Elgin Executives Hold Unique Sales Convention Over Telephone

From The American Horologist magazine, February, 1939

Elgin Executives Hold Unique
Sales Convention Over Telephone

Although a last minute shift in plans almost upset a national telephone sales convention as planned by the Elgin National Watch Company the event went off as scheduled January 16th.

The occasion was announcement of the company's 75th Anniversary. Because the subject was of great importance, Mr. T. Albert Potter, president of the Elgin company, wanted to talk with all Elgin wholesalers and their salesmen in person. For the talk, telephone connections were established with all of the company's wholesale distributors and a loudspeaker was installed in each establishment to enable wholesalers and their representatives to conveniently hear Mr. Potter and Mr. Schaeffer, tell the Elgin 75th "Anniversary" news from New York.

Suddenly, came a call which was to take Mr. Potter from New York. It looked for a time as if the telephone plans would have to be scrapped. But someone offered the idea of making a recording of Mr. Potter's talk. When this was done, Mr. Potter's voice "spoke" to the men as planned. The broadcast proved a novel and interest-compelling way of contacting wholesalers in the field. The talks were given several times, each time with 16 to 24 wholesalers in different sections of the country listening in.

Hailing the year 1939 as important to wholesalers, retail jewelers, and to the Elgin Company because of the 75th Anniversary, Mr. Potter explained the intention to celebrate the year in a most unusual way. First by active participation in N ew York World's Fair. Secondly, by devoting the year to intensive merchandising and sales operations.

Thirdly, to "start the ball rolling immediately" with a plan of vital importance to business.

This plan, explained Mr. Potter, included an offer to the public of a special group of Elgin "Anniversary" watches, featured at an especially attractive price for seven weeks from February 1st to March 18th.

Next, the wholesalers heard the voice of Mr. Schaeffer who gave broad details of the plan and discussed the special tie-up material being prepared. These include window and counter display pieces, newspaper mats, special Valentine postal cards and direct mail aids in addition to a dealer broadside telling of the support being given the Elgin anniversary program in national magazine advertisements.

New Atlas Catalog

The Atlas Press Company general catalog for 1939, released in January, presents the most complete in form a ti on ever available on Atlas lathes, shapers, drill presses, arbor presses, and shop equipment. Twenty-four of its 72 pages are devoted to the new lO-inch Atlas lathes with power cross feed. Copies are available from Atlas Press Co., Dept. 7, Kalamazoo, Michigan-ask for Catalog No. 39.