Watauga Democrat

"The Way of Life"
By BRUCE BARTON

"QUOTA MAD"

A famous advertising agent was talking with me about business in the United States.

It is his function to prepare the advertising for several large manufacturers, and to consult with them on their sales problems. He goes home every night all tired out. He says he doesn't know anybody in business who is getting any real fun out of it.

"I'll give you my program for a typical day." he said. "I come down to my office a little before nine. and there is the sales manager of a shoe company waiting for me. His pockets are full of charts. His company's sales are 20 per cent. ahead of last year. but he is satisfied? Not for a minute. He must set the mark for next year 50 per cent. ahead.

"Then I go over to the office of a food manufacturer. He has just closed up the best year of his history. And we try to figure out how he can do twice as much again!

"I lunch with the officers of a cement company. If they would get together with their competitors. and agree to curtail production just a little. they could all make more money. The price of their product might have to be raised a trifle, but I doubt it. because the sales expense would be that much less. But will they curtail? Never. Every year must show bigger figures. The quotas must go up and up.

"The trouble with this country is that we have gone crazy on the subject of volume. We are quota mad."

As he talked I recalled a conversation I had some years ago with an American who represents a French manufacturer in this country.

"I have a heart-breaking time with that Frenchman," he said. "Every year I go over there and plead with him to double his factory. We could sell twice as much of his stuff if he would only turn it out. And do you know what he says? He just waves his hands in French fashion and sputters: 'Why should I double my plant and work twice as hard? I and my family are making enough money. We have a good time. We enjoy our lives. Why should we work ourselves to death?'"

That seems to us Americans a very terrible utterance. It is treason to the spirit of modern business. Of course, a man should force his production, and his sales, and force his own poor mind and body until he dies at the age of sixty with an order book in his hand.

Somewhere between the French attitude and our attitude there must be a half-way point that would combine the best elements of both.

"Life." says the Bible, "is more than bread. and the spirit than raiment." It also asks the question, "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own life?"

Or, in modern language, what's the use of killing yourself by being quota mad?