THE
4
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
DECEMBER
1, 1923
J. B. SPILLANE, Editor
RAY BILL, B. B, WILSON, BRAID WHITE, Associate Editors
WM. H. McCLEARY, Managing Editor
CARLETON CHACE, Business Manager
L. E. BOWERS, Circulati"an Manager
that may be merchandised along lines that are practically identical
with those used in selling pianos and talking machines. The music
merchant finds it advisable to leave the parto, end of this industry
strictly alone, for that is a side of it of which he possesses neither
the equipment nor knowledge to handle properly. But he has dem
onstrated that, so far as the complete apparatus is concerned, his is
the logical field of distribution and he provides the most direct
channel between the manufacturer and ultim·ate purchaser of this
apparatus.
The relation between music and radio is growing closer con·
tinually. The musical parts of the broad casted programs are essen·
tially those which have created the popularity of the public's radio
demand, and those which in the long run are making it a perma·
nency. In fact, the public attit1lde to-day toward radio is coming
more and more to visualize the apparatus as a musical instrument-
one that supplements, but does not supplant, the piano, the player
piano and the talking machine in the home.
Executive and Reportorial Staff
OVERCOMING SPLIT <;::OMMISSION EVILS
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Madison Ave., New York; Secretary, Edward Lyman Bill, 383 Madison Ave., New York;
AlSistant Treasurer, Wm. A. Low.
E. B. MUNCH, V. D. WALSH, EDWARD VAN HARLINGEN, LEE ROBINSON,
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N article in a recent issue of The Review, dealing with the
proper control of the salesmen's prospect file, brought to the
A
fore once more the old question of split commissions between the
Published Every Saturday at 383 Madison Avenue, New York
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Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Grand Pri......... .. . Paris Exposition, 1900
Silver Medal ... Charleston Exposition, 1902
Diploma .• .. Pan·American Exposition, 1901
Gold MedaL ... . St. Louis Exposition, 1904
Gold Medal-Lewis-Clark Exposition, 1905·
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Vol. LXXVII
NEW YORK, DECEMBER 1, 1923
No. 22
M;EETING TH.E TECHNICAL SERVICE PROBLEM
completion, this week in Chicago, of the first course of
T HE
technical instruction in the reproducing piano under the auspices
of the American Piano Co. and in co-operation with the National
Association of Piano Tuners marks perhaps the first constructive
effort that has been made to solve the problem of technical service
for this instrument.
Unquestionably it is work .of this character that will ultimately
eliminate the dearth of tuners · and repairmen who are acquainted
with the intricacies of the reproducing action and able to provide
rapid and successful repair service when these instruments are in
need of it. It is only by such methods that the music merchant
who handles these instruments and their owners can be assured of
proper maintenance unde'r any or all conditions.
So successful was the Chicago course that, at the dinner which
marked its completion, it was announced that the American Piano
Co. would continue these classes, going to various sections of the
country so that both the dealer's tuner and repairman and the inde
pendent craftsman might have the opportunity of receiving proper
technical instruction. It is to be hoped that, in placing this knowl
edge at the service of the trade, the company who is responsible
for these courses will receive full and adequate co-operation. It is
assured of this so far as the independent tuner and repairman is
concerned through the work of the National Association of Piano
Tuners, so it now remains for the music merchant himself to come
forward and give as thorough co·operation in this direction as the
independent tuner and repairman is already doing to solve this im
portant problem.
RADIO AND THE MUSIC MERCHANT- -
T
I
HE number of radio departments in general music stores is
increasing rapidly. Practically all establishments of this type
which are opening install such departments at once, and many of
the stores in existence for years have already developed them upon
a stabilized basis.
As was pointed out recently in The Review, radio, in relation
to the retail music merchant, is strictly a matter of complete sets
inside and outside selling force. In whatever retail warerooms such
a pradice exists, it is a source of constant and continual dispute
and creates an atmosphere that effectively destroys the loyalty and
co-operation among the men who are doing the selling, naturally
reflected· in their work.
When the outside salesman learns that he must split his com·
missions with the floor man in order to have his prospects properly
handled when they enter the warerooms it is only human nature for
him to use every means within his command to handle these pros·
pects himself and thus save what is rightfully his. As a result,
he will spend hours in the store waiting for a prospective customer
with whom he has an appointment, when this time might be much
more profitably spent upon the outside developing new sales. The
outside salesman cannot be blamed for this, and yet both he and
the house itself s~ffer for it in the long run in lost business and poor
covering of territory.
A dealer who finds such conditions existing in his organization
can only solve it by one or two ways. The first of these is to work
out a basis of compensation for the floor men that effectively reo
moves the incentive for them to hold up the outside men. This,
however, is but an amelioration, since there is no system that cannot
be overcome by human ingenuity. When this is the case, he must
resort to the second and heroic method-eliminate both the man
who demands a split in the commission and the man who permits
himself to be held up by this polite form of blackmail. Both are
equally guilty and both should suffer accordingly.
THE PERSONAL APPROACH IN SELLING
HE Review has pointed out in several articles recently that
when local merchants feel seriolls effects from mail order house
competitIOn that experience is largely due to their own lack of
energy in combating the mail order propaganda with service and
arguments that can be made thoroughly effective. The local mer·
chant has one outstanding advantage that, properly appreciated,
sh.ould enable him to make 95 per cent of mail order competition
ineffective.
Theodore F. Merseles, president of Montgomery, Ward & Co.,
Chicago, one of the largest mail order houses in the country, gives
the local merchant something to think about regarding his oppor
tunities in a recently published interview in which he is quoted as
saying: "The greatest obstacle in the path of successful mail order
selling is inability to meet the customer face·to-face." That is the
difficulty to overcome.
The established merchant is faced with no such obstacle, but
has the advantage of being able to go to the prospect and make
that personal approach vvhich is so much more successful than
sales methods depending upon the mail or the telephone to cany
their clinching arguments. The difficulty seems to be that there
are too many dealers in the music fi·eld who ,do not take advantage
of the opportunity to get in personal touch, through the medium of
salesmen, ·of course, with as many prospects as possible in their
territories. Th.ose who do go after busin~ss on a persorial basis
are getting results.
T