Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1941)

of curiosity, others for a chance to discuss their favorite sports event. They all leave as friends, and, in many cases, customers. We have had some people come in from several hundred miles away just to tell us they listen to our program. Good will? No sports event is too small to receive a plug in our show. Juvenile and amateur sports, as well as sandlot exhibitions, are always mentioned and publicized. Whenever a club or organization sponsors a sports event, they always bring in their publicity to us. They know we will be glad to publicize any sports event of public interest. All this keeps us in constant touch with every type of organization! We use two commericals on our sportscast, one to open the program, and one fitted into the center. Both are given by myself in the first person: Example: Good evening, sport fans. This is Max Yandt, speaking again for Yandt's Mens Wear, the friendly store for men and women who buy for men. So very often men drop in and say, "Let me see that suit in the window," that we sometimes fear they do not understand that our show windows contain only a mere smattering of what we have in the store. Let this be a pointer, fellows, not to stop at the "sideshow" but drop into the "main-top" where we have simply hundreds of new fall suits and topcoats. You can depend upon it that our clothes are made of the world's best fabrics ; the linings and trimmings and styles are tops. Pick out a Yearcraft suit and it will cost you only 23.50. . . . A Silvertex and the tax will be 29.50. . . . A Schoeneman will cost you 35.00, and a handcrafted Kuppenhiemer, an even forty bucks. Whichever suit you select, you II have a winner, and you'll feel and look like one when you wear it. And noiu for sports. . . . You will note that the commercials are carried out in typical sport patter. They're informal, friendly, and take full advantage of the important fact that they are given by a personality connected with the store rather than a regular announcer. We close every broadcast with our slogan: "Whatever a man wants for himself, or a woman wants to buy for a man, Yandt's Men's Wear has it, priced right with quality first always." As you see, women are never passed by in any of our commercials. This is good business. For we find that more and more women Firm believer in follow-through, never doing anything halfway is rugged, Rockne-browed Max Yandt, Vice-president of Yandt's Men's Wear of Missoula. Since first sponsoring a sports show, seven years ago, sports enthusiast and authority Yandt has built an excellent wardrobe of sports clothes, feels most at home iji them. He personally writes major portion of his sports copy, the rest is supplied by KGVO's sport staff, the news teletype. His pride and joy is three-year-old, tousle-haired Max, Jr. Already the youngster has learned to imitate papa's radio chatter, greets family at dinner table with "Good evening, sports fans, this is Max Yandt speaking." are showing an interest in sports events, and as a result, in sport programs. Why all this emphasis on sports? To answer this question requires a complete understanding of the men who buy our clothes. The average man today is virtually deluged with "reasons why" he should buy. There was a time when each sales message (newspaper, radio, direct mail, etc.) could obtain a response, one way or another. Today, by the very weight of their numbers, few get even a chance. The potential customer has built up an "armor" that resists all sales messages, good or bad. But every Achilles must have a heel, and the modern man's weakness is his love of sports. By using radio to appeal to his love of sports, by talking of things that he likes to talk about, his language, his interests, you can break down his resistance. Thus, your sales story can not only be told, but also be heard! RADIO SHOWMANSHIP