Plon Todoy lor Tomorrow's Profit

By 0. R. (DICK) BRAUN General Sales Manager Masonite Corporation

tionship built through the years will bring them back as adult customers.

Other ideas include sponsorship of teenage bowling teams, sponsoring an essay contest on ooMy Favorite Hobby" or another topic, participating in school affairs in many ways, being active in community affairs of various types, becoming a member of the public school board, being active in clubs, Boy Scout work and the like.

In the 2O-34 age group you are under personal obligation to cater to them as they leave the adolescent group-that is. if you want to count thern as customers.

A somewhat different approach is required, for these young adults now want to be treated as adults, not as children.

tTtHE YEARS SINCE the end of [-orld I War II, in retrospect. have been years of dynamic change. In the lumber and building materials business particularly, developments have been remarkable.

What lies ahead? The Chamber of Commerce of the United States has said that population growth will continue. A study of the pattern of this predicted growth provides guidelines for the retailer intent on maintaining and improving his position.

First, young people will be the greatest part of the population growth in the next two decades. Now numbering 195 million, Americans will reach 226 million in 1975 and 266 million in 1985. Within the next ten yearso some 82 percent of the population increases will be among persons under age 35. Persons under age 20 are expected to increase 11.6 million, with high schoolers increasing substantially faster than those in elementary school.

The 20-34 age group will increase by 14.2 million. Younger workers and family formations will increase sharply. Age group 35-64 will grow only 2.4 million, while those aged 65 and over will increase about 3.1 million.

These population forecasts are of real significance to the lumber industry and brtilding supply dealer. Home construction, together with automobile production, is not only the backbone of our economy; home building and remodeling are the bread and butter, as well as the cake and ice-cream, for the materials dealer.

Let's consider just the ten yearc to 1975, because they're most pressing and we can do something nou to prepare. Youth will be on the march, looking for new ideas, new methods, new living. Though young, they can become fine future prospects for the aggressive lumber dealer who will take the trouble to make his services and products known.

The 20-34 age group will need living quarters. This group will represent his best market for anything from lumber to paint, hardware to baby buggies, unfinished furniture to washing machines.

IIow can these potentinlly lu'cratiae ntar' kets be tapped? When should the contact programs be started?

To answer these questions in reverse, let's just say: Now is the time to start! One year of this promising decade already has passed' The dual programs of educating and selling begin working when you start them. If handled properly, they'll snowball and be at full steam by the time the decade has paseed and the next period of growth corntnences.

Let's consider the younger group first, These growing youngsters must be reached by using the techniques of good human relations, community relations, customer re' lations and public relations-in that order.

Most businessmen are inherently warm, friendly human beings. But do they always project this type of image to their customers? As a lumber dealer, are you friendly toward these growing boys and girls? Do you have meaning for them, or are you just a name in the phone book?

You will find it wise to humanize your yard, yourself, your employees, and your methods so that this segment of the public will be your grown-up customers some day

-161[61 than someone else's customers.

Specific Suggestions

Specifics on how-to-do-it? These suggestions may or may not work in your situation but the listing may trigger a workable solution for you:

You might make your yard a place that youngsters enjoy bv having a supervised play area for them while their parents shop. (Consider selling home playground equipment to make this pay.)

Sponsor a contest in cooperation with the public school industrial arts department, with building materials or "E" bonds as prizes. Sponsor a guided tour of your property for industrial arts students. Establish a teen-age department equipped with tools, equipment and materials that appeal to this group, including plans for building projects at home. Cater to the kids? A friendly rela-

As a startero you need a mailing list of these eligibles in your marketing area. You can compile your own or buy one. You can invite them to home building or home remodeling clinics, for example; urge them to visit your home planning center or obtain free home improvement project plans; invite them to a back-of-the scenes inspection of your property; sponsor a card or bingo party, or a series of them; sponsor a young.marrieds bowling team.

Participate in your local "welcome wagon" for newlyweds or new-arrivals.

Pubticize Your Yard

Advertise and publicize. Keep your name and business before the public so consistenty that when the name Jones comes up, everyone thinks instantly of Jones Lumber and Supply Co.

When you get an order for materials, see that satisfaction is given. If you're in the remodeling business, see that the job's done right, to the customer's satisfaction, as referrals are your best business growth generator.

These are only sketchy suggestions. If you are really interested in capturing your share of the growing market in the teen and young-married groups during the 19651975 decade, have a planning session nozn.

Lay out your long-range objectives and then your aims {or 1966, 1967 and so on through 1974. Schedule an activity {or every month of the nine remaining years in this growth decade-one year at a time to allow for changing conditions.

Plan first and then execute accordine to plan. You, the lumber dealer" may feel ihat planning a program like this is a bit "theoreticalo' and somewhat afield from day-today selling commodities. True, it starts as an intangible, but every growing dealer quickly recognizes that a well-planned, thoughtfully-executed program (an intangible) can be turned into tangible sales providing the effort continues month after month.

Now is the time to make plans which will take advantage of the promise of the future!