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VEDDER  CHIROPRACTIC 
ADVERTISING 
BY I 
HARRY E. VEDDER, D. C., Ph. C. 
FIRST EDITION 
COPYRIGHT, 1924 
HARRY E. V E D D E R,' D. C„ Ph. C. 
DAVENPORT, IOWA,' U. S. A. DEDICATION 
The study of advertising is at once the study of 
human emotions, primal motives, and life itself. 
Such knowledge can be best gained through experi- 
ence. It has been my privilege to be very close to 
the Chiropractic Profession. From that association 
I have learned many lessons. Much of the knowl- 
edge I have gained has been given me by chiroprac- 
tors. My work has been to correlate and systema- 
tize the result of their experience and set it down in 
this form for the benefit of the entire profession. 
It is then only fitting that I dedicate this work to 
the thousands of men and women chiropractors who 
need it most and whose performance has made this 
the outstanding health science of all time. 
Harry E. Vedder, D.C., Ph.C. PREFACE 
In entering upon the discussion of advertising, I am quite 
aware that this is a subject upon which many volumes have 
been written. These books have been compiled by the very 
best brains in the advertising profession. They are agreed in 
the main on the fundamental principles of advertising, but 
this particular book is written for the special benefit of the 
Chiropractic profession. 
These pages are written after a most careful investigation 
of methods of advertising now employed by chiropractors 
together with a recapitulation as to the results obtained by 
them. Very carefully prepared questionnaires were sent out 
to a considerable number of successful chiropractors located 
in the large commercial centers and all sections of the country 
were included ; thus to avoid the possibility of gaining informa- 
tion which might be applicable to one location while it was 
not applicable to another, or gaining such information as to 
be of value only to large city practitioners and vice versa. The 
author was very careful in selecting the names of those to 
whom this questionnaire was sent. He selected men and 
women who have been in practice from one to twelve years 
and included only those who have been eminently successful 
in this profession. The whole intent has been to correlate the 
information and experience, which has been dearly bought in 
many cases, and to produce a concise and truthful report. 
This, then, may act as a guide to other practitioners and to 
those new in the profession, and save them the useless expendi- 
ture of many thousands of dollars each year. 
Advertising and its psychology is a profession in itself 
and it will not be my intent to educate the chiropractor in 
that profession. I shall not go extensively into the psychology 
of advertising because that merely states the reason why 
5 6 
PREFACE 
certain principles are followed and the chiropractor can make 
no practical use of that knowledge. I shall simply state the 
facts, any one of which can be readily substantiated and for 
all of which a sound reason exists. I know, however, that the 
chiropractors have neither the time nor the inclination to go 
into all of the bypaths covered by the psychology of adver- 
tising. The thing this profession is interested in is "what 
to do" and I am relying on the confidence which the field has 
in the author and his experience in advertising to convince 
them of the soundness of the methods laid down. 
It is, of course, within the purview of every chiropractor 
to study the recognized authorities on advertising, but all 
of these deal, in the main, with commercial commodities. 
The stories are written around these commercial commodities, 
examples are drawn from them, and the lessons are driven 
home with them. It would be very difficult for the chiro- 
practor to gain the information from such a discourse as well 
as if it were written around his own profession. The principles 
are the same whether one be advertising automobiles, or tooth- 
brushes, or service; yet the method of presenting the subject 
matter based upon those principles must be entirely different. 
This book deals with the Chiropractic profession and its 
advertising problem. There is no question but that the chiro- 
practors are the most progressive profession, not only in a 
scientific way, but in the matter of advertising. We are the 
first health profession to enter into the spirit of advertising 
on an extensive scale. Undoubtedly the Chiropractic pro- 
fession and its activity along this line will eventually force 
other professions to follow its lead. 
The chiropractor is justified in employing the various 
advertising media to present his service to the public. That 
is the only way he could have, in the past, obtained recognition 
of his science. Had he been content to follow the old beaten 
paths employed by other professions, he could not have edu- 
cated and held public attention in the same degree as he has 7 
PREFACE 
been able to do through advertising. I would venture the 
opinion, however, that a large percentage of the money spent 
by chiropractors in their various forms of advertising has been 
very largely wasted, either for the reason that the wrong 
media were employed, or because- the copy was improperly 
built. Building advertising copy is an art which very few 
people attain and yet it is not a difficult matter to understand. 
It is one thing, however, to understand the principles and 
quite another thing to create material which will best embody 
those principles. A most liberal education, and perhaps the 
most practical education of all, can be obtained by reading 
and studying the advertisements that appear in the lead- 
ing periodicals of the day. In the Saturday Evening Post, 
Cosmopolitan, Red Book, and many other standard magazines, 
the advertisements are written by the very best advertising 
men in the country and if one but searches, he will find the 
same underlying principles embodied in all of these advertise- 
ments. There are various methods of advertising, but whether 
it be newspaper advertising, direct by mail advertising, or 
some other form, the same principles should be utilized in 
all. It will, therefore, be my intention to construct this outline 
in such a way as to embody the fundamental principles of all 
advertising, showing how they are applicable in various meth- 
ods, and then giving the reader the benefit of definite examples 
of each. TABLE OF CONTENTS 
PAGE 
CHAPTER I 
Selecting a Location 11 
Personal Characteristics-Community-Office Location (Small 
Town, Large or Small City). 
CHAPTER II 
Questionnaire Returns 30 
Discussion of-Newspaper and Telephone Directory Advertising- 
Signs-Direct by Mail-Tracts and Pamphlets-Getting Started- 
Pulpit Influence. 
CHAPTER HI 
Capitalize Your Results 79 
Duty vs. Ethics-Satisfied Patients-Proper Methods-Dismissing 
Patients. 
CHAPTER IV 
Headlines 90 
Brevity-Blind Headlines-Live News-Bold Type. 
CHAPTER V 
Display Advertising 99 
Location as to Page-Makeup of Space-Size of Space and Con- 
trast-Titles-Action Lines. 
CHAPTER VI 
Analysis of Display Advertising 109 
CHAPTER VII 
Selling 134 
Function of Advertising-Consistency-Class and Age Appeals. 
CHAPTER VIII 
Chiropractic-Business or Profession 142 
Build for the Future-Rolling Stones-Drifters-The Remedy. 
CHAPTER IX 
Price Cutting 149 
Cost of Your Training and Worth of Health. 
9 10 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
PAGE 
CHAPTER X 
Confidence 154 
CHAPTER XI 
Friendliness 163 
CHAPTER XII 
The People Rule 168 
CHAPTER XIII 
Suggestions from the Field 173 
CHAPTER XIV 
Direct by Mail Advertising 180 
CHAPTER XV 
Proper Letters for Campaign, "A" Series" 186 
Discussion of Letters for Direct by Mail Campaign. 
CHAPTER XVI 
Proper Letters for Direct Campaign, "B" Series 209 
CHAPTER XVII 
Letters Advertising Spinograph 225 
CHAPTER XVIII 
Letters Advertising Neurocalometer 233 
Explanatory 241 CHAPTER I 
SELECTING A LOCATION 
When the Chiropractic student nears the completion of 
his professional training, he is most vitally interested in find- 
ing a location where the natural conditions will be most favor- 
able to him in the successful conduct of his practice. He is 
at a period in his career which is most important and one 
which calls for an absolutely honest and candid analysis of 
himself. It is quite natural that his desires should play a 
part in his decision and it is perfectly right that they should, 
because the desires of an individual indicate to a certain degree 
his adaptability and his qualifications. 
Personal Characteristics 
Some people are always ill at ease when they come in 
contact with strangers. They become confused, embarrased, 
and do not show their real characters to the best advantage. 
In most of these cases they realize their own shortcoming and 
this adds to the embarrassment which is already present. Let 
these same people become acquainted with other people and 
they are perfectly at ease. They find that they are able to 
discuss topics of mutual interest, and under the influence 
of acquaintanceship and friendliness, they show an entirely 
different personality than was displayed on the first meet- 
ing. 
Other people there are of the type commonly spoken of 
as "hail fellow well met." They are perfectly at ease when 
introduced to total strangers. They apparently find no diffi- 
culty in making conversation and becoming instantly agree- 
able. They have the happy faculty of attracting other people 
11 12 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
to them quickly and yet they may not be of more solid worth 
than the other type. In fact, there are many cases where 
they have not the real foundation of character behind them 
which the reticent individual possesses. Yet on first meeting 
they are exceedingly agreeable and adaptable. 
Small or Large Community? 
These are two extremes of people. It is true that either 
can, by training, master himself to the degree that he may 
take on some of the attributes of the other, but neither can 
be wholly successful in striving to change his personality. 
Each should realize that he is fitted to mingle in an entirely 
different community. The man who is very well thought of 
and perfectly at ease in a city, may prove to be decidedly 
unpopular in a small town; and the man who is exceedingly 
popular in a small town may, upon his advent to the city, find 
that he is a stranger in a strange land, unaccustomed to the 
habits and ways of city folks. He mistakes their attitude of 
independence as snobbishness, as coldness, and as heartless- 
ness. He is not adapted to the life of the city. 
One of the first things that a prospective chiropractor 
should do is to analyze his fitness for practicing among differ- 
ent groups of people. It is not always true that the man or 
woman brought up in a small town is best fitted for that sort 
of a community. Many of these people, by natural inclination, 
are adapted to city associations and by the same virtue many 
people who have been brought up in cities are splendidly 
adapted to making friends and being successful in small com- 
munities. But in the main I believe it can be safely said that 
the individual who has been brought up in a small town is 
better adapted for practice in a small town, while the person 
reared in a city is better adapted for practice there. This is 
for the very good reason that their entire early training 
acquaints them with the interests of these different com- 
munities. SELECTING A LOCATION 
13 
Adaptability 
Naturally if a chiropractor locates in a small town in a 
farming district, he draws a goodly share of his practice from 
the farmers, and even those who are not farmers are vitally 
interested in the crops and in the local conditions which are 
very largely dependent upon the farmers' welfare. If the 
chiropractor locating in such a community can discuss with 
the farmers and with the local merchants the problems of 
that community and can do so intelligently, he has immedi- 
ately made a favorable impression. It is too often true that 
when an individual enters such a place totally ignorant of 
the activities upon which the locality is dependent, he is looked 
upon as a rank outsider and does not receive the warm hand- 
clasp of friendship which would otherwise be his. 
I sometimes feel that it is much easier for the person 
reared in a small town to go to the city because there he meets 
many people, each one of whom is engaged in a certain special 
occupation. Many of them know very little outside their own 
occupations. True, they read the papers in a haphazard sort 
of way but they are not especially well posted on any partic- 
ular line outside of their own, nor do they expect other people 
to be especially well posted in their line. In other words, the 
city is an aggregation of specialists, while a smaller town is 
an aggregation of people all of whom are more or less inter- 
ested in the same things. 
One should approach this problem of determining one's 
adaptability with an entirely open mind. I have had students 
who were about to graduate ask me for my honest opinion 
about the size of the town or city in which they should begin 
practice. I have invariably given them my honest opinion, 
feeling that I was speaking to people who were broad enough 
to realize that it is no disgrace to be better adapted to a small 
town than to a city or vice versa. One cannot safely say that 
towns of any given size are the best locations for chiropractors 14 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
because we can point to innumerable instances of successful 
practitioners in large cities, in the smaller cities, in the large 
towns, and in the small towns. 
Some of the most successful chiropractors, people who 
have maintained their success year after year, have done so 
in small towns; and the idea that one should locate in a city 
because a city offers greater possibilities in a business way is 
not borne out by the record of performance. While it is true 
that notable successes have been built in cities, and while it 
is true that these successful practices have been maintained 
year after year it is also true that the city has a world of 
disadvantages in the building of a practice which the smaller 
community does not have. After all, there are sick people in 
the small towns and there are sick people in the cities. It 
is largely a question of adaptability of the individual to his 
surroundings and his fitness for building a practice in one 
place or the other. 
Local Conditions 
Many chiropractors, about to launch their professional 
careers, are attracted to certain parts of the country by condi- 
tions entirely outside the profession. It may be their liking 
for a certain climate. It may be that certain domestic condi- 
tions make it imperative or at least advisable that they go 
to one particular state or province. But there are many who 
have none of these things to influence them in the selection 
of a location and their interest turns to the entire field in 
choosing their future home. I have heard chiropractors 
say that it makes no difference where one goes, that there are 
sick people everywhere, and that Chiropractic is needed every- 
where. All of which is fundamentally true and yet, in my 
judgment, it is a matter of importance to take into considera- 
tion local conditions, of which there are many, before making 
a final decision. These local conditions are constantly chang- 
ing and advice which might be given today, would not be 
sound in a few years from now- SELECTING A LOCATION 
15 
For example: if there are five chiropractors in a com- 
munity of five thousand people, and if there is another com- 
munity of five thousand people with no chiropractor, equally 
as well situated and with the same attractive features, the 
chiropractor would indeed be foolish to pass up the town 
where he would have an entire field of five thousand people 
to draw from and go into the community where there were 
already five established practices. Therefore it seems to me 
highly important that the chiropractor should know something 
about the number of chiropractors in a community, the size 
of that community, and something of the activities which are 
behind the prosperity or lack of it in that particular locality. 
Further, it seems to me that it is extremely vital that he 
should know something of the public sentiment toward Chiro- 
practic in the community which he is contemplating. There 
are certain places throughout the country where, through a 
series of unfortunate and inexcusable circumstances, the people 
have become thoroughly disgusted with chiropractors. I would 
not say that no attempt should be made to locate in such a 
community and convince these people that all chiropractors 
were not like those with whom they have had experience. 
I would say, however, that for a person with limited financial 
backing to undertake such a task, when it is imperative that 
he go into a community where he can immediately begin to 
show an income, would be the poorest kind of judgment. It 
is quite probable that with sufficient backing to enable one to 
go through a period of unpopularity, and convince the people, 
through sheer merit, of his standing and his ability, he would 
reap rich rewards; but for one with limited finance to under- 
take such a campaign would be suicidal. 
Get Information 
The best advice I could give to an individual seeking a 
location is to determine approximately the size town in which 
he wishes to locate, ever bearing in mind that the small cities 16 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
and large towns are sure to have one or more chiropractors 
already located in them. I would suggest that he then select 
a dozen or more places which he feels might be advantageous 
for him. I would then suggest that he write to each of these 
towns asking something about the industrial activities there, 
the condition of business, the character of its people, and other 
important conditions which have a distinct bearing upon its 
desirability as a field in which to locate. If the town is large 
enough, this letter should be directed to the Chamber of Com- 
merce ; if not, I would suggest that it be sent to two or three 
banks in that community, because these institutions are always 
closely in touch with the industrial conditions, and are ordi- 
narily operated by men who are interested in the community 
and who are glad to give the desired information to the in- 
quirer. It is better to send the same letter to two or three 
banks rather than to one because if sent to one bank, there 
is more possibility of its falling into the hands of an individual 
who is prejudiced against Chiropractic or who, through busi- 
ness association, is entirely favorable to the medical fraternity. 
If the inquiry is being made in one of the southern states, 
where the proportion of population is largely black, it is well 
to learn the white population as well as the total population. 
Then, too, there is the question of obtaining legal recogni- 
tion in the state or province which is contemplated. Most of 
the states require a high school education or its equivalent. 
Some of them have Chiropractic educational qualifications 
which are unusual and which the average chiropractor cannot 
meet In going into such a state, the prospective practitioner 
should be extremely careful to find out from the officials of 
the Universal Chiropractors Association just what their advice 
is and what their policy will be in his fight for legal recogni- 
tion should such necessity arise. Then, too, some states are 
more liberal in their estimation of what constitutes the equiv- 
alent of a high school education than are others and all these 
points should be cleared up definitely with the Chiropractic SELECTING A LOCATION 
17 
board of examiners before the student makes a definite deci- 
sion. 
Classes vs. Masses 
One often hears chiropractors remark that they are adjust- 
ing the best people in town. Such a statement is calculated 
to impress the listener with the confidence which that chiro- 
practor has built for himself and for Chiropractic in his com- 
munity. It is not, however, necessarily a good gauge of ex- 
ceptional business. The chiropractor draws his clientele from 
the great middle class of people. It is all very fine to have 
the wealthy class among one's patients and it is all very well 
to have some of the poor people among one's patients, even 
to the extent of taking them as charity cases up to a certain 
limit, but then only under certain conditions. The fact should 
not be lost sight of, however, that almost without exception, 
chiropractors have built their practices among the middle 
classes. 
Industrial Activities 
In selecting a location, it is well to get into a community 
where there is more than one industrial activity. If one goes 
into a mining town, he is utterly dependent upon the activity 
of the mining interests. If into a farming community, he is 
utterly dependent upon that industry, and if entering any town 
where the community is dependent upon one activity, he 
should make certain that that activity is a stable and con- 
stant one. To enter a mining community where operations 
are in full swing for six or seven months out of the year and 
entirely dead for the balance of the year, means that the chiro- 
practor's business fluctuates extensively. However, if he is 
in a community where more than one activity engages the 
interest of the people, he is more certain of a steady, regular 
practice. A payroll town is an ideal place for a chiropractor 
providing that payroll is reasonably constant. Chiropractors 
2-Nov-1924 18 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
with experience know that people with a definite stated income 
pay their bills regularly and are more apt to patronize the 
professional man than are those people whose income is more 
or less uncertain. Not only is patronage better, but collections 
are better in such a community. Every chiropractor with any 
considerable experience knows that the average working man 
is better pay than the average wealthy man or retired man. 
To briefly summarize the foregoing, let us say that the 
chiropractor should thoroughly and honestly analyze himself 
and his fitness; that he should carefully analyze his financial 
resources, realizing that smaller communities hold forth the 
possibilities of a quicker start and quicker returns than do the 
larger communities. He should investigate carefully a num- 
ber of towns or cities in which he is interested and he should 
let the business activities and interests of these several com- 
munities be a very large factor in the determination of his 
selection. 
Office Location 
Next to the selection of the community in which one is 
going to practice Chiropractic, perhaps the most important 
decision is the selection of a location in that community, and 
here there are many factors which have a bearing and which 
must be carefully considered. For example: In the eastern 
states it is quite proper for a professional man or woman to 
conduct a practice in an apartment and the more readily acces- 
sible the apartment is, the better is the practioner situated. 
In the west this is not true. The public is not educated to 
professional people conducting practices in their apartment 
and much better results are obtained when separate offices are 
maintained in buildings provided especially for that purpose. 
Then, too, there is a wide variation between the procedure in 
a small community and that in a large community, the people 
having pretty well defined ideas about the professional man 
and his location. SELECTING A LOCATION 
19 
Office Location in a Small Town 
Whether it be in one community or another, and whether 
that community be large or small, it is essential that the chiro- 
practor be located so that he is readily accessible to the greatest 
number of people. 
I have seen Chiropractic offices in small communities 
located on the edge of town where prospective patients from 
the other side of town are at a disadvantage if they desire to 
come to the chiropractor's office. Not only does the disad- 
vantage lie in the inaccessibility of the location and the diffi- 
culty in the patient's reaching that location, but it lies also in 
the fact that, located in such a way, a chiropractor is not able 
to keep himself and his profession constantly before the great- 
est number of people. Then, too, there is a definite psychology 
in being located in the center of things. If on the outskirts 
of town, the public gets the natural reaction that the chiro- 
practor is a second or third rate practitioner. Few of these 
people would be able to tell you why they feel that way, and 
yet the fact remains that they do. I would, by all means, 
advise that the chiropractor in a small community be located 
in or very close to the center of the business district. He is 
thereby readily accessible to the rural community which does 
its business in that town, and he is also accessible to the 
greatest number of people in that particular community. 
Central Location 
As psychology is against him if he is on the outskirts of 
the community, so it is in his favor if he is in the center of 
the business activities. News travels fast in a small town and 
it is not long before the people understand that a new pro- 
fessional man or woman is in their midst. They talk about 
him and he is pointed out as an object of interest. This is the 
very thing which he courts, and by being situated where most 
of the townspeople convene, he gets far more publicity than 20 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
he could get if he were not in this advantageous position. 
Some chiropractors are very successful in locating their offices 
in a residence, providing that residence is very close to the 
center of business and on a street where the most people 
pass. 
Highways 
Many small towns have a few paved roads leading into 
the town, with a few paved streets leading into the main 
street. It is well to keep this matter of paving in mind because 
it is along the paved highways that the rural community 
comes into the country towns and it is quite natural that the 
pedestrians in the town use those paved streets more frequently 
than the ones which are not paved. Not only is the chiro- 
practor's office more accessible because of his location along 
one of these main highways, but it gives him a far 
better opportunity of advertising himself and keeping 
his name, together with his profession, constantly before 
the people. 
Window Signs 
Small communities do not, as a rule, have business blocks 
of more than two or three stories and it is very seldom that 
elevator service is obtainable. For this reason the chiropractor 
should seek a location on the second floor and he should seek 
a location fronting on the main street, if possible, so that he 
will have the opportunity of displaying his sign. In a large 
city people do not stop and chat in groups on the street, and 
window signs are therefore not as advantageous here as in 
the smaller communities, unless they can be placed in such 
a way as to be seen by the people walking along the street. 
In a small town this is entirely different. Groups meet on 
the sidewalks and chat constantly, and having a window sign 
which is visible from across the street is a very distinct 
advantage. SELECTING A LOCATION 
21 
Main Streets 
If I were going into a small community, I would spend 
several days in the downtown district, first determining where 
the main street is, and next determining just what part of that 
main street has the greatest number of passersby during the 
day. Most business houses, if they are going to open a store 
in a new community, send an advance man to learn just where 
the greatest congregation of people takes place. These men 
make a very accurate count of the people passing along certain 
streets during the day, and many business houses are located 
entirely on the recommendation of these men whose opinion 
is based very largely upon the number of people who pass. 
First Floor Offices 
There are some advantages to the chiropractor who locates 
his office on the first floor, but this is not, as a rule, advisable 
unless the office is in a residence, just a little way off from the 
main line of travel. People are educated to seek the second 
floor, at least in the small communities, to reach the profes- 
sional man and they somehow hesitate at the publicity which 
the first floor affords. They may not be able to tell you just 
why they hesitate, but the fact is that they do not care to 
have their neighbors and friends know exactly where they are 
going. This objection is eliminated if the chiropractor's office 
is in a building where there are other professional offices as 
well. 
Buildings 
In a small community the character of the building is not 
as important a factor as in the larger towns and cities. The 
people of the small towns do not attach so much importance 
to fine surroundings and a new brick building as do people in 
the larger communities. They are governed more by habit 
and the older buildings are very often preferable to the newer 
ones, especially if they have the advantage of location. 22 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
CAURrtCE 
It takes courage to recognize 
the merit in a new discovery. The 
world is so apt to say it can't be 
done. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
was at first supported by only a 
few courageous people who saw 
the merit in its principles, and to- 
day the masses are following in 
the footsteps of these men of 
former days who had the courage 
to look a new idea squarely in 
the face and accept it. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
HOURS 
See page 241 23 
SELECTING A LOCATION 
All of the foregoing is somewhat dependent upon the 
pocketbook of the new practitioner. It is not always possible 
for him to do exactly what he would like to do and the sug- 
gestions made above should be accepted as suggestions on 
the ideal procedure to be followed. If the practitioner does 
not have the wherewithal to follow them, he must of necessity 
do the next best. 
Office Locations in Small Cities 
Some of the considerations which are vital in the small 
towns are also of paramount importance in the small cities, 
principally the consideration of accessibility. It takes a little 
longer time in a city to determine just where the center of 
business is, but it is money well spent to determine this fact 
absolutely before definitely deciding on a location. It is also 
well here to consider in which direction the largest popula- 
tion lies from the business district because the streets on that 
side of town are the main channels of travel for both pedes- 
trians and vehicles and thus become more readily accessible 
to the people. Furthermore the tendency of business districts 
is to expand toward the residence districts rather than away 
from them and the chiropractor who takes this factor into 
consideration, will very often find that in a few years his 
location is much more desirable than it was when he first 
began practicing. 
Which Floor? 
In the small cities it is usually desirable for the chiro- 
practor to locate on one of the lower floors, for two reasons: 
First, his office is more accessible to the street, and second, 
his windows become an asset in advertising his name and 
keeping it before the public. People passing along the street 
will often look across the street to the second and third floors, 
but they are seldom attracted by names or signs at a higher 
level than this. 24 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
Transportation Lines 
Above all things, the chiropractor should see to it that 
his office is located in a place which is near to the central 
terminals of the street railway system. He will, of necessity, 
draw his patients from all sections of the city. Many of these 
people will utilize the street cars and his accessibility to them 
is exactly in proportion to his accessibility to the central street 
car terminals. 
Elevator Service 
Another important factor is to select office space as near 
as possible to the elevator. This for the reason that all people 
coming to that particular floor of the building are made familiar 
with the chiropractor's location and his name. If he is located 
in a remote corner, or in a part of the building which is not 
accessible, very few people, other than those who are coming 
particularly for his service, see the sign on his door. Above 
all things, elevator service is a necessity where the chiro- 
practor's office is located higher than the second floor, and 
is a distinct advantage even then. 
Contracts for Office Space 
Office space in a building in any city is rented by the 
year and often contracts for several years are made. If the 
chiropractor is certain that his location is entirely satisfactory 
to him and feels confident that he wishes to continue in that 
location, he should make his contract for as long a time as 
possible because by so doing he is usually able to get a better 
rate. On the other hand, if he finds it expedient to make a 
short term contract of one or two years, he should, if possible, 
have a renewal privilege in that contract at the lowest possible 
stipulated figure. This will leave it optional with him, at the 
expiration of his time, to continue in that location at a price 
which has already been set, or to change to another location. SELECTING A LOCATION 
25 
Office Locations in Large Cities 
Few chiropractors, especially those with limited finance, 
feel that they should locate in a large city when they begin 
their practice, even though they expect to do so at a later 
time. They feel that by locating in a smaller town their 
expenses will be less and their returns will be quicker. In 
a measure that is true but I doubt if it is true to the extent 
that many chiropractors believe. Every large city has sub- 
urban districts and many trading centers that are not in the 
very heart of the retail district. Many of these trading centers 
and suburbs are, in fact, small communities, more or less 
independent of the main trading center. The people become 
acquainted with one another as they do in the small towns. 
News travels quickly as it does in the small towns, and prac- 
tically every condition exists here which would be found in 
towns involving a like number of inhabitants. 
Unless one is very well equipped financially to weather 
the starvation period, it is, in my judgment, a mistake to open 
a downtown office in any big city. Business comes much 
slower than it does in the small communities. Expenses are 
very much higher than in the smaller communities although 
it is quite true that the returns, when they do come, are 
usually more gratifying. The trouble, however, in locating 
first in a small community with the intention of later locating 
in a city is that the chiropractor is never quite certain what 
his success will be in the city and so long as he maintains a 
modicum of success in the smaller town, he is likely to stay 
there and never attain the possibilities of which he is capable. 
Modest Start in a City 
If, however, instead of going to a small town with the 
thought of later locating in the city, he will go directly to the 
city and locate in one of the outlying business districts, he 
will have practically the same advantages that the small town 26 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
offers; and he will have the additional advantage of being able 
to open at a later time in the heart of the business district, 
still maintaining his outlying office under his direct super- 
vision, if not under his direct personal attention. By so doing, 
he can utilize his original outlying office to let it pay for and 
carry for a time the second office which he will open in the 
heart of the city. In this way he attains his ambition and 
at the same time does not entirely lose his connection with 
the original office. 
Moral Responsibility 
Outside of the direct business advantages of such a plan, 
there is the responsibility of the chiropractor to his patients 
which is, perhaps, a greater reason why the above method is 
advisable. Too often a chiroprator locates in a small com- 
munity, stays there for a matter of a year or two, and then 
feeling the urge of a larger field, he leaves that community 
either without a chiropractor, or in the hands of a stranger 
and one over whom he has do direct supervision. The result 
is that his former patients are disappointed, the service which 
they get is not up to standard, and the reputation and progress 
of Chiropractic in that community are hindered in a certain 
degree. If the chiropractor realizes this, he will also realize 
the advantage of locating his office in an outlying business 
center where, when he leaves it so far as his personal attention 
is concerned, he still can exert his influence there and see that 
his former patients are satisfied with the change. By so doing, 
he does a real service to Chiropractic. 
In locating in an outlying business center, the chiropractor 
finds the selection of a location as important, if not more im- 
portant, than in the small city or in the small town. He should 
exercise extreme care in getting in the very center of that 
business activity, and the same considerations should be kept 
in mind as have been suggested in our discussion of small 
towns and small cities. 27 
SELECTING A LOCATION 
First Floor Advantages 
There is, however, this additional consideration which is 
deserving of some comment and that is the question of whether 
he should be on the main floor or whether he should be on the 
second or third floor. It is quite true that most Chiropractic 
offices are located above the main floor, but I know of several 
very successful offices that are located on the main floor and 
on the main streets of these outlying business districts. The 
great trouble with many chiropractors who undertake such a 
location is that their arrangement gives too much publicity 
from the patient's standpoint. If an office is located on the 
main floor, the public should not be able to see in to know 
who is in the reception room and a tastefully arranged display 
window is the best solution I know of to eliminate this dis- 
advantage. With such a window, the chiropractor has a 
splendid opportunity of displaying interesting cards, pictures, 
etc., which attract the passersby and create interest in his 
profession. 
Window Displays 
I know of one chiropractor who has gone so far as to 
install in such a display window a daylight screen upon which 
he shows slides which automatically change every so often. 
He also shows moving pictures of those things which are 
calculated to convince the public of the importance of Chiro- 
practic in a professional way. He has gone to the expense of 
having moving picture films made of the larger Chiropractic 
schools, of the manner in which a patient is prepared for an 
adjustment, of the manner in which an analysis is made, all 
to the end of convincing the public of the solid foundation 
upon which Chiropractic is built and also to convince them 
that there is no cause for embarrassment in the chiropractor's 
office. Together with the motion pictures, there are fitting 
captions which break the monotony of the picture and serve 
to explain vital facts about Chiropractic. One is surprised to 28 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
check up and see the number of people who stop in front of 
this chiropractor's window to watch the picture, and after 
leaving they retain a certain amount of Chiropractic informa- 
tion. 
Attraction of Movement 
The human eye is attracted by movement. Do you ever 
walk along the street and see in a display window a mechanical 
sign that moves? Have you ever seen rabbits, dogs, and other 
animals displayed in a window? If you have, you understand 
what is meant when I say that the human eye is attracted and 
held by movement. It is interested in motion where it would 
not be interested in a work of art that might be worth thou- 
sands of dollars but which is inanimate. 
I present here the suggestion that chiropractors who are 
considering locating in one of these outlying districts of a 
large city give very serious thought to a main floor location 
with a display window to attract public attention, but that if 
they do so they keep in mind the importance of having that 
display window entirely shut off from what is behind it. Thus 
to do away with the thought of its being too public and as a 
result repelling the prospective patient. 
Centrally Located Buildings 
In the main retail district of any great city, there are 
many desirable office buildings. Some have advantages over 
others and the chiropractor will find that in many of these the 
policy of the management will not permit renting space to 
a chiropractor. Sometimes these buildings are known as phy- 
sicians' office buildings and in many cases the medical fra- 
ternity has an arrangement with the management of the 
building which precludes the possibility of their renting space 
to so-called irregular practitioners. If it is possible, however, 
to get in a building where there are many physicians' offices, 
it is a splendid move for the chiropractor because he is in the SELECTING A LOCATION 
29 
midst of sick people, many of whom are discouraged with their 
present mode of treatment and are looking for, or at least 
are attracted by, some entirely different method which holds 
forth the possibilities of relief. 
Elevator Service 
Elevator service is a very important consideration and 
here, too, the chiropractor should select a location as near to 
the elevator as possible. It is not so important that he be on 
one of the lower floors as the elevator service in one of these 
large buildings is usually rapid and there is little advantage to 
be gained by window signs. It is, however, important that he 
be in an accessible location to street railway transportation. 
Elevator service at night is also an important feature because 
many chiropractors in large cities find it necessary to have 
their office open for a short time during the evening. 
Modern Buildings 
Then, too, modern conveniences and newness have an 
appeal in a large city which is not found in the smaller com- 
munities. There are certain office buildings which are known 
among the business people as popular, while there are other 
office buildings which, for one reason or another, are not 
popular. Certain office buildings have the better class of 
practitioners; others, usually because they are older, less cen- 
tralized, or in less advantageous locations, are patronized by 
professional people who are not considered first class. If the 
chiropractor can possibly afford it, it is money well spent to 
be in the most modern building and in a building which is 
well thought of and well known to the public. In his adver- 
tising he should carry the name of the building as well as its 
address, providing the building is well known. Many adver- 
tisements lose their effectiveness because only the name of the 
building is given and many people are not entirely familiar 
with the location of that building. CHAPTER II 
QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
Early in 1924 a questionnaire form was sent out to about 
one hundred and fifty chiropractors. This included men and 
women who were substantially successful in their practices 
and was for the purpose of correlating information which 
might be of inestimable value to the rest of the Chiropractic 
profession and to the prospective practitioner. A few of these 
chiropractors had been in practice only one year, while some 
had been in practice for more than twelve years. The average 
duration was 6.4 years with an enviable record for success in 
this profession. I shall quote hereafter the question asked, 
giving the percentages covering the returned answers. 
Do you use newspaper advertising? 
Seventy-one per cent replied "Yes"; 29 per cent replied 
"No." This is interesting because it shows the widespread 
favor of newspaper advertising among successful chiropractors 
and this medium could not be as popular as it is unless the 
years of use had proven, beyond question of doubt, that it is 
an efficient medium. Newspaper advertising not only leads 
all other forms of advertising, but it is peculiarly adapted to 
the advertiser who covers a limited area with his goods or 
with his service. 
It will be interesting also to know that in 1910 the expendi- 
tures for advertising of all kinds totaled $616,000,000 in 
the United States. Of this total amount, newspaper advertising 
showed a grand expenditure of $250,000,000, while direct 
by mail advertising showed an expenditure of approximately 
$100,000,000. The balance was split up between farm and 
mail order advertising, magazine advertising, novelty adver- 
tising, advertising through bill posters, electric signs, street 
car advertising, house organs, theater programs, and through 
30 QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
31 
demonstration and sampling, together with expenditures for 
general distribution. 
In 1920 the total advertising in the United States was 
over twice the amount expended in 1910. During 1920 the 
total expenditures for advertising in the United States 
were about $1,250,000,000, of which newspaper advertising 
claimed $600,000,000, while direct by mail advertising claimed 
$300,000,000. 
Thus it is seen by comparing these two estimates that in 
1910 newspaper advertising totaled about 40 per cent of the 
entire amount, while in 1920 it totaled approximately 47 per 
cent of the entire amount. It is also evident that the growth 
in direct by mail advertising is an indication of the increasing 
popularity of this medium. In 1910 approximately 16 per 
cent of the total expenditure was made on direct by mail 
advertising, while in 1920 more than 23 per cent was expended 
for direct by mail advertising. 
This information is of value only as it may show the 
chiropractor the importance of these two media as considered 
by advertisers in other lines of business. As has been repeat- 
edly stated, advertising principles do not vary whether they 
be applied to commercial products or to service. The same 
reasons which led to a preponderance of the total expenditure 
for advertising in the United States being spent for newspaper 
advertising by the producers of commercial products, have a 
distinct bearing upon the relative values of these forms of 
advertising to the chiropractor. 
Do you contract for space by the year? 
Forty-four per cent answered that they do, while 56 per 
cent stated that they do not. There are, of course, circum- 
stances which lead to the decision of the local chiropractors 
on this question. In some of the smaller papers there is no 
advantage in advertising by the year and contracting a number 
of inches for that period of time. On the other hand there 32 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
are many publications wherein, by contracting for a certain 
definite number of inches to be used during the year, the 
advertiser is enabled to procure a rate at a considerable saving. 
Another factor which offers a distinct advantage to the chiro- 
practor in contracting for his space by the year, lies in the 
fact that it convinces the newspaper men, and thereby influ- 
ences a certain number of people, that he has come to that 
community to make it his home and that there is little prob- 
ability of his staying for only a few weeks or a few months 
and then leaving. It gives to him a substantial standing which 
is a very valuable asset to any chiropractor. 
In addition to all this, it gives him a standing with his 
newspaper editor which leads to the granting of privileges 
which could probably be obtained in no other way. Every one 
knows that the value of news items in a newspaper is of far 
greater advantage than the same amount of space in the form 
of paid advertising material. Every one who has had experi- 
ence with newspapers also knows that reading space is granted 
very often as a favor to the advertiser where the non-adver- 
tiser could not get that consideration. 
I know of very important events that have more or less 
of a nation wide significance which are given space in the news 
items directly proportional to the amount of advertising space 
used. The newspaper man will hesitate to grant too much 
in the way of news space to the chiropractor who does not 
contract for his space and who buys it piece meal as he goes 
along. On the other hand, if he realizes that he is to get a 
certain volume of business from the chiropractor during the 
year, he is much more favorably inclined toward him and 
much more apt to give him space for news items and stories 
than he would otherwise be. 
How much space do you use in one year? 
Of the answers received, 5 per cent use 100 inches per 
year, 6 per cent use 200 inches per year, 8 per cent use 400 QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
33 
inches per year, 7 per cent use 750 inches per year, 13 per 
cent use 1500 inches per year, 13 per cent use 3000 inches per 
year, 1 per cent use 5000 inches per year, 1 per cent use 6000 
inches per year and the balance who replied were indefinite 
in their statements so that no computation could be made as 
to the average. 
Thus it can be seen that of those who have made a 
definite report on the amount of space used, the average is 
approximately 1475 inches per year. On the basis of two runs 
per week, this makes an average space of about 14 inches per 
issue, or in newspaper parlance, two columns 7 inches, or 
nearly 3 columns 5 inches, depending upon the arrangement 
of the advertising copy and the selection of the advertiser. 
I am quite aware that many chiropractors, particularly when 
they are first starting, cannot afford to spend this amount 
of money for newspaper space; yet it is given here as an 
average in order to be a guide to chiropractors when they 
attain the position where they can utilize this amount. 
In the main, advertisers who use a large amount of space 
and much advertising show a less mortality rather than those 
who dot not. This is, of course, a computation made upon all 
lines of business, but it is easily seen that the heavy adver- 
tiser survives periods of depression and maintains his business 
at its maximum efficiency much more effectively than the 
small advertiser can hope to do. The figures compiled by 
Professor Scott show that the advertiser using 56 lines con- 
tinues to use space on an average for one year, while the 
advertiser using 600 lines continues to advertise for a period 
of eight years. The obvious conclusion indicates that the 
advertiser who uses a limited space is discouraged with the 
results of his advertising in one year, while the advertiser 
who is able to use a larger space and does so, is encouraged 
to continue his advertising year after year. As this is true 
of large firms and large advertisers, it must also be true of 
small firms and professional men who depend solely upon 
newspaper advertising. 34 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
MSJSTERU 
Whence Life comes or 
where it goes is perhaps 
the greatest mystery of all 
times. All we know is the 
way in which it is ex- 
pressed. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
is the modern health sci- 
ence, founded on an accur- 
ate knowledge of how life 
is expressed and why dis- 
ease exists. This health 
science points to its record 
of getting sick people well 
as its best recommenda- 
tion. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
HOURS 
See page 241 QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
35 
Do you strive to get reading space pertaining to your personal 
or business activities? 
Sixty-five per cent state that they do, while thirty-five per 
cent state that they do not. I cannot make too impressive 
the importance of this phase of advertising, not only because 
it is space which cannot be bought and is not paid for directly 
by the chiropractor, but further because of its widespread 
effect upon the readers of the paper. 
The natural human reaction to an advertisement in any 
medium is that the advertiser is claiming all that he can within 
reason claim for his service, or his goods, in his own copy. 
It is quite natural to assume that he will present to the public 
only the most advantageous considerations, while the dis- 
advantages are kept in the background. For this reason prac- 
tically every one who reads advertising copy involuntarily 
discounts the statements made. Whether they understand 
why they do so or not, the fact is that they do so because 
they reason that there are a certain number of disadvantages 
which have not been stated. On the other hand, the tendency 
of the reader of news items is to assume that those news items 
are sponsored by the publishers of the paper who, in the event 
of the chiropractor and his story, are disinterested parties. 
For this reason the reader feels much more confidence in the 
statements made in a news item that he does in the statements 
made in a paid advertisement. 
Further than all this, it must not be forgotten that the 
chief reason for the public buying newspapers or magazines is 
to read the news and stories therein contained. They do not 
buy the papers for the purpose of reading the advertisements, 
and the advertisements they do read are rather a side issue 
with them and are those which attract their attention from 
the news or story copy for which they purchase the paper. 
It is then quite natural that more of the news items in a paper 
are read than advertising copy. Take your own case for 
example: When you purchase a newspaper, the things that 36 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
attract your attention are the news items. They are the 
things you buy the paper to get. Your attention to the adver- 
tising space is more or less limited. 
It is highly important, then, that the chiropractor make 
friends with his newspaper editor. The very first thing he 
should do after locating in a community is to visit the news- 
paper office and get acquainted, not only with the editor, but 
with any one else in his employ. Impress them with your 
earnestness and your seriousness, and lose no opportunity to 
do them a kindness because the newspaper man, perhaps more 
than any other individual, is a powerful factor in helping you 
get established and in building a good practice. 
If more than one newspaper, do you use all? 
The answers received indicate that 56 per cent use more 
than one newspaper when more than one serves the territory 
from which they draw their practice. Forty-four per cent 
indicate that they use only one medium. We must, of course, 
understand that of this 44 per cent some are located in cities 
where it is impossible to use all the media. In many of the 
large cities there are three, four, or even more newspapers. 
Some are of general distribution, while others are local in 
their circulation. The rates in these large papers are high 
and it is usual that the residents of the city buy one of these 
papers but do not buy them all. Thus if the chiropractor 
should attempt to spread his advertising out among all of 
them, he would not reach any one group consistently. In 
other words, he would have little accumulative value to his 
advertising, while if he concentrates in one newspaper, he 
has the advantage of being able to reach the readers of that 
newspaper with a definite degree of consistency and thus 
builds up an accumulative value. 
The wisdom of using more than one newspaper, where it 
is at all practical, is, I believe, quite evident. It not only 
permits the chiropractor to reach a far greater number of QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
37 
people and to do so consistently, but it also enlists the friend- 
ship and moral support of more than one newspaper organiza- 
tion. Newspapers are commercial enterprises. They are busi- 
nesses conducted along business lines and it is quite natural 
that they should favor in their publications those people from 
whom they draw their revenue. If the chiropractor patronizes 
one newspaper to the exclusion of others, he runs the danger, 
not only of decreasing his circulation, but also of failing to 
get the support of the competitive papers. Possibly he may 
bring upon himself more or less prejudice from these competi- 
tive papers. This should be avoided if at all possible and in 
the average small city or large town, it can be avoided if the 
chiropractor will equalize his advertising among the two or 
more media which are available. 
Do you run pictures with your ads? 
Of the answers received, 65 per cent state that they do, 
while 35 per cent state that they do not. Various means are 
utilized by the advertiser to attract the attention of the reader 
to his particular copy. It must be understood that the value 
of attraction lies in contrast. For example, if one were to place 
an advertisement on a newspaper page that was literally 
covered with pictures, he could gain the most attention by 
placing on that page a space with a very little reading matter 
surrounded by a considerable amount of white space. This 
for the very good reason that his particular copy would be 
in marked contrast to all the others. On the reverse, if he 
advertises on a page where the majority of the matter is 
printed, he will gain attention most effectively by using a 
picture of some sort because that picture is in contrast to the 
general sameness which is present on the balance of the page. 
All value of attraction, therefore, lies in contrast. We notice 
large objects because they are unusual. Large objects would 
not attract our attention if everything else in the vicinity were 
correspondingly large. A bright light attracts our attention 38 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
in the dark because it is in contrast to the sameness of the 
atmosphere around it On the other hand that same light, 
in a myriad of lights, would have no outstanding feature, 
would not be in contrast, and might never be seen by us. 
The value of a picture lies in its province of attracting atten- 
tion. 
I call your particular attention to the national advertisers 
in The Saturday Evening Post, The American Magazine, or in 
fact any of the magazines in general use today. If you will 
look through the advertising pages here, you will find that 
the advertisers often use almost the entire page for the pur- 
pose of attracting attention and the way they attract atten- 
tion is through an illustration. Coca cola advertisements are 
notable for this feature. It is not unusual for a coca cola 
advertisement to appear with the entire page an excellent 
illustration and with the only printed matter on the page 
appearing on the side of a small coca cola glass. But it will 
be noted that every individual in the picture is focusing his 
attention on that glass and the attention of the reader is 
automatically drawn to the little object upon which all the 
figures are gazing. 
It must be remembered that these advertisements in the 
national publications are built by the very best advertising 
brains in the country. These men know the value of attrac- 
tion influence and they are willing to spend huge amounts of 
money for each issue for the sole purpose of attracting the 
attention of the readers to a limited amount of copy. The 
same principle that governs the use of illustrations among 
large advertisers should also govern their use among chiro- 
practors. Illustrations are vital. They should be used and 
they should be of a character, not only to attract the atten- 
tion of the reader, but also to impress him after the attention 
is attracted. The picture of the chiropractor himself is often 
used, not because the chiropractor may be particularly proud 
of his personal appearance, but rather because his picture QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
39 
provides a black splotch of ink amid a sea of printed copy. 
Thus attention is gained. 
It is, in my judgment, a mistake to use illustrations which 
may be repulsive to the average run of readers. This is most 
apt to happen in using pictures of cases before and after 
taking adjustments. Very often the picture of the patient 
while dangerously ill is a picture of disease and suffering and 
sorrow, and for that reason it is repulsive to a large number 
of people. If such an illustration is used at all, it should not 
be given equal prominence with the attractive picture of the 
patient after health has been regained. The same thing is 
true in a limited sense in using illustrations of bones or 
viscera. Pictures of a few segments of the spine are far less 
apt to react badly than pictures of the entire spine or pictures 
of a skeleton. A picture is something more than a mere 
matter of color and outline. It is, after all, a suggestion 
which brings to the mind's eye of the reader a picture of the 
real object which is illustrated. Dead bodies are repulsive 
to many people. The skeleton suggests dead bodies and the 
spine in a measure does so, and very often the picture that 
is called up in the patient's mind from such an illustration is 
repellent. On the other hand, the picture of four spinal seg- 
ments is minute as compared with the total skeletal frame- 
work of the body and is far less apt to bring to the reader's 
mind a reaction that is unpleasant. 
This is a feature which chiropractors should watch, espe- 
cially because so much of the advertising which they do per- 
tains directly to the human body. Pictures of health, energy, 
beauty are far more effective than pictures which suggest death 
and sickness. "The Chiropractic Smile" can be illustrated by 
many splendid pictures. They not only provide a contrast 
to attract the attention of the reader but they provide a 
mentally pleasant reaction which cannot possibly be obtained 
by an illustration of bones and nerves and viscera. Illustra- 
tions of this latter character have their place but their place 40 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
is not ordinarily in newspaper advertising and if they are 
used there, the chiropractor should be very careful that he 
is sparing in their use and that his principal attraction is not 
the picture itself. The picture should be purely secondary 
to the explanation that is printed with it. It is used then as 
an explanatory measure but it is kept in the background and 
is important only as the reader is interested in the copy 
presented. 
Do you write your own advertisements? 
Forty-six per cent state that they do. Fifty-four per cent 
state that they do not. This is a very gratifying showing 
as it indicates that chiropractors are coming rapidly to the 
conclusion that money spent for having an expert advertiser 
write their copy and display their services yields very profit- 
able returns. It has not been many years ago since the Chiro- 
practic profession in very large proportion wrote its own 
advertising copy. The result was poor pulling power. There 
have been developed in the Chiropractic profession a number 
of splendid advertising copy writers, men who not only under- 
stand the principles of Chiropractic, but who have made a 
study of advertising and understand the importance of properly 
presenting its appeals. 
Of the more than one billion dollars spent annually for 
advertising, undoubtedly many millions are very largely 
wasted. Wasted because the individuals who wrote the copy 
do not understand the presentation of products and service 
to the public in such a way as to attract attention, create 
interest, promote desire, and urge action. One may spend 
$100 for poor advertising copy, while another person under 
like circumstances may spend half that amount for half that 
space and, with a matter of $10 judiciously expended for 
having the copy properly presented, will get far better results. 
Even though the practitioner does not find it advisable or 
practical to have his copy written by some of these men QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
41 
within the profession who specialize on that sort of work, he 
will still find it a distinct advantage to place his idea in the 
hands of an advertising man in his local community and let 
that advertising man prepare and lay out his copy. 
Do you concentrate on Chiropractic in your advertisements, 
or do you refer to other methods to draw comparisons? 
In response to this question, 92 per cent state that they 
concentrate entirely on Chiropractic, while 8 per cent say 
that in their advertising they draw comparisons with other 
methods. This also is a very gratifying report because it 
shows that a large proportion of the successful chiropractors 
have learned that Chiropractic is sold to the public on its 
merit as a scientific method and not upon odious comparisons 
with other methods. 
We, as chiropractors, realize that we are waging a bit- 
ter fight with the medical fraternity, but it is the organized 
American Medical Association and the men who are pro- 
moting its policies. We should keep as far as possible away 
from any fight on the local practitioner as an individual. 
Every physician has many friends in his following. There 
are a very great number of people who feel kindly disposed 
toward the individual medical practitioner, but who are not 
kindly disposed toward organized medicine or toward the 
policies fostered by the American Medical Association. It 
is fairly easy to show the injustice of the policies sponsored 
by the national organization but when the chiropractor begins 
to utilize his advertising space to draw comparisons between 
Chiropractic and medicine, the reader in that local community 
immediately associates it as a comparison between the chiro- 
practor and the local physicians. Many of these physicians 
have, in the reader's mind, saved their lives or some one who 
is very near and dear to them. Many of them are personally 
very estimable gentlemen and are very well thought of 
in their respective communities. Any comparison which 42 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
is made reacts more against the advertiser than it does 
against the competitor with whom the comparison is made. 
Therefore, except in very rare instances and under very 
unusual conditions, it is not advisable for the chiropractor to 
use comparisons between Chiropractic and any other method, 
whether it be medicine, osteopathy, Christian Science, or any- 
thing else. Advertising men have learned this lesson long ago 
and no good advertiser today draws any direct comparisons 
between his goods and the goods of a competitor. The reader 
naturally resents such a policy and it is extremely dangerous 
for the individual who hopes to increase his business by the 
favor of the public. 
Do you favor cooperative advertising? 
Seventy per cent answer that they do, while thirty per 
cent answer that they do not. There are certain advantages to 
cooperative advertising which are pretty well known through- 
out the field. There has been entirely too much, during the 
past few years, of chiropractors coming into a community 
where another chiropractor has been located for some time 
and striving to draw part of his business away from him 
rather than to educate more people to Chiropractic and draw 
business from a virgin source. This has led to much lost 
confidence in the profession all over the country. The public 
has witnessed the spectacle of chiropractors quarreling among 
themselves like children. It has seen advertising material 
which was obviously aimed at the chiropractor's competitor. 
It resents this sort of thing and the result is that it has been 
disastrous to all chiropractors. The public reasons in its own 
mind that until the chiropractors can agree and get along 
harmoniously among themselves, they cannot reasonably ex- 
pect the confidence of the public. Furthermore the public is 
being educated to Chiropractic as a movement. It has not 
yet learned what Chiropractic is. It has no way of knowing 
and it must depend entirely upon the chiropractor and his QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
43 
information to create familiarity with this new science. The 
public looks upon Chiropractic very largely as a new and 
untried or not thoroughly tried profession, and in the face of 
this condition it witnesses chiropractors wrangling as to which 
is more competent and which method used affords the greatest 
possibilities of relief. 
In the last analysis it resolves itself into a question of 
the fundamental premise upon which Chiropractic is founded. 
When two chiropractors are located in the same community, 
it is not particularly vital what their opinions may be. The 
opinion of one or the other makes no material difference in 
the real problem of what constitutes Chiropractic. Chiro- 
practic is not a name around which a science has been built. 
Rather it is a fundamental idea which was conceived in the 
mind of its discoverer and after the conception of this idea, it 
was given the specific name, Chiropractic. Chiropractic is, 
then, all that is implied in the fundamental principle upon 
which it is founded. D. D. Palmer, when he discovered Chiro- 
practic, discovered the idea that malpositions of the spinal 
segments produce pressure on nerves which leads to inter- 
ference with transmission and this interference with trans- 
mission in turn leads to functional disorder and disease. He 
also discovered that by replacing these spinal segments to 
their normal positions, health was restored, and this funda- 
mental was then and is still today the solid foundation upon 
which Chiropractic has weathered every factional storm. 
Chiropractic, then, may be said to embody the idea of inter- 
ference with transmission of mental impulses and the cor- 
rection of those conditions which cause that interference, and 
any system or method which does not hold fast to this funda- 
mental truth, cannot be consistently approved as a part of 
Chiropractic. 
The advantages of cooperative advertising are that the 
public is not compelled to witness the petty dissensions and 
squabblings of individual chiropractors and thereby confidence 44 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
is inspired in the Chiropractic movement. Cooperative adver- 
tising has the further advantage of reducing the entire cost 
to each member who participates in such a campaign and it 
gives a workable nucleus where the chiropractors can get 
together to discuss their problems and come to decisions and 
arrange policies which are mutually satisfactory and beneficial 
to all. This implies a more or less idealistic state and it is 
questionable in my mind if the desired end will ever be fully 
realized. But the working toward that ideal and the banding 
together of chiropractors in the smaller communities to that 
end is an advantage because it will eventually bring about a 
common platform upon which the vast majority of chiro- 
practors can and will agree. I do not know that cooperative 
advertising is necessarily the method to be employed to com- 
bat this evil of strife and struggle within the profession but 
I do know, and every thinking chiropractor will agree, that 
until chiropractors can agree among themselves and can 
present a solid phalanx and an unbroken front to the public, 
they cannot hope to gain and maintain the confidence of that 
public. 
How often do you run your ad in the newspaper? 
Twenty-six per cent reply that they run their ads daily, 
20 per cent reply that they run them tri-weekly, 15 per cent 
reply that they run them semi-weekly, and 39 per cent reply 
that they run them weekly. Thus it can be seen that the 
average is approximately three times per week. This, of 
course, depends upon local conditions as in some of the smaller 
communities daily papers are not published and the chiro- 
practor is compelled to rely upon papers which appear at 
weekly intervals. 
On the other hand it is important that the chiropractor 
take into consideration the issues of the paper which are, 
because of local conditions, more advisable for his use. For 
example, papers which are issued in the evening usually carry QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
45 
their heaviest advertising on Friday, while their advertising 
on Saturday night is negligible. This for the reason that 
much of the buying is done on Saturday due to the fact that 
many offices are closed and many farmers take this last day 
of the week for their purchasing trips. It would not be sound 
judgment for the chiropractor to advertise his service in the 
issues where he has to combat with an exceptionally large 
amount of commercial advertising. It would be far better 
for him to advertise in those issues which carried a more 
limited amount of space. Saturday papers, if they are issued 
in the evening, are usually very good for the reason that many 
people read on Sunday the papers which they receive on 
Saturday night and read them more thoroughly than any 
other issue during the week. If Sunday papers are issued 
in the morning, they offer an excellent opportunity for the 
chiropractor. I merely offer the above as examples of con- 
ditions in certain communities dependent upon certain in- 
dustries and activities. Conditions vary in different places 
throughout the country and a study of general business con- 
ditions and the local activities is of vital importance in the 
placing of advertising copy. 
Above all, however, I would warn against the chiro- 
practor letting too long a time elapse between his advertise- 
ments as he will gain far better results by using a more lim- 
ited space and making his advertising constant. I have known 
of many chiropractors to enter a community and make a 
grand splurge during the first day and then remain silent, 
so far as reaching the public through the newspapers is con- 
cerned, for a matter of thirty days. The accumulative value 
of advertising is very evident and such a policy is essentially 
unsound. I do believe that a reasonable increase of the 
space should be made for the opening announcements but 
if that is done, it should be consistently followed by ad- 
vertising copy which iwill constantly keep the name and 
the profession and the service of the chiropractor before the 
public. 46 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
THE RIDDLE 
It makes the poor man 
kinjl, and when it steals 
away, the rich man be- 
comes a pauper indeed/ It 
is health, the most precious 
£ift of life. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
is most effective in rejjain- 
in£ health because it is a 
system built on naturallaw 
-the law which says that 
health comes from within. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
HOURS 
See page 241 QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
47 
What is the average amount of space used? 
Column inches 
Percentage 
per issue 
of users 
2 
7% 
3 
8% 
4 . 
3% 
6 
9% 
7 
3% 
8 
5% 
10 
18%. 
12 
3%. 
14 
5% 
Column inches 
Percentage 
per issue 
of users 
15 
3% 
16 
3% 
18 
3% 
20 
8% 
25 
2% 
30 
7% 
60 
2% 
100 
11% 
Thus it can be seen that the average amount of space 
used is approximately 22 inches per issue. It must be remem- 
bered, however, that these reports are brought in from those 
chiropractors whose success in practice is established, and 
that they can afford to use more space than the new practi- 
tioner is granted. Nor should the newcomer in the field at- 
tempt to compete with these old established practitioners in 
spending the same amount of money for his advertising space 
which they spend, unless, of course, he is sufficiently equipped 
with finance to weather the growing period in his practice 
and still maintain his rate of advertising. It is far better to 
outline a campaign for six months or a year to determine 
exactly how much money can be spent for newspaper adver- 
tising during that time and how often these advertisements 
will need to be placed. The chiropractor should then com- 
pute the space which he can afford to use in each issue and 
he should keep that up consistently for the allotted time. His 
efforts in advertising should not be spasmodic. 
Many people state that they have had bitter experience 
in advertising and claim that it is not effective. Too many, 
however, have made it pay big dividends to accept the opin- 
ions of these people because, if a careful investigation is made, 
it is usually found that either something was wrong with the 
methods which they used, or the copy which they presented, 48 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
or for some one of many reasons their advertising did not 
return good profits. Advertising in the past was more or less 
of an experiment and many things are being learned about it 
every day. Yet today it undoubtedly approaches nearer to 
a known scientific equation than it ever has done before. The 
fact that millions of dollars are being expended annually and 
that in the period from 1910 to 1920 the advertising expendi- 
ture in the United States was more than doubled is the best 
evidence we have of the actual value of this investment. 
Do you use telephone directory advertising? 
Sixty-three per cent reply that they do, while thirty-seven 
per cent reply that they do not. It is, of course, true that 
some of these practitioners are located in small communities 
where the advantages of telephone directory advertising are 
not as great as they are in cities. Many of the smaller com- 
munities do not carry classified advertising in their telephone 
directories. Many of them indeed carry no advertising except 
on the covers. Yet in the larger towns and in the cities where 
classified advertising is carried in the telephone directory, it 
is almost a necessity for the chiropractor's name to appear 
in this section. 
This advertising is not ordinarily very expensive when 
one considers its effectiveness. If a stranger comes into a 
city and wishes to find a chiropractor, the first place that 
stranger looks is in the classified telephone directory. There 
he finds the names of many chiropractors and he makes his 
selection usually as a matter of accessibility rather than for 
any other reason. It is quite natural, however, to select the 
name of the individual who uses a display advertisement in 
this section. The prospective patient naturally reasons that 
if the chiropractor carries a display advertisement he is prob- 
ably a chiropractor of some importance and with considerable 
business or he could not afford to do so. He reasons further 
that his business is probably based on efficiency. The old QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
49 
axiom holds true that business attracts business, and so the 
advertiser who uses display copy is far more apt to show a 
good profit from that form of advertising than is the practi- 
tioner who uses a single line notice. 
It is coming into quite common practice, particularly in 
the larger cities, for chiropractors to band together and to 
take an entire page for a display advertisement. The chiro- 
practors who are so grouped are usually those who have a 
common platform upon which they stand. Either they are 
graduates of some particular school using the same methods, 
or they are practitioners belonging to some certain associa- 
tion and agree on a common platform which that association 
affords. In such an advertisement, a brief attractive state- 
ment about Chiropractic and its advantages can be made and 
at the same time the names of the various chiropractors can 
be inserted, together with the addresses, which are highly 
important in a large city. By so doing, there is the advantage 
of getting across to the prospective patient something of the 
story of Chiropractic which no one of the chiropractors could 
afford to do alone. 
Do you recommend display advertising in telephone direc- 
tories, or merely a one-line ad? 
In response to this question, 57 per cent reply that they 
would recommend display advertising, while 43 per cent reply 
that they would use a one-line ad. I feel, however, that the 
evidence is entirely in favor of display advertising and partic- 
ularly if it can be arranged for the chiropractors to group 
their advertising on one or more pages and thus have the 
opportunity of placing copy which will create interest and 
desire on the part of the reader. 
Do you use road signs? 
Eighteen per cent answer that they do, while 82 per cent 
reply that they do not. This again is an evidence that the 50 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
chiropractors have learned through experience what kind of 
advertising pays. 
Chiropractic is a new movement, a movement about which 
much must be told before the public is vitally concerned in 
it. A road sign does not, offer the possibilities of telling the 
Chiropractic story. Even the large bill board signs that are 
found along most country roads and highways can do little 
more than carry the name of the institution and a very brief 
statement of fact about it because it is viewed by people who 
are passing rapidly and who will not stop to read the sign 
and have not the opportunity of reading it while moving 
rapidly. 
Then, too, there is a very rapidly growing sentiment 
throughout the country in opposition to road signs and bill 
board signs of every kind, except those which are necessary 
as a service to the traveling public. The contention is raised, 
and with considerable reason, that large bill board signs and 
other signs commonly found at crossroads and on telephone 
poles and fences, deface the beauty of the landscape and take 
from the public something of the enjoyment which they might 
otherwise possess. Some states have even gone so far as to 
pass legislation against the use of such media for advertising 
purposes. And even if this is not done, there is a resentment 
in the minds of a very considerable number of the public 
against the use of this method of advertising. It is, there- 
fore, my opinion that the chiropractor would do well to avoid 
spending his money for this purpose. 
Do you use a window sign? 
Forty-eight per cent answer that they do, while 52 per 
cent answer that they do not. These answers to this partic- 
ular question do not necessarily have a bearing upon the value 
of window signs. Many chiropractors are located high up in 
office buildings where window signs are of little or no value. 
Some of them are located in buildings which will not permit QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
51 
the use of window signs. Some of them are located with their 
windows facing other buildings, or for some other reason there 
is no advantage in using them. I believe, however, that for 
the small amount of money required to place window signs, 
it is money well spent providing, of course, that the windows 
are visible to any considerable number of passersby. The 
chiropractor, however, should be careful that these signs are 
of the proper size and are distinctly visible. A window sign 
which is too small and is not easily read from a reasonable 
distance is of little or no value, while one which is too large 
loses its effectiveness because of its glaring proportions. 
Particularly in a professional way, the public involuntarily 
associates large blatant signs with cheapness and question- 
able methods. The chiropractor must be very careful that 
his window sign does not lead to that reaction on the part 
of the public. 
Do you use electric signs? 
Twenty-four per cent of the chiropractors answered "Yes," 
while seventy-six per cent answered "No." I think that under 
certain conditions the use of electric signs is advisable, while 
there are undoubtedly many chiropractors so situated that an 
electric sign is of little or no value. 
Again the matter of contrasts plays an important part. 
A small electric sign in the midst of many large electric signs 
or in a brightly lighted district cannot have the value that the 
same sign would have in a district not so well lighted and 
where there are no competitive attractions. In the main it 
may be said that electric signs are most effective in those 
places where they are readily visible from the street and pref- 
erably at the entrance to the buildings or before the windows 
of the chiropractor's office. Care must be exercised to not 
get signs that are in conflict with the city or town ordinances. 
Some cities will not permit the extension of an electric sign 
for more than one or two feet beyond the building while other 52 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
communities have no such restriction. Despite the character 
of the reports on this question, I am led to the belief that the 
large percentage of those who do not use electric signs fail 
to do so because of the impracticability of displaying them 
rather than because of experience having led them to believe 
that they are not advantageous. 
How large are the electric signs used? 
The answers involve a variety of sizes and I shall give 
them here in those sizes together with the percentage of 
chiropractors heard from who use each. 
Size of electric signs 
Percentage of chiropractors 
using 
12x20 inches 
6% 
18x42 inches 
6% 
18x44 inches 
6% 
24x40 inches 
8%. 
I%x3 feet 
6% 
2x2 feet 
6% 
2x4 feet 
30% 
2x8 feet 
6%. 
3x3 feet 
8% 
3x5 feet 
6% 
3x8 feet 
6% 
4x6 feet 
6%. 
This gives us a very good average although I know of 
chiropractors who use much larger signs than those specified 
here. I know of one Chiropractic office in an outlying business 
district of one of our large cities which attributes the most 
of its success to the pulling power of a huge electric sign 
on the top of a two-story building. I know another Chiro- 
practic office in a city of a quarter of a million where the 
Chiropractic offices, located on the third floor corner, show 
a huge electric sign on the two streets which the offices face 
and they attribute a very great pulling power to this sign. QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
53 
Such signs cost a great deal of money to install and in- 
volve a considerable expenditure to operate. Yet if the chiro- 
practor can afford to use them and if his business is suffi- 
ciently well established that he can suffer a loss on them for 
several months if necessary, it is, I believe, a paying invest- 
ment, with the provision of course that the sign is located in 
such a way that it can be read and must be seen by thousands 
of people. 
Do you use direct by mail adertising such as circulars, book- 
lets, etc.? 
Seventy-four per cent of the chiropractors answer this 
question in the affirmative, while twenty-six per cent answer 
in the negative. Chiropractors are giving to the public a 
service which is more or less unusual; that is, they are not 
advertising a commercial product and they are advertising 
to a more or less limited class of people. Newspapers reach 
all classes of people, including those who are ill and those 
who are well. It is quite natural that those who are well are 
not particularly concerned in the chiropractor's service, nor 
will they be until the chiropractor is successful in selling to 
the public the idea of Chiropractic adjustments for the pur- 
pose of maintaining health as well as regaining health after 
it has been lost. With this general premise in mind, it must 
be reasoned that only a limited number of those who receive 
the newspaper are actually prospective buyers of the chiro- 
practor's service. Therefore at least a part of the money 
which he spends in newspaper advertising is spent to reach 
people who are not good prospects. 
On the other hand, direct by mail advertising affords a 
medium whereby the person who is, through circumstances, 
a live prospective patient is reached directly and the message 
of the chiropractor is of essential concern to him alone. It 
is for this reason that direct by mail advertising appeals to 
such a very large proportion of the chiropractors. They have 54 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
learned that this method is more effective than any other in 
bringing results and convincing the sick people that the chiro- 
practor's service is advantageous. Direct by mail advertising 
also offers the additional advantage of carrying to the pros- 
pective patient the story of Chiropractic in more detailed form. 
Of course an understanding of the subject in all its phases 
can be accomplished only by a thorough study of Chiropractic, 
but at least a sufficient ground work in the Chiropractic funda- 
mentals can be carried in direct by mail advertising to show 
the prospective patient the logical basis upon which it is 
founded and when this is done a large part of the prejudice, 
which the chiropractor finds it is necessary to overcome, has 
been eliminated and he is in a position to plant the sugges- 
tion of action in a fertile mind. 
Do you have Chiropractic tracts and pamphlets in your office? 
Ninety-eight per cent of the chiropractors answer this 
question in the affirmative and only 2 per cent in the negative. 
This shows the widespread favor in which Chiropractic book- 
lets and pamphlets are held by the profession at large. It is 
evident that experience has taught these people that this 
method of advertising is very advantageous and one with 
which they cannot afford to dispense. 
Disease tracts and booklets explaining the fundamental 
principles of Chiropractic, when displayed in the chiropractor's 
office, lead to an interest in Chiropractic which can be aroused 
in no other way as effectively. While patients are waiting, 
they are prone to pick up these little tracts and glance through 
them. Their minds at that time are in a receptive mood and 
they have nothing else to do while waiting for the chiro- 
practor. The result is that on every occasion an opportunity 
is given of driving home a certain amount of Chiropractic 
information which that patient will in turn use in explaining 
Chiropractic to his or her friends. Every one is more or less 
inclined to pass on information which has been gained and QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
55 
which is new to him. If the patients of the chiropractor can 
be thoroughly educated along the lines of the Chiropractic 
idea, this is the most effective means of spreading the mes- 
sage of Chiropractic that the practitioner can evolve. It is 
most effective because word of mouth information is in itself 
effective, and, further, because the greatest number of people 
can be reached in this manner. 
Have you a systematic way of distributing Chiropractic tracts 
and pamphlets? 
Sixty-four per cent reply in the affirmative, while 36 per 
cent reply in the negative. In this connection I might say 
that in my opinion there are many thousands of dollars 
wasted each year by the chiropractors not having a system- 
atic and effective way of distributing this literature. Too 
often these booklets are placed in an envelope and sent to 
the address of the prospective patient without any other word 
of explanation. Too often they are distributed from house 
to house, and they meet the common fate of most literature 
of this kind. They are gathered up by the housewife or by 
the janitor as soon as they are di«c< • . ed and very little at- 
tention is paid to them. Even if they attract attention, it is 
also true that they create a certain degree of resentment and 
unless they are accompanied by a letter of explanation or a 
verbal explanation from the chiropractor, they lose much of 
their value. 
Do you send direct by mail advertising regularly? 
Sixty per cent state that they do, while forty per cent 
state that they do not. The importance of sending direct by 
mail advertising regularly cannot be overestimated. The same 
principle is involved here as in consistency in the placing of 
newspaper advertising. There is an accumulative value in 
direct by mail advertising and there is a definite reason why 
it should be sent at certain stated intervals. 56 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
The follow up system should not be sent with the differ- 
ent pieces too far apart because in doing so interest is per- 
mitted to lag and much of the value of the previous pieces 
will have been lost. On the other hand it is a mistake to 
send the follow up literature with too little time elapsing be- 
tween the different periods of sending. This for the reason 
that the prospective patient has not had time to thoroughly 
digest the contents of the former communications, and for 
the further reason that if sent too close together the prospect 
looks upon the literature as more or less of a nuisance. Ex- 
perience has taught that the best interval to permit to elapse 
between mailing dates is from seven to ten days, but this 
should be kept up regularly during the entire course of the 
campaign. Regularity is to direct by mail advertising what 
consistency is to newspaper advertising. There should, how- 
ever, be a limit placed upon the continuance of direct by mail 
advertising but this limit is not necessary in newspaper adver- 
tising. The reason lies in the fact that direct by mail material 
goes to more or less known prospects. The chiropractor 
knows that the prospective patient is sick and is in need of 
his service. It is seldom that the first piece of mail is suffi- 
cient to decide the patient but the subsequent material should 
bring about a decision, usually on the fourth or fifth mailing. 
If it does not, it is well for the chiropractor to discontinue 
that name for the time being although he may with good 
success add it at a later time. Even though he keeps up his 
series of letters or other literature for a period of 150 days 
rather than 50 or 60 days, he will get some few results from 
the last few mailings but they will be negligible as compared 
to those which he receives during the first five or six mailings, 
and it is questionable if it will actually pay. 
Have you tried a follow up letter system? 
Forty-one per cent answer in the affirmative, while 59 
per cent answer in the negative. QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
57 
There is a great deal to be said about this follow up 
letter system but like all other advertising, the value of the 
system cannot be fairly estimated without taking into con- 
sideration the character of the letters sent, their attraction 
interest, their ability to produce desire and their effectiveness 
in producing action. If a series of letters is used which does 
not have these qualities to recommend it, the results will be 
poor. Yet the results in this particular case would not be a 
safe criterion as to the effectiveness of the system. I believe 
the time is coming when the largest proportion of the 
Chiropractic profession will use the direct by mail sys- 
tem with particular stress being laid on the follow up letter 
system. 
How did you build your direct by mail list? 
Five per cent state that their lists were compiled from 
polling lists, 47 per cent compiled their lists from directories, 
both city and telephone, 2 per cent compiled their lists from 
newspaper advertisements, 46 per cent built these lists from 
names given to them by their patients. 
In other words, only forty-six per cent of those who have 
tried the direct by mail campaign, have built their lists in 
the proper way. Polling lists, directories, and newspaper ads 
do not carry the names of likely prospects. In other words, 
the names taken from these media are in the main not people 
who are ill enough to feel the need of the chiropractor's serv- 
ice. It is a general list and does not offer the proportion of 
value which a selected list would do. Much of the money that 
is thereby expended for postage and material and overhead 
falls on barren soil from which it could not be expected that 
gratifying results could be obtained. The only logical way 
to build a mailing list for a direct letter campaign is through 
the patients who are already being attended by the chiro- 
practor. These people not only offer the chiropractor an 
entree through the mails to gain the attention of their friends, 58 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
If you are informed, you know 
Jhe vital importance of the ner- 
vous system in producing function 
in every vital organ. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
is the most logical of all health 
science because it is founded on 
this knowledge of the nervous 
system. You are entitled to a 
logical explanation of our work. 
Let us give you that explanation. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH &HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
HOURS 
See page 241 QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
59 
but they also give him only the names of those people who 
they feel reasonably certain are in need of the chiropractor's 
service. Thus practically every name on that kind of a list 
is a real live prospect. 
How often were these letters sent? 
Nineteen per cent state that they were sent every seven 
days, 14 per cent state they were sent every ten days, 15 per 
cent state they were sent every fifteen days, 40 per cent state 
they were sent every thirty days, and 5 per cent state that 
they were sent every ninety days. Thus the average space 
of time between these letters was approximately twenty-three 
days. 
There can be no definite rule made for the number or the 
intervals between a follow up campaign because they cover 
such a wide field and the products which they advertise vary 
so greatly, but I am of the opinion that those chiropractors 
who permit an interval of not more than ten days, nor less 
than seven days, between the mailing of the different pieces 
will get the best rate of returns. 
An interesting tabulation of the results obtained by an 
extensive direct by mail advertising campaign can be gained 
from the report of a concern which sent out eight letters 
during an advertising campaign for a piece of household 
equipment. The first letter was sent to 4000 prospects and 
led to 165 sales. The second letter, going to 4000 prospects, 
led to 85 sales. The third letter, going to 5700 prospects, led 
to 80 sales. The fourth letter, going to 9000 prospects, led 
to 150 sales. The fifth letter, going to 7000 prospects, led to 
65 sales. The sixth letter, going to 8000 prospects, led to 70 
sales. The seventh letter, going to 3000 prospects, led to 7 
sales; and the eighth letter, going to 800 prospects, led also 
to 7 sales. 
This shows the probable falling off of the returns after 
the fourth letter and the very serious falling off in response 60 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
to the seventh and eighth letters. The above figures are sub- 
stantially correct and are of value to the Chiropractic profes- 
sion only insofar as they show the pulling power of the differ- 
ent numbers in a series of letters. They substantiate the con- 
tention that the proper ilumber of letters to be sent is six and 
that even though some results may be obtained from further 
follow up letters, they are negligible as compared with the 
cost of producing and sending them. 
How many letters were sent in your follow up letter campaign? 
The following table shows the response: 
Percentage of 
Percentage of 
Number of 
chiropractors 
Number of 
chiropractors 
letters sent 
sending them 
letters sent 
sending them 
100 
4% 
1000 
24% 
200 
8%. 
1500 
4% 
300 
4% 
3000 
4%. 
500 
24% 
5000 
4% 
700 
4%. 
6000 
8% 
800 
4%. 
30000 
8% 
From the above it can be seen that the average number 
of letters sent was 3712 which, on the basis of six letters per 
person, covered an average mailing list of a little better than 
500 prospective patients. 
What was their pulling power? 
Of those who answered, 8 per cent stated that this was 
the best advertising they had ever used. Fifty-three per cent 
reported that the results were good. Twenty-four per cent 
replied that the results were poor and 15 per cent reported 
that they were negligible. 
I cannot impress here too strongly the opinion that a 
direct letter campaign is a most valuable medium for the 
chiropractor to utilize. I realize that the figures given above 
show only 61 per cent good or excellent results, while 39 per QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
61 
cent show poor or negligible results. I believe that can be 
accounted for by some error or errors either in the method 
of distribution, in the building of the mailing list, or in the 
character of the letters sent. If the mailing list is carefully 
built, if the letters are properly written, and if they are 
properly distributed, I believe that this method of advertis- 
ing the chiropractor's particular service is of inestimable 
value. 
Do you send your material under first class postage? 
Fifty-two per cent of the chiropractors reply that their 
material is sent under first class postage, 21 per cent indicate 
that it is sent under one-cent postage, and 27 per cent 
indicate that their material is distributed from house to 
house. 
I cannot too strongly condemn the practice of house to 
house distribution of direct by mail material. Very little 
results are obtained through this method and the chiropractor 
is not only led to spend much money which is, in part at 
least, wasted, but he also becomes discouraged with adver- 
tising and is very apt to criticize all forms of advertising. 
This is not only unfair but is a distinct disadvantage to him- 
self. 
In the commercial world, manufacturers and retailers 
differ in their opinion as to the value of distributing under 
one-cent postage or under two-cent postage. Some maintain 
that one-cent postage is equally effective with two-cent post- 
age, while others are entirely opposed to that viewpoint. In 
studying over this problem, the student of advertising is led 
to the conclusion that much depends upon the character of 
the material being offered and the personnel to whom the 
appeal is being made. Certainly, however, a professional ap- 
peal from a professional person, dealing with such a vitally 
important subject as the health of the prospect, is far more 
effective under two-cent postage. Not only is it more apt to 62 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
be read but its very first impression is a much more favorable 
one. The natural reaction of the prospective patient is that 
you are taking a great liberty to send them material dealing 
with such a personal matter as their health and to do so under 
one-cent postage. 
What cards, pamphlets, or booklets have the greatest pulling 
power? 
I would not here give all the figures returned because 
of the competitive lines of service which are involved. I feel, 
however, that it is only fair to state that of the answers re- 
ceived, approximately seventy-six per cent give the greatest 
credit to disease tracts, special booklets and Chiropractic Edu- 
cators. All of these media are excellent. They have been in 
use for years and the very best efforts are put forth in their 
production. 
The disease tracts and special booklets which have been 
produced in the last several years are in the main illustrated 
with attractive pictures which not only grip the attention of 
the reader but many of these pictures tell a complete story 
and lead to a more careful perusal of the printed page. They 
are of such a character that no chiropractor need be ashamed 
to place them in the hands of his most exacting patients or 
prospective patients. 
The Chiropractic Educator is, without question, the most 
popular advertising medium in the profession today. With 
an average sale for the past several years of over one million 
copies per month, it has shown a substantial growth which 
is the best evidence of its productive value. 
Is your location an important factor in your business? 
Seventy-five per cent answer in the affirmative, while 
25 per cent answered in the negative. 
I refer the reader to that section dealing with the prob- 
lem of selecting a location for a more detailed discussion of 
this particular problem. I cannot but feel, however, that the QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
63 
25 per cent who state that their location is not an important 
factor in their business would find that it might be an im- 
portant factor if they selected a more advantageous one. Cer- 
tainly the entire experience of business concerns leads us to 
the conclusion that location is a most important factor, while 
this is equally true of professional offices other than those of 
chiropractors. 
Was it an important factor in getting started? 
Sixty-eight per cent answer in the affirmative, while 32 
per cent answer in the negative. This in itself would seem 
to indicate that the location is a very vital factor in bringing 
patients to the chiropractor's office who might be reached in 
no other way. When a chiropractor locates in the beginning, 
he must depend upon his advertising and location to produce 
his first patient, providing, of course, he is not personally 
acquainted and has no other means of obtaining business. 
That 68 per cent of the chiropractors found their location an 
advantage in getting a start would indicate that that location 
also has an important bearing on keeping up business which 
has once begun. 
What advertising media bring you the best returns for money 
spent? 
Two per cent said that window display advertising is 
most effective for the expenditure, 4 per cent gave the credit 
to moving picture advertising, 6 per cent gave credit to 
telephone directory advertising, 21 per cent gave great- 
est credit to direct by mail advertising, 27 per cent to dis- 
tribution of Educators and 40 per cent to newspaper ad- 
vertising. 
This percentage, of course, is based proportionately upon 
the money expended and the 2 per cent who have indicated 
that window display advertising gives them the best results 
for the money spent does not necessarily lead to the conclusion 64 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
that window display advertising is their best advertising 
medium, nor that it brings them the most business, but 
rather that it brings them themost business for the money 
spent. 
It will be observed here that the three dominating factors 
are the direct by mail advertising, the Educator advertising, 
and the newspaper advertising, with the greatest credit going 
to the newspapers. This substantiates our contention that 
the two great phases of advertising which the chiropractor 
should concentrate upon are newspaper advertising and direct 
by mail advertising. Thousands of dollars are spent by the 
Chiropractic profession every year in buying knick-knacks 
and novelties, and entering into various advertising schemes, 
most of which are sold to them by high pressure salesmen, 
only to find that these methods are uncertain in their re- 
sults. I am fully cognizant of the fact that there are a few 
chiropractors who use novelty advertising effectively but 
they .are very few and much of the success depends upon 
peculiarities, or in other features which these chiropractors 
have. 
For example, I know of one chiropractor who is located 
just around the corner from a public school where approxi- 
mately three thousand people are in attendance. This chiro- 
practor finds that novelty advertising of inexpensive articles 
which appeal to the students is a mist excellent form of ad- 
vertising and leads, not only to an active interest by the 
youngster, but also leads to the chiropractor's name be- 
ing carried into several thousand homes in the immediate 
vicinity. 
I know another chiropractor who has a personality which 
is particularly appealing to small children. Wherever this 
chiropractor is seen on the streets, the kiddies of that com- 
munity know that in his pocket somewhere there are little 
packages of mints and it is surprising the number of children 
who know him by name and who think a great deal of him. QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
65 
This is because he has a happy faculty with children which 
many people do not possess. In his case it cannot be denied 
that novelty advertising is effective. Because it is, however, 
is no reason why we should put our stamp of approval on 
novelty advertising as a general system. 
How did you obtain your first paying patient? 
Ten per cent state that their first patient was obtained 
through another chiropractor. Nineteen per cent state that 
their first patient came through personal friends. Ten per 
cent obtained their first patient through chance of circum- 
stance, from perhaps a visitor or an agent who happened into 
their office when they first opened. Nineteen per cent obtained 
their first patient through personal solicitation. Four per cent 
obtained their first patient through offering to do charity 
work. Twenty per cent obtained their first patient through 
newspaper advertising, and eighteen per cent through direct 
by mail advertising. 
I offer these figures here in the hope that they may be of 
service to chiropractors about to locate, or who have located 
and are desirous of building their business to larger propor- 
tions. It can be seen that newspaper copy and direct by mail 
advertising are given credit by 38 per cent of the chiroprac- 
tors interviewed. If this is true in obtaining the first patient, 
it is even a greater factor in the obtaining of subsequent 
ones providing the service which has been rendered to the 
public is the kind of service which warrants confidence and 
respect. 
Personal solicitation is not advisable, in my opinion, in 
general practice although there is no great objection to its 
being used when a chiropractor first locates in his community. 
It is more or less excused at that time because people are 
cognizant of the fact that one has to have some way of getting 
a start. To do so, however, after the practitioner has been in 
business for several months or even years, leads to the quite 66 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
natural conclusion on the part of the person being solicited 
that the chiropractor cannot be very competent else in the 
length of time he had been in practice he would have a suf- 
ficient following that such solicitation would be unneces- 
sary. 
What does your advertising cost annually? 
The following table gives the expenditures of the chiro- 
practors heard from in response to this questionnaire. 
Annual expenditure 
Percentage of chiropractors 
From $ 100.00 to $ 500.00 
21%. 
From $ 500.00 to $1000.00 
32%. 
From $1000.00 to $1500.00 
19%. 
From $1500.00 to $2000.00 
11%. 
From $2000.00 to $3000.00 
5%. 
From $3000.00 to $5000.00 
12%. 
From the above it can be seen that the average expendi- 
ture is $1327.00. This is, of course, considerably more than 
many chiropractors spend and it is certainly more than the 
average beginner can afford to undertake. However, in adver- 
tising the same sound principles of good business should be 
applied as if the chiropractor were conducting a commercial 
enterprise. A reasonable amount of money must be spent in 
advertising to obtain a start but it is my opinion that the 
chiropractor should budget his advertising expeditures for the 
coming year based upon the year just passed. It should be his 
endeavor to determine what proportion of his income he can 
afford to spend for advertising purposes and then apportion 
that budget in such a way that it will give the most effective 
service, ever bearing in mind that newspaper advertising and 
direct by mail advertising are the two important features 
which should receive the largest amount. 
Right at this time it might be of value to offer a sugges- 
tion which was given to me a short while ago by a chiropractor QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
67 
who has been very successful in field practice. This chiro- 
practor stated that he was constantly being asked to donate to 
school programs, church socials, and other functions. One 
does not realize until one is in practice the number of people 
who come into an office soliciting for every sort of a movement 
under the sun. This chiropractor is a business man. He ap- 
portions his advertising fund months in advance and when 
these enterprising movements are put up to him for his sup- 
port, he simply tells the committee or the individual who is 
calling that he apportions his advertising in advance and that 
his advertising for that particular month has been entirely 
placed; therefore he is not in a position to spend any further 
money for advertising purposes. Realizing, however, that to 
leave the matter rest there might create in the minds of the 
solicitors and the people whom they represent the impression 
that the chiropractor is not interested in the community's 
activities, he always follows up this statement with the offer 
to donate a few dollars to the movement which is represented 
even though he is not in a position to buy advertising space. 
In other words he gets out with a far less amount of expendi- 
ture than he would spend for advertising space, and at the 
same time he leaves the impression with the visiting com- 
mittee that he is in favor of their movement and is heartily 
in accord with their purposes. 
What advertising media do you now employ? 
From the answers, approximately 47 per cent is employed 
in newspaper advertising, 42 per cent in direct by mail adver- 
tising, and 11 per cent in directories, programs, and novelties. 
This is indeed a very creditable showing and is perhaps 
the best evidence of the greater value of newspaper advertis- 
ing and direct by mail advertising in producing returns on the 
money spent. This direct by mail advertising includes not 
only direct by mail letters, but it also includes Chiropractic 
Educators, disease tracts and various forms of printed material 68 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
which are sent directly to the prospective patient list. A cer- 
tain proportion of that also includes the direct by mail litera- 
ture and letters which are sent to former patients or patients 
then on the active list. 
I feel that it is a mistake to make any comparison between 
either of the two leading methods for the reason that each has 
a field to cover and each works in harmony with the other. 
To use direct by mail advertising to the exclusion of news- 
paper advertising is, in my opinion, a mistake except under 
unusual conditions which the average chiropractor does not 
meet. 
On the other hand I believe it is a mistake to use news- 
paper advertising to the exclusion of all other methods because, 
while newspaper advertising is undoubtedly efficacious in pro- 
ducing results, certainly it can be more effective when it is 
combined with properly selected direct by mail material. One 
of the great difficulties, not only in the Chiropractic pro- 
fession, but in all lines of endeavor, is to utilize only those 
forms of advertising which show the greatest amount of direct 
results. Many forms of advertising do not show direct results; 
yet they have a very intrinsic worth nevertheless. 
As an example we might point to billboard advertising 
and other forms of advertising which are used by some busi- 
nesses for the purpose of keeping the name of that institution 
or business before the public. This sort of advertising does 
not sell directly anything which that firm has to deliver, but 
it does keep the firm's name before the public in such a way 
that when the occasion arises for something in that line to 
be purchased, that name is the first one that comes to the mind 
of the buyer. He then proceeds to look up the name of the 
firm in the telephone directory, or in some other way, and 
eventually a transaction is consummated. Now one would not 
say, and many buyers would not think that the constant ad- 
vertising of the firm and the constant keeping of the name of 
the firm before the public was a factor in that transaction. QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
69 
Yet it is nevertheless, and while the money expended to keep 
the firm's name alive in the prospect's mind does not show 
the direct financial returns that other forms show, it has 
its place and in some lines of endeavor is a very valuable 
asset. 
Few visitors who have ever been to New York City and 
have walked down Broadway have bought Wrigley's chewing 
gum as the direct result of the huge electric sign which is the 
largest electric sign on Broadway, being 200 feet long, 50 feet 
high, and with 50,000 electric globes. Yet once having seen 
this sign, the individual is impressed and in telling his friends 
of his experiences in New York, he is very apt to mention the 
wonderful electric display on Broadway and among the out- 
standing features is the Wrigley sign. The value of this sign 
to the Wrigley Company cannot be computed; yet it undoubt- 
edly pays big dividends in indirect returns. 
What media would you advise for a new practitioner in getting 
started? 
Twenty-four per cent advise the use of Chiropractic Edu- 
cators. Fifty-four per cent advise the use of newspaper adver- 
tising. Thirteen per cent advise direct by mail advertising. 
Three per cent advise movie advertising. Two per cent lay 
the greatest stress on a good location. Two per cent suggest 
the use of telephone advertising, and two per cent advise that 
the new practitioner do charity work in order to obtain a 
start. 
I feel that there is no question but that all of these meth- 
ods may have some merit. Yet certainly the preponderance 
of evidence would show that if the beginner has only sufficient 
funds to do a limited amount of advertising, he should con- 
centrate on newspaper advertising and on the use of Educators 
or other direct by mail material. I personally feel that direct 
by mail material is most effective when sent to a carefully 
selected list. That list cannot be properly built in a few days 70 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
IDALS 
They have no part to play in 
the modern life of today. They 
are relics of a primitive civili- 
zation. And so many of our 
old ideas about health are be- 
ing outgrown. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
is the greatest forward step in 
modern health science. It is 
founded on sound principles, 
and its record of getting sick 
people well has made it the 
foremost drugless health system 
of today. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
HOURS 
See page 241 QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
71 
or even in a few weeks. Knowledge of the community and 
some experience in adjusting the people of that community 
is an essential factor in the building of a proper mailing list, 
and without a selected list, direct by mail material loses much 
of its signal and peculiar value. On the other hand, newspaper 
advertisements reach the largest number of readers and if 
properly written, are more apt to produce good results than 
any other single expediture. This is, of course, true in a small 
community or in a small city. In the large cities it is not 
practical and special methods must be used under such cir- 
cumstances. 
I know many chiropractors located in large cities and in 
large office buildings who have made it a point, and have 
found it very valuable, to cultivate the friendship of the ele- 
vator man, or of the doorman, and of the other employees 
around the building. These people are constantly being asked 
questions and they have a wonderful opportunity to assist the 
newcomer if they are properly encouraged. 
I believe that one of the things I would do, if I were 
locating in anything but a large city, would be to get small 
stickers printed with only my name and address on them. 
These stickers should be gummed on the back and there should 
be a blank space where figures could be written. I would 
distribute these to every gasoline filling station in the com 
munity a nd to every garage in the community with the 
request that they make use of them in giving their patrons 
service. 
Every one who drives an automobile knows that the oil 
in the crank case should be changed every four or five hundred 
miles. People who are careful of their automobiles do not 
neglect this important feature. Yet the majority of them trust 
to their memory. I would place these stickers in the hands of 
the garages and filling stations with the suggestion that when- 
ever they change the oil in the crank case, they paste one of 
these small stickers on the glass of the speedometer, filling 72 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
in the mileage so that the sticker will read something like 
this: 
Change oil at 10480 miles 
Courtesy 
F. G. Blank, Chiropractor, 
22 Block St. 
If you can get the cooperation of a number of garages and 
filling stations, this form of advertising will be very cheap 
and will serve to apprise a very large number of people in 
the community of your presence and your business and your 
location. It will not only be constantly before the driver of 
the automobile but it will be before every one else who rides 
with him, and is, in fact, a real service to the automobile 
owner. 
There are many of these little courtesy ideas that can be 
figured out. Their value lies in their cheapness and in the 
favorable reaction that comes from them toward the individual 
even though they do not undertake to sell the Chiropractic 
idea. They put the chiropractor in a position where, if Chiro- 
practic is mentioned, his name is immediately associated with 
the word Chiropractic. 
Have you experienced any results from a systematic house to 
house canvas? 
Eight per cent reply that they have, while 92 per cent 
reply that they have not. Of course many of those who re- 
plied that they have not, have never given that method a trial, 
nor do I advise its use unless it be an emergency where the 
chiropractor simply has not the money to advertise and must 
take some method of reaching the people. 
I believe, however, that if it is done at all in the case of 
emergency, it should be courteously and not insistently. I 
believe that the chiropractor should keep uppermost in his 
mind the idea that he merely wants to present himself to the QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
73 
housewife or to the family in order that they may meet him 
personally, recognize him when they see him, and be impressed 
by his personality. In other words, his talk should be along 
the line that he feels that Chiropractic is a service to the com- 
munity and that being offered to people who seek it for the 
sake of health, he feels that they have a right to know the kind 
of person to whom they are to entrust their health. With this 
sort of an idea in his mind and with that sort of information 
left at the homes where he calls, he will avoid the criticism of 
being entirely commercial and will at the same time present 
his idea in a logical and business-like manner. 
To what extent do you devote your time to free clinic work 
and charity, and with what results? 
Nineteen per cent state that they do no charity work 
whatever, while 14 per cent state that they disapprove of 
charity work and feel that it is not a constructive practice. 
Twenty-eight per cent state that they do very little of it and 
that the results obtained from it are negligible. Fourteen per 
cent state that the results are good, and 25 per cent state that 
they approve of charity work and feel that it is productive 
as a business getter. 
From these figures it is very hard to draw a fair con- 
clusion because in the question of charity more enters the 
equation than just the record of its business success. There 
is an obligation which every individual with ability to relieve 
suffering should feel. If the case is a bona fide case of poverty 
and is in actual need of the chiropractor's service, it should 
be taken care of whether the patient is able to pay or not. I 
feel certain that those who have no charity cases are in that 
situation either because the occasion has not presented itself, 
or because there is some other way for that kind of case being 
taken care of in their communities. I feel further that of the 
14 per cent who disapprove handling charity cases, this dis- 
approval is a disapproval so far as the commercial results are 74 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
concerned and not a disapproval from the humanitarian stand- 
point. I feel equally certain that any one of these people, even 
though they disapprove of charity work and even though they 
do not make a practice of it, would give their professional 
service in those cases wh£re it is needed and where the people 
are actually poor and cannot pay. 
It is, however, entirely questionable whether charity serv- 
ice is actually of value unless it is very carefully handled. To 
take a patient and give him service merely on his word that 
he is unable to pay, is bad business and is entirely unnecessary. 
If the person is really in need, there is always some individual 
or group of individuals who will recommend him and who 
know absolutely about his situation. I might in this connec- 
tion say that chiropractors often turn to the minister or priest 
for advice as to the financial ability of the person involved, and 
I believe experience has shown that these people are not good 
authority on this particular feature. They are not good author- 
ity because by training and nature their vocation is one of 
helpfulness. They are too often not good business people and 
are more inclined to be decided by their emotions and desire 
to do good than by the actual facts of necessity. 
On the other hand, there is in every reasonably sized city 
of the country an organization known as the Associated Chari- 
ties, or some similar central point, where information of this 
kind can and will be given. In the smaller communities it is 
not hard to know, and it is not hard for the chiropractor to 
make a personal investigation, but in the large communities 
this becomes more of a problem and he should depend largely 
upon those organizations which have to do directly with chari- 
ties of all kinds. 
I think, too, that it is a mistake for a chiropractor, except 
in rare instances, to give his service without any implied or 
real obligation on the part of the patient. Too often when 
this is done, the patient, feeling no obligation, is prone to think 
lightly of the service rendered and to discount perhaps results QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
75 
that might otherwise be credited to the chiropractor. Every 
chiropractor who has been in business for any considerable 
time and who has done any great amount of charity work, 
realizes the truth of this statement. Charity patients are per- 
haps less appreciative of the chiropractor's service than any 
other single class of patients. This is the natural result of 
getting something for nothing. 
I know one chiropractor who handles this problem in a 
unique and yet very effective manner. When a patient comes 
to that chiropractor for service and claims that he is unable 
to pay, the chiropractor investigates and if he is convinced 
that there is financial stress, he tells the patient that he has 
only one price and that that price holds for everybody. How- 
ever, he does not feel that lack of immediate funds should pre- 
vent any one having the kind of service he needs for the re- 
covery of his health. Therefore he makes a proposition some- 
thing like this: that the patient be compelled to pay $1.00 or 
$2.00, or whatever, in the chiropractor's judgment, is reason- 
able and can be paid. The chiropractor further insists that 
the patient sign a note for the balance of the full fee with the 
assurance that he will not be pressed on this note, but that 
the chiropractor will not attempt to collect it until the patient 
is in a position to pay. 
This same chiropractor has no intention, in many cases, 
of ever collecting the note. But the thing he does is this: 
When the patient has recovered his health or when he is dis- 
missed by the chiropractor, that chiropractor calls the patient 
into his office and has a talk with him. He puts the proposi- 
tion up to the patient as a business one and states that while 
he does not do charity work and does not adjust at reduced 
rates, he has the right to invest his money in any enterprise 
which he deems advisable. He then tells the patient quite 
frankly that he feels it would be unfair to ask him at this time 
to pay his note; yet he knows that the patient is appreciative 
of the service which has been rendered. He then tells the 76 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
patient that he is going to invest the amount of that note in 
the patient by returning his note, that he feels the investment 
will be a paying one for him because the patient has recovered 
his health, or has received marked benefit, and is in a position 
to do the chiropractor a great deal of good. With this sort 
of a talk given directly to the patient, he is far more apt to feel 
obligated to the chiropractor than he would if the service were 
rendered gratis and he knew from the beginning that it would 
be a gratis service. By following this method, the chiropractor 
is enabled to enlist the active support of many people who 
otherwise might be lost to him as boosters. 
I know still another chiropractor who sends his patients 
statements every single month even though he knows that 
they are unable to pay. When Christmas time comes around 
each year, he goes through his list of accounts and when he 
comes across those people who he feels are poor and cannot 
afford to pay their bills, he sends them a receipt for the entire 
amount with his best wishes for a happy and cheerful holiday 
season. By doing it in this way, he gets away from some of 
the disadvantages of charity work. 
In some of the larger cities it is found advisable to operate 
clinics for those people who are unable to pay. I would say 
that all of these clinics should be operated either at a time 
separate and distinct from the regular office practice, or that 
they should be operated in a location removed from the regular 
office of the practitioner. 
Have you tried interesting a church congregation through the 
preacher or priest, and with what results? 
About 67 per cent signify that they have never tried this 
method and about 33 per cent indicate that they have. Of 
these only about 20 per cent claim to have had good results 
from this method, while the remaining 80 per cent claim that 
the results are negligible. 
Some of the chiropractors state that the pulpit is fearful QUESTIONNAIRE RETURNS 
77 
of the influence of the physician and for that reason they hesi- 
tate to act. I think there is some truth in this latter statement 
in some cases, although it is probably not as universally true 
as one might be led to believe. I know of a number of chiro- 
practors who have been helped wonderfully by the influence 
of the priest or minister, or other people who are in a public 
position and are depended upon by many people for their 
advice. 
One of the things that the chiropractor who is just start- 
ing will find of value is to get in touch with some of the leaders 
in the community where he locates. He should make a study 
of the situation to find who is the logical person or persons 
to approach. Sometimes it is an influential citizen in business. 
Sometimes it may be an influencial woman in club work. And 
then again it may be a worker in charitable organizations or 
in the church. In any event the chiropractor should go directly 
to this person or persons and lay his case frankly before them. 
My suggestion would be that he tell them that he is a 
newcomer in the community and is representing a profession 
with which they may not be familiar, that he cannot expect 
to gain their confidence until he has demonstrated the value 
of the science which he represents. Tell them further that 
they undoubtedly know a few people who are ill and are in 
need of his service and that he will be very glad to take care 
of these people for a limited time without charge just for the 
opportunity of proving to the community what Chiropractic 
can do. With such a frank statement of fact, he should have 
little difficulty in enlisting the cooperation of one or more in- 
fluential people, not to the end of recommending him, but 
rather to the end of giving him an opportunity to demonstrate 
his ability. This is all that any chiropractor can reasonably 
ask for. He should then keep that person or those persons 
posted constantly on the progress of his cases and should take 
advantage of every favorable showing to impress upon them 
the value of his service. Such a procedure cannot help but 78 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
gain the respect and good will of some of the influential people 
of the community and it comes at a time when the chiropractor 
has plenty of leisure to do that sort of thing. It is, in my 
judgment, a very effective way of establishing his value and 
the value of his science in the community. CHAPTER HI 
CAPITALIZE YOUR RESULTS 
There are very few chiropractors who have been in prac- 
tice for six months but what have had some splendid results. 
I have seen some very fine chiropractors, however, who have 
utterly failed to make use of those results so far as advantage 
to themselves was concerned. In the minds of these people 
there seems to be a fear of pushing themselves forward, a 
timidity which they are very apt to call modesty. Modesty, 
however, never put any business or profession before the 
public. I say this with the full recognition that many big 
business men and heads of financial institutions are modest 
about some things. Many of them are personally modest about 
their attainments but none who has been successful in pushing 
his business to the front has carried that modesty into the 
policies of his business. The successful advertiser and the 
successful business man are those who take advantage of every 
opportunity to keep themselves, their ability, and their prod- 
ucts before the public. 
Duty vs. Ethics 
Some chiropractors seem to feel that they are going be- 
yond the limits of propriety when they presume that patients, 
who have received benefits from them, should be expected to 
concern themselves further in the welfare of the chiropractor. 
Some of these practitioners call it unethical to push themselves 
and their ability or to seek publicity about these important 
facts. Nothing, however, could be further from the facts. 
Every chiropractor has spent a world of concentrated effort 
and considerable time in obtaining a knowledge which fits him 
to bring to the people of his community a service, and any- 
79 80 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
thing which will effectively apprise that community of his 
ability to render that service is not only a privilege which he 
possesses, but a duty under which he is obligated. 
This same chiropractor, if he saw a fellow traveler in 
distress, would not think of passing him by without proffering 
assistance. It would not'enter his mind to stand on the street 
and look down at the sufferings of some little child who had 
been struck by an automobile, without in some way offering 
to give aid. It would be entirely contrary to human nature 
for him to wait until the child should appeal for his assistance. 
I know the above example seems absurd, and yet it is not 
so far removed from the picture of the chiropractor who locates 
in a community with splendid ability and sits down quietly to 
wait for people to seek him out and to learn, or perchance to 
never learn, about the service which he can render them and 
which he should feel obligated to render. He carries with him 
a responsibility wherever he goes; a responsibility that ex- 
presses itself in ministering to others as only he can do. 
Knowing that he has the ability to relieve distress and suffer- 
ing and pain and sickness, it becomes, not only a privilege to 
do so, but an obligation, and it likewise becomes an obligation 
for him to apprise the greatest number of people of that 
ability. Why? Because in doing so he increases the scope 
of his activities and widens the circle of his beneficient in- 
fluence. 
Satisfied Patients 
Successful chiropractors are pretty thoroughly agreed that 
the very best advertisements they have are the satisfied pa- 
tients and particularly that type of person who will talk to his 
or her friends, tell them about the good the chiropractor has 
accomplished, and urge them to seek his counsel and service. 
Other forms of advertising are good; some of them return big 
dividends on the money spent, but none of them can be as 
effective as the satisfied patient who becomes an enthusiastic CAPITALIZE YOUR RESULTS 
81 
salesman because of the experience which he has had. Some 
practitioners seem to have the knack of capitalizing on the 
results they have obtained with their patients, while others 
seem utterly devoid of that ability. It is not that they are 
devoid of the ability, but rather it is because they have not 
properly trained or influenced the patients whom they have 
benefited. 
Common Experience 
One of the most common experiences I have related to 
me goes something like this: 
"You know a few months ago I had Mrs. Brown as my 
patient. She came to me for a goiter after she had tried a 
dozen different physicians and specialists without results. She 
came to me because she had heard that I obtained some re- 
markable results although she herself was somewhat skeptical 
of my ability. I adjusted Mrs. Brown and the goiter entirely 
disappeared. She was very grateful indeed. When she left 
my office for the last time, she was most enthusiastic about 
the work I had done. But do you know, just lately I heard 
that Mrs. Brown had called in a physician when one of her 
little children was suffering from a severe case of colic. It 
just seems that these people have been so thoroughly imbued 
with the idea of medicine that a physician is the first person 
who enters their mind in case of sickness. If we chiropractors 
could only get the acute cases as well as the chronic cases, 
we could show much more remarkable results and progress 
much faster, but it seems that people have the idea that Chiro- 
practic is good for only certain things, while it is entirely 
ineffective in other things." 
The stories vary somewhat as to the type of disease and 
the details of the experience, but in substance they are the 
same. Practically every chiropractor has had many experi- 
ences with people who have had splendid results from him 
calling in some other practitioner because they did not know 82 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
that the chiropractor handled that sort of case. Whenever 
I hear such a story, I am convinced that that chiropractor has 
failed to thoroughly sell his former patient on the effective- 
ness of Chiropractic. In the case cited above, he sold Chiro- 
practic as a method of eliminating goiter and undoubtedly 
Mrs. Brown would advise any of her friends suffering from 
goiter to see the chiropractor. But Mrs. Brown also knows 
many, many people who are suffering from other incoordina- 
tions ; yet it never occurs to her to advise them to try Chiro- 
practic because she does not look upon Chiropractic as effec- 
tive in these other conditions. Even in her own family she 
fails to realize what it can do. 
Proper Methods 
This can be very largely avoided if the chiropractor will 
make it a point to sell to each one of his patients Chiropractic 
as a fundamentally sound principle which is applicable to all 
manner of disease. He makes a mistake when he begins to 
talk to Mrs. Brown about Chiropractic for goiter. He should 
first thoroughly lay the ground work of Chiropractic in its 
fundamentals. He should explain the messages that are sent 
from the brain to the tissue cell and how those messages lead 
to normal function. He should explain how those messages 
are interfered with and he should explain how the chiropractor 
corrects that interference. With this as a foundation, he then 
applies those principles to the particular condition of goiter 
for which Mrs. Brown came to him, but he should not fail to 
impress upon her then, and at every future opportunity, the 
fact that Chiropractic is wide in its scope and is effective in 
handling the great majority of diseases, both acute and chron- 
ic. He should make it his business to find out if Mrs. Brown 
has children, and if she has, he should impress upon her the 
importance of Chiropractic in dealing with the acute conditions 
to which all children are subject. He should firmly implant CAPITALIZE YOUR RESULTS 
83 
that thought in her mind. But how many chiropractors do? 
Instead of taking the time and trouble to do that, he lets it 
slide, possibly because he does not realize its importance. No 
chiropractor should permit a patient to leave his office after 
obtaining good results without leaving in that patient's mind, 
as a last thought, the value of Chiropractic in all cases of 
sickness. 
Salesmen of Patients 
If he would follow the example of those who are most 
successful in making salesmen of their satisfied patients, he 
will bring that request squarely before them. Why shouldn't 
he? He has given to them health and the ability to enjoy 
life in greater measure than they were able to do before; he 
has, perhaps, saved them from conditions which have been 
pronounced hopeless. In any event, the patients are then 
in a state of mind to be grateful and then is the opportune 
time to suggest to them that they can best show their real 
graitude and appreciation by telling to others with whom they 
come in contact, the experience which they have had and their 
knowledge of the chiropractor's ability. I say then is the 
psychological time to make such a request. 
An Old Story 
Practically every chiropractor has had the experience of 
having patients come to him or her, particularly when their 
practice was being established, and saying something like this: 
"Doctor, I have a very serious condition, one which has 
been bothering me for years and one upon which our physi- 
cians and specialists have fallen down. Everybody in the com- 
munity knows me and knows about my condition. If you can 
get me well, it will mean a great deal to you and you will 
undoubtedly get many patients as a result." 
The chiropractor takes the statement at its face value if 
he has never had such experience before. He assumes that 
all the patient says is true and he strives with every ounce of 84 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
SHIPWRECKED 
How many of us drift help- 
lessly upon the high seas of lifer, 
not because we lack ability and 
character and ambition, but be- 
cause we are handicapped by the 
disaster of ill health. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
can repair the dismantled ship and 
permit us again to go forward to 
the destiny of which we are cap- 
able. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
HOURS 
See page 241 CAPITALIZE YOUR RESULTS 
85 
his energy and to the limit of his ability to get that patient 
well, only to find when he does so that the appreciation and 
promises of big business, as the result of his accomplishment, 
were but idle dreams-unless, of course, as sometimes happens, 
such a patient is actually impressed with his responsibility to 
tell others and to urge that they give the chiropractor an 
opportunity to show what he can do for them. In the main, 
however, unless these cases are carefully handled, they do not 
produce the business as they had promised-not because they 
are deliberately untruthful, but because, after a time, the sense 
of appreciation wears off and without something to urge them 
on, they easily forget their debt of gratitude to the chiroprac- 
tor who made it possible for them to enjoy health. 
Dismissing Patients 
It seems to me thoroughly logical that the chiropractor 
should, upon dismissing patients-or even before that when 
the patients realize that they are benfiting from adjustments- 
urge them that he can do for others the same as he is doing 
for them; that they undoubtedly know people who are ill and 
suffering and who are in need of his services and that it is a 
real act of friendship to urge those friends to patronize the 
chiropractor, not on the plea that it will provide a source of 
revenue for the chiropractor but rather on the plea that he 
has something which they need. No effort should be spared 
and no opportunity lost by the chiropractor in enthusing his 
patients to the point where they will become active salesmen 
for him. To those chiropractors who have failed to do this 
because they feel that it is unethical, let me again call to your 
mind the fact that you have in your possession an ability and 
a service which it is an obligation and a privilege to bring'to 
as many people in your community as you possibly can reach 
and the employment of any honorable means to carry that 
information to those people is not only ethical but may even 
be said to be a duty. 86 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
Keep Your Patients Interested 
The wise chiropractor knows that a salesman goes stale 
on the job unless he is constantly getting new inspiration. 
Unless the patient is constantly having Chiropractic kept be- 
fore him he soon drifts into the habit of neglecting to boost for 
Chiropractic as he formerly did. Therefore various means of 
keeping that interest alive are used. 
Some chiropractors, who have the ability to do so, have 
found that lectures on Chiropractic are a very great aid in 
keeping the old patient interested and in the producing of new. 
Every few weeks or months, they send invitations to their en- 
tire list of old patients to attend a lecture at a given place and 
time. These patients are also invited to bring their friends 
who they feel are in need of Chiropractic adjustments in order 
that those friends may learn about the reasonableness of this 
science. 
Many chiropractors, however, feel that they would not 
care to risk their ability as speakers before any considerable 
group of people, or perhaps they feel that some other method 
is more advantageous. Therefore they employ different means. 
Many of them send some piece of Chiropractic literature 
to their entire list of old patients once every month and this 
is a most productive method. Whether it be the Chiropractic 
Educator or some other monthly publication which is interest- 
ing and directly to the point, makes little difference, although 
it is strongly urged here that lengthy articles or booklets be 
avoided. These publications should be sent as a courtesy and 
purely for the purpose of keeping alive the interest of former 
patients in you and in Chiropractic. I know of many cases 
where these little monthly messengers are looked forward to 
and are read with intense interest. They serve to keep the 
former patient on his toes, as it were, so that he is more apt 
to talk about Chiropractic and about the chiropractor with 
other people; all of which leads to the ultimate end of con- CAPITALIZE YOUR RESULTS 
87 
vincing those people of the merit of Chiropractic. This litera- 
ture should always carry the chiropractor's name because if 
it does not, it loses its value as a courtesy, and it loses its 
"personal contact" value. 
Personal Letters 
In addition to this, it is a splendid plan for the chiro- 
practor to write a personal letter once every three or four 
months to his old patients, carrying in this letter a consider- 
able personal touch, perhaps inquiring about the patient's 
health, or expressing the hope that his health is good, bring- 
ing in perhaps some little touch of your former relationship 
and, wherever possible or consistent, expressing the chiro- 
practor's appreciation for the influence which the patient has 
been in sending other people to him that he might render 
them a service. As examples, here are a few letters which are 
personal enough to have a strong appeal and yet not so per- 
sonal that any offense can be taken. 
Mr. A. G. Miller, 
R. F. D. No. 4, 
Sterling, Mo. 
Dear Mr. Miller: 
It has been a considerable time since I have seen you 
and I am taking this opportunity of expressing my appre- 
ciation for your giving me the opportunity of demon- 
strating what a wonderful science Chiropractic really is. 
For myself I claim no particular credit in your case except 
the credit of working hard and equipping myself thor- 
oughly to bring the greatest degree of skill to my patients. 
There are so many people who are afraid of a new 
idea; they are content to follow along in the beaten path 
of a century ago. If the world were filled with these 
people, Chiropractic could never have been. It has been 
made possible because you, and others like you, have been 88 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
broad enough to see its merit, and as a result you have 
been benefited. 
There is one thought, however, which I would leave 
in your mind, and that is that Chiropractic is just as 
effective in hundreds of other conditions as it was in 
yours. The greatest mistake that people make about 
Chiropractic is in thinking that it is only good for a few 
things. As a matter of fact, quicker and more satisfactory 
results can be obtained through Chiropractic than through 
any other health system and whether it be for yourself, 
or your wife, or your children, I trust that if sickness 
should befall any of you, you will rely upon Chiropractic 
and benefit by your past experience. I am here to care 
for your health and that of your family, and I am at your 
service whenever you may need me. 
Chiropractically yours, 
Mrs. A. L. Thornquist, 
1522 Oak Ave., 
Seattle, Wash. 
Dear Mrs. Thornquist: 
I am taking this opportunity of expressing to you 
my very sincere appreciation for your influence in con- 
vincing Mrs. Hartwell that she should come to me for 
Chiropractic adjustments. 
I feel that in doing so, ou have not only done a kind- 
ness to Mrs. Hartwell, but you have also given me another 
opportunity to demonstrate the value of Chiropractic to 
the splendid people in whose midst I have made my home. 
By sending Mrs. Hartwell to me, you have shown that 
you are one of the few who really understand the scope 
of the Chiropractic field. 
So many people seem to think that Chiropractic is 
good for only certain conditions, while in others they must 
employ other methods. Nothing could be further from CAPITALIZE YOUR RESULTS 
89 
the truth. Chiropractic is especially valuable in acute 
conditions of all kinds. 
Of this you may be assured, that whenever a patient 
comes to me recommended by you, that patient will get 
an opinion which is absolutely unbiased. I will promise 
nothing that I cannot perform and if, in my opinion, 
Chiropractic will not be effective in dealing with that par- 
ticular condition, I will frankly tell the patient so because 
to take such a patient would not only be unfair to him, 
but would be harmful to me. 
Again permit me to thank you for your splendid 
spirit of helpfulness and remember that if at any time I 
can be of service to you in any way, I am at your com- 
mand' Chiropractically yours, 
Mrs. F. E. Hancock, 
23 Lakeshore Place, 
Cleveland, Ohio. 
Dear Mrs. Hancock: 
I am writing this letter that you may know of my 
interest in the health of my former patients. I will be 
very glad to have you call at my office that I may make a 
thorough examination of your spine for your satisfaction 
as well as my own. I feel that this is a responsibility I 
owe to all my former patients and one which many of 
them take advantage of regularly. 
I am also enclosing a courtesy card because often my 
former patients suggest to their friends that they see me 
regarding their health. Any friend of yours, who pre- 
sents this card of introduction from you, will be given 
special attention because I want them to know that your 
confidence in my ability is not misplaced and, above all, I 
want them to be convinced of the efficacy of Chiropractic 
as you have been convinced. 
Chiropractically yours, CHAPTER IV 
HEADLINES 
Just as it is the first impression of the salesman that is the 
most important in the selling of goods, so the headline in an 
advertisement is the most important part of the copy. If a 
salesman introduces himself badly, or if his entrance is at an 
inopportune time, he finds himself at a distinct disadvantage. 
Not only is he unable to present his proposition as effectively 
as he might otherwise do, but by the poor introduction or the 
circumstances surrounding his entrance, he finds the buyer in 
a non-receptive mood and thus a conversation which might 
otherwise terminate in a sale, is predestined to failure. 
Introduction 
The headline of an advertisement is as important as, if not 
more important than, the introduction of the salesman. It pos- 
sesses the double function of attracting attention and of 
arousing interest. No advertisement deserves particular 
credit if the reader is particularly concerned in the product 
being advertised and is looking for that kind of a product. It 
is the advertisement which compels his attention when he is 
interested in something else which deserves credit for having 
attraction value and interest-getting value. One might assume 
that different headings would react differently upon different 
people. Careful experiments which have been made, however, 
show that there is a surprising similarity in the judgment of 
many people on the attractiveness of certain headlines. 
Attention Value 
Large advertisers have made a special study of this mat- 
ter of attention value and have put their copy through the real 
crucial test of actual experiment. They have learned that 
90 HEADLINES 
91 
whether the reader is sufficiently interested to read the body 
of the advertisement depends very largely indeed upon what 
is said in the headline. The same principle is employed in the 
stories that appear in all newspapers. 
How many of us pick up the evening paper and glance hur- 
riedly at all the headlines on the page? Why, Because those 
headlines contain the essence or the vital spark that is em- 
bodied in the story. We read the article or fail to read it 
depending entirely upon the attractiveness of and the allure- 
ment that is held forth by the headline. It is because people 
are essentially interested in news that headlines should be 
made to tell a story, to give news, to make statements that 
arouse curiosity. 
Make Your Headline Talk 
There are certain circumstances which make it advisable 
to utilize the word "Chiropractic" in the headline, but in the 
majority of cases the word "Chiropractic" should come at the 
end of the advertisement with the practitioner's display card 
giving his name, address, etc. I have seen many advertise- 
ments which are headed "Chiropractic." No story is told by 
this word. No statement is made. There is nothing about it 
which will arouse interest or lead to the reader's going any 
further unless he is already particularly interested in Chiro- 
practic. On the other hand a title such as "Mental Alertness 
Means Physical Fitness," or, "Disaster is Ahead," is calculated 
to arouse the interest of the reader. 
It is the headline that is first read in any advertisement, 
that is, providing the headline is properly displayed. It is 
probable that less than ten per cent of readers go beyond the 
headlines of the advertisements unless there is something 
about that headline to grip the attention. It does not make 
any difference how well written the copy is or what a splendid 
array of facts is disclosed thereby, it is valueless unless it is 92 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
read, and whether or not it is read depends almost entirely 
upon the headline. 
Value of Headlines 
Certain experiments tend to prove that the value of the 
subject matter is judged very largely from the headline. As 
an example, if we take practically the same subject matter for 
ten different advertisements of the same product and give this 
copy ten different headings, we will discover that that adver- 
tisement with the strongest heading creates the impression of 
a stronger argument and a more effective sales talk than would 
the one with the weakest heading. This would be true despite 
the fact that virtually the same subject matter is used 
in each. 
Contrasts 
It is in the heading also that we are squarely up against 
the question of contrasts as we are in all phases of advertising. 
The attraction value of any object depends upon the contrast 
which that object makes with the surrounding objects. Thus 
a headline should not only be placed in large, black type but 
around that large black type there should be as much white 
space as is available. 
How Many Words? 
Experiment has shown that the mind is able to grasp four 
things at one time. Thus if we read a written page, we can 
grasp and comprehend about four words at a time. We can 
grasp four simple illustrations, or we can recognize four ob- 
jects on a table. When more objects are placed on the 
table, or when more words are used, or when more illustra- 
tions are employed, there is a certain amount of detrac- 
tion from the original four. If enough are added, the re- 
action is one of confusion with no definite idea of any single 
thing. HEADLINES 
93 
Be Brief 
It has been aptly said that there are many people who 
can relate an incident or write about an incident by employing 
many words, but the artist is the person who can tell the same 
story in half the number of words. Certain story writers get 
very large sums for their work but in the writing of adver- 
tising copy, it is essential to tell the story in as few words as 
possible. Many advertising writers can write lengthy copy 
but the man in demand is the one who can make his copy as 
short as possible and give the same information. This is for 
the reason that in his own advertisements he has less com- 
petitive attraction and thus greater contrast. 
People who read advertising copy are prone to scan it 
quickly and whether they go into it in detail depends upon the 
interest which has been aroused by the features and especially 
is this applicable to the headline. In view of the fact that 
four words are most easily grasped, the use of four words 
makes the ideal headline and has the greatest attraction value. 
I have seen many chiropractors' advertisements which em- 
bodied as many as eight to twelve words in the headline. Such 
a headline may make an interesting statement, but it is en- 
tirely incompetent to attract the attenion. 
Single Decks 
A number of years ago it was not an uncommon practice 
to use many words in the headline and to run this headline 
as a two-decked or three-decked affair. Such practice has 
gradually grown out of public favor and today a far greater 
proportion of advertisers use a single-decked headline with 
five words or less in the title. It is interesting to know that 
forty years ago less than 40 per cent of the advertising writers 
confined themselves to five words or less in the title line and 
fifteen years ago more than 85 per cent confined themselves to 
five words or less. Thus it is shown that wide experience has 94 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
taught advertisement writers the lesson that short, terse head- 
lines are far more effective. It is probable that today over 
90 per cent of advertisers use a title line of five words or less 
because they have learned through experience that that is 
the kind of title which attracts the attention and leads to 
interest. 
Blind Headlines 
There should, however, be in the headline something that 
pertains directly to the advertising copy used. "Blind head- 
ings" are those which are used to attract the interest of the 
reader without particular concern being given to the character 
of the copy which is to follow or the message which it is to 
carry. The entire function of such a headline is to attract the 
temporary interest of the reader without hope of getting him 
to peruse the copy and thus getting him interested in the pro- 
duct to be marketed. There was a time when the blind head- 
line was used extensively but this practice has come more and 
more into disfavor until today there are very few blind head- 
ings used. 
Hit the Ball 
The heading, to be effective, must contain something of 
the substance in the body of the advertisement, and it is far 
better if it contains the essence of the advertisement just as 
a newspaper article is headed with the essence of the story. 
If I were to pick up a daily newspaper and read at the head of 
one of the columns the title, "Murder," and then were to read 
an article about a society affair where the bridegroom was 
dressed in the conventional black, and the bride was dressed 
in the conventional white, I would quickly perceive that the 
heading had no bearing upon the article which was to follow; 
and if I found this same general principle followed through in 
the other news columns, I would soon lose confidence so that 
the titles would mean very little to me. HEADLINES 
95 
Confidence 
The same thing is true of advertising copy. If the title 
is misleading and does not give us an idea of the substance 
contained in the advertising copy, there is a natural resentment 
created in the mind of the reader. Particularly is this true 
when advertisements are run as news stories. In this event 
the reader is often inveigled into reading an advertisement in 
which he has no natural interest. When he discovers the sit- 
uation into which he has been trapped, there is a natural re- 
sentment which arises in his mind, and rather than producing 
a possible future buyer, the advertisement has done nothing 
more than to make an enemy for the product. 
There is no question but that a headline which pertains 
directly to the subject matter of the advertisement can have 
the same attraction power that the irrelevant headline would 
contain; thereby performing every function which the irrele- 
vant headline would perform and at the same time avoiding 
the pitfall of creating resentment in the mind of the reader or 
of giving no information which is touched upon in the body 
of the advertisement. 
The natural inclination on the part of the reader, after 
being enticed into reading an advertisement wherein the head- 
ing did not express the essence of the story, is that he has been 
deceived into reading an advertisement which he did not want 
to read. The natural reaction of the mind is that if the adver- 
tisement has deceived him, he has lost confidence in the pro- 
ducer of the advertisement, and having lost confidence in the 
producer, he lacks confidence in the story which is told or in 
the quality of the goods which is being presented. 
Live News 
Effective headlines must not only attract the attention of 
the reader, but they must produce a desire in the reader's mind 
to peruse the substance of the copy. News items are very 
effective in this regard. It is not very long ago that the papers 96 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
STRENGTH 
Who is there who does not 
recognize the value of phys- 
ical strength in the strenu- 
ous life and keen competition 
of today? 
CHIROPRACTIC 
makes sick people strong, 
and thus fits them to attain 
the ambitions which are a 
natural part of every one of 
us. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
HOURS 
See page 241 HEADLINES 
97 
were full of the excavation of the tombs of Tut-ankh-Amen 
and this event was made use of immediately by advertising 
men in many different lines. The public had its curiosity 
aroused and its interest was held by anything which per- 
tained to the discoveries in the tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen. 
The natural instincts and desires of the human individual 
are also very commonly used in the headlines as well as in 
the substance of the advertisement. Such headlines as "Earn 
while you learn," and, "Ask the man who owns one," and "Let 
the Gold Dust Twins do your work" are all examples of catch 
lines which produce interest and are based on some natural 
human inclination or need. 
Questions 
In the case of the chiropractor, it is not advisable to use 
the name of the chiropractor or the name of the firm because 
they tell no story and have no effect in attracting interest. 
The use of a news item heading is much more effective and 
should be employed wherever possible. I am of the opinion 
that for the chiropractor the use of interrogations as headlines 
is often very effective because questions put squarely to the 
reading public are apt to create interest and to set the mind at 
work in answering those questions. Titles such as "Is health 
your birthright?" or, "Is failure imminent?" or, "Will you 
survive?" all of these are interrogations calculated to arouse 
the interest of the reader and around each of them can be writ- 
ten very splendid copy pertaining to Chiropractic and its 
efficacy in answering any of these questions. 
Bold Type 
It is vital that the headlines be set forth in good bold type 
which makes the feature attraction of the entire copy. Not 
only should bold type be used but this bold type should be 
devoid of counter-attractions. We have all of us seen adver- 
tisements where bold type is alternated with smaller type 98 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
throughout the entire ad. Every few lines we find a word or 
group of words where bold type is used. This should not be 
done unless each line of bold type adds to the strength of the 
others and in no event should there be any competition with 
the headline. It should be the boldest and largest, and none 
of the other black-face type should compete with it. Neither 
should the illustrations used compete with the headline which 
is calculated to attract the attention and to create interest. An 
advertisement which contains a half dozen bold type lines, in- 
terspersed with light-face lines, becomes nothing more than 
a confusion of ideas and is not good advertising copy. Ordi- 
narily not more than two sublines should be used and these 
should have a direct bearing and should function in conjunc- 
tion with the headline. CHAPTER V 
DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS 
Before entering the subject of newspaper advertising in 
detail, it is well that we review the fundamentals upon which 
every good advertisement must be built. These are not funda- 
mentals which have been arrived at in a haphazard manner, 
but are those which are agreed upon by practically every au- 
thority on advertising and are based on extensive experience 
and careful analysis. There are five functions which every 
good advertisement must perform: First, it must attract at- 
tention; second, it must arouse interest; third, it must create 
desire; fourth, it must convince; and fifth, it must lead to 
action. 
Why Are Newspapers Sold? 
In discussing the question of attracting attention, we must 
realize that the average individual does not buy a newspaper 
for the purpose of reading the advertisements contained 
therein. He is interested in the news of the day. He is more 
than likely watching the great athletic events of the country. 
He is interested in the political situation, in the local news 
items, and in the many other interesting and educational fea- 
tures which the average paper of today brings to him. If he 
reads the advertisements, it is not because of a definite inten- 
tion to do so in the majority of cases, but rather because of the 
attractiveness of those advertisements. 
Front Page Space 
The position of the advertiser's display has a very great 
deal to do with its attraction value. Few up-to-date news- 
papers will carry advertising space on the front page, although 
if space could be obtained here, it would be the most advan- 
99 100 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
tageous position. Many advertisers succeed in getting copy 
on the front page, not in the form of advertisements, but in the 
form of news items. It is for this reason that every chiroprac- 
tor should be engaged in those public activities which lead to 
recognition in the public press. By doing so, he keeps him- 
self, and as a secondary consideration, his profession before 
the public. Physicians do not advertise except to insert in the 
publications their professional cards. It is considered by the 
medical profession to be unethical to advertise. Physicians, 
however, are very adept at getting front page publicity and if 
one makes a study of the situation he will find in practically 
every newspaper the evidence of this tendency and ability on 
the part of the medical fraternity. There is no reason why the 
chiropractor should not do the same thing. First, because 
such copy is not paid copy, and second, for the reason that a 
great many more people read newspaper stories than read 
straight advertisements. 
Back Page Space 
The second most advantageous position in a newspaper is 
on the back page for the reason that the material on the back 
page is more carefully scanned than on any of the inside pages. 
The average person when reading a newspaper holds it open. 
Thus there are two pages which attract their attention, while 
if the copy is on the back page, there is only one page of 
countera-ttractions. Thus the chiropractor's copy has almost 
twice the chance of being read if it is placed on the back page 
with less competitive copy than as if it were placed on an 
inside page. 
Inside Position 
If, however, the back page cannot be obtained, the chiro- 
practor should insist upon his copy being as near the top of 
the page as possible and preferably nearer the fold than toward 
the outer margin. As a reader holds the newspaper open in DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS 
101 
his hands, he has to glance to one side or the other to observe 
any reading matter that is placed on the margins. On the 
other hand, the advertising material or reading matter that is 
toward the fold of the paper is directly in the line of his vision 
and is far more apt to be seen and read than as if it is placed 
toward the outer margin of the paper. There is usually no 
difference in price between the inner margin and outer, but all 
newspaper men know the advantage of the inner fold for ad- 
vertising space and the very fact that a chiropractor asks for 
this position impresses the editor with respect for the knowl- 
edge which the chiropractor possesses. 
Then, too, as a newspaper is held open, the eye naturally 
falls on the reading matter at the top of the page rather than 
upon that contained below and this position should be asked 
for and, if not contrary to the policy of the newspaper, should 
be insisted upon. Make no mistake about the effect of such 
insistence upon the newspaper editor. He may not be' able to 
give you the space you want, but if you constantly ask for 
certain space, you will get it a certain proportion of the time 
and furthermore you impress upon the newspaper editor the 
knowledge of your ability in selecting proper space, and he is 
far more apt to give you good space than he would be if he 
felt you were entirely unfamiliar with its advantages. 
Size of Space 
The attraction influence of an advertisement depends 
upon contrast and upon the thought which is conveyed in the 
headline. Contrast is the big factor in deciding upon the at- 
traction influence of any advertising copy. Certain it is that 
the human eye is more apt to observe large objects than small. 
Yet extensive space in a newspaper is sometimes very expen- 
sive and is not warranted by the financial condition of the 
advertiser. In such a situation we must look to the next fac- 
tor which has to do with attraction influence and we find that 
it lies in unusual features or unique displays. 102 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
Be Different 
To illustrate what I mean in this matter of contrast, it is 
not unusual to find books lying on a library table and the 
casual observer, passing through such a room, would not be 
impelled to take special notice of such a book if it were so 
displayed. On the other hand, if a large diamond ring were 
placed on the same table, the casual observer would be led to 
note its presence because it is an unusual object in such a 
location. Even though the diamond ring is very much smaller 
than a book, still it would attract greater attention than an 
ordinary object in an ordinary place. 
Contrasts 
The secret, then, of attracting attention to an advertise- 
ment lies in making that advertisement unusual and thereby 
attracting attention to it through the principle of contrasts. It 
is for this reason that pictures are advisable. Many chiroprac- 
tors never publish an advertisement without placing in that 
copy a cut of themselves because the cut offers itself as a con- 
trast to the solid reading matter in that particular part of the 
page. By becoming a contrast, it attracts attention and it is 
the attention of the reader that the advertisement must first 
gain. Sometimes the advertiser employs the method of leav- 
ing considerable white space around the copy in an advertise- 
ment. This is for the reason that white space on a newspaper 
page is an unusual feature and by employing this white space, 
attention is attracted, sometimes to only a very few words, but 
nevertheless it is effective in its purpose. 
Tell a Story 
Another feature which attracts attention and is perhaps 
more commonly used than any other, is the employment of 
unusual headlines. As the reader picks up a newspaper, he DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS 
103 
immediately glances at the headlines, which tell in very con- 
centrated form the general gist of the story which is told in 
detail below. Clever newspaper editors become experts in 
writing these headlines and I know of one great newspaper in 
the country which has made a feature of its headlines. I have 
read newspapers from practically every big city in the country 
but in none of them do I find the same alluring invitation to 
read the articles as is contained in this particular paper. 
Usually the headlines are short and easily read but they state 
an entire story very often in only two or three or four words. 
Four-word Titles 
Experiment has shown that the human mind is able to 
grasp only four objects or four words at one and the same 
time. I am speaking now of the average human mind. It is 
for this reason that the best title heading on any advertise- 
ment is a four-word title and the words should be short and 
readily understood by every reader. If the same thought can 
be told in three words, that is even better, but except in very 
rare instances, it is not advisable to use a title line of six, eight, 
or ten words. The big function of the title line or the head- 
line of an advertisement is to attract attention and lead to the 
reader's going on through the advertisement and reading some 
of the other statements made therein. 
Get Attention with Title 
In the chiropractor's advertising, it is not necessarily es- 
sential that this heading should be associated directly with the 
Chiropractic idea but it should be unusual. It should startle. 
It should carry an alluring word picture. It should create 
interest. It should lead the reader to want to find out what 
else is contained under that title. The writer himself prefers 
titles of one to three words, many of which have no direct 
reference to Chiropractic, yet which can be given a Chiroprac- 
tic application later on in the article when that becomes ad- 104 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
visable. As examples I might suggest some of the following 
headlines for newspaper advertisements : 
Disaster 
Wealth 
The Law Supreme 
The Birth of Life 
Idols 
Romance 
Back Fire 
Conflicts 
The Law of Survival 
The Jungle 
It will be observed that few, if any, of the above titles have 
any direct application in Chiropractic. Yet each of them can 
be utilized as a leader to attract attention. Of course the 
advertising copy must contain some matter which pertains to 
the title. This matter is preferably carried in the beginning of 
the copy and that can be led effectively into the real subject 
matter under discussion. 
Arouse Interest 
The second great function of advertising is to arouse in- 
terest. This is most effectively done by the title line as well 
as by the material which immediately follows that title line. 
The reader can be readily enticed into a story of the jungles 
or into the fascinating phases of the idols of ancient China 
where he would not begin to read a straight advertisement on 
Chiropractic. This interest-getting copy should be smoothly 
and quickly merged into Chiropractic copy which contains one 
of the fundamental appeals to create desire. 
Efficiency and Beauty 
It should not be lost sight of here that the most attractive 
appeal to men is the appeal of efficiency. One cannot sell DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS 
105 
health to men, nor can adjustments be sold to men. But in- 
creased efficiency can be sold to men and in selling the Chiro- 
practic idea to them, it must be sold as an efficiency proposi- 
tion in the great majority of cases. On the other hand the 
great appeal to women is the appeal of attractiveness. Women 
are not particularly interested in efficiency, but they are inter- 
ested in attractiveness and beauty. They cannot be sold 
Chiropractic in the form of adjustments nor can they be sold 
Chiropractic in many instances on the appeal of health, but 
they can be sold adjustments on the beauty or attractiveness 
appeal. 
Mental and Physical Development 
On the other hand, the children are not particularly con- 
cerned in efficiency, nor are they concerned in attractiveness 
and beauty. It must be remembered that the children are sold 
through the parents. Every parent is interested in growth, 
development, and progress, both mental and physical, of the 
children, whether they be boys or girls. Therefore the funda- 
mental appeal which should be made in reaching children is 
the appeal of development and growth rather than the appeal 
of efficiency or attractiveness. 
Three Great Appeals 
One of these three great appeals should be worked into the 
advertising copy to create desire. Every man desires efficien- 
cy. This is true because of the very fundamentals of his life. 
It is upon the man that the family is dependent for support. 
It is upon him and his progress in the world that their well- 
being depends. His pride, his desire, his very instinct is 
aroused under the efficiency appeal. And the same thing is 
true of women under the attractiveness appeal and of children 
under the developmental appeal. These are the three great- 
est appeals which tend to create desire. 106 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
Convince 
Having attracted the attention, having aroused interest, 
and having created desire, the next great function of the ad- 
vertisement is to convince or to impress the reader with the 
genuineness of the advertiser. As has been said before, all 
advertising material is more or less discounted by the reader. 
The public has for such a long time been urged to buy and has 
seen the picture of advertisers claiming the very highest merit 
for their particular goods, that they have learned to discount 
the claims of the advertisers. Superlatives in advertising have 
become such an everyday occurrence that it means but little 
and the average reader concludes that the advertiser will set 
forth the advantages of his goods or service and will keep in 
the background its disadvantages. For this reason, adver- 
tising copy is only partly effective. To be thoroughly frank, it 
is not entirely believed. If it is believed, the reader concludes 
that the disadvantages to counteract the advantages have not 
been stated and as a result he discounts all the statements 
made in some degree. The great problem which the adver- 
tiser has to face is to convince his readers by the sheer force 
of logic that the statements made are truthful. By appealing 
to the logic of his readers, he gains the very strongest tech- 
nical position. By making statements which the reader can- 
not honestly deny, he establishes for himself a confidence 
which could not possibly be attained by fanatical or ill-advised 
statements. 
Action Lines 
The fifth great function of advertising is to produce action. 
In the case of the chiropractor's advertisement, it is to lead to 
a decision on the part of the reader which will bring him under 
the personal influence of the chiropractor. It is well in this 
action line to associate Chiropractic with health. It is a mis- 
take to associate Chiropractic with disease, or any other con- 
dition which is distasteful to the average reader. DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS 
107 
Direct Command 
In this line which should lead to action on the part of the 
readers, the direct command may be used, or the suggestion 
appeal may be used. There is something to be said in favor 
of each of these two appeals. Many advertisers of national 
importance use the direct command. Some of them also use 
the suggestion appeal and each is equally effective in its place. 
As an example of the direct command, we may cite the action 
lines of some of the leading advertisers such as:. 
"Avoid embarrassment" 
"Don't say underwear-say Munsingwear" 
"Make money writing" 
"Send no money" 
"Learn to talk convincingly" 
Suggestion Appeal 
On the other hand, the suggestion appeal is used with 
very good effect. Suggestions such as: 
"Ask the man who owns one" 
"Eventually-why not now?" 
"Say it with flowers" 
All of these are strong suggestion appeals and have cer- 
tain advantages which the direct command does not possess. 
This is largely an optional matter with the chiropractor and 
the type of action line should correspond very largely to the 
character of the copy which he has written. 108 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
6RMBLERS 
We have no right to gamble 
with that which is not our own. 
Others are dependent upon us. 
Therefore our health does not 
belong solely to ourselves. It is 
the property also of those who 
are near and dear to us. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
by getting directly at the cause 
of our ill health, offers the most 
sound and sane method of getting 
well. You can't afford to gamble 
in this matter. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH 
Chiropractors 
Address Phone 
HOURS 
See page 241 CHAPTER VI 
ANALYSIS OF DISPLAY ADVERTISING 
Illustration on page 110 shows the advertisement placed by 
Dr. J. H. Flolid, chiropractor of Little Falls, Minn. Dr. Flolid 
has here employed the question and answer idea in the form 
of an advertisement and this question and answer system has 
some advantages. Its greatest advantage, however, lies in its 
being run as a news item or as a service put out by the news- 
paper for the people. When this cannot be accomplished, how- 
ever, the use of the question and answer system in advertising 
space is valuable. 
In reviewing the advertisement of Dr. Flolid, we have first 
to consider its attraction value. The title is brief, is placed in 
one line, and is attractive, although better attention could 
have been secured had the word Chiropractic been left out of 
the title line. This is for the reason that as soon as the reader 
sees the word Chiropractic, particularly if he is not familiar 
with it, he gets the mental picture of something technical and 
the result is that he is apt to read no further. If the title had 
been "800,000 Are Dead," or "800,000 Die," or "Nearly a Mil- 
lion Perished," it would have aroused curiosity in the mind of 
the reader to a greater extent than the title which was used 
and it would have been more apt to lead to a perusal of the 
subject matter. 
The second function of advertising, that of arousing in- 
terest, is accomplished by the use of the question and that 
method is commendable. Interest is also held after the ques- 
tion is asked, by the answer and by the figures given, although 
these figures are too large to be used in an advertisement. 
The average mind does not grasp figures in the thousands and 
millions. Instead of saying that 50,000 died of respiratory 
109 110 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
FACE FIVE 
Chiropractic vs. 800,000 Deaths 
QUESTION-"Can you quote figures showing approximately 
how many people died last year, and what diseases claimed the 
most yictims? 
ANSWER-Barring accidents and suicides, approximately 
800,000 people died last year. Of this number more than 10,000 died <s> 
of Bronchitis, 64,000 succumbed to Pneumonia, 75,000 died of Kid- & 
ney Disease, 30,000 died of Respiratory Diseases, 106,000- deaths x 
were attributed to Tuberculosis, approximately 85,000 died of Influ- T 
enza. and more than 10,000 died of various Intestinal Diseases. X 
From the Chiropractic viewpoint, only a small percentage of these & 
deaths should have occurred. In other words, the big majority x 
could have been prevented, had the real CAUSE of the different 
diseases been given corrective methods. These figures stand as $ 
an obiect lesson to every man, woman and child who is not enjoy- x 
Ing perfect health. When people learn that disease is easily con- <»> 
quered under Chiropractlo Adjustments FOR THE CORRECTION 4 
OF THE CAUSE, the death rate jn our country will be '■educed to $ 
a minimum. Do not ignore Nature's danger signal; when you 
FIRST get sick,- 
Have Your Spine Analyzed 
DR. J. H. FLOLID, Chiropractor 
OFFICE PHONE, 475 X-RAY LABORATORY 
-LITTLE FALLS, MINNESOTA. 
See page 109 ANALYSIS OF DISPLAY ADVERTISING 
111 
diseases, it would have been better to have said that one death 
in each sixteen was due to respiratory diseases. In that way 
you get down to figures which the average mind can more 
readily grasp and which more effectively hold attention. The 
use, however, of the statistics is the most valuable factor in 
convincing the reader. The inference is that the figures given 
in this advertisement are statistics, which is undoubtedly true, 
and that in itself inspires confidence. 
The action line is good and together with the few lines 
that go before it, is an effective way of leading to definite 
action by the reader. As a general criticism I would say that 
there is too much subject matter for the space used. If the 
question were eliminated and if the subject matter under 
"Answer" were placed in larger type and in shorter, more 
terse statements, the same object would have been accom- 
plished and there would have been greater probability of the 
copy being read. 112 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
Negative Advertising 
Illustration on page 113 shows the advertisement of Dr. 
Fred D. Irish and is in many ways a most excellent ad for the 
purpose it is intended to cover. The greatest criticism is on its 
title where the name of the chiropractor and the expression 
"Palmer Graduate" is displayed in very bold type. Of course 
local conditions somewhat modify general procedure, but the 
largest type used in this advertisement is "Palmer Graduate." 
Unless that is a vital feature in this particular locality, it is not 
good advertising. The type in the title is splendid and its 
spacing is good, but a title line to catch the eye and grip the 
attention would be better. A title such as "Truth Wins," or 
"Confidence Builds" would be more effective in arousing in- 
terest than the title which is actually used. 
There is undoubtedly a local situation which calls for the 
employment of what is commonly termed negative advertis- 
ing, but it is handled in such a way as to cause the least pos- 
sible offense. No attention is directed to the competitor who 
uses electricity, stretching machine, violet rays, vibrators, 
baths, drugs, etc., and thus the natural resentment which 
would come with such a designation is avoided. On the other 
hand, the point is put across that these things are not Chiro- 
practic. 
The assumption is, I presume, that the reader knows 
something about Chiropractic. If this were not true, how- 
ever, the advertisement should come in for a severe criticism 
because it does not tell the purpose for which the chiropractor 
is employed. The nearest it comes to doing so is in the first 
line of the subject matter when the statement is made that 
"Chiropractic is the science of palpating and adjusting the 
articulations of the human spinal column by hand only." Now 
this statement does not mean anything to the reader who does 
not know what Chiropractic is unless that thought is followed ANALYSIS OF DISPLAY ADVERTISING 
113 
DR. FRED D. IRISH 
PALMER GRADUATE 
Chiropractor 
NO ADJUNCTS ARE 
EMPLOYED IN THIS OFFICE! 
The use of medicine or drugs is 
The Use of electricity is 
The use of stretching machines is I N0T Chir ctic 
The .use of violet ray is r 
The use of vibrators is 
The use of baths, of any kind is J 
Chiropractic is the science of palpating and adjusting the articula- gl 
tions of the human spinal column by hand only. gl 
Those who scoff at or speak lightly about new ideas which they B.' 
have not investigated brand-themselves as bigoted, while those who S 
have no opinion on a subject which is demanding general attention g| 
must pass as ignorant. Don't be either. gl 
Things move along so rapidly now that people who say: "It can't B 
be done" are constantly being interrupted by somebody doing it. Bl 
Consultation and literature relative to chiropractic gladly fufr gj 
nished for the asking. No obligation. WM 
Suite 426 Spreckels Bldg. - Lady Attendant - Phone 
Licensed by Chiropractic State Board. Equipped with Spinal X-Ra 
Laboratory. ffiS 
See page 112 114 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
immediately with the explanation of why the articulations of 
the human spinal column should be adjusted. The reader who 
did not know anything about Chiropractic would not know 
whether the articulations are being adjusted for one pur- 
pose or another. The question of health is not mentioned 
in the entire advertisement, and nothing would lead the 
reader to understand that this was a health system or 
method. 
The advertisement is, however, very good on the matter 
of interest and in the question of attracting attention, largely 
because of the nice way in which the negative thought is given 
and also because of the good, bold type which is used. This 
advertisement is three columns by seven inches. 
The function of creating desire is not well carried for the 
reason that nothing is mentioned about health. The only 
desire created is the desire for knowledge of what Chiropractic 
is and what it claims to do, but the difficulty is that it necessi- 
tates effort on the part of the reader to follow up to the extent 
of the advertisement producing effectively. The matter of 
desire is carried in the last line where the statement is made 
that consultation and literature relative to Chiropractic will 
be gladly furnished for the asking. The desire, however, to 
get literature, or to talk to Dr. Irish is built on the premise 
that the individual wants information rather than on the 
premise that they are ill and want to regain their health. ANALYSIS OF DISPLAY ADVERTISING 
115 
Proof Your Copy 
Illustration on page 117 is the advertisement of Dr. L. W. 
Riggs. This is a splendid example of mighty good thought 
and good material poorly utilized. The title is good and has 
a certain amount of attraction value. But that attraction value 
is somewhat counteracted by there being entirely too much 
copy in the space. The same points could be covered with half 
the words and thus larger type could have been used and bet- 
ter display could have been attained. When a reader sees an 
advertisement where the type is small, he is pretty apt to do 
as the average person does when picking up a good book. If 
the type is extremely small, the reader will often lay the book 
down and take an inferior book with more legible type in 
preference. So it is with advertising copy. The type must be 
readable and in the beginning of this advertisement, it is large 
and legible, but further down the printing drops to eight point 
type which by contrast loses the reader's attention. 
Interest is held well by the copy in the beginning of the 
advertisement, and with the exception of the small type and 
the too lengthy copy, it would be maintained through the en- 
tire ad. Even though all the points could not be put in if the 
type were larger, the effect would have been much better for 
the space occupied. This space is two columns wide and ten 
inches long. 
The greatest weakness, so far as the subject matter is 
concerned, lies in its failing to lead to action. This is partly 
due to the fact that the action line is small and relatively un- 
important. The advertisement is strong, however, in leading 
to conviction and this is based squarely upon the logic which 
is propounded there. 
But I want at this time to offer a criticism which is quite 
applicable to many chiropractors. They get a good idea on 
an advertisement or they buy good advertising copy and then 116 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
they hand that copy to the local printer. Naturally that 
printer is busy and often in the smaller newspapers he throws 
his copy together quickly during the last day or so, if it is a 
weekly paper. The routine work in the office is not as well 
established as in a city, and unless the chiropractor insists 
upon it, he does not see a proof of his copy as set up before it 
is run. Every advertiser should see a proof of his copy. He 
should insist upon that because a disastrous mistake may be 
made and after it is once made, the damage is often irrepar- 
able. Now here's a case of a good advertisement, with good 
thought, good logic, and many strong points, but I have 
checked it over hurriedly just once and found thirteen mis- 
spelled words. In addition I found several errors in punctua- 
tion and several glaring mistakes in grammatical construction. 
I am not of the opinion that the writer of this advertisement is 
responsible for those errors, but I do know that had the adver- 
tiser been given an opportunity to go over a proof of this copy 
and if he had done it carefully, he could have eliminated those 
errors and would have produced an advertisement that would 
bear dignity and inspire confidence. 
I do not believe that chiropractors fully realize the im- 
portance of this item in their advertising. Nor do I think that 
chiropractors, many of them, realize the importance of other 
factors entirely outside their professional conduct which have 
a direct and very important bearing upon their personal suc- 
cess and upon the esteem in which Chiropractic is held. Every 
one with any experience knows that the medical fraternity and 
many other people who are prejudiced claim that the chiro- 
practors are poorly trained, illiterate charlatans; that they are 
not capable of caring for the health of sick people and thus 
many people are frightened into believing that sort of thing. 
The best way a chiropractor has of overcoming such ideas is 
by his standing in the community, and for those who do not 
know him personally, by his advertising. Here's a chiroprac- 
tor who comes out with an advertisement with thirteen errors ANALYSIS OF DISPLAY ADVERTISING 
117 
Chiropractic and Electricity 
By L. W. HIGGS, D. (X, Phe. 
I AM SO OFTEN ASK {THE QUESTION, "Why don't 
all chiropractors use electricity?" Electricity is 'useful, 
temporarily, in many conditions, but chiropractors by ad- 
justing the spine release nature's electricity, and Dr. Na- 
ture does the curing. 
ELECTRICITY is not taught in any of the many rep- 
utable colleges or schools of chiropractic. 
A CHIROPRACTOR using electricity in any form is 
not allowed to hold an office in the Indiana Chiropractic 
Association or in any of the other 27 state associations 
having a chiropractic board or law. While-there is no hard, 
fast Law against the use of electricity it really belongs to 
the'.medical man. Bo we who use it are disobeying our 
own national state and association chiropractic laws. 
We must give to every other profession its full due. 
To the bio-chemist all the chemicals In the world to Improve the 
health of the world. 
To the germ theorist we give the vaccines, serums and germs. 
To the dletition. diet; diagnostician, diagnosis; electro-theroplst, 
rays, hues, currents, suggestive therapy its some eight forms of sug- 
gestion. and so. on. 
We have our hands-the human spine-and the power wfthln- 
That power that digeests your food-makes your eyes see-your heart 
bentr-heals and knits broken bones- (Inate Intellgence). We adust 
and the ponder within, or nature, cures you. 
The nervous system carries all the ower Impulses of the body 
(from brain over nerves-ust as electiclty is conducted over electric 
lines), and in a normal state, every organ receives 100 percent nerve 
energy, over the "nerve lines" upon which health depends. 
If the nerves going to stomach are pinched, say 50 
Srcent, then your stomach only does half normal 
ty. Indigestion, gas, sick headaches is the usual 
result. This Is all the result of a "sprain" In back. 
If at heart place Instead of stomach place you would 
hard heart trouble. 
The cause of weakness In any part of the body Is interference 
with the transmission of nerve energy from brain over nerves to part 
of body effected. And the only place where a nerve can be pinched is 
at point where they make their exit from between any one or more of 
the 24 oints in the backbone. 
Set your foot on the garden hose, von stop the flow 
of water In proportion to the weight you apply. 
"Sprain" your back and you do the same thing-pinch 
n nerbe vetween bones of the Spine, shutthig oft the 
nene current-Just as yon shut flow of water by set- 
ting your heel on the garden hose-just simple, com- 
mon sense, Isn't it! 
Spinal adjustments h nature's own restoer, and the only logical 
way to explain sickness. It you have had a fall or some accident, 
have headache, heart, stomach or kidney trouble, come to this office, 
have a spinal analysis made-no charge. Let me explain how reas- 
onable. how simple; tbo science of chiropractic is. 
Bring all your\health troubles to 
L. W. RIGGS « Chiropractor 
Opposite Zeigler's Store, Attica, Phone Black 806. Across Hall from 
Dr. Sullivan's eDntal Office 
See page 115 118 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
in spelling. I know just how that has happened. It does not 
mean at all that Dr. Riggs is illiterate; it means that the news- 
paper man was careless or did not proofread his copy. But 
the blame goes back to Dr. Riggs by the reader and an er- 
roneous impression is gathered respecting him which has a 
direct bearing upon the confidence which the reader has in 
Chiropractic. 
Above all things let me urge, and use this advertisement 
as an example, to impress upon chiropractors the necessity of 
proofreading their copy and having it understood with the 
newspaper man that every bit of advertising copy which is 
put in must have their O. K. on it. See to it that if an O. K. 
is not on it, the advertising will not be paid for. That is per- 
fectly legitimate, is a reasonable request, and is freely granted 
by practically every newspaper which caters to advertisers. 
I might say in the passing that in looking over some of the 
other advertisements in this same paper, I find the same care- 
lessness in the set up of the type. ANALYSIS OF DISPLAY ADVERTISING 
119 
Daily Health Chats 
Illustration on page 120 shows a most excellent method of 
advertising. Dr. Sproviero has accomplished the feat of get- 
ting "Chiropractic Health Chats" in one of the large news- 
papers and the space which is given to this department is 
worth five to ten times that amount of paid space in the form 
of an advertisement. 
It will be observed that this department is placed in with 
the news items. Its real value, however, lies in the fact that 
the explanation at the beginning implies that it is being placed 
there by the newspaper and that they have made arrangements 
with Dr. Sproviero to get his services. The newspaper further 
invites the reader to ask any questions about which they are 
in doubt and assures them that Dr. Sproviero will be glad to 
answer them. The great value of this kind of advertising, 
where it can be done, is that it is a virtual recommendation of 
the chiropractor by the newspaper because the reader reasons 
in his own mind that if the editor were not convinced of Dr. 
Sproviero's ability, he would not permit him to handle such 
an important department. I think, without question, this 
form of advertising is the most productive of any and because 
of that fact, it is the hardest to get a newspaper man's per- 
mission on. Health talks, questions and answers, etc., are 
run by many chiropractors in advertising space. As a regu- 
lar department of the paper, it is an entirely different thing and 
its value is materially enhanced. 
I am not particularly concerned in calling the attention 
of the reader to the copy which is used although in itself it is 
good. The material is gotten up in a story form as an actual 
experience of a certain case and at the end of the article is 
found a question and answer. All of this has direct human 
interest appeal and undoubtedly is read by far more people 
than would read advertising copy of several times that size. 120 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
Chiropractic 
Health Chats 
By P. SPROVIERO, D. C. 
Questions on Chiropractic Answered 
The Star has arranged with Dr. Sproviero to answer all ques- 
tions pertaining to the efficacy of Chiropractic and wo invito our 
readers to ask any question they are in doubt over and it will do 
answered in this column. 
See page 119 ANALYSIS OF DISPLAY ADVERTISING 
121 
Questions and Answers 
Illustration on page 122 shows the advertisement of Drs. 
Flodquist and Brown, two columns wide by five and one-half 
inches long. 
This is another example of the question and answer sys- 
tem placed in advertising space and is patently an advertise- 
ment. It is, however, strong copy in the sense that it is edu- 
cational, instructive, and convincing. The two pictures placed 
at the top, together with the title, lead to interest. The atten- 
tion of the reader is immediately directed to the bold face 
type in which the two words "question" and "answers" are 
set. Any question and answer naturally attracts atten- 
tion. 
Interest is aroused because of the common, specific dis- 
order which is discussed. Every one knows of patients suffer- 
ing with indigestion. Common circumstances lead to com- 
mon thoughts and the reader, although he himself may not be 
suffering from indigestion, will naturally think of some friend 
who is so afflicted and will very likely have an impression 
made on his mind by the advertising copy. It is also quite 
possible that he will mention the chiropractor to his friend 
because a definite disorder is mentioned. If the advertiser had 
contented himself with merely general statements about Chiro- 
practic, he may have attracted interest and in some cases, 
have aroused desire, but the impulse to action is far greater 
when a specific disorder is dwelt upon. 
It is for this reason that testimonials are comomnly used. 
Every one who uses a testimonial knows that it will fall into 
the hands of many people who are not suffering from that dis- 
order ; yet it has a very strong appeal to those who are suffer- 
ing from that disorder and it creates a certain mental impres- 
sion which is not readily forgotten, even in the minds of those 
who may not be sick at that particular time. 122 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
Your Question 
AND ITS ANSWER 
QUESTION-"My wife has had indigestion with gas and 
heartburn, and obstinate constipation for years. Will your 
methods get her permanently well?" 
ANSWER-Chiropractic offers a logical, safe and suffic- 
ient method for the correction of the cause of your wife's ill- 
ness. An examination of her spine will reveal pressure on the 
middle dorsal nerves, cutting off the full transmission of vital 
energy over the nerves supplying the stomach. The stomach 
cannot do its work properly without this energy. Advise your 
wife that results under proper Spinal Adjustments will be 
positive. Her symptoms of indigestion, bloating, heartburn 
and constipation can be permanently eradicated. However, 
she must first submit to a thorough spinal examination to lo- 
cate the real cause of her trouble. Then take Adjustments 
regularly. You will both be gratified with improvement noted. 
The purpose of this department is to spread the knowledge of Spinal 
Adjustments for the correction of the cause of disease. Address all health 
queries to 
Drs. Flodquist & Brown 
Night Phone, Lakeside 10016. 
The Eastern Chiropractors 
Free X-Ray Examination 
614 Fifteenth St. Phone Oak. 4598 
See page 121 ANALYSIS OF DISPLAY ADVERTISING 
123 
This advertisement is well balanced with the title line and 
the chiropractor's card in equally bold type. The question and 
answer are also well balanced in that the question is in light- 
face type, while the answer is in black-face type. It is the 
answer that the chiropractor wants to stand out; the question 
is merely incidental, and the use of these two different kinds 
of type accomplishes that end. 124 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
Attraction Value 
Illustration on page 125 shows a page taken from the 
classified telephone directory in Denver. It is reproduced here 
solely for the purpose of illustrating and proving what is meant 
by the value of contrasts. We have repeatedly stated that con- 
trast attracts attention. You see displayed in this illustration 
a page with a number of display spaces; yet there is one space 
on that page which hits you squarely in the eyes as soon as 
you look at it, and it accomplishes this feat by virtue of three 
important factors. First is the black cut of Dr. O'Connell, well 
surrounded, however, by white space. That same cut with 
printing placed up close to it on each side would lose much of 
its value. Second, the position and shape of the ad are ideal; 
and third, its size and limited type matter are a distinct ad- 
vantage. The amount of space utilized by Dr. O'Connell is 
exactly the same as the space in the advertisement at the top 
of the page by Dr. Baker; yet Dr. O'Connell's ad has a greater 
attraction value. 
I am personally not a believer in individual display adver- 
tising in the telephone directory if it is possible to put over a 
cooperative page. Nevertheless we are discussing here the 
fundamentals of advertising and not the relative values of in- 
dividual or cooperative advertising. I understand fully that if 
only a part of the chiropractors in any community are willing 
to enter a cooperative plan, and if the others insist upon indi- 
vidual advertising, that those who do individual advertising 
are ordinarily given an advantage over those who advertise 
collectively. Nevertheless I am of the opinion that if every 
one did cooperative advertising, there would be just as much 
Chiropractic sold through this medium and it would be dis- 
tributed about the same as it is here where each advertises 
individually. This with the exception, of course, that the ad- 
vantage is held by that chiropractor who buys a greater 
amount of space and displays his copy best. ANALYSIS OF DISPLAY ADVERTISING 
125 
JUST A REAL GOOD 
CHIROPRACTOR 
C.H. BAKER, D.C., Ph.C. 
THREE YEAR PALMER GRADUATE 
" WHERE THE SICK GET WELL" 
Hours 10 to 6 and 7 to 8-Outside Cails by Appointment 
MAIN 7346 332-3 KITTREDGE BLDG. 
GLENARM AND 16TH STREETS 
Res. Georgeann Apartments-Phone Champa 7946 
DR. BERTRAM" ALLAN MINTZ 
Dr. W. A. O'CONNELL 
CHIROPRACTOR 
THREE YEAR PALMER GRADUATE 
X-RAY LABORATORY 
SUITE 405-406 MAJESTIC BLDG. 
MAIN 7311 16th & BROADWAY 
See page 124 126 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
Strong Action Line 
Illustration on page 127 also shows a telephone directory 
advertisement occupying a full page. I reproduce it here 
merely to call to the attention of the reader the strength of the 
copy, particularly the action line. Observe this action line 
carefully and note that after the brief explanation of Chiro- 
practic, the reader is inspired to "start today." Dr. R. W. 
Chalmers has here eliminated the negative which is so com- 
mon and is usually in the form of "Don't put it off," or "Don't 
wait," or "Why suffer longer?" All those are negative. This 
copy leaves out that negative and says, "Decide 'To-day I Start 
Toward Health.' " 
This copy would be as effective or more effective as a 
newspaper advertisement than as a classified directory adver- 
tisement for the reason that the average person looking in the 
classified section of the telephone book is looking for some- 
thing definite and has his mind made up if he is looking for a 
chiropractor. Copy which serves to convince him of the merit 
of Chiropractic is largely wasted. The important thing is to 
show the prospective patient (for he is a prospective patient 
when he is looking up a chiropractor in the telephone book) 
the name, address, hours, phone, and capabilities of the indi- 
vidual. The importance purpose should not be to sell Chiro 
practic. ANALYSIS OF DISPLAY ADVERTISING 
127 
DR. R. W. CHALMERS' 
CHIROPRACTIC 
HEALTH SERVICE 
207-8 HOTEL FIRST AVE. 1ST AVE. & BROADWAY 
Will Solve Your Health Problems 
Whether it be loss of pep, an acute attack of cold, pneumonia, 
diphtheria or an old chronic condition of gastric ulcers, 
constipation, gall stones, asthma, tuberculosis, etc. 
Don't Give Up Hope! 
R. W. CHALMERS, D. C.. Ph. C 
(Ytt Bt'itl-Yi falmt. Gradual,} 
EXPERT X-RAY ANALYSIS 
Will show you where your backbone is out of line, causing 
pressure on nerves thru which flow the current of life from 
brain (dynamo) to the diseased part (motor). With pres- 
sure relieved the illness departs. Study the cut below and 
DECIDE "To-day I Start Toward Health" 
CALL 
South 6920 
OFFICE HOURS 
Day 9:30 to 12 M.--1 :30 to 6 P. M 
Night: Monday, Wednesday and 
Friday 7:30 to 9 P. M 
And by Appointment 
For an Appointment 
FREE Spinal Analysis 
CALLS MADE PROMPTLY 
See page 126 128 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
Advertising in Scotland 
Illustration on page 129 shows a newspaper advertisement 
printed in the Evening Dispatch of Edinburgh, Scotland, by 
H. Ben Bolt, D.C. Considering the five functions which an 
advertisement has to perform, let us analyze this one. 
First, does it attract attention? The unusual illustration 
which combines the picture of Ben Bolt with the slogan 
beneath it is characteristic and stands out on a newspaper 
page. It has a great deal of attraction value. It will be ob- 
served that there are three questions placed before the title 
line. This advertisement would have greater attraction value 
if these three questions were not placed at the top of the ad. 
If that entire space were given over to the attention line or 
title line, it would have greater attraction value. "By merit 
alone" is a strong heading and should have nothing to detract 
from it, much less the three questions that are placed above it. 
It is, of course, the intention of these three questions to at- 
tract attention but the answer to any of them is obvious and 
they would be better placed immediately before the closing 
line which is "Try Chiropractic and get well." 
This advertising copy has undoubtedly the value of 
arousing interest because the title merges so splendidly into 
the following copy. The title quite naturally draws the reader 
into a perusal of the following statements and thus his interest 
is aroused. The first three paragraphs are calculated to and 
do carry interest. They are educational and they fix in the 
mind of the patient the conclusion that Chiropractic must be 
a responsible science else it could not have gained the recog- 
nition which it has in the comparatively short space of time. 
These first three paragraphs are strong in establishing con- 
fidence which is one of the great functions of any advertise- 
ment. 
The fourth paragraph creates desire in the mind of the ANALYSIS OF DISPLAY ADVERTISING 
129 
-do you enjoy your pain ? 
-are you married to your disease ? 
-will you be lonesome without your suffering ? 
By Merit Alone 
Chiropractic 
has grown from an idea in the mind of 
one man in 1905, to the second largest 
health profession in the world. 
Twenty-six state governments have re- 
cognised the science as distinct and 
different from anything else on earth. 
In less than nineteen years this growth 
has been effected by reason of its efficiency 
as a health method. 
FNEED A 
Il ■ 
\ to Adjust / 
\ YOUR5PINE / 
COMPARE THIS (NERVE) 
WITH THE ONE AB57E 
_ AND THE ONE BELOW 
• It has recruited its patients from 
among those upon whom other 
methods failed, and with these 
failures of other methods upon 
which to prove its efficiency, it has 
made the most phenomenal growth 
of any health method in the history 
of the world. 
Try Chiropractic and Get Well 
Literature tent free on request 
H. Ben Bolt, DC. 
Palmer Graduate Chiropractor 
4 YORK PLACE, EDINBURGH 
20 ROYAL TERRACE, GLASGOW 
See page 128 130 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
reader who is sick and who has tried other methods which 
have failed to give him relief. This paragraph also is strong 
in establishing confidence. Thus we find that the function of 
arousing interest, creating desire, and establishing confidence 
are all well carried in this copy. 
It is my opinion that the action line, "Try Chiropractic 
and get well," could be improved. The word "try" implies 
doubt and lacks positive assurance. A statement of "Get well 
through Chiropractic" or "Chiropractic restores health" would 
be an improvement. There are undoubtedly other action lines 
which would be as effective or more effective than these sug- 
gested. If it is the purpose of the advertiser to employ the 
three questions used, they could be effectively placed before 
this action line, although in my judgment, these three ques- 
tions add little if anything to attraction value, interest, desire, 
or the inspiration for action. 
The balance of the ad is standard and carries the name 
and address of the chiropractor. It would be well if it also 
carried the telephone number and the hours, although it is 
possible that these items are not as important in Scotland as 
they would be in the United States or Canada. 
In my opinion the cut of the spine adds little if anything 
to this advertisement. There is nothing in the printed copy 
which refers to it and if an individual knew nothing of Chiro- 
practic, this cut would be meaningless. If it were removed it 
would give an opportunity for the use of larger type and a 
more effective display of the pulling copy of the ad. 131 
ANALYSIS OF DISPLAY ADVERTISING 
Make Your Lead Line Talk 
Illustration on page 132 shows the advertisement of F. W. 
Bonsall, printed in the Newcomerstown News, Newcomers- 
town, Ohio. This advertisement depends more upon its size 
for its attraction value than upon its title or attractiveness. 
It is three columns wide and eleven inches long or approxi- 
mately thirty-three column inches. The cut of the chiroprac- 
tor is, of course, for the purpose of attracting attention but it 
is a one-column cut and loses much of its attraction value 
because of the large type immediately above it which consti- 
tutes the lead line. 
There is little about this lead line to attract attention. 
"Chiropractic, the Science" is in itself not a good attraction 
value line. Anything that creates in the mind of the reader 
an idea of technicality is passed over with little thought. 
Science implies technicality and materially weakens the copy. 
There is no human interest in this attraction line and yet it 
overshadows all else in the space. The type is all right, its 
position is all right, and its size is all right, but there is noth- 
ing in it to grip the attention. A title such as "Why Blame 
Fate?" or "Who is the Judge?" would be far more apt to 
attract the attention of the reader than the title which is used. 
The interest of the average reader is not especially aroused 
unless the person is actually ill and has tried other methods 
without success. Interest could be gained much more effec- 
tively if the advertisement carried a thought that was ap- 
plicable to all classes of people. 
The function of creating desire, however, is well covered 
in this advertisement. It is covered by the special designation 
of certain disorders, all of which are common, such as stomach 
trouble, kidney trouble, grip, etc. The use of the word "free" 
is good because of its attraction value. People are always 
interested in anything that is received without compensation 132 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
Chiropractic 
KI-RO-PRAK-TIK 
THE SCIENCE 
'"CHAT deals directly with the cause of the so-called 
A disease. If you are sick and ailing, do not con- 
tinue to berate fate, but call on the Chitopractor and 
have the cause of your ailment removed. If there is 
a doubt in your mind whether or not Chiropractic 
will help you; do not let yourself be the judge, but 
see a chiropractor and ask him to explain to you the 
principle of chiropractic, and also how it may be ap- 
plied in your case. Don't think your case hopeless 
until you have done this 
By means of CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS 
the pressure is removed from the nerves and life en- 
ergy flows from the brain to all parts of the body un- 
interrupted, gnd the result is health and strength 
AU trouble, such a, STOMACH, LIVER AND KIDNEY TROUB- 
LE, CONSTIPATION, RHEUMATISM, LUMBAGO, NERVOUS- 
NESS, NERVOUS BREAKDOWNS, TONSIL1TIS, GOITER, GRIP 
and CRAMPS, and many other ailments aU yield under CHIRO- 
PRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS. 
FREE 
Investigate this Science 
The investigation will cost you nothing but just a little of your time 
It is simple and easy to understand. You owe the investigation to 
yourself, to your family, and to your relatives. 
F. W. BONSALL 
Palmer School Graduate Chiropractor 
Office Hours: 10 to 12 noon, 2 to 5 p. m. Evenings; Tuesday, Thursday and 
Saturday 7 td 8 p. m. Other hours by appointment. Residence calls given prompt 
attention. Residence phone 277-3r. 
Maude Scott Bldg., Canal Street 
See page 131 ANALYSIS OF DISPLAY ADVERTISING 
133 
and by looking over many advertisements, you will find the 
use of the word "free" very common. In this instance it has a 
direct application and is well used. 
There is, however, no action line in this advertisement. 
There is nothing in it that would cause the reader to actually 
call on the chiropractor. The advertisement would be mate- 
rially strengthened if a line were used to urge the reader to 
action. Confidence is somewhat established by the well-dis- 
played line "Investigate this science." To invite the public 
to investigate is to inspire confidence. In brief, then, this ad- 
vertisement is effective in inspiring confidence and in creating 
desire. It is also strong in that it gives the location, hours, 
telephone number, etc., in good, bold type, but it is weak in 
its attraction value and in its interest-arousing function. CHAPTER VII 
SELLING 
There are three phases to this business of selling Chiro- 
practic and they are the same three phases that must be met 
in a commercial line. We are selling our services to the public 
just as the merchant sells concrete goods to his customers and 
just as the manufacturer sells his product in wholesale quan- 
tities to large dealers. The merchant must carry all three 
separate and distinct phases in the conduct of his business. 
He must advertise through the printed page in such a way 
as to create in the public mind a desire for the products he 
has to dispose of. Having created this desire, he must, through 
employed salesmen, convince the prospective purchaser of the 
merit of his article, and the final phase consists in the delivery 
of his product. The chiropractor is placed in the same posi- 
tion. He must create in the mind of his public a desire for 
his services. After this he must convince those prospective 
buyers, through personal contact, that Chiropractic is the 
method needed, and in the last phase he must deliver to the 
patient the thing he has said he could deliver. In this article 
I am particularly concerned, however, with the first phase, 
dealing especially with the advertising psychology. 
Function of Advertising 
The purpose and intent of all advertising is to create in- 
terest and desire on the part of the readers. No matter what 
advertising method is used, these two principles must be kept 
constantly in mind. The mistake in much Chiropractic ad- 
vertising is that we attempt to carry the second phase, that 
of the salesman, in our publication, and thereby lose the bene- 
ficial effects which these publications might possess in creat- 
134 SELLING 
135 
ing interest and desire. This is not entirely a mistake, pro- 
viding these publications can be purchased at such a price 
that the chiropractor can make profitable returns on the in- 
vestment. In the average newspaper, however, with any con- 
siderable circulation, it is not possible, and any attempt on the 
part of the chiropractor to educate or explain the principles 
of Chiropractic here are ineffective. 
Consistency 
I see occasionally half-page or full-page advertisements 
in papers with a goodly circulation. I know something about 
what those advertisements cost. I know that no chiropractor 
can keep that pace up consistently; therefore I know that it 
is a spasmodic outburst. This is not good advertising. Any 
one who has experience in the advertising game knows that 
it is not good advertising. Far greater results would be ob- 
tained if the chiropractor would carry a small ad giving his 
name, business, address, phone number, and office hours. This 
he could do many times, day after day, and thus build up an 
accumulative value that cannot possibly be done with spas- 
modic advertising. If he still wants to explain what Chiro- 
practic is through the printed medium, let him employ such 
publications as the Chiropractic Educator, or other tracts, which 
do not carry such a prohibitive cost. I think that telephone 
directory advertising in the classified section brings more busi- 
ness in proportion to the money spent than any other method 
I know of. The reason that chiropractors waste so much 
money in useless newspaper advertising is that, in the case of 
the newspaper, solicitors enter the office and sell their space 
right on the ground. It is not always an easy thing to turn 
down a good salesman. He sells you the space and you may 
kick yourself the next day for having purchased that space, yet 
you are compelled to take it or lose your standing with the 
newspaper, which no chiropractor can afford to do. 136 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
Prevent That Loss 
I say without hesitation that from 85 per cent to 90 per 
cent of the advertising carried by chiropractors in newspapers 
is ineffective because poor copy is used. The chiropractor 
either tries to write these ads himself or he gets some local 
man, who is not up on the necessities of our particular kind 
of advertising, to write it for him. This article is particularly 
to assist these men. Even though the chiropractor employs 
a local ad writer to produce his copy, he should know the 
fundamental principles upon which good Chiropractic adver- 
tising is produced. And I might say right here that they are 
the same fundamental principles that are used by all well- 
grounded advertising concerns in whatever campaign they 
may be engaged. 
A Limited Appeal 
Chiropractors in the main have written their advertising 
matter with a view to appealing to the sick person-that is, 
the sick person who has lost his health to the degree that he 
is incapacitated. Naturally such a person is interested in re- 
gaining his health; yet by writing this form of advertising 
the chiropractor is appealing to only a small proportion of the 
people in his community. Isn't there some appeal we can 
make which will have as vital an influence on the entire pop- 
ulation? Let us see what appeal we can make to do so. 
We have said that the only thing the chiropractor has 
to sell is his service in the form of adjustments founded on 
his knowledge of the Chiropractic science. Yet if your ad- 
vertising is caluculated to sell your service, you will get no- 
where, and this for the very good reason that the community 
is not interested in whether they have your service or not. 
Nor can you sell to the average mind the health idea. The 
man or woman of today, except in small proportion, is not 
essentially interested in health except as a means to an end. SELLING 
137 
What Did the Automotive Industry Do? 
In the automotive industry a systematic campaign of 
education has been and is being waged to convince the public 
of the importance of keeping their automobiles in order. They 
have learned that it is less expensive to do this than to let 
the automobile run down until something goes smash. This 
has necessarily been a process of education because the aver- 
age automobile driver is not concerned with the little rattles 
that occur in his car from day to day. So long as it will 
run-get him where he is going and bring him back without 
any great difficulty-he is satisfied with the performance. He 
is satisfied because he does not know that these little rattles 
and loose bolts will some day bring him to sudden and un- 
expected grief. This is the thing the automotive industry is 
teaching the public today and up-to-date concerns are inviting 
their customers to come in every so often and have their car 
thoroughly gone over with a view of taking care of the little 
things to maintain that machine in order. They are beginning 
to sell the idea that to maintain efficiency is more important 
than to regain efficiency after it is once lost. 
Increase Your Scope 
Why not apply this same fundamental advertising prin- 
ciple to Chiropractic? Why not convince the public through 
education that the little rattles, the little attacks of indigestion, 
the passing spells of headache, etc., are danger signals which 
precede a coming collapse. They are merely nature's way of 
acquainting us with the fact that something is becoming de- 
ficient in our physical make up. How are we going to ac- 
complish this end? 
We have said that the average person is not concerned 
in health in itself, yet health is essential in the accomplish- 
ment of the ultimate purpose in life. And here we find our- 
selves faced with the problem of determining what this ulti- 138 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
mate purpose is. We soon learn that the important considera- 
tion with men is not the same as with women, nor are these 
two the same as with children. 
Appeal to Men 
The great big appeal that must be made to men as a class 
is the appeal of efficiency. I call your attention to any num- 
ber of big advertising campaigns that have been conducted in 
the past and are being conducted today. If these advertising 
campaigns are directed at men, the appeal is an efficiency 
appeal. Look at the "Power of Will"-in fact, the entire set 
of five Will books written by Frank Channing Haddock. The 
appeal is made to men on the ground of efficiency. 
The most outstanding example that comes to my mind 
is Dr. Elliott's five-foot shelf containing fifty volumes of se- 
lected writings on a wide variety of subjects. This set of 
books is advertised squarely on the efficiency appeal. The 
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin could not be sold in 
great numbers if that title were the only picture drawn by 
the advertisers. However, they have created the slogan of 
"Fifteen minutes a day." They show how, by spending fifteen 
minutes of one's time every day reading the Elliott five-foot 
shelf, a liberal education may be obtained. They show on the 
one hand a picture of a young man reading a newspaper, his 
book laid aside. They show him with a careworn face, rumpled 
hair, and they show immediately above this picture a little 
oval with the same young man on the following day seated 
on a high stool at some clerical job, earning possibly fifteen 
or eighteen dollars per week. On the other side they show a 
young man of eager expression reading an Elliott book. They 
show in the oval above him that same young man on the fol- 
lowing day seated at a mahogany desk, directing the affairs of 
other men. The appeal is squarely an efficiency appeal to sell 
a commercial product. You can go through any number of SELLING 
139 
advertising campaigns and you will find that this is the big 
appeal made by every good advertiser to men. 
Appeal to Women 
But that isn't true of women. Here we have an entirely 
different class with an entirely different viewpoint. The great 
appeal made to women is the appeal of beauty or attractive- 
ness. It is evidenced in the slogan, "A skin you love to touch." 
Now whoever heard of anything being sold to a man on such 
a slogan I A man is not particularly concerned in whether any 
one loves to touch his skin or not. Another good slogan is 
"that school girl complexion." 
You can go still further to even ordinary articles. Would 
it ever occur to you that the Hoover vacuum sweeper was sold 
especially on the beauty appeal? On one side of the page is 
shown a woman with hair uncombed, a careworn face, dressed 
in an old wrapper of some sort, sweeping with might and main, 
raising a huge cloud of dust, and giving in all the appearance 
of being worn out by hard work. On the other side of the 
page is shown the picture of a woman with hair properly done, 
no lines in her face, powder on her nose, and dressed in a nice, 
clean, simple gown, pushing the vacuum cleaner along with no 
effort at all and yet producing the same results. This article 
is being absolutely sold on the attractiveness appeal and so I 
could go on and on and enumerate hundreds and hundreds. 
Appeal to Children 
With children neither of the two appeals mentioned above 
are essentially strong. The big appeal to the child, made 
through the parents, is the appeal of development. Every 
parent is interested in seeing their child, whether boy or girl, 
develop into strong manhood and womanhood. They are con- 
cerned in their physical development as well as in their mental 
application. 140 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
HOUR BOH 
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO 
SEE THAT HE GROWS INTO A 
STRONG. HEALTHY. VITAL 
MAN? YOU WANT HIM TO BE 
STRONG MENTALLY. MORALLY. 
AND PHYSICALLY. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
WILL FIT YOUR BOY TO MEET 
THE KEEN COMPETITION AND 
STRUGGLES OF MANHOOD 
WITH A SOUND AND HEALTHY 
BODY. 
START GETTING WELL TO- 
DAY. 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
hours 
See page 241 SELLING 
141 
These Are Principles 
Why have I drawn these pictures? Because the same 
fundamental appeals that are made by advertisers who have 
made a study of the problem, can and should be used by chiro- 
practors whether they write their own copy or not. See that 
that man who already possesses the instinct for efficiency is 
sold to the idea that health promotes efficiency and that Chiro- 
practic adjustments promote health. He isn't concerned in 
adjustments nor is he concerned in health, but he is concerned 
in efficiency. Therefore sell him the efficiency idea. With 
women the same thing can be accomplished by selling them 
the attractiveness idea and with children by selling the devel- 
opment idea. Above all, having been successful in our ad- 
vertising campaign and having been successful in our personal 
contact compaign, let us ever bear in mind that we have in- 
curred a responsibility to deliver service twenty-four hours 
out of every twenty-four if that service can in any way pro- 
mote efficiency, attractiveness or development. Let us realize 
our obligation in the delivery of this thing which we have 
been so careful to sell in a proper manner to our prospective 
buyers. CHAPTER VIII 
CHIROPRACTIC-BUSINESS OR PROFESSION? 
More and more in the past several years we have heard 
of the business of Chiropractic; less and less we have heard of 
the profession of Chiropractic. I feel that herein lies a real 
problem and that we are in danger of overbalancing the ship 
to the extent that the high ideals upon which our science is 
founded may be made commercial. Up to a certain point I 
agree that Chiropractic is a business, but the danger lies in 
making it purely a business to the extent of overshadowing 
every other consideration. In the P. S. C., as well as in other 
Chiropractic schools, students are taught salesmanship. They 
are taught business methods; they are instructed how to con- 
duct an office and they are informed as to the various methods 
of advertising which are most effective. Unquestionably, the 
Chiropractic profession uses more printers ink per year than 
all other professions combined. We are the heaviest buyers 
of space in newspapers. We spend more money to put out 
in our communities educational matter which will inform the 
public of what Chiropractic is and what it purports to do. 
Nor is this procedure wrong providing the proper slant is 
acquired as to its purpose. So long as business methods are 
used and advertising campaigns are conducted with the proper 
intent in mind, it cannot be overdone. But when that proper 
intent does not exist, it can very easily be overdone. Nor is 
this peculiar situation applicable to the Chiropractic profession 
alone; it is applicable as well to every other business. 
Chiropractic Is a "Service for Sale" 
The merchant who conducts a general store carries a 
certain amount of advertising space in the publications reach- 
142 CHIROPRACTIC-BUSINESS OR PROFESSION? 
143 
ing his community. In this way he implants in that com- 
munity a desire for the thing which he possesses. He hires 
a corps of salesmen and these salesmen are trained to carry 
on the selling campaign which he has begun in the newspapers, 
by explaining to the customers, when they appear in the store, 
the good points of the articles in which they are interested. 
He strives to complete the sale by convincing them not only 
of the necessity of the goods on the shelves but of their superi- 
ority. Thus far the responsible merchant follows the same 
course as the irresponsible. The difference lies in the com- 
pletion of the transaction. 
Complete the Transaction 
The responsible merchant realizes that in order for him 
to render a service to his community, he must not only ad- 
vertise in the newspapers and employ a corps of capable sales- 
men, but that the permanency of his service can only exist 
if he delivers to the customer the thing which his advertising 
and his salesmen have said he could deliver. By doing this, 
the responsible merchant realizes that his success in that com- 
munity is indefinitely assured. He knows that so long as he 
wants to stay there and conduct his business, he will receive 
a good trade because he has established in that community a 
confidence born of his honesty in delivering a high grade of 
goods. In other words, he has sold to that community the 
idea that he can and does deliver the thing he says he can 
deliver, and he has created in the public mind a belief in his 
organization. These people who are satisfied come back time 
after time for further purchases and thus his business con- 
tinues to grow. There is as much fun in the business world 
in the building of a reputation and the knowledge of the con- 
fidence one has established among his fellowmen as there is 
in the accumulation of the dollars that go with such a suc- 
cess. 144 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
Build for the Future 
Chiropractic is no different. We have on our shelves a 
certain brand of goods. The thing which we are selling to the 
public is Chiropractic, to restore health or to preserve health 
among those people who buy our product. The responsible 
chiropractor is vitally concerned, not only in the proper ad- 
vertising campaign which is to acquaint the general public 
with what he has and what he can do and create in that public 
mind a desire for his goods, but he is also concerned in meet- 
ing the patient personally, convincing him of the effectiveness 
of Chiropractic adjustments in dealing with the particular 
disorder from which that patient is suffering. In addition to 
all this, he is concerned in delivering to the patient that thing 
which his advertising, and which he personally, says he can 
deliver. By doing this, he realizes that his future business is 
being built on solid ground. He understands that it is just 
as important to build confidence in the public mind as it is 
to create desire in the public mind or convince a prospective 
patient through a clever talk. 
Too Much "Business" 
The Chiropractic profession in part, however, seems to 
have grasped the wrong perspective on the importance of the 
first two phases of salesmanship. This class seems to believe 
that clever advertising and a smooth talk when the prospective 
patient appears in person is as far as the selling game goes. 
He is, of course, so much better off if he happens to get good 
results on his patient, but he is very much like the smooth oil 
salesman who is principally concerned in disposing of his little 
green sheets of paper, feeling that if his proposition does make 
any money he is just that much better off, but knowing that 
even if it does not, he has made a fat commission on the sales 
made. He realizes that he can go into some other community 
and work the same game again and that he can keep this CHIROPRACTIC-BUSINESS OR PROFESSION ? 
145 
process up as long as communities can be changed. Too often 
the chiropractor assumes the same viewpoint. He realizes that 
if he can but dispose of a few adjustment cards and get the 
money in his pocket, he can move on to another community, 
and he seems to feel that it matters little whether he gets 
results on his patients or not. He fails to build a solid founda- 
tion. At the end of six months or a year, he finds that he has 
bled the community. He has lost confidence, not only in him- 
self, but far worse than that, he has lost the confidence of 
that community in the science of Chiropractic. Here is a case 
of too much business and not enough professionalism. Or 
rather I might say, too great an importance placed on pre- 
liminary business and not enough importance placed on the 
ultimate end. 
Rolling Stones 
I say it as a fact that every field practitioner knows, there 
is no single policy which is followed by many members of the 
Chiropractic profession that does as much damage as this. 
They drift into a community, stay there like the drone in the 
hive to get the cream and then they drift on to some other 
community to repeat the performance. They are a danger. 
That danger may not be apparent except in sporadic instances, 
but eventually it becomes a real menace to the science of 
Chiropractic. 
Have you noticed that the smooth oil salesman is not as 
common as he was a few years ago? Do you know why? 
The reason is that thousands of these gentlemen of the smooth 
tongue and rapid fadeaway have been working this country. 
The public is wise and usually this gentleman is greeted now 
by the prospective buyer with a knowing smile and a twinkle 
in the eye which says more plainly than words: "My friend, 
I have played that game before." And more often than not, 
that salesman finds that the communities all over this country 
are on to his game. It took a number of years to wake us up 146 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
but we are finally on the job. The oil salesman has had his 
day. The salesman of fake radio stocks is beginning to appear. 
He won't last long-the public is getting wise. 
Drifters 
But let us apply this same reasoning to the Chiropractic 
profession. Dozens of towns in these United States have had 
chiropractors drift in and out. They slip in stealthily, and 
they leave without a trace of their future residence. Another 
chiropractor comes to the community. He does the same 
thing. I know of fairly small towns where as high as eighteen 
or twenty chiropractors have been located and left in the last 
two years. What kind of an impression do you suppose that 
makes on the community? What kind of an uphill fight do 
you suppose the genuine chiropractor who goes to that town 
to make it his home is going to have? The people are going 
to look at him and smile. They are going to read his adver- 
tising and they are going to say to themselves: "I have had 
that game worked on me before." 
Only this morning I received a letter which typifies a 
general situation. It is from a daily newspaper in the state 
of Michigan and says: 
"Dear Doctor: 
Blank & Blank, graduates of your school, lately lo- 
cated in our town. Have hurriedly left town and have 
neglected to pay their account with us which amounts 
to $24.84. We will appreciate your sending us their ad- 
dress and any assistance you may give us in helping us 
to collect this account. 
Very truly yours, 
Daily Publishing Company. 
How do you suppose this newspaper is going to feel 
toward a genuine chiropractor who comes to that community 
with every good intent? How is the community in general CHIROPRACTIC-BUSINESS OR PROFESSION? 
147 
HEALTH 
It is the most priceless 
possession we have. It in- 
spires ambition, hard work, 
and success. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
has restored health and hap- 
piness to millions, and so it 
has grown to the foremost 
drugless health science of 
all time. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
HOURS 
See page 241 148 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
going to feel, particularly when these chiropractors have been 
located in the town for only a few short months? They have 
created a fine condition for other chiropractors who are to 
come, and it will take months of uphill work to live down the 
reputation which they have created for Chiropractic in gen- 
eral. All because they were too vitally concerned in the printed 
advertisements and in a smooth talk and were not at all con- 
cerned in the service to be rendered to their people. 
The Remedy 
I presume that these people who change locations regu- 
larly and jump from here to there have little concern for what 
the chiropractor who is to come will have to face. How can 
the profession prevent this sort of thing? I believe that the 
underlying reason for these rapid moves and damaged terri- 
tories lies in the fact that the chiropractor who does this thing 
has been oversold to the importance of advertising and smooth 
talk. I believe he has been undersold to the idea of obtaining 
results. I believe the reason he leaves is that he is not wise 
enough to know that clever advertising and a smooth tongue 
without a special concern for the welfare of his patients cre- 
ates a barren territory. His only hope lies in moving on to 
the next town. I believe if he were thoroughly sold to the 
necessity of being concerned about the welfare of his patients, 
it would not be necessary for him to leave a community in 
which he locates and founds a business. 
Business in Chiropractic, when it leads to the ultimate 
end of rendering service, is good but business without the 
ultimate end of delivering service is dangerous. Let us chiro- 
practors grasp more firmly this idea of concerning ourselves 
with service and let our business be a business of delivering 
service-not a business of clever advertising and a rapid fire 
sales talk with nothing to back it up. CHAPTER IX 
PRICE CUTTING 
In selling commercial commodities, it is fairly simple to 
compute the price at which the article must be sold to the 
public. Wise business men have long ago learned that the 
price of an article which is sold to the retail trade must be 
such as to offer a reasonable profit over and above the cost 
of the article together with the expense of selling it, which 
expense includes overhead and advertising of all kinds to- 
gether with the cost of carrying it on their shelves. 
Selling Price 
The good business man realizes that it is just as poor 
business to sell an article at an excessive profit as it is to sell 
at a loss or at a too narrow margin. The result of selling at 
an excessive profit is that competitors enter the field who can 
and do undersell him and still maintain a thriving business. 
That means that the merchant who has been selling at an 
excessive profit must lower his prices and when he does so he 
loses in part the confidence of the community because he 
admits to them that he has been selling the article for too 
much money in the past. They know that if he has done that 
with one article, it is likely he will do it with others should 
the opportunity present itself, and they can never be quite 
sure but what he is doing it then on other articles which he 
has for sale. To prevent this very thing, many manufacturers 
set a fixed price at which a universally used article must be 
sold and it is up to the merchant to keep his overhead and sell- 
ing cost within a range wherein the article can be purchased 
by him and still sold at a profit. All of this is essentially true 
of merchandise which is bought at a certain fixed price. 
149 150 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
What Did Your Goods Cost? 
With the professional man an entirely different problem 
must be met and solved. Instead of buying a physical prop- 
erty which he is later to dispose of, he has invested his money 
and his earning ability for a stipulated time in an education 
which provides him with an ability to deliver a certain service. 
He must then deliver that service at a cost which will return 
him a fair compensation for his time and at the same time 
provide a return on the investment which he has made. 
What Is Health Worth? 
Who can say what health is worth? It is something 
which can't be bought arbitrarily. Its value to one person 
may be an entirely different value than would be placed upon 
it by another. Certainly the value of health to Henry Ford 
might be worth a million dollars or more and yet if that price 
were arbitrarily placed upon a service to bring health, that 
service is placed beyond the reach of the great majority of 
mankind. No one can go into a community of laborers and 
expect to get the same price for his services as he can get 
in a large community of retired and financially independent 
people. It is also true that some professional people possess 
greater ability than do others and so the value of the service 
which they have to render is not on a constant basis. 
All of these things enter into the problem of price for 
professional servic and the chiropractors, being a relatively 
new profession, have not as yet satisfactorily worked out a 
basis of charge for professional service. This is for the very 
good reason that they have attained their educations under all 
manner of circumstances and in all grades of institutions. 
Some of them who have attended the best schools have spent 
thousands of dollars in actual outlay and in lost production 
in other vocations in obtaining their education. Still others 
have attended short courses and cheap schools carrying their PRICE CUTTING 
151 
classes at night and have lost no time or productive energy. 
Thus the cost of what ability they possess cannot be com- 
pared to the cost of the ability attained by the individual who 
has studied the subject thoroughly. Yet these two types of 
individuals meet in open competition in a field which is as 
yet imperfectly protected by legal recognition. Each calls 
himself a chiropractor and each holds forth his services to the 
public. Under these conditions the problem resolves itself to 
a building of confidence in the public mind and each strives 
to do so in his own peculiar way. 
What Should You Charge for Your Service? 
I feel, however, and I believe that the vast majority of 
chiropractors feel, that it is high time that a regulation charge 
for professional service among chiropractors be adopted. Not 
that it need be the same in every community, because com- 
munities vary and conditions in different communities would 
recommend a different price for the service rendered. But in 
the same community, among chiropractors who are thoroughly 
equipped, there should be a regulation standard charge for 
service. For this reason it would seem advisable that chiro- 
practors organize and have as one of the definite objects the 
regulation of rates. I know that many chiropractors will say, 
"That is all very well to write about. It is all very well as 
an ideal condition, but when chiropractors won't live up to 
such regulation, what are we to do?" It is this problem with 
which I am most concerned and about which I would speak. 
Does Price Cutting Pay? 
Price cutting has long been the evil genie of business. 
It is the most insidious, the most unfair, and the most dis- 
couraging kind of competition to face. It is purely destruc- 
tive in its effects and leads to no ultimate good either for the 
individual who prepetrates it or for his competitors. It is a 
boomerang which comes back to the shortsighted individual 152 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
who practices it and strikes him down as effectively as though 
it had been aimed directly at himself. It is quite true that 
it may jeopardize the best interests and even destroy the 
practice of his competitors but this latter result is problemati- 
cal. To the individual who practices price cutting, eventual 
elimination is absolutely certain. Why is this true? First it 
is true because many people feel that a professional man's 
ability is measured by his price so long as that price is within 
reason, and when a chiropractor goes into a community where 
the regulation charge has been $2.00 per adjustment and seeks 
to build a business on a charge of $1.00 per adjustment, the 
people of that community automatically classify him in the 
classification which by his action he has admitted. 
The Price Cutter Slips 
In the second place, when he cuts the price in half, it is 
necessary for him to do twice the business of his competitors 
in order to equal them and this in the main he cannot do. If 
he cuts the price in half and if he still makes a comfortable 
living and a reasonable return on his investment, then the 
price of $2.00 in that community was too high. If, on the 
other hand, this chiropractor finds that $1.00 per adjustment 
does not provide him a living and does not yield a reasonable 
return on his investment, he is suffering a loss every day he 
continues in business. He is traveling on the thin margin and 
it is purely a question of time until in his desperation to in- 
crease his business he will begin adjusting for still less money. 
He will still find that in the estimation of the community he 
is traveling down the ladder, and he will finally awaken to the 
fact that he must produce a revenue in some other way than 
by his Chiropractic service. 
Grasping at Straws 
The probabilities are that he then gets into some other 
field of endeavor for at least a part of the time, but he still PRICE CUTTING 
153 
holds on to his Chiropractic. He still practices in a desultory 
sort of way, perhaps maintaining an evening office or perhaps 
visiting a few cases from house to house during the evening 
hours. He is nearing the end of his professional career. Why 
is he nearing the end? Because the public has lost confidence 
in his ability. To whom do we, as chiropractors, go when we 
find that our teeth are in need of the services of a dentist? 
Do we patronize the fellow who works in a store in the day- 
time and practices for a few hours each night, or do we go to 
the man who gives all of his time to his dentistry? Does the 
difference in price have a great deal of bearing upon our de- 
cision? It does not. Whether we analyze the matter in our 
own minds or not, we actually come to the conclusion that 
the fellow who must work during the daytime and practice 
dentistry at night cannot be efficient. We reason that if he 
is proficient, he would be practicing dentistry alone as a pro- 
fession. 
Who Will Survive? 
We must understand that Chiropractic is as yet a young 
profession, that it is not thoroughly settled. But in my judg- 
ment the next few years will see the public viewing Chiro- 
practic just as it views the other and older established pro- 
fessions. The public will have confidence in that individual 
who practices Chiropractic as a profession and finds it suffi- 
ciently lucrative that he does not have to take on other work. 
Thus the nighttime, the door-to-door practitioners and all the 
other incompetents will be automatically eliminated. During 
the process of elimination the good chiropractor is necessarily 
going to be hurt. Yet even so, he is the one who will even- 
tually survive. 
Suicide 
This business of cutting prices, however, is not confined 
to the short course chiropractor. It is not confined, at this 
stage of the game, to the person who is illy equipped. I know 154 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
BEIXUTU 
What is there more beau- 
tiful than the natural ex- 
pression of perfect health? 
It brings the sparkle to the 
eye, the irresistible charm 
which makes friends with all 
the world. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
has brought health and 
beauty to countless numbers. 
It can do the same for you. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
hours 
See page 241 PRICE CUTTING 
155 
of a number of cases where chiropractors from reputable 
schools have gone into communities where chiropractors were 
already established and have sought to build their business by 
cutting the price. This is not only despicable but it is suicidal. 
It may look for a time as though it pays, but in the end it 
cannot pay. A price should be set that is fair and reasonable, 
and business should be built upon the service rendered. The 
newcomer in a community must understand that the chiro- 
practor who has been located there and who has spent several 
years of his time and much of his money in placing Chiro- 
practic on the map there, has the advantage which naturally 
follows an established business. If he does not reach the 
mark set by the older chiropractor in the first few months, or 
even in the first few years, he should realize that cutting the 
price will not in the end accomplish the thing he desires; it 
will ruin the field in part for his competitor and totally for 
himself. No individual, whether he be selling merchandise 
or professional service, can sell at a loss and still stay in busi- 
ness year after year. He eventually eliminates himself and 
that person is very shortsighted indeed who kids himself into 
believing that by cutting the price under his competitor he 
is building any permanent good for himself. 
We will have the price cutter with us always. I believe 
they are more prevalent today than they have been, largely 
because of the great number of incompetent chiropractors who 
have gone into the field in the past few years. The next few 
years, however, will see a very material decrease in this num- 
ber because the very system which they employ is evidence of 
their incompetency and spells their ultimate failure. CHAPTER X 
CONFIDENCE 
The other day Bill Smith walked into my office. Of 
course Bill Smith is not his real name but it will do for the 
purpose of this discussion. As a matter of fact there are 
many Bill Smiths in every city and town. All of us know 
some of them. 
Bill walked into my office full of pep and enthusiasm. As 
usual, he was cheerful. He made a bright spot in an other- 
wise hard day. He unfolded to me a plan in which he was, 
for the moment, vitally interested. Bill has a keen, analytical 
mind and pretty sound judgment, and I admire him for these 
qualities. I also admire him for his stick-to-it-iveness, for his 
willingness to take punishment in order to carry his point. 
In fact there are many things about the man that appeal to 
me very strongly and as I listened to his story I became more 
and more convinced. When he had finished, I was almost 
won over. I say almost won over because my friend is an 
expert salesman and has the ability of carrying conviction in 
what he says, but my reason also told me that some of the 
points he had made were questionable and I began to inquire 
into the detail of his plan. He was ready to meet my every 
argument. In fact he more than met therm He elaborated 
on each one, brought up examples to prove his case, and did 
his level best to convince me of its soundness. 
But it happens that I have known Bill Smith for a num- 
ber of years, and while I know that in some things he is de- 
pendable, I have also discovered through past experience that 
in some details his statement cannot be relied upon. I re- 
member the first time this fact was brought forcibly home to 
me. I was shocked because up until then I had had implicit 
156 CONFIDENCE 
157 
confidence in his statements. But that one rude awakening 
placed in my mind a question on everything he had told me 
although I knew for a certainty that much which he had said 
was fact. Since this first experience, he has on several oc- 
casions made statements in substantiation of his claims and 
arguments which I knew were not true, or if they were true, 
the statements were worded in such a clever way that they 
carried an inferred meaning which did not check with the 
facts. And so, because of perhaps half a dozen statements 
which I knew were not true, I have reached the point today 
where everything stated by this man is discounted by me. 
Undoubtedly many of these things which I discount are en- 
tirely true and, if so, I am in the wrong in discounting them, 
but the whole matter is the result of my having lost complete 
confidence in the statements of my friend. 
I repeat that in many, many qualities Bill Smith is an 
admirable individual. He is far above the average. He has 
excellent qualities and I love him for those qualities; yet he is 
not the type of man whose word I would gamble on. 
All Wool and a Yard Wide 
I also have another friend whom, for the present, we may- 
call Frank James. (He is no kin to Jesse.) I have known 
this man for years. I have been closely associated with him 
and in all that experience I have never known him to make a 
statement that was not absolutely true in every detail. If he 
does not know, he says so. If he presents a plan and its 
weaknesses are shown to him, he admits them. He does not 
fight to carry his ideas at the expense of logic or consistency. 
I would not say that he was especially clever, although he has 
a mind better than the average, but when I talk to this man I 
feel absolutely certain that everything he says is true; and 
while I may differ with him on his opinions and on matters 
of judgment, I know that he will not try to bolster up his 158 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
argument with statements which are not thoroughly depend- 
able. 
All of us have among our friends and acquaintances a 
given number of this type. They may not be brilliant always. 
They may have other weaknesses. They may, perhaps, not be 
as entertaining as that individual who can color his conversa- 
tion with many interesting phrases, yet they do have the un- 
deniable virtue of dependability. 
Life Blood of Business 
I wonder if we appreciate fully how extensively American 
business of today is built on confidence. When we pick up a 
magazine of reputable standing and read an advertisement 
there, we feel that we can order that article and that when it 
is delivered it will be exactly as specified. That assumption 
in our minds is the result of confidence which that firm has 
spent years of time and perhaps much money in establishing. 
When you walk into the Marshall Field store of Chicago and 
an employe tells you about a certain garment, you can bank 
on it that you do not need to be an expert to determine its 
quality. The confidence which you have in this firm assures 
you that what you are told is absolutely true. Every town 
and city has its Marshall Field. There are certain trades 
people upon whom you can depend to the last word and there 
are others whose transactions are always viewed with sus- 
picion. It is the subtle quality of confidence that makes the 
difference. 
Lost Confidence 
There is no doubt that in the minds of many people today 
there is a serious question as to the integrity of many men in 
public office. From the nation's capital comes report after 
report and no one knows from day to day whose name will 
be brought in next. Because a few men have not deserved 
the confidence which has been reposed in them, the reaction CONFIDENCE 
159 
must be borne by every man, honest and dishonest alike, who 
is associated in the same general work. Unquestionably many 
of these men have records which are above reproach. Yet it 
is just as unquestionable that many of those who have such 
records are, in the minds of many people, suspected. Confi- 
dence has been shaken and no matter how much the political 
parties try to involve their opponents, the natural result of 
the entire unsavory matter is that the public, in large pro- 
portion, is distrustful of all professional politicians. 
Every business man realizes the value of confidence among 
his customers. Many a business house has, through an error, 
advertised goods to be sold at less than cost. Rather than to 
jeopardize the confidence which that store holds in the public 
mind, they have taken their loss, realizing that to shake public 
confidence in them would cost far more than the financial loss 
on the one article involved. No responsible store will adver- 
tise or claim for its goods a single thing which cannot be 
backed up with fact, because they know that sound and con- 
tinued business is built and held by virtue of public confidence. 
All around us, in every phase of life, we are utterly dependent 
upon one another and that dependency is made possible and 
workable because of mutual confidence in one another. 
We Must Play Square 
There is no reasonable person who does not recognize 
this valuable asset in a business way, in a professional way, 
and in a personal way. And yet I wonder sometimes if this 
lesson of confidence has fully penetrated the consciousness of 
every one. Either it has not or some individuals are laboring 
under the delusion that they are slick enough to travel outside 
the realm of facts and still retain the respect and confidence 
that goes with absolute truth and dependability. This is a 
problem that does not involve the Chiropractic profession 
alone, nor does it involve the majority of the Chiropractic 160 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
profession, but there is no use denying that some of our chiro- 
practors have not yet learned the value of confidence. 
Why Exaggerate? 
I have seen Chiropractic advertisements which made 
claims that were not borne out by fact. I have heard chiro- 
practors personally make claims that could not be substan- 
tiated. I know that if they do that in their advertisements, 
they cannot maintain confidence and I know that if they make 
absurd claims to me, they will make absurd claims to other 
people, including their patients. It seems to me that one of 
the first and most outstanding duties of a chiropractor is to es- 
tablish confidence in the community wherein he works. He 
should, above all things, be absolutely certain to make no 
claims which he cannot back up. It matters little whether his 
deception is an out and out exaggeration or whether the in- 
ference which he leaves is not true. The natural result is 
about as bad either way. 
Insidious Inference 
For example, a chiropractor may with absolute truth state 
that Chiropractic is effective in 95 per cent of all diseases but 
he should make it clear that he, as a chiropractoi, does not 
claim to obtain relief in 95 per cent of cases. I am thoroughly 
convinced that Chiropractic, under perfect application, is effec- 
tive in relieving 95 per cent of all diseases, but I have never 
yet seen a chiropractor who was perfect in every case in his 
application. Therefore the percentage of his results cannot 
be as high. If I were to locate in a strange community as a 
chiropractor and if a case should be brought to me which I 
felt was hopeless, I would seize the opportunity of telling this 
patient that, in my judgment, Chiropractic would not be effec- 
tive in relieving his condition. If I felt that there was a possi- 
bility of results being obtained, I would tell the patient so, but CONFIDENCE 
161 
I would explain to him that it was merely a possibility and in 
my judgment was not a probability. The good effect of such 
a statement is apparent. Whether that patient took adjust- 
ments from me or not is a minor consideration as compared 
with the advantage of telling him the plain, honest facts. 
That patient will certainly tell others that you have been 
perfectly frank and honest with him and this will lead these 
others to come to you with the assurance that you will tell 
them the absolute truth about themselves and about your 
ability to cope with their particular condition. 
Build for the Future 
With such a reputation established, the chiropractor is 
building for the future. He is establishing .confidence and this 
same policy should be carried through, and with most chiro- 
practors is carried through, in every single case. There is no 
single thing that is as important in the building of business as 
is confidence and confidence can only be established through 
long continued sincerity and truthfulness. Remember that 
just one case of exaggeration will lead to a doubt on every- 
thing you say because your friends, having learned through 
experience that you will exaggerate in one thing, can never 
be quite certain of any statement you may make in the future. 162 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
RHEUMATISM 
is the result of poisons accumulat* 
ing in the body because the organs 
which should eliminate them can- 
not carry on their normal work. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
discovers the cause of these elim- 
inating organs failing to function, 
and having found that cause, re- 
moves it. With these organs func- 
tioning properly, rheumatism can- 
not exist. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH AHEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
hours 
See page 241 CHAPTER XI 
FRIENDLINESS 
I wonder how many chiropractors fully appreciate the 
value of an attractive personality in the building and in the 
conduct of their professional business. I feel certain that if 
they did realize that value, more effort would be made to im- 
prove. We have been talking about business methods. We 
have written reams and reams on concrete things. We have 
talked systems. We have paid close attention to advertising 
and office detail. We have given much thought to whether 
the rest rooms should be rest rooms in common or whether 
they should be individual rest rooms. We have concerned 
ourselves with lengthy discussion as to the kind of copy to 
use in our advertising, and in it all many of us have lost sight 
of one of the most valuable assets which a chiropractor or any 
other person possesses in the selling of his services or his 
goods. 
An Acquaintance 
I know a man in the city of Davenport who is one of the 
biggest business men in the city. I have known him for years. 
I know that he knows me and yet when I pass that man on 
the street or in the Chamber of Commerce or in some other 
place, I am never sure whether he is going to speak to me or 
not. Sometimes he does. More often he does not. I am cer- 
tain that there is no attempt made to slight me, but the effect 
is almost as bad. I do not feel especially friendly nor kindly 
toward this man. I respect him and his ability and his char- 
acter, but I am not attracted by him and if I had business in 
his line, I would rather go to some other firm if I could get 
equal service. 
163 164 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
A Friend 
On the other hand I know another business man in Daven- 
port and he is one of the biggest in this part of the state. 
When I first came here as a youngster, I met him and he has 
always remembered me. It does not make any difference 
where I see him or under what circumstances, he always has 
a pleasant smile and a cheerful greeting. Occasionally he stops 
and chats with me when there is something of common interest 
between us. So far as character is concerned, he is no better 
than the first man. He has no better moral standing, nor is he 
superior in any way except in his personality. If I had business 
in his line, I would go out of my way to see that he got it. 
Why? Just because he has made me feel that he has a per- 
sonal interest in me. It is not a matter of quality of service, 
it is just the entrance of the human element into business. 
I paint this little picture here because I am convinced 
that chiropractors can draw a wonderful lesson from it and 
because I know that if they will grasp the full import of its 
meaning, they can derive remarkable benefits. 
Live Others' Lives 
What is this something that we call personality? When 
it is all boiled down, isn't it a question of being interested in 
the other fellow? Aren't we attracted by those people who 
are interested in us, in our problems, in our pleasures, and in 
our lives? When we meet such people, don't we feel that they 
are friendly toward us? And when we meet the kind of people 
who do not respond to our interests, don't we feel that they 
are cold and unfriendly? No one ever got so big that he could 
afford not to be interested in the affairs of those around him. 
From the highest to the lowest, I do not know of any one 
thing that pays as big dividends as this simple quality of being 
interested in other people. No kiddie is too small and no adult 
is too old. No one is too good and no one is too bad for us FRIENDLINESS 
165 
to be interested in them because by the law of action and re- 
action, they become interested in us just in proportion as we 
are interested in them. I trust the time will never come when 
I do not feel a living, throbbing, vital interest in the welfare 
of the members of the Chiropractic profession because I know 
that just the moment I reach that stage, I will be useless to 
them and they will no longer have interest in me. 
Can We Change? 
Most people are content to assume that they are born 
with a certain personality and that personality cannot be 
changed by conscious effort. No greater fallacy ever existed. 
The majority of people who have what we call pleasing per- 
sonalities are the people who have built those personalities 
through conscious effort. I am sure that if we realize the 
far-reaching effect of our external atmosphere upon those with 
whom we come in contact, we would give far more attention 
than we do to the impression we create. Many of us, perhaps, 
are by nature reticent and retiring. We walk to our office 
in the morning and pass many people whom we do not recog- 
nize. Still others whom we do know, we pass with a slight 
nod or glance. Let's make it a point, if we are falling down 
on this then, to train ourselves to come out with a cheerful 
greeting. Let's train ourselves to stop and chat with our 
patients and with our acquaintances about the things that are 
of interest to them. Let's make them interested in us by our 
being interested in their lives. It can be done. It has been 
done repeatedly by people who were perhaps just as retiring 
as you are. 
Head Up and Shoulders Erect 
Nothing hurts Chiropractic in a town like a practitioner 
who goes in and walks along with his eyes on the ground, 
apparently ashamed of his profession. Nothing helps Chiro- 
practic in a community like the individual who takes an in- 166 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
PAIS6N 
is constantly being formed in 
our bodies and must be thrown 
off in order for health to be 
maintained. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
concerns itself with seeing that 
the kidneys and other excre- 
tory organs are functioning 
perfectly that diseases may 
not result from these poisons 
staying in the body. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH&HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
HOURS 
See page 241 FRIENDLINESS 
167 
terest in community affairs, who gets acquainted with people, 
makes it his business to remember their names, makes it a 
business to keep his eyes open while on the street and to speak 
to these people, smile at them and greet them as though for 
the moment he was interested in nothing but them. That sort 
of advertising does not cost you one penny outlay in cash and 
it pays bigger returns than any form of advertising I know. 
Go out of your way to talk to the kiddies. Be friendly to 
every one; create the atmosphere where people will feel that 
it is a pleasure to approach you. 
How often chiropractors create the atmosphere that the 
public has to break down an invisible barrier to get to the 
real human interest of the chiropractor. This is not as it 
should be and those chiropractors who are suffering from that 
handicap have no excuse. They cannot put forth the justifica- 
tion that they were not born with that sort of a disposition. 
They cannot get away from the fact that thousands and mil- 
lions of men and women have changed, and that fact gives 
the lie to any contention that such a change in personality is 
impossible. Think it over. Study the people in your com- 
munity who are well-liked, who have the respect and the con- 
fidence of the other people of that community and you will 
find that they are the people who make it a business to be 
kind and friendly to everybody with whom they come in con- 
tact. CHAPTER XII 
THE PEOPLE RULE 
In my mind's eye I see the picture of a vast coliseum. 
The crowd surges hither and yon. On every side are stages 
wherein the actors are seeking to engage the public attention. 
There are thousands of these stages and the performances 
given on them are widely variable. Some pass unnoticed, 
while others attract huge crowds. Ever this crowd is chang- 
ing and ever it passes from one stage to another. Even the 
cheap and tawdry performances have some patronage but it 
is a notable fact that those who approach remain but a mo- 
ment and then pass on to something more worth while. Other 
places there are where, through sheer merit of performance, 
huge crowds are held day after day, week after week, and 
year after year. New acts come every day and old acts dis- 
appear, yet those which are most worth while are sometimes 
as old as the coliseum itself. 
The crowd which I see is the public-it has always been 
there since the beginning of time. The acts I see are the 
movements, both great and small, which attract public at- 
tention. There was a time when Napoleon held one of the 
biggest of these stages and around him was gathered the ma- 
jority of the crowd. Columbus occupied a stage for a time 
and his performance was greeted at first with jeers and next 
with acclamation. 
Into this kaleidoscopic scene in 1895 came a new act. A 
lone personage appeared in the beginning. It was called 
Chiropractic and it stood before its audience with wobbling 
knees and a voice piteously small to compete with the pande- 
monium of sound that reigned supreme. Those who stopped to 
view the newcomer were very few. It was greeted with scorn 
168 THE PEOPLE RULE 
169 
by the majority. Ridicule was hurled at it from every side. 
All around it were grouped the stages occupied by the scien- 
tific world. Each was acclaimed by thousands of voices. Cer- 
tainly it was not fitting for the actors on these other scientific 
stages to pay heed to this new arrival. How many times in 
the past had they witnessed similar spectacles! How many 
times had they seen a new act appear, live for a day, and 
become a memory! 
But somehow this new attraction struggled through the 
first few years and each year saw a larger audience gathering 
round its stage. Then it was that the other actors on the 
other stages awakened to the fact that here indeed was a real 
contender for public favor. Then it was that they appealed 
passionately to their audiences, hoping to eliminate this thriv- 
ing competition by creating prejudice in the public mind. It 
was all in vain. The more attention was called to the defects 
of Chiropractic, the stronger the new act became. Unwittingly 
the older troupes were advertising their competitor. During 
this process the new science had grown and thrived. No 
longer did it appear as a timid, unpolished entertainer. Its 
performance had been augmented, its troupe had been in- 
creased, and it was supported strongly by public opinion. 
This brings us to the present day with the same coliseum, 
the same audience, and the same acts. The Chiropractic stage 
today offers keen competition for public favor. It has a tre- 
mendous following. It is no longer an experiment, an un- 
certainty. Rather it is an established factor in the scene. 
Being an established factor, however, is an entirely different 
thing than remaining one. The world has seen many great 
acts reach their supremacy and gradually fade into oblivion- 
not because of lack of merit in the performance, but rather 
because the actors on the stage had lost sight of the fact that 
they existed only by virtue of public opinion. Every great 
act in the world's history which has met calamity, has done 
so because its performance no longer pleased the public. 170 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
I respectfully call the attention of the Chiropractic pro- 
fession to a minute scrutiny of their act in 1924. I appeal to 
the profession to realize that they exist, as do all others, only 
by virtue of public sentiment. When any group of individuals 
reaches the point where their affairs are conducted with their 
interests alone in mind and without consideration for the 
opinions of the public, that group of individuals is destined 
to fall. When Chiropractic reaches the point where legisla- 
tion is sought for the benefit of the chiropractors rather than 
for the benefit of the public, it has begun to decay. 
This is not true because I say it is true. It is purely the 
result of the immutable functioning of the law of cause and 
effect. It is unreasonable to suppose that the Chiropractic 
movement possesses any special consideration in the opera- 
tion of this law and we need but to view the history of the 
past to find that this is the result, not sometimes, but always. 
When chiropractors as individuals become chiropractors for 
self-aggrandizement, and when their practices are conducted 
for their benefit rather than for the benefit of the public which 
they serve, those chiropractors are destined to be eliminated 
and as each one is eliminated, the profession as a total is 
weakened just that much. 
It is high time that we wake up and act. It is high time 
that we realize that we have an audience and that that audi- 
ence is the public. This is no time for petty squabbling over 
details on the stage. It is most certainly the time when we 
should give our attention to the demand of the public which 
we serve and eliminate every other consideration from our 
minds. We have been favored, as a profession, with recogni- 
tion by our public but we will find that that recognition can 
be as quickly revoked as it was given. 
To what do I refer? To no single thing, yet to every- 
thing which has as its foundation the selfish interests of the 
profession or the individuals in the profession. I care not 
whether it be the Chiropractic schools or the chiropractors THE PEOPLE RULE 
171 
in any single state, or the individual practitioner. If his or 
their activities are of such a character that they do not keep 
in the forefront at all times the best interests of the public 
which we serve, they are not worthy of our consideration and 
they do not deserve the stamp of public approval. 
I refer to the spectacle on our stage of striving to gain 
laws calculated to protect the chiropractors rather than the 
public. I refer to the petty squabbling which is indulged in 
for personal reasons and which sets at naught the interests of 
our audience. I refer to the kind of advertising which attracts 
the public to our stage only to find that the advertising was 
far-fetched or wholly untrue. I refer to the wearing of beau- 
tiful masks turned to the footlights while behind those masks 
are faces showing the ugliness of deception and the glint of 
greed. I refer to everything that is not open and above board 
and which is calculated to deceive the public. This we must 
learn, and I grant that the best element in the profession Is 
rapidly learning that the only justification for our existence 
lies in public service and that in the last analysis, whether it 
be in one country or another, the only final law is the law made 
by public opinion for the benefit of the public. 172 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
THE THIEF 
Disease is but a thief of 
health. We leave the door 
wide open, and boldly he 
walks in and strips from us 
our health and leaves us 
poor indeed. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
shows the cause of disease, 
and by removing that cause, 
it brings again the health 
which is the birthright of us 
all. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
HOURS 
See page 241 CHAPTER XIII 
SUGGESTIONS FROM THE FIELD 
Because I feel that in the last analysis it is the chiroprac- 
tor in field practice, with years of actual successful experience 
to his credit, who is the final word on successful advertising. I 
have written to several of the most successful chiropractors in 
the United States, and have asked them to give me the results 
of their years of experience in advertising. I have had many 
splendid ideas submitted, and I present them here, not as ideas 
which are original with me, but rather as those which have 
been submitted by chiropractors whose successful records are 
the only endorsements they need. For reasons which are self- 
evident, I shall not present the names of these chiropractors, 
but rather I will submit the ideas which they have presented 
for the value which they contain. 
Good Business 
"Good advertising is money well spent." This statement 
is made by a chiropractor who has spent money in many dif- 
ferent kinds of advertising, and he has proved beyond a doubt 
that proper advertising not only returns to the chiropractor 
the money expended, but it brings with it a handsome profit. 
He realizes also that there is an accumulative value to good 
advertising, and that months after the copy has been placed 
it may have an effect upon those who have read it. 
This same chiropractor says that "Poor advertising is 
worse than money wasted." He realizes that this is true be- 
cause he has had experience with money which has been well 
spent, and he has also had experience with poor advertising 
copy and methods. He knows that poor advertising not only 
fails to bring returns to the chiropractor, but in many cases, 
173 174 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
because of the weakness of the arguments presented, it ac- 
tually creates prejudice against the profession and against the 
individual who presents those arguments. 
Many times I have seen advertising copy which compared 
Chiropractic with other methods, which are accepted by a cer- 
tain proportion of people, by severely criticizing these other 
methods. The advertiser has aroused antagonism which has 
led to an actual loss of business rather than a gain. 
Be Logical 
I have seen other advertising copy where the terms used 
were so highly technical that the reader was lost in a maze of 
scientific explanations which he could not understand, and 
which did nothing except to lose his interest in the matter of 
health. Still other advertising copy is produced where chiro- 
practors advance such illogical and ill-advised arguments that 
the public is led immediately to doubt the wisdom and the 
truth of any of the claims made. 
Prohibitive Advertising 
I have a communication from one chiropractor who argues 
against the prohibitive advertising which is done by some in 
the profession. I am told that one chiropractor spends an- 
nually in excess of $20,000.00 for advertising purposes. The 
result is that he keeps his name constantly before a very large 
number of people and has built an enviable practice, but at the 
end of the year, the returns to him are proportionately small. 
In brief, he has diverted into his office the large proportion of 
Chiropractic business in that community, but in order to do 
so he has given most of the business back to the newspapers 
and other advertising concerns. As the result of the extensive 
campaign by this chiropractor, other chiropractors hesitate to 
come into that community because they cannot meet the keen 
competition which it is necessary to face to build a successful 
practice. 175 
SUGGESTIONS FROM THE FIELD 
The net result of the whole campaign is that Chiropractic 
is hurt because this one individual cannot possible reach the 
number of people which could be reached by ten or fifteen 
chiropractors. Yet if his advertising were cut down to a rea- 
sonable proportion of his total business, other chiropractors 
would have an opportunity to enter that community, and in 
doing so would sell the service to a greater number of people 
without cutting down the net income of the first chiropractor. 
This matter of overestimating oneself in advertising may have 
the same result as price cutting; namely, that it takes all the 
profit out of the business, and it becomes a competitive system 
whereby large sums of money are necessary to survive. 
Street Car Cards 
A certain chiropractor has written me that he depends 
very largely upon street car card advertising, and maintains 
that while he cannot trace direct results to this form of ex- 
penditure, he feels certain in his own mind that it has led to a 
very substantial increase in business. These cards, however, 
if they are used, must be unusual, they must be illustrated, and 
they must be short. I feel that, while it is true that this chiro- 
practor has been successful in this form of advertising, it is 
not a method which could be universally employed with any 
great degree of success. 
Competitive Advertising 
I am told that in one of the cities of the central west there 
are over $20,000 spent yearly in the classified directory of 
the telephone book. If every chiropractor would agree to co- 
operate with every other chiropractor, that $20,0000 which is 
spent in competitive advertising could be used most effectively 
by offering a sound, logical sales argument for Chiropractic, 
and by listing the names of all chiropractors in a uniform way. 
All this could be done, and still a considerable amount could 
be salvaged from that $20,000 which would go far in selling 176 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
the people of this community the Chiropractic idea in other 
attractive advertising methods. 
It is also given me as the opinion of a notable chiroprac- 
tor that in one city in the United States alone, and this is by 
no means one of the largest cities, there are approximately 
$100,000 spent yearly in competitive advertising. Figure 
this up for yourself. Take into consideration all the cities of 
the United States, and then add to that all the towns where 
competitive advertising is practised; it is no stretch of the 
imagination to conclude that millions of dollars are spent an- 
nually by chiropractors in competitive advertising. 
Cooperative Advertising 
Whether the idea of national cooperative advertising can 
be sold to the Chiropractic profession has not yet been proved, 
but certainly in cities where media can be employed which 
will benefit every chiropractor it would seem entirely practical 
to seriously consider this matter of cooperative city advertis- 
ing, based on the idea of assessing each chiropractor accord- 
ing to his income. This, however, would have to be agreed 
upon by every chiropractor in that community. Just as soon 
as two or three start advertising independently they upset the 
entire plan. If cooperative advertising in the cities, however, 
is tfndertaken, and if the chiropractors can agree to place their 
advertising problems in the hands of a competent committee 
of chiropractors in whose fairness and integrity they have 
absolute confidence, there is no question but that the same 
amounts of money which are now expended for competitive 
advertising can produce double or triple the results which are 
now obtained. 
A Splendid Campaign 
From one chiropractor comes the suggestion that in some 
of the larger cities there be conducted a Chiropractic health 
week. During this week all the chiropractors should enter into SUGGESTIONS FROM THE FIELD 
177 
a cooperative display advertising service in which the public 
would be apprised of the fact that at a certain location there 
would be a group of chiropractors who would examine the 
spine of every applicant free of charge. It would be the duty 
of this committee to give each of these applicants a serial num- 
ber and select from the entire group examined perhaps ten or 
twelve who they thought had the most perfect spines. These 
ten or twelve would then be sent to the several X-ray labora- 
tories in the city to have films made of their entire spines, and 
it would be the further duty of this committee to determine 
from these spinographs which of the applicants had the most 
perfect spine and which had next to the most perfect one. It 
was also suggested that a prize be offered to the person hav- 
ing the most defective spine. Thus an opportunity would be 
presented for all classes of people with all kinds of conditions 
to come in. If a cash prize were offered, it would be especially 
appealing to school children, and if well advertised, it would 
undoubtedly bring to the Chiropractic clinic for that week a 
great number of people who had never taken adjustments. 
This clinic should be in charge of three chiropractors who 
are not themselves located in that city. There should also be 
placed here plenty of Chiropractic literature giving the name 
and location of every chiropractor cooperating in the plan. It 
would give a splendid opportunity for real publicity. The 
names and photographs of those having the most perfect 
spines could be presented at the end of the contest, and a radio- 
graph picture of the most abnormal spine, without the name, 
could also be presented; and a splendid sales talk could be 
given on Chiropractic, its scope, and its effectiveness in all 
manner of disease. If every chiropractor in the community 
would enter into such a project, and for that week alone elimi- 
nate their competitive advertising, it could be done with a 
minimum of expense and with a maximum return. The loca- 
tion of the clinic should be entirely removed from any chiro- 
practor's office; it should be a temporary location only, and it 178 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
HEIWACHES 
We think little about them per- 
haps, and yet they are very often 
the warning signals of some dis- 
ease which is developing within 
our bodies. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
is the health science that has been 
most successful and which imme- 
diately goes to the cause of those 
headaches and in many cases halts 
the progress of a dangerous dis- 
ease. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
HOURS 
See page 241 SUGGESTIONS FROM THE FIELD 
179 
should be well advertised through the newspapers and through 
direct by mail literature to all school children. Not only would 
it have the effect of producing direct returns and quick re- 
turns for the chiropractors, but it would also have the good 
effect of providing the chiropractors of the community with a 
first class mailing list of those people who would make excel- 
lent Chiropractic prospects. The chiropractors in charge of 
the clinic should make a careful record of each case, together 
with the symptoms and other matters of the case history, and 
it would lead to direct benefits for all. 
From the many letters I have received, I have selected the 
above suggestions and criticisms as those most worthy of con- 
sideration by the profession at large. They should be weighed 
carefully, and if they do nothing more than to act as an incen- 
tive for chiropractors to think along the same lines, they will 
have answered their purpose. I am particularly impressed, 
however, with the plan of clinics as outlined above because this 
plan can be made to function even though every chiropractor 
in the community does not participate. The big thing to be 
gained is the publicity for the chiropractors who do partici- 
pate, but more especially the mailing list which can be gained 
from such a campaign. CHAPTER XIV 
DIRECT BY MAIL ADVERTISING 
Direct by mail advertising is one of the two great fields 
which actual experience has shown are the most productive for 
the chiropractor. Newspaper advertising offers the second 
great field and is dealt with in a section by itself. I would not 
for a moment contend that these two great phases of adver- 
tising are the only ones which should be used by chiroprac- 
tors, but I do contend that if the proper material is used and 
if it is presented in the proper manner, these two methods 
prove by results that they will provide splendid returns to the 
advertiser. Small amounts may be spent in other ways but the 
bulk of one's advertising appropriation should be confined to 
these two proven fields. Everything outside of these fields 
should be carefully scrutinized and investigated before it is 
entered into by the practitioner. 
It seems that when a chiropractor locates in a community, 
every salesman and solicitor is immediately aware of that fact 
and he has presented to him all sorts of schemes and ideas, 
some of which may be worthy but most of which he cannot 
afford to take a chance on. Therefore, unless he is certain 
of his ground, he would do well to eliminate these other pos- 
sibilities from the consideration, and confine himself to the 
known media of direct by mail advertising and newspaper 
advertising. 
Experience Teaches 
Direct by mail advertising has seen wonderful growth and 
development in the past ten years. More and more, large and 
small commercial institutions are turning to this method, be- 
cause a careful analysis and check on the problem has shown 
beyond question that the results are gratifying. However, 
180 DIRECT BY MAIL ADVERTISING 
181 
much has been learned about direct by mail advertising and 
the chiropractor should profit by the experience of others and 
advoid a waste which he might otherwise experience. By this 
I mean that it is very important how he sends out his direct 
by mail material. It is also extremely important that he send 
this material to the right people. Many chiropractors have 
made the mistake of compiling a mailing list from city direc- 
tories, from telephone directories, from the membership of 
civic clubs and in other methods which produce more or less 
general results but wherein much material is wasted because 
the prospects are not the ones who should be reached. 
Opening Announcements 
The first consideration of a chiropractor, when locating in 
a community, is the problem of compiling a prospective list 
made up of those people who, for one reason or another, are 
most apt to patronize him. I know of no way in which this 
can be done quickly and effectively because the kind of people 
who are the best prospects are those who are ill and thus are 
in need of your service. As a stranger coming into the com- 
munity, you have no way of knowing who these people are 
and therefore it would seem to be the part of wisdom to use 
the newspapers to announce your arrival and to present your- 
self to the public. This, however, has to do with the kind of 
advertising you should use. There are other ways of getting 
yourself before the public which are discussed elsewhere. 
Building a Mailing List 
Good mailing lists are built; they are not taken out of 
telephone directories or made up in a hit or miss fashion. How 
then can they be built? They can be built only by obtaining, 
through other people who know of their condition, the names 
of those people who are in need of your service. Every pa- 
tient who comes to you should be made to feel that you have 
a personal and special interest in him because in this way he 182 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
will feel that he has a personal interest in you and will be far 
more willing to cooperate with you in aiding you to extend 
your field of service. At some opportune time, when a patient 
is in your office, you should make the direct request that he 
advise you of any friends of his who are in need of adjustments 
and what their condition is. You should also learn from your 
patients whether or not they object to your stating that their 
friends' names have been referred to you by them. Every care 
should be taken to hold this information in absolute confidence 
unless the person who supplies the information is willing that 
you use his name. It will not be long under this plan before 
you have gathered a considerable number of names of people 
who are, as it were, in the market for Chiropractic service. 
First Class Mail? 
Having gained this information, I believe that there is no 
better way to reach these people than through direct by mail 
letters which are addressed to them personally and which are 
signed in ink by you. These letters should be sent under two- 
cent postage and have a far greater chance of being opened 
and read if they are enclosed in an envelope which has noth- 
ing on the outside to indicate whence it came. Direct by mail 
advertisers have learned this lesson and it is seldom that a re- 
sponsible concern sends direct by mail advertising under sec- 
ond class postage. They have found that fifty letters sent 
under two-cent postage produce far more returns than a hun- 
dred letters sent under one-cent postage. They have further 
learned that their name on the outside of the envelope creates 
in the mind of the recipient the thought that here is an adver- 
tisement. Human nature naturally tends to resist the effect 
of advertising material and therefore to implant this thought 
in the reader's mind before he has even opened your letter, is 
to plant your seed in soil which is not fertile. Above all, the 
chiropractor should avoid sending mimeographed letters or 
printed letters which have the appearance of a stock form. DIRECT BY MAIL ADVERTISING 
183 
Every letter should be written on the typewriter and should be 
personal. 
Where to Send 
Chiropractors should be especially warned against sending 
direct by mail material to the office or the business house of 
any person. There is a very good reason why this is true. 
When busy men and women are at their desks or in their 
places of business, they receive your letter from the postman 
or get it at the post office at the same time that they are re- 
ceiving other mail. They not only have their business mail to 
attend to but they have a multitude of other duties claiming 
their attention. They are not in a mood to spend their time 
reading advertising material and they resent the advertiser's 
presuming to make demands upon their time when they are 
busily engaged. They may not reason it out that way.but that 
is the reaction and it is for this reason that direct by mail ad- 
vertising should always be sent to the home rather than to 
the place of business. Further, waste baskets are always 
handy in an office and the natural tendency is to cast aside all 
those subjects which are not of pressing importance in the 
business of the day. It is a rare person indeed, who, with a 
dozen or more letters in his mail, will take the time to read 
advertising material from anybody, even though he might 
have a natural inclination to interest in the subject matter 
presented. 
Letter Series 
Chiropractors have had prepared for them certain sets of 
letters which it is recommended they use in a direct by mail 
campaign. There is much good material in these, nor would I 
criticize any of them. I realize, however that direct by mail 
letters must carry the fundamentals of advertising that are 
carried in all good advertising copy, and it is for that reason 
that I present here several series of letters which are con- 
structed to carry the greatest possible influence. 184 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
THE CHEAT 
WITH SUBTLE, STEALTHY TREAD 
IT STEALS INTO OUR LIVES AND 
TAKES AWAY THE HEALTH WHICH 
GOD HAS GIVEN TO EACH ONE. 
IT IS DISEASE WHICH CHEATS US 
OF THE BEST THAT LIFE HOLDS 
FORTH. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
IS THE SCIENCE OF HEALTH 
WHICH DISCOVERS THE CAUSE 
OF THIS DISEASE. AND BY RE- 
MOVING THAT. PERMITS US TO 
ENJOY THE HEALTH WHICH IS 
OUR RIGHT. 
START GETTING WELL TODAY 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
hours 
See page 241 185 
DIRECT BY MAIL ADVERTISING 
Experience has shown that the first letter to a prospective 
patient seldom brings results. It is the follow up letters that 
pull and it is pulling power that is based on the ground work 
which has been laid in your first letter. In these letters, which 
I shall present, there is a definite reason for every statement 
made and for every appeal presented. 
For an advertisement to be effective, it must perform five 
functions: it must be seen, it must create interest, it must 
arouse desire, it must convince, it must produce action. As 
these five fundamentals are true of newspaper advertising, 
they are also true of direct by mail advertising and these let- 
ters are so constructed as to carry all five functions. They 
must be sent in the order to be most effective because each is 
founded on the fertile soil which has been created by the for- 
mer. The most effective results will be obtained if these let- 
ters are sent every two weeks, thus covering a period of ap- 
proximately two or two and one-half months. 
It is my purpose to offer these models merely as outlines 
or suggestions which the chiropractor may follow, because the 
practitioner may want to work in some of his own personality 
or some local items which will add strength. I would strongly 
urge, however, that these letters be kept short enough that 
they can be written on one page because an advertising letter 
which employs two pages gives the reader an immediate im- 
pression of undue length and he is apt to not follow it through 
to the conclusion. It will also be my purpose to analyze each 
of these letters so that if the chiropractor wishes to follow the 
general plan submitted but do it in his own words, he will 
have a working basis to build upon. CHAPTER XV 
PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL 
CAMPAIGN 
The following series of letters consists of five forms. In 
each of these letters a certain theme is followed. 
In the first letter, the theme is one dealing with the prog- 
ress of Chiropractic to show the high standing which it pos- 
sesses today in public favor as the foremost non-therapeutical 
system in the world. All people are naturally interested in 
new discoveries. They want to be well posted. They feel 
that they should keep abreast of the times and thus the first 
letter deals with the progress of Chiropractic, its development 
and growth, to prove to the prospective patient that Chiro- 
practic is a sound and accepted science. 
The second letter states the fundamental premise of 
Chiropractic and is for the purpose of showing the patient that 
the growth and progress which was shown in the first letter 
have been built on principles that are scientifically correct and 
those which appeal to his logic and reason. 
The third letter deals squarely with the disease from 
which the patient is suffering and thus has the most direct 
personal appeal of all. After having laid the ground work in 
the first and second letters, we are in a position to broach let- 
ter No. 3 which begins to get a direct personal appeal to the 
prospective patient. 
Letter No. 4 is really a follow up letter for No. 3 and is 
an appeal to clinch the arguments contained in the former 
three letters and to get action as the result of the foundation 
they have built. 
Letter No. 5 really covers the same function as is covered 
by No. 4 except that it is calculated to convince the patient 
186 PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
187 
that the only reasonable course for the chiropractor to pursue 
is the course of honesty and it tends to create in the mind of 
the prospective patient confidence, not only in the integrity 
of the chiropractor, but in his ability to deliver health service. 
Every sentence in these letters is numbered for conven- 
ience in discussing the points made and the reason for those 
points. It should be understood that every sentence in the 
letter has a definite reason for its existence; that it is calcu- 
lated to produce a certain reaction in the prospect's mind, and 
it should be presented in such a way as to carry the clearest 
and most logical conclusion with it. 
"A" SERIES 
Letter No. 1 
Dear Sir: (or Dear Madam) 
(1) A mutual friend of ours, Mr. (or Mrs.) Blank, has 
suggested that I write to a selected list of people and tell them 
something of the rapid progress which has been made in the 
past few years in the matter of maintaining health. 
(2) In 1895 a remarkable scientific discovery was made 
which has revolutionized preconceived ideas of disease. (3) 
Heretofore it had been assumed that disease was something 
which invaded the body from the outside. (4) This discovery 
proves beyond question that disease is the result of abnormal 
conditions within the body which, if corrected, lead to the en- 
joyment of perfect health. 
(5) At first this discovery was a mere idea in the mind 
of a single man and it progressed very slowly for many years 
because people had to be shown, through experience, that it 
was fundamentally sound. (6) Today this idea has been de- 
veloped into a scientific health service which has attracted 
the attention of people everywhere. (7) There are today 
twenty thousands chiropractors serving the public and 
there are millions of people who subscribe to the princi- 188 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
pies of Chiropractic and maintain health through that 
method. 
(8) In 1916 legal recognition was obtained in one of the 
forty-eight states of the Union; today Chiropractic has been 
legally recognized, and thus given the stamp of official ap- 
proval, by twenty-six states of the Union and the others will 
shortly follow. (9) This rapid rise in public favor is founded 
entirely upon merit. (10) Even in the face of the most bitter 
organized opposition, Chiropractic has grown and thrived. 
(11) It was formerly said that it was a fad, but no idea which 
has been favored by such widespread and continued growth 
could have done so without exceptional merit. 
(12) Being a chiropractor, I am naturally interested in its 
progress, but I want you and the other people of the commun- 
ity in which I have come to make my home, to know some- 
thing of this progress and realize that I am here to serve them. 
Chiropractically yours, 
Analysis of Letter No. 1 
The salutation in this letter is Dear Sir or Dear Madam. 
These are formal salutations and where you have never met 
the person to whom the letter is written, they should be used. 
If, however, you have met the patient or if you feel certain 
that the patient knows you, it is a little less formal and more 
personal to use the salutation Dear Mr. Jones, or Dear Mrs. 
Jones. 
The first sentence in this letter is worded as it is in order 
to carry the first function of all good advertising: namely, to 
attract attention. When you open your letter with the state- 
ment, "A mutual friend of ours, Mr. or Mrs. Blank," the at- 
tention of the prospective patient is immediately attracted be- 
cause he is personally acquainted with the person to whom 
you refer and before he realizes that this is an advertising 
letter, he gets into the substance of what is presented there. 
The name of Mr. or Mrs. Blank should be used as early in this PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
189 
first opening sentence as is possible, purely for the value that 
it has of attracting attention and creating interest in the mind 
of the patient to the end of knowing what it is that Mr. or Mrs. 
Blank has suggested. Then, too, you will observe that in this 
first sentence you do not say that Mr. or Mrs. Blank has sug- 
gested that you write to any particular person because to say 
that might create resentment in the mind of the prospective 
patient who receives the letter. You merely say that Mr. or 
Mrs. Blank has suggested that you write to a "selected list of 
people" and the prospective patient does not then feel that his 
friend, Mr. or Mrs. Blank, has violated a confidence in telling 
the chiropractor all about the trouble from which he is suffer- 
ing and suggesting that the chiropractor write to him person- 
ally. I make this explanation because many form letters make 
the mistake of opening with the statement that "Mr. Blank 
informs me that you are suffering from stomach trouble and 
suggests ..." This should, by all means, be avoided because 
it immediately creates resentment in the mind of the reader 
and forms a prejudice in his mind which may lead to not read- 
ing the letter at all or discounting the statements made therein. 
Sentence No. 2 follows immediately upon the attaining of 
interest by a statement of a scientific discovery which has 
revolutionized certain ideas. The value of this appeal of scien- 
tific discoveries which lead to remarkable progress can be 
somewhat appreciated when one thinks of the great number 
of articles that are written in the feature editions of all the 
great Sunday newspapers which bear directly on this appeal. 
Newspaper men know that the public is vitally concerned in 
new scientific discoveries. This is the age of science, it is the 
age of progress, it is the age of rapid advance, and people, in 
order to be well posted, must keep abreast of the times by 
keeping in touch with these "new scientific discoveries." 
Sentence No. 3 follows the "new scientific idea" with a 
statement that is generally accepted by all people: namely, 
"that disease comes from within just as health comes from 190 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
within and that it is not the result of outside conditions. In 
other words, you are telling the prospective patient nothing 
new. You are merely stating as your premise something 
which he already believes and sentence No. 4 follows up this 
idea on the same general appeal although the word "Chiro- 
practic" has not yet been mentioned. There is a real reason 
for not mentioning Chiropractic thus far. To do so, would 
lead the reader to believe that this is a technical discussion 
which he could not understand and therefore would result in 
loss of interest. By not telling him what the discovery is, we 
do the same thing that story writers do by opening their story 
with a sentence which leads us to wonder what is going to 
follow. 
The third paragraph is opened with sentence No. 5 which 
makes a statement that is also common knowledge to most 
people: namely, that new ideas are usually slow in being ac- 
cepted and that many of the common factors of today were at 
one time little understood and were scoffed at by the great 
majority of people. They realize that new ideas often suffer 
and are held back because they are radical changes from old 
ideas and this sentence states nothing new but merely leads 
them to compare the Chiropractic idea with inventions, etc., 
which they know today are fundamentally sound but which 
were bitterly opposed in the beginning. This sentence leads 
to a subconscious comparison of Chiropractic with other 
proved facts of today. 
Sentence No. 6 creates the thought in the mind of the 
prospective patient that here is an idea which has today at- 
tracted the attention of people everywhere and thus leaves the 
impression that it must be something of general interest to 
everybody and something upon which they should be informed. 
Sentence No. 7 immediately follows and it is here that 
Chiropractic is first mentioned. The very statement that there 
are twenty thousand chiropractors serving the public is in 
itself evidence that Chiropractic must possess considerable PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
191 
merit and this statement, followed immediately by the state- 
ment that millions of people subscribe to the principles of 
Chiropractic, still further strengthens that conclusion. The 
last six words in this sentence fix in the mind of the reader 
the fact that Chiropractic is a health system and gives them 
somewhat of an idea of what the chiropractor purports to do. 
The fourth paragraph, containing sentences 8, 9, 10 and 
11, is particularly for the purpose of convincing the reader 
that Chiropractic is a well established and recognized system. 
Sentence No. 8, showing that legal recognition was first ob- 
tained in 1916 and that today, in only eight years, it has prog- 
ressed until twenty-six states have recognized it, creates an 
impression of solidarity and confidence which could not be 
established by mere argument of the chiropractor. In sen- 
tence No. 8 will be found the clause : "and thus given the stamp 
of official approval." The intent of this clause is to convince 
the prospective patient that Chiropractic must be a scientific 
and fundamentally sound idea, else it could not have been so 
recognized. 
Sentences 9, 10, and 11 are for the purpose of showing to 
the reader the rapid growth of Chiropractic in public favor, 
even in face of the most bitter opposition, because by doing 
so we create the natural conclusion that it must possess ex- 
ceptional merit. Sentence No. 11 also tends to dispel the idea 
that Chiropractic is a mushroom fad which will live but a day 
and then pass out of public favor because of lack of merit. 
The 5th and closing paragraph has but one sentence and 
the intent of this sentence is to convince your reader that you 
are not a drifter but that you expect to make your home in 
this community because when you state that fact, you auto- 
matically convince them of your confidence to deliver service. 
There is no direct appeal in this letter for the patient to come 
to your office, or to see you personally. It is, in my judgment, 
a mistake to try to close a patient before laying the ground 
work well and the mere fact that Chiropractic has made won- 192 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
derful progress does not convince the patient that it is 
especially applicable in his particular condition. You are not 
yet ready to make a direct appeal for him to come to your 
office. In fact you are not ready to do that until letter No. 3 
which deals with his particular condition. 
Dear Sir: Letter No. 2 
(1) Faith is a wonderful power for good; faith in people, 
faith in one's friends, and faith in religious beliefs has been a 
remarkable factor in making the world a better place in which 
to live. (2) Faith, however, has no place in modern science. 
(3) Reason and performance are the two gauges by which 
science is measured. 
(4) Every school child knows that before we can produce 
movement of the hand, there must be a thought, and this 
thought is transmitted to the hand in the form of tiny mes- 
sages carried over the nerves from the brain. (5) This is not 
a matter of speculation; it is a known fact. (6) It is also a 
known fact that if all the nerves leading to the hand are cut, 
these messages cannot get through and the result is a loss of 
motion. (7) If it is true that when the nerves leading to the 
hand are cut, movement is impossible, it is likewise true that 
if these nerves are pressed upon or squeezed, movement is 
hindered. (8) This is because the full amount of messages 
cannot get through. 
(9) The chiropractor knows just where these nerves sup- 
plying the various organs of the body are given off from the 
spine. (10) He knows that the only way they can be pressed 
upon is through a slight displacement of the small bony seg- 
ments which constitute the spine. (11) He knows that by 
restoring those segments to their proper positions, the organs 
which have heretofore been affected, because of lack of nerve 
energy, will be permitted to function normally and health is 
the logical result (12) He is especially trained to locate these PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
193 
points of pressure and, having located them, to relieve that 
pressure. (13) This is accomplished through a definite series 
of adjustments and the time required to produce the desired 
results depends upon the degree of pressure which he is called 
upon to relieve and also upon the duration of the disease which 
results from it. Chiropractic has shown beyond question, 
however, that when the pressure upon nerve fibers is relieved, 
there can be no disease. 
(15) I give you this information, Mr. (or Mrs.) Jones, to 
show you how really logical Chiropractic is and to convince 
you that it is not a mere idle theory or superstition but a 
scientific principle which has never been successfully contra- 
dicted and which has demonstrated its efficacy in all manner 
of disease, time after time. 
Chiropractically yours, 
This letter, as No. 2 in the series, should follow No. 1 in 
about ten days to two weeks. Its primary purpose is to give 
the reader in very brief and condensed form an idea of the 
fundamental upon which Chiropractic is founded. In the last 
analysis, Chiropractic is sold on two great appeals: one is on 
its performance, and the other is on the reasonableness of its 
basic principles. Before a patient has had the actual experi- 
ence, the only way to convince him on Chiropractic is to sell 
him on the soundness and the logic of the Chiropractic 
premise. 
The first paragraph, consisting of three sentences, has 
nothing particular to do with Chiropractic, but it is used as an 
opener to get the attention of the reader. Sentence No. 1 has 
a common appeal to all people. It should be classed as strictly 
inspirational and yet it serves the purpose of getting the read- 
er's attention and arousing his curiosity to know whether or 
not the chiropractor depends upon faith in his system for the 
results which he obtains. Sentence No. 1 is followed imme- 
Analysis of Letter No. 2 194 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
diately by Sentence No. 2 which begins to dispel the reader's 
idea that faith may have something to do with Chiropractic 
and this is immediately followed by sentence No. 3 which con- 
vinces him that it is not necessary to have faith in any scien- 
tific principle in order for that scientific principle to hold 
water. You meet the reader with the very logical statement 
that reason and perforamnce are the only two gauges by which 
science can be measured. With everything that you have 
said thus far he agrees, and yet you have succeeded in grip- 
ping his interest with three short sentences which lead to a 
smooth entree to the real subject in hand. 
The next two paragraphs are for the purpose of leading 
your reader, step by step, through a series of incontrovertible 
statements to the conclusion which you wish him to assume. 
In other words, if you should open with the bare statement 
that pressure on nerves is the cause of disease, you would 
undoubtedly build up a barrier of prejudice in the reader's 
mind and a question as to the logic of your statement, but you 
can lead him to that ultimate conclusion by a series of state- 
ments which he already knows to be true. Thus we open sen- 
tence No. 4 by a statement which every individual knows and 
yet one which they fail to see has any direct bearing upon 
Chiropractic. Every reasonable person knows already that 
thought precedes action, and when you make this statement, 
you lay the first stone in the creation of confidence in your 
logic. 
Sentence No. 5 merely serves to strengthen and drive 
home the statement made in sentence No. 4. Sentence No. 6 
follows 4 and 5 with the next step in your reasoning. It is 
based on sentence 4 and 5, and is a statement which the reader 
also knows to be true. Every common school physiology 
teaches that messages carried through the nerves lead to 
action and function. Reason tells the patient that he must 
will to move the hand before it can be moved and reason also 
leads him to agree with the writer when he states that the PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
195 
nerves are the necessary connecting link between the brain 
and the hand, and that if these nerves are cut the hand can- 
not move. There is nothing new to the reader in any of this 
but it is leading him through facts already known to him to 
the conclusion which you want him to admit. 
Sentence No. 7 is the first sentence where the Chiropractic 
idea is injected and it is based squarely upon the conclusion 
which the reader has already agreed with in the preceding 
paragraphs. If he admits, as he must admit, that the cutting 
of the nerves leading to the hand results in an inability to move 
that hand, then logic leads him to the inevitable conclu- 
sion that pressure upon those nerves decreases their carry- 
ing capacity. This is the first statement which he does not 
already know but it follows so naturally and logically on 
the heels of the other statements, which he does know, 
that he cannot successfully deny its truth. Sentence No. 8 
merely serves to strengthen sentence No. 7 and gives him 
a reason and an added argument why sentence No. 7 must 
be true. 
It is a fundamental rule in salesmanship to not give your 
prospect an opportunity to contradict your statements. As 
soon as you do so, you lead him to express an opinion which 
pride, in many instances, will lead him to stick to. In other 
words, you put him on the defensive and cause him to defend 
his idea as against yours. If you can lead up to your propo- 
sition through a channel of thought with which he cannot 
disagree, you have taken away from him the opportunity of 
contradicting you or questioning your statements. 
Paragraph No. 3 opens with sentence No. 9, which is the 
first place in the letter where the chiropractor is introduced. 
It is the beginning of the reasoning to show the logic of Chiro- 
practic, based upon the conclusions which have been reached 
in the former paragraph. It automatically establishes in the 
mind of the reader a confidence in the ability of the chiroprac- 
tor, and shows how the chiropractor is enabled to make use of 196 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
CALrtMITU 
We may lose our worldly goods 
and yet if we can start again and 
smile and hope and huild, we 
have much to he thankful for. 
But if we lose our health, the 
future can hold little until it is re- 
gained. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
has come to a world of sickness 
and has restored the hope and 
smile and courage of millions hy 
correcting the causes of their ail- 
ments 
Start getting well today 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
hours 
See page 241 197 
PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
the principles established in the former paragraph, and with 
which the reader can have no argument. 
Sentence No. 10 is thoroughly logical and shows the 
reader how the spine has a bearing upon remote organs. It 
is thoroughly reasonable to him that the nerves will be pressed 
upon by a slight displacement of bony segments, and how, if 
they are pressed upon, that automatically cuts off a part of 
the vital energy in the organs which those nerves supply, and 
leads to deranged function. Sentence No. 11 is the next logi- 
cal step in the explanation, and, having been convinced that 
sentence No. 10 is reasonable, he cannot question the reason- 
ableness of sentence No. 11, and this leads him to the conclu- 
sion which we have built step by step: namely, that the fun- 
damental basis of Chiropractic is sound and logical. 
Sentence No. 12 deals directly with the chiropractor and 
with his ability to discover points of pressure and his ability 
to relieve them when they are found. Even though the reader 
may agree with the premise that nerve pressure causes disease, 
he may not agree that the chiropractor is capable of restoring 
normality, and this sentence is for the purpose of showing him 
that the special training of the chiropractor is all to the end of 
locating these points of pressure and relieving that pressure. 
Sentence No. 13 is in explanation of sentence No. 12 and 
is carefully worded so that it will not leave in the prospect's 
mind the idea that one adjustment or two adjustments will 
correct the condition. You will note that we say, "This is 
accomplished through a definite series of adjustments" and a 
brief statement is made about the time required to produce 
the desired results. This is necessary in order to prevent an 
erroneous conception, and to keep the prospect from jumping 
at the conclusion that Chiropractic is a spectacular or miracu- 
lous method of performing wonders. 
The fourth paragraph contains only two sentences. Sen- 
tence No. 14 is merely a resume or brief conclusion which is 
inevitably reached through an understanding of the other 198 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
three paragraphs. Sentence No. 15 shows intent, purpose, 
and the end to be accomplished. We include the name of the 
prospective patient to give it an added touch of personal con- 
tact, and the balance of the sentence makes a strong conclu- 
sion for the entire body of the letter, summing it all up with 
the thought that Chiropractic is not an idle theory or super- 
stition, but is a scientific principle founded on fact and which 
is reasonable to the reader. And finally we conclude all this 
with the clinching argument that it is not only sound in 
principle, but that it has proved its correctness by actual use, 
not in one or two forms of disease, but in all manner of disease. 
Letter No. 3 
Dear Sir: 
(1) Disorders of the heart are among those conditions in 
which Chiropractic adjustments are most successful. (2) I 
mention this because so many people are suffering from this 
condition and have tried many methods with little or no per- 
manent relief. 
(3) At first thought it might seem a far-fetched conclu- 
sion to reason that an abnormal condition in the spine would 
have anything to do with the heart. (4) However, it must be 
understood that the heart, as one of the vital organs in the 
body, carries on its function in response to "telegraphic mes- 
sages" communicated to it from the subconscious brain over 
the nervous system. (5) If all the nerves leading to the heart 
were cut, it would cease to function. (6) These nerves come 
from the brain and lie in the spinal cord for a short distance, 
then they make their exit between the small bones which form 
the spinal column. 
(7) When these bones are slightly out of position (sub- 
luxated), a pressure is produced on the nerves and thus they 
cannot carry their full quota of nerve energy from the brain 
to the heart. (8) The result is that the heart becomes abnor- PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
199 
mal in its function and the only way it can become normal 
again is to relieve the pressure on the nerves so that the full 
amount of vital energy can reach it. (9) This the chiroprac- 
tor does by adjusting the bony segment of the spinal column 
which is causing the trouble. (10) When this is done the 
natural healing forces within the body restore normality and 
those who have had experience with Chiropractic are surprised 
at the sure and permanent relief which is thus afforded. 
(11) I call your particular attention to page - of the 
booklet I am enclosing which deals with heart trouble. (If 
you do not have a disease tract on the particular condition 
from which this patient is suffering, use the following two 
sentences rather than the preceding one.) (12) I call your 
particular attention to page - of the booklet I am enclosing 
called "Common Sense." (13) It will give you a very clear 
explanation of the reason why adjustments of the spine are 
effective in restoring normal function in remote organs of the 
body. (14) I am interested in you because I believe you need 
the service which I have to offer. (15) Will you not call at 
my office, or let me call at your home, and give me an oppor- 
tunity of explaining to you in detail just how Chiropractic 
can be of service to you? 
With every good and kind wish, 
Chiropractically yours, 
This letter is the most important of the series, so far as 
the obtaining of a direct pull into the office is concerned, and 
this for the reason that it deals directly with the condition 
from which the prospect to whom you are writing is suffering. 
When Mrs. Smith has heart trouble, she is directly interested 
in those things which deal with her particular disorder, and 
while she may be interested in a general way in certain health 
systems, her interest is immediately gripped when she knows 
that that health system is effective in her particular disorder. 
Analysis of Letter No. 3 200 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
By this time the prospective patient has already received 
two letters from the chiropractor, and thus an opening has 
been made whereby he can discuss the definite condition which 
it would not be well for him to discuss in his first letter. He 
should, however, strictly avoid in this letter, as well as in the 
others, any direct statement that he has been informed that 
the prospect is suffering from the disease which he discusses. 
People are very often sensitive about outsiders knowing of 
their physical condition, and if the writer should tell the pros- 
pect that he has been informed about the matter, he creates 
immediately an antagonism and a resentment which is difficult 
to overcome. 
Letter No. 3 has been so written that it is just as appli- 
cable to disorders of the stomach, the kidneys, or any other 
organ, as it is to the heart. The only change that need be 
made in writing to patients suffering from disorders of other 
organs is to substitute those other organs in those places 
where the heart is mentioned. You will observe that we do 
not discuss a special disease. This also for the reason that 
we do not want to admit to the patient that we know what 
disease he or she may be suffering from. 
Sentence No. 1 opens immediately with "Disorders of 
the heart." This is our attention line and is placed at the 
very opening in order to get the attention of the patient on 
what is to follow. This sentence also carries the thought that 
Chiropractic has proved effective in the class of disorder from 
which this patient is suffering. Sentence No. 2 avoids the 
mistake of drawing a comparison between Chiropractic and 
other methods, which might be offensive to the patient, and 
yet it leads to the conclusion that the mere fact that other 
mehods may have failed is no reason why Chiropractic should 
do so. This is done by explaining the experiences that many 
other people have had rather than by making any direct ref- 
erence to any other special method. 
The second paragraph is somewhat of a recapitulation of PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
201 
the thought carried in our second letter but with the differ- 
ence that it applies the principles which have been established 
in the second letter to the particular condition from which the 
patient is suffering. Sentence No. 3 opens this paragraph 
with a logical statement of fact which leaves the patient to 
wonder how the action of the heart or some other organ, as 
the case may be, can be affected by an abnormal condition in 
the spine. Sentence No. 4 explains how this is possible by 
applying the fundamental principle of Chiropractic, which has 
already been established, to the particular condition under 
consideration. The expression "telegraphic messages" is used 
in this sentence, not because it is scientifically correct, but 
rather because it carries the idea forcibly to the mind of the 
reader. 
We must always remember in our advertising that to 
state a premise scientifically is not, as a rule, to state it clearly 
to the average lay mind and we must employ language which 
may not be entirely correct from a scientific standpoint in 
order to carry an idea which will be readily understood. Sen- 
tence No. 5 states an obvious fact which the patient already 
knows and sentence No. 6 is an explanation which must be 
made before we can enter into the conclusions which must be 
drawn in the next paragraph. 
The third paragraph is for the purpose of applying the 
points which have been made in the second. Sentence No. 7 
opens this paragraph by showing the result of pressure on the 
nerves where they make their exit between the bones of the 
spinal column. We avoid the use of the word "vertebrae" be- 
cause that is a technical term and while it is understood by 
many people, it does not carry the story as forcibly as when 
we express it by the more or less homely word, "bones." In 
this sentence we establish the fact that the heart, as a special 
organ, is dependent for its function upon receiving its full 
supply of nerve energy. It will be observed that we avoid 
the use of the expression "mental impulses" because "nerve 202 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
energy" expresses the thought in a manner that is grasped by 
the average lay mind. 
Sentence No. 8 logically follows because it embodies the 
question of abnormality due to pressure and in the same 
thought shows how that abnormality can be eliminated by 
relieving the pressure. Sentence No. 9 immediately follows 
to carry the thought that the chiropractor is especially con- 
cerned in relieving that pressure and is an indispensable factor 
in arriving at the desired result. Sentence No. 10 shows what 
that result is and shows why the chiropractor's work, which 
leads to the relieving of pressure, is automatically respon- 
sible for the restoration of normality within the heart. It also 
carries the idea that his work leads to permanent relief and 
this is vital because most patients have had the experience of 
obtaining relief which was only temporary. 
The fourth paragraph is entirely for the purpose of direct- 
ing the attention of the reader to an enclosed booklet which 
is more fully explanatory than a letter could possibly be. If 
a chiropractor were merely to enclose a booklet and ask the 
patient to read that booklet, it is probable that only a small 
proportion would do so. If, however, he calls particular at- 
tention in his letter to a certain page (and it might be well to 
underline with red ink a few lines or a subheading) the pros- 
pective patient will in all probability be sufficiently interested 
to want to know what particular point in that booklet the 
chiropractor has in mind as especially applicable to him or her. 
In other words the chances of getting the booklet opened and 
a few sentences read are much better. This is the most that 
the chiropractor can ask, because if the patient reads one state- 
ment or one paragraph in the booklet, he will very often be 
interested to the point of reading the entire tract. 
It does not make so much difference what particular page 
or what particular point is designated so long as it is a point 
which will grip the attention of the reader. We all know of 
this principle from the fact that our attention is attracted to PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
203 
newspaper articles very largely by the headings. Then, too, 
we have all had the experience of reading a paragraph, or per- 
haps just a sentence down in the middle of the article, and 
having read that we are interested in what has gone before or 
what follows and the net result of it is that we conclude by 
reading the entire article. There are, of course, many disease 
tracts published, and most chiropractors keep a supply of these 
for their patients and prospective patients. They should be 
used where they have a direct bearing upon the case in ques- 
tion. Sentences No. 12 and No. 13, however, should be in- 
serted in place of sentence No. 11 in those cases where no 
disease tract is available dealing with the particular condition 
from which the patient is suffering. 
Sentence No. 14 shows motive and should not be ne- 
glected. It is a mistake for an advertiser to appeal for patron- 
age on the argument that he needs the business and this is 
doubly true when we are dealing with a profession. No pro- 
fessional man should present himself or his services on the 
theory that he needs the patronage. Rather he should show 
the reader a logical reason why that reader needs him. 
Sentence No. 15 is your conclusion. It is the first place in 
any of the three letters where you have made a direct appeal 
to your reader to employ Chiropractic in his case. This appeal 
has not been made before because your argument was not 
complete, and because you weaken the effect of the appeal 
when it is made before the proper ground work has been laid. 
Every salesman knows that there is a psychological time to 
close his argument and that psychological time is reached 
when he has shown the buyer the advantages to that buyer of 
possessing his service or his article. If he makes his appeal 
before he has shown that necessity, he courts a refusal, and a 
refusal once made is a very difficult thing to overcome. Get 
in all your evidence before you ask for a decision and the 
chances of a favorable decision will then be much greater. 
This last sentence also leaves the idea that, while you 204 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
have given the fundamentals of Chiropractic, the story is only 
partly told and that through personal contact and personal 
explanation you can make the matter clearer in the prospect's 
mind than you could possibly do by letter or by the written 
word. You will note, too, that we insert the clause, "or let 
me call at your home"; thus you make it much easier for the 
patient to come to a conclusion. In other words, if you merely 
hold out your services as desirable, you leave it up to the 
patient to learn how those services can be obtained. By in- 
serting this little clause, "let me call at your home," you 
show him exactly how he can immediately get in touch with 
you and your service. 
Letter No. 4 
Dear Sir: 
(1) I have had no word from you in response to my for- 
mer letters. (2) I feel that in some way the fault must be 
mine in not having entirely convinced you of the value of 
Chiropractic in dealing with all manner of disease. 
(3) The other day a patient of mine said, "Doctor, know- 
ing the wonderful results you have had, I don't understand 
why the people of this community still insist on trying to get 
along with old methods which do nothing more than afford 
temporary relief." 
(4) My reply was that the reason lay in the fact that the 
people did not know the things I was doing, or, if they had 
heard of them, they accepted these reports with a grain of salt 
(5) You see one is never sure until they have had the experi- 
ence themselves and it is quite natural that the experiences 
of one's friends are not as impressive as though the experience 
were a personal one. (6) This is not a condition for which 
people are to be blamed, but is a condition which must be 
met. 
(7) The only way I can finally and absolutely convince 
you of my ability to bring you permanent relief is to give you 
Chiropractic adjustments and let the results speak for them- PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
205 
selves. (8) Won't you give me this opportunity? (9) I am 
sure that when you have had the experience and know the 
wonderful value of Chiropractic you will be as anxious that 
your friends consult me as I am to have you consult me now. 
Chiropractically yours, 
Analysis of Letter No. 4 
Letter No. 4 is essentially a follow up letter to retain 
whatever good effect may have come from your letter No. 3 
and to promote action. Many people who will receive letter 
No. 3 will be favorably impressed but will not be impressed 
to the extent of acting on the suggestions given therein. This 
letter is for the purpose of carrying further and stronger sug- 
gestions to these people. 
Sentence No. 1, which opens the letter, is so presented for 
the purpose of making the prospect feel obligated to at least 
give an answer in response to your former letters. Yet Sen- 
tence No. 1, if left alone, might give offense in making the 
patient feel that the writer expects an answer from an adver- 
tising letter. Sentence No. 2 is for the purpose of dispelling 
any such offense which might be taken and serves to throw 
the responsibility back on the chiropractor. In other words 
it leads the reader to the opinion that the chiropractor admits 
that in some way the fault must be his in not having made the 
matter sufficiently plain in his former letters. 
The second paragraph, consisting of one sentence, is 
for the sole purpose of getting the attention of the reader 
by the relation of an experience in the form of conversa- 
tion. 
The fourth sentence which opens the third paragraph, 
relates a commonly accepted fact. No matter what we are 
told, we are not as strongly impressed with the statements 
made as if we ourselves had had the experience. Sentence No. 
5 is for the purpose of showing to the reader that the chiro- 
practor realizes that personal experience is the one great con- 206 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
eluding factor in the establishing of any new idea. It takes 
away any taint of criticism and assures the reader that the 
chiropractor accepts this condition philosophically. Sentence 
No. 6 merely strengthens No. 5 and assures the reader that 
the chiropractor holds no ill will toward the people who do 
not agree with him but rather shows that he understands why 
this is true. 
The fourth paragraph contains the meat of the entire let- 
ter. It shows an absolute open willingness on the part of the 
chiropractor to let his performance speak for his ability and 
for the efficacy of Chiropractic; thus it is for the purpose of 
establishing confidence. Sentence No. 8 is a direct appeal 
and is the second appeal in the series which is calculated to 
produce action in the mind of the reader. Sentence No. 9 is a 
fitting conclusion to this appeal because it shows that the 
chiropractor has implicit confidence in his ability to prove the 
value of Chiropractic and his ability to deliver it. 
Letter No. 5 
Dear Sir: 
(1) I have come to this community to make it my home. 
(2) It is a wonderful place in which to live and is made up of 
most splendid people. (3) It is my ambition to be an influen- 
tial and respected citizen. (4) In my profession there are two 
qualities which must be established beyond question of doubt 
before this can be accomplished: First, I must have the con- 
fidence of my newly made friends, and second, I must have 
the ability to render the service which you have a right to 
expect. 
(5) The only way I can gain your confidence is to be abso- 
lutely honest in my dealings with you. (6) If I am to realize 
my ambition, you must know that my professional standing 
is beyond question. (7) Sometimes a case comes to me 
which I feel is beyond hope. (8) When that happens, I ex- 
press my opinion honestly and frankly because I know that PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
207 
my future success depends very largely upon your confi- 
dence. 
(9) If you will give me the privilege of giving you my 
opinion in your case, and if there is any doubt in my mind 
about the results Chiropractic will obtain, I assure you that 
my opinion will be just as frankly expressed as if I were deal- 
ing with one of my own family. 
With every good and kind wish, 
Chiropractically yours, 
Analysis of Letter No. 5 
This letter, like letter No. 4, is essentially a follow up for 
those which have preceded it. Sentence No. 1 establishes 
confidence in the chiropractor in the sense that, as he is to 
become a permanent citizen of the community, he must de- 
liver the service which will make it worth while for him to 
remain there. Sentence No. 2 shows motive and has a strong 
appeal, particularly to those people who are loyal to the com- 
munity in which they live. It serves to place the chiropractor 
on a plane with the other people there and to show his reader 
that he wants to become one of them. Sentence No. 3 is, in 
itself, not important but it is a lead up to sentence No. 4 and 
is a smooth connection between the opening of the letter, 
which is calculated to attract attention, and the real substance 
of the letter which begins in sentence No. 4. Sentence No. 4 
shows the reader that the chiropractor realizes the value of 
building, in the minds of the people in this community, a con- 
fidence in his integrity and ability. 
The second paragraph, opening with sentence No. 5, is a 
logical statement of fact and if a patient realizes that the 
chiropractor is imbued with these principles, it automatically 
establishes confidence because it shows to the reader that the 
chiropractor knows that the only sure way to establish con- 
fidence is through performance. Sentence No. 6 is for the 
purpose of strengthening sentence No. 5. 208 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
Sentence No. 7 injects a new thought: it is the thought 
of what procedure the chiropractor would follow if a case does 
come to him which he does not honestly feel he can help. I 
cannot make too impressive my belief in the importance of 
telling the patient the absolute and unqualified truth and if 
a patient comes to you whose case, in your opinion, is hope- 
less or about whom you have extreme doubt, there will be far 
more gained by telling the patient just what your doubts are 
and then let him decide whether or not he cares to take ad- 
justments, than to assume that you can obtain results which 
may not materialize. A chiropractor who has established in 
his community the kind of reputation which leads the people 
to know that if he feels he cannot help them, he will tell them 
so, has an enviable reputation and that kind of a reputation 
is an asset to any professional man. 
Sentence No. 9 offers the assurance to the patient that 
you are more interested in keeping your reputation for integ- 
rity and responsibility free from all question than you are in 
obtaining patients. If you can get this idea firmly implanted 
in his mind, he will come to you with the assurance that what 
you tell him can be relied upon and you will have accom- 
plished a great deal in the impressiveness of the selling argu- 
ment which you will later be called upon to employ. CHAPTER XVI 
PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL 
CAMPAIGN 
"B" SERIES 
Some chiropractors prefer to use a series of letters, each 
one of which is complete in itself and no one dependent upon 
the others. Series "A," which we have carefully analyzed, is 
constructed in such a way that no direct appeal is made to the 
prospective patient until the third letter is sent. No one of 
these letters alone is of value because each is interdependent 
upon the other and, in my opinion, this series of letters is 
best. However its value is dependent upon each letter being 
made interesting enough that the prospective patient will read 
it and keep up the continuity of thought and arrive at the 
final conclusion which is desired. 
The following series of letters is presented here for the 
use of those chiropractors who would rather make each letter 
a complete story. It must be admitted that there is some ad- 
vantage in letters of this kind because each is an appeal from 
a different angle than the others and the appeal that may be 
valuable with one individual, may not necessarily be valuable 
with others, and in the series there may be found enough 
different appeals that they will have an influence on a wide 
variety of individuals. 
The greatest danger in this sort of system is that you 
make a direct appeal to the prospective patient in your very 
first letter and you court a refusal to that appeal, just as a 
salesman courts a refusal if he asks his prospective purchaser 
to give him an answer before he has thoroughly presented his 
subject. Once having received a refusal from his prospective 
purchaser, he is then in the position of having to overcome 
209 210 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
an inherent prejudice by his subsequent arguments. In other 
words, having made up his mind, the prospective buyer 
searches his mind for every possible reason why that refusal 
is logical and his mind is constantly combating the mind of 
the salesman to find reasons why his original refusal was 
justified. So it is with a series of letters. If a refusal is ob- 
tained on the first letter, it is quite probable that a prejudice 
will have been created in the mind of the prospective patient 
which will lead him to either throw aside subsequent letters 
without giving them due attention, or if he does read them, 
they are read with a prejudiced mind. 
"B" SERIES 
Letter No. 1 
Dear Sir: 
Do you know that there are over twenty thousand prac- 
ticing chiropractors in America today? Do you know that 
millions of people subscribe to this foremost drugless health 
system because they have learned through actual experience 
that it is the quickest and surest way to keep physically fit 
and mentally alert? Do you realize that Chiropractic has at- 
tained this remarkable growth in the space of a very few 
years and that this growth has been built entirely as the re- 
sult of its phenomenal success in getting sick people well? 
Many people wonder how Chiropractic can be successful 
in dealing with such conditions as headache, asthma, stomach 
trouble, kidney trouble, affections of the lungs, high blood 
pressure, nervousness, constipation, disorders of the heart, 
and hundreds of other conditions less common than these. 
When they are told that Chiropractic has been successful in 
thousands of such cases, they wonder how this can be in view 
of the fact that the chiropractor deals entirely with the spine. 
If you will come to my office, or if you will call me on 
the phone, I will be glad to come to your home and explain PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
211 
to you just how these remarkable results are obtained through 
Chiropractic. There is no question but that I can show you 
the reasonableness of the Chiropractic idea, and when you 
understand that, it will not be difficult for you to realize 
why Chiropracic has had such phenomenal growth. 
Chiropractically yours, 
Analysis of Letter No. 1 
Letter No. 1 opens with a statement which is surprising 
to the average reader. It is intentionally placed as the open- 
ing sentence in order to surprise the reader and get his atten- 
tion. It is immediately followed by another statement which 
will surprise the average reader and at the same time show 
to him that Chiropractic is an idea which has gripped the 
vision of the people. Whether the prospective patient reasons 
it out this way or not, the fact remains that this leaves' a sub- 
conscious impression in his mind of solidity and shows him 
that Chiropractic is not a fad of the day. He knows that this 
must be true because with millions of followers and with 
twenty thousand practitioners, they are the best evidence of 
a growth which can only be built by results obtained. 
The real keynote of this letter lies in the second para- 
graph wherein a number of very common conditions are men- 
tioned. The chiropractor must be very careful about his 
claims on specific diseases and so this paragraph is worded 
in such a way that the inference that Chiropractic is effective 
in these conditions is present and still the direct statement 
is not made. As a matter of fact Chiropractic is effective in 
the diseases mentioned but it is well not to make the direct 
statement in advertising material. 
And finally the letter closes with a direct appeal for the 
prospective patient to come to your office or permit you to 
call at his home in order that you may explain further about 
the remarkable results obtained through Chiropractic. In my 
opinion, it is well to carry in each one of these letters the 212 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
thought of the patient calling the chiropractor on the phone 
or permitting him to come to the patient's home because that 
involves less effort on the part of the patient than for him 
to come to the chiropractor's office. It also gives the chiro- 
practor a better opportunity, than he might have at his own 
office, to explain Chiropractic and answer pertinent questions 
that may be in the mind of the patient. There is the added 
advantage of the patient feeling more at home and being more 
willing to express his opinions and ask questions that may 
be in his mind. 
Letter No. 2 
Dear Sir: 
Some people seem to have the erroneous belief that Chiro- 
practic is a mysterious thing; that it depends for its results 
upon faith and that it obtains results in only imaginary trou- 
bles. Nothing could be further from the truth. Certainly 
there are many diseases, the symptoms of which are readily 
visible. Goiter is one of these. Reason tells us that the pa- 
tient suffering from goiter is not suffering from an imaginary 
condition and yet Chiropractic has had splendid results on 
goiter and on many other diseases which are just as apparent. 
There is a sound reason why this is true. Every organ 
and every minute part of the body is supplied with nerves. 
You cannot place a sharp instrument on the skin anywhere 
without producing a sensation. This is because nerves are 
present everywhere. These nerves supply the body with the 
necessary life force to maintain health. All these nerves come, 
either directly or indirectly, from the brain, and most of them 
through the spinal cord and out through small openings be- 
tween the small bones which form the spinal column. Some- 
times these small bones are in improper alignment due to 
strains, twists, falls, or other unusual conditions. When this 
happens, the openings through which the nerves pass are de- 
creased in size and these nerves are pinched. The result is 
that the life-giving energy which they transmit is cut off in PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
213 
part, just as the flow of water through a hose is cut off if that 
hose be constricted at any point. 
This is the principle upon which the Chiropractic idea is 
founded. The chiropractor is especially trained to locate this 
nerve pressure, and having found it, to relieve it. When this 
is done, the natural healing forces within the body are set in 
action and health is the inevitable result. Faith has nothing 
to do with it. 
I am no further from you than your telephone. I will be 
glad to call at your home, or I will be glad to see you at my 
office and explain to you further about Chiropractic and an- 
swer any questions which may not be entirely clear to you. 
With every good and kind wish, 
Chiropractically yours, 
Analysis of Letter No. 2 
There is no doubt but that many people who are preju- 
diced against Chiropractic feel that it may be good in nervous 
disorders and in those cases where the sickness is very grossly 
exaggerated. Their only explanation for the results thus ob- 
tained is that the patient is an imaginary type of individual 
and imagines that he is suffering from many things which are 
not actually existent. This thought should be hit squarely 
in one of this series of letters and preferably at the opening 
of the letter, in order to grip attention. 
The second paragraph has a very brief resume of the 
Chiropractic idea which will give the prospective patient a 
logical reason why the spine is necessarily involved in those 
cases where the disease is manifest in remote organs. This 
is another point which the uninformed patient cannot readily 
understand and one which is naturally in his mind. There- 
fore it should be answered in the letter. 
In the writing of any advertising copy, or in the writing 
of any series of letters, the writer should constantly bear in 
mind those questions which inevitably present themselves to 214 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
the mind of the average patient because when he discusses 
those questions he is getting into a subject in which the pros- 
pective patient is vitally interested and thus he grips his at- 
tention. In this letter also the idea of the chiropractor being 
not further than the telephone is carried because it conveys 
the idea of accessibility to the patient. 
Letter No. 3 
Dear Sir: 
Chiropractic is a science which it takes years of study to 
master. It is absolutely impossible for me to tell you all 
about it in a letter, or even a series of letters. I can merely 
state a few pertinent facts to the end of convincing you that 
this science is founded upon a logical premise. Many ques- 
tions will undoubtedly come to your mind which can be readily 
answered and which I shall be very pleased to answer in per- 
son if you will give me that opportunity. 
One great question, however, which you are interested in 
is, "Can Chiropractic restore health in my case?" and in this 
letter I will tell you frankly that I do not know. I do not 
know because I do not know about your particular case. But 
this I do know: if you will give me the opportunity of going 
into the matter with you, you will get my honest, frank opinion 
about the prospects of obtaining relief through Chiropractic. 
I assure you that I have met those cases wherein the outlook 
was uncertain in my own mind. 
I know that I cannot expect to realize my ambition of 
becoming a permanent citizen, held in high regard in this 
community, unless I can prove my ability through perform- 
ance. I am not going to take the chance of jeopardizing my 
reputation by making radical or unfounded statements. I 
know that for my best interests, as well as those of my pa- 
tients, I must tell them the absolute truth and if, after investi- 
gating your case, I feel that there is a question as to what I 
can do for you, I will tell you so frankly. With this assurance, 215 
PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
I trust that you will have suffcient confidence to permit me to 
talk over your case with you and possibly to examine your 
spine. If I can help you, you should know it; and if I cannot, 
you will get my honest opinion. 
Chiropractically yours, 
One of the thoughts which is in the mind of the unin- 
formed is that the chiropractor is the product of a short course 
of training and that because of this fact he is incompetent in 
dealing with serious conditions. It is for this reason that 
letter No. 3 opens with the statement that Chiropractic is a 
science which it takes years of study to master. Every good 
chiropractor knows this to be true and every good chiroprac- 
tor knows that the individual who has had a short training 
and is improperly trained is not the master of the subject. 
This letter also shows willingness on the part of the chiro- 
practor to put himself on the witness stand, as it were, and 
answer any questions that may be in the prospect's mind 
about Chiropractic. 
The second paragraph and the third paragraph are intro- 
duced for the purpose of showing to the prospective patient 
that the chiropractor is vitally concerned in his reputation as 
a professional person. It carries the very logical reasoning 
that the chiropractor's reputation is dependent entirely upon 
the record which he makes with his patients and upon his 
integrity in dealing with those patients. This is a strong 
point and should be constantly carried in all forms of adver- 
tising. It should not be compared with other systems of 
healing because that creates prejudice in the mind of the reader 
which the chiropractor can ill afford. It should be entirely 
positive and should have the ring of sincerity which every 
true chiropractor possesses and which is his greatest asset in 
presenting himself before the people of his community. Strive 
constantly to establish in your patients' minds a confidence, 
Analysis of Letter No. 3 216 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
I PREMISE 
that every person who seeks 
my advice in matters of 
health will receive my hon- 
est and frank opinion. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
has advanced to its present 
high standing because it has 
made good on the claims 
which it advanced, and this 
high record of success will 
continue because it is founded 
on right principles. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
HOURS 
See page 241 PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
217 
not only in your judgment, but in your willingness to express 
yourself without prejudice. 
Letter No. 4 
Dear Sir: 
"Are Chiropractic adjustments painful?" This is the ques- 
tion which is very often asked by those who consider calling 
on the chiropractor. My best answer to this question is to 
refer you to my patients. Practically every one of these felt 
just as you do before taking adjustments. Since then they 
give no thought to any unpleasantness connected with an 
adjustment, but rather they think of the relief which it affords 
them. 
Another common question is, "Must I suffer undue em- 
barrassment from the chiropractor's examination?" My con- 
cern is with your spine, because I know that here is the under- 
lying cause of your physical disorder. I have private dressing 
rooms and for the lady patients there are specially prepared 
gowns so made as to expose only that part of the back im- 
mediately over the spine. There is no embarrassment because 
there is no cause for embarrassment in a Chiropractic anal- 
ysis. 
I know that being a normal human being, you are anxious 
to get rid of any physical trouble which is bothering you. 
You want relief in the surest way, with the least cost and with 
the least inconvenience. To show you how Chiropractic meets 
all of these demands, I will be glad to call upon you, or meet 
you at my office so that we can discuss your case frankly and 
give you the advantage of years of training and experience. 
Chiropractically yours, 
Analysis of Letter No. 4 
This letter contains two important questions which are 
in the minds of most people who contemplate taking Chiro- 218 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
practic adjustments. The first one is common to both men 
and women as it is to children: namely, are Chiropractic ad- 
justments painful? They have been told that they are. Phy- 
sicians have even gone so far, in many cases, as to tell them 
that Chiropractic adjustments are dangerous and that they 
should permit no one to tamper with the spine. Many of them 
have been told from childhood that the spine is easily injured 
and that it is a most vital spot. The best thing for the chiro- 
practor to do is to meet that question squarely. This he does 
in the first paragraph of his letter, and he does it in such a 
way as to carry entire conviction. 
Every chiropractor who has been in practice for any con- 
siderable length of time knows that many patients, particu- 
larly among the women, come to his office with no small de- 
gree of concern about the embarrassment which they may be 
forced to undergo. Some of these people have had thorough 
physical examinations and are very anxious to avoid a repeti- 
tion of that experience, particularly with a total stranger. It 
is surprising what an inadequate conception some of these 
patients have about the work done by the chiropractor in his 
office. This paragraph is for the purpose of setting at rest 
any doubts they may have about the embarrassment 
which they contemplate. By this paragraph, you serve to 
take away from the prospective patient, if it be a woman, 
one of the arguments which has, in many cases, deterred 
her from taking the first step leading to your Chiropractic 
service. 
The third paragraph has the direct appeal to the patient 
to get in touch with you as the chiropractor with the assurance 
that Chiropractic offers the surest way with the least cost and 
with the least inconvenience to the patient. 
Dear Sir: 
You have a right to know that I understand the science 
of Chiropractic thoroughly. You have a right to know that I 
Letter No. 5 PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
219 
believe in it absolutely and use it exclusively when any of my 
own family are ill. 
This is true because I have had a far greater opportunity 
than you to know what Chiropractic will do. I have seen 
thousands of cases under adjustments. I have handled many 
of them myself. I know that you cannot be entirely convinced 
until you have had the experience which thousands of 
others have had. The only way you can know, as I know, 
the effectiveness of Chiropractic, is to have the experi- 
ence in a personal way which I have had in a large way, 
through personal experience and observation. My success 
depends absolutely upon my ability to do the things which 
I claim to be able to do. I could not survive long, nor 
could Chiropractic survive long unless we made good on our 
claims. 
I do not care to burden you with useless correspondence 
or to appear too insistent; yet I am honestly concerned in 
bringing my ability and service to as great a number of people 
in this community as it is possible to do. The only way I have 
of getting myself and my service before you is by telling you 
of my confidence in the science I represent. Unprofessional? 
Unethical? I admit it. And yet, which is more important: 
to be ethical and spread the beneficial influence of my service 
among a limited few, or to be unethical and serve a large 
number? 
I know that I have something which the people of this 
community need. Then why shouldn't I tell them of that 
fact just as the business man tells the people of this com- 
munity the advantages of his service and his goods? Today 
banks advertise ; yesterday that was unethical. Today churches 
are beginning to advertise; yesterday it was unheard of. To- 
morrow it will be as legitimate for professional men to adver- 
tise as it is today for the merchant to do so. Why not? We 
have something of value for you. Advertising makes each of 
us of mutual benefit to the other. 220 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
Will you not call me to your home or visit me at my 
office that I may tell you more of what Chiropractic can do 
for you. Chiropractically yours, 
Analysis of Letter No. 5 
This letter opens with the assurance that the chiropractor 
is thoroughly capable. That is one of the great questions 
that is in the mind of the prospective patient. He may have 
confidence in Chiropractic, yet he may not be entirely sure of 
the chiropractor. 
The second sentence is particularly important in that it 
shows the chiropractor's own belief in the science which he 
is recommending to others. It is the same principle in adver- 
tising that the stock salesman uses when he makes the appeal 
that he has invested his own money in the securities which he 
is attempting to sell to you. 
This letter also carries the assurance as to the experience 
of the chiropractor and that is a very valuable factor in estab- 
lishing confidence. This letter also shows honesty of purpose, 
and the willingness of the chiropractor to stake his future suc- 
cess upon his ability to do the things which he claims he can 
do. 
The latter part of this letter hits squarely at an objection 
that may exist in the minds of some people who receive letters 
of this kind. They have been taught that such procedure is 
unethical. They feel that it lowers the professional man in 
the estimation of the public and yet they have no logical reason 
for believing that to be true. It is more or less of a vague idea 
that has been handed down to them for years. The chiroprac- 
tor gets right into that question and shows why he is sending 
these letters and why he advertises in other ways. Such a 
frankness in expression cannot help but establish the confi- 
dence and the sympathy of the reader with the things which 
the chiropractor is attempting to do, and, in the judgment of PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
221 
the writer, this is a policy which should be followed at regular 
stated intervals in all his advertising to counteract the criti- 
cism that will come to him from some quarters because he 
does employ advertising methods. 
This letter also closes with an appeal for the patient to 
get in touch with the chiropractor or permit the chiropractor 
to get in touch with him. 
Dear Sir: 
If there is any one thing more than another that makes a 
man with a new idea feel that he is butting his head against 
a stone wall, that thing is prejudice. 
Fulton and his steamboat were laughed at and ridiculed 
because a new idea was presented. The Wright brothers met 
that same prejudice when they conceived the idea of building 
a "heavier than air" machine. When the impossible had been 
accomplished, then of course it was no longer impossible, but 
until that time it was impossible in the minds of millions of 
people. Had the idea of the complicated radio broadcasting 
system of today been advanced only a few short years ago, 
we would have found plenty of people who would have said 
that it was impossible. They would have argued that if it 
were possible, it would have been done long ago. 
So it is with Chiropractic. Many people argue that if 
Chiropractic is a scientific principle and does what the chiro- 
practor claims it will do, it would have been discovered and 
practiced years ago. Such an argument, however, shows prej- 
udice rather than broad judgment. If every one in the world 
showed this same prejudice on all new ideas, progress would 
be impossible. 
It is because a goodly proportion of our people are for- 
ward-looking and reasonable that Chiropractic has made the 
wonderful advances which it has and, like a snowball, it has 
gained momentum and proportion as it has advanced until 
Letter No. 6 222 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
today, through sheer merit of performance, it stands as the 
foremost drugless health system in existence and it has met 
with more popular public favor than any other health system 
on record. This is because it has made good on countless 
numbers of cases where other methods have failed, and it has 
been able to accomplish this remarkable result because it is 
scientifically sound. 
May I not have the opportunity of showing you, as I have 
shown many other people, the advantages of the Chiropractic 
method in recovering your health? Will you not at least give 
me the opportunity of explaining why Chiropractic offers you 
the surest and quickest way to a permanent recovery of your 
health? I am at your service at all times and I will be glad 
to call upon you or have you see me at my office. 
Chiropractically yours, 
Analysis of Letter No. 6 
Letter No. 6 has no other function than to make the in- 
dividual who has in his own mind condemned Chiropractic 
without knowing about it, feel rather ashamed of himself and 
cause him to be slow in his criticism to others until he is more 
familiar with what Chiropractic actually does. 
The comparisons drawn with the inventions and progress 
of the past are self-evident to the reader and as he looks back 
on these experiences he sees that the people who condemned 
these ideas, which later proved practicable and workable and 
are common experiences of today, were foolish and, as he now 
sees it, were narrow. Every one wants to be thought of as 
broad and tolerant in their ideas. No one wants to be pointed 
to as a narrow, bigoted person. A thought of this kind carried 
in a letter serves to make for a more fertile soil in which to 
plant the Chiropractic idea. It at least makes people slow to 
criticize Chiropractic merely on a vague opinion without basis 
or foundation. PROPER LETTERS FOR DIRECT BY MAIL CAMPAIGN 
223 
Letter No. 7 
Dear Sir: 
It is quite natural that one who is as intensely interested 
in his profession as I am and who is so wrapped up in the 
activities of that profession, should be so close to his subject 
that he fails to get the proper perspective which is obtained 
by a layman. 
It is for this reason that many people may discount the 
statements I make about the science which is so much a part 
of me. The best answer I can give to people who feel that 
way is to suggest that they ask my patients about me and my 
work. In the last analysis, this is the best test anyway and I 
am perfectly willing to abide by the results, knowing just how 
my patients feel toward Chiropractic. 
I do not believe that any professional man has ever been 
blessed with a more enthusiastic group of patients than I have. 
They are enthusiastic because, through actual experience, they 
have learned some of the things which to me are matters of 
every day occurrence. So I invite you to investigate my work 
through my patients. I urge that you talk to them because 
I know their opinions honestly expressed are the best recom- 
mendation which Chiropractic has. 
Chiropractically yours, 
Analysis of Letter No. 7 
Letter No. 7 is for the purpose of suggesting to the reader 
a practical and logical way for him to determine whether or 
not he wants to place his case in the hands of the chiroprac- 
tor. 
People innately know that all advertisers are prone to set 
forth in the most attractive manner the advantages of the 
goods which they present to the public. Every advertisement 
which is read is, in part, discounted by the reader because he 
knows that the advertiser is not going to set forth the dis- 224 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
advantages of his product. It is for this reason that many- 
advertisers use the testimonial method. 
I know it is generally argued that testimonials cheapen 
any article; yet some of the biggest advertisers in America 
deal with products which ,are largely used and constantly em- 
ploy the testimonial idea in their advertising copy. It is quite 
true that almost any commodity can obtain any number of 
testimonials regarding its merit. It is not a difficult thing to 
do and this principle is known to almost every person, and 
yet, even though they know that fact, they are drawn to testi- 
monials as to a magnet. With all the arguments against tes- 
timonials, they still want to get the other person's idea because 
they somehow feel that this idea is coming from a disinter- 
ested party whose word can be depended upon more thor- 
oughly than can the word of the individual who is selling the 
product. 
The chiropractor, in letter No. 7, employs in a measure 
the testimonial idea by inviting his prospective patients to 
talk with those who have had actual experience with him and 
his work. He shows that he is thoroughly willing and anxious 
to let their decision rest upon the opinions of these patients, 
and by doing so he not only creates confidence, but also encour- 
ages his patients to talk about him and about his work. Chiro- 
practors have many patients who are glad to tell other people 
what they think of his work, providing they are asked for 
their opinion. Yet these same people would not think of 
making it their business to introduce the subject to a stranger 
without being asked. CHAPTER XVII 
LETTERS ADVERTISING SPINOGRAPH 
EQUIPMENT 
Many chiropractors have spent considerable money in- 
stalling in their offices spinograph equipment, because they 
believe that a better service can be offered to their patients 
by its use. In fact there are very few chiropractors today 
who question the usefulness of the spinograph in determining 
the direction in which a subluxation should be adjusted. 
I wonder, however, how many of these practitioners have 
capitalized, through advertising, on the money they have in- 
vested and the increased service they are thus enabled to 
render their patients. It is a legitimate investment for a legiti- 
mate purpose, and the advertising of it is a legitimate enter- 
prise. 
The chiropractor, however, who does use advertising per- 
taining to his spinograph equipment should be very careful 
that this advertising is not of such a character as to break 
down confidence in other chiropractors who are less fortunate 
in having this advantage. It may seem to him upon super- 
ficial reasoning that such advertising would be good business, 
but a more extensive survey of the matter will convince him 
that any implication which in any way detracts from the public 
opinion of a contemporary is poor advertising. It is poor 
advertising because it forces his contemporary to use the same 
tactics in his advertising, and if the chiropractors are not 
careful it will not be long before each has lost sight of the 
prime intent of his advertising, which is to build confidence 
in himself and his service, and, instead, spend his good money 
for the purpose of depreciating public confidence in his com- 
petitor. The net result of it all is that each spends money, not 
225 226 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
for the purpose of increasing his business, but rather for the 
purpose of decreasing his competitors' business and each will 
be more or less successful in doing so. 
Still further than all this is the reaction on the public 
mind when they view two competitors who are on unfriendly 
terms and who are striving to convince the public of their 
merits through showing the lack of merit in the competitor. 
The final conclusion in many minds who view this specatcle 
is that one or the other may be right but until these two 
people, both of whom claim to be practicing the same pro- 
fession, can agree on a common basis, the public cannot have 
confidence in either. Why? Because the public, not being 
educated professionally, does not know which is right and 
thus confidence is lost in both. 
I am submitting in the following pages four letters which 
the chiropractor with spinograph equipment can send to pros- 
pective patients, to show these patients the advantages of the 
X-ray equipment, and thus help to convince them on the merits 
and the scientific rightness of Chiropractic. In none of these 
letters will be found a sentiment which would lead the reader 
to believe that the writer of the letters is deprecating the 
ability of competitors. But while this is true, the chiropractor 
with a spinograph equipment is perfectly justified in adver- 
tising that fact to the end of more effectively selling the Chiro- 
practic idea to a greater number of people. I would suggest 
that these letters be not sent oftener than once per month 
as they are not calculated to directly sell the Chiropractic 
idea. They have an accumulative value in establishing confi- 
dence in the public mind but they do not have the appeal that 
is possessed by the direct follow up letter campaign shown 
under Series "A" and Series "B." 
Dear Sir: 
B. J. Palmer, the leader of the Chiropractic movement 
and undoubtedly the one man in the profession who has had 
Letter No. 1 LETTERS ADVERTISING SPINOGRAPH EQUIPMENT 
227 
more experience than any other, says that the X-ray shows 
his palpation wrong in twenty-five per cent of the cases he 
handles. 
To understand the full import of this statement, you must 
know that the chiropractor depends for his results upon cor- 
recting the abnormalities in the spinal column which are pro- 
ducing nerve pressure there and are leading to abnormal con- 
ditions in the body. In order for the chiropractor to determine 
where his attention is required in the spine, he employs palpa- 
tion. That is a system of determining by the sensitiveness of 
his fingers just which of the small bones in the spine are not 
in their proper alignment. In order to do this accurately, it 
is necessary that the chiropractor have a very highly culti- 
vated sense of touch, but even with this there are certain 
conditions in the spine which he cannot detect through this 
method. There is the possibility of an abnormal shape in 
the segments of the spine which leads him astray in his 
conclusions; there is also the possibility of the muscular 
development on one side being slightly greater than on 
the other side, and when this condition prevails the chiro- 
practor is led to conclusions which are not entirely justi- 
fied. 
By the use of the X-ray, the chiropractor makes a picture 
of the spine which accurately shows the exact position of each 
spinal segment and proves conclusively which should be ad- 
justed. By employing this method, the possibility of error 
through human judgment is reduced to a minimum and the 
patient who has such a picture made before taking adjust- 
ments has double assurance of quicker and more satisfactory 
results. 
My great interest is the health of my patients and my 
professional reputation. Because I am thoroughly conscien- 
tious in both of these matters and because I feel that the best 
is none too good for the people who place themselves in my 
care, I have installed the latest and most up to date spino- 228 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
UJ1SDVM 
It is not gained in schools. 
It is the result of a fair and 
impartial survey of human 
experience. Wisdom dic- 
tates that if we are to suc- 
ceed we must preserve our 
health. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
is the method employed by 
the wise man who has 
learned through observation 
and experience that this 
health science gets sick 
people well quickly and na- 
turally. 
Start getting well today. 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
HOURS 
See page 241 LETTERS ADVERTISING SPINOGRAPH EQUIPMENT 
229 
graph (X-ray) equipment. In every case where there is the 
slightest doubt in my mind as to the actual condition, I shall 
insist on the use of the spinograph, both for the protection 
of my patients and for my own reputation. I shall be very 
pleased to serve you and I feel a justifiable pride in placing 
at your disposal this splendid equipment. 
With every good and kind wish, 
Chiropractically yours, 
Letter No. 2 
Dear Sir: 
Very few people realize the wonderful advances which 
have been made in a scientific way during the last decade. 
Not the least in importance among these is the development of 
the X-ray in its many phases to the point where today it is 
an exact science which reveals conditions that heretofore have 
been largely the subject of speculation. 
The chiropractor is no way concerned in the use of the 
X-ray machine for treatment purposes. His entire concern 
is in correcting the position of those segments of the spine 
which are not in proper alignment. This he does by use of 
the hands only and the patient need fear no danger from this 
procedure. The chiropractor is concerned in the X-ray equip- 
ment only as a means of determining the position of the spinal 
segments so that he may most effectively do his work. The 
use which the chiropractor makes of the X-ray is to produce 
photographic films which register the exact position, size, 
shape, and condition of each and every segment of the spine 
which is subjected to the exposure. 
Chiropractors in the best equipped schools of Chiropractic 
today are thoroughly trained in the operation of X-ray ma- 
chines and patients may come to my office with the full as- 
surance that they will receive the very best ability at my 
hands. The reading of X-ray films of the spine is impossible 
for one who is not trained to the work. Here, too, the chiro- 230 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
praetor is given a training which is peculiar to this profession. 
His reading of spinal films is most accurate because his entire 
training has been to specialize along this line. 
I invite the public to visit my offices and inspect my X-ray 
laboratory. I have installed it because in many cases I feel 
that it is a necessity to do the best grade of work. It is the 
last word in the chiropractor's equipment and it makes pos- 
sible the discovery and correction of conditions which other- 
wise might be readily overlooked. 
With every good and kind wish, 
Chiropractically yours, 
Letter No. 3 
Dear Sir: 
Chiropractic is a scientific principle founded on the dis- 
covery that wherever a diseased condition exists, a causative 
factor will be found in the spinal column. At first thought 
this may seem merely a far-fetched conclusion. We must 
understand that every single organ and tissue of the body is 
supplied by nerves and that these nerves are given off from 
the brain. They lie in the spinal cord for a distance, and then 
make their exit between the bones which form the spinal 
column. With this knowledge we begin to understand some- 
thing of the connection between the spine and remote organs. 
It is the purpose of these nerves to convey vital force 
from the brain to all parts of the body. In this respect they 
are like telegraph wires which convey messages from one 
operator to another. These nerves maintain their full carry- 
ing capacity and the organs which they supply remain in a 
normal state so long as the nerves are not interfered with. 
Sometimes it happens, however, that the bony segments which 
form the spinal column become misaligned, and when 
they do, they constrict the openings through which these 
nerves pass. When the openings are constricted, then the 
nerves are squeezed and the result is a decreased carrying LETTERS ADVERTISING SPINOGRAPH EQUIPMENT 
231 
capacity and abnormality in the organs which these nerves 
supply. 
It is the chiropractor's province to discover which nerves 
are impinged at the spine, and having made that discovery, 
to correct the position of the spinal segments that the pressure 
may be relieved. You can understand, then, how vitally im- 
portant it is for the chiropractor to make no mistake in his 
procedure and to determine accurately just which bony seg- 
ments (vertebrae) are at fault. To depend upon his fingers 
to determine this important fact is not always reliable. It is 
for this reason that I have installed in my office the very best 
X-ray equipment to be had. This equipment enables me to 
discover without question of doubt just which vertebrae are 
involved and are at fault in producing pressure on the nerves. 
When I have discovered that, I have arrived at the cause of 
your disease, whatever it may be. 
I give you this information that you may know that you 
have in your community a chiropractor who is not only thor- 
oughly equipped with an extensive training in Chiropractic, 
but one who has placed at your disposal the equipment which 
is the best guarantee the chiropractor has of assured results. 
With every good and kind wish, 
Chiropractically yours, 
Letter No. 4 
Dear Sir: 
Every one knows that the human body has a skeleton, 
a framework of bone upon which the softer tissues are molded 
and to which they are attached. Very few people, however, 
realize that plant life has its framework of tough fibrous struc- 
ture upon which the more delicate parts are suspended. The 
X-ray equipment in my office discloses this unusual feature 
in a most interesting way. I have taken several films of vari- 
ous kinds of plants, and these show the very delicate fabric, 232 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
which I am sure will be most interesting to every school child 
and to many adults. 
The remarkable thing about the X-ray is that it is capable 
of penetrating very delicate objects or very gross ones. Fewer 
of the rays, however, penetrate compact materials, while many 
of them pentrate loosely constructed materials. Thus it is 
that when the hand is placed over a film and an exposure 
made, the outline of the bone is readily discernible. As this 
is true of the hand, it is also true of the spine, and it is this 
fact that makes the X-ray such a valuable asset to every chiro- 
practor. 
By making X-ray exposures of those cases which he feels 
are of a questionable nature, he eliminates, as much as can be 
eliminated, every possibility of wrong conclusions in determin- 
ing which segments of the spine are at fault in causing your 
disease. That some segment is at fault is beyond question. 
This is true because disease is the result of pressure on nerve 
fibers and the only place where nerve fibers can be pressed 
upon is at the spine where they pass through tiny openings 
between the spinal segments. The use of the X-ray deter- 
mines which of the segments is at fault and thus enables 
the chiropractor to give to his patients the most accurate 
service. I want you to know that I have provided for my 
office the very best equipment obtainable for this purpose. I 
have done so because I am vitally interested in the welfare of 
my patients, and I am also vitally interested in sustaining the 
enviable reputation which I have built in this community 
through the results I have obtained. 
Chiropractically yours, CHAPTER XVIII 
LETTERS ADVERTISING THE NEUROCALO- 
METER 
The Neurocalometer, as the latest discovery in the Chiro- 
practic profession, provides a wonderful opportunity for ad- 
vertising, not only to new prospective patients, but also among 
the old patients of the practitioner. The Neurocalometer 
marks an epoch in the development of Chiropractic. It is 
radically different than any other method which, up to the 
present time, the chiropractor has employed. It is strictly 
Chiropractic and yet it provides a means, not only of mate- 
rially assisting the chiropractor in discovering the subluxa- 
tions to be adjusted for any particular condition, but its very 
character is calculated to inspire the patient with confidence. 
The chiropractor who invests his money in the Neuro- 
calometer should do more than merely make such investment 
and then expect to obtain the best results by following his 
old system of advertising. He has an added advantage to his 
service; he has increased his equipment; he has increased his 
efficiency, and he is justified in making every use of that in- 
creased efficiency just as a commercial institution is justified 
in advertising the merits of its particular product. The Neuro- 
calometer is distinctly a Chiropractic innovation. It is new 
and it is distinctive. It should, and if properly handled, will, 
provide a remarkable increase of business for those chiro- 
practors who employ it. 
Here, however, the same thing may be said about the 
copy which advertises it as is said about the spinograph equip- 
ment. No chiropractor, who has the advantage of the Neuro- 
calometer, should in any way carry on an advertising cam- 
paign, either in the newspapers or direct by mail which would 
233 234 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
REflSAN 
THE DAY OF BLIND AND 
UNREASONING FAITH IN ANY 
SYSTEM WHICH CLAIMS TO 
RESTORE HEALTH IS GONE. 
THIS IS AN AGE OF REASON. 
CHIROPRACTIC 
CAN GIVE YOU A CLEAR, LOG- 
ICAL REASON FOR YOUR ILL 
HEALTH. AND IT CAN SHOW 
YOU EVERY REASON WHY 
CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS 
WILL GET YOU WELL. 
START GETTING WELL TO- 
DAY 
HEALTH 
CHIROPRACTORS 
Address Phone 
hours 
See page 241 LETTERS ADVERTISING THE NEUROCALOMETER 
235 
tend to show the incompetency or the lack of equipment in 
any other chiropractor's office. It has been tried repeatedly, 
and every business that has attempted to build its own reputa- 
tion at the expense of its competitor has found that such a 
policy is disastrous. It is not good advertising. It isn't done, 
and it isn't done because advertisers have found that this 
principle in advertising does not pay. It leads to controversy, 
through the press or through other advertising media, which 
shakes public confidence in all the chiropractors concerned. 
The public does not know which is right. The people are not 
in a position to know, and yet so long as chiropractors fly at 
one another's throats, so to speak, and criticize one another's 
methods, and criticize one another's ability, through the printed 
word, just that long will the public refuse to have any con- 
siderable confidence in either one. 
Each should content himself in his advertising by pre- 
senting the merits of Chiropractic and his ability. If he pos- 
esses an ability, or feels that he possesses an ability, to deliver 
Chiropractic which is of some special concern to his clientele, 
he is perfectly justified in expressing that belief so long 
as he does not tear down confidence in any other chiro- 
practor. 
I submit the following letters, which deal more or less 
directly with the Neurocalometer, because I feel that there 
will be an immediate demand and a constantly growing de- 
mand for advertising material of this character, and I feel that 
one of the most effective ways to bring the desired informa- 
tion home to the minds of the prospective patients is through 
direct by mail literature of this kind. 
These letters, like all other direct by mail letters, should 
be personalized; they should not be printed or mimeographed 
forms. Not only should they be typewritten, but they should 
be signed, not with a rubber stamp, but in pen and ink as any 
other letter is signed which is calculated to get attention. 
These letters should be sent approximately ten days apart; 236 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
they should be sent under two-cent postage and to the homes 
of the people for whom they are intended. 
The chiropractor who has the Neurocalometer, has a won- 
derful opportunity to take advantage of the advertising pos- 
sibilities which it affords, and if he fails to do so, he loses 
much of the value which the purchase of this instrument en- 
titles him to. 
Dear Sir: 
What would you say if I told you that there has been 
recently developed an instrument which will lead the chiro- 
practor unerringly to the cause of your physical disorder? 
Would you not be surprised if I would place this instrument 
in front of you and prove, through actual demonstration, that 
it registers just where the trouble in your spine is located? 
Would not such a statement startle you and wouldn't its value 
in your case be of the greatest concern? 
Every sick person is interested in getting well. They 
want to accomplish this end in the best, safest, quickest, and 
most scientific way. They want to know that when they have 
regained their health, it is not a matter of temporary relief but 
is a permanent condition. All these are the things which 
Chiropractic holds for you and all these are things which I 
am in a position to give to you. 
I have just lately acquired an instrument which will do 
the very things that I have indicated above. It is a most deli- 
cate instrument and one which has been produced and is en- 
dorsed by no less a man than B. J. Palmer, the leader of the 
Chiropractic profession. He gives it his unqualified recom- 
mendation. Patients come to him from all over the world, 
and when this man speaks, his opinions are given the most 
careful consideration by every chiropractor. It is largely upon 
his recommendation that I have added this equipment. I have 
done so because I feel that my patients deserve the best that 
is to be had. 
Letter No. 1 LETTERS ADVERTISING THE NEUROCALOMETER 
237 
Will you not call me at my office or permit me to call 
at your home and prove to your entire satisfaction that at last 
an instrument has been devised which establishes Chiropractic 
and its efficacy without question of doubt. 
With every good and kind wish, 
Chiropractically yours, 
Letter No. 2 
Dear Sir: 
Every chiropractor knows that the principles upon which 
the Chiropractic science is founded are absolutely correct. 
Every chiropractor also knows that he has had cases which 
have not obtained the results which he feels justified in ex- 
pecting. All this is not because the fundamental principles 
of the science are in error, but rather because human judgment 
is a factor which has had to be considered. This is true of 
every profession. The ability of the professional man or 
woman in whose care you place yourself is of vital import 
to you. 
At last there has been developed an instrument which 
reduces the importance of human judgment, in the discovering 
of what procedure to follow, to a minimum. I have just lately 
added this instrument to my equipment. It is being used and 
is highly endorsed by the leading chiropractors of the world. 
It is beyond question the most important advance that has 
been made in the Chiropractic profession for years. 
This little instrument registers the most minute varia- 
tions in temperature and is used by the chiropractor in de- 
termining where the impingements of the spine exist which 
are causing the patient's physical disorder. I can place this 
instrument before you, and you can see the indications which 
it registers. It will indicate just what parts of the spine are 
necessary for the chiropractor to adjust. It proves beyond 
question the chiropractor's contention that the cause of your 
disorder lies in the spine and it does more than that. The 238 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
results which the chiropractor attains under its use are the 
best evidence I can present to convince you of its efficacy. 
I want you to have the advantage of this equipment. I 
am interested in your welfare and in my professional reputa- 
tion. Both are at stake when you place your health in my 
hands. Neither can survive without the other. I know the 
importance of this instrument in proving the cause of your 
disorder and I want the opportunity of convincing you of its 
vast importance to me in my work. Will you not call at my 
office or call me by phone and permit me to give you this last 
word in Chiropractic service at your home? 
With every good and kind wish, 
Chiropractically yours, 
Letter No. 3 
Dear Sir: 
Every disease has a cause. The chiropractor has always 
maintained that the cause of disease lies in the spine and he 
has corrected in millions of cases the causes which have led 
to all manner of disease. There is resident within the brain 
a vital energy upon which the body is dependent for its normal 
function. The nerves, which extend from the brain, down 
through the spinal cord, and thence to all the organs of the 
body, carry this vital energy and without them no organ could 
maintain its function. 
When the heart, the stomach, the kidneys, or any other 
structures of the body do not perform their proper work, the 
patient suffers, but the inability of the organs lies in the fact 
that the nerves are incapable of conveying the proper amount 
of vital energy to them. The only place where the carrying 
capacity of a nerve can be interfered with is at the small 
opening where these nerves make their exit between the bony 
segments of the spine. When one of these bony segments is 
not in its proper position, the opening through which the nerve 
passes is decreased in size and thus the nerve is pressed upon. 239 
LETTERS ADVERTISING THE NEUROCALOMETER 
When this happens, disease of one kind or another manifests 
itself in the organ supplied by that nerve. 
It is in the province of the chiropractor to discover where 
such interference takes place and to correct the position of 
the bony segments (vertebrae) which leads to this disorder. 
Until recently the chiropractor and many other progressive 
people have seen the reasonableness of this contention and 
have later, through experience and through results obtained, 
have been thoroughly convinced of its correctness. 
There has been recently developed, however, a very deli- 
cate instrument (the Neurocalometer) which, when placed on 
the spine, accurately registers which parts of the spine are 
involved. It thus eliminates much of the inaccuracy that 
formerly obtained because human judgment was more or less 
responsible for the chiropractor's findings. This instrument 
can be placed before you. It demonstrates beyond a question 
of doubt the correctness of the Chiropractic idea and it points 
unerringly to those parts of the spine to which the chiropactor 
must give his attention in order to release the pressure on 
the nerve fibers and thus correct the cause of the disease 
from which the patient is suffering. This instrument I have 
lately added to my equipment. I want you to have the bene- 
fits which it brings to all my patients. But above all I want 
to convince you through its use of the rightness of the funda- 
mental principles upon which Chiropractic is founded. Will 
you not give me this opportunity, either by permitting me to 
call at your home, or by calling at my office? 
With every good and kind wish, 
Chiropractically yours, 
Dear Sir: 
Would it be surprising to you if you could come into my 
office and be seated before a very delicate instrument which 
would, without fail, detect those places in your spine where 
Letter No. 4 240 
CHIROPRACTIC ADVERTISING 
nerve pressure was producing functional derangement respon- 
sible for your pain and suffering? 
Suppose you did do so and this instrument would show 
that four or five places in your spine needed correcting. Then 
supposing I should place you On my adjusting table and make 
the correction which the instrument indicated was necessary. 
Then suppose I should again place you before this delicate 
instrument and it would then show that the necessary cor- 
rections had been made. Would you not be convinced that 
my adjustments had been effective in getting at the cause of 
your disorder? I admit that these corrections are temporary 
at the beginning and that adjustments must be given perhaps 
a number of times before the desired results are attained; nor 
would I have you believe that Chiropractic is a miracle worker 
which can bring you instantaneous relief. 
I do want you to know, however, that this instrument of 
which I speak, and which has been recently introduced to the 
Chiropractic profession, will do the very things which I have 
outlined above. It is produced and most highly recommended 
by the leader of the Chiropractic profession, B. J. Palmer. 
His standing is of the highest. His judgment is sought by 
thousands. It is upon his recommendation that I have lately 
added this equipment in my office. I feel that you deserve 
the best that our profession has to offer. I am concerned in 
your health and to that end I am offering you and the other 
people of this community the very latest scientific develop- 
ment which Chiropractic has to offer. 
Will you not permit me to call at your home, or will you 
not call at my office, that I may prove to you the truth of 
my statements here? 
With every good and kind wish, 
Chiropractically yours, EXPLANATORY 
Throughout the pages of this work I have placed a series 
of twenty Chiropractic advertisements, two columns wide 
and five inches long. The public is not interested in technical- 
ities, but it is interested in simple statements told in an inter- 
esting way. Therefore each title is especially prepared to 
attract attention and all copy is presented with the "human 
interest" appeal the paramount consideration. 
These advertisements are all illustrated with a standard 
layout but with different titles and subject matter. All the 
work is hand drawn and even the printed matter is of special 
hand set type, especially suited to the copy presented, all for 
the purpose of making it stand out from other copy. 
Every chiropractor is entitled to use this copy in his 
newspaper advertising if he cares to do so, but it can be 
readily seen that without the layout, drawings, and special 
type, the copy will lose its effectiveness. For this reason, and 
because I feel that many chiropractors will want the layouts 
just as they are presented here, I have produced mats which 
will be sold as a series of twenty for $20.00. The series will 
not be broken, however, and at the bottom of each, where the 
chiropractor's name, etc., is found, space will be left for the 
local printer to insert your card. Address your orders and 
make checks payable to H. E. Vedder, 800 Brady St., Daven- 
port, Iowa. 
241