Showmanship Sells Fire Prevention to the Public
SALESMANSHIP and showmanship go hand in hand in every walk of life. A current adage in the restaurant business is that one must strive to sell the “sizzle,” rather than the steak itself. Assistant Chief Garland W. Fulbright of the San Antonio, Tex., Fire Department, has applied his theory to fire prevention. His public shows aim at selling fire safety amidst the sizzle of flaming gases, flying corks, and startling noises. When Chief Fulbright goes into action, his speech changes from a soft, unhurried Texas drawl to the staccato delivery of a professional hawker. He holds his audience in a pincers of very effective oration and fast action. When the show is over, practically everyone has been entertained, and convinced.
Fulbright claims that his fast talking on stage is a carryover from his experience in reporting fire news nightly on a local radio station, when he spoke rapidly to cover his subject within the alloted time. He now feels this same compulsion, because he usually conducts his demonstrations under a similar limit. Whatever the cause, his fast delivery communicates to the audience the enthusiasm he feels for his work, and the result is that he has everyone's undivided attention.
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