as indicating that we doubt your honesty." Credit Letters are grouped in three general classes: (1) Letters refusing a request for credit. (2) Letters asking for credit information. (3) Letters granting in full or in part a request for credit. 404 . CREDIT LETTERS (1) Letters refusing a request for credit. This letter is similar in plan and purpose to the adjustment letter refusing a customer's claim, since in both cases a request of the customer's is denied. The letter should open with an expression of courtesy that will put the customer in a pleasant frame of mind. Explanation of the reasons for the refusal of credit by the house should next be taken up, and this from the standpoint of the customer. Here the correspondent takes occasion to emphasize courtesy and service. Then the action of the house is stated as diplomatically as possible. The letter should close with an expression of the house 's attitude of willingness to co-operate in every possible way with the customer. The following is an undiplomatic and ineffective letter refusing credit : Dear Sir: Because your property statement shows that your present liabili- ties constitute a large proportion of your assets, we are obliged to refuse the request for credit in your letter of June 6. Please understand that this action is in no way a reflection upon your integrity and honesty. It is simply made necessary by the fact that your business has not as yet developed to the point where credit has been established on a firm foundation. Be assured that we shall be glad to furnish you goods on a C. 0. D. basis until such time as you will find yourself enabled to meet the requirements fixed for the opening of a credit account. The beginning in the above letter consists in an abrupt statement of a disagreeable fact. The second paragraph contains strong negative sug- gestion. No attempt is made to take up from the customer's standpoint an explanation of the action of the house. There is no effort to empha- size courtesy and service. The following letter handles the same situation diplomatically : Dear Sir: Thank you for your financial statement and list of references you furnished us. They are very complete. Mr. Brown, our agent, speaks of you in highest terms, as do also the persons to whom you referred us. At the same time, we note that your pres- ANALYSIS OF CREDIT LETTER 405 ent liabilities constitute a large proportion of your assets. This feature has an important bearing on your future purchasing power, and this matter, we know, you are anxious to increase as fast as possible. In the tire business, the turnover is much more rapid than in most lines. For this reason a business may safely be conducted on a small capital. Still there naturally can be no certainty about the way the stock will move. So your only safety lies in having a sufficient cash reserve to carry over in case you are unable to realize on your tire sales until after your invoices for them come due. Failing a cash reserve, in the case of a rapidly growing concern like your own, results in bills not being paid promptly, and paralyzes your efforts to establish a solid credit standing so essen- tial to later success. Your progress so far has been so satisfactory, that our advice to you is to confine your tire business to what you can handle on a cash basis. We suggest that you let us handle your present order in this way. We can either ship it C. 0. D. or send it for- ward upon receipt of your remittance. If more convenient, reserve for later shipment the sizes for which your need is less immediate. In the course of a few months, you then will be better established than under any other plan you might adopt. Frankly, it is as much to our interests as to yours to establish a sound basis for credit, for we want to serve you more and more as your requirements increase. Note in the above letter the application of the following elements : Beginning: "get in step with customer." This is accomplished by the expression of courtesy in the first sentence. Note that the correspondent has assembled for empha- sis in the opening paragraphs the pleasing things relating to the transaction. Statement of action house is going to take. Note that the correspondent avoids coming out bluntly, as he would so do by saying: "We regret that we cannot extend you credit." Instead, he emphasizes what the house can do: "Your 406 CREDIT LETTERS progress so far has been so satisfactory, that our advice to you is to confine your tire business to what you can handle on a cash basis. We suggest that you let us handle your present order in this way. ' ' Note that this statement of the action of the house is brought in after the explanation of the reasons accounting for the action has paved the way for its acceptance by the customer. Explanation of reasons accounting for the action of the house. This explanation is made from the customer's viewpoint. Note that the benefit to the customer is emphasized throughout. Note also that the discussion is frank in tone, and that negative suggestion and apology are avoided. Clincher: statement of house's attitude toward customer. The desire to be of service to the customer is given emphasis in the final paragraph. The general attitude of the credit manager toward the customer in the above letter is one that may safely be adopted in all credit letters. The customer is told frankly that his interests and the interests of the firm are identical. He is shown that an undue expansion of his credit will, on the one hand, affect adversely his business; and, that, on the other hand, it will lose for the firm much-to-be-desired orders, orders that would materialize should his business develop on a sound financial foundation. A tactful way of refusing credit is to require the applicant to secure the signature of one or more guarantors who will stand good in case of his failure to meet obligations. This method protects the house while enabling an applicant of uncertain financial status to make credit arrange- ments. It is employed in the following letter: Dear Sir : Thank you for the very complete information furnished us in your financial statement that was received today. We are glad to see that your business is developing so rapidly and that your favorable location and efficient methods of merchandising give every promise of successful expansion. All authorities to whom you referred us, including Mr. Albright, speak of you in the highest terms. The only drawback lies in the LETTERS ASKING CREDIT INFORMATION 407 fact that there is at present a mortgage on your stock of goods that operates as a first lien in favor of the mortgagee. This, how- ever, need prove no hindrance, if you will have two or three of your business friends whose financial responsibility is strong and above question sign the enclosed blank as guarantors. We shall then be in a position to serve you on a basis of sixty-day terms. You will note that the guarantors may limit their liability to the amount inserted in the blank. It is our aim to help our friends by putting at their service our knowledge of trade conditions. It will indeed be a pleasure to extend to you at any time such information and advice as our experience enables us to extend. Feel free to discuss with us frankly any business problems that may arise. Be assured it is our desire to serve you to the very best of our ability. (2) Letters asking for credit information. When the commercial agencies do not give information that warrants an extension of credit, or when all information is lacking, it becomes necessary to write personally to the applicant for complete information. Some concerns make a practice of going direct to the applicant for credit information, regardless of his rating by the commercial agencies. This practice, it is thought, gives the firm a more certain insight into the applicant's financial situation and enables it to serve him more intelli- gently. In any case, it is reasonable and proper for the correspondent to ask the applicant to fill out the personal information blank, and to ask this without apologizing for so doing. The following letter handles the situation in a blunt and undiplo- matic way : Dear Sir: Information concerning your financial standing furnished us by the commercial agencies does not warrant us in shipping your order of April 30 on terms other than C. 0. D. As requested by our salesman, Mr. Brown, we are preparing the order for ship- ment on May 20, by American Express. To give you a chance to supplement the reports of the agencies, we enclose an information blank. Fill out the blank and return 408 CREDIT LETTERS it to us, accompanied by a personal letter giving- your business opportunities and expectations. Be sure that the fact we are ask- ing you to do this does not reflect in any way upon your integrity or honesty. We are accustomed to asking for this additional information from all customers who are in a position similar to yours. When you have furnished us with such information as is re- quired, we shall be pleased to consider again your request for credit accommodations. The opening sentence in the above letter consists in a blunt statement of disagreeable fact. The second paragraph contains strong negative suggestion. Courtesy and service are nowhere emphasized. The same letter, effectively rewritten, is as follows : Dear Sir: Thank you for your order of April 30 piven to Mr. Brown. We expect to fill it, as you request, for shipment on May 20. We are glad to welcome our new customers and to assure them of our desire to serve them in any way that our position and ex- perience make possible. Mr. Brown speaks of you and your business in such a way as to leave no doubt in my mind but that our relations will be pleasant. You are no doubt familiar with such blanks as the enclosed, and with the policy we maintain, for the sake of our customers as well as of ourselves, of going to the customer for more detailed information about his business than the agencies can give. When you have filled the blank and returned it, we can use it as a basis of a more intelligent granting of terms than we could otherwise arrive at. We would be glad if you would write us, in addition, a personal letter stating your business opportunities and expecta- tions, so we may find ourselves in a position to be of service to you. Experience having demonstrated that we are best able to help our friends by putting at their service our knowledge of trade con- ditions, prices, seasons, and goods, we are in the habit of discuss- ing frankly any matter that concerns our mutual interest. In the case of a customer who has paid his bills promptly in the past TYPES OF CREDIT LETTERS 409 but has sent in an order beyond his credit limit, the firm may desire from him additional credit information. The following letter, in such case, will be effective : Dear Sir: It is certainly gratifying to notice the steady increase in your business with us, as indicated in the order which has just come to us from Mr. Brown. On referring to your account, we find that your past transac- tions have been very satisfactory indeed. Our present arrange- ments in regard to your line of credit provide for accommodations up to $400, while your present order amounts to $580. Evidently your position has been greatly strengthened since these arrange- ments were made. If such should prove to be the case, we are desirous of giving you the benefit of the increase. By filling in the inclosed blank you will give us the desired information. If you so direct, it will be held in strict confidence. We want to serve you promptly, and we only await further in- structions. A firm asking a second firm for credit information about a third party, writes a brief letter, as follows : Dear Sir : Recently we received a first order from the J. D. Black Co., Newark, N. J. They wish to purchase on a credit basis. They give your name as reference. We will appreciate any information you may see fit to give us as to the credit standing and ability of this firm to meet business obligations. Any information given will be held in strict confidence. For your convenience, a stamped, self-addressed envelope is inclosed. We shall be glad to recipro- cate at any time the favor of a reply. (3) Letters granting in full or in part a request for credit. If exact information warrants extension of credit, notify the cus- tomer that he may open an account. Write him, emphasizing the fact that the granting of credit is a service the house is glad to extend, as follows : 410 CREDIT LETTERS Dear Sir : We are pleased to extend to you our preferred terms permitting you to remit on the tenth of each month. We base our action on the information you furnished us. Your bank speaks of you in the highest terms, as do also the business houses to which you referred us. Your order will go forward on May 20 ; the bill will be rendered the last day of the month. We appreciate your frankness in telling us of the plans and prospects for business development that you have, in mind. You are wise in determining to adhere strictly to a policy of business expansion that will keep pace with actual return sales. It will be well to maintain for some time to come your present ratio between assets and liabilities. From time to time we shall inform you as to changes in trade conditions that have a direct bearing on your business. We shall be glad of an opportunity to discuss with you at any time your business problems and prospects. As an inducement to larger purchases, credit sometimes is offered to a customer who has been in the habit of paying cash. A letter of this sort should stress the firm's desire to be of service. For example : Dear Sir : Thank you for your cash order of January 7. It will go for- ward today by American Express and should reach you not later than Tuesday. Every care has been taken in selecting the items and in packing them for shipment, that the goods might reach you in the best of condition. It has occurred to us that in order to facilitate future trans- actions, you might desire to avail yourself of the advantage of an open account in reasonable amounts. We take pleasure, therefore, in notifying you that we shall be glad to handle your future orders on our regular terms of 30 days. Be assured that it will be our constant aim to serve you in every possible way to the very best of our ability. Credit letters enter extensively into relations between business houses : these letters do not enter in an equivalent ratio into relations between LETTERS TO INDIVIDUAL CUSTOMERS 411 any one business house and the individual retail customer. The latter is inclined to resent a frank discussion of credit ; the former realizing the necessity for such discussion is inclined to welcome it. Ordinarily, credit arrangements are effected with the retail customer by personal conference, rarely by letter. However, in informing him that credit has been ex- tended, a letter often is employed. This letter expresses the firm 's appre- ciation of the customer's business, and it tactfully emphasizes the fact that in granting credit the firm has extended an important service. For example : Dear Sir: It is a pleasure to extend to you the privileges of a monthly account at Norman & Blaisdell's, as requested in your talk with the writer on Wednesday. In accordance with your estimate of your needs during any one month, the maximum amount of the charge has been fixed at $100. In welcoming you as a new customer, let us assure you that it is our aim to extend every possible courtesy and service that will insure pleasant and permanent relations. CHAPTER XXX COLLECTION LETTERS OUTLINE (I) The collection correspondent should: (a) Adhere strictly to the policy of prompt collection of all money owed the firm. (b) And at the same time, make every effort to retain the good-will of the customer. (II) Before legal, or other drastic, action is taken, the following four letters ordinarily are sent out in the collection series: (a) First letter: courteously reminding the customer that the bill is overdue. (b) Second letter: opening the way to the customer for his explanation of non-payment. (c) Third letter: appealing to the customer's sense of fair play, to his pride, or to his fear of losing in business or social standing. (d) Fourth letter: increasing the urgency of the appeal made in the third letter, and then notifying the customer that, unless the account is settled by a definite date, drastic action will be taken. CHAPTER XXX COLLECTION LETTERS "In credit and collection letters it is good tactics to assume at the beginning that the customer will pay." Better Letters Conference. "It is a rule in this concern that all collection letters and, in fact, all other letters that leave this manufacturing establishment must be free from any- thing that might offend or antagonize. The collection department particularly realizes the importance of retaining the good-will of its trade and therefore en- deavors to get in the money due us by friendly persuasion rather than by force." Norman Lewis in "System." THE collection correspondent should strictly conform to the follow- ing two principles of business conduct : (1) Adhere strictly to the policy of prompt collection of all money owed to the firm. (2) Make every effort to retain the good-will of the customer. (1) A house that adopts a lenient, haphazard policy of collection of accounts can not long keep pace with its competitors. The business concern constantly needs cash for the purchase of raw materials, and for factory improvements and extensions, and for increased salaries and com- missions. If your competitors are more insistent than you are upon prompt collection of accounts due, they will be better able than you to buy raw material in quantity and, in consequence, to sell the finished product at a low price. For this reason, successful business men insist upon prompt payment of accounts. It is an accepted principle underlying all business relations that a customer obligate himself in good faith and meet his obligations timely. Based upon this accepted principle, the request for payment is a just one. This in mind, the collection correspondent consistently avoids a "beg- ging tone," conveyed by the use of such expressions as: "We regret very much to trouble you again concerning this overdue account." He 415 416 COLLECTION LETTERS eliminates, too, excuses and explanations calculated to convey the im- pression of his asking a " favor." The tone of the letter is straight- forward, dignified, firm courteous. He conveys clearly to the cus- tomer that his delinquency is a serious matter, that his obligation to pay the account promptly is one not to be lightly dismissed, that his de- linquency marks the exception, and not the rule, in business practice. (2) Concurrent with his policy of prompt collection, the correspondent makes every effort to keep the customer's good-will. He makes him feel that the firm is acting in all fairness in the matter ; that it is willing to do and desirous of doing what is right. Rarely does it profit the firm to collect a debt at the expense of a customer's good-will. This, however, does not apply to a very limited class of debtors whose good-will is of no value to you ; debtors who make a practice of avoiding payment of their just obligations, who going from city to city with no forwarding address, leave in their crooked wake a trail of bad debts. Exact credit information, timely gained, will forestall entry of their names on open account in your books. In the vast majority of cases, the good-will of delinquent customers constitutes an important business asset ; when they purchased your product, they had the honest intention of paying the bill when it should fall due. It is safe, then, at the outset, to assume that the customer is a man of integrity ; one who takes a just pride in his business standing ; a man of sensitive human feelings, as jealous of his good name, and as resentful of any reflection cast upon it, as are you yourself, under like circumstances. If he does not respond to an appeal based upon this ground, proceed with sterner measures. But in doing so place the responsibility fairly and squarely where it belongs. Make it clear to him that his own neglect compels you to draw a sight draft against him ; that it is not your desire to do so, and not your desire to resort to collection by legal means in any wise. It is the usual business practice to write four letters before taking drastic steps to collect. The first collection letter ordinarily is sent out a week after the account has fallen due ; then, at intervals of about ten days, succeeding letters are mailed, each growing more insistent in tone. In case delinquent petty accounts are numerous, the collection series is likely to consist in form letters, the same appeal being made to each of a number of customers. This exception aside, many firms find it worth while to do away altogether with form collection letters and to THE COLLECTION SERIES 417 write the customer personally, varying in individual cases the interval between letters and, as the case requires, shading off or intensifying the insistence of the request for payment. This course enables the correspondent to make use of credit information he may have at hand. He thus is properly in position to make a liberal offer of time extension to one customer who hitherto has met his bills promptly; or to reach a satisfactory agreement with another, worthy of trust, but, for some valid reason, temporarily without funds ; or, to press his requests for payment upon a third customer who habitually neglects his business obligations. Each collection letter, even in series, must stand alone ; that is, in an attitude of expectation that the customer will pay without further re- minder. The debtor must feel that each letter is the last the firm ex- pects to write in collecting his account. The following are the first four letters sent by one business concern to another. They illustrate in brief the cardinal principles underlying the writing of collection letters. The first letter, mailed September 10 : Gentlemen : Doubtless you have overlooked our invoice of July 5 which amounts to $280.50. On our net 60 days' basis this became due on September 3. If you find our invoice to be correct an early payment will be appreciated. The above letter is a courteous reminder that the bill has not been paid. It gives the pertinent facts concerning the amount of the bill and the length of time overdue, facts which are repeated for the customer's information in each of the subsequent letters of the series. The cor- respondent takes the attitude that non-payment of the bill is due to oversight : ' ' Doubtless you have overlooked our invoice of July 5 which amounts to $280.50." He makes clear to the customer that failure to pay the bill promptly constitutes an unusual, if not a serious, situation. Care is taken, however, to avoid impugning the customer's good faith in meeting his obligations. The second letter, mailed September 20 : Gentlemen : On September 10 we wrote you concerning your overdue ac- count of July 5 amounting to $280.50. 418 COLLECTION LETTERS Since we have not heard from you, we are wondering whether there are some items on the bill that are not clear. We are there- fore, inclosing 1 a duplicate copy of the invoice. Please check it over carefully and see if each item tallies with your records. If not, write us frankly and we shall be glad to correct any error. Otherwise we shall expect immediate payment. Having read the first letter of the collection series, the customer is aware that the bill is overdue ; it is no longer likely that non-payment is due to an oversight. The second letter, therefore, generally assumes that he must have some other reason for failure to pay. As a rule the purpose of this second letter is to open the way to the customer for an ex- planation of this reason. The aim is twofold : (1) To eliminate any possibility of misunderstanding that might affect adversely the friendly relations between the house and the customer. (2) To impress upon the customer the fair-minded attitude of co-operation that marks the effort of the house to collect the bill. Note that the tone of the second letter is more insistent than that of the first. The more urgent expression, "we shall expect immediate pay- ment," has replaced the milder, "an early payment will be appre- ciated." The third letter, mailed October 1 : Gentlemen : Up to this writing no answer has been received to our letters of September 10 and September 20, requesting payment of our over- due invoice of July 5 for $280.50. The material invoiced in this transaction was shipped to you in good faith, and payment for it was arranged for on definite terms, which, in fairness to our many other good customers, should without exception be lived up to. We do not feel that we can allow you a further extension of time on this account and request that you send us your check for $280.50 to be received not later than Monday, October 7. By the time the writing of the third letter is taken up, the cor- PERSUASIVE APPEAL EMPLOYED 419 respondent, with reasonable certainty, has determined two things : That the non-payment is due (1) neither to oversight, (2) nor to some reason the customer is ready to offer. In the above third letter, therefore, the correspondent introduces a persuasive appeal aimed at impressing upon the customer the necessity of meeting his just obligations. The second paragraph of the letter contains an appeal to fair play. In addition to being strongly persuasive, such an appeal impresses upon the customer the fairness of the house's attitude, a fact that should be kept constantly before him, particularly now that more vigorous means of collecting the overdue account may soon be resorted to. The final paragraph contains a persuasive appeal to fear. While the paragraph does not voice directly a threat that the bill, unless paid promptly, will be collected by drastic means, it nevertheless serves no- tice upon the customer in such a positive and definite way as to let him know that further vacillation upon his part will not be countenanced. Heading between the lines, he can see that unless he meets his obligation, legal or other drastic action certain to injure his credit standing will be taken. Note that the tone of the letter, although severe, is by no means unfriendly. The fourth letter, mailed October 11 : Gentlemen : On September 10, September 20, and October 1, we wrote a cour- teous letter calling your attention to your account of July 5 amounting to $280.50, now more than five weeks overdue. We inclosed a duplicate invoice of the order and assured you that we should gladly cooperate in clearing up any misunderstanding that might exist. To none of these letters have we received an answer. These goods were carefully selected and packed in strict ac- cordance with your directions. We made an extra effort to ship promptly, as you told us that your need was urgent. We have in fact done everything in our power to extend to you the best of service. We have assumed that the order was placed in good faith on your part, and even now we are loath to believe that you do not intend to meet this obligation. Your continued silence, however, 420 COLLECTION LETTERS compels us to contemplate taking drastic action which, we realize, is certain to affect adversely your credit standing. Unless we receive your check for $280.50 by October 17, we shall be forced to turn your account over to the National Collection Agency with instructions to take such steps as may be necessary in enforcing immediate payment. The fourth letter contains formal notification that, unless the account is paid by a definite date, drastic action will be taken. The appeal in the letter above quoted is to the customer's sense of fair play, and to his fear of losing in business standing through injury to his credit. Note that the fair attitude of the house is given full emphasis, the burden of responsibility thus being placed squarely upon the shoulders of the cus- tomer. All the above letters in the collection series convey the assumption that the payment of the overdue account constitutes a just obligation that the customer may in no wise evade. Again, in all of the letters, op- portunity is taken to emphasize the fair attitude of the house toward the customer. And, finally, in all of the letters, pertinent facts con- cerning the amount of the bill and the length of time it has been over- due, are given. These three elements form a part of every collection letter. In addition to employing them, the correspondent may employ one or more of the following elements whenever the purposes of any separate letter in the series can be served by their employment : (1) Open the way for explanation of non-payment. In the case of a customer of only fairly well established credit standing, the house generally offers to correct any error that might have occurred in billing the goods. In the case of an old customer of well established credit standing, the house gen- erally offers to help in solving any financial problems that may stand in the way of prompt payment. This latter offer often is made in the second letter and then is developed in more detail in the third letter. (2) Employ a persuasive appeal. (a) To the customer's sense of fair play. (b) To his pride. (c) To his fear of losing in business or social standing through injury to his credit. OPENING WAY FOR EXPLANATION 421 (1) Open the way for explanation of non-payment. In the second letter of a collection series quoted on pages 417-18, the correspondent gives assurance that the house will gladly cooperate in correcting any error that might have crept into the bill. Sometimes he goes a step farther than this and suggests the house's willingness to arrange for payment on easy terms. This course is advisable when the debtor is a customer who hitherto has been prompt in meeting his obligations. It eliminates the possibility of losing the friendship of a trustworthy customer who for good reason is, for the time being, em- barrassed financially, but who is sensitive about appealing for more time in which to meet his obligations. Once the house has indicated to the customer its willingness to help him out of financial difficulties, he likely will write frankly concerning them. Payment of the bill can then be set ahead, or, better still, arranged on a basis of installments. Mean- while, working on a cash basis, the customer will continue his buying orders. Thus, cooperation on the part of the house will result in estab- lishing a pleasant and permanent business friendship. There is such hint of easier terms of payment in this brief second letter of a collection series: Dear Mr. Smith: Most of the goods covered by your June purchases reached you 60 days ago. By this time they should have resulted in sales to the amount of $257.11, their cost to you. Should this not be the case, do not hesitate to write us frankly, as a knowledge of the situation, with our experience, will doubtless enable us to decide on a satisfactory solution. The third letter in a collection series, if it is written to a firm that is an old and valued customer, often consists of a further and more de- tailed effort to induce the customer to bring his financial problems to the house for solution than was made in the second letter. The credit manager, in writing such a third letter, should make use of all available information concerning the customer's financial situation. For ex- ample : Dear Mr. Smith : Since you have always been prompt in the payment of your accounts, we feel sure that you must have some good reason for 422 COLLECTION LETTERS not having sent us your check for goods purchased in June. This account, amounting to $257.11, was due for discount on August 10, as we notified you in our letters of August 20 and August 30. We are inclosing a duplicate invoice for verification. Please let us know if you find it correct. We recognize the fact that the unexpected drought of the last two months might well cause ranchers in your vicinity to retrench financially for the time being. It has occurred to us that possibly this circumstance has prevented you from making your collections as promptly as otherwise you would have done. If such is the case, do not hesitate to write us frankly. A clear understanding of the situation, with our experience of long stand- ing, will no doubt enable us to offer a satisfactory solution. In granting easy payment terms to a customer of well established credit standing, a letter similar to the following is written: Dear Mr. Smith : We were glad to receive your letter of September 15 setting forth frankly the circumstances that have made it impossible to settle your account with us before this time. You have given us a clear understanding of the situation and we are pleased to co- operate with you in arriving at a satisfactory solution. You say that your collections are coming in more rapidly now. Please let us know, on this basis, what amount you can arrange to pay monthly on your present account. By making regular payments on this account, you can in the meantime order any goods you may desire up to a reasonable figure and pay for them on receipt of the statement each month. By this plan, we shall be enabled to continue doing business with you on our long-estab- lished friendly basis. You may be sure that we stand ready to assist you in every pos- sible way. (2) Employ a persuasive appeal. The persuasive appeal may be limited to a sentence or two, such as : You owe it to yourself, as well as to us, to settle this account before we are compelled to take drastic action. (Appeal to fear.) APPEAL TO FAIR PLAY 423 We have acted fairly from the beginning of this transaction; we have done our part. Have you? (Appeal to fair play.) The fact that hitherto you have always been prompt in meeting your obligations indicates that you take a just pride in your credit standing. (Appeal to pride.) Every evidence points to the high regard in which you hold your credit standing, and it is therefore with confidence that we await your early reply. (Appeal to pride.) A letter may consist almost entirely of a persuasive appeal to fair play, as is the case with the following third letter of a collection series : Dear Sir: In all fairness, ought it be necessary for us to write again and request a check for $56.21 to cover a balance now forty days over- due? There is but one answer and you can make it by simply attach- ing your check to this letter and mailing it at once. Will you be fair? The following fourth letter, written to an especially obdurate cus- tomer, is devoted to an appeal to pride : Dear Sir: You are justly proud of your business standing, proud of the reputation you have among your business associates as a man who meets his just obligations squarely and discharges them promptly. Every dealing we have had with you in the past indicates that. Under these circumstances, we feel sure you will realize it is to your best interests, as well as to ours, that you settle up at once that April account amounting to $380.21, and thereby avoid compell- ing us to resort to drastic action. Your business reputation is entirely too good for you to risk in- jury to, by continued neglect and carelessness. Wrap a check in this letter, put it in the inclosed envelope and start it on its way to us now. Thank you! We felt sure you would. The fourth letter next quoted, emphasizes the appeal to fear of losing in business standing : 424 COLLECTION LETTERS Dear Sir: No one enjoys having his business associates know that he is being "dunned" for an overdue account. No one enjoys the awkward situation that results from the call of a representative from a colle-ction agency. That sort of thing hurts a man 's business reputation ; hurts his self-respect. But it is exactly what you are going to compel us to bring upon you unless you pay that bill of $32 which is now over a month and a half past due. We have given you notification that this account was overdue, on three different occasions. We have ex- pressed our willingness to give fair consideration to any explana- tion as to non-payment that you might have to offer. And yet you even have n 't answered one of our letters. There is just one possible line of action left us. Unless we hear from you by Tuesday, October 18, we shall be forced to turn the account over to the National Mercantile Collection Agency for collection. The loss of business standing you are bound to suffer will then be chargeable alone to you. Let us co-operate with you in keeping the slate clean. Just put your check in the inclosed envelope and mail it NOW. The appeal to fear of losing in credit standing is more briefly stated in the following paragraph from a fourth letter : As you possibly know, we are members of the National Manu- facturers' Audit and Collection Association. By the terms of our agreement, all accounts that are more than 60 days overdue must be handed over to the association for collection. We do not wish to take such action in your case, for it will mean that the record of your delinquency will be circulated among the large jobbers and manufacturers throughout the country. The following paragraph, included in a fourth collection letter writ- ten to an individual customer, constitutes an appeal to pride as well as to fear of losing in social standing : If we can not learn from you why you are neglecting this ac- count, we shall be forced to apply for information to your friends APPEAL TO FEAR 425 and sponsors whose names appear on your original request for credit. We do not wish to take up an investigation that would result in embarrassment to you, nor can we understand your at- titude in compelling us to take such a step. The persuasive appeal to fear in losing in credit standing is empha- sized in the following letter: Dear Sir: It pays to maintain a sound credit standing. We ourselves feel mighty complaisant to be able to ask for a little concession or favor from someone we deal with and to know that we can get it. Because we always have met our obligations promptly, the firms we deal with are quick to show their appreciation by grant- ing what we ask. You owe us $47.95, now considerably overdue. Do not impair your credit by letting it stand longer on the delinquent list. Pin a check to this letter and mail to the Kansas City Office. The Harvey Glove Company of Denver, Colorado, employs the fol- lowing persuasive appeal in a collection letter and sends it out after previous attempts at collecting the account have failed: Dear Sir: If a mouse ate your GRAIN, you 'd CATCH HIM If a man took your WATCH you 'd THRASH HIM If a clerk stole your CASH you 'd JAIL HIM But say, what would you do to the fellow who 'd RUIN YOUR REPUTATION? Well, someone 's at it. He 's the fellow you put to bed LAST o' nights. He wears your shoes, and combs your hair, and signs your checks. Or, sometimes he does. We 've been trying for WEEKS to get him to sign one for US. He knows he CAN, and he knows he SHOULD but some- how he doesn't make good. He seems to care little for your 426 COLLECTION LETTERS REPUTATION as a fair, square, honorable business man. So he 's damaging it and WILL RUIN IT if you don't stop him. Might be a good idea, for you to STIR HIM UP and let him know that you are NOT THAT KIND, and won't have anybody around your place that way. What do YOU think? Cordially yours, In concluding our study of collection letters, we shall consider, one by one, the following five topics: (1) The house's explanation as to why prompt payment of all ac- counts must be insisted upon. (2) Drastic measures taken to collect over-due accounts. (3) The sales element in collection letters. (4) Collection letters written to customers of retail stores. (5) Collection letters written to individual customers who have neglected to pay petty accounts. (1) The house's explanation as to why prompt payment of all ac- counts must be insisted upon. The collection correspondent may find it advisable to explain frankly, from the house's viewpoint, the reason why prompt payment of all ac- counts must be insisted upon. This is most likely to be effective in the case of a customer who has ample finances with which to discharge his obligations but who is reluctant about giving up any part of his working capital. Such appeal must not, however, give the impression that yaur firm is financially embarrassed, as in the following example: We would n 't be so insistent in urging collection of this account if it were n 't for the fact that we need the money badly. That 's the plain truth of the matter. And, having taken you into our confidence, we know that we can rely upon you and our other good customers to help us out. Nor should it contain an admission that overdue accounts are the rule, rather than the exception in your business, as in this paragraph: So many of our customers have been behind in their accounts TACT IN COLLECTION LETTERS 427 this Spring that it has become necessary for us to take vigorous action leading to collection of petty accounts. One small ac- count doesn't amount to much, but, taken in the aggregate, the overdue petty accounts we carry on our books total thousands of dollars. The paragraphs quoted above are certain to lower the house in the customer's estimation. They should be replaced with a logical explana- tion that does not cast reflection upon the financial standing of the house, as follows : Dear Sir : On December 20, December 30, and January 10, we wrote you about your October bill amounting to $350.86, now more than five weeks overdue. We have received no reply. Under present day competition, we are able to keep the price of the finished product at the lowest level consistent with highest quality only by making our collections promptly and employ- ing the proceeds in buying large quantities of raw materials at cash prices. You, as a business man, will appreciate this prin- ciple. This further proposition will also appeal to you, that unless we collect our accounts as promptly as do our competitors theirs, we shall be forced to do business at a higher cost and our price for the finished product will go up. Our customers including yourself will be placed at a disadvantage in competing with the customers of our competitors. In fairness to our customers, we must therefore insist upon prompt payment of all accounts. Knowing that you are in a posi- tion to meet your financial obligations, we feel assured, in view of the foregoing propositions, that you will, by return mail, send us a check to cover your account. (2) Drastic measures taken to collect over-due accounts. If the debtor fails to respond to the fourth letter, the collection agency may then write a letter urging him to avoid injury to his credit standing, the letter also expressing a willingness to take up with the house any valid reason he may possibly have for withholding payment. Such a letter contains the same elements as the fourth letter in the col- 428 COLLECTION LETTERS lection series, but it is written from the standpoint of a third and intermediating party, rather than from the standpoint of the house. It sometimes is followed by a second letter, more threatening in tone. This, in turn, is followed by a brief, formal notice, inclosed with a dupli- cate of the bill : Dear Sir : The above account is now more than three months overdue. If there is any reason why we should not report adversely upon your credit standing to the National Credit Association, we must be notified within ten days. It may be that the firm's delinquent accounts are handed over to an attorney instead of being turned over to an agency for collection. Most firm$, however, hesitate to institute suit in court against a debtor, as it gives them a reputation of being harsh in their dealings with customers. Many business houses, instead of at once placing the account in the hands of a collection agency, or in those of an attorney, first draw a sight draft on the delinquent customer. The final sentence in the fourth letter then reads: Unless we receive your check by October 17, we shall be com- pelled to employ a draft with the expectation that you will pro- tect it when presented. (3) The sales element in collection letters. The principles of the direct sales letter frequently enter into the collection series. It may be that the customer is reluctant about meet- ing his obligation because he feels that the goods have not come up to his expectations. The correspondent, in such case, should attempt to restore confidence by a brief sentence of Proof, such as "W. J. Ham- merly of Higleyville sold fifteen cases of Apollo fruits last month. To- day we got his order for fifteen, more." Likewise, an offer of service inducements, to assist the retailer in getting the goods off his shelves, will often enlist his cooperation and result in his paying the overdue account. The relation between the sales and the collection departments is an intimate one. The sales department can furnish interesting items of " sales talk" that can be introduced effectively in the collection series. Salesmen on the road can supply such information concerning the finan- THE ELEMENT OF SAIES TALK 429 cial situation of the customer as will enable the credit manager to give to the collection letter a personal tone. The collection department, on its part, can develop permanent, loyal customers by maintaining a policy of fair dealing in collecting accounts. A paragraph or two of " sales talk" often is injected into the first one or two letters of the collection series. This practice gives assurance to the customer that there has been no interruption of the friendly relations that have existed between him and the house, and thus guards against his taking offense at the effort of the house to collect the past due ac- t-omit, For example, in the first letter of a collection series: Dear Mr. Johnson : I noticed on going over the books today that your February ac- count of $86.95 is ten days past due. I know that it has merely escaped your attention and I shall appreciate your forwarding us a check as soon as convenient, as this will enable us to get it closed up on our books. I thought of you yesterday when Mr. Brown, our sales manager, reported at the monthly conference that sales of Wrist-0-Lite Watches have more than doubled since the previous month. The Wrist-0-Lite has been on the market a little over four months. It is accurate, dependable, and attractive in appearance. Then, too, there 's a big selling point in the fact that the dial is illuminated at night. Craig will show you the Watch when he is in Bakersfield next month. Or you can write us direct. Better lay in a stock. You '11 find it a real seller. In the second collection letter, the " sales talk" is limited to a single paragraph at the end, as follows: Dear Mr. Johnson: Since I haven't heard from you in answer to my letter of March 20 reminding you of your overdue February account of $86.95, it occurred to me that perhaps there are some items on the bill that are not clear to you. I am sending you a duplicate bill so that you may check the various items against your books. Please let me know whether or not you find any error that has escaped our attention. We shall be glad to rectify it at once, or 430 COLLECTION LETTERS to furnish you with any information concerning the items that you may want. If you find that the account is correct in every detail, may we not expect an immediate payment? Craig will be in Bakersfield next week. Be sure to get him to show you the line of Wrist-0-Lite Watches I spoke to you about. They 're proving to be among the best sellers we ever put out. (4) Collection letters written to customers of retail stores. The individual customer who has little knowledge of business pro- cedure is likely to resent any effort, however diplomatic, to effect pay- ment of a past due account. Customers of retail stores come under this classification. The first two collection letters sent out by the retail mer- chant usually consist in formal, stereotyped messages. As these ob- viously are form notifications, sent out to all customers whose accounts have not been paid promptly, the delinquent customer can not regard them as reflecting upon his personal honor. The first notification may consist simply in a duplicate statement of the bill stamped with a rub- ber stamp to this effect : An early settlement of this account will be appreciated. Or, the first and second notifications may consist in form of this type,- Dear- Madam : An early settlement of your overdue account, which we are in- closing will be. greatly appreciated. Dear Madam : According to our records, your account is now one moaath over- due. If no adjustment is necessary, we trust you will favor us with a check in settlement. If these notifications are printed, they appear all the more imper- sonal. The retail customer failing to respond to the first two notifica- tions, the third collection letter is similar in plan and purpose to a third letter sent to any other individual customer. (5) Collection letters written to individual customers who have neglected to pay petty accounts. COLLECTING PETTY ACCOUNTS 431 The five collection letters next quoted are of a type effective in col- lecting petty accounts owed by the individual customer. The friendly tone of the first two "reminders" is enhanced by the altogether human "stories" the correspondent brings in; this tone prevents the individual customer's resenting the firm's endeavor to collect an account which, to the customer, might well seem small and insignificant. Later letters, however, go into detail in impressing upon the reluctant customer the necessity of his meeting his obligation. A red string is slipped through two holes in a perforated card inclosed with the first two letters : I Dear Mr. Blank : Do you remember how, when you were young and your good folks sent you down town after something they were very likely to tie a string about your thumb to make certain you would not forget ? . Those were the happy days, were they not? But there 's no reason why the days of NOW should not be as happy, and it is just as certain that some of us are liable to forget the little things of today. Because of that, we are sending you this little reminder NOT TO FORGET TO PAY the enclosed statement. We hope you enjoy the smile in our letter and that we may have the pleasure of hearing from you promptly. Sincerely yours, Tie the string and you won't forget. II Dear Mr. Blank : Willie's mother had just given her little boy a lecture and told him that his every act was known to God that God's eye fol- lowed him wherever he went. Willie went down the street ashamed of himself, and his faith- ful Fido followed close behind. In a few minutes Willie turned into a lane, saw the dog, and then delivered himself of "Aw, go on home and quit yer follerin' me around. Ain't it enuff to have God wid me all ther time without you taggin' on behind?" Now we don 't want to be taggin ' on behind. We do not want 432 COLLECTION LETTERS to annoy or bother you one bit but we do want to remind you that we have sent you, already, one copy of the enclosed account and we would be pleased to have your prompt settlement. When will you oblige us? Earnestly yours, Yes, that 's a piece of the same string we sent you with the other letter. It will prevent you forgetting this time. USE IT. Ill Dear Sir : Do you remember the story of Midas, the great king of ancient days? You know he was said to have the magic touch that everything he touched turned to gold. Now, if we had the touch of Midas, we 'd not be writing you this letter. We would not be insisting on payment of the amount you are owing us $8.50. But a contract is a contract and should be lived up to. If we give our word to the bank to pay, we have to be right there with the money at the proper time or if we are not, the bank uses the law on us. All the business of the world would go to smash if we could n 't depend on the sacredness of a commercial agree- ment. And, in order that we may make our payments as WE agree, we expect you to pay us the money due us. That 's fair, is it not ? Frankly, if some one owed you the money that is due us from you and you needed it just as we do wouldn't you go after it with all the power you could use? To be sure you would. Then, please, treat us as fairly as you would expect to be treated and save us from adopting harsher methods. Just give us the square deal. We will expect your prompt remittance of $8.50. Earnestly yours, IV Dear Mr. Blank: The other day down in the Justice's Court there came up the settlement of a collection case. One man originally owed but THE THREAT OF DRASTIC ACTION 433 $28, but by the time the matter had been put into the hands of lawyers by the time the papers had been served and the case heard by the time the attachments had been issued against the man's property it cost him $85. Now then, we've tried to be fair with you. We have written you several times, fairly, and squarely, and friendly, for we do want to be friends. But, if you do not take some steps to even up that little matter of $8 WE WILL HAVE TO PROTECT OURSELVES BY GOING TO LAW. Frankly, what IS the matter? Why not come in and talk things over with us, face-to-face? We are not unreasonable we will be as fair toward you as you are to us. If all cannot be paid at one time, tell us the exact conditions and we '11 be as easy as possible under the circumstances. But in order to prevent legal proceedings, we will have to have some evidence that you actually intend to do what is right by us. We will expect to hear from you promptly. Sincerely yours, V Dear Sir: We have no answer to our letters And have registered this to make certain of personal delivery so that in the event of suit being filed against you, the defense cannot be that you were not properly notified. You surely do not recognize the position in which you place yourself by your continued neglect to pay the sum of $8.50 owing us. You are surely aware that the grocers, dry goods dealers and other merchants are fully organized and the debtor who does not pay his just debts is blacklisted by merchants, doctors and other professional people the very ones on whom you may have to depend at critical times. You surely do not care to destroy your reputation for honesty. Then take care of this matter at once, for if it is not settled by the end of next week our lawyers will act. You know well enough that when a judgment is entered against a debtor, he is assessed all the costs and that these are often greater than the original debt that all services, subpoenas, court 434 COLLECTION LETTERS costs, attachments, judgments, executions and lawyer fees all these are charged against you and your property when it is sold to justify claims. You will have to act quick to save all this. We are willing to do anything in our power to adjust this on a friendly basis and your best course is to come into this office at once and see us. If for any reason this is impossible, then write right away, telling us what you '11 do. It is UP-TO-YOU to act NOW ten days time only can be given after that the LAW and its expense. Why not act now? Insistently yours, CHAPTER XXXI HOUSE INSTRUCTIONS TO CORRESPONDENTS OUTLINE (I) Clearness, courtesy, brevity, honesty. (II) Hackneyed diction. (Ill) Form paragraphs. CHAPTER XXXI HOUSE INSTRUCTIONS TO CORRESPONDENTS GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS CHALMERS MOTOR CO. NEVER forget that the letters which go out from the Chalmers fac- tory represent the Chalmers Motor Company. When you are writing a business letter, the company is speaking through you. The recipient of the letter, perhaps, has never met a single person connected with the factory. He gets his impression of the Chalmers Company from the letter you write him. Hence, it is very important that the letters which go out shall be the best letters it is possible to write. . . . In a sense, all letters which go out from the factory are sales letters. We are in business to make sales. Sales are the result of confidence. We gain the confidence of people by treating them right; by being courteous to them ; by being accurate, straightforward, and honest in all our dealings. Not every person with whom we come into contact is a possible purchaser of a Chalmers car, but everyone is a possible influ- ence toward the purchase of a car. You never know when a word dropped by someone will mean the making or the losing of a sale. We are able to employ help and pay salaries because people are will- ing to pay money for Chalmers cars. The salary of every person in this, institution comes out of the sale of cars. If sales stop everything stops. The object of every communication which goes out of the factory, there- fore, should be the gaining and holding of the confidence of the person to whom it is sent. . . . Four qualities are essential to a good letter. They are : 1. Clearness. 2. Courtesy. 3. Brevity. 4. Honesty. 437 438 HOUSE INSTRUCTIONS Clearness Letters are written to convey thought. It is, therefore, essen- tial that the thought which the reader gets should be the same as that which the writer desires to convey. Hence, your thought should be expressed in language which the reader can understand. This means that your language should be simple; your words should be correct words, forceful words. Your spelling and grammar should be correct. Try to express "big ideas with little words." When writing a letter, put yourself in- the place of the person to whom you are writing. Ask yourself, "Would I understand that? Would it give me the information I desired?" Courtesy, either in writing or a personal interview, is something that draws men together quickly. It creates a feeling of mutual respect and contributes much toward the right adjustment of the world's difficulties. Courtesy is not merely manner. It springs from a kindly, generous, sympathetic attitude toward people. You cannot be courteous merely by using polite expressions. You must have a courteous feeling, a generous regard, for the other fellow, and then try to say what you have to say to him in the same kindly way you would like to have it said to you. Discourtesy is responsible for a good share of business misunderstandings. No company and no individual is big enough to dispense with courtesy. Brevity is a desirable quality in a letter provided that the letter, though brief, shall say all that it is really necessary to say. Do not be brief at the expense of clearness. If it requires a long letter to cover the subject in hand, write a long letter, but be very sure that a long let- ter is really required. Most letters are longer than they need be because most people have acquired the habit of using a lot of need- less expressions in letter writing. ... By omitting these needless expressions and by expressing your thoughts simply, you will go far toward achieving the much desired result a letter which is at the same time brief and complete. Honesty All really successful business is founded upon honesty. "A man in business nowadays is nothing short of a fool if he is any- thing but honest." We want our letters to be accurate statements of fact. We want to live up to the promises we make. We want to tell the truth. We are proud to say that the public generally believes any statements that the Chalmers Motor Company makes are true statements. We RESOLVE TO BE FAIR 439 want to retain that good opinion, and every letter that goes out from the factory should strengthen it. If you keep constantly in mind the desire of the company to be absolutely fair, your letters will sound honest. They will have the ring of sincerity. An honest letter comes from an honest heart. A letter without sentiment is like a man without feeling. Sentiment, however, should never be permitted to overstep the bounds of dig- nity. Perhaps the best way to express it is to say that you should never forget the human side of business. Business is not merely made up of dollars and cents and pounds of steel and gallons of gasoline. Business is human intercourse for mutual benefit. Let us not forget that the man we are writing to is a real man like ourselves. Let us never treat him differently in a letter than we would treat him if he were present in person. CRANE co. Clearness Do not use words to conceal thought, but to express it, and it will be found generally that the simplest words are the most ex- pressive. Avoid all words capable of a double construction. When an inquiry is clouded in its meaning and seems to suggest varying and conflicting constructions, let time and correspondence be economized by sending answers in harmony with these differences, instead of saying, "We do not understand your inquiry," and thus compelling a second letter. For example, let the answer read, ' ' We do not understand clearly your inquiry but if it is intended to be , our answer is ; or, if you mean , we would say that . ' ' As an illustration, one may have a request for the price of a cer- tain size of pipe, and yet find the figures so obscure that he cannot determine whether l 1 /^ inch or 1^2 inch pipe is desired. Instetad of losing time for both the house and the customer, let the answer quote the price of both, or several, sizes. Again, the writer may ask for prices of galvanized pipe and the accompanying fittings, but not state whether the fittings are to be plain or galvanized. Whatever the presumption, it will be well to give quotations of both kinds and thus avoid the possibility of either a delay or a mistake. 440 HOUSE INSTRUCTIONS B. F. GOODRICH RUBBER CO. Clearness A correspondent who fails to think clearly cannot write clearly. To write a customer and say that our goods are made of the "finest material" and "highest in quality" is to produce an in- definite letter. These broad claims do not give the reader a clear or convincing idea about our products. A large per cent of the mail he receives may contain similar statements. It is better to tell him from his point of view how a belt, tire, adjustment or other service we are attempting to render, is best or highest in quality. A remedy for lack of clearness in our letters is to plan and organ- ize them before dictation begins. ... To study a problem is a man 's task. To make someone else understand it is a greater one. Don 't attempt both at once. Organize and plan the wording of your letters. Know what the letter should contain before you start to dictate. . . . Each paragraph should deal exclusively with one phase of the general subject. Do not make the transition between paragraphs too abrupt, but see that there is an orderly, logical progression of ideas from paragraph to paragraph, and from sentence to sentence. B. F. GOODRICH RUBBER CO. Courtesy Courtesy is the oil that lubricates the parts of the business machine. Courtesy is even more essential in letters than in face-to- face conversation. There is no other quality in our letters that can do so much to build up good-will for the B. F. Goodrich Rubber Com- pany as courtesy ; nothing can tear it down so quickly as discourtesy. Many seemingly disagreeable things must be done by letter. Money must be collected ; complaints made ; credit refused. These things should be done in a way that paves the way for future friendly relations. They can be if courtesy is employed. Courtesy takes the sting out of what would otherwise be unpleasant reading. An honorable letter, devoid of smartness, which seeks to give the other man a square deal, will gain his respect for you and minimize his antagonism toward our company. . . . But politeness can be overdone. A letter that is overflowing with "please" and "kindly" is repulsive. Do not be servile in your letters. Go as far as strict courtesy demands, and possibly a little HONESTY IN BUSINESS LETTERS 441 farther, but do not go so far as to excite the contempt of the reader. We like to be asked politely to do things, but we do not want people to fawn on us. LORD & THOMAS Honesty It is so refreshing to receive a business letter that manifestly has no reserves, no equivocations, no subtle hiatuses, no double en- tendres, no phrases that mean two or three things, no manifest eva- sions, but which goes straight to the point as an arrow to the target. There are such, and they are those that influence business quicker and more consequentially. It is so much the better policy to write honest letters. Even poor goods are the easier sold if the truth is unflinchingly told about them, and the price made to fit the degree of poorness. The deceptive letter returns to the writer, bringing toll. In the long run the percentage of profit in business is higher for the honest man than for the "skin," and in the long run the man who writes honest letters gets more for his pains than the man who tries to cloak his evil designs with plausibly false letters. HINTS TO CORRESPONDENTS CHALMERS MOTOR CO. Acknowledge all letters the day they are received. This should be an invariable rule. If final answer cannot be made to the letter the day it is received, at least acknowledge it that day and follow as soon as possible with a complete answer. Don't keep letters "put away" in your desk. Attend to them. Do the hard ones first. They only grow harder if you put them oft 3 . Lay a hard letter aside "till tomorrow" and you not only do not lessen the difficulty of that one, but make all of "tomorrow's" letters harder, too. Do today 's work today. Run through your bunch of mail the first thing and pick out the most important letters and the ones hardest to answer and concentrate on them until they are satisfactorily handled. If answering them requires you to get special information, set out at once to get it and get it straight before you start to dictate. If any require you to get decisions from your superior officers, get them as early as you can. If the superior officer will need previous 442 HOUSE INSTRUCTIONS correspondence or special information in order to make a decision, get it for him before you go to him. This will save his time and yours. If any of the letters require definite decision on material points by you Think consider carefully and fairly and decide ! Decide today, provided all the facts are before you. Today is the most important day that ever was. Tomorrow when it comes will call for enough decisions of its own. The chances are that the decision made today about the letter you are tempted to hold will be as good as one made tomorrow or next week. "Procrastination is the thief of time ' and the chief est enemy to success. So decide things that are up to you to decide. Act ! Energize yourself ! Get things done ! Carefully read each letter before answering it. Be sure you under- stand just what the other man wants- to know before you try to tell him. Have the facts in hand, know what you are going to say, before you start to dictate. In answering a letter be sure to answer all the questions it contains. Nothing is more annoying to your correspondent and nothing wastes more time than for you to overlook some of the things that have been asked. When you have a complicated case, one on which three or four letters have been written, and your correspondent still remains persistent satisfy yourself before writing again that you have not made some pre- vious mistake. When you answer only a part of a letter, intending to- answer the rest later, be sure to mention this fact in your reply. In writing to a dealer or salesman, be careful never to say anything that will irritate or discourage him, thereby unfitting him for work or lessening his efficiency. Remember the dealers are the men who keep the factory going, and they are entitled to the utmost respect and con- sideration. Be courteous, sympathetic and g'enerous in letters dealing with a complaint. If you have made a mistake, be frank and manly enough to admit it, and do your best to correct it. If a mistake has been made and someone calls your attention to it, don't get on the defensive. En- deavor to find out the cause of the err"or and avoid a repetition. In signing letters make it a p'oint to write your name so plainly that it can be read at a glance. Those who get your letters haven't AVOID INACCURACIES 443 time to decipher an illegible signature, and you really have n't the right to ask them to. If your signature is one of those works of art which are written to be recognized and not read, have your stenographer write your name, instead of your initials, at the lower left-hand corner of the letter. Sign your letters with a pen instead of with a rubber stamp. This gives the letter a touch of personality. It reminds your correspondent that he is reading a personal message from a live person. Avoid the absurd practice of sending out letters stamped, "Dictated but not read by Mr. Jones." Elbert Hubbard well says that such a letter deserves to be returned marked, "Opened but not read by Mr. Smith." There is something discourteous to the recipient in sending out a letter that you do not think enough of to sign, and something wrong with your stenographer or assistant if in case of emergency you are not willing to let them sign your letters with your name and their initials. Inaccuracy kills both time and business. If a man has waited several days for an answer to a letter and then you give him the wrong answer, he is worse off than in the beginning. Get things straight. Do not apologize; be frank. We should have nothing to apologize for. Be sure you are right and just in a decision. Then an apology is unnecessary. A spirit of apologizing and extenuating in a letter always leaves the recipient unsatisfied. Be courteous but do not ' ' smear it on. " It is all right to say to a man, "I shall appreciate it very much if you will do so and so." But when you say, ' ' I would appreciate it very much if you will be so kind as to please do this," you are going too far. Know the difference between courtesy and ' ' soft soap ' ' and realize that soft soap is not appreciated out of its natural place. WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS TO BE AVOIDED (Compiled from lists made up by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., Chalmers Motor Co., and B. F. Goodrich Rubber Co.) As per, as in the expression, "As per your request." Say instead, "As you request," or, "in accordance with your Hackneyed , ,, request. At hand, as in the sentence, "Your letter of January 21 is at hand." 444 HOUSE INSTRUCTIONS Attached hereto. The "hereto" is superfluous. Beg to acknowledge, Beg to remain, Beg to advise. Never "beg" to do anything. Complaint. This is a harsh, disagreeable word ; avoid it. Contents noted and duly filed. This is an old, and useless ex- pression. The reader takes it for granted that you have noted the contents of his letter and filed it. Esteemed favor. "Esteemed" is an artificial word; also it is outworn by constant use. Even date, as in the expression, ' ' Your letter of even date. ' ' Give the exact date of the letter you are answering. Favor, as in the expression, "Your favor of April 9 has been received. ' ' This word hints of charity. Say "It is a pleasure to furnish you the information concerning our model #10 phonograph, as requested in your letter of April 9." Or, "We thank you for your order of April 9." Inclosed herewith. The "herewith" is superfluous. Say, "You will find inclosed," or, "We are inclosing." Inst., as in the expression, " Your letters of the 12th inst." This is a formal abbreviation, foreign to everyday usage. Say, "Your letter of December 12," or, "Your letter of the 12th." Kind favor, as in the expression "We thank you for your kind favor of August 18." This expression is too humble in tone. Say, "We thank you for your order." Kindly oblige, as in the expression, "Kindly oblige us by send- ing this information. ' ' Say, more naturally, "We shall appreciate your furnishing us this information." Same, as in the expression, "Your order has been received and we thank you for same. ' ' Use instead the pronoun, as you would in conversation, "and we thank you for it. ' ' Take the liberty. This is a ridiculous expression that should never be used in business, or social, correspondence. Thank you agdin. Thank the customer cordially, once that is sufficient. HACKNEYED EXPRESSIONS 445 Thank yon in advance, as in the expression, "We thank you in advance for your cooperation." It is impossible to thank a man "in advance" for a courtesy not yet extended. Say, "We shall appreciate your cooperation," employing the future tense, Ult* The same rule applies here as to "inst. " Valued, as in the expression, "Your valued favor," or, "Your valued order." Would advise. Would state. Would suggest. These expres- sions are useless, when employed as follows : "Would advise that your order will be shipped on June 8." " Would state that we are glad to cooperate with you in every possible way. ' ' "Would suggest that you let us handle this order direct." These expressions, briefly written, would read: "Your order will be shipped on June 8." "We are glad to cooperate with you in every possible way." "We suggest that you let us handle this order direct." In writing the letter, do not leave out the subject of a sentence, or a part of the verb form, as you would in writing a Omissions telegram. Wrong: "Expect to ship your order #23956 on June 6." Correct: " We expect to ship your order #23956 on June 6." Wrong: "Your order of June 6 received." Correct: "Your order of June 6 has been received." The main thought in your opening sentence should emphasize Beginning courtesy, service, or "sales talk." The acknowledgment of of the the letter you are answering, and its date, should be Letter brought in only incidentally. Weak: "We acknowledge receipt of your inquiry of July 1 concerning Lorraine Tubes. It is a pleasure to furnish you full information." More forceful : " It is a pleasure to furnish you full information concerning Lorraine Tubes, as requested in your letter of July 1." 446 HOUSE INSTRUCTIONS The following are typical examples of "hackneyed," ineffective openings : We leg to acknowledge receipt of your favor of the 29th ult., and in reply permit us to advise. Referring to yours of the 16th i-mt. Yours of the 26th at hand. Your favor of the 10th inst. at hand, and in reply would state. Your esteemed favor of the 12th received. We have your favor of the 5th and beg to thank you for same. Responding to yours of even date. Your favor of the 20th inst. received and contents duly noted. In reply would state. Avoid the outworn "participial closing/' the closing that be- gins with the present participal as : Ending of the Letter Thanking you for past favors, we are, Trusting that we shall hear from you at once, Hoping that this arrangement will be satisfactory, Assuring you of our desire to cooperate with you in every way possible, we remain. As exemplified above, the participial closing has become stereo- typed through its use in millions of business letters. It is, at best, an awkward form. The expression of courtesy at the end of the letter should be natural, direct : We thank you for this opportunity to continue our pleasant business relations of the past. We shall appreciate hearing from you as soon as possible. We hope that this arrangement will be satisfactory. You may be sure that it is our desire to cooperate with you in every possible way. Note that the forms "We are/' "We remain/' and "I am," once employed at the end of the business letter, now are virtually obsolete. OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE 447 OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE CHALMERS MOTOR CO. Broadly speaking, the same rules apply to office correspondence as to letters. We need to be clear, courteous, as brief as may be, and always entirely honest in writing office memos to one another as in writing letters to those without our organization. "Avoid verbal orders" has always been a Chalmers slogan. Orders should always be issued in writing whenever possible; when issued verbally, they must always be confirmed in writing (i.e., type- writing). All detailed instructions for operations and all specifications should also be put in memo form. The foregoing rule leads to some abuses in that we fall into the habit of writing more memos than are necessary and of writing them on subjects not worth the time it takes to dictate, transcribe, transport, read, and answer, memos. These abuses are not the fault of the rule, but of ourselves. Do not write a memo unless it is absolutely essential and then do not send copies hit and miss to a lot of departments. The dictator should always tell the stenographer to just what de- partments copies should be sent and he should restrict copies to de- partments which he knows to be directly interested in the subject cov- ered by the memo. This saves the time of stenographers, filing clerks, and more important still, of department heads. Whenever it is possible, except in giving orders, settle things over the telephone. By using the telephone you get immediate action. Be very sure to put a subject at the head of all office memos. This will save more time in writing office memos than anything you can do. In concluding an office memo do not say, * ' Respectfully submitted ' ' or " Yours sincerely" or anything of that sort. Just write what you have to say and sign your name to it. , It takes time to write such expressions and we all assume at the beginning that everything is done respectfully. Do not use the titles of officers and department heads. In writing office memos do not say, "Mr. Owen, Sales Manager." Simply say, "Mr. Owen." 448 HOUSE INSTRUCTIONS FORM PARAGRAPHS GOODYEAR TIRE AND RUBBER CO. Everyone who handles much correspondence that frequently dupli- cates itself from day to day, ought to provide himself with a series of form paragraphs. When you succeed in working out a particularly good explanation,, you should save it for use again. Ideas come better some days than others. The good ideas, saved and incorporated in a form paragraph book, not only save the inefficiency of constantly dictating the same thing, but help to improve the whole standard of your most frequent letters. Some concerns, especially mail order houses, make very extensive use of form paragraphs. They have their head correspondent prepare them, usually in the form of an indexed book which is distributed for use of all correspondents. Then letter writing becomes a mere me- chanical process of selection and it is possible in a business of that nature to make it so. No such scheme would be practical in our business. Our relations with our customers are too intimate and the circumstances too varied. Parts of many letters and occasionally entire letters could be so con- structed. But in nearly every case at least a part would have to be specially written, and the style of the dictator would almost certainly differ from the style of the paragraphs. i But each dictator should prepare paragraphs of his own. Then he can handle his work in surprisingly less time. The way to prepare a form paragraph is to go over carbons of your good letters and have them copied, putting the opening paragraphs, the closing paragraphs, and the special paragraphs, in groups. Number the paragraphs and then call for them by number. For example, a chief clerk in writing his collection follow-ups, won id dictate as follows: Paragraph 6 February 23 $27.60 Paragraph 55 Paragraph 56 FORM PARAGRAPHS 449 The stenographer then copies the paragraphs, inserts the necessary dates and amount in Paragraph 6, and the following letter is the result: Dear Sir : On February 23, we wrote you endeavoring to give you a com- plete explanation of the charge of $27.60 covering some letters which we made up for your company. We are wondering whether our letter did not explain this charge satisfactorily. We notice that you have not yet sent in your check covering this charge, so if there is anything we can do to make this charge clear to you we shall be glad to have you write us, as we feel sure we can give you the proper information. The adjuster 's paragraph book begins as follows : Openings Consumer Abused Tire. (1) Thank you for returning your for we are sure we can help you to solve the tire-trouble problem. (2) It was only necessary to examine your to see that you did not get the best service from it. (3) After examining your we can appreciate that (it) (they) (was) (were) a disappointment to you. (4) To have a tire give way as your - did is as annoying as tearing a new suit on a barb-wire fence the first day you wear it. (5) Our interest in your satisfaction lasts till your tire is worn out and we are therefore glad you returned your . (6) After examining your mentioned in your letter , we know it was a disappointment to you. In order that you. may get better results in the future, we are going to explain, briefly what caused the trouble. Openings Consumer Defective Tire. (1) We feel we should thank you especially for returning your .. (2) Thank you for returning your . etc., etc., etc. CHAPTER XXXII THE MAKE-UP OF THE LETTER CHAPTER XXXII THE MAKE-UP OF THE LETTER THE first impression your letter makes upon the prospect likely will be a lasting one. It is, therefore, essential that the letter be neat and attractive in appearance. To this end, you must : (1) Select a paper of good weight that will not easily crumple. (2) Employ a well balanced and neatly executed letter-head. (3) See that the letter is attractively placed on the sheet; that the margins are wide and consistently adhered to; that the letter is centered on the page. (4) Write on one side of the sheet only. (5) Avoid sending out letters that are blurred or that are marred by frequent erasures. (6) See that sentences are properly punctuated and that words , are correctly spelled. (7) Adhere to the principles of good usage that custom has estab- lished for the letter form. The parts of the letter are: (1) Heading (a) Address of writer (generally contained in the letter- head). (b) Date when letter is written. (2) Introductory address (name, title, and address of person to> whom the letter is written). (3) Salutation. (4) Body of the letter. (5) Complimentary close. (6) Signature of the writer. Note how these parts are placed in the letter on page 467. 453 454 MAKE-UP OF THE LETTER The letter as a unit. A margin of from 1 to 1% inches (from ten to fifteen spaces on the typewriter) should be left at each side of the page. The margin at the . bottom should be at least equal to the margin at the side. If there is no letter-head, the top margin, measured from the upper edge of the sheet to the heading, should be l l / 2 inches wide. In writing a short letter, increase these margins so as to keep the letter on the center of the page. The side margin at the left will, of course, always be even ; keep the margin at the right as even as possible. A single space separates the lines of the letter. This makes for a neat, compact appearance. Even when the letter is short, it is best, for purposes of uniformity, to use single spacing. A double space is used between the different parts of the letter; that is, between paragraphs, between heading and introductory address, between address and salutation, between salutation and the body of the letter, between body and the complimentary close, and be- tween the close and the signature. The first line of each paragraph either may be indented, or may be written flush with the left-hand margin. If the indented form is followed, indent with five or ten spaces. The two forms Indenting are illustrated below: Mr. James W. Blake, 234 South Main Street, Denver, Colorado. Dear Sir : We take pleasure in inclosing our check for $15.82 to pay for goods ordered from us on August 10 and for cost of transporta- tion. We are sorry that our error in billing the goods has put you to inconvenience. It is our desire to accord our customers such reliable service and fair treatment as to compel their confidence. If we are in any way at fault in filling an order, we always rectify the error to the satisfaction of the customer concerned. Dear Sir : We take pleasure in inclosing our check for $15.82 to pay for INDENTING THE LETTER 455 goods ordered from us on August 10 and for cost of transportation. We are sorry that our error has put you to inconvenience. It is our desire to accord our customers such reliable service and fair treatment as to compel their confidence. If we are in any way at fault in filling an order, we always rectify the error to the satisfaction of the customer concerned. The above forms are the ones most generally used. They occasionally are varied, however, by indenting the entire body of the letter a distance of from five to ten spaces from the left-hand margin : Mr. James W. Blake, 234 South Main Street, Denver, Colorado. Dear Sir : We take pleasure in inclosing our check for $15.82 to pay for goods ordered from us on August 10 and for cost of transportation. We are sorry that our error in billing the goods has put you to inconvenience. It is our desire to accord our customers such reliable service and such fair treatment as to compel their confi- dence. . . . Dear Sir: We take pleasure in inclosing our check for $15.82 to pay for goods ordered from us on August 10 and for cost of transportation. We are sorry that our error in billing the goods has put you to inconvenience. It is our desire to accord our customers such reliabk service and such fair treatment as to compel their confi- dence. . . . (1) Heading (a) When there is no letter-head. 456 MAKE-UP OF THE LETTER The heading, in this case, must contain the writer's postoffice address and the date when the letter was written. Its proper position is at the top of the page, where it will at once catch the eye of the reader. It usually is placed to the right of the Position sneet > as in the letter on page 467. If so placed, it should not run over the right-hand margin, nor should it extend to the left beyond the middle of the page. The heading sometimes stands in the center, thus nicely balancing the page. The objection to this plan is that care in spacing is required to get the heading in the exact center position, as : Berkeley, California, March 8, 1920. The heading may be one, two, or three lines, as follows : 876 Summerton Street > 32 Jones St -> Newark, N. J., Indianapolis, Indiana, January 28, 1920. February 18, 1920. Aurora, N. Y., May 1, 1920. t Margins In the above examples, the lines of the heading begin on the same margin. The lines may begin on different margins, as in the following examples: 930 Kensington Way, Aledo, Illinois, Los Angeles, CaL, May 1, 1920. April 6, 1919. Punctuate the writer's address by a comma after the street and num- Punctua- ber, a comma after the city, and a comma after the state. tion Punctuate the date by a comma after the day of the month, and a period after the year. Do not write the entire date in figures, as 8-13-19. This practice is confusing to some readers. Again, it is too curt and abrupt for the ordinary business letter. Do not add "-st," "-nd," "-rd," or "--th" after the fgures giving the date of the month. Write, "January 18, 1919," not, HEADING OF THE LETTER 457 January 18th, 1919." These letters, however, may be employed in the body of the letter, if the name of the month is omitted : We thank you for your order of March 12. The goods are being care- fully packed for shipment and should reach you by the 18th. (1) Heading (b) When there is a letter-head on the sheet. In this case, the writer's address is provided for. Only the date re- mains to be filled in. Two or three spaces should separate the typewritten date from the printed letter-head. Because of the dissimilarity in ap- pearance between the two, they should never be regarded as a unit. (2) Introductory address. This assures the reader that the letter is intended for him. It con- tains his name and title; his street and number; his city or town, and state. The street address is sometimes omitted, since the other two elements provide reasonably certain identification. All of the following forms are correct : Marshall Field & Company, The Fashion Shop, State and Randolph Streets, Dallas, Texas. Chicago, Illinois. Dennison Manufacturing Company > 1007 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Enterprise Iron Works, Indianapolis, Indiana. The introductory address is placed at the left and generally at the beginning of the letter. It should not run beyond the center of the page. An exception to this rule is when the firm's name is so long as to cause it to run beyond the center. In such case, the name should not be divided. If the salutation consists in "Dear Sir," "Gentlemen," or "Dear 458 MAKE-UP OF THE LETTER Madam," to put the address at the end makes the letter slightly more impersonal and more formal in tone, as : Dear Sir : I have been requested by the Executive Committee to notify you of your appointment as Assistant to the General Manager. Respectfully yours, Signature Mr. John W. Hanscom, 1932 West 41st Street, Los Angeles, California. If the salutation is a more personal one, such as, "Dear Hanseom," or * ' My Dear Mrs. Brown, ' ' to put an address at the end makes the letter more informal in tone : Dear Hanscom : Congratulations on your raise. Everyone in the San Fran- cisco office is mighty pleased at the good news. Cordially yours, Signature Mr. John W. Hanscom, 1932 West 41st Street, Los Angeles, California. Punctuate the address by a comma after each line except the last, Punctua- which is followed by a period ; and by a comma between the tion city and state. Business practice dictates that most letters be addressed to the com- pany, rather than to the individual. If, in addressing your letter to the company, you desire it to reach a certain indi- vidual, the special address will be included as follows: Brown Milling Company, Detroit, Michigan. Attention of Mr. R. J. Brown Gentlemen : Yesterday the Purchasing Agent for a large corporation tin- THE SPECIAL ADDRESS 459 consciously gave me a good reason why Packard Transportation pays. . . . The following form also is employed : Brown Milling Company, Detroit, Michigan. Gentlemen: Attention of Mr. R. J. Brown: If the introductory address is long, the special- address may be placed a*t the right of the page and parallel with the final line of the introduc- tory address : East Bay Salt Works, 3382 East Bay Avenue, Oakland, California. Attention of Mr. S. A. Jones Gentlemen: The person to whom your letter is directed may be designated by his official title, if his name is unknown to you: Beech-Nut Packing Company, Canajoharie, New York. Attention of Purchasing Agent Gentlemen : You may desire the reader to direct his answer to a certain indi- vidual, or department, of your firm. You will then in- clude at the top of the letter, special directions to this end. Directions For example: "In your reply refer to 2174." ''Please mention 683 when answering this letter." "In your reply please refer to A. C. J." "Please refer to order #8734." Such special directions ordinarily are placed below the heading and opposite the introductory address, or just above the heading. They 460 MAKE-UP OF THE LETTER sometimes are placed above the letter-head. They may be printed as part of the letter-head, with blank spaces to be filled in by the typist, or they may be written out by the typist in full. In the following ex- ample, the latter practice is followed : (Letter-head) January 12. 1920. Jones & Company, 7653 Oxford Street, In your reply please refer to A. C. J. Chicago, Illinois. Gentlemen : The date, number, or subject matter of the letter you are answering Special mav ^> e gi yen in a li ne a ^ the top of the letter, generally Informa- below the heading : tion (Letter-head) November 9, 1919. A. W. Hotchkiss & Company, In reply to your letter St. Paul, Minnesota. of the 8th. Gentlemen : The following brief form is used in letters of a purely routine nature, such as letters written by one firm to another adjusting difficulties of no great importance, acknowledging small orders, etc. : (Letter-head) November 30, 1919. A. 0. Niedler & Sons, Yours of October 22. 384 Jackson Street, Delayed shipment. Boston, Massachusetts. Gentlemen : TITLES IN INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS 461 (Letter-head) December 21, 1919. For Mr. F. F. Blake. Your letter of the 10th. Referring to order 7865. Blake & Blake, 451 Alliston Way, Denver, Colorado. Gentlemen : Sheets after the first, called "second sheets/' do not contain a repeti- tion of the introductory address, nor do they contain the Sheets ^ } etter _h ea d They have at the top sometimes at tin? F . er l bottom the initials or the name of the person addressed and the number of the sheet. This identifies all the sheets as belonging: to the same letter. The titles employed in the introductory address include : Titles Mr., Esq., Messrs. Miss, Misses, Mrs., Mmes, Dr., Rev., Prof., Hon. Mr. is used when no other title is available. Never address a person without using a title of some sort. Never say, " James Brown," but, "Mr. James Brown." Esq., the abbreviation for Esquire, is rarely employed. Not many years ago it was regarded as more dignified than "Mr." It follows the name, as "Oliver S. Peters, Esq." M,essrs. is the abbreviation of Messieurs, the French for gentle- men. It may be used in addressing a firm doing business under the names of any of its several partners, when the partners are men, or men and women. If the firm is doing business under a trade name, the "Messrs." is omitted, as: The Fair, Chicago, Illinois. 462 MAKE-UP OF THE LETTER Many firms have done away with the use of "Messrs." "Hig- ley, Ramsday & Company" is now the usual form. Miss, the title of an unmarried woman, is not an abbreviation; it should not be followed by a period. Misses is the plural form of Miss, as * * The Misses Brown. ' ' Mrs. is the title of a married woman. In addressing a widow, use her" own given name, with Mrs. prefixed, as "Mrs. Jane P. Badger." Mmes. is the abbreviation for Mesdames, the French for ladies. It is used in addressing a firm composed of women. Dr. is the title used in addressing any one holding a doctor's degree, whether of medicine, law, philosophy, theology, or litera- ture. Rev. is the title of a clergyman. When the clergyman's full name, or his initials, are used, do not double the title. /That is, do not say, "Rev. Mr. A. J. Henderson." When only the last name is used, the title may be doubled, as "Rev. Mr. Henderson." Prof, is applied to those holding professorships in colleges or universities and, by courtesy, to teachers in secondary schools. Hon. is the title designating those who hold important govern- ment positions, such as cabinet officers, members of Congress, am- bassadors, governors, and the like. By courtesy, it is sometimes applied more extensively. Titles designating official positions, such as Colonel, Manager, Superintendent, are best spelled out in full. "Mr." is used with such titles, as: Mr. J. G. Wheadon, Manager, The Fashion Shop, Memphis, Tennessee. If the name is long, the title designating the official position may go on the second line : Mr. Anderson J. Blankenship, Manager, The Sweet Shop, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The envelope address differs in several important details from The the address on the inside of the letter. The street and Envelope number always must be included. The name of the state Address mlis t be written in full, as this avoids confusion in the SPECIAL DIRECTIOXS 463 postoifice. It is best to place the name of the state on a separate line, where it will be easily visible. Punctuation at the end of the lines either may be omitted or Punctua- retained. Both forms are in good usage. tion A "return card," as the return address on the outside of the envelope is called, should be placed in the upper left-hand "Return ^ corner of the envelope. Card" The lower left-hand corner of the envelope is the place for spe- cial directions, like : Special "Please Forward," "General Delivery," "Advertising Department," and "Purchasing Agent." Of the following two forms of envelope address, the first is to be pre- ferred because it is more readily visible : After days return to Jam.es A. Brown 893 Main St., Carlton, Georgia. Mr.William O. Yeager 8321 Williams Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After days return to James A. Brown, 893 Main St., Carlton, Georgia. Mr. William 0. Yeager, 8321 Williams Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (3) Salutation. The ordinary business salutation in addressing an individual is "Dear Sir." In addressing a firm, the salutation in best use is "Gentle- 464 MAKE-UP OF THE LETTER men." "Dear Sirs" is virtually obsolete. In addressing women whether married or unmarried, the proper salutation is ''Dear Madam," in the singular, and "Mesdames," in the plural. The use of ''Dear Miss" is never permissible. The following forms, more personal than those above, are given in the ascending scale of their informality: My Dear Sir, My Dear Mr. Jones, Dear Mr. Jones, Dear Jones, Dear John. My Dear Madam, My Dear Mrs. Brown (or My Dear Miss Brown), Dear Mrs. Brown (or Dear Miss Brown), Dear Gertrude. The tendency in modern business is towards doing away with the more formal ''Dear Sir," or "Dear Madam," as soon as a degree of ac- quaintance exists between correspondents, even though this acquaintance be based solely upon previous correspondence. "Dear Mr. Jones," "Dear Mrs. Brown," and "Dear Miss Brown," are salutations that are being more and more extensively employed. Such personal forms as these were originally seldom accorded a place in the business letter. The practice of each individual firm must guide the correspondent in determining when, and indeed, whether, it is advisable to change from the formal to the more personal salutations. As a rule, the salutation is punctuated by a colon. The colon Punctua- and dash is also in good usage. tion (4) (See letter on page 467.) Please send me the following articles by American Express as soon as possible: 1 pr. ladies' street shoes, Cuban heel, broad toe, tan, size 5B; price about $8.50. 3 cakes Cashmere Bouquet soap, scented, small size; price 25 cents. Send these goods C.O.D., express charges collect. (5) Complimentary close. The most impersonal forms are "Yours truly," "Yours very truly," and "Very truly yours." "Yours" is too curt to be courteous. In addressing superiors, the forms in general use are "Yours re- spectfully," and "Respectfully yours." These two forms imply a defer- THE COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE 465 once out of keeping with ordinary business correspondence. They are employed when the letter is writtten by an average man to a man in a high position, or by an employe of a firm to a superior officer in the same organization. "Yours sincerely," and "Yours cordially," are more personal in tone than the other salutations discussed. "Yours cordially" is often used when the writer is extending a trade favor, or offering advice which intimately concerns the reader's business. "Faithfully yours" is still more personal in tone and should never be used unless the relation between correspondents is an intimate one. The complimentary close begins about in the center of the page and occupies a line by itself. It is separated by two spaces from the body of the letter and by the same distance from the signature. The complimentary close is punctuated by a comma. The first Punctua- word only begins with a capital letter. tion (6) Signature. The writer's signature should be written legibly with a pen. The signature is placed below the complimentary close, and, generally, four or five spaces farther to the right. It may^ however, begin on the same margin. The firm's name may come first, followed by the signature of Arrange- the writer. In this case, the writer is signing as the agent ment of the company. In case of any loss or damage, responsi- bility rests with the company and not with the writer personally. If the writer signs his name first, he personally assumes responsi- bility. The examples given below illustrate the application of this principle: Very truly yours, DICTOGRAPH PRODUCTS CORPORATION, (signed) C. C. Moore, General Sales Manager. Very truly yours, (signed) C. C. Moore, General Sales Manager, 466 MAKE-UP OF THE LETTER DICTOGRAPH PRODUCTS CORPORATION. Yours very truly, The "1900" Washer Company, (signed) R. D. Quinn, Ass't. General Manager. Each letter in the firm's name is generally, although by no means always, capitalized, as in the first two examples above. If the writer has no official position, he may prefix to his signature the word "by" (preferred to "per"), thus showing his relation to his firm: JACKSON & HORLITZER, by R. L. Jenkins. Again, in place of an official title, the writer may give the name of his department : Bluke & Olney, L. A. Stringer, Advertising Department. The initials of the writer, and one or more initials of the stenographer, are placed at the left of the sheet, directly opposite the last line of the signature. The number of inclosures (if any) is indicated below these initials : CHALMERS MOTOR CAR COMPANY, H. W. Miller, Ass't Sales Manager. HWM M 2 Incls. Many firms vary this practice by having the writer's signature type- written in full on the left-hand margin. This obviates any possible dif- ficulty in deciphering the signature: P. F. COLLIER & SON, Inc. F. McC. Smith, Advertising Department. F. McC. Smith hdg. The same end is accomplished if the stenographer, following the style SIGNATURE OF THE WRITER 467 of military correspondence, types the writer's name on the space below that reserved for his signature: P." F. COLLIER & SON, Inc., F. McC. Smith (written with pen) F. McC. Smith (typed) Advertising Department. Signature when pro- noun "I" is Employed In most business correspondence, the plural pronoun '"We," designating the company, is employed, instead of the singular pronoun "I," designating the writer. Thus, in acknowledging an order, the correspondent ordinarily writes : "We thank you for your order of January 10. ... We are ready to serve you to the very best of our ability. ' ' The use of the more personal "I" form is reserved to important of- ficials of the company, such as the president, general manager, credit manager, and the like. It is employed by such officials only when there is reason for making the tone of the letter more personal than ordinarily, as when the credit manager is extending credit advice of a personal nature. All such letters should be signed first by the name of the writer, followed by the firm name. Arrangemen* of Business Letter. Heading Intro- ductory Address Saluta- tion Body of the Letter 1583 Oak Street, Columbus, Ohio, January 10, 1919. Marshall Field & Company, State and Randolph Streets, Chicago, Illinois: Gentlemen : Please send me the following articles by American Ex- press as soon as possible: 1 pr. ladies' street shoes, Cuban heel, broad toe, tan, size 5B ; price about $8.50. 6 prs. ladies' ribbed silk hose, seamless, black, size 9 ; price about $1.35 a pair. 3 cakes Cashmere Bouquet soap, scented, small size; price 25 cents. 468 MAKE-UP OF THE LETTER Compli- i/ 2 doz. Arrow collars, Marley, size 15 ; price $1.50. mentary g en d these goods C. O. D., express charges collect. Close Yours truly, (signed) John W. Black. The letter form employed by The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Com- pany is illustrated in the following letter : THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY Akron, Ohio. January 2, 1919 Mr J B Smith 1428 Mill St Washington, D C Dear Mr Smith : This letter illustrates, the correct typing of Goodyear letters. Notice in the address, the date and the conclusion, that certain punctuation formerly thought necessary has been omitted. In general, periods after obvious abbreviations and commas ending the lines in an address serve no purpose and their omission im- proves appearance. Similarly a double space indicates the separation between para- graphs so that indentation of the first line of a paragraph, form- erly common, is unnecessary. Proper centering on the page is also important in assuring good appearance, the first and simplest rule of good letters. To assist typists, complete instructions on typing Goodyear letters are incorporated in the "Branch Manual" and in the "Akron Typists' Manual." Yours very truly, E P Cramer Manager Better Letters Bureau OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE 469 For office correspondence, the following form is followed by The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company : GOODYEAR TO Correspondents FROM AKRON DATE 1-2-18 CITY Branches & Akren ANSWERING DATED STATE LETTER FOLIO No. DEPT SUBJECT Letters within the organization This is the Goodyear "internal" letterhead. It is designed to save time and words in internal letters. You need not begin a letter by saying "We have your letter of so and so about so and so." Simply dictate "Answering letter dated so and so. Subject: so and so," and the typist will insert in the spaces provided. No "Dear Sirs" or "Yours very trulys" are necessary. Simply give the typist what is needed to fill in the letter-head, dictate a simple statement of your letter, and you are through. E P Cramer Manager ^Better Letters Bureau INDEX Address, envelope, 462-463 Address, introductory, 457-463 Adjustment Letters Classification : ( 1 ) House at fault, claim granted, 378-381 (2) Customer at fault, claim grant- ed, 381-385 (3) Customer at fault, claim re- fused, 383-390 (4) Fault undetermined, decision withheld, 390-391 (5) Fault undetermined, claim granted, 391 Routine, 392-393 Written before complaint is lodged, 393-395 Agent, advertisement assisting, 316-317 Appetite, appeal to instinct of, 184-185 Application, Letter of, 330-335 Arrangement of selling appeal, see "Sell- ing appeal, arrangement of" Association of Ideas, 46 Attention, how to attract, 46, 119-120, 128-131, 143-144, 157-159 Bank, letters to, 301-303 Beginning attention-getting devices, 157, 159 Catchlines, 157-159 Classified according to sentence struc- ture, 161-164 Display head, 159 Effective because definite, 160-161 Effective because selling appeal is from standpoint of prospect, 161 Examples of effective and ineffective, 129-130 Four steps of deliberation in relation to, 128-129 Ineffective, 159-160 In Reason Why appeal, 128-131 In Short Circuit appeal, 143-144 Beginning (continued) Principles underlying effective, 119- 120 Belief, awakening, 120-121, 174-179 Body of Letter, 464 Booklets Employment of in adjusting com- plaints, 377 Letter aimed at securing request for, 232 Brevity, 438 Business slogans, examples of, 35-36 Catchlines, 157-159 Cause to Result, selling appeal developed from, 240-244 Central selling Point Business slogans built around, 36 Development of by Description and Ex- planation, 169-170 Examples showing development of, 98- 99, 105-106 How 7 to determine upon, 35 In Reason Why appeal, 132-135 In Short Circuit appeal, 144-145 Kinds of, 36 Limiting each selling argument to one, 37-38, 39-40 Principles underlying effective, 35-41 Relation of to Proof, 135-136 Should match needs of prospect, 99 Standard of Comparison based upon. 95-96 Summing up of in Clincher, 140, 228- 230 Choice of the appeal, 111-116 Clearness, 438-440 Climax, see "Clincher" Clincher Elements of ( 1 ) Sum of persuasively central sell- ing point, 228-230 471 472 INDEX Clincher ( con tin u ed ) (2) Make it easy for prospect to order, 139, 230-232 (3) Employ p8ychological urge to "do it now," 232-235 In Reason Why appeal, 139-140 In Short Circuit appeal, 146-147 Laws of Suggestion applicable to, 70-72 Negative Suggestion lessens effective- ness of, 235 Principles underlying, 127, 227-235 Collection Letters Application in detail of principles un- derlying writing of effective, 415 434 Elements, 420-426 Four letters of series, 417-420 Letters collecting petty accounts, 430-434 Letters sent out by retail stores, 430 Policy of prompt collection, 415-416, 426-427 Retaining good-will of customer, 416-417 Sales Talk, 428^130 Taking drastic steps to collect, 427- 428 Comparison Development by, 287-288 Employed in appeal by Suggestion, 62- 65 Parallel development by, 249-252 Standard of necessary in Reason Why appeal, 95 Competition, usuaHy necessitates use of Reason Why appeal, 1 14 Complaint letters, see "Adjustment Let- ters" Complimentary close, of letter, 464-465 Concern Advertisement emphasizing character of, 311 Beginning weakened by too strongly emphasizing interests of, 128 Character of reflected in tone of ap- peal, 256-260 Conviction, development of by Proof, 121- 122 Correspondent supervisors, means of get- ting in touch with customers open to, 10 Courtesy In Adjustment letters, 373-376 In Credit letters, 408 In Everyday letters, 324-326 In Order Letters, 356-357, 363 Need for, 438-440 Credit A business asset, 401-403 Order letter written when arrange- ments are lacking, 300-367 Credit letters Application in detail of principles un- derlying writing of effective, 401- 411 Asking for credit information, 407- 409 Granting a request for credit, 40fi- 411 Refusing request for credit, 404-407 Credit Manager, functions of, 401-403 Customer Acknowledging order from new, 308- 369 Letter to, 302-303 Retaining good-will of in writing col- lection letters, 416-417 Dealer Advertisement assisting, 316-317 As source of information bearing upon individual prospect, 9-10 Bringing prospect who has made in- quiry in touch with, 358-359 Letter to, 301 Means of winning cooperation of, 8-9 Special service inducements offered to, 219-223 Deliberation Application of principles of appeal 1 v, 106-107 Four steps of in relation to steps of selling appeal, 127 Principles of appeal by, 95-107 When appeal by is called for, 111-112 Demonstration, letter aimed at securing request for, 231-232 Description and Explanation Application in detail of principles un- derlying effective, 167-188 By Make-Up, 168-171 By Use, 171-174 INDEX 47;] Description and Explanation (contd.) Direct, 168 Figures of Speech in, 181-183 Need for avoiding exaggerated claims, 178-179 Need for definite, 174-178 Use in Emotional appeal, 183, 186 In developing each of first three steps of Deliberative Process, 131-132 In Reason Why appeal, 132-135 In Short Circuit appeal, 144-145, 147- 152, 183-188 Desire, awakening, 120-121, 144-145, 172-174 Discount, offer of, as an Inducement, 213 Display Head, 159 Economy, as a selling point, 36-37 Education Advertisement devoted to, 311-316 Circumstances calling for employment of, 100-102 Examples, 102-104 "Emotional" Tone, 264-266 Emotions Defined, 47 Effect of pleasing, and of displeasing, 47-48 How awakened, 47 Memory suggesting must be vital, 59- 60 Short Circuit appeal to, 149-152 Endurance, as central selling point, 169 Envelope address, 462-463 Everyday Letters Advancing arguments, 324-326 Avoiding hackneyed expressions, 323- 324 Emphasizing service, 324-326 Expressing courtesy, 324-326 Tone of, 323, 326 "Everyday" tone, 261-263 "Exclusive" tone, 271-273 Exhibition, inviting prospect to attend, 304-305 Exhortation, Short Circuit appeal by, 149-150 Experience of User, development by, 252- 253 Explanation, see "Description and Ex- planation" Figures of Speech, 181-183 Follow-Up Letters Application in detail of principles un- derlying writing of effective, 277- 296 Continuous, 278-279 Wear-Out, 278 Form letters, used in answering inquiries, 355-356 Form paragraphs, 448-449 Fusion, Law of, 62-65 General to Particular, development by, 244-246, 280, 282-283, 285-286 Guarantee, as method of Proof, 195-196 Hackneyed expressions In Adjustment letters, 397 In Inquiry letters, 340 In Order letters, 357, 362-363 List of, 443-446 Heading of letter, 455-456 Historic interest, 23-24 House Instructions to correspondents, 437-449 Brevity, 438 Clearness, 438, 439-440 Courtesy, 438, 440 Hackneyed expressions, 443-446 Honesty, 438, 441 Human Interest appeal, see "Short Cir- cuit appeal" Imagination, 25-31 Indenting, of letter, 454 Inducement Application in detail of principles un- derlying effective, 213-223 Payment on easy terms, 217-219 Reduction in purchase price, 213-217 Special service, 219-223 In Reason Why appeal, 138-139 In Short Circuit appeal, 146 Principles underlying, 123 Inquiry, letters of Brevity, 339 Definiteness, 339 Elements of, 340 Examples of, 340 Limits placed upon explanation in, 340-341 "Reason Why" element in, 342-343 474 INDEX Installment, payments, as an Inducement, 217 Instincts Discussion of various Acquisitiveness, 82 Cleanliness, 82 Comfort, 82 Competition, 80 Constructiveness, 83 Curiosity, 82 Devotion, 80 Fearing, 79 Feeding, 79 Fighting, 80 Imitation, 81 Ornamentation, 82 Play, 82 Pride, 82 Social, 80-81 Sympathy, 83 Examples of appeal to various Ambition, 87-88, 89 Cleanliness, 83-84 Exelusiveness, 87 Fear, 87-88, 89-92 Feeding, 86-87 Health, 86-87 Mother love, 85 Parental love, 84 Pride, 83 Means of facilitating response to, 70- 72 Introduction, letter of, 328-330 Introductory address, of letter, 457-463 Jobber, letter to, 299 Law of Fusion, 62-65 Long Circuit appeal, see "Reason Why appeal" Mailing List, sources for compiling, 293- 295 Make-Up of the Letter, 453-469 Memories Individual, 46 Racial, 52-55 Narrative, development by, 253-256 Negative Suggestion In Clincher, 235 Negative Suggestion (continued) In Credit letters, 408 In Inquiry letters, 342 In Order letters, 364 Necessity of avoiding, 67 Opens opposing lines of action, 49 Office correspondence, 447, 469 Order Letters, application in detail of principles underlying writing of effective, 347-309 (1) Written by Buyer, 347-351 Asking price quotations, 350 Giving notification of error, 351 Making inquiry, 351 Ordering goods, 347-350 v (2) Written by Seller, 353-369 Answering inquiries that may lead to orders, 356-362 Letters acknowledging.an order, 362- 369 Parallel development by comparison, 249- 252 Payment On easy terms, as Inducement, 217- 219 Stating terms of in Order letter. 348- 350 Performance, record of, as Proof, 191- 192 Personal Information, letters of, appli- cation in detail of principles un- derlying writing of effective, 329- 336 Application, 330-335 Introduction, 329-330 Recommendation, 336 Reference, 335 "Personal Plus" tone, 268-269 "Personal" tone, 266-268 Persuasion Application in detail of principles un- derlying effective, 203-209 In Reason Why appeal, 137-138 In Short Circui; appeal, 146 Principles underlying, 122-123 Petty accounts, collection of, 430-434 Postcards, use of in acknowledging or- ders, 365 Predicament to Remedy, development by, 243-244 INDEX 475 Price Asking quotations as to, 350 Bearing of on selection of appeal, 114 Reduction in, 213-217 Product Assembling information concerning, 19- 31 Beginning weakened by too strongly emphasizing, 128 Causing pleasing feelings aroused by Suggestion to be attached to, 62- 66 Causing prospect to associate with his dajly life, 60 Clincher appeal in selling expensive, 231-232 Description and Explanation employed in telling about, 167-188 Nature of determines selection of ap- peal, 111-112 Words employed vary according to na- ture of, 260 Proof Advertisement devoted to, 136-137 Application in detail of principles un- derlying effective, 191-200 By Guarantee, or Money Back, Offer, 195-196 By List, or Experience, of Users, 192-195 By Record of Performance, 191-192 By Test, 196 In eac'ii of first three steps of Delib- erative Process, 131-132 In Reason Why appeal, 135-136 In Short-Circuit appeal, 145 Relation of Central Selling Point to, 135-136 Prospect Acquiring information concerning, 9-10 Information likely to be of interest to, 20 Memory of awakened by Suggestion must be vital, 59-60 Memory awakened by Suggestion should parallel experience of, 61 Needs and desires of shape selling ap- peal, 5-6, 35, 96-100, 161, 203 Shaping selling appeal to meet needs of given class of, 11-14 Prospect (continued) Words employed should be in keeping with, 260 Psychological urge, 72, 139-140, 232- 235 Quotations, asking for price, 350 Reason Why appeal Deliberative Process as basis of, 95- 107 Elements of, 127-140 Examples, 106-107, 113 Nature of Product determines selec- tion of, 111-112 Recommendation, letter of, 336 "Reference, letter of, 335 Repetition, force of in removing oppos- ing ideas, 69-70 Result to Cause, Development by, 240- 244 Retail stores, collection letters sent out by, 430 Routine letters, see Everyday letters Sales Talk In Adjustment letters, 395-396 In Collection letters, 428-430 In Order letters, 357 Salesmen Letter paving way for visit of, 306 Letter to, 300-301 Letter to jobber's, 299 Relation of to correspondents, 8 Salutation, of letter, 463-464 Second Sheets, means of identifying, 461 Selling Appeal Arrangement of, 239-256 Choice of, 111 Means of testing pulling power of> 295-296 Steps of, 119 Senses, Short Circuit appeal to, 147-149 Service Emphasized in Everyday letter, 324- 326 Emphasized in Order letter, 364-365 Special, as Inducement, 219-223 Shipment Giving details of in Order letter, 348- 349 Making inquiry concerning early, 351 476 INDEX Short Circuit appeal Appeal to emotions, 14-152 Appeal to senses, 147-149 Elements of selling appeal in their ap- plication to, 143-154 Examples, 113, 153-154 List of products that can be sold by, 111-112 Suggestive Process as basis of, 45- 75 Signature, 465-467 "Slangy" tone, 269-270 Slang, indiscriminate use of to be avoided, 100 Spacing, of letter, 454 Striking Example, development by, 246-* 249 Subconscious mind, 46 Suggestion Application of Principles of appeal by, 59-75 Examples, 49-51 Negative, see "Negative Suggestion" Principles of appeal by, 45-55 Products that can be sold through ap- peal by, '111-11 2 Tact Benefits gained by, 325 In Adjustment letters, 376-377 In Credit letters, 406 In Order letters, 360-361 Test, affording prospect opportunity for, as method of Proof, 19t> Testing pulling power of appeal, 295- 296 Titles, employed in Introductory address, 461-462 Tone, of selling appeal, 259-273 Avoid conveying impression of undue anxiety *to sell, 200-261 "Emotional" tone, 264-266 "Everyday" tone, 264-266 Make tone authoritative, 201 "Personal Plus" tone, 268-209 "Personal" tone, 266-208 Reflect character of concern, 259-260 'Slangy" tone, 269-270 Use words prospect is accustomed to using, 260 Vary choice of words with nature of product, 260 Trade name, advertisement aimed at fix- ing in prospect's mind, 309-310 User, Experience of, development by, 252- 253 Users, List of, or Experience of, as Proof, 192-195 Words Choice of varies with nature of prod- uct, 260 Selection of in effective Description and Explanation, 179-181, 180 That prospect is accustomed to using are most efl'evtive, 200 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY