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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
or not, so far as the prospect is concerned, and whether he is
showing his prospect the right kind of goods or offering the
right kind of selling arguments. A piano salesman cannot sell
his goods successfully without closely watching his customer's
expression.
Just as the same idea will leave different impressions on
the mind of different individuals, so will the same article appeal
in a different way to different people. The same piano will
make a different impression, and have a different appeal with
each person who sees it. This fact cannot be overcome.' The
salesman cannot change his piano to meet every whim and
fancy of his prospect. lie cannot put a mahogany case on a
piano for the benefit of the customer who does not like Circas-
sian walnut, nor can he change the mellow tonal qualities of the
piano to suit the requirements of the prospect who desires a
more brilliant tone.
While it is ti*ue that the average piano salesman has at his
command a line sufficiently extensive to suit the varied tastes
of the average customer so far as tone, finish, size and ornamen-
tation go, the fact remains that the piano itself must stand on
its own merits and on its own particular qualities. It there-
fore follows that it is almost impossible to make a piano that
will appeal in every minute particular to every prospect, and
(Salesmanship)
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because of this fact the personality of the salesman is of para-
mount importance, for the favorable impression which the good
salesman makes upon his prospect, by reason of his personality,
should be more than sufficient to offset any minor unfavorable
impressions which the customer has regarding the particular
instrument being sold.
The salesman cannot adapt his piano to every whim of the
prospect, but he can adapt himself and his selling methods to
the peculiarities of each individual whom he tries to sell. The
way the salesman approaches the customer, the way he stands,
walks, his looks, his expressed interest in the prospect, his dress,
his voice, the way he speaks, his cleanliness of clothes and per-
son, all leave definite impression upon the prospect's mind, and
these things can be modified, changed, or adapted, so that they
will make the greatest possible appeal to each different prospect.
Thus it will be seen that the salesman himself is really the
most important individual factor in the consummation of a piano
sale. Given a prospect who has the general desire for a piano
already in his mind, and aided by an instrument of good qual-
ity and of general appeal, the piano salesman who thoroughly
understands his work will so adapt himself and his selling
methods to suit the fancy of his prospect that his efforts in a
large majority of cases will be crowned with success.
Handling a Special Sale of Rebuilt Pianos Properly
A Spring Sale of Second-Hand and Rebuilt Pianos Offers the Salesman an Opportunity
to Get Rid of His Used Stock, and Also to Obtain Prospects for New Instruments
HILE theoretically the expert piano salesman should never
W
need the aid of the special sale inducement to help him sell
pianos, nevertheless this season of the year offers a most legiti-
mate opportunity for the salesman to do some really constructive
work, and that through the medium of a sale of rebuilt and used
instruments. A special sale of second hand or rebuilt pianos is
most logical at the present time, and the reason for the sale and
its scale of reduced prices is entirely obvious.
During the recent Christmas season the sales of high grade
pianos exceeded all previous figures. In many cases these pianos
were purchased by people who already had pianos in their home,
and who traded in their old pianos for new ones. These old
pianos, in a majority of cases, were pianos of good make, that,
though used, still were capable of producing fairly good music.
There has been sufficient time since the close of the holiday
season to have had these old pianos sent to the repair rooms and
fixed up. The piano salesman, therefore, is not forced to make a
specious or somewhat doubtful explanation of the reason for the
second hand sale, nor for the accompanying reductions in price.
Women are naturally lovers of bargains. This is known and
recognized by the great merchandising institutions of the country
which, at different seasons in the year, hold special sales of furni-
ture, carpets, housefurnishings, white goods and in fact almost
every commodity in general use. Many women wait for these
special sales and lay in a six months' or a year's supply, when the
sales appear. The appeal of a sale of rebuilt pianos is, therefore,
particularly strong to a woman, and it is a known fact that the
woman is a potent factor in almost every piano sale.
The prospect who comes into a piano store seeking a rebuilt
piano must be handled somewhat differently than the prospect
who desires a new instrument. In selling a new instrument a
salesman very often finds that the prospect is only mildly inter-
ested in the construction of the piano. It usually is a question
of finding a piano with a good name, with a tone that suits the
musical fancy of the prospect, and that can be purchased at terms
that fit the prospect's pocketbook. The purchaser of a rebuilt
piano, however, is usually particularly interested in the construc-
tion of the instrument. He will peer inside the case in an
endeavor to see just how much wear and tear has taken place, and
the salesman must remember that his strongest talking points
will be those portions of the piano which have been renewed.
If the piano has been restrung, if a new action has been installed,
or a new set of hammers put in, the attention of the prospect
should be called to this fact. In other words, the prospect should
bjs convinced that he is getting, for the price, a piano that is
worthy and that is capable of producing good music.
The greatest value uf a sale of rebuilt pianos lies in the oppor-
tunity it affords for the salesman to secure prospects for new
pianos. If a second hand itfa.no is purchased, the chances are
that the purchaser should ultimately prove a good prospect for a
new piano. Especially is this true where the piano goes into a
home that hitherto has contained no musical instrument, or where
it is purchased in order that a child may begin to study music.
The largest retail stores in the country often offer bargain
sales in certain commodities, and even sell those commodities at
less than wholesale price, thereby losing money on each sale,
because of the fact that the customers who are attracted to the
store by the particular bargain offered will most likely purchase
other goods, the profit on which will more than make up for the
loss in the sale of the bargain. The bargain sale is used merely
as the attraction to get the customer into the store. This prin-
ciple can be applied by the piano salesman with excellent results.
If a prospect is attracted to a piano store by reason of a sale of
rebuilt instruments, it is often an easy matter, by pointing out
the intrinsic difference between a new piano and the one that has
been rebuilt, to switch the prospect's desire to the new instrument.
This is where the piano salesman will find the greatest oppor-
tunity for the exercise of his judgment. If a prospect calls for a
second hand instrument and the salesman believes that the pros-
pect cannot logically afford to buy a new instrument, no attempt
should be made to sell him anything except what he asks for.
But if the salesman is confident that the prospect can afford to
pay for a new piano or player, then the salesman should show him
that it is to his best interests to buy the new instrument. This
can easily be done. Pianos, even the best ones, will not last for-
ever. An old piano may have a good tone now, but how long will
that good tone remain? Old pianos, automobiles and furniture
have a faculty of going to pieces suddenly. A new instrument
may be guaranteed for a long term of years and will give 100 per
cent, service during that period and longer, and the appearance of
a new piano is always better than that of a rebuilt one.
Another important factor is that the owner of any second
, hand article always has the feeling that the original owner got
most of the good out of it. One never feels the same pride of
ownership in a used piano that comes from the possession of a
new instrument. People ordinarily, of course, prefer new things,
and the reason that there is any demand at all for rebuilt pianos is
because of the money-saving thought. A prospect who cannot
afford to purchase a new piano^must, of course, be satisfied with
a second hand one, but the piano salesman will find that in a
majority of cases the prospect who seeks a cheap piano can afford
to purchase a new one, and will do so, if properly handled.