J. W. Griest: in plain, forceful lectures

              J. W. GRIEST, Gen. Mgr.



The Retail Merchants Institute 20 W. Jackson Blvd. CHICAGO






In Plain, Forceful Lectures
For Managers and Executives



What Business Management Means.


Helpful Hints on Advertising.


Co-operative Plans for Trade Extension.





For Those Who Sell



The Winning Salesman.


You and Your Salary.


Push, Pep and Personality.





For Chambers of Commerce and the Community



Distribution and the Part It Plays in the Development of Cities and Communities.


The Spirit of the Hive.


The Need of Practical Training in Business.






BETTER BUSINESS
A Short Preface



Mr. Griest is Manager of the Retail Merchants Institute, of Chicago.  The Institute is known, nationally, among the chambers of commerce, merchants associations, and kindred organizations, as well as individual men, as a source of definite information and constructive help.  The services of this Institute have won the endorsement of state and national associations.  It has been recommended by them to cities and communities that are seeking a plan to develop their local business and community interests.




The primary aim of this Institute is to assist directly local retail merchants in planning trade extension and constructive community work.  In addition to this, the Institute conducts intensive short courses in salesmanship, personal efficiency, advertising, business management and control, and kindred allied subjects.




Under the general direction of Mr. Griest nearly one thousand towns and communities throughout the country have had their business conditions analyzed and the merchants have profited from the constructive programs recommended by him.




It is seldom that an individual is found with a combination of successful business training and marked ability to speak in public, but in Mr. Griest we have this rare combination.  During the years of his extensive travel in forty states and eight provinces of Canada, he has gathered a vast amount of vital information for those who want to enlarge their individual business and develop the community in which they live.




Mr. Griest's lectures treat, in a general way, of the need of practical training along the lines of community development, co-operation, trade extension, salesmanship, advertising, personal efficiency and organization work.




We prefer to make no comment ourselves regarding the merits of his talks, but quote on the following pages, with pleasure, a few of the many comments selected at random from the pages mailed to us from cities where he has spoken.






PROMINENT SPEAKER ADDRESSES LIONS AT MEETING TODAY



One of the most forceful addresses ever given before the Lions Club was given at noon today by J. W. Griest, manager of the Retail Merchants Institute of Chicago.  He spoke on 
The Needs of Education in Business,
 and although his time was limited to a few minutes, those minutes contained much practical instruction and helpful suggestions to the merchants or business men.


For a number of years Mr. Griest and the Retail Merchants Institute have been compiling data of all kinds in regard to small cities over the United States.  The investigations have led up to startling information as to where a town starts, what builds a town, what makes a town grow, how much trade in a town's territory goes to outside cities, the place the retail merchants have in the growth of a town and other facts that affect vitally the well being of a town and its people.




Mr. Griest has a pleasing personality, his delivery holds the attention of his hearers and above all he gives interesting facts.—



The Eastland, Texas, Daily Oil Belt News, August 28, 1923.





YOUNG PEOPLE MUST BE SOLD TO THE ADVANTAGES OF THEIR COMMUNITY, SAYS EXPERT IN C. OF C. ADDRESS



That cooperation is the watchword of the day and the solution of all trade difficulties was emphasized by J. W. Griest of the Retail Merchants Institute of Chicago in an address given before more than 150 men and women at the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce at the Fair Street Reformed Church last evening.


Mr. Griest was a forceful and direct speaker, and from the very start commanded the entire attention of his audience.  It is seldom that Kingson has had the opportunity to hear a man who has the knowledge of present-day problems that Mr. Griest has, and it is unfortunate that a larger number of Kingston citizens did not hear him.—



Kingston, Ulster Co., N. Y., Tuesday, January 29, 1924.





KIWANIS CLUB HEARS DISCUSSION ON HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS



In what was described by President Banks D. Brown of the Connellsville Kiwanis Club as the best address ever made before it, J. W. Griest, general manager of the Retail Merchants Institute of Chicago, today featured the mid-week luncheon program of that organization with a talk on 
The Need of Practical Training in Business.
—


Connellsville, Pa., Daily Courier, August 13, 1924.





FROM AD CLUB NEWS
Published Weekly by THE KANSAS CITY ADVERTISING CLUB



All of us who heard Mr. Griest were impressed not only by his inexhaustible supply of information, data and facts regarding merchandising, but his pleasing personality and his incomparable ability to effectively put across to his audience those things that he desired to emphasize.




He was indeed a treat and his talk an inspiration conducive to better business and a better understanding of what makes for better business.






MUST PULL TOGETHER IN INTELLIGENT WAY FOR CITY'S INTEREST
Speaker of C. of C. Annual Dinner Says Business Men Must Unite to Boost Dunkirk as Trading Center
A Wonderful Talk



The address by J. W. Griest, manager of the Retail Merchants Institute of Chicago, was the next.  Mr. Griest is the type of speaker commonly spoken of as a 
live wire.
  He has a vast fund of information of particular interest to the commercial part of the community and it made an especial appeal to a goodly portion of his audience, who are business men, and he had his information at his tongue's end and he combined much in a few words, illustrating his points by personal incidents in his experience or as the result of his investigation.


His subject was 
The Need of Education in Business.
  Not just the kind of education acquired in schools, though he did not detract from that, but just good common horse sense acquired in the hard knocks of commercial life.




Summing it all up, the speaker, in conclusion, said that co-operation and working together intelligently, harmoniously, and with a feeling for the best interests of the community as a whole, is the secret of successfully fighting the big retailers and mail order houses.




The speaker was greeted as he concluded with a storm of applause that reached the proportions of an ovation.—



Dunkirk, N. Y. Evening Observer, January 11, 1924.





LANCASTER ADVERTISERS CLUB



Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Oct. 1, 1924.




Dear Mr. Griest:




I returned this morning and the first thing that I want to do is to tell you that your talk has excited extraordinary comment downtown.  Mr. A. K. Barnes, our president, called me on the telephone last evening to say that he had received a number of telephone calls during the past two weeks commenting on your message.  Enthusiasm is not confined to retail circles.  Several manufacturers, a broker, a banker, and an automobile salesman have expressed themselves, so I have every reason to believe that your message reached, with telling force, into every classification of our membership.




(Signed) W. W. HERROLD, Secretary, Lancaster Advertisers Club.





A STANDING OVATION AT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING



They were all enthusiastic over the talk of the Chicagoan, and not only gave him a standing ovation when he stopped, but requested him to continue.—


Gadsden, Ala., Times, January 3, 1925.




We had Mr. J. W. Griest with us last Wednesday and 
he knocked 'em for a goal.
  He addressed a meeting of about two hundred business men and gave them a forceful straight-forward talk.  At the close of his talk he was literally mobbed by our merchants who insisted on his staying over and addressing them further that night.  Mr. Griest consented and we had a turnaway crowd.  What Mr. Griest had to say was timely and helpful.
—
Ray Gill, Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Fort Smith, Ark., December 15, 1924.






SPECIAL FORUM BY C. OF C. WAS BENEFICIAL ONE
Local People Did Not Heed Call So Well, But Those Attending Enjoyed a Splendid Program



Less than 100 persons assembled at the Chamber of Commerce Tuesday evening in special forum.  These persons, however, were doubly paid for their interest and received one of the rarest and most surprising treats.




Those in attendance last night came quite unprepared for so diversified and highly entertaining program.  Not only did these merchants enjoy the address of J. W. Griest, but everyone present was wonderfully appreciative of the message.




Mr. Griest took for his subject, 
The Putting of Education into Retail Merchandising.




From the very start he was in command of his audience. No more stirring address, no more helpful arguments have been presented than those of Mr. Griest before the forum Tuesday evening.  The pity of it all is that those who should have been there and those who are interested in community development were not there to profit by it.




Mr. Griest is manager of the Retail Merchants Institute of Chicago.  He is a man of attractive personality, a direct and forceful speaker and puts each theme of his program before his audience in the clearest possible manner.




One business man, a wholesaler, declared after having heard Mr. Griest that it was worth $5 of his money or any one's money to have heard this address of Mr. Griest's.




It pays to attend the Chamber functions.—
 
From Grafton, W. Va., Sentinel, February 22, 1922.





GRIEST GIVES ADDRESS HERE TO MERCHANTS
Local Business Men So Well Pleased They Ask Him to Remain Over and Speak Before Another Meeting This Morning



One of the most forceful addresses ever given before the Chamber of Commerce was delivered by J. W. Griest, manager of the Retail Merchants Institute at Chicago, at the banquet meeting in the rooms on Pearl street at 6:00 o'clock last evening.


Mr. Griest has a pleasing personality, his delivery holds the attention of his hearers and above all he gives interesting facts.




Mr. Griest made a plea for organization in business.  He told of instances that had come to his attention where men failed in business because they used all their time and energy with details that could have been handled by subordinates.




The head of a business must have leisure in which to do the thinking for the business, he said.  His entire address was one of instruction and one that got close attention from the hearers.—



From the Logansport, Indiana, Morning Press, Thursday, November 22, 1923.




One of the very best and most practical speakers who has ever appeared before the Celina Kiwanis Club is J. W. Griest, head of the Retail Merchants Institute of Chicago, who spoke to the members at the noon-day luncheon Tuesday upon the vital need of co-operation.—


From the Daily Standard, Celina, Ohio, October 10th, 1922.






BUSINESS EXPERT DELIGHTS HEARERS AT KIWANIS CLUB



Members of the Punxsutawney Business Men's Association were guests of the Kiwanis Club last evening at their weekly luncheon to hear J. W. Griest, general manager of the Retail Merchants Institute of Chicago, and business expert talk on 
The Need of Practical Training in Business.




The talk was one which many of his hearers declare to have been the best on the subject of successful merchandising that has ever been offered to a local audience.  The speaker stressed co-operation as the keynote to the successful conduct of any business or any community.




He gave some startling figures as regards the business done by Sears and Roebuck, and pointed out that only through co-operation can the small city merchants hope to meet that competition.




The address was a lengthy one but Mr. Griest held the attention of his hearers from start to finish.—


Punxsutawney, Pa., Punxsutawney Spirit, Sept. 6, 1924.





FROM THE LIONS CLUB, ALTOONA, PENNA.



August 20th, 1923.




Mr. Griest is without a doubt one of the most able speakers it has been our pleasure to hear.  With a voice that carries exceedingly well, a mighty good delivery, and last, but not least, he knows his subject.  It was a real treat to have him with us and we hope to have him again in the near future.  Very truly yours,




Chairman Program Committee.





SPEAKER FOR MERCHANTS' BANQUET HERE IS PRAISED



Respecting J. W. Griest, who is to speak at the merchants' dinner arranged by the Chamber of Commerce for the Y. M. C. A. Monday evening, the following communication has been received by Secretary Cook from the Dunkirk Chamber of Commerce:




Dear Mr. Cook:




Mr. J. W. Griest, manager of the Retail Merchants Institute, spoke at our annual meeting last night and we were deeply impressed with his ability as a speaker, and I am writing to assure you that you have made no mistake in arranging for him to visit Warren and to express the hope that this advance assurance may assist you somewhat in building up your attendance.




Mr. Griest held our audience for nearly an hour discussing retailers' problems and conditions.  From the standpoint of an expert his illustrations were particularly apt and his whole talk formed one of the most interesting and instructive talks that our local retail merchants have ever heard.  Intermixed with his audience were many manufacturing executives, who, although they were not directly concerned with retail distribution, also took a deep interest in the discussion, and I have been repeatedly urged to arrange for the return of Mr. Griest since his talk.




(Signed) W. A. Brennan, Sec'y.




You will make no mistake to have Mr. J. W. Griest on your program.  He addressed the retail merchants of Pine Bluff in December.  He is an entertaining and pleasing speaker as well as a man with a practical instructive message for retail merchants.
—
R. W. Etter, President Seventh District Associated Advertising Clubs, Pine Bluff, Ark., February 3, 1925.