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THE
MUSIC TRADE
' T N H E department stores have secured agencies for well-known
-L articles, and they have advertised them in a strong manner
with a liberal expenditure of money which would stagger the small
retailer. Then they have a systematized delivery service, and the
man whose parcel is only a small one has much less condescension
about asking that it be delivered, be the distance ever so short, than
he would if he were buying at a small dealers. It has been adver-
tising and system combined which has done away with the tremen-
dous prejudice which formerly existed toward department stores.
T
H E same may be said of pianos handled by these great empo-
riums. When the subject of department stores handling pianos
was first mentioned many looked upon it with distrust, and said it
would be simply impossible for the department store people to do
business. That the public would not patronize a department store
for pianos, that a blending of all departments where pins, needles,
groceries, corsets and shoestrings were sold under one roof would
not be a proper environment for the king of musical instruments, and
yet the developments of the past few years have demonstrated that
the deeply seated prejudice has largely died out.
One mistake has been in properly diagnosing the term depart-
ment store. Many people seem to think that it is an unharmonious
jumbling together of all kinds of manufactured goods, when, as a
matter of fact, in the most advanced stores to-day it is a perfect
blending under one management of a series of complete stores or de-
partments in which are offered for sale the products of the world.
W
ANAMAKKR in his two stores will probably sell more pianos
at retail this year than any other merchant in this country,
and yet there were those who predicted that Wanamaker could not
make a success of piano selling. In this he followed out precisely
the plan which progressive department store men have used in the
development of all their enterprises. He secured good men, placed
them in charge with power to build the department. He secured
agencies for well-known pianos. The fact that he had the agency
for the Chickering piano gave a certain dignity to his piano business
which was helpful. Wanamaker was too keen a merchant not to see
the advantage of this. He followed it up by securing representation
from some other leading concerns, until to-day he has a line of pianos
which appeal to the varied tastes. He has built his piano business
through system and through the application of sound business prin-
ciples, backed, of course, by liberal advertising.
T
AKE the yEolian Co. The development of this concern from
the little institution of former days to- its present magnificent
structure is remarkable. This marvelous evolution is a tribute to
originality, good business ideas and supplemented largely by a varied
and complete advertising system which involved liberal expendi-
tures.
When a concern can purchase eight pages in colors in the lead-
ing magazines, exploit their product in full pages in the great dailies
of New York, it must impress the average purchaser.
It does, and that is one of the reasons why the great music
trade emporium on upper Fifth avenue is the home of a great music
trade industry. It was system, it was persistence, backed by splen-
did ideas of publicity which created the trade of this business insti-
tution and all others. So the dealer who overlooks the value of pub-
licity passes by a vital question, and one which will affect his busi-
ness future, and the relaxing of business pressure which will proba-
bly come in after the holidays would be well employed by planning
a strenuous campaign for the new year.
W
I T H I N the past few years there have been several sporadic
* attempts to trade upon the reputation of older and well-
known houses, and when any matter of this kind materializes it at
once becomes a subject of trade interest.
There are now some men who are endeavoring to win business
upon the reputation of concerns whose name and trade-mark they
have endeavored to steal.
It may be well enough to say that the laws of this country should
entitle a man to engage in business under his own name if he elects.
That is all right, but it should not give him the right to deceive the
public. When a corporation is formed with the apparent intent of
the incorporators to trade upon a well-established name it demon-
strates the fact that it was not honesty which induced them to em-
bark in business. When a, name is made valuable and it becomes
REVIEW
a trade-mark of great worth, it should be the property absolutely of
the men who have created it. There is a sentiment steadily growing
in this trade which opposes that spirit of piracy. It would be in-
finitely better for men who are considering to-day any scheme to
steal the reputation of other concerns to remember that there is a
higher law than that of State and nation. That is public opinion, and
the dealer to-day who will carry a piano simply because he may in
some instances palm it off as an original will lose his own reputation
for honesty in his locality. There can be no sailing under false
colors, and every man who takes on a piano which is a spurious imi-
tation of one of our great names is contributing toward his own busi-
ness defeat.
I
N a large degree every firm entrusts its reputation to its sales-
man. Therefore an important trust is reposed with the selling
force. Reputation as much as capital influences credit, and makes it
possible for the firm to continue to increase its business. If a sales-
man has a strong sense of the truth of this he will be careful never to
abuse the credulity, of the customer for the sake of making a sale.
A salesman should never make a statement which his house would
not indorse. He should not stretch the limit of actual facts about his
trade line, and he should,not misrepresent a competitor's line.
Recently while discussing salesmanship conditions with a well-
known concern in New England the manager remarked: "Whenever
the name of a leading piano is mentioned I instruct my salesmen to
invariably speak of the house and its product with courtesy. It is
not necessary, of course, or good business to extol the merits of any
particular piano outside the ones which we are selling, or neither is
it necessary to abuse with flagrant misrepresentation the product of
a house which we know to be absolutely reliable." The world is big
enough, and there is trade enough to go around, and it is much pleas-
anter to treat each man in business with respect and dignity.
O
UR friend is absolutely correct in his views expressed above,
and if the men themselves have not respect for the craft, how
can they then instill confidence into the minds of the public? It is,
after all, confidence that assists a sale, and no merchant ever built
himself up by trying to pull down the reputation of his competitors.
Confidence and frankness are powerful forces in building a business
edifice. There never was a bigger lie than the adage, "All's fair in
love and war," or a greater fallacy than the idea that strictness and
fair play should be relaxed when it comes to piano salesmanship.
It pays to cultivate a feeling of respect for all instruments which
are worthy competitors. We should lie just as jealous of the general
reputation of the piano business as we are of our own personal
reputations.
W
HY not? If a man does not love his profession, and believe in
keeping it out of the mud of dishonor, how can he expect to
convince others that he is the only decent or respectable man en-
gaged in the business ? The abuse of competitors never contributes
much toward individual success, and it has aided materially in the
defeat of many a piano sale.
It was only this week we were chatting with the manager of a
certain piano wareroom when a lady came in and said: "I have
heard such frightful stories about your pianos."
The salesman calmly listened to the story which she poured forth
regarding" the worthlessness of one of his leading instruments. He
replied after the lady had concluded her remark:
"I had always supposed that Mr. B
was truthful in his state-
ments. He handles some excellent pianos. T had believed him to be
a fair merchant, but if you will examine the particular piano which
he has abused I think I can demonstrate to you easily whether his
representations are false or true."
He then exhibited a piano which had been the object of the
competitor's malice, and proved to the lady how utterly untrue were
the allegations of his competitor, and in the end closed the sale. This
is only one illustration of many where abuse of a competitor failed to
win trade.
H E R E is every reason-to believe that Christmas will be a par-
ticularly merry and happy one for music traders everywhere.
The business returns for the year have been bountiful and the holi-
day trade particularly pleasing. The Review extends holiday greet-
ings to its readers in every clime. May the yuletide logs burn
brightly for all members of the good old music trade industry.
T