OPERAIING OPPORTUNITIES

WALLY LYNCH Builders Express, 11550 Plano Rd. Dallas, Tx.75243

lltlTHIN thc incract scicnce ol rcf f tailing and its rnajor :kills lies "adrcrtising." It is sidell adjud,ued to be one of the more perplering and expensive adventures e.rpcricnced bl the nrerchant. One is darnned if he doesn't and damned if he does.

The qr.restion most askc-d is: "hot do they' do iti" Cieneralll, lirllori-up shous that thc qucstions rc-alll is "horr clo thcl pa1' ttrr it'1" l-his irclclrcsscs the slmptonr rather than thc crlusc.

The high risibility ol'sophisticatcd rctail advcrtising rvitlrin our industry in lhe last l-5 \('1il \ llit\ ri()llL tll()t ( lr\ | etll(r\ L nltt l i.ipltttlt li'orrr conr;lctition tlran alnrost ant othcr lactor'. Oil enrbar-gocs. irtllation, ld n)ir)istration changcs, in\cslnrcnls, lack ol' housirrg starls. c{c., Ira\ c nol cler astatccl tlrc inclcl-rcndcnt with one iola oi thc lolcc brought to bear bl "adrerlising." l]rorrr tlre dcvastalion tlre qucstion, "\\'hi" clo thcy do it'1" should harecorrre. There have becn tonrcs nritten on lhc rrhv ol advcrtising, but in thc re-tail business it's done 1r.r t'hutrge Ilte bu_r'irt1q ltttbit.s o.l tlte ('oilsu | iler.

We're all creatures of habit, the lamiliar and the comfortable. \Ve like uhat *e knorv, not the other *a1'around. \Ian1 studics have shorvn that the number one cause ol'business faih.rres is not rronel, but lack ol' decision making inl'ornration. H(r\\'\ tlte c()nlnlunillltion in \ (rut busincss-bot h *,ith enrplovccs ancl custonrcrs'l

Think about this as an erantple ol lto\\ ad'"'ertising can corlnrunicate and causc pcoplc to react. In thc lacc ol'a reduccd price, how rnany AT&T cuslorr)ers stavcd loyal whilc thosc i.vho lr'cre not unclcr governrr)cnl colttrol leascd tltcir lincs arrd then sold services at lower prices to tbrmer Af&T custonrers. Horv may of these "discounlcrs" could have made it rvithout ludr crtisin-s'l

I1's a constant source of amazemcnt to tltcsc olcl clcs just *hat Anrericans will pay lirr. Thc $8(XX) * rist rvatcfr, t he $ lfi) thcater tickct. thc $-50 jcans, thc $4{),(XX) and S50,(XX) cars t hiit nou' cosl nlore t han many l'ine honrcs dicl a couplc ol' clecades back. I'hcv all continuc bccause lhc sellcr has told tltc buy cr aboul t hcrrr.

.,\clrcrtising, its irnpact and gcncratiorr rlfcn'l as sirnplistic as thcsc Iov words uould indicatc. What is sirnple is that ilyou don't advertisc and your cornpetitor docs, hc sill change the buying habits of' your eu\lontcr\. Tltat nteartr lc$cr cu:lomers in )'our store and a mornentum shift of r,rndesirable consequcnces.

The da1's of foot traffic and "all the customers knou us" won't hack it. The clay's of talking to your trading area about solring their problems, providing a benefit or just a bargain, come and get me, are with us.

Thc crpcrts call it an age ol power retailing and the powers will prevail. Witl you'l ('ollision course or profitable growth, it's up ro )ou.

14 httt sending irt o t'hongc ol atllress plcose tnalude:tp t'rttlt rtrt hotlt old ond new' atldresses ond ettht'r tltc old label or the rnlorntolton Iront it. Thanks.'