James Cash Penney

There’s no better friend to any merchant than a fair competitor.

I believe a man is better anchored who has a belief in the Supreme Being.

Courteous treatment will make a customer a walking advertisement.

We can serve our customers well only if our buying jobs are right. You cannot sell if you haven’t ordered wanted goods into your store.

Salesmanship, too, is an art; the perfection of its technique requires study and practice.

Too many would-be executives are slaves of routine.

In Moscow I feel most comfortable. I’m used to four different seasons; it’s difficult for people in London to understand. People brought up in Russia like my kids want to play in the snow.

I was never involved in arms trading. In the Russian Federation, arms trading is the prerogative of the state.

A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.

I have a great, great company. I employ thousands of people. And I’m very proud of the job I did.

Salesmanship, too, is an art; the perfection of its technique requires study and practice.

It was always my practice to train salespeople under my direct supervision, and to treat children with the utmost consideration.

I never insisted that I was a good student.

I believe in trusting men, not only once but twice – in giving a failure another chance.

The best way to make money in business is not to think too much about making it.

It’s a new endeavour for me. I’ve never run a territory. I’ve never talked publicly to people. I’ve got to try it just to see whether I like it.

Test ideas in the marketplace. You learn from hearing a range of perspectives. Consultation helps engender the support decisions need to be successfully implemented.

Listen – it makes you sound smarter.

Entrepreneurs are always taking feedback, especially from their customers, bankers, workers, and sales force. Without straightforward feedback, entrepreneurs cannot make sound decisions.

I just think people have a lot of fiction. But, you know, I mean, the real story of Facebook is just that we’ve worked so hard for all this time. I mean, the real story is actually probably pretty boring, right? I mean, we just sat at our computers for six years and coded.

Some manufacturers illustrate their advertisements with abstract paintings. I would only do this if I wished to conceal from the reader what I was advertising.