Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
APRIL 20,
1918
II
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
CONDUCTING A RETAIL PIANO BUSINESS IN WAR TIME—(Continued from page 9)
supreme confidence for the bigger and better
things. The safety of our nation during pres-
ent conditions depends upon the trained intel-
ligence and efficiency of its soldiers. The need
of men of this character in our business is
equally as great. The principle is the same.
The shortage of stocks, the consequent elimina-
tion of unstable competition is going to enable
those who are financially sound to be more dis-
criminating in regard to the class of sales made.
"When we broached the subject of bigger
payments our men who were obsessed with the
habits of the past almost to a unit argued
against the idea; however, when we come to a
conclusion we have a habit of following it up
regardless of the opinion of others. The re-
sult has been gratifying beyond our expecta-
tions. We have nearly doubled the payments
down upon players and phonographs and our
monthly payments have been increased very
gratifyingly. We are also receiving some nice
cash business which has come as a result of the
increased confidence of the sales force.
Of
course, you well know we are aided in our ef-
forts by a house that is financially sound and
with foresight keen enough to prepare for just
this emergency. The district manager of this
company, C. V. Bissell, is a courteous, intelli-
gent gentleman whose ideals are fully in ac-
cordance with my own personal views, and from
the stand we have taken the results obtained
lead us to have no fear for the future." -
Corley Tells of the Need for Better Financing
and active. Free tuning and drayage should be
discouraged and good prices obtained for this
work.
In other words, every department of
business should be placed upon a profitable basis.
If expenses are too high for the volume of
business obtained, then expenses should be re-
duced to a point that the sales obtained will
net a fair net profit. This, I believe, about
covers the situation.
"In conclusion will say that no business man
should have any fear of the future, but he should
be alert to every phase of his business, in the
meantime assisting the Government in every
possible way to prosecute this war to a suc-
cessful conclusion. He should subscribe to Lib-
erty Bonds to the extent of his ability, and per-
haps a little more, for after all the world would
not be worth living in unless we were able to
break the power of the German tyrant, and take
it from me, that power is going to be broken."
are educating our salesmen to overcome any
particular trait in their character that tends to
weaken their efficiency.
We are training our
men to think; to think well before they speak
so as to talk in a logical and dignified manner
to the quality buyer. People who buy the bet-
ter class of' merchandise as a rule are intelli-
gent people who think for themselves and will
not give respectful attention to inflated stories
or a senseless bargain proposition.
"My advice would be to follow the system we
are employing in our own business. Cut off
every needless expense, fire the loafers and the
deadheads, get together with your selling force,
pick only the most intelligent and dependable
men, and educate and train fhem to drive with
RICHMOND, VA., April 15.—John G. Corley, head
of the Corley Co., this city, and ex-president
of the National Association of Piano Mer-
chants, declares that the new order of things
in the trade caused by the war offers a great
opportunity for the piano dealers of this coun-
try to not only make money, but to put their
affairs on a stronger financial basis.
"One of the troubles with the dealer in the
past," said Mr. Corley, "has been overselling
and overbuying; constantly straining his finan-
cial ability, advertising and placing pianos on
ness. Proper retail prices must be demanded
and received if we are to be successful. The
cost of doing business now in the retail line
has greatly increased, and the proper way to
meet this condition is to adjust prices, selling
pianos on the new basis of doing business.
"There is more money in circulation now than
at any time in the history of our country. There
is a strong demand for music of every kind,
and if the dealers fail to put their affairs in a
strong financial shape now they never will.
Collections should be guarded and handled
closer than ever before. Long extensions should
be discouraged, and where accounts are not
satisfactory instruments should be immediately
brought in, put in salable condition and sold,
thereby keeping the assets of the business live
J. Henry Ling Sounds a Note of
J. G. Corley
terms of nothing down and terms as low as $1
per week. Many dealers use this method to at-
tract trade to their warerooms, hoping to raise
the customer to better terms and prices when
they call to examine the line of instruments.
Therefore, the public has been educated to be-
lieve that pianos could be sold on these very
ridiculous terms, with the result that the dealer
has been unable to meet his obligation and has
become a burden upon the manufacturer.
"As I see the future, financial credit will be
restricted and the output of pianos decreased,
.which means, first, that the dealer must demand
a much larger initial payment on his sales and
larger monthly terms, working at all times to
get as many cash sales as possible. I do not
believe we have reached the point where we can
put the business on a cash basis, but we can
materially, and very easily practically double the
terms that we have been getting in the past.
As the war continues the output will be mate-
rially decreased; at the same time a dealer, under
these circumstances, is not justified in overbuy-
ing. His purchases should be normal, or even
a little less than normal.
"There is a strong market now for second-
hand pianos.
These instruments should be
brought on the floor and disposed of quickly,
thereby bringing a good live asset to the busi-
murica/name
Jnt/ieWor/d.
DETROIT, MICH., April 15.—J. Henry Ling, well-
known piano merchant of this city, is of the
opinion that the first consideration of every
business man should be to put forth every ef-
fort to win the war, while, of course, seeking
means to adjust his business affairs to that end.
"Let's not think of business but win the war,"
he declared, "I know a piano man who lost
money last year and yet insisted on paying an
income tax on what he had spent personally,
and I do not know a friend who would not
give all he possessed and his life as well rather
than see one jot abated from the present posi-
tion of our country. And yet it is not wise
for those of us who must stay behind to relin-
quish our efforts to keep business going, for
the nearer we can keep things running in the
usual way, the less difficulty will there be in the
readjustment period after peace has been de-
clared.
I deplore, however, those efforts of
some of our friends in the business to 'butt in'
where their actions and words are destructive
rather than constructive.
"First of all, it is an ideal time to 'diseducate,'
if I may coin a word, those shoppers who have
been taught to believe that a piano man is only
manufacturing collateral.
The 'nothing for
thirty days and $1 a week' advertisers will soon
have to revise their methods.
"It is not a harsh thing to say that men who
have no capital will soon improve the piano
business by seeking some other business where
they will not be trying to run a bank on another
person's money.
"As far as my vision goes, we piano men are
entirely to blame for putting a dignified and
honorable business in a position before the pub-
lic which is not occupied by any other legiti-
mate form of merchandising. Before this can
be corrected, certain manufacturers will have
to be willing to manufacture less goods and
sell them on less 'hot house' methods. Piano
men will have to learn to wait longer for re-
sults and study the meaning of the phrase 'pluck-
ing sales before they are ripe.' Over-soliciting
PIANOS
and, yes, over-advertising will have to be
stopped.
"The attitude of the Government on economic
subjects during the progress of the war will be
a great education to piano men and, unfor-
tunately for some piano men, the public is also
receiving a liberal education along this line. In
some way or other the retail merchant's profits
must be reduced and the manufacturer's in some
cases increased.
"It is a time for economizing, revising meth-
ods, facing responsibilities.
It is a time for
the 'boss' to leave the golf links and get back
on the job and send the boys to the front, and
while they are getting ready to go to the front
let the boss sell Liberty Bonds. A dollar looks
pretty small nowadays, let's give up a few like
good sports."
Feature Music As
A War-Time Necessity,
Advises R. S. Smith
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., April 13.—R. S. Smith,
with the house of Byron Mauzy, sees the chief
danger to the business of the retail piano mer-
chant to-day in the advice of various public
speakers and writers urging the people to econ-
omize and refrain from buying pianos, automo-
biles, jewelry, etc., and believes that every ef-
fort should be put forth to counteract such ad-
vice.
"The one condition confronting the piano
dealer of to-day," says Mr. Smith, "is the con-
tinued advice upon of many public speakers and
writers not to spend money for various Ameri-
can products, such as pianos, automobiles, jew-
elry, etc. We hope our remarks will not be
considered unpatriotic when we say that this
is a mistake.
"We think the only way to place the public
in a position to help the Government is to en-
(Contitiued on page 12)
ORGANS
E5TEY PIAND COMPANY NEW YDnK CITY
Patriotism
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dealer JntheTJrade.