Catherine the Great

I like to praise and reward in a loud voice and to scold in a whisper.

Madame, you must be gay; only thus can life be endured. I speak from experience for I have had to endure much, and have only been able to endure it because I have always laughed whenever I had the chance.

All punishments by which the human body might be maimed are barbarbarism.

All this is only for the mice and myself to admire!

You were in a mood to quarrel. Please inform me once the inclination passes.

It is better to inspire a reform than to enforce it.

We pay attention to every demographic in every country, so we’re going to focus on building things that teens are going to like, and we’re also going to focus on building things that other folks are going to like.

What really decides consumers to buy or not to buy is the content of your advertising, not its form.

I’m not looking to be a personal manager.

The best of merchandise will go back to the shelf unless handled by a conscientious, tactful salesman.

It was impossible to operate in the aluminium business without krysha – very real physical protection.

Profits made out of the distress of the people are always much smaller than profits made out of the most lavish service of the people at the lowest prices that competent management can make possible.

Any business arrangement that is not profitable to the other person will in the end prove unprofitable for you. The bargain that yields mutual satisfaction is the only one that is apt to be repeated.

Exchange ideas frequently.

If I had asked them what they had wanted, they would have said a faster horse.

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

We wish all users of Ford cars to know what they are entitled to.

No one loses anything by raising wages as soon as he is able. It has always paid us. Low wages are the most costly any employer can pay. It is like using low-grade material–the waste makes it very expensive in the end. There is no economy in cheap labor or cheap material. The hardest thing I ever had to do was to reduce wages. I think we were the last big company to come to it. Now I am mighty glad that wages are climbing again.

Only a fool never changes his mind.

There is one rule for the industrialist and that is: make the best quality goods possible at the lowest cost possible, paying the highest wages possible.

A manufacturer is not through with his customer when a sale is completed. He has then only started with his customer. In the case of an automobile the sale of the machine is only something in the nature of an introduction. If the machine does not give service, then it is better for the manufacturer if he never had the introduction, for he will have the worst of all advertisements-a dissatisfied customer.