Document EvjGj7Y0BR4B5JrB3avMyvko4

BULLETIN #22 Cit y Cleveland Su b j e c t 1927 PLANS An s w e r in g Le t t e r o f Dat e June 19,1926 Fo r All Regional Directors Sales Managers and Store Managers (Staff at Headquarters) We are planning to call our Regional Directors, Sales Managers and Store Managers to Cleveland on August 16th or thereabouts for a conference to determine our policies and course of action for the coming fiscal year. To enable our Managers to so shape their plans, arrange their vacations etc. we are advising you In this connection at this time and in order to get a definite expression from you as to your own ideas and viewpoints of our present and future policies I would appreciate your writing me fully in answer to the following questions which cover some of the salient issues that we feel-are of vital importance to the organization. It is strongly urged that you give us your unbiased opinions and that you do not hessitate to expressyourself freely as to the issues involved, making any additional comments which you may desire on issues not covered by the general questions indicated herein. The underlying fundamental policy of our company has been the development of each of our auxiliary organizations through individual sales staffs, labels, trademarks and trade. Each individual organization has developed its business by the establishment of jobbers, agents and dealers on its specific products under its own labels. In addition thereto we have given all of the organizations the general specialties, LACQ, ZINC-O-LITH, RIPOLIN and LEAD-O-ZIN, to be sold by all of the individual companies under identical label, each company competing with the other on these specific specialties, no individual organization grant ing exclusive sale to its customers on the specialties. In other words, our * policy on the general specialties has been one of non-excluaive distribution. As a result of this policy we have secured a wide-spread distribution of our specialties, in many instances through jobbers who in turn have distributed through their dealers; and in addition we have, through our individual organ izations, likewise opened a large number of new dealer accounts who are dis tributing these specialties to the oustomer. It is possible that the time has arrived when it is well for us to oonsider a possible modification of this policy of non-exclusive distribution and in giving your replies to the questions which follow and in expressing your opinion on the various issues raised it is essential that you bear in mind the Jobber and dealer distribution existing on these products and recognize the importance of adjusting any new plan or policy to the existing conditions. N17287 -2- 1. Is, in your opinion, our policy of marketing LACQ, ZINC-O-LITH, RIPOLIN and LEAL-O-ZIN through all of our organizations on a non-exclusive basis a sound one? 2. Do you favor a modification or a definite change in this polioyv Outline your suggestions fully. 3. Do you favor our present policy of national advertising on general specialties and the use of these specialties as entering wedges for complete line accounts? 4. Outline your suggestion of any chance in advertising policy that might appear to you to be advisable. 6. Has your general merchant sales business on prepared house paints, enamels, stains, varnishes, flat wall paints etc. suffered as a result of concentration by your salesmen on the general specialties? Suggest a remedy. 6. Have the sales of ZINC-O-LITH in your organization retarded your prepared house paint sales or is it your conviction that ZINC-O-LITH has more generally replaced lead-in-oil rather than prepared house paints? 7. If ZINC-O-LITH Is not responsible for your shrinkage in house paint sales give your reasons for such shrinkage. 8. What is your reason for the slow development of our RIPOLIN business? Is our price too high or too low? Are our discounts on Ripolin and is our selling plan such as to retard our development? Give careful consideration to this question and give us the benefit of all sug gestions you may have. 9. Do you feel that we have a sufficient number of Jobbers, agents and dealers to justify our devoting more time and money towards the development of the business already established as compared with a policy of devoting our larger efforts to the securing of new accounts? 10. Do you feel that with your present sales force and without the addition of any territories you can show a development on volume and profits next year as compared with our present year? Have you any suggestions for changes in territory or in man power on the territories? 11. Has the quality of our general specialties particularly and our products generally been satisfactory? GLD 04116 3 12i Have you had satisfactory service from our factories? 13. Have you any suggestions for changes or improvements in our credit and collection policy? 14. Can you suggest a comprehensive general plan which will enable us to more rapidly develop our Merchants' Sales business? Reoognizing that a questionaire of this character is of value only if and when criticisms and suggestions are frankly expressed and constructive we strongly urge our kanagersto give careful thought to the problems as out lined above and I would appreciate it is you would send your replies under personal cover to the writer so that they will be in this office not later /than July 15th. Asking your hearty co-operation and looking forward with interest to hearing from you, I remain Yours very truly, OAH:J GLD 04