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THE
MUSIC TRADE
pocketbooks, but in addition to the large wareroom we think that
every piano establishment which can afford it should have at least
one or two private exhibition rooms.
In support of this statement w 7 e might say that one of the main
factors which go toward making a sale, is the ability of the sales-
man to secure the prospect's undivided attention. It is not enough
merely to get a man's ear, but he must be in a position where his
mind will be at least free from outside interruption. He must be
in good susceptible form, and if the salesman is clever he will con-
centrate his efforts to win the man to his way of thinking, tem-
porarily at least. Now, if he has a small show roo'm where he can
sit down and have a heart to heart talk with his customer where,
entirely free from interference of other people who may be coming
in interrupting him for some trivial matter, he can focus his whole
strength on the customer. He can follow out a line of thought and
argument calculated to convince the prospective buyer that the time
to buy is now, and that the piano to purchase is before him. In
other words, when one has a customer alone and entirely free from
other influence, it is possible to exercise the full strength of sales-
manship.
These sales conditions are at their best in our opinion in small
individual showrooms. We have seen the attention of many a
customer diverted in larger rooms by callers coming up to the
salesman and joking with him about some trivial affair, thus break-
ing up a splendid line of argument which the salesman had brought
to bear upon his client to the point of having him almost convinced
and the sale clinched. By the interruption he had to go back over
the same ground again, take up the thread and follow it up only
to be broken in upon again. Now this weakens the efforts of the
best salesman in the world and does much to interfere with sales
closing. Individual salesrooms do away with the possibility of in-
terruptions and in a large degree enable a salesman to focus his
strength upon his customers when he has them where he can exert
all of his influence to effect the sales. The less the diverting influ-
ences the better the sales strength.
T
HAT branch of the industry which we colloquially term "the
supply trade" is deserving of the warmest praise for the atti-
tude of its members in the aiding and upbuilding of the piano in-
dustry.
It has been claimed by some that credit has frequently been
extended to undeserving parties who have helped to keep alive that
kind of competition that honest manufacturers who pay their bills
have found difficult to meet. Of course, there may be sporadic
cases in any great trade where the unworthy obtain credit, and, of
course, no man who pays his bills can meet the competition of a
man who does not and there has been and always will be probably
until the final trumpet is sounded individuals who can work upon
the sympathies of others to the extent of getting monetary or mer-
chandise backing. It may be that in the supply industry indi-
viduals have gained credit where it should not have been given
them. Of course such cases have occurred and probably will occur,
yet it 'must be said in all fairness that the men of the supply in-
dustry have aided-in every consistent manner the development of
piano making.
They have given credit to deserving men in the days agone
and they have seen their actions richly rewarded by the steady de-
velopment of honest industry. There are plenty of men of good
character and practical business views who are long in honesty and
integrity, but short on cash, but character and ability form assets
which are not easily put aside. We can name quite a number of
piano manufacturers who commenced years ago in a modest way,
men who worked and saved and whose character standing insured
them reasonable credit on the part of supply manufacturers. This
credit was generously extended and as a result these enterprises
have grown and thrived and are to-day sound financially and in
every other wa^y. These men would not, perhaps, have succeeded,
surely not as emphatically as they have, had not credit been given
at the inception of their business by the supply industry. It is
therefore right to say of the men who compose this branch that
they have been liberal and broad-minded in their treatment of the
trade as a whole, and have been a powerful factor in its strength
and development. They have not given credit indiscriminately—
they have exercised keen judgment and discriminating tastes in
extending in the main, credit to those men whose character and
standing entitled them to consideration at their hands.
REVIEW
Even wild oats seem tame to some wild young men.
Some men grow under responsibility, others merely swell.
The power of a determined will has made men successful in all cases.
Don't be afraid to drive home a strong talking point in every way
possible.
Will power is.a wonderful force in making things go as we like to
have them.
Some men are thrown in the shade by their rivals, others stand in
their own light.
Between air ships and submarine boats the coming generation won't
be on the level.
The pessimist doesn't believe in putting off until to-morrow the trouble
he can borrow to-day.
It is better to pay for one paper you want than to receive a dozen
free that you don't want.
him.
No man knows it all. When he thinks he does it is time to avoid
He is not pleasant company.
The man who lacks courage in these days presumably will be crowded
further down the line when the flood tide of business comes in.
The highest qualities of salesmanship are necessary when business is
a trifle off, and the man who wins out clearly demonstrates his ability
to stand near the front of the line.
NOT ALONE FIGURATIVELY.—"Jigson is a man who always puts
his best foot forward."
"That explains why I can never tell whether he's walking or skipping."
PREJUDICED AGAINST BILLY SNITZ.—Some one shoved a dead
coyote through the basement window into the cellar of Billy Snitz's pala-
tiai two-room shack, thereby causing the members of the family to wear
clothespins on their noses except when the cabbage was cooking. That
superlative degree of infamy, known as Skinny McAllister, is suspected
of the crime, as he was seen feeding poisoned meat to Jenkins' pet coyote
last week.—Riverton (Wyo.) Big Bend Bazoo.
CURIOUS ADVERTISEMENTS.—The following advertisements are
not the product of a funny man's brain, but actually appeared in news-
papers of various cities:
"Big bargain sale now on—don't go elsewhere to be taken in. Come
in here."
"A lady wanted to sell her piano, as she is going away in a strong
iron frame."
"Furnished apartments suitable for gentlemen with folding doors."
"Two sisters want washing."
LIBELED.—"Are you the editor?"
"We are."
"My name's Jones—George H. Jones."
"Sit down, Mr. Jones."
"Not on your life! Your paper printed an article about me yesterday."
"Yes?"
"You called me a corrupter of public morals, a thief, a blackleg and
a lot of other things."
"We did."
"Well, sir, I am here to tell you, by thunder! that my middle initial
is H. and not J. If you can't spell my name right after this, let it alone!"
COULD RUN SOME.—A college boy, shabbily dressed, applied to the
foreman of a sheep camp one day for some employment. TJie foreman
looked him over somewhat critically and inquired what he could do.
"Oh, I don't know much about ranch work, but I used to be on the
track at college and I can run some," replied the youth.
"Well, go over on that hillside and run those sheep into the corral,
and then we'll see what we can do for you," said the foreman.
The boy was gone a long time, but finally returned and reported to
the foreman.
"Did you get them all in?" asked the boss, as he looked at the young
fellow, who seemed to be somewhat out of breath.
"The sheep were no trouble, but the lambs were so nimble they took
most of tho time, but I finally succeeded in getting them in, too," said
the boy proudly.
"Lambs, lambs!" repeated the foreman; "why, there aren't any lambs;
you must be crazy."
"Just come down to the corral and see for yourself," said the youth.
The foreman put on his hat and went to the corral and found two
jackrabbits. He looked at the boy.
"I told you I could run some," returned the latter.