Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1915 Vol. 61 N. 16

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorial Staff:
B. BKITTAIN WILSON,
A. J. NICKXIN,
CARLETON CHACK,
AUGUST J. TIMPE,
BOSTON O F F I C E :
JOHW H. WILSON, 324 Washington St.
Telephone, Main 6950
L. M. ROBINSON,
WM. B. WHITE,
GLAD HENDEBSOM,
L. E. BOWEI.S.
CHICAGO O F F I C E :
E. P. VAN HARLINGEN, Consumers' Building,
220 So. State Street. Telephone, Wabash 5774.
HENRY S. KINGWILX, Associate.
LONDON, ENGLAND: 1 Gresham Buildings, Basinghall St., E. C.
NEWS SERVICE IS SUPPLIED W E E K L Y BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED IN T H E LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
Published Every Saturday at 373 Fourth Avenue, New York \ . "
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), United States and Mexico, $2.00 per year;
Canada, $3.50; all other countries, $5.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $3.50 per inch, single column, per insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts, a special discount is allowed. Advertising pages $110.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency forms, should be made payable 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
«T
dealt with, will be found in another section o this
paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information cone rning
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
Player-
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Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900 Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposition, 1002
Viploma... .Pan-American Exposition, 1901 Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal. .Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905.
1OJTCI DISTANCE TELEPHONES—NUMBERS 5982—5983 MADISON BQ.
Connecting all Departments
Cable liddreas: "Elbill, New York."
NEW
YORK,
OCTOBER
16, 1915
EDITORIAL
RADE conditions in the music trade field, as well as in all
lines of industry, continue to show rapid improvement, and
there is widespread strengthening of confidence in the future.
This feeling has been intensified by the Government reports on
crop conditions just issued, which tell the inspiring story that
for the first time in the history of the United States the wheat
crop yield will be over a billion bushels, while bumper crops of
the cereal "Big. 3"—wheat, corn and oats—are predicted. The
cotton crop will greatly exceed 3,000,000,000 bushels, and 1,500-
oco.ooo bushels of oats is estimated. This is certainly a showing
which tells of prosperity with a capital P ; and means that a good-
ly share of the profits in the farmers' pockets should wend their
way into the music trade industry. In the South there is also a
distinct improvement, for that section has raised a grain crop more
profitable than the most valuable cotton crop ever picked, some-
thing never before imagined.
In every line of business there is a distinct quickening, all
pointing to a new era of prosperity. Financial reviews this week
are all couched in the most optimistic strain. In this connection
Dun's says:
"Current trade reports reflect the best conditions and pros-
pects in many weeks, few obstacles to progress now being in evi-
dence. Removal of important restraining influences imparts need-
ed stimulus to new enterprise and launching of many deferred
undertakings attests the confidence in the future.
"Broadly considered, the mercantile situation is steadily ap-
proaching a state of normal activity, while boom times have re-
turned in iron and steel, and other industries, with few exceptions,
are participating in the general expansion. The present outlook
affords a striking contrast to that of a year ago, when economic
depression was worldwide, and the demonstrated ability of this
country to meet and overcome the most perplexing problems has
had much to do with creating the optimistic sentiment that is now
everywhere manifest."
It is now up to the piano manufacturers and dealers to arouse
themselves to a full realization of the conditions that confront them
and get busy by bringing their products to the attention of the pub'
T
lie in a manner that will stimulate a fair measure of that activity
which has been too long absent in this industry.
O
F late we have observed in a number of papers advertisements
which give rise to the belief that the coupon-guessing
scheme is again coming to the front in some localities.
We have before us a check for $195 which a Western piano
company has given to one of the "successful contestants'' in a
guessing contest. This is good to apply on thj piano purchased.
We might say in passing that the cash dividend in this case
amounted to eight cents.
Naturally, when nearly $200 is given away for the successful
solution of some puzzle which might possibly disturb the brain of a
five-year-old boy to solve, the logical question is how much was the
price of the piano elongated to meet with this condition.
How can any piano merchant lower his price $195 on a single
piano in a manner like this and hope to have the people respect his
methods of doing business?
Can the people in localities where such methods are in vogue
be blamed for looking upon the piano business with grave suspicion?
There is another concern that is traveling around the country
appearing in various sections offering new pianos at absurdly re-
duced rates.
This company purchases a large amount of space in the various
towns where it opens up and exploits piano illustrations showing
enormous reductions down to as low as $37. In the cuts are shown
leading makes on th? "was-is" plan so that the readers would be
tempted to swallow some of the alluring bait offered.
It seems as if there is a pretty good opportunity for the
National Association of Piano Merchants to make some investiga-
tion regarding advertising methods.
I
T is estimated by William Woodhead, of the Advertising Clubs
of the World, that over $600,000,000 was invested in adver-
tising of various kinds in this country last year. This is absolute
and final proof, not only of its marvelous growth, but of the won-
derful results achieved.
Gerald Stanley Lee, author of that very remarkable and worth-
while book, "Crowds," says: "Success in business in the last
analysis turns upon touching th: imagination of crowds. The rea-
son why preachers in this present generation are less successful in
getting people to want goodness than business men are in getting
them to want motor cars, hats and Pianolas, is that business men
as a class are closer and more desperate students of human nature,
and have bowed down harder to the art of touching the imagination
of crowds." That is what advertising does—it touches the imagi-
nation of crowds, and that is why successful advertising is de-
pendent on a knowledge of human nature.
The time has passed for giving serious consideration to the
man who does not believe in advertising, aptly remarks Mr. Wood-
head. Advertising is as much a part of to-day's life as the tele-
phone, the trolley car or the automobile. There is nothing magical
or mysterious about it, and the greatest advertising successes have
been due to the plain use of common sense applied with a knowl-
edge of human nature, with the resulting creation of desire—the
art of touching the imagination of crowds.
Why is it that advertising has become such a powerful factor
in the business life of to-day? Why is it that it stands on a much
higher plane than it did a few years ago? Because in its early
days advertising was unworthily used in the promotion of many
sorts of fraud, and people looked askance upon things that were
advertised. But nowadays it has acquired a new dignity and new
strength, and the better publishers and better agencies are all con-
centrating their efforts in the direction that means more power and
more credit to advertising. American business is facing a better
day; the national conscience has been quickened, with the result
that sincerity and honesty pay bigger dividends than ever before.
And so it has come about that advertising men are the apostles of
business.
H I N K often of the things you do well in your business and
by some subtle alchemy the things you do not do well will
be transmitted into things of the first class. And this is even pos-
sible in the piano business.
T
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
A BUSINESS DANGER LIMIT.
(Continued from page 3.)
enter into pianos, it is certain that the man who has pared his costs down to a thin margin will
have to advance, or he will be unable to meet his obligations.
There may be some improvement in manufacturing methods; arranging work in the factory;
scheduling operations; supplying material automatically; paying properly for good work, and
paying a penalty for bad work, but there is a limit, and according to my belief the men who are
basing their business future on a price foundation, without regard to quality, are in a very
unstable position.
They are not building on a secure basis for themselves, or those with whom their interests
are interlocked.
This country has at the present time opportunities which are practically illimitable, and every
industry should share in the prosperous times which are sure to come, and while Wall Street is
going mad over war stocks, it is reassuring to note that the real values are accruing to the country
elsewhere.
We are looking for a confidence campaign to boom prosperity which will start with arguments
drawn from facts and not from the ticker.
It will endure by conducting business on a sound, rational and reasonable basis, by adopting
methods in which the quality standard is kept well to the front by creating a feeling of stability in
the trade and respect for the piano business.
This condition cannot come through the influence of the fly-by-
nighters or the men who have no appreciation of what an obligation
means.
These matters are well worthy the serious consideration of all
branches of the music trade. There is danger in the unwise conduct
of modern business.
Developing Larger Trade in Player-Pianos.
N
OT a few piano merchants complain of a falling off in the
demand for player-pianos during the past six months, and
the question arises, is this due to natural conditions or to the in-
difference or lack of enthusiasm on the part of dealers?
From the head of the house as well as the sales force the
player-piano requires special treatment, not alone as far as its sales
promotion is concerned hut also the necessity of giving the closest
attention to a customer after the sale is made.
The purchaser who is instructed to operate the player intelli-
gently and to use rolls which please instead of offend the suscepti-
bilities of the neighbors, becomes the best kind of missionary, and
the dealer or salesman who keeps in close touch with the purchaser
of a player-piano to the end that the utmost satisfaction prevails, is
doing the kind of work that will result in new customers—ergo, in-
creased business for his house.
The example of some of the talking machine men who have
built up large businesses is well worth observing in this connection.
They make it a point to have customers called upon regularly, not
to instruct them as to the operation of the talking machine, for it
doesn't require it, but rather to find out the needs of the purchasers
in the iratter of records.
If the very same plan were adopted by the player dealer it
would he doubly effective, because it is probable that the player-
piano may develop some minor imperfection that could be remedied
by a visit, while at the same timj the need of the customer for new
music rolls comes to the surface and an order invariably results.
It will be found upon close observation that the majority of
the dealers who report a falling off in the player trade are those
who do not "follow up" the people to whom they have sold players,
and who unwisely consider that a sale once made closes all dealings.
On this subject a traveling man this week remarked to The
Review: "Close contact with the marketing of player-pianos, both
wholesale and retail, convinces me that-the prevailing evils are the
shortage of salesmen who know how players should be sold to the
retail buyer so as to make each sale help toward another, and this
category, too, comes the need of an intelligent 'follow-up' system, so
that every player sold is an investment, so to speak, for the house
in the matter of interesting other prospective customers. This can
only be accomplished where co-operation prevails, where the sales-
man's personality influences the- buyer to operate the player so
artistically as to interest others, and in this way place the trade on
a basis far removed from the hurdy-gurdy effect which is too
common among player users. Tlr;n if the music roll situation is
to be bettered it can only be done through this sort of co-operation
—through making the owners of player-pianos appreciate the value
of high-class, standard music—at least see that it is given a fair
chance. Quality in music rolls will be appreciated if the dealers or
sales force appreciate the merits and value embodied in th se
products and present them to buyers in the proper light—not as
give-aways but as products just as necessary to the production of
good music on the player-piano as the high-class record is to the
talking machine."
KALERS who have investigated the business-building merits
of coin-operated musical instruments have been more than
pleased with the money-making results obtained threfrom, for the
possibilities afford rich opportunities for piano merchants in every
part of the country.
An element which is widening business possibilities in this
particular line is the moving picture business, for, go where we
w jU— eV en in the smaller towns—there are a number of photo-
play or moving picture houses. Thee require entertaining equip-
ment, and, of course, tlr.re is nothing that fits in so admirably as
automatic musical instruments. In fact th y are indispensible to
the house that wants to be up-to-date.
The field is constantly growing, and piano merchants are real-
izing more than ever before the advantage of handling these in-
struments.
D
T
HE life of every business is salesmanship. Every business
depends on its selling for existence. Stagnation at the selling
end produces heart disease in that business. The greatest handicap
a business can have is a poor selling

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