undoubtedly works to the best advantage, we advocate the suggestion
plan for the rank and file of workmen. Even when called into a
committee meeting, the workman sometimes hesitates to express his
opinions, when if he were permitted to give them in some other
manner he would make many valuable suggestions. The plan is to place
at convenient points boxes with slots cut in the top in which the
suggestions can be placed. Workmen are invited to write out their
suggestions and place them in these boxes. They may either sign them
or give their clock numbers. The latter plan is sometimes advisable,
as it does not reveal the identity of the men making suggestions. All
suggestions are taken up in committee meeting by the committee directly
interested, and a small prize is given for those suggestions that are
put into use. Even so large a department store as Marshall Field & Co.
has found it extremely profitable to offer $1.00 for each suggestion
offered by an employe that is finally adopted.
Another method is to use autographic registers like the one illustrated
in Fig., 11 on which three copies are made. The original is sent to the
office, the duplicate is retained by the workman, while the triplicate
remains on a roll in the machine. This is removed at the time of the
committee meeting, and any suggestions adopted are posted on a bulletin
board. The workman need not even sign his number, but can present the
duplicate as proof that the suggestion was made by him.
The introduction of any or all of these committee and suggestion plans
requires careful study, but when once put into operation they will
prove both successful and of inestimable value to the business.
ORAL ORDERS CAUSE CONFUSION
=36.= Probably no more prolific source of confusion and
misunderstanding of instructions is to be found than in the habit of
giving oral orders. "I understood you to say" or "I thought you meant"
are familiar excuses offered for a failure to follow what the one
giving them considered clear and explicit instructions.
[Illustration: Fig. 11. Autographic Register Made by United Autographic
Register Co.]
The absolute necessity of clearly defined authorities that every man
connected with an organization may know from whom he is to receive
orders, is well recognized. When we get above the one-man business,
employes are not left in doubt as to the _source_ of their orders. Why
then should there be left the slightest chance of misunderstanding as
to the _nature_ of their orders?
When we issue orders that are to be executed by someone outside of
our own organization, we are careful that they are in writing. If an
order for goods is placed by telephone or telegraph it is confirmed
in writing, not alone for the legal protection afforded by a valid
contract, but that there may be no confusion or misunderstanding.
When we receive an order we prefer to have it in writing for the same
reasons.
The success of any undertaking is largely dependent on the proper
execution of orders. Surely, orders to be executed within the
organization are of equal importance to those that will be executed
by an outsider, and at least the same care should be exercised in
issuing them. The logical conclusion then is that they should be given
in writing. True, oral instructions are sometimes necessary, but all
orders and instructions of importance should be in writing.
There are many classes of internal orders, depending on the nature
of the business. Among them is a class of inter-departmental
communications more in the nature of correspondence than direct
orders. In the harmonious operation of an organization, many requests
are made between departments; general orders affecting all departments
are given by the manager; bulletins are issued by a department manager
to all employes under him--all of these should be in writing.
As an illustration, take a special order from a customer. A salesman
reports that an order can be secured for certain goods provided some
slight change is made in the design. The sales manager will communicate
with the superintendent about the cost of making the changes. The
question then goes to the general manager for a final decision. Imagine
the chances for argument if these negotiations are carried on orally,
but if in writing, what each man said is on record and entirely clear.
[Illustration: Fig. 12. Blank Used for Interdepartment Correspondence]
No elaborate form is needed for these communications, but it is best to
use a form differing from that used in the regular correspondence. A
simple form is shown in Fig. 12. The form should always show from what
department it comes, and, to avoid confusion, it is an excellent plan
to use a distinctive color for each department.
Each department should keep a file of these house communications,
including carbon copies of those issued by them. It is frequently
necessary to follow up their requests to secure reasonably prompt
action.
To insure the follow-up, each department should be provided with
a follow-up file or tickler, a file having thirty-one numbered
compartments to represent the days of the month. This same file can be
used for all sorts of memoranda of matters requiring attention on a
future date.
ADVANTAGES OF UNIFORM BLANKS
=37.= One of the little points in the routine workings of a business
office that is not always given proper consideration is the
establishment of a uniform system of blanks. The blanks used for a
given purpose in one department will be of a certain size and color,
while those used for the same purpose in another department will be
radically different in both size and color. Or blanks of entirely
different classes will be identical in size and color. The result is a
miscellaneous collection of blanks in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
Uniformity in blanks at once establishes a means of identification,
avoids confusion, saves filing space and limits mistakes.
Though we may have given the subject little thought, we have long
been accustomed to uniformity in certain blanks and business papers.
If we have been receiving freight over several railroads the freight
bills of each have been readily distinguished by size, color and
style of printing. Correspondence from our customers is recognized by
the style of the stationery, and orders are distinguished from other
communications of the same concern.
Aside from the question of convenience, there is a certain advertising
value in stationery and blanks with distinctive features. At a glance
we recognize in the morning mail the communications from certain of
our correspondents. We feel sure this envelope contains a remittance,
that one a welcome order, another an invoice of goods for which we have
been waiting; each is recognized by a certain style of the envelope.
At no additional expense we can make our own stationery distinctive.
Letter heads, order blanks, statements, invoices, remittance blanks
will be recognized not by one but by all of our regular correspondents.
They will soon learn to associate our name with certain styles of
stationery.
[Illustration: THE LARKIN ADMINISTRATION BUILDING One of the Finest
Office Buildings in America Devoted to One Industry. The Larkin Co.,
Buffalo, N. Y.]
Distinctive stationery does not necessarily mean expensive stationery.
Our advice is, buy the best quality that you feel you can afford; above
all, make it distinctive, make it represent you. Adopt a color, or
style of type, or shade of ink that will make your stationery stand out
from the mass coming to the desk of every business man.
The problem of filing space is a serious one in most offices, already
overcrowded. Filing devices are made in certain sizes that have become
standard. The more closely blanks to be filed conform to these sizes,
the less space will be required. While we cannot regulate the sizes of
the stationery of our correspondents, we can regulate the size of our
blanks that will eventually find their way into our own files.
[Illustration: SALES ROOM IN THE NEW YORK OFFICE OF THE WESTERN
ELECTRIC COMPANY]
ADVERTISING AND SALES ORGANIZATION
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this book is to teach neither the art of advertising
nor the science of salesmanship, but rather to set forth some of the
principles that must be applied in the organization of the advertising
and sales department; in particular, to discuss the machinery of the
department--its record-keeping systems.
Opinions differ as to the proper place in a business organization
of advertising and sales--whether they should be handled by, and
considered as, two separate and distinct departmental organizations, or
one. Both plans have their champions.
Whether we call it an _advertising_ or a _sales_ department, the
results sought--the reasons for the existence of the department--are
the same. To _sell goods_ is the aim of the organization, be its head
an advertising manager or a sales manager.
Advertising has been defined to be _printed salesmanship_; yet there is
a well-defined dividing line between the work of the advertising man
and the salesman. The advertising man seeks to impress the name of the
house and the name and quality of its product, on the public mind; to
create interest; to arouse curiosity; to stimulate desire; to attract
people to the store--in a mercantile business. The salesman seeks to
turn that interest, curiosity, desire, into action--the action of
purchase.
The advertising man introduces the possible customer; the salesman
makes the sale. But in some businesses, the advertising man goes one
step farther and actually makes the sale--as in advertising intended to
secure direct orders, by mail. Also, the salesman, when the customer
has been introduced, makes use of other forms of advertising, to
further stimulate desire and assist in making the sale.
No matter at what angle the subject is viewed, it is seen that the
advertising man and the salesman are very dependent on each other. We
prefer, therefore, to consider the sales and advertising departments
as of equal importance; both subordinate parts of the sales division
but working in perfect harmony.
The salesman knows his goods, their strong and weak points, the classes
of people to whom they will appeal. He should know, also, all about his
competitor's goods, and in what respects they are excelled by his own.
In short, he is the one who can give the best selling points to the
advertising man.
The advertising man is expected to be a master of expression. The
unpolished selling points of the salesman are worked over by the
advertising man into clear, pointed, convincing English--printed
salesmanship. His experience tells him how best to reach a given class;
what methods of advertising are best suited for a particular class of
goods.
When a selling campaign is contemplated, the plans should be worked out
by the salesman and the advertising man. The two must work together and
neither should undertake a new campaign, without first consulting the
other.
The claim is sometimes made that the function of advertising is
fulfilled when the inquiry has been received; that it is then
a question of salesmanship--but where does advertising end and
salesmanship begin? If sales are made by mail, the salesman supplements
his salesmanship with catalogs, booklets, circulars, letters--all as
surely advertising as salesmanship; in the store, he displays his goods
attractively, which is a most effective form of advertising. And so, in
the battle for business, victories are won by supplementing advertising
with salesmanship, and salesmanship with advertising--combining the two
for results.
Occasionally, a man is found who combines the creative ability of the
advertising man with the executive ability of the sales manager. When
such a man is found, it is safe to place him in charge of the sales
division, giving him full control of both advertising and sales. He
probably will require the services of a man to attend to the details
of the advertising department, but such an arrangement makes the sales
manager alone responsible.
Most large enterprises, however, require the services of one man to
handle the advertising. For this reason the head of this department
is referred to as the advertising manager, and the department as an
advertising department.
SYSTEMS AND RECORDS
In addition to the technical knowledge of the printing art--type,
engraving, and paper--and of advertising media, which the successful
advertising manager requires, he should have the faculty of applying
common-sense system in the handling of his work. An elaborate system,
which oversteps legitimate bounds and enters the realm of red tape, is
to be deplored, but the advertising man must have a system of records
which will show at all times what he is doing, what results he is
getting, exactly where he stands.
Any discussion of systems must be more or less theoretical, even when
written by an experienced advertising man. The system that works
perfectly in one office may fit in no other, therefore the systems
described in this book are to be taken as examples of what other
advertising men have adopted. From them the student will be able to
devise a practical system for a particular enterprise. At the start,
the system probably will be too complicated; experience alone will tell
the advertising manager where to eliminate, where to simplify, where to
add to make it fit.
=Advertising Information.= The advertising manager collects a vast
amount of information for future use. Every time he picks up a
newspaper or magazine his eye scans the pages for ideas, while mingling
with the crowds or walking alone, he notes what would be to the
unobserving but trifling incidents, all of which can be worked into
copy. If he is systematic he clips and makes memoranda of all this
information, preserving it for use when needed.
How to preserve it in such shape that it can be located quickly is
something of a problem. Probably the oldest methods of preserving
clippings and memoranda is to use a scrapbook, and paste in all
clippings. The scrapbook, however, is never satisfactory for this
purpose; it is not a flexible system.
Clippings should be so filed that any single clipping can be removed
without disturbing the others. The vertical file is largely used as
a receptacle for clippings, but is not entirely satisfactory unless
envelopes take the place of folders. With folders, clippings are liable
to be lost through the open ends.
An old and satisfactory method is to file clippings in envelopes.
Unless the clippings are of large size--like entire pages from trade
papers--it is not necessary to use envelopes of a size to fit a
vertical file, A size that will fit one of the smaller files--about
7"×9"--will be found more satisfactory.
The most satisfactory method of indexing is by subject. An envelope
is used for each subject about which clippings are to be made, all
clippings and memoranda being filed in the proper subject envelope. The
envelopes are indexed alphabetically, according to subjects, and a list
of contents should be recorded on the outside of each envelope. A form
of record is shown in Fig. 1, while Fig. 2 shows the manner of filing
and indexing.
[Illustration: Fig. 1. Special Box Envelope for Clippings and
Advertising Copy]
Clippings are made use of by the advertising man chiefly in the
preparation of copy, and are much more convenient to handle if filed in
envelopes than when pasted in scrapbooks. Instead of an unwieldy book
to handle, an envelope is taken from the file and the desired clipping
selected.
Sometimes the work of the advertising man is of a nature which requires
the preservation of catalogs, booklets, and all sorts of printed
matter issued by competitors. When the accumulation of such matter is
sufficient, it is best to install a complete catalog filing system,
such as is used in the purchasing department.
=Designs and Cuts.= A class of valuable property which accumulates
rapidly in an advertising department, consists of advertising designs
and cuts. This property is not given the care deserved when its value
is considered.
[Illustration: Fig. 2. File Drawer Showing How Clippings are Filed by
Subject]
Artists are paid for designs but too often after the engravings are
made, they are stored in drawers, on shelves, or in any convenient
place to get them out of the way. Little attempt is made to so file and
index them that each can be quickly located.
An old design may be available for use at any time--an engraving of
different size than the original, may be needed, or a slight alteration
may produce a complete change in the design at much less cost than
making a new one. Engravings are expensive and accumulate with amazing
rapidity. Suppose a retailer does daily advertising and uses a new cut
each day; at the end of one year he owns three hundred and sixty-five
original engravings, and probably an equal number of electrotypes. Any
of these may be available for use another time, either in newspapers,
catalogs, or circulars.
The national advertiser, using magazines and trade papers, may
accumulate a less number of engravings than the retailer, but owing to
the class of engraving required and the number of duplicates needed,
his investment is even greater.
[Illustration: Fig. 3. Box File for Drawings and Photographs]
The natural supposition would be that advertisers would give this
property proper care, filing under correct classifications, indexed for
ready reference. But experience proves the contrary. Every printing and
publishing office that has been running five years has an accumulation
of cuts belonging to advertisers, which represent an investment of
thousands of dollars.
Occasionally an advertiser is found who knows exactly where each cut
has been sent and calls for it when needed, but a big majority of these
cuts are never called for and finally are sold by the printer for what
they will bring, as old metal.
Now the property used by the advertising department should receive the
same care as any other; a dollar invested in designs and engravings
should be regarded as a dollar's worth. And if common sense be applied
in devising a system, they can be cared for with as little trouble as
any other property carried in stock.
A very satisfactory method of filing designs is to use a file
constructed on the principle of the vertical file. Stock sizes of files
are too small. Designs cannot be folded and the file should be large
enough to take in the largest designs used. An elaborate file is not
necessary; a box constructed along the lines of the one shown in Fig.
3, will answer the purpose. The chief requirements are to have the
designs filed in one place, where they can be found, and to keep them
clean. Any carpenter can build such a file, while any cabinet man will
construct one of more elaborate design to match the furniture of the
office.
Designs may be filed alphabetically by subjects, or numbered and filed
numerically. As a rule, the alphabetical method will be found more
satisfactory.
Engravings are best filed in a cut cabinet of the usual style. This is
a cabinet of shallow drawers, just deep enough to hold type-high cuts.
All engravings should be numbered and electrotypes stamped with the
same numbers as the originals. The cuts can then be filed by numbers,
and each drawer labeled to show the numbers of the cuts it contains.
[Illustration: Fig. 4. Loose-leaf Scrap Book Sheet for Preserving
Proofs of Engravings]
Cuts should be numbered consecutively, and when an engraving is made in
a new size it will take the next number, regardless of the fact that an
engraving of the same design has already been made. For instance, if
five sizes of engravings are made from one design, there will be five
cut numbers. When the cut is numbered, it is a good plan to stamp the
number on the back of the design; then reference to the design will
show how many times it has been engraved and the numbers of the cuts.
Proofs of all engravings should be kept. These may be pasted in
scrapbooks, but the books should be loose leaf. This makes it possible
to eliminate all dead matter; when designs are of no further use, the
sheets containing the proofs can be destroyed.
A sheet may contain proofs of one or of several cuts, depending on the
size, but all proofs should be arranged in numerical sequence. The
sheet should also show the cut number, the subject, and the date of
ordering electrotypes, as shown in Fig. 4. Since the space required for
proofs cannot be told in advance, it is more practical to substitute
a rubber stamp impression for printing. By using a small stamp, this
information can be stamped opposite each proof.
[Illustration: Fig. 5. Index Card for a Record of Designs and
Engravings]
=Cut Indexes and Tracers.= To complete the filing system for cuts and
designs, an index is needed. Fig. 5 shows a convenient form of index
and record card. This card is headed with the name or subject of
the design, and is indexed under this subject. The data relative to
the design includes the class--as photograph, wash drawing, or line
drawing--the name of the artist, the size of the design, and the date
made. Below this is a complete record of all original engravings and
electrotypes made from the design, including their numbers.
On the back of the card is a record of the publications, catalogs, or
circulars in which the design is used, with dates, as shown in Fig. 6.
If the name of the artist who made a certain design, or the names
of publications in which it has been used, is wanted, reference to
this card gives the desired information. This one card provides all
information that is likely to be needed in reference to both designs
and engravings.
[Illustration: Fig. 6. Reverse of Index Card Showing Where Engravings
are Used]
The methods described provide for a complete record of designs and
engravings, except in respect to cuts which have been sent out. A
record of the cuts that are out, and where each has been sent, is of
the utmost importance.
When a cut is sent out--to the printer, the publisher, or a customer--a
receipt should be obtained. This may be on a post card printed as shown
in Fig. 7. At the same time a record to be used as a tracer should be
made. This should be on a form similar to the one shown in Fig. 8.
These forms may be filed in a tickler under the date on which the cut
should be returned, or alphabetically; but in either case a desk file
should be used so that they can be referred to very readily. This
file should be looked through frequently for it is very necessary to
follow-up the cuts closely. If the cut is not expected to be returned,
it is of course unnecessary to make this tracer record.
[Illustration: Fig. 7. Postal Card Receipt for Cuts]
[Illustration: Fig. 8. Tracer Card for Drawings and Cuts]
=Copy Proofs.= A complete file of proofs of all copy is a necessity in
every advertising department. If requested to do so, any publisher will
furnish several proofs of the ad, and at least three proofs should be
kept on file. Every piece of copy and every circular or other printed
matter should bear an identifying mark of some kind. This usually is a
number.
These numbers should be registered consecutively either in a book or
on cards, and opposite each number should be the title of the copy,
booklet, or catalog. It is well to run different series of numbers for
advertising copy and other literature. Numbers 1 to 5,000 might be used
for copy, and 5,001 to 10,000 for printed matter. The same scheme can
be used to good advantage for office blanks of all kinds, giving each a
form number but using a third series of numbers.