Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
VOL. LXVII. No. 16
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Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., at 373 4th Ave., New York.
The Spirit of
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Oct. 19, 1918
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% c 0 o & e P " Year ent '
Service" in the Trade
HE spirit of service, or co-operation, has been developing steadily in all branches of industry. In
fact, every day we are realizing 'how much one leans upon the other. The war in Europe has
demonstrated most vividly how Government and business must work hand in hand, each aiding the
other, in order to secure the colossal results aimed at in winning the war.
Fighting methods in business will always exist, but they will be along fairer lines, for a reformation is
well under way, and the spirit underlying this movement is far stronger than many people imagine. In
every-day business we find that the merchant and the manufacturer are working hand in hand to achieve the
desired results.
"Service" is the foundation on which a greater and more successful business structure is being built. The
manufacturer to-day is spending thousands of dollars preparing suitable advertising matter in the form of
catalogs, window cards, circulars, in fact, all kinds of printed matter most attractively arranged whereby
the piano merchant's business is helped, and his path toward success made more easy.
It would seem that this generous offer of co-operation on the part of the manufacturer would be seized
upon with avidity by piano merchants, and eagerly utilized. Yet we hear of complaints from manufacturers
of pianos and players who are sending out suitable literary matter in the way of helps and hints to the trade,
that their suggestions are not accepted or utilized as they should be. In other words, there is a lack of that
co-operation which is essential to the success of this service plan.
This attitude is somewhat surprising, for only a short time ago complaints were made by piano dealers
that manufacturers of pianos or players were not as liberal in their support of their representatives by supplying
sales helps as were the large talking machine manufacturers.
Be that as it may, there is one thing sure, that the closer the intercourse between the manufacturer and
the dealer, the better for all concerned. When suggestions are sent out by manufacturers which do not appeal
to the dealer, he ought to make it a point to write and tell why, and if he can see a better way of handling the
subject his suggestions will certainly be received by the manufacturer in the proper spirit. For it takes real
co-operation on the part of both manufacturer and dealer to put any suggestion into practice.
It takes time and money on the part of the manufacturer to produce ideas which are distinctly aimed
to aid the dealer, and to help him to sell his goods. It should be the duty of the dealer handling the goods
of the manufacturer to co-operate enthusiastically so as to put these ideas into use unless they are faulty, or
can be improved upon.
Manufacturers to-day are giving serious consideration to any and every plan that will tend to help their
own and their dealer's business. Many of them have opened special bureaus for this purpose under the
management of capable men, where special literature is prepared and plans outlined to help dealers promote
business in their locality. This is a most commendable plan for developing business; it is along those progressive
lines that help to build up great enterprises.
But all these efforts are a waste of time unless dealers are alive to the necessity for action. It is certainly
disheartening to spend time and money in setting forth ways and means of helping the business of a dealer
when he treats with absolute indifference the various sales helps sent out by manufacturers.
Conditions at present render it imperative for the dealer to discard all old-fashioned,, antiquated methods
of doing business, and to adopt every new idea and method which will help him to meet successfully the keener
competition which has developed since the beginning of the war, and the dealer who deliberately disregards
and neglects to use those aids which the manufacturers offer him is certainly not conducting his business
efficiently, or with a view to securing maximum results in his sales and profits columns.