Quotes By James Cash Penney

No company can afford not to move forward. It may be at the top of the heap today but at the bottom of the heap tomorrow, if it doesn't.

Success cannot come from standstill men. Methods change and men must change with them.

No serious-minded man should have time for the mediocre in any phase of his living.

The Golden Rule finds no limit of application in business.

The well-satisfied customer will bring the repeat sale that counts.

The best teamwork comes from men who are working independently toward one goal in unison.

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.

The best of merchandise will go back to the shelf unless handled by a conscientious, tactful salesman.

Responsibilities are given to him on whom trust rests. Responsibility is always a sign of trust.

The greatest teacher I know is the job itself.

Men are not great or small because of their material possessions. They are great or small because of what they are.

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

There's no better friend to any merchant than a fair competitor.

Theory is splendid but until put into practice, it is valueless.

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

I cannot remember a time when the Golden Rule was not my motto and precept, the torch that guided my footsteps.

I was long brought up to think that it was nothing short of a crime to miss a sale.

A merchant who approaches business with the idea of serving the public well has nothing to fear from the competition.

Clock watchers never seem to be having a good time.

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

There has never been a time when a career in the Penney Company was not a challenge that brought out the best in a man.

The men who have furnished me with my greatest inspiration have not been men of wealth, but men of deeds.