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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
PREACH AND PRACTICE "BUSINESS AS USUAL"
(Continued from page 3)
hoard food supplies, and thousands of workers are being thrown needlessly out of employment. All this is
wrong'.
"Unemployment and closed factories, brought about through fitful and ill-advised campaigns for public
and private economy, will prove a veritable foundation of quicksand for the serious work we have at hand,
"It is true the President has said 'this is a time to correct our habits of wastefulness.' Certainly, but the
keynote of his message to the people was this paragraph: 'It is evident to every thinking man that our
industries, on the farm, in the shipyards, in the mines, in the factories, must be made more prolific and more
efficient.'
"We need prosperity in war time even more than when we are at peace. Business depressions always
are bad, but doubly so when we have a fight on our hands. The declaration of war can have no real evil
effect on business. What bad effects are apparent are purely psychological and largely of our own foolish
making. For our markets are the same in April as they were in March.
"We need more business, not less. There is real danger in hysteria. Indiscriminate economy would be
ruinous. Now is the time to open the throttle."
It is the duty of piano merchants and business men in all lines to preach and practice the slogan of
"Business as Usual"—to inspire confidence among the purchasing public. Keep the good work going.
of business, in getting a new conception of the requirements of the
public—in broadening one's influence and in making one's establish-
ment a musical center, so to speak. This is particularly effective
in the smaller cities. As a matter of fact, every business man can
exercise a decided influence in his community. He can make an
impression in many ways if he only starts right.
Enthusiasm about business that bubbles over with good fellow-
ship gives the impression that the merchant enjoys his business and
must be making something out of it. People like to trade with
him. The merchant who dresses in good taste, though not ex-
pensively, will create the impression that he has taste and people
will be more willing to take his advice. The merchant who has
bought an especially attractive stock of pianos, players or other mu-
sical instruments will have better appreciation of the ones who have
taste and judgment because of the goods he has bought and what
they represent. They are silent suggestions that are appreciated
by many people. When the man has shown his good taste in dress
or stock and combined it with enthusiasm about his business there
will be many who believe in him, and his published announcements
will be the more appreciated as a consequence. If stock and sur-
roundings and merchant all show good taste and fair judgment,
the buyers of that community will listen attentively to what he
says, will read interestedly what he publishes, and will buy with con-
fidence what he offers.
The merchant must first have a reputation before people will
believe what he says. He must get the confidence of the people
by showing his right to that confidence. He must found his busi-
ness on merit and fair treatment to inspire the people of his com-
munity to look to him for ideas and suggestions. That is the
stock that gives the merchant profit and makes the store really
prosperous.
There are very many ways to make suggestions, but the best way
is to have the confidence of the folks about you and use that con-
fidence fairly. This seems like preaching, but is it not common-
sense based on experience?
HE three C's, Character, Capacity and Capital, cannot be
improved upon as a standard of credit granting, according to
J. H. Tregoe, of the Credit Men's Association. The question is
often asked: Which of the three is the greatest? To separate
them is to destroy their co-ordination; for Character, Capacity
and Capital may be likened to three important functions of the
human body—destroy one, and the best possible powers are
affected, a life is maimed.
Character, without Capacity and Capital, has slim chances of
success; Capacity, without Character and Capital, has less; and
Capital, without Character and Capacity, is dangerous.
The three combined make a perfect credit risk, and offer a
unity of qualities assuring success. In the degrees of their im-
portance as co-ordinating elements, and yet not separately, we
would say Character, Capacity and Capital, but the best of all is
Character.
T
GETTING DOWN TO PLAIN PLAYER FACTS
The education of the public along player lines is a necessity for the expansion of the player business.
There is no doubt of that; and education of the piano merchants and salesmen is also a vital necessity,
because through them will come a powerful force in the education of the public; and right here we wish to
remark that we have produced a line of books upon the player-piano which comprehensively covers the
entire player situation.
In this respect this trade newspaper stands alone, for it has been the principal source from which player
information has been available for piano merchants and salesmen for a period of years. Our latest book,
"The Player-Piano Up to Date"
is the best of the series. It contains upwards of 220 pages of matter bearing directly upon the player.
Every piano merchant and piano salesman should have a copy of this book within easy reach. It
gives to readers a fund of information not obtainable elsewhere.
It contains a series of original drawings and a vast amount of instructive and educational matter, as
well as a detailed description of some of the principal player mechanisms.
It costs $1.50 to have this book delivered to any address in the United States, and your money will be
refunded if you are not satisfied with the book after examination. No one yet has availed himself of this
opportunity. Foreign countries, 15c. to cover extra postage, should be added.
Estate of EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Publisher
373 Fourth Ave., New York