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Staff post about: P.T. Barnum Become an Author

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Master of the Show: P.T. Barnum is Born

The Fiji Mermaid, Siamese twins Chang and Eng Bunker, General Tom Thumb the Midget – besides being considered “freaks”, they all had in common one man, P.T. Barnum. He was a master showman whose rise to fame came in the 19th century thanks to his traveling “freak shows”. But Barnum was more than that; he was above all else an entrepreneur and a highly successful salesman. Barnum knew how to get people talking. Today, the legacy of his work lives on in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, still billed as ‘The Greatest Show On Earth.’

The Greatest Show on Earth: Barnum Soars to the Top

In 1836, Barnum met Joice Heth, a woman who would change the course of his life forever. Heth was blind and almost completely paralyzed, but she could still speak, and what she was saying sparked an idea in Barnum. Heth claimed to be the 161 year old former nurse of George Washington. Barnum was intrigued both by her story and by the possibilities presented therein. If Heth could catch his attention, how many others would be lured in by this oddity as well?

Lesson #1: Playing it Safe is Not Playing at All

When Barnum was just 19 years old, he started the weekly newspaper, “The Herald of Freedom.” Based in Danbury, Connecticut, the paper was meant to be controversial from the onset. Barnum wanted to use the four-page “Herald” as a platform from which to argue against religious oppression and the militant Calvinism in which he was brought up. On every issue was even printed Thomas Jefferson’s famous saying, “For I have sworn upon the Altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.”

Lesson #2: Promotion is Your Company’s Best Punch

“Without promotion something terrible happens,” Barnum once said, “nothing!” A master promoter himself, Barnum understood the importance of making a splash and just how to do it. He first started his circus at a time when every Tom, Dick and Jane had their own traveling road show. Thus, he knew he had to make his just a little bit different than the rest in order to stand out. Indeed, it was by using showmanship and promoting himself to no end that Barnum succeeded where the others failed.

Lesson #3: There is a Danger in Dreaming Too Big

“Many persons are always kept poor, because they are too visionary,” Barnum said. “Every project looks to them like certain successes, and therefore they keep changing from one business to another, always in hot water, always ‘under the harrow.’” When Barnum was struggling to find his way in the work world, he did just that – struggle. His early career paths were as varied as could be. From a lottery agent to a store clerk to a newspaper editor, Barnum tried his hand at a number of different ventures. However, he learned the hard way that was a danger in spreading himself so thin. None of the schemes proved especially successful, forcing Barnum to reexamine his priorities, interests and capabilities.

Lesson #4: Give People More Than Their Money’s Worth

Much like the hoaxes for which he became famous, so too was the widely held belief that Barnum was the first to ever say, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”. He never did say those words. In fact, quite the opposite was true. More than any of his competitors, Barnum believed in giving his customers more their money’s worth. It was for this reason that people stayed loyal to him, keeping his business afloat when others were sinking around him.

Lesson #5: Invest Your Best Capital in Your Customers

“Politeness and civility are the best capital ever invested in business,” said Barnum. “Large stores, gilt signs, flaming advertisements, will all prove unavailing if you or your employees treat your patrons abruptly.” In growing the most successful circus in the U.S., Barnum came to learn that it was not enough just to get the sale. Instead, what was important was making sure that customer would come back time and time again. Barnum was a master promoter, but he knew there was no advertising as valuable as word of mouth recommendations.

Stealing the Show: How Barnum Made a Success of Himself

His association with ‘freaks’ and clowns has often led to him being overlooked as a businessman, but Barnum was indeed one of the most successful entrepreneurs of the 19th century. He started with nothing but determination, and used that to build a brand and an empire that continue to thrive today. How did he do it?

P.T. Barnum Quotes

P.T. Barnum Quotes

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