Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
56
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
NOVEMBER 4, 1922
High school StlldenteMakTiGood Prospects | BRAND NEW
Written for The Review by FRANK V. FAULHABER
|
iiniiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiinimiimiiiin™
The talking machine dealer who has been
mailing letters as a means of attracting business
may find, as did one dealer in Brooklyn, N. Y.,
that his appeals will not pull as effectively as
when they are directed t o a certain class of
people. As the dealer explained: "Making your
sales letters specific certainly will contribute
toward their effectiveness, but I have found that
a sales-letter campaign brings more returns
when one's efforts are confined to attracting
certain classes of people and telling those
people why they should buy talking machines."
This talking machine dealer then went on to
relate how he had overcome a problem that
had been bothering him. He believes in mailing
clever little letters to prospects, yet he realized
the trade was not coming in response to his
letters as it should. What did he do? Simply
this: He felt that he should direct his appeals
to other people, and he had a good reason,
for in his case many of the letters went un-
answered; therefore he decided to tackle his
problem from another point—he would send
letters to high-school students instead, address-
ing his appeals, of course, to them, and pointing
out why and how talking machines could easily
be bought on the instalment plan.
This enterprising talking machine dealer was
fully aware that such a sales-letter stunt would
be out of the ordinary, and for that reason
alone should be particularly effective. Many
talking machine "dealers will, perhaps, send out
letters to prospects including all classes of
people, all of the letters being along the same
lines. But the dealer in Brooklyn concentrated
his efforts on high-school students, emphasizing
the advisability of purchasing talking machines
for their parents.
He suggested that a talking machine be pur
chased as a birthday present, thus surprising a
parent. Apart from the selling arguments that
were stressed the dealer also pointed out how
the young people could go about earning the
necessary money to pay for the machines. In
one letter he discussed the foolishness of spend-
ing money carelessly, money that often went
for various useless odds and ends. In this
wise he was implanting the art of thrift in the
young people.
The results that accrued from the dealer's ef-
forts assuredly satisfied him. Many of the high-
school students visited his establishment to talk
over the matter with him, having been in-
vited to do this in the letters that were sent.
It was said here alone the returns were more
satisfactory than in the case, where sales letters
were mailed indiscriminately, with no definite
object in view. As the dealer wisely observed:
"Pick out your prospect, then confine your at-
tention to that prospect."
High-school students often earn money out-
side of school hours, and those who do not
can readily enough be encouraged to place
themselves in the way of a few added dollars.
Naturally, the talking machine dealer will find
in them many prospects that can easily be
turned into customers if but the proper effort
is exerted. In many cases where parents can-
not be induced to buy a talking machine their
children assuredly represent logical prospects.
Anyway, the experience of the Brooklyn dealer
in the high-school field is worthy of emulation.
YOUNG PEOPLE BUY MOST RECORDS
UNUSUAL PUBLICITY FOR VICTROLA
Advertising Campaign Directed Toward Young
People of Community Is Bound to Bring Re-
suits in Sales of Popular Records
New York Hippodrome Uses Giant Victrola in
"The Grand Opera Ball"—Liberty Theatre
Uses This Instrument in "Molly Darling"
Music and youth go hand in hand, and it is
to the young people of the community that the
dealer should address much of his advertising
and other sales plans at least in equal propor-
tion to the efforts made to secure the attention
of the older folks. The parents purchase a
machine for their own pleasure and also for a
greater and, to them, more important reason—
the entertainment of their children. The great
bulk of the records sold to-day are purchased
by the younger generation.' They want music
with a great deal of snap and vim; the kind of
melodies that induce the pedal extremities to
glide into a dreamy waltz or a fast fox-trot.
Unlimited possibilities for publicity and, con-
sequently, more sales of talking machines and
records are offered dealers through the appeal
to the young and in behalf of the young folks.
Bring forcibly to the mind of young men and
women of the community the possibilities of
entertainment through the talking machine and
point out to them the value of the latest rec-
ords in this connection and the chances are
that record business will make rapid gains.
The older people, the parents, can be ap-
pealed to on behalf of their children. Any
father and mother will invest in a talking ma-
chine or, if one is already owned, in the latest
records of the kind preferred by their children
if they can be convinced that it is wise to buy.
The products of the Victor Talking Machine
Co. are receiving some excellent publicity
through the medium of New York theatrical
productions. The famous New York Hippo-
drome and the Liberty Theatre are both using
Victrolas in their current productions. At the
Hippodrome the widely known Victor adver-
tisement showing characters from the various
operas issuing from an immense Victrola. is re-
produced on the stage as a feature of the act
entitled "The Grand Opera Ball." Thousands
of persons have already witnessed this spec-
tacle, which is indelibly stamped on their minds,
and undoubtedly many more will witness it.
The instrument used in this production is a
giant in size and the world-renowned Victor
dog trade-mark of huge dimensions also plays
an important part in the production.
"Molly Darling," the musical comedy which
recently opened at the Liberty Theatre, which
to a large extent is based on operatic charac-
ters, also uses a large Victrola as part of the
stage property of the production, and here, too,
thousands of people are having the Victrola
brought to their attention.
WILSON MUSIC CO.'S NEW STORE
STEVEN'S POINT, WIS., October 30.—The Wilson
Music Co., G. M. Farrin, manager, is moving
from its quarters in Boston's Furniture Store
into attractive warerooms in the Hotel Whiting
on Strong avenue. Among the instruments
handled are the Ampico, a complete line of
pianos and player-pianos, sheet music, talking
machines and records.
TALKING
AV/^CHINE;
WOFtLD
TR-ADE
DIRECTORS
HTOAKD I,m\N T BILL*
Here is the handbook of the talking machine
industry for which you have long been
waiting. It is a directory you can keep
on your desk to give you, in an instant, de-
tailed knowledge about this and that com-
pany, which would otherwise consume much
of your time to secure.
ONLY 50 CENTS
For instance, it will give you a complete
up-to-date list of the manufacturers and
jobbers who comprise the talking machine
industry, including invaluable data about
each concern, such as location of factories,
names of officers, location of branch offices,
trade names controlled, policy of marketing
product, etc., etc.
ONLY 50 CENTS
Also it will give you a full, up-to-date list
of the manufacturers who make any given
class of product, such as talking machines,
records, parts, accessories, store equipment,
etc.
ONLY 50 CENTS
This book contains the kind of data about
each concern which cannot be put into the
company's current advertising for lack of
space and which is nevertheless a kind of
data that is valuable from your standpoint.
ONLY 50 CENTS
This volume also contains a number of
pertinent articles on highly important topics
and much other material too extensive to
enumerate here in detail.
ONLY 50 CENTS
It is the only book of its kind ever pub-
lished and is a volume which no enterprising
member of the industry can fairly afford to
do without. It has been produced by the
publishers of The Talking Machine World.
USE
T H I S
COUPON NOW
EDWIN G. EVANS HONORED
An honor of no small magnitude has been
bestowed upon Edwin G. Evans, sales repre-
sentative of C. Bruno & Son., Inc., Victor
wholesalers, New York. Mr. Evans has re-
ceived the nomination for treasurership of
Darien, Conn., in which he lives. Mr. Evans'
universal popularity with his neighbors and the
fact that he has been nominated on the ticket
that always wins in Darien make his election
next November a certainty. It is stated that
Darien's budget amounts to $160,000 a year and,
therefore, Mr. Evans will undoubtedly be a very
busy man as he will assume these duties.
Send Cash, Stamps or Check
Ill
—I
1
EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Inc..
|
373 Fourth Ave., New York City.
- Gentlemen:
Please send me postage prepaid a copy of the
I
1922 edition of The Talking Machine World Trade
I
Directory, in payment for which I enclose 50 cents.
!
|
I
i
•
I
i
;
I
I
Name
I
Firm
I
Street
I
City
• • •
.
•
:......
and State
I
I