The " Treadindl."----The "Treadmill" is a most important part of the machinery of the mail-order office. In brief, it is an automatic system of recalling to the responsible staff the proper times for sending letters or circulars to regular customers. A man gives a certain order, say for a dozen bottles of whisky. In so many months, according to previous experience, they will be used up. It will then be the psychological moment for angling for a repeat order. Earlier, the customer would put off ordering and possibly forget the firm when he did buy; later, the man might have bought else where. Calculation of a similar kind can be applied to other lines of goods, and, in fact, whenever an order is despatched, a note should be made as to the future date by which to expect a repeat order. There was an article in the May (1907) number of the Organiser Magazine that dealt with this most important point under the title of " The Tickler System." A card-index box is arranged to hold cards under a series of future dates. Memoranda of any nature can be inserted on these cards, and they come up automatically for consideration at the exact time when they are needed.
The "Treadmill" is essential to the success of the undertaking. Any reliance on memory is slipshod business. From time to time " dead" names should be eliminated from the lists, so as to prevent wastage of money on circulars, &c., though a customer should never be given up as " dead " before trying to "revive" him with a letter of a rousing character or with a particularly tempting offer.
The "treadmill" staff have practically automatic duties. The date calculation necessary is done by the " clearer," who assigns to a customer's letter a number which launches it on the " treadmill " and brings it up automatically for consideration at the proper time. In the mail-order business brains are only required at points. The " treadmill " system can be conveniently applied to the collection of accounts. As stated above, cash with order is generally asked for, but credit has to be given to certain customers. The great majority of people will pay accounts if called upon at the right time and with the right persistence. Probably sixty to seventy per cent. of the bad debts incurred by firms are due to lack of method and judgment of human nature in collecting accounts.
In the article quoted above it is shown how the system is applied to the collecting of money due. Proper method and persistence is the way to out mantruvre that common weakness of human nature to put off' payment unless repeatedly reminded. The study of human nature is the keynote to the successful mail-order business.
Business Literature.—Booklets on special lines are to be sent out periodi cally. They will form baby price-lists pivoting round the big catalogue sent out at first to each prospective customer, and renewed once a year, which forms, as it were, the standard work of reference. The booklets focus attention on one particular line of goods, and anything of novelty in the literary or artistic contents of the booklet will help to the desired end. It would savour too much of advertisement to point to particularly catching booklets that have been issued, but the intending business man will not have to seek far to find models for his own pamphlets. A point of great import ance is the thorough analysis of the results achieved by each booklet or special circular sent out.
Answers to circulars, if they come at all, will be found to come in a.
fairly regular way which can be relied upon in estimating the relative value of circulars. The characters of the replies received and the number of orders as the result of each "cast of the line" should be carefully tabulated. It can then be seen which class of advertisement has the greatest " pulling" power, which the least. Reasons for this should be sought, and with the tracing of the cause the remedy is automatically found. Even the inverting of a sentence may perhaps make a ten to twenty per cent. difference in the number of orders accruing from the venture.
In Press advertisements the importance of a "keying" system need hardly be enlarged upon. The more inconspicuous and casual it is, the more accurate will the deductions drawn from it heroine. The public in general is inclined to regard with suspicion an advertisement which contains anything savouring of secrecy.
Mail-order Showroom Business.—When the two forms of business are combined in the same firm, a particular point must be carefully watched the co-operation of the two departments. The correspondent has carefully groped his way to a footing of friendly confidence with his customer. He has let the customer feel that his particular fancies are a matter of the utmost concern to the firm, that his personal affairs are 'the subject of the liveliest interest, and that the raison d'ętre of the firm's existence is to supply his especial needs. This is the flattering attitude that brings orders large and often.
The customer then comes to town on a visit and takes the opportunity of calling to make a purchase. He is more or less under the impression that, if not actually known by sight, at least the mention of his name will suffice to raise the smile of cordial recognition on the face of the salesman. Nothing of the kind happens. The salesman does not even know his name. The confident mention of it is received in a frigid and non-committal manner. He is treated as the most casual of fortuitous customers. Disillusionment is bad for business.
The customer goes away with a sense of humiliation almost amounting to injury. The salesman has undone in five minutes the patient knitting of interests worked at for years by the mail-order correspondent. Unison between the mail-office and the showroom is essential. The two should be links in a chain. The salesman should have ready access to the customer's card record, so that he pick up as quickly as possible the threads of the knitting, and bind up more closely the interest of customer and firm. The matter must be placed on a systematic basis.
Extra Pointers.—Not aggressive, but pushful- --that is the general line of tactics to pursue. It may kill off the hypersensitive, but one cannot legislate for a minority. One can only work to strike an average and get right on the balance. The upper middle class is the limit of the mail-order clientele. Above that line people will not tolerate the method of collecting accounts. Time is considered valuable by all. The aim should be to give a customer the minimum of trouble in sending inquiries or orders. England looks askance at innovations. One must dig deep to uproot prejudice. Unless goods permit of a fair advertising outlay off profits, it is useless to attempt a mail-order business. And, finally, the road is uphill for a long stretch. One must prepare to be a stayer. And see MAIL ORDER ADVERTISING; FOLLOW-UP SYSTEM. WALTER MARTIN.
Of Messrs. Martin Bros., Cheapside.