Chapter II: Part 2

Wouldn’t you feel the same way Mr. Brown feels if you were in his place and some one had approached you in this manner? You see there are no mysterious tricks in salesmanship. Just put yourself in the other fellow’s shoes and say the thing that would sound reasonable and interesting to you—common sense, that is the keynote.

Now we will tell Mr. Brown all about our plan:

“You know better than I do, Mr. Brown, how the average woman’s mind works. She wants something for nothing. Bargain is her watchword. She will actually buy something she doesn’t need simply because she thinks it is a bargain. I once saw a woman buy two picture frames at $1.98 each, which were marked ‘_Reduced from_ $3.’ After she had bought them I heard her husband ask her what she intended to do with them. He told her they had no pictures to put in the frames. She answered: ‘Yes, John, but think only $1.98.’ Later I was in another store and saw the same frames selling regularly at $1.75 each. I have repeated this incident, Mr. Brown, to show you how a woman’s mind works, for my plan to sell your dead stock is a big bargain sale that has been worked successfully all over the country. Here is a set of seven books. We call them the Woman’s Library, for they cover the six most interesting subjects in the world to women. Before I go into the details of my plan to dispose of your dead stock, I want to tell you briefly what there is about this set of books which makes women want to own them. Remember, I am not trying to sell you books. In fact, I am not trying to sell you anything. I am simply offering a plan whereby we can both profit. I will sell the books and your dead stock. You will get your money out of the dead stock and I will make a profit on the books. Mind you, I do not ask you to invest a dollar in books. All I ask is your cooperation. Now, as I started to say, it will be necessary for me to explain the nature of these books in order to convince you that women will snap them up like hot cakes. If you were a woman, I know you would appreciate their strong appeal and salability.

“This is ‘The Book of Good Manners.’ It tells you how to do and say the right thing on all occasions. It tells you how to introduce, what form to use when you introduce an elderly man to a young girl, a distinguished man to a group of people, etc. It tells you how to acknowledge an introduction and when to shake hands. It tells when and how to make formal and informal calls; what should appear upon calling cards; how invitations should be written, sent and acknowledged; how to acquire perfect manners at the table; when and how to use the knife, fork and spoon; how to eat asparagus, olives, corn on cob and other foods so difficult for most of us; in fact, every conceivable question which women are interested in is answered. It is simply a dictionary of etiquette. Do you know, Mr. Brown, that almost every woman in this town feels the need of this book every time she entertains or calls on her friends? Every woman has been placed in many a humiliating position simply because she did not know the rules of etiquette. It is surprising how little most of us really know about good manners. Here is a simple little test which not more than one woman out of a dozen can answer.” (You hand Mr. Brown a folder with the questions printed on it. He will probably smile and remark that he doubts if he can answer them. While he looks at the folder you continue talking.)

“Incidentally, Mr. Brown, one of our methods of making people realize the need of this book is to ask a lot of questions in our ads, similar to the questions you are reading. You see our plan is to make them realize that they are continually committing social blunders which make them appear crude and common in the eyes of their friends. When I explain about these other books I will show you how we handle the advertising and copy of ads which have proved very successful.

“This volume is called ‘Color Harmony and Design in Dress.’ It is difficult for a man to understand what a problem it is for a girl or woman to buy the clothes which are becoming to her. You see certain girls can not wear certain colors. For a girl to appear ‘at her best’ she must know what colors harmonize with her hair, eyes and complexion. If she is too stout, she must know what designs and colors will make her appear slender, and on the other hand, if she is too thin, she must know how to make herself appear in proportion. And then there are the tall ones whose problem is to decrease their height by the camouflage design and color combination; the short ones who have the problem of increasing their height. Perhaps this sounds silly to a man, but you know how vain most women are, Mr. Brown. They will spend their last penny for a box of powder or something that will make them beautiful. Of course, I am an exception (?) ahem!” (This remark will bring a smile and relieve the strain for a moment. Mr. Brown will pass a few complimentary remarks which you will take good-naturedly, and continue.)

“I know that you are not interested in hearing all about a woman’s troubles, Mr. Brown, but as I said before, I must tell you this in order to show you how these books answer all of their problems. I am trying to impress you with the fact that the Woman’s Library is not a collection of ordinary books. They are the only combination of their kind published, and I will wager that every woman in this town will want them if they are put before them in the right way. They are the very keys which open the door to a woman’s most perplexing problems. They are to a woman’s life what a furniture trade journal is to your business life. You read the trade paper because you want to keep in touch with what the best type of furniture dealer is doing, and try to improve your store. It is a woman’s business to be as attractive as possible, and there isn’t a woman alive who wouldn’t grab at the chance to find out how to become more so. You can’t appreciate what a problem the average girl or woman is up against trying to buy or make clothes that magnify instead of mar her good looks.

“Now, this volume tells ‘how to prepare and serve a meal.’ It tells just how the table should be set; where each piece of china and silver should be placed; at which side of a person you should stand when serving or removing dishes. In addition to answering hundreds of these questions it contains menus for every occasion from simple home dinners to elaborate afternoon teas. Each menu is followed with recipes telling how to prepare each dish listed.

“Do you know, Mr. Brown, that not one woman out of ten actually knows these things? Do you know that every time the average woman entertains she is self-conscious and afraid she has committed some terrible blunder which ‘gives her away’ to her friends.

“The last half of this volume is devoted to ‘Interior Decoration.’ It tells how to arrange furniture and bric-à-brac to beautify the home. It tells what color draperies harmonize with certain colors in floor coverings, upholstery and walls. In short it tells how to plan a home that will reflect good taste and a genuine homelike atmosphere.

“You know how funny women are on this subject. You see it every day right here in your store when they buy furniture. How often have women displayed their total ignorance of color harmony when buying upholstered furniture from you. How often have they asked: ‘Will the blue velour upholstery on this suite match well in a room papered green?’

“This volume is called ‘Physical Beauty.’ It tells how to become beautiful; how to care for the skin, develop a good figure, remove wrinkles, double chin, freckles and all other blemishes which mar a woman’s beauty. It tells how to care for the hair, hands and teeth. Also home preparations which have been used by famous beauties are given in detail.

“It goes without saying that this volume touches one of the most tender spots in women.

“‘Avoided Subjects Discussed in Plain English’ is a book on sex. It outlines every single mystery of sex in plain English. I feel that the title of this volume speaks for itself. You know without me saying so what a strong appeal this subject carries.

“‘The Book of Culture’ contains a series of essays on subjects related to self-development. Here are the titles of the essays: (show him the book opened at the index page).

“This volume on ‘How to Make Money’ gives a number of practical ways for the average man, woman or girl to utilize her spare time profitably. Every aggressive woman is interested in ways and means of making money.

“Now, Mr. Brown, I think you will have to agree that this set of books is something every woman wants and will buy.

“Here is my plan for disposing of your dead stock: Suppose that you have a lot of kitchen tables which cost you six dollars each, a lot of chairs that cost you five dollars each, a lot of mirrors that cost you four dollars each, a lot of rugs that cost you seven dollars each, and a lot of pedestals that cost you eight dollars each. All of these are dead stock to you. Let us make up a list of the dead stock as follows:

Twenty kitchen tables—your cost each $6—your regular selling price
$10 each.

_OUR BARGAIN PRICE_ $9.98 each and the Woman’s Library given free
with each table. You make the sale, collect the cash and pay me $3
on each sale for the set of books. You will get your cost out of the
tables and $1 profit on each sale after you pay me for the books.

Thirty chairs—your cost $5 each—your regular selling price $9 each.

_OUR BARGAIN PRICE_ $8.98 each and the Woman’s Library given free
with each chair. After you pay me for the set of books you make $1
profit on the sale and get your cost out of dead stock.

Twenty-five mirrors—your cost $4 each—your regular selling price $8
each.

_OUR BARGAIN PRICE_ $7.98 and the set of books free with each sale.
You make $1 profit on each sale after you pay me for the books.

Fifty small rugs—your cost $7 each—your regular selling price $12
each.

_OUR BARGAIN PRICE_ $11.98 and a set of books free with each rug.
Your profit on each sale after you pay for books.

Ten Pedestals—your cost $8 each—your regular selling price $12.50
each.

_OUR BARGAIN PRICE_ $12.48. You make $1.50 profit after you pay for
books.

“Now let us see what we have done. We have turned $800 worth of dead stock into ready cash and made you $190 profit besides. We have given your customer a set of books which is worth $5 more than they paid for books, chair and all. Will they sell? Well, Mr. Brown, as I said in the beginning, I will prove to you by actual sales that they will sell. We will sell your regular customers and we will bring you new customers who probably would never otherwise have come to your store. I have twenty sets of these books, and am willing to come to your store and help fix up your window. We can fill your window with the chairs, tables, rugs, etc., and attach a large card stating that the Woman’s Library will be given absolutely free with each chair. In the center of the window we will make a big pile of the twenty sets of books with an attractive sign on them. I have here copy for advertisement which you can run in our daily paper (we furnish you copies of ads to show Mr. Brown). We will sell your dead stock so quickly you will wonder how it was done. This plan, Mr. Brown, has been tried all over the country. We know it works.”

Now, honestly, couldn’t you sit down and tell the facts just related to most anyone after you had familiarized yourself a little more with the books, etc.? You see that after all, selling goods is more a matter of common sense. When you have something good to sell and are convinced people will buy it, you have won half the battle.

Suppose that you were going to sell Mrs. Jones our “Book of Good Manners.” The first thing to do is to write down all the good reasons why you think Mrs. Jones should buy it, and then arrange these reasons into a short interesting talk. Try to think of all the objections she will raise and have an answer ready for her. We have repeated the above conversation between a saleswoman and the buyer of a furniture store simply to show you that all there is to selling is:

First: Having something good to offer.

Second: Knowing all about your article.

Third: Explaining your proposition with simple words in the same way
you think it would sound well to you if you were the buyer.

Fourth: Knowing when to stop talking and close the deal.

You could probably explain this plan to your buyer in many different ways and sell him. Each person has distinct methods of getting results.

Now let us see where your profit will come in. Each sale made would net you $1.50 profit. Suppose 200 sales were made. You would make $300 on the one store. When you complete the sale with this store you ask them to give you a letter recommending the plan to other stores. Each store you sell you secure a letter of recommendation. After you secure these letters from five or six good stores you will have no trouble in selling the best store in each city you visit. Remember, we furnish samples of advertisements to you. Each one of your customers can copy these advertisements in their daily papers.

The girl or woman who is willing to study our free course in salesmanship can make from $150 to $300 for two or three days’ work in each city she visits.

How can you get started? What must you do to get this free course in salesmanship? We want you first to read every one of these plans. When you finish reading, we will explain how simple it is to get started.

Have you ever known a crowd of girls who went around together, to dances, parties, shows, etc., and then one day one of these girls was promoted to a position where she superintended a number of other girls?

Did you notice any marked change in her, or in the attitude of the other girls in the crowd? You know very well you did! You know very well that something about that girl commanded more respect and more attention than any other girl in the crowd. Of course, you said a lot of things behind her back, but just the same you were only too glad to have her invite you for a walk or to a show. You never failed to mention the fact that Margaret called you up, and you went to the show with her. You might have said some nasty things about her having a “swelled head,” etc., but you said these things just because you envied her. What a difference this promotion has made in Margaret’s life. Everyone is anxious to cater to her. When she speaks every one is silent. When there is a prominent or honorary office to be filled in your clubs, Margaret’s is the first name mentioned.

How pleasant life must be for Margaret. What a difference it makes when one is invited out to meet a young man or a set of girls, when they have all been confidently informed that “Margaret is a remarkable girl. You know, she is at the head of the Smith Company and has complete charge of the entire force.”

Surely, you must have wished to occupy a position that would command respect. You must have dreamed of filling a position where people would look up to you and feel dependent upon you. Perhaps you have even dreamed of having your own office with your name on the door, your own bank account, two or three assistants and a score of girls working under you. You have even thought of the thrill it would give you when your friends paid you a call at your office and saw how successful you were. Who would not be happy under these circumstances? Who would not enjoy an automobile, pretty clothes, a circle of cultured friends, and all the other luxuries which this position would offer you?

If you are a 100 per cent American girl, if you possess a drop of imagination or desire to be something more than an ordinary girl, you surely have pictured yourself managing some of the plans which we have told you about in this book. You must have seen yourself as you would appear under these new conditions. You, but an uplifted, radiant _YOU_. Yourself, but as different as the drab moth from the beautiful butterfly. For a few moments your thoughts took you to a new and wonderful world, and then—and then you became your ordinary self again. You thought how foolish it was for you to think for one moment about doing such a thing. How could you? You didn’t even know where or how to begin such an undertaking. You didn’t have any experience, nor the necessary education, and besides it took money to start such things, and you didn’t have any money. And then what would your friends think, and suppose you didn’t succeed? And then you thought of everything you had read, and the things that seemed so simple to you when you read them, all ran together and loomed up like a huge monster. They now appear a great, big knot, and you never could unravel it. The office, the bank account, and everything seem like a dream to you. You have allowed yourself to be carried away with a story. You were trying to live the part of the heroine.

If your mind is not working about the way we have pictured it, you are indeed a remarkable girl, for ninety-eight girls out of one hundred think and act just as we have related, and this is why most girls are tied down to miserable routine work earning barely enough to exist upon. This is why girls who are capable of making their mark in the world become discouraged and think that their ability is not appreciated.

What happens?

Rather than continue on these meager earnings with no prospects of advancement, they marry.

And whom do they marry?

They try to marry a promising young man who is making his mark in the world, but, naturally, a young man of this type is associating with a more progressive circle of friends; therefore they decide to accept the first offer that appears like a fair prospect of a home.

What finally happens to these girls? Unless you can look ahead twenty years you can not answer this question. Ask your parents or a friend who has reached the age of fifty to make a list of twenty-five of their schoolmates. Ask them to tell you what has happened to them. How many of them are able to retire? How many are self supporting? What kind of homes are they living in? How many of life’s luxuries have they enjoyed?

And they too were once pretty girls! They too were considered clever. They too dreamed of the same kind of future you are dreaming about. But this youthful dream never came true. They patiently waited for the opportunity which never came. The aggressive, successful young men whom they dreamed of married the “Margarets” who had somehow dropped their old crowd and had become favorites with prominent people. Be honest with yourself! Why should you think you are so different, that through some mysterious good fortune, everything will turn out all right for you?

TRY THIS TEST ON YOURSELF

This test will show you all your weaknesses and strong points. Actually check with a pencil each thing you can do. This will show you what your chances are for success. Go over each question thoughtfully. Don’t check a single question unless you are sure you could do it.

QUESTION NO. 1

Could you walk into the office of your newspaper and say: “Please insert this ad in your want ad column for three days?” You hand them a piece of paper containing the following ad:

“Wanted: Girls and women to train for traveling position. Can earn from $5 to $15 per day. Call in person at once. 457 Main Street.”

(NOTE: This ad will cost about $1 for three days).

QUESTION NO. 2

The next day a girl or woman will call at your address and say that she came in answer to your ad. Could you invite her in and say:

“What is your name, please?

“Where do you live?

“What are you now employed at?

“Are you willing to call upon homes and introduce a new library?”

And then could you say:

“Miss Jones, I am the local manager for The Social Mentor Publications. I am organizing a crew of girls to first canvass this town and then travel all over the country canvassing each city we visit. A girl who is willing to get out and hustle can make from $5 to $15 per day besides having the opportunity of seeing the country. Before I tell you about the plan in general I want to explain about the Woman’s Library and see what you think of it.”

QUESTION NO. 3

After you read each volume in the Woman’s Library, could you with the aid of our course in salesmanship explain what each book was about, and why women and girls would want them?

QUESTION NO. 4

Now that you have told her what kind of books make up the Woman’s Library, could you continue the conversation something like this:

“Miss Jones, the regular price of this library is $15. We have made arrangements to print these books in large quantities, and are selling the entire set for $3. We will pay you $1 for each set you sell. The average girl can sell ten sets per day, so you see you would earn $10 per day, and even if you only sold five sets, you would make $5.

“All that you need to do to get started is to buy one set of books for $2 which you will use as samples. I will tell you what street to start working on, and you bring me your orders each night. At the end of each week you deliver the orders which you have sold and collect for them, keeping $1 on each set for your profit.

“I am employing several other girls, but am giving each girl certain streets to work so that they will not interfere with each other. After you have all worked a day or two, we will all meet here and get acquainted. We can talk over our experiences and in that way help each other sell more orders.

“When we finish working this town, we will move to the next town and canvass it. You see that in addition to earning a fine salary, we will have an opportunity to see every city in the country.”

What happens next?

She pays you $2 for a sample set of books and you tell her what street to work and give her some order blanks. At the end of the week you give her enough books to fill the orders she has taken, and she delivers them to her customers and returns $2 to you for each set. She keeps $1 for her profit.

What is there about this plan you can not do?

If you employ twenty girls you will have to do just what we have told you twenty times. The oftener you do it, the easier it becomes.

Let us see if we cannot make that dream come true after all.

You make 50 cents on each set of books an agent sells. If she can sell ten sets per day she would make $5 for you. If you have twenty girls working they will earn $100 per day for you. But even five girls will earn $25 per day if they sell ten sets per day. Just to show you how impossible it would be to fail, suppose you only had five girls and each girl only sold five sets of books per day, you would still make $12.50 per day.

When you get our course in salesmanship and sales management, you will see how easy it is to start one of these plans. It will tell you everything in clear, simple language. It will tell you how to go to new towns and organize a new crew, and how to open an office of your own.

HOW WE EMPLOY YOU

To start any of the plans which we have outlined it is necessary for you to have twenty sets of books. Naturally, we must get acquainted with you before we can send you books on credit. On the first order of twenty sets we require you to pay in advance. When you get started and prove to us you are going to hustle we will send you the books and you can pay us when you sell them and collect for them.

Perhaps many girls who read this will not have the necessary money on hand to pay for the first twenty sets of books. If this happens to be the case with you, there is one thing you must remember. Everyone who starts in business for herself faces the same trouble you are facing. But instead of throwing up their hands and saying “it can’t be done” they go to some one who has the money, and borrow it. If you would go to some one and explain what you are going to do they would be only too glad to lend you enough to get started on.

Read the coupon on the next page; then sign it and return to-day together with the money to pay for your first twenty sets of books.

FREE COUPON

SOCIAL CULTURE PUBLICATIONS,
151 Fifth Avenue, New York City.

GENTLEMEN:

Please send me absolutely free your Complete Course In Salesmanship and Sales-management; also Bulletin which gives me complete instructions on how to sell your books. Also send me free of charge:

200 folders describing the Woman’s Library. 200 order blanks. 200 large envelopes to mail the folders in. 200 small envelopes for my customers to return the order and money in to me. Also send me bulletin telling how to start a mail order business.

You are also to send me copies of newspaper advertisements and complete instructions telling how to advertise the Woman’s Library.

I am enclosing $30.00 as full payment of twenty complete sets of the Woman’s Library. I will sell them for $3.00 per set; each set to contain seven books as follows:

The Book of Good Manners.
Plain Talks on Avoided Subjects.
How To Prepare and Serve a Meal and Interior Decoration.
Physical Beauty.
Color Harmony and Design in Dress.
How To Make Money.
The Book of Culture.

Please ship them at once to the following address:

Name................................

Street and No.......................

Town and State......................

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SEX

_The Mystery of Sex Revealed in Plain English_

The secret questions and thoughts of thousands answered in understandable language. This book is solemnly dedicated to set forth in clear language the conception and birth of a child; to follow the life of the male and the female from birth to maturity, explaining the causes of passion and love; to advise those whose passions and desires are stronger than their will to resist. This volume treats on every single phase of the sex question which every mother and prospective bride should know.

_PRICE_ _$2.00_

THE BOOK OF CULTURE

In a series of essays this volume treats a number of subjects in a very entertaining and instructive manner. Among the titles of these essays are: “How to Acquire Personal Charm,” “The True Aristocrat,” “The Origin of Society,” “Social Defects,” “Successful Matrons,” “Courtship Courtesies,” “Deportment of Children,” “Advice to the Young Girl,” “The Art of Congenial Conversation,” “How to Cultivate a Vocabulary That Will Mark You Wellbred,” “Etiquette for the Business Man,” “The Cash Value of Pleasing Manners,” “Plain Talk to Women,” “The Art of Letter Writing,” “Woman’s Greatest Appeal to Man.”

_PRICE_ _$2.00_

PHYSICAL BEAUTY

_Compare yourself with the “perfect woman.”_

Height, 5 ft. 3 in.
Weight, 137 lbs.
Neck, 12½ in.
Chest, 33 1⁄10 in.
Waist, 26 2⁄10 in.
Hips, 37 8⁄10 in.
Thigh, 22 2⁄10 in.
Calf, 13 in.
Ankle, 7 7⁄10 in.
Wrist, 5 9⁄10 in.

It does not matter whether you compare favorably with the perfect woman, you might be in perfect proportion. “PHYSICAL BEAUTY” tells you how to cultivate natural beauty at home without expense. It tells how to cure skin disease, develop your figure, care for your hair, cultivate a pleasing voice, acquire a graceful carriage and restore color to your face. How to reduce and increase your weight without injurious or troublesome treatments. How to remove wrinkles, double chin and every physical defect which mars your beauty.

_PRICE_ _$2.00_

HOW TO PREPARE AND SERVE A MEAL and INTERIOR DECORATION

Should crackers be served with soup or passed? At which side of a guest should you stand while removing his soup dish? In addition to answering hundreds of these questions this instructive volume contains menus for every occasion. Each menu is followed with recipes. Detailed instructions tell you how and when to serve each dish. Charts show where to place each dish and piece of silver, when and how to remove empty dishes. It does not matter whether you have servants or whether you serve, this volume tells the conventional way to do it. The preparation and serving of formal dinners, breakfasts, suppers, dainty afternoon teas, buffet luncheons, chafing dish suppers, tray service, banquets and all their variations are explained in detail.

The “INTERIOR DECORATION” section is devoted to artistic taste within the home. The arrangement of furniture and bric-a-brac. The color and design of draperies, floor coverings and walls. It tells you how to plan and maintain a perfect home.

_PRICE_ _$2.00_

THE BOOK OF GOOD MANNERS

This volume is a complete Dictionary of Etiquette. It tells you what to do and say upon all occasions and how to appear at perfect ease when others appear embarrassed. It also tells you how to overcome timidity, fear and self-consciousness; how to acquire poise at the dinner table, the dance, in the drawing room, and everywhere refined people assemble.

_PRICE_ _$3.00_

COLOR HARMONY AND DESIGN IN DRESS

Do you know what colors harmonize with your complexion? Do you know what designs in costumes are most becoming? These are the subjects this volume explains. It does not matter whether you are tall, short, stout or slender; a blonde or a brunette—you will find the color and general design of the garment you should wear fully described. It tells how to conceal your defects and bring out natural beauty. It does not dictate style, but tells what lines and general designs you should avoid as well as the ones you should look for. It enables you to select only the clothes that will magnify your beauty.

_PRICE_ _$2.00_

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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

1. P. 3, added “How Fortunes Are Made” to the TOC. 2. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling. 3. Archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as printed. 4. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.