James Cash Penney

The art of effective listening is essential to clear communication, and clear communication is necessary to management success.

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

Clock watchers never seem to be having a good time.

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

I never trust an executive who tends to pass the buck. Nor would I want to deal with him as a customer or a supplier.

No business can succeed in any great degree without being properly organized.

The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.

No human wisdom or knowledge could ever be sufficient [for] the duty of superintending the industry of private people … towards the employment most suitable to the interest of the society.

Does advertising corrupt editors? Yes it does, but fewer editors than you may suppose… the vast majority of editors are incorruptible.

The thought in my mind was that I must be a good merchant. If I were a good merchant, the rest would probably take care of itself.

It is always the start that requires the greatest effort.

I started the site when I was 19. I didn’t know much about business back then.

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.

No one should buy on reputation alone. They should come and see it and inspect it, feel it and touch it.

While several parties have expressed interest in buying the company, I’m not shopping it, I haven’t sold it and I’m not about to sell it.

What you say in advertising is more important than how you say it.

A big business never becomes big by being a narrow society looking after only the interests of its organization and stockholders.

No unemployment insurance can be compared to an alliance between a man and a plot of land. With one foot in the land, human society is firmly balanced against most economic uncertainties. With a job to supply him with cash, and a plot of land to guarantee him support, the individual is doubly secure. Stocks may fail, but seedtime and harvest do not fail.

Owning a great golf course gives you great power.

Advertising is a business of words, but advertising agencies are infested with men and women who cannot write. They cannot write advertisements, and they cannot write plans. They are helpless as deaf mutes on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera.

Did I have a problem with lying to get the job? None whatsoever.