James Cash Penney

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

Clock watchers never seem to be having a good time.

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.

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

The greatest teacher I know is the job itself.

As a rule, we find what we look for; we achieve what we get ready for.

Investors have very short memories.

The advertisers who believe in the selling power of jingles have never had to sell anything.

Work is our sanity, our self-respect, our salvation. The day’s work is the center of everything.

I don’t know the exact details of his background but from what I have read Mr. Abramovich had a very humble start in life and has made his own luck.

Depressions aren’t acts of God; like wars, they are the work of a small group of men who profit by them.

…capitalism does live by crises and booms, just as a human being lives by inhaling and exhaling.

The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed.

If you go through some big corporate change, it’s just not going to be the same. If we sold to Yahoo, they would have done something different; if you want to continue your vision of the company, then don’t sell because there’s inevitably going to be some change.

What America needs most is aviation.

Chris and I came from nothing. We’re selfmade. We started with nothing, so we have nothing to lose. And we have everything to gain.

People in the beauty community don’t like copycats, so I think it’s important to stay true to who you are and people will stay your customer.

Two classes of people lose money; those who are too weak to guard what they have; those who win money by trick. They both lose in the end.

Ninety-nine percent of advertising doesn’t sell much of anything.

Owning a great golf course gives you great power.

I never get the accountants in before I start up a business. It’s done on gut feeling, especially if I can see that they are taking the mickey out of the consumer.