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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Is Piano Selling Easy?
it is 'Easy" for the People Who Never Succeed, but the Need of Intelligent Effort is Always
Apparent in Presenting Sales Arguments—Some of the Necessary Requirements of Up-to-
Date Salesmen—Salesmanship is a Profession and Men Must Acquaint Themselves With It
in Order to Achieve Even a Modicum of Success—A Good Piano Salesman Must Believe in
His Pianos—Where Tact Not Talk Counts—The Necessity of Inspiring Confidence in the
Minds of Customers—A Material Difference in the Kind of Salesmanship—Men Who Are
Selling Pianos Should Keep Posted as to Changes in the Business the Qualities of Different
Instruments and Have All the Details of the Trade at Their Finger Tips—There Should Be
an Accurate Knowledge of the Possibilities of Instruments Upon Which Much Time and
Money Has Been Expended—This Includes the Construction as Well as the Selling Ends.
I
N the golden lexicon of piano selling there is no such word as
easy. Frequently the statement is made that selling pianos is
not an easy task.
Quite right—if it were easy what would be the need of intelli-
gent effort.
Why not have a few specially prepared talking machine records
tell the whole story! Arrange a record to tell the qualities of a par-
ticular piano, the price and all that! This could be placed on by a
$5 a week boy and thus the trick would be done.
No, it is not so easy; but it is not more difficult than other lines
wherein intelligent perseverance is a necessity.
The necessary requirements of the up-to-date piano salesman
are largely identical with those of people in the various learned pro-
fessions.
A successful piano salesman receives a good salary and by rea-
son of his services he is entitled to that, for he must have not only
an individual knowledge of the piano, but he must possess as well a
goodly amount of both tact and persistence.
He must be a good talker, but he must not talk too much.
He must have a fair understanding of human nature—select his
arguments and drive them home as a carpenter drives his nails.
He must at the same time be both honest and shrewd.
A good piano salesman believes implicitly in his piano.
There is where the value of instruments of grade comes in.
A man must know the particular qualities of the various instru-
ments which he offers.
It is not necessary that a salesman should condemn other makes
of instruments than those which he sells, and if he has to resort to
abuse of other pianos he is not a good salesman.
He should try some other vocation!
The piano business is not difficult, but it is precisely what the
men make it who are engaged in selling pianos.
If it is not conducted along correct lines then it reflects the
exact principles of the men who have moulded it.
But piano selling is not easy because there is a considerable
amount of money involved in each sale and the point is to impress
upon a prospective customer the excellence of special instruments
upon which a salesman focalizes his energy.
A great many assert that salesmanship means plenty of talk.
That is not so !
We have witnessed some of the best piano salesmen in this
country selling instruments with but very little talk.
They do not embarrass their house by making all sorts of
promises and in the end almost an entire annihilation of profit; but
they possess ingenuity and originality and measure well their par-
ticular customer.
They adapt themselves to the particular needs of a customer
and are able to inspire confidence by telling a customer some plain,
intelligent facts concerning particular instruments.
Of course, there is a very material difference in the kind of
salesmanship.
The salesmen in the large cities know but very little about the
disadvantage a salesman has to overcome in selling pianos in the
country, for hunting up customers and selling them in their homes
is admittedly far more difficult than selling to a customer who comes
into the store with the obvious intent of buying.
One thing salesmen do not follow up as closely as they
should, and that is keeping thoroughly posted as to makes of pianos,
business changes, etc.
When they are able to have the details of the entire trade at
their finger tips they immediately impress customers with their great
knowledge.
We do not mean by that going into the most minute details of
the kinds of material used in the makeup of particular instruments,
for, after all, such vague sayings are meaningless to the average
customer, but an intelligent knowledge of the technical situation is
very helpful to the piano salesman. The functional power of the
action, the sounding board, the plate, in fact, all of the fundamentals
should be clearly explained, for there are too many who rely upon
an all around "jolly" to do the selling.
Now, after much time, skill and expense have been lavished
upon a really fine instrument does it not seem reasonable that a man
who is selling it should have somewhat of an intimate knowledge
concerning the particular creation which he desires to sell?
A buyer must be impressed with the facts in a forceful manner,
and that can only be done when the salesman is thoroughly posted.
It is also desirable that a salesman be able to explain the con-
struction of instruments when required, but as a rule this is con-
fusing to the lay mind because piano purchasers are not familiar
with the technical and mechanical features and soon they become
weary and restless under too tedious a recital.
A keen, psychological study of the character of each prospec-
tive customer is, of course, of great importance.
It will enable the salesman to discover his varying moods, as no
two are on the same plane of intelligence or endowed with the same
musical taste or general intelligence. Coupled with this essential is
the one requirement of unrelenting aggressiveness, sometimes wisely
held in abeyance, but always exerted with diplomacy suited to each
individual case.
No, piano selling is not easy, for it is a profession that requires
the constant exercising of varied talents.
The men who say that it is easy are the ones who only view it
in a most superficial manner.
Piano selling is an art, and the higher the art is maintained the
higher the business!
A steady avoidance of any allusion to competitors will find favor
with the majority of buyers, for the moment a salesman begins to
drag into his argument the name of a competing piano and at various
times in his talk puncture it with abuse he at once creates an interest
in the mind of the customer to investigate that particular instrument.
In the end the salesman who uses abuse loses ground with his
prospective customer.
It is far better to hold a certain amount of enthusiasm in the
products offered than to weaken the argument by abusing a com-
peting instrument.
Enthusiasm is infectious and impresses the customer with the
earnestness and sincerity of the salesman.
The question of being posted again comes up strongly when a
used piano is brought into the s^ale, for there are some pianos that
have long passed the voting age which must be considered as fac*
tors jn thp piano sale.
OH page 7.)