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PLAYER SECTION
NEW YORK, JANUARY 27, 1923
Intelligent and Unintelligent Selling
The First Principles of Scientific Salesmanship as They Are Applied to the Sale of Musical Instruments—Selling the
Intangible Idea, the Idea of What the Instrument Will Do—Reasons for the Success of the Reproducing
Piano—Correct Salesmanship for the Foot Player—Practically Selling Music to the People
There has been a great deal of talk about
what is called "scientific salesmanship." Some
time ago we were privileged to read a book
composed by a gentleman who made no bones
about telling his readers that in his opinion he
could impart a knowledge to them of the art of
successful selling because he himself was a suc-
cessful salesman. In fact, the greater part of
his composition consisted in a rather fulsome
eulogy of its author's vast accomplishments,
which, however, did not include that of writing
the English language intelligently. Now, un-
fortunately, there are a great many salesmen
who suppose that the only way to become suc-
cessful in their chosen occupation is to copy
the methods of one who has been successful,
forgetting that, while a man must make his
own methods, success always comes from fol-
lowing ascertained principles. In other words,
if there are any principles behind any line of
action, the thing to do is to master these and
then apply them in the manner most natural to
one's own personality. Now, it happens that
in the selling of musical instruments and their
accessories there are certain obvious and well-
demonstrated principles. Unfortunately, the
music industries contain many men, especially
in the retail departments, who do not follow
these principles, even if they recognize their
existence, which is not at all certain. Yet these
principles live on and they are at the bottom
of any rational hope for prosperity during 1923.
First Principle of Salesmanship
Let us confine ourselves to the case in which
we are most interested. Pianos fitted with
pneumatic playing actions are the most attrac-
tive music makers in the world. They exist in
every type and at almost every price from $500
to $5,000. Why are not five hundred thousand
of them sold each year,
Mainly because the retailers do not sufficiently
regard the first great principle of salesmanship,
which is that one does not sell the material
thing, but the idea of which the thing is an em-
bodiment. That is the basic idea of all selling.
The bond salesman is selling the ideas of income
and security. The real estate salesman is sell-
ing "home," and independence. The automo-
bile salesman is selling transportation. The
piano salesman is selling musical pleasure to
the comparatively limited number who play or
are in constant touch with musicians. The
player salesman is selling musical pleasure, with
the privilege of joining in its production, to
everyone who is not tone-deaf.
As was said in these columns last month in
reviewing the lessons of 1922, "when w.e under-
take to sell instruments of music, especially
automatic or semi-automatic instruments, we
have to visualize the selling of a commodity
which has nothing to do with the material of
which the instrument is made and nothing to
do, in principle at least, with its price. We
have, in fact, to sell an intangible idea, the idea
of 'what the instrument will do.' . . . We are
not selling player-pianos, we are selling what
player-pianos will do."
Reasons for Reproducer Success
In the department of the reproducing piano
this basic idea was from the first seized and
put into practical form for two special reasons,
one of which is that the very nature of the
instrument practically creates the conditions
surrounding its exploitation and compels every
one concerned to concentrate on its music, on
what it will do. The other is that the repro-
ducing piano is a bit too expensive for the
masses and so all advertising and exploitation
must be planned to suit the more intelligent
classes. Some radically minded persons will,
no doubt, balk at this distinction between in-
telligence and unintelligence in terms of in-
come, but the principle involved is sound though
its application can only be crude. For in the
United States income and intelligence do go
hand in hand to a greater extent than else-
where, save, perhaps, in Australia and New Zea-
land, simply because here intelligence—at least
of certain kinds—is well paid.
Now, because the exploitation of the repro-
ducing piano is more or less intelligent, the
reproducing piano is doing well amongst those
who can afford to buy it. This exploitation is
purely musical. The instrument is sold on what
it will do, this being the subject of carefully
worked out demonstration.
Mistake of Destructive Comparisons
Unfortunately, the reproducing piano has been
introduced and is being promoted in a way that
suggests at the same time something less
creditable to trade intelligence. It is being ex-
ploited in a way that suggests that its protago-
nists think they can best promote its interests
by attacking the foot-power player. This is a
great mistake on their part and violates the
principle of sound economic organization, which
is that an industry can only call itself well
founded when it meets the needs of all the
community to which it appeals. To boost the
reproducing piano, which is the player-piano of
the classes, by knocking the foot-player, which
is the player of the masses, strikes the inde-
pendent observer as the utmost in foolishness.
Yet just this destructive policy is considered
sound and practical by some music merchants.
Correct Principle of Foot-player Selling
Twenty years ago, when the first players
came out, the advertising campaigns were mas-
terly. TheyJkPi>M$feC; with sure instinct, to the
inborn love of music among all the people and,
still more, to the inborn desire to produce music.
So long as the player remained a virtual mo-
nopoly in the hands of the original and wise
pioneers, it was sold on the right plan. Its
decline began when it became the football of
trade politics and was unloaded upon an un-
prepared trade in the same way and on the
same terms as characterized the merchandising
of the commercial piano. The appeal was no
longer based on what it would do, but on how
cheaply it might be bought. The trade did not
see then, and does not see now, that the people
were never taught to use the player intelli-
gently, and that when this process of education
has properly begun, then, and then only, they
will respond. Let any skeptic consult the rec-
ord of Gulbransen, Virtuolo and Schulz sales.
He will soon see that the true sales policy may
be summed up in the simple statement that if
a customer can only be got to experimenting
•with the instrument, with simple, correct, well-
thought-out instructions from the salesman, that
customer will sell himself.
There has been a lot of talk about selling
music to the people. Well, here is a practical
embodiment of that correct hypothesis, as
adapted to the form of musical instrument
which best suits the wants of the mass of the
population, which best suits one hundred of
our one hundred and ten millions; the straight,
moderate-priced player-piano. The reproducing
piano is decidedly being exploited upon correct
principles. The straight player-piano can be
sold on similar principles, and must so be sold
if it is to be sold successfully. And if it is not
sold in adequate quantities the music industries
will not be prosperous during 1923.
DEATH OF HERBERT A. MARSHALL
Son of the Late Sir Herbert Marshall and Promi-
nent Member of British Piano Trade Passes
Away in London
Word comes from London of the death in
that city of Herbert A. Marshall, youngest son
of the late Sir Herbert Marshall and who, with
his brother, Ernest Marshall, was joint man-
ager and director of the noted British house
of Sir Herbert Marshall & Sons, Ltd. Mr. Mar-
shall spent his entire business life in the music
trade, being active in organization work in the
British industry. He was chairman of the
Trading Committee of the Federation of British
Music Industries and treasurer of the British
Associated Piano Makers.
The Marshall house was a pioneer in intro-
ducing the player-piano abroad, work in which
Mr. Marshall played no inconsiderable part
during his business career.