Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MARCH 22,
1924
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
43
THE TALKING MACHINE TRADE
Co-operation in Sales Organization
Most Important Element in Sales Volume
Chicago Sonora Dealers
Hold Large Meeting
Miss B. B. Steele, Sales Manager of Talking Machine Department of Large New York Store,
Outlines Some of the Tested Merchandising Rules Which Have Made Repeat Customers
New Sonoradio Receives Impressive Demonstra-
tion Under Auspices of Illinois Phonograph
Corp.
Co-operation with the sales organization is
given as the most important factor in securing
maximum results by Miss B. B. Steele, manager
of the talking machine department of Lord &
Taylor, the prominent New York department
store which features the Victor line.
In a brief interview with The Review she
gave some merchandising rules which are the
result of a wide experience in all branches of
the retail business. "I believe the salesman
who discusses price and terms at the outset of
the sales talk is on the wrong track unless this
is the information requested by the customer.
We make it a rule here never to mention price
or terms unless the customer requests it. The
sales talk is concentrated on the instrument
itself, and what it will do. Often cash sales
result which would have been turned into instal-
ment sales if the saleswoman had stressed
terms.
Value of Large Down Payment
"Of course, the matter of how the instrument
shall be paid for is important to many people
and, therefore, when the prospect states a desire
to make the purchase on the instalment plan
we do business on that basis. Too small down
payments should be avoided for various reasons.
We secure $25 and up as a down payment on
most sales. We only accept lower down pay-
ments on portable models. I believe that when
a customer parts with a substantial portion of
the price of the instrument at the outset there
will be less indifference over losing the ma-
chine as the result of neglect in meeting the
obligation."
Saleswomen All Music Lovers
The three members of the sales organization
are all music lovers and are capable of discuss-
ing the operas as well as the standard selections
which have been recorded. A practice which
Miss Steele believes of great importance is at-
tendance of the saleswomen at the operas. They
are thus familiarizing themselves with this
music and find no difficulty in discussing it
intelligently with record customers. The result
of this real love for music has been manifested
in a most concrete manner in a steadily growing
Red Seal sales volume.
Special Publicity on New
Victor Werrenrath Record
Sonora Resumes Dividends
Musical Instrument Sales Co., of New York,
Issues Attractive Poster Featuring This Rec-
ord for Use of Its Dealers
The Musical Instrument Sales Co., New York,
Victor wholesaler, issued recently a sales help
in the form of a reminder that the new Victor
record by Reinald Werrenrath, famous operatic
baritone, can be featured to advantage through
the medium of an attractive poster furnished
to the dealers free of charge. This record by
Mr. Werrenrath, who is an exclusive Victor
artist, presents on one side the selection "When
You Were Sweet Sixteen" and on the other
"Can't You Hear Me Calling, Caroline," and
it is suggested that Victor dealers secure copies
of the poster and a photograph of Mr. Wer-
renrath for use as a window display. The
Musical Instrument Sales Co. refers to the rec-
ord as a "plus record sale number."
R. E. Williams in New Post
R. E. Williams, who has been connected with
the main headquarters of the Brunswick-Balke-
Collender Co. in Chicago for a number of years,
recently arrived in New York, having been
transferred to the sales department of the East-
ern phonograph division.
Radio Boosting Record Sales
The fears of retailers that radio is hurting
the record business are groundless, according
to Miss Steele, who declared that almost every
day records are sold to customers who state
that they heard the number over the radio. Miss
Steele also pointed out that the very fact that
the music heard over the radio cannot be repro-
duced at will is the great factor in favor of
record business profiting by broadcast music.
This department has had large sales of health
records due to the fact that occasional demon-
strations to which the public is invited have
been held. During the last year a tremendous
number of these sets were disposed of, women
especially being anxious to take this pleasant
method of keeping physically fit. Also in con-
nection with the operation of the record depart-
ment it is interesting to note that very few
people go out without having purchased some
accessory, needles, a record brush, oil, etc.
When a record sale has been consummated the
saleswomen never fail to suggest needles, etc.
No actual effort is made to sell, but the sugges-
tion in a surprising number of instances results
in a sale. Immediately in front of the record
racks, in full view of anyone standing at the
record counter, is a special accessories case, a
silent salesman.
Directors of Sonora Phonograph, Inc., have
voted to resume dividend payments on the
$1,000,000 8 per cent preferred stock by the
declaration of a quarterly dividend of $2 a share
payable April 1 to stock of record March 20.
This action is the result of the satisfactory
revival in earning power which the company
enjoyed in 1923, plus the success of the cor-
poration's recent financing plan under the
terms of which 55,000 shares additional common
stock were offered to common stockholders at
$8 a share, providing the company with $400,000
in additional cash which has been applied to a
reduction in bank loans, bringing that item
down to a figure where it is believed it can be
conveniently liquidated out of earnings.
Earnings of Sonora Phonograph in the year
ended December 31, 1923, were extremely satis-
factory and are understood to have approxi-
mated $480,000 net after all deductions, includ-
ing liberal reserves.
New Record Corp. Chartered
DOVER, DEL., March 15.—A charter of incorpora-
tion was filed here this week for the New Rec-
ord Corp., which will manufacture talking ma-
chines. The company will have a capitalization
of $3,000,000 and its executive personnel will
include John F. Cleveland, E. Derber and T.. J.
Bradley, all of New York.
CHICAGO, I I I , , March 15.—A meeting of the
Chicago Sonora dealers was held at the offices
of the Illinois Phonograph Corp. local Sonora
distributor, March 10, at which a demonstration
of the new Sonoradio was given.
The meeting was presided over by Leon
Gokler, sales manager of the Illinois Phono-
graph Corp. and the demonstration was ably
handled by E. D. Coots, special representative
of the radio department of the Sonora Phono-
graph Co., of New York.
Although the elements were not propitious, a
large representation of dealers turned out. Sta-
tions from all over the country were picked up
and the dealers present were much impressed.
Not only were they impressed, but at the meet-
ing the entire number of Sonoradios allotted
to the Illinois Phonograph Corp. was sold,
which augers well for the product in this ter-
ritory.
National Columbia Campaign
Highly Endorsed by Dealers
Columbia Phonograph Co. Using Pages in Many
Mediums of National Circulation and Cover-
ing the Entire Country
The advertising department of the Columbia
Phonograph Co., Inc., has received many favor-
able comments from Columbia dealers regard-
ing the scope of the Columbia advertising cam-
paign for the month of March. This campaign
includes a full page in the Saturday Evening
Post of March 29, a full page in the American
Weekly magazine, March 23, extensive space in
foreign language newspapers and a large ad-
vertisement in the Chicago Defender, a na-
tional publication popular with the negro race.
The page in the American Weekly, which
consists of the Sunday supplements of fourteen
Hearst newspapers with a circulation of 4,500,-
000, will announce the April records, with a
striking display featuring the New Process idea.
The Saturday Evening Post page will be de-
voted to the new Columbia phonographs, and
the foreign language newspaper advertising will
cover the most important languages in this field.
Harry H. Nye Now Manager
With Forbes & Wallace
Becomes Manager of the Victor Department of
Well-known House of Springfield and Assis-
tant to W. F. Larkin
SPRINGFIELD, MASS., March 17.—After having
spent several years in wholesale work with the
Silas E. Pearsall Co., New York, Victor whole-
saler, Harry H. Nye returns to his original field
—re-entering the retail Victor business as man-
ager of the Victrola department of the Forbes
& Wallace Co., Springfield, Mass., and assistant
to W. F. Larkin, general manager of the music
department of that company.
Mr. Nye's initial Victor experience was with
the Outlet Co., Providence, R. I., but, ambitious
to broaden his knowledge of the business,
sought a connection with the Pearsall Co. He
has a host of friends throughout New York
and eastern Pennsylvania, where Harry has
proved more than ordinarily popular.