Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1917 Vol. 64 N. 23

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
10
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Francisco, and then proceed to Alaska, re-
maining in the Far North for some time. H e
Improvement Over Preceding Month Shown, and Dealers Are Optimistic Regarding the Future is making the trip for needed change and rest,
—Birkel Co. Has Timely Window Display—H. B. Tucker a Benedict—Personals and Other News as well as for pleasure.
Frank Anrys, general manager of the Wiley
Los ANGELES, CAL., June 2.—The month of May partment of Barker Bros., returned last Mon-
closes with the music business in this city day from a several weeks' business trip through B. Allen Co., arrived here Thursday from San
showing a little dullness. As a whole, however, the Eastern and Middle States. During his ab- Francisco. He motored down, accompanied by
the month proved very satisfactory, yielding, in scence he placed several large orders for pianos Mrs. Anrys, and plans to remain a couple of
most cases, more or less improvement over and players with the Eastern factories, and while weeks.
B. Platt, of the Platt Music Co., returned
April. The demand for high-priced pianos re- in Chicago he inspected the convention exhibits
mains very good, and talking machines have at the Coliseum. He was honored by the em- Thursday from his trip to Chicago, where he at-
He had intended to
taken a forward spurt that has been particu- ployes of his department on Tuesday evening tended the convention.
larly gratifying during the last two weeks. with a course dinner at the Alexander Grill, go on to New York, but was able to complete his
Country business has fallen off a little from following which he entertained his hosts and business through the medium of the convention.
Clarence Lucore, well known "special sales"
what prevailed a few weeks ago, but it is gen- hostesses with a story of his trip.
promoter, was called to his old home in this
erally believed that as soon as the various crops
Establishes Show Rooms in San Francisco
city from Chicago the first of this week to at-
are ready for harvesting, which in some prod-
Harry L. Nolder, secretary and treasurer of
His father
ucts will begin in June, there will be a gen- the Starr Piano Co., Pacific branch, returned tend the funeral of his father.
eral reawakening of country activity.
last week from a ten days' business trip to passed away last Friday.
George K. Dowd, well-known piano salesman
San Francisco, Fresno, San Jose and other
Change in San Bernardino Store
The Wilson Music Co., of San Bernardino, middle-State cities. He says he found business of this city and San Francisco, has joined the
Cal., heretofore owned and managed solely by conditions very satisfactory, and especially so sales force of the Fitzgerald Music Co.
L. H. Wilson, has been reorganized as a partner- in the San Joaquin Valley. While in San Fran-
ship concern, B. R. Megenity becoming half cisco he completed arrangements for the estab-
BUSINESS FAILURES DURING MAY
owner with Mr. Wilson. Mr. Megenity was lishment of handsome headquarters and show-
formerly connected with the Pasadena branch rooms for his company in the Manufacturers' War Conditions Cause Little Disturbance in
Business During Month, According to Dun's
of the Southern California Music Co. The Wil- Exhibition Building, at 1055 Market street.
Report—Smallest Record In Seven Years
son Music Co. devoted its attention mainly to Heretofore the company has maintained only a
talking machines before the reorganization, but warehouse in the Northern city.
Comparatively little disturbance in business
Two Music Firms Moving to New Locations
hereafter will also push the piano and player
has
resulted from the economic readjustments
business. It represents the Wiley B. Allen Co.
The Fitzgerald Music Co. is moving this week
occasioned
by the new war conditions and the
Huge Torpedo Features Window Display
from 947-949 South Broadway to its new loca-
country's
commercial
mortality remains relative-
One of the large show windows of the Geo. J. tion on Hill street, near Seventh. The Smith
ly
moderate,
failures
during
May, as reported to
Birkel Co. has been attracting an unusual Music Co. is also in the midst of moving, its
R.
G.
Dun
&
Co.,
numbering
1,296 and supply-
amount of attention during the past week. It location being changed from Seventh and Hill
ing
liabilities
of
$11,771,891.
These
returns do
is featured with a huge torpedo, loaned by the streets to the corner of Grand avenue and Ninth
not include the receivership of a life insurance
local Navy Recruiting branch, in an appropriate street.
concern in Pennsylvania, involving $23,800,000,
setting. The torpedo is a five meter .45 centi-
Celebrates Anniversary With Sale
of which $21,700,000 represents reserve. Omit-
meter Whitehead, twelve feet long and eighteen
The Southern California Music Co. in cele-
ting this failure the number in May exceeds the
inches in diameter, and weighing 1,480 pounds.
bration of the thirty-seventh anniversary of
unusually light mortality of April, but the de-
Piano Man Takes a Bride
its establishment in Los Angeles, began on
faults were less numerous than in May of the
H. B. Tucker, piano salesman for the Wiley Thursday of this week a big special sale on
two immediately preceding years and the in-
B. Allen Co., of this city, and brother of Man- "every discontinued style, shopworn, used or
debtedness is below that of April and the small-
ager E. P. Tucker, was married Tuesday eve- slightly used piano, player-piano, music roll,
est for May since 1910. Thus, in May, 1916,
ning, May 29, to Miss Olive Storm, a popular music cabinet, as well as offering bargains in
there were 1,482 failures for $19,466,436, and
society girl of Azusa, Cal. The ceremony was sheet music, brass, reed and stringed instru-
in 1915» the number was 1,707, the amount being
performed in the church of Azusa, in the pres- ments." The sale is announced in a special
$21,053,212, while in the other years back to
ence of a host of friends and relatives, after full six-column advertisement published in the
1910, when less than $10,000,000 was reported,
which the couple departed on a motor honey- several newspapers.
the liabilities ranged from about $13,500,000 to
moon. Fellow-employes at the Allen Co. store
Visitors and Personals
$23,500,000, the high point being in 1914. Not-
presented the bride and groom with a handsome
Geo. J. Birkel, president of the Geo. J. Birkel
withstanding the numerical increase over April,
sterling silver carving set.
Co., departed Wednesday on an extensive tour
a tendency which has appeared in eleven of the
John W. Boothe Returns From Trip
of the Coast. He will spend a few days in La
previous twenty-two years, there is much that
John W. Boothe, manager of the music de- Jolla and perhaps a couple of weeks in San
is encouraging in the May insolvency record,
iiiiiiiiiiiimniiiiiiMiiiiniiiiiiiiiMiiii
especially when the steady increase in firms in
business is considered.
PIANO TRADE FOR MAY SATISFACTORY IN LOS ANGELES
If you had no complaints or kicks —
— or orders to "send a man over right away!"
— if you weren't kept busy repairing players
you have sold—think how much you would
save in a year; not only in money, hut in
good will!
Mighty little new business comes from the
knocking of dissatisfied, disillusioned pur-
chasers. It is the satisfied purchaser who is the real business booster.
And if you want to meet a satisfied purchaser talk to the owner of a
LAUTERHUMANA
The Lauter-Humana is not only a beautiful instrument as to tone,
responsiveness, and artistic capability; it is the player-piano that
positively gives no repair troubles—a fact proven by actual experience.
It is sold by us with a five-year guarantee, in writing. Ask any
Lauter-Humana dealer about it.
Catalogs and full information upon request
LAUTER PIANO COMPANY
:: :: NEWARK, N. J.
Makers of hauler Uprights, hauler Grands, The hauter-Humana
BALDWIN CO. PUSH LIBERTY LOAN
Plan Inaugurated Whereby Employes May Sub-
scribe to War Fund
CINCINNATI, O., June 7.—In order to arouse
the interest of its employes in the Liberty
Loan the Baldwin Piano Co. with its customary
progressiveness and thoughtfulness has offered
its employes a plan whereby they may subscribe
to this loan by borrowing the necessary funds
from the company.
The announcement to the employes read as
follows:
"The Government has called upon all its cit-
izens to assist in the prosecution of the war to
a speedy and successful issue. The great Lib-
erty Loan offers to everyone his or her oppor-
tunity, especially to those of us who have not
been called upon to bear arms.
"The bonds are to be issued in denominations
of $50, $100, $500 and $1,000, and will bear in-
terest at the rate of 3 l / 2 per cent.
"The Government has done its part in pro-
viding bonds in small denominations and, in
order to make it possible for any of our em-
ployes to participate, we have decided to loan
them the funds they need to cover the purchase
price, on terms as follows:
"Minimum, 10 per cent, down; minimum, 2
per cent, each week thereafter.
"Interest on deferred payments 3 l / 2 per cent,
(same as allowed by the Government)."
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
SALESMANSHIP
A Complete Section Devoted to Piano Salesmanship Published Each Month by The Music Trade Review
Conversation and Its Relation to Piano Salesmanship
There Is Always a Point in Every Piano Sale Where Conversation Becomes Super-
fluous, and If Persisted in Beyond This Point the Sale Is Liable to Be Lost
ARK TWAIN told a story once of attending a church serv-
M
ice where the minister was down for a sermon on foreign
missions. He was an eloquent and persuasive speaker. At the
climax of his discourse, he had Mark going, as it were, and so much
under conviction that nothing short of a ten dollar bill in the plate
would have satisfied his conscience; if the sermon had ended and
the collection started right then. But the speaker continued to
speak, and as he went on, it began to seem to Mark that the heathen
were not so badly off after all; probably five dollars would do. And
so it would, if the sermon had at that moment come to an end
and the plate been poked into Mark's face without further ado.
But the orator was too much engrossed in the subject—or in
the orator—to know when to stop, so he kept on talking. The
longer he talked the more the early enthusiasm which Brother
Twain had for the cause of the poor, benighted ones in the dark
continent continued to dwindle, dwindled from ten dollars to five
dollars, from five dollars to two dollars, from two dollars to one
dollar, from one dollar to fifty cents. And the upshot of it was
that when the stream of talk had finally been shut off, Mark had
acquired a positive antipathy to the heathen, and had decided to
give them not a nickel. The plate did finally reach him; and by
that time he felt so mean that he stole ten cents out of it.
That is a classic example of the error of excessive conversa-
tion. It is, of course, possible that the renowned Mark has here
taken poetic license in respect of some details; but the moral is
plain. It is, to be brutal; "know when to stop chewing the rag."
Gentlemen who sell pianos and player-pianos are prone to
believe that silver tongued oratory is a prime requisite of sales-
manship. Yet the most successful salesman in the piano line whom
we have as yet met. if not actually mute, is at least a taciturn and
saturnine person. He says very little, but what he says is to the
point. He might qualify as the boy who put the "tac" in tacit;
if the humor be not too deep for the attentive reader.
Now we have observed a great deal of the technic, as it may
properly be called, of the successful salesman aforesaid and have
seen that he values, as above price, the faculty of listening. He
is an expert listener and does far more listening than he does talk-
ing. It is a truth familiar to all observers that prospective pur-
chasers of specialty goods like pianos and player-pianos are anx-
ious to inform everybody just what sort of instrument is wanted,
how much it must cost, how reluctant father is to pay for it, how
mechanical player-pianos do sound, don't they; and so on and so
forth, to the extent of several hundred words, more or less.
Now it is a paradox, but true, that the less a salesman tries
to sell a talkative customer, the more likely he is to sell that chatty
person. The talkative man or woman—may we venture to say—•
especially the latter—likes to hear his, or her, own voice, and
usually cannot resist the temptation of taking the lead in the con-
versation. The consequence is that if the person be left alone and
allowed to talk, he or she will do all the.inspecting, all the comment-
ing on the points, all the asking of questions; so that the salesman
will have simply nothing to do except to speak when he is spoken
to, answer all questions and look pleasant. The longer one sticks
to the selling game, the more certain it is that the less one talks,
all things considered, the better it is for all concerned.
Of course, this is not intended to be taken as a hard-and-fast
rule, but it is valid as a general statement of a widely applicable
principle. The converse of the above applies to the salesman who
has a wagging tongue. There used to be an idea that selling is a
matter of persuading folks to buy what they do not really want. So
long as such a stupid and false idea prevails in any man's mind, it
is certain that he will hypnotize himself into the belief that his
prospect has to be talked into buying. But this rests on a fallacy,
for nothing is more certain that the effort to persuade, as soon as
it is perceived by the prospect, arouses the hitter's hostility. If
the prospect has a strong mind, then this aroused hostility will
almost certainly operate to prevent the closing of the sale. If he
or she is weak, the sale may be made, but it will be a sale made
under protest, as it were; and one that may not stick. Sales made
under a sense of doubt and a feeling of constraint are not good
sales. Likewise, sales that are not good sales, are not permanent
sales. Lastly, sales that involve the element of impermanency,
or, to put it bluntly, sales that involve sending the snatch wagon
at the end of three months, are not desirable, and ought never to
have been made.
True salesmanship is square. It recognizes that legitimate per-
suasion is one thing and talking a prospect into a sale quite an-
other. One has every right to ask a person whether he or she can
be interested in a piano or player-piano, every right to talk the merits
of one's goods as high as regard for truth will allow; but it is
wholly wrong and against the spirit of modern salesmanship en-
tirely to try forcing the customer's inclinations.
It is for that reason that the chatty salesman is often not
quite so successful as he might be. The chatty one lets his tongue
govern him and falls into the error of supposing that the sale is
made always on account of the oratory, whereas it is often in
spite of it. The best salesmanship is that which knows its goods
thoroughly, knows their strong points, knows how to explain them,
knows the competitors' strong points, knows how to combat them,
knows the causes which operate to create desire for the goods,
knows how to size up the mental level of the prospect, knows
whether the prospect can probably afford to buy, knows that goods
sold on price are no good; and keeps his mouth severely closed on
every other topic.
We have played very strongly on the verb "to know"; and
thereby hangs a tale. Salesmanship is not conversation, it is knowl-
edge. The best salesman is he who knows most and talks least.
The language we speak changes constantly. It is always de-
veloping, always expanding; yet sometimes narrowing, too. For in
Shakespeare's time the word "conversation" meant one's whole
conduct, not merely one's talk. If one were to say that the basis
of salesmanship is right conversation, one would be stating ejpi-
grammatically a very wide, nay, an universal, truth. And the best
of it is that it works equally well both ways, ancient and modejrn.

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