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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
RMLW
PUBLISHED BY EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc.
President and Treasurer, C. L. Bill, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Vice-President,
J. B. Spillane, 373 Fourth Ave., New York; Second Vice-President, Raymond Bill, 373
Fourth Ave., New York; Assistant Treasurer, Wm. A. Low.
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
RAYMOND BILL, B. B. WILSON, Associate Editors
WILSON D. BUSH, Managing Editor
CARLETON CHACE, Business Manager
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V. U. WALSH, W M . BRAID WHITE (Technical Editor), E. B. MUNCH, L. M. ROBINSON,
C. A. LEONARD, EDWARD LYMAN BILL, SCOTT KINGWILL, THOS. W. BRESNAHAN, A. J.
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Departments conducted by an expert wherein all ques-
tions of a technical nature relating to the tuning,
regulating and repairing of pianos and player-pianos
are dealt with, will be found in another section of
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SEPTEMBER 18, 1920
in New York and other cities have gone into other fields. Men
w T ho for years have been selling pianos, who have good reputations
in the piano field and who specialized in this business, have forsaken
the trade to go into other lines of work. Bond selling and stock
selling have attracted a surprising number, while others have gone
into the selling of automobiles and into other lines where apparently
they felt they would receive larger financial returns with less effort.
Managers in the East who have really made an effort to get
in touch with salesmen have been somewhat discouraged in their
efforts. The applicants show some interest until it comes down to
a question of payment, and when the percentage of commission on
piano sales is mentioned there develops an immediate coolness.
There are those who declare that something must be done to make
piano selling more attractive to the average man who seeks to enter
the merchandising field on a permanent basis, but just how to
develop this attractiveness is a problem that has not yet been solved
satisfactorily. Being a stable product, the sale of a piano cannot
bring a commission comparable with that offered for the sale of the
average watered stock or questionable bond, nor can a fixed hourly,
daily or weekly income be granted to a salesman unless he is able
to give quick assurance of his ability to produce.
In the mind of one manager it is simply a question of the
piano merchants getting along the best they can and waiting for
a readjustment to come when there will not be so much loose money
for the stock salesman to go after, and when incomes are based on
real results. It is poor consolation, however, for the man who is
endeavoring to get together "a sales staff to enable him to meet
competition during the next few months. The inability to interest
new salesmen is one thing, but seeing trained salesmen with years
of experience in the field going into other lines is quite another,
and this phase of the question is well worth more than passing
notice.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF BETTER ADVERTISING
r
H E general improvement in the standards of music trade adver-
tising during the past few years and the increasing attention
given
to the character of the copy being run lead to the belief that
No.
12
NEW
YORK,
SEPTEMBER
18,
1920
Vol. LXXI
during the forthcoming sales campaigns that must of necessity
be inaugurated by dealers in musical instruments advertising will
THE FARMER AND THE MUSIC TRADE
prove a more potent factor than ever before.
URING the last decade or so, and particularly during the past
This tendency towards better advertising is due not only to
five or six years, the status of the farmer has changed so that
the more serious attention given to all advertising, which makes
the term "hayseed" has come to be accepted as a mark of affluence
music merchants give thought to their copy if they desire to com-
and of smug prosperity. The result is that the business of the pete with advertising of other products, but also to the dealers'
farmer is regarded most favorably by the average music merchant,
service work being carried on by many of the manufacturers.
for that business means substantial sales of high-grade merchandise
For the retailer who does not care to go to the expense and
on excellent terms.
trouble of preparing his own newspaper copy, there is made avail-
Reports gathered by the Government and business organizations
able a large quantity of high-class stock material that he may obtain
indicate that the prosperity of the farmer is not going to wane during
and use without any charge beyond that of the newspaper space
the coming Fall and Winter, for, although certain crops may not itself. It follows likewise that the retailer who is moved to pre-
be much above normal, they will bring prices that will give to the pare, or have prepared, his own advertising copy for local use is
farmer a purchasing power not to be overlooked.
desirous of improving on the work of the manufacturer's service
.Whatever may be the industrial situation in the cities and what-
department,'otherwise he would not go to the trouble of doing his
ever may be the effect of that situation on sales, the fact remains
own work.
that the trade of the farmer is going to provide a mighty solid
The value of advertising of any sort lies not in the space bought
foundation upon which the music merchant can build substantial
in newspapers or magazines, but rather in what is said to the trade
sales totals. As a matter of fact, a number of retailers have already
or the public through the medium of that space. Advertising is
begun country campaigns and in some cases have built up special
so general nowadays that it is only distinctive copy that is calculated
sales organizations to concentrate on the rural trade. It is a move
to receive the desired attention. If the members of the music trade
that shows much wisdom.
profit by the lessons and experiences of the past few years, and see
to it that their advertising copy receives earnest attention, giving
T H E SCARCITY OF PIANO SALESMEN
j
thought to making their copy attractive and impressive rather than
merely sensational, they will have a sales aid that will do much to
HIS is the time when first-class piano salesmen are more in
demand than they have been for some time past, owing to the offset any other handicaps that may arise.
apparent necessity of carrying on active sales campaigns this Fall.
PIANOS AND THE BOLSHEVIKI
Managers generally report a growing scarcity of trained men of
recognized ability.
HE reported attitude of the Bolshevik Government towards
There has for many years been raised the cry that first-class
pianos and the orders issued that they become common property
piano salesmen were hard to find, although there were plenty of the
of the citizenry, are interesting, not in any sense as an indication of
the high ideals of the Soviet regime, but rather of the fact that
mediocre type available. In some cases it was believed that man-
even this most radical element is forced to take recognition of the
agers demanded so much of the men that only a super-salesman
power of music in maintaining some degree of harmony. The fact
could measure up, but this season there is apparently real reason
that pianos are articles of considerable value whose possession in
for retail managers showing some concern over the scarcity of
Russia at least indicates a certain degree of wealth and standing has
material upon which to build selling campaigns. The reason for
had something to do with the action of the Bolsheviki.
this apprehension is that a surprising number of good piano salesmen
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