The essay entitled “Advertise Your Business” is a lecture written in 1882, almost a century and half ago. It sets the tone for advertising which is relevant even today. In this lecture Barnum assumes that not only is a conventionally moral life compatible with business success, it is the best path to business success. In his good-natured but relentless exhortatory tone, Barnum creates an optimistic energy that makes the listeners want to go right out and conquer the world.
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About the writer Phineas T. Barnum
Phineas T. Barnum was poor at birth and rich at death.
In true showman-like fashion, Barnum extolled his own career as a model for
others to follow. By selling the spectacle of his own fife he became even
richer. His autobiography sold almost half a million copies, and he collected
lecture fees for over a hundred performances of the art of money-getting.
Summary of the essay ‘Advertise Your Business’ written by Phineas T. Barnum
In business,
businessman should deal with his customers politely. It is his best capital
ever invests in business. Advertisement and showy building are nothing if he
does not have politeness. To continue his business, reserving some profit, he
should sell qualitative product in cheap prices. He should not think to be
overnight millionaire selling the product in an expensive way.
Customers
are God. So, for their minor mistake, they should not be humiliated. Charitable
human beings get happiness. Duty of rich person is to be benevolent According
to Solomon in Bible, if you scatter, there increases. If you become miser, you
will be poor. It means that miser people are poor in heart.
According to
the writer, businessman should not share his secrecy to anybody. His hopes,
aims and profit should be kept secret. Same thing is applicable to business letter.
While writing letters, businessman must know what not to write. If he does not
focus on content of writing, sometimes, he may lose his reputation.
Frequently asked questions from the essay ‘Advertise Your Business’ written by Phineas T. Barnum
1. Why should one be polite and kind
to their customers?
Ans: One should be polite and kind to their customers
because they are God and without them, business cannot run.
2. Why should not the insulting man
be whipped?
Ans: The insulting man should not be whipped because he
will never visit the shop and encourages his friends to go other shop.
3. How can charity be a duty and a
pleasure?
Ans: According to the writer, charity can be a duty and a
pleasure because if we give charity, we will earn more. Uncharitable miser man
becomes poor in heart. When we give charity to the poor people, we will get
pleasure viewing poor people's happiness.
4. In addition to maxims, what other
technique does Barnum use to make his advice appealing and memorable?
Ans: In addition to maxims, Barnum uses short, sweet
sentences, example, and sub heading etc. to make his advice appealing and
memorable.
5. What type of person would emerge
from following Barnum's prescriptions?
Ans : If people follow Barnum's prescription, they would
be honest, charitable , intelligent and can maintain secrecy.
6. Which parts of Barnum's advice
make sense to you, and which seem wrong or inappropriate? Why?
Ans: Personally, Barnum's advice of not sharing secrecy is
truly heart touching. Business is run to make profit. If businessman shares
secrecy, company will be collapsed and staffs become jobless. For me, his idea
of sharing for earning is not trust worthy. If we share our wealth to beggar,
it is really waste of money. To earn, we have to work day in and out, then why
to share our toil to other? So, this idea is not fit for me. In the world, there
are many paupers and beggars. If we share generously our wealth, we can be like
them in the future.
So, people
must be miser because wealth is essential to care for health, run home and
family, pay fee to our children and so on. If we lose money, we also lose
prestige in the society. Today, people count anybody with money.
Money has
become standard to overlook the person's personality, background and so on.