James Cash Penney

Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.

It is always the start that requires the greatest effort.

Salesmanship is limitless. Our very living is selling. We are all salespeople.

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.

Courteous treatment will make a customer a walking advertisement.

Clock watchers never seem to be having a good time.

We started learning ourselves, understanding ourselves, reading, researching, going around the world and looking at what was defined as the very best.

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

My philosophy is that if I have any money I invest it in new ventures and not have it sitting around.

My motto is: Always get even. When somebody screws you, screw them back in spades.

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

Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman, not the attitude of the prospect.

Fairs and public displays are the best means we have yet found of showing large numbers of people the real methods of industry.

Our aim is to compete with any luxury brand. Candy & Candy will be a luxury brand, recognised in Rodeo Drive, New York, Dubai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo and London. Those are the major centres in the world. It will be synonymous with the design of homes, houses, flats, yachts, aircraft and retail.

What’s the quickest way to become a millionaire? Borrow fivers off everyone you meet.

When bankers get into business they usually destroy it.

[On Laura Nyro] I said to Laura ‘You know Laura, I think we should sell your music publishing company. I think right now is the right time you have three songs in the top ten this may never happen again and I think we can get a lot of money for it.’ And I made a deal with Clive Davis to sell Tuna Fish Music for $4 million. And that was a hell of a lot of money in 1969. It made her famous, it made her rich. It got people to listen to her music with her singing.

You can’t tell me you can make any system or country work with low wages and high prices, and high wages with high prices don’t mean anything when the prices eat up the wages and don’t leave anything over.

My friends are people who like building cool stuff. We always have this joke about people who want to just start companies without making something valuable. There’s a lot of that in Silicon Valley.

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

Advertising reflects the mores of society, but it does not influence them.