Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1913 Vol. 57 N. 8

f
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
mum
THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPULANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Stall:
B. BKITTAIN WILSON,
CAILSTON CHACX.
L. M. ROBINSON,
GLAB HIKHMOIT,
A. J. NicKLiN,
AUGUST J. T u n ,
WII. B. WHITE,
L. E. B o w n i
BOSTON OFFICE:
CHICAGO OFFICEt
JOHN H. WtL.CN, » 4 Washington St.
_£. P. VAN HABXINCEN, 17 South Wabash Are.
_ ,
' . . . .,.,7.
HENBY S. KlNGWILL, Associate.
Telephone, Main 6960.
R o o m 8 0 J P Telephone, Central 414
PHILADELPHIA:
MINNEAPOLIS a n d ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUISt
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
ADOLF EDSTXN.
CLTM JBNNINOS
SAN FRANCISCO: S. H. G»AY, 8« First St.
DETROIT, MICH.: MOMIII J. WHITE.
CINCINNATI, O.: JACOB W. WALTIIS.
BALTIMORE, MD.i A. R O I U T P U N C H .
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.: STANLEY H. SMITB
MILWAUKEE, W I S . : L. K. MBYEJL
LONDON, ENGLAND: 1 Gresham Buildings, Baainghall St., E. C.
Published Every Saturday at S7S Fourth Avenue, New York
hntered at the New York Post Of/ice as Second Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION, (.including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year; Canada,
$8.60; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, M-60 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly cuntiacts, a special discount is allowed. Adrertising Pages, $76.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency forms, fhould be made parable to Edward
Lyman Bill.
Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning, regu-
lating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos are
dealt with, will be found in another section of this
paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information concerning which
will be cheerfully given upon request.
Player-Piano and
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grmnd Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900
Silvir Mtdml.. .Charleston Exposition, l«0*
DirUm*
Pan-American Exposition. 1901
Gold Utdal
St. Louis Exposition, 1B04
Gold Jtf**«/..Lewis-Clark E*»—ttion. HOI
^ _ _
LON0 DISTANCE TELEPHONES-NUMBERS S982-5M3 MADISON SQUARE
Connecting all Department*.
Cable address : "Elblll, N e w York."
NEW YORK, A U G U S T 23, 1 9 1 1
EDITORIAL,
D
E S P I T E constant criticism—and. certainly, because of it—
business methods in the music trade industry and in all lines
are showing a constantly better trend. It is a good sign for the
future of the country that business men are realizing that the old
days when business moved along automatically—when its develop-
ment was without any serious effort or the result of a tremendous
amount of applied intelligence—-are past, and that a new era has
dawned.
It is conceded that a practical education is the winning trick
in almost every trade or business, and a technical education is the
sole safe way to success in any of the secular professions.
Tt is said that the wicked often flourish, but the ignorant never.
The world at large has respect for the man or woman who knows
something, and that respect becomes profound if they know some-
thing, and know that they know it. It is true that we can make
little use of any knowledge that has been gained in "parrot-like
fashion," whether it be commercial or technical, for intelligence
and perseverance must go hand in hand with knowledge if we are
to reap a goodly share of this world's rewards. Knowledge, intel-
lectual capacity and common sense are all needed by the man or
woman who is to be recognized as a successful merchant or
craftsman.
And this is why we expect more of a man to-day than
of his predecessors. The facilities to-day offered by our leading
cities for equipping a man, either in the trade or business fields, are
such as to give him opportunities that were absolutely unknown a
quarter of a century ago.
7
"^ H E R E are times when employes of factories may be justified
in endeavoring, through concerted action, to better their con-
ditions, but there are just as many times when they take stands
against employers that are not justified by the. actual conditions
and are against their real interests. Those who have their capital
invested in factories have the right to demand that the employe
really work throughout whatever hours may constitute the work-
ing day for the factory and to so arrange the work as to produce
the greatest efficiency in the operation of the plant. Competitive
conditions of the day demand that the rules of efficiency be recog-
nized to cut down producing costs. That employes will, against
their best interests and practically without reason, refuse to recog-
nize such demands of business, is illustrated in the case of the strike
called recently in a prominent music roll factory in New England,
and which, owing to the refusal of the company to agree to unrea-
sonable demands directly against its business interests and ap-
parently prompted largely by professional agitators, has resulted
in the consummation of plans to remove the entire business to an-
other city where it is guaranteed that labor conditions will at least
insure fairness to both employer and employe.
O
N another page of The Review this week there appears a de-
scription of an advertisement which recently appeared in the
daily papers in Seattle and which for weirdness of conception
has somewhat of an edge on any previous efforts in the same
line that has come to our attention. The reasons given for the
particularly low prices for the pianos, and the advertiser has
neglected to specify whether the instruments named were new or
used, hold the palm for originality. The bankrupt factory has
been a standby of the special sale artist since special sales were first
invented, but the Seattle piano house simply uses that excuse as an
introduction to larger things. After reading that a factory
drummer left three sample player-pianos and his music rolls, the
unsophisticated can form a mental picture of a piano traveler rush-
ing around the country with his suitcase in one hand and his three
sample player-pianos in the other, just as though he were selling
shoes or a commodity of like nature. Then, again, just to help
out an old friend who has been in the hospital, his obliging com-
petitor is selling off his stock at forty cents on the dollar. To
comment on the damage to the legitimate trade that can be done
by such an advertisement is superfluous, but it simply emphasizes
the necessity for a more general adoption bv the various States of
laws against misleading advertising. The number of States adopt-
ing such measures is steadily on the increase and cases have proven
that the laws are effective in checking misleading publicity. The
Seattle piano house might be able to prove some of its assertions
in the face of such a law, but would find the task a fairly large one,
at least.
T ^ H E Western States, particularly those bordering on the Pacific
-L
Coast, are maintaining their reputation as great consumers
of pianos and player-pianos. While the sales of the latter have
grown enormously, still there has not been the cutting into the sales
of the regular upright pianos as in some of the Eastern States.
One marvels at the vast number of pianos shipped to the Pacific
Coast, and it is certainly a tribute to the wide-awake methods of
the piano merchants of these States that they are able to transact
a business of such enormous proportions with a population so small
as compared with the Eastern States.
Recently a piano man from San Francisco who was in New
York, in a chat with The Review pictured what he could do in the
way of sales in New York City with its enormous territory for fifty
miles around. He figured out the vast number of people not yet
reached to whom piano merchants in New York should sell, and he
maintained the great retail trade in this territory has only been
scratched, so to speak. Of course, he considered the situation and
arrived at comparative conclusions based upon the sales of pianos
and other musical instruments made in California as compared with
those made in New York State and environs.
His contention was that if the same methods were utilized in
going after business in the East as in the West, more pianos could
still be sold than are now disposed of in New York.
This, of course, is purely a matter of opinion, for it must be
remembered that conditions in New York and Pacific Coast cities
differ materially—that is, conditions of selling or developing pros-
pects, and securing results in a business way. The methods pursued
by the Californian may not win out in New York City, although the
gentleman referred to asserted that he could bring his force of men
into New York City and, by his methods, double the business of any
retail house within twelve months. This is a bold statement, but
it is interesting.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Principles of Salesmanship.
S
OME people have said that salesmanship is a science. Un-
doubtedly they are right. It is, however, first and primarily
a business. And, like every other business—and more than most—
it is hinged on an assortment of little things; tricks of trade, psy-
chology and bits of finesse. And it is because of those very things,
which lend interest to the business, that salesmanship is drawing its
recruits from every field of trade.
Roughly speaking, salesmanship, as now constituted, is divided
into three divisions.
First of these is the drummer, the man who sells the staples—
the necessities of life.
Second is the specialty salesman, who restricts his operations
to the selling of a given article or a given line of special articles.
And third is the man "who sells without samples"—the life in-
surance agent or the advertising, correspondence school, or stock
and bond agent.
A quarter of a century ago there were few specialties to' sell.
Most of to-day's conveniences were unknown, and those already
in existence had struggled up in local fields. The specialty sales-
man, therefore, was unknown—the business world had not learned
to set men to selling one article. And the same, in a large way,
holds good of the men who sell without samples—salesmanship, so
far as insurance, advertising and correspondence courses are con-
cerned, is a thing of modern invention.
To-day this old order is reversed. The specialty man, handling
as he does a given article of more or less revolutionary character,
finds it easy to put himself into his task. He backs his selling with
imagination, puts his own personal'enthusiasm into his work, knows
conditions and understands n1en. And, looking ahead, finds the in-
centive to make the most of the opportunities of each day and of
each sale.
Salesmanship has been defined by someone as nine-tenfhs man
and one-tenth territory and conditions. The man who can sell one
article can, under similar advantages, sell other articles, provided,
of course, he "knows the game"—in other words, that he possesses
a thorough knowledge of the construction of the goods he repre-
sents.
The first principle of selling is personal enthusiasm. The suc-
cessful sales agent must, by his own enthusiasm in his goods, be
able to compel the same enthusiasm in others. The second essential
is imagination. He must be able to imagine the importance of his
article to the particular customer upon whom he is working. Third,
he must understand human nature: he must be a student of men
and women. Fourth, he must be quick-witted and versatile, ready
at a moment's notice to change his method of attack. Fifth, he
must be analytical, capable of studying out the problems with which
he is confronted and able to get behind the surface to the hidden
cause itself. Sixth, he must be tactful. Seventh, he must be
courteous and honest. And eighth—and in some ways most im-
portant—he must possess in its highest form the requisite grit and
stick-to-itiveness necessary to success. These are, perhaps, the
eight fundamental principles of success in salesmanship. There
are others, of course. But, having those eight, it is a pretty safe
bet that the veriest amateur can develop quickly into a salesman.
Providing Professional Training for Business.
I
T is of general interest to note that a new departure in uni-
versity extension is to be undertaken at the University of
Minnesota in the fall. Twenty-five bankers and business men
are to form an advisory committee which .will direct 1,000 to
1,500 persons, men and women, in Minneapolis and an equal
number in St. Paul, or 2,500 in all, in acquiring knowledge that
will lead to greater efficiency and more rapid advancement. The
banks, manufacturing establishments and wholesale and retail
stores will be the laboratories for practical application of the
teaching in night classes. The practical business extension
course is patterned on those of the New York University School
of Commerce and Northwestern University, but is intended to
be more elaborate than either.
Prof. Charles H. Preston, of the economic department, has
sent out letters inviting various business men to take part in the
formation of the school and arrangement of courses. The courses
will lead to "certificates in commerce," showing that the student
has received the professional training which modern business
requires.
Accounting, commercial law, money, banking and finance,
stocks, bonds and investments, economic resources and foreign
trade, taxation and economic problems, public relation of busi-
ness, industrial organization and business administration, psy-
chology of business, advertising and salesmanship, fire and life
insurance, merchandising, transportation, publishing and real
estate are some of the courses contemplated. A special feature
of the course in merchandising will be a series of pictures by
experienced business men.
The accounting department will be under the direct super-
vision of the Minneapolis Society of Public Accounting. The
work in commercial law will be led by prominent attorneys.
The finance department, aside from banking, study of credits and
basis of valuations, involving a thorough course in the American
monetary system, will also give a course in corporation organi-
zation and marketing of securities.
Under the department of public relations of business the
field work will involve a consideration of the way in which busi-
ness comes in contact with the community and the Government.
Other topics under the department are the Government as
a regulator of business; the holding and transmission of prop-
erty; regulation of dangerous and offensive trades; regulation of
traffic in streets, of corporate organizations, finance and com-
merce; regulation of public service utilities and the effect of
public service industries on a city or State. A critical discussion,
by experts, will be offered on the object, efficiency and general
policy of public regulation. The psychology of business course
will provide for a comprehensive study of the human and per-
sonal elements in business.
Fixed Prices Preserve Real Competition.
T
H E R E are few who doubt that fixed prices tend to preserve
real competition in business, and in discussing this phase of
the situation in regard to recent decisions of the court on fixed
prices the New York Journal of Commerce pertinently remarked
that trade is not anxious to throttle competition, as is claimed in
most of these cases, but rather to protect itself against the opera-
tions of certain trade factors who, though they may be within their
rights, exercise them for the general destruction of legitimate trade
profits. Manufacturers contend that profits are essential to the free
movement of distribution and that more restraint of trade really
arises from the "piratical" work of price-cutters, who discourage
the general handling of products, than there ever could be from the
slight restraint involved in letting a manufacturer set his own price
and assume the risk of his product competing with similar products
instead of leaving it to his distributors to settle among themselves.
Jt was this logic which actuated the minority in a similar case
when justice Holmes expressed it as follows: "I cannot believe
that in the long run the public will profit by this court permitting
knaves to cut reasonable prices for some ulterior purpose of their
own and thus impair, if not destroy, the production and sale of
articles, which it is assumed to be desirable that the public should
be able to get."

Download Page 4: PDF File | Image

Download Page 5 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.