Page 217 - One Thousand Ways to Make $1000

every sale made to the consumer.

The story is told of a small soap manufacturer who made a powdered soap
that was especially good for washing dishes. When he tried to sell it to
dealers they all gave him the “run around.” They said, “Our shelves are
loaded with a dozen brands of soap powder. We cannot afford to tie up any
money in soap. Go out and create a demand for your powder, and then we
will stock it.” That was a stickler. How could he create a demand without
capital? It took far more money than he had to put on an advertising
campaign, and it was difficult to get enough volume selling door to door.
That night he talked his problem over with his wife who was a practical sort
of person. “I’ll tell you what,” she said, “we have enough money to buy ten
gross of hand-towels, and you can get them at a low price from the mills in
Newburysport. Offer to give a towel away FREE with every purchase of two
packages of soap powder. I’ll bet you anything you like that any store in town
will be glad to give you a window—it would draw the crowds and that is
what every storekeeper wants.”

The idea of a free hand-towel with every two-package purchase caught on
like wildfire. The merchant who cooperated with the soap maker and put in
the first window sold hundreds of packages. The manufacturer was soon
being solicited by storekeepers who, only a week before, refused to have
anything to do with his soap powder. They just could not stand by and see the
women all going to their competitor to get the advantage of the special deal
he was offering on soap powder.

Another way to promote a small business is by enlisting the aid of the school
children. Just how this can be done, depends, of course, upon the nature of
your business. But a live American youngster is just about the best press
agent you can hire, and best of all, his services may be obtained at a trifling
cost. An unusual shaped rubber balloon, offered on Saturdays with purchases
of a certain amount, is almost certain to bring dozens of doting mothers into a
store with their young hopefuls in tow. Simple puzzles, that can be bought for
as little as two cents, draw the youngsters like magnets. Kites, “Fire Chief”
hats, cross-word puzzles, stamp albums, magic sets, pop-out or cut-out sets,
paper dolls, and clown hats are other premiums that have been used to attract