“The more you tell, the more you sell” is an old marketing adage. The more information that prospective customer learns about a product, the more that customer can be attracted to the product’s features. The adage was frequently publicized in the classified pages of newspapers, urging advertisers to use more ad words. “The more you tell the more you sell” was cited in print in 1896 and has been popularly used in newspapers since 1921.
 
Advertising executive David Ogilvy (1911-1999), often called “The Father of Advertising,” wrote in Confessions of an Advertising Man (1963):
 
“Says Dr. Charles Edwards of the graduate School of Retailing at New York University, ‘The more facts you tell, the more you sell. An advertisement’s chance for success invariably increases as the number of pertinent merchandise facts included in the advertisement increases.’”
 
   
19 March 1896, Adams County Union (Corning, Adams County, IA), pg. 9, col. 6:
You can’t sell goods unless you tell people about them. The more you tell the more you sell.
 
If you have something good advertise it. Some may know you have it, but there are a whole lot who do not.
 
20 August 1921, Aberdeen (SD) Daily American, pg. 1, col. 4 ad:
The More You Tell
The More You Sell
When you go to buy anything you want to now all about it. When you advetise in the Classified Page of The American and The News put yourself in the position of the buyer.
 
10 March 1922, Rockford (IL) Republic, pg. 27, col. 5 ad:
MARCH WINDS ARE NOT ILL WINDS
If you take advantage of The Republic Classified Ads. Now is the time people are looking for bargains. THis is the page for those bargains.
“The more you tell—the more you sell.”
 
Google News Archive
12 February 1934, The Evening News (San Jose, CA), pg. 7, col 3 ad:
Every successful advertiser knows that the more you tell, the more you sell. The more completely you tell your story, the better readers can picture it…the more they will want to investigate it. At low cost in The News you can tell full details of your offer, and use the full power of The News circulation to reach prospects and get results that count!
SAN JOSE NEWS
 
Google News Archive
1 March 1935, Spokane (WA) Daily Chronicle, classifieds, pg. 15, col. 2 banner”
The More You Tell, the More You Sell
GIVE A GOOD DESCRIPTION OF THE THING YOU WISH TO SELL—AN AD BELOW WILL DO THE REST.
 
Google News Archive
16 May 1949, Toledo (OH) Blade, pg. 23, col. 1 ad:
A TOLEDO BLADE WANT AD
(...)
The More You TELL
The More You SELL
 
Google Books
Confessions of an Advertising Man
By David Ogilvy
New York, NY: Dell
1964, ©1963
Pg. 109:
Says Dr. Charles Edwards of the graduate School of Retailing at New York University, “The more facts you tell, the more you sell. An advertisement’s chance for success invariably increases as the number of pertinent merchandise facts included in the advertisement increases.”
 
Google News Archive
18 November 1980, Lawrence (KS) Journal-World, pg. 15, col 1 ad:
They’ll help you word your ad to get your message across to a ready-cash buyer. They’ll encourage you to give complete information about your items for sale because “the more you tell, the more you sell!”
(Journal-World Classified Ad-Action.—ed.)
 
Google News Archive
12 October 2003, The Daily News (Bowling Green, KY), classifieds, pg. 12D, col. 9:
The More You Tell, The More You Sell. Describe your items to get quicker results.
   
Business Insider
Why Short Advertising Copy Does NOT Sell More
IRA KALB, MARSHALL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, USC
MAY 28, 2013, 11:11 AM
(...)
Dr. Charles Edwards, former dean of the Graduate School of Retailing at New York University is quoted as saying, “The more facts you tell, the more you sell. An advertisement’s chance for success invariably increases as the number of pertinent merchandise facts included in the advertisement increases.”
 
Chief Marketer
Direct Mail Tips: Length, Timing and Segmentation Matters
By Beth Negus Viveiros Mar 20, 2014
While shorter may be better for tweets and email subject lines, in direct mail, “the more you tell, the more you sell” is still the mantra for many marketers, says Craig Simpson, owner of Simpson Direct.
 
“When you get someone captive and reading your piece and you’re one on one, you have a chance to tell your story and connect with the prospect,” says Simpson, co-author of The Direct Mail Solution. “It’s just you and them, I’ve found when we increase copy length we increase response.”
   
Business 2 Community
Is Long-Form Content Part of Your Strategy?
By John Rugh, Published August 7, 2014
(...)
Consider an old adage from sales and direct response marketing that says “The more you tell, the more you sell”. You wouldn’t send sales representatives on calls with instructions to only speak 500 words, would you? Of course not. You want them to use as many words as necessary to make the sale.