Page 44 - One Thousand Ways to Make $1000

“It is one of the best small sets you can buy. The fellow who punches the
right number gets it.” He extended the board to one of the men, and in less
than thirty minutes, the board, passed from one to another, was completely
punched out. A guest in one of the rooms on the third floor started away with
the radio, smiling. Winton, pocketing the proceeds, suggested to the clerk that
he take a punch board. “You keep 25 per cent of what you take in on the
board,” said Winton, “and the radio will be free.” The clerk agreed, so
Winton left a board with him and then went on to his next call.

“I made twenty dollars profit on that first punch board in the hotel,” said
Winton. “On the board left with the clerk, I made five dollars. I delivered the
radio when the board was punched out. The radios were sold to me at the
usual discount to dealers by the manufacturer, so I had a nice profit from
those two boards. But small hotels are not the only places where I sell radios.
You’d be surprised at the number of barber shops, cigar stores, billiard halls,
and other places of this nature where you can put in these radios and do a
nice business. Some of the more popular barber shops, lunchrooms, and
recreation parlors use as many as three boards weekly. I had a little difficulty
getting the hang of lining them up at first though. I thought it was only
necessary to sell the proprietor or a clerk. I was fooled. You have to show
them how to make money on the board. That’s why I connect the radio first.
No one is interested in a demonstration that doesn’t demonstrate. They want
to hear the radio as well as look at it. My present method proves the money-
making possibilities to the clerk and shows the crowd just how good the radio
is.”

Winton pointed out that trying to talk up the sale isn’t effective with him. He
buys his radios from a wholesale company, specializing in this type of radio
distribution, and during his first four months his profits were well over a
thousand dollars. He builds up his business by establishing an “agent” in a
barber shop, pool room, or tavern, in the manner described above. Each
agent, so appointed, uses between three and six boards monthly. He pays for
the boards and the radios he uses when delivered by the wholesaler, and the
cost of the first radio is the extent of his original investment. This amounts to
twelve dollars.