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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
REVIEW
EDWARD LYMAN BILL - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorial Staff:
B. B«ITTAIN WILSON,
A. J. NiCKLiN,
CARLETON CHACE,
AUGUST J. TIMPE,
BOSTON O F F I C E :
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Telephone, Main 6950.
L. M. ROBINSON,
W M . B. WHITE,
GLAD HEHDB«SON,
L. E. BOWE*S.
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E
HENRY S. KINGWILL, Associate.
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N E W S S E R V I C E IS S U P P L I E D W E E K L Y BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS
LOCATED IN T H E LEADING CITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICA. ,
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Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
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t j o n s o f a technical nature relating to the tuning, regu-
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lating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos are
I C l l I U l U l l lFCpai I l i r c i l t o . d e a ] t w i t h > w i l l b e f o u n d i n another section c this
paper. We also publish a number of reliable technical works, information cone rning
which will be cheerfully given upon request.
(
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900
Silver Medal.. .Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma
Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Gold Medal
St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal. .Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905.
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Cable addreai: "Elbill, New York."
NEW YORK, AUGUST
14, 1915
EDITORIAL
HE manager of a local piano wareroom who has been making
a study of efficiency in its broadest phases, while in an ana-
lytical mood the other day, asked: "Do salesmen ever stop to
think that it costs just as much to lose a sale as to make it?" He
added: "If you call upon a man and get a flat turndown, it's all
right to grit your teeth and go on to the next prospect. But don't
forget that you've lost a certain amount of time on this man and
your time is worth money. It may have cost you something for
carfare. A certain amount of overhead expense has been charged
up against you.
"In other words, every call you make costs the firm $4.50 or
$5.00, or some other definite amount. It costs this much whether
you come back with an order in your pocket, or whether you simply
come back. Figure out how many calls you make a day or week
and how much it costs to make them.
"Figure out the average number of calls you make on a pros-
pect before you get an order out of the prospect. What will such
figures do for you ? Just this :
."They will incline you to work a little harder to make each
call count. They will make you less willing to accept no for an
answer, or to be put off, which means another call and more selling
expense. They will make you push each prospect harder so you
will get the business now instead of to-morrow.
"They will make you realize as never before that the purpose
of an interview or a call is to get business—that each call repre-
sents a definite money value, and that the quicker you can get your
money back the better the business man you are."
T
of importance have discussed and for the most part highly ap-
proved of the Klugh plan. The National Piano Manufacturers'
Association, the National Association of Piano Merchants, the
National Piano Travelers' Association, the Music Publishers'
Assocition of the United States, the National Association of Sheet
Music Dealers, the National Association of Talking Machine Job-
bers and the American Guild of Piano Tuners, have all given
favorable consideration to the Klugh plan at their annual con-
ventions held this year and it is fully believed that at lea-t a ten-
tative association along the lines laid out by Mr. Klugh will be
formed at a meeting of committees appointed by the various asso-
ciations in New York next February.
When the Klugh plan for the Music Trade Chamber of Com-
merce was first broached at the meeting of the Hoard of Control
of the National Association of Piano Merchants in New York last
winter it was looked upon as visionary and Utopian in character,
due largely to the fact that many of those to whom the matter was
presented failed to thoroughly understand the object of the Cham-
ber of Commerce and believed that it meant the formation of one
big association to take in all those at present representing different
branches of the trade. Such a thing would of course be out of the
question, which fact Mr. Klugh understood as well as anybody else.
There are a thousand and one things, however, that are of vital
interest to all branches of the trade, freight rates, for instance, and
a certain class of national legislation, and concerted action is im-
possible at the present time through lack of any means for bringing
about such action. With all the trade associations represented in
the Chamber of Commerce, however, the entire course of the
organized music trade would be placed back of any worthy object
or squarely against any harmful condition, or purpose, without de-
lay and to the benefit of every branch of the industry.
That the various organizations have seen fit in convention to
give favorable consideration to the Klugh plan and appoint com-
mittees to arrange for carrying out the idea is encouraging and a
result of the February meeting will be awaited with interest.
HE report of business conditions made by the Chamber of
Commerce of the United States and referred to in our
Washington correspondence elsewhere in The Review, is couched
along optimistic line-;. It is a report which takes a distinctly hope-
ful view T of the future after a careful survey of the business situa-
tion in all the principal industries in the United States.
From this report it is evident that the former feeling of
apprehension and uneasiness that "something was going to hap-
pen" because of the European war, has almost entirely disap-
peared, and business is getting back to a normal, healthy basis in
a great many industries.
There are some exceptions, of course, and the piano industry
may be numbered among them, for our business is the first to be
affected by depression or unsettlement, and the last to recover. It
is w r orthy of note, however, that where special efforts are being
made by dealers, particularly in the smaller manufacturing centers,
some excellent results have accrued, and as a result shipments
have been made by manufacturers with pleasing frequency to the
smaller towns—a significant indication of bettering conditions.
T
D
AY after day a large number of letters are received at this
office from piano merchants, salesmen and tuners through-
out the country, expressing enthusiastic approval of the many
valuable and instructive features bearing upon their respective
lines of effort which appear in The Review weekly. They consult
its columns not only for the news which is covered so volumi-
nously from all parts of the country, but for the constructive ideas
which are set forth in the various departments and which evidently
are eagerly and beneficially availed of by our subscribers.
In one letter received last week from Carl B. Rule, manager
AUL B. KLUGH, of the Cable Company, Chicago, is to be of the Schmidt & Lane Piano Co., Tiffin, O., he made this very
heartily congratulated upon the success that has attended the
pertinent remark in renewing his subscription for The Review:
development of his idea looking toward the formation of a Music
"It is just as important that we receive The Review as to re-
Trade Chamber of Commerce in which every association in the ceive pianos; both are important factors of the business."
music trade, whether piano men, supply men, talking machine men
This is admirably put, and should be the viewpoint of every
or sheet music men, would be represented by delegates at regular
progressive manager toward the trade paper, particularly The
conventions held for the purpose of discussing problems of interest
Review, which aims at uplifting the industry in the broadest pos-
and importance of every branch of the trade at large.
sible sense for the well-edited trade paper is indeed as essential to
Up to the present time practically all the trade organizations
a well-conducted business as is the stock of pianos.
P