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FEBRUARY 9,
1924
THE
MUSIC TRADE
43
REVIEW
: emonstration the Backbone of the
Talking Machine Retail Selling Plan
Herman Lipschitz, Manager of Krakauer Bros., Brooklyn, N. Y., Branch, Stresses the Impor-
tance of Scientific Phonograph Demonstration in an Interesting Article
HP OO much stress cannot be placed on the
importance of phonograph demonstration,
according to Herman Lipschitz, manager of
Krakauer Bros.' Brooklyn, N. Y., store, who out-
lined his sales methods in an article which re-
cently appeared in the Sonora Bell, the house
organ of the Sonora Co., as follows:
"Nearly all customers are going to purchase
their phonographs on results—performance.
The Display Which Sold Talking Machines
True, eye value plays its .'art, and size enters
into consideration also. But tone-reproducing
qualities are the elements which swing 99 per
cent of phonograph sales.
"For this reason I never allow the demonstra-
tion of phonographs on my floor to be gone
about in a haphazard, half-hearted manner. In-
stead we have made an exact science of this
step in the sale. And, as in all other selling
methods to which the proper amount of scien-
tific thought and attention have been given,
results are practically certain.
"My store happens to be in a section inhab-
ited by a large foreign element. My patrons
are made up largely of Italians, Greeks, He-
brews, etc. As you know, these races are great
mu^ic lovers. And, despite their limited funds,
they will purchase the finest musical instru-
ments, provided they can be convinced that you
handle that type.
"So I have made a careful selection of rec-
ords that appeal to these various types and
have placed them in a handy place, indexed so
that we can lay our hands on them at once.
When an Italian family comes in to look at a
phonograph, and the time for demonstrating
arrives, we go to the cabinet where we keep
The Canvassing Route to
Sales Brings Real Results
Dunlop's Music Store Believes in the Canvass-
ing Route to Sales and Cashes in on Deter-
mined and Extensive Activities
PKEKSKILL, N. Y., January 31,—Dunlop's Music
Store, of this city, is a firm believer in the
canvassing route to sales and the ringing of
doorbells is an important part of its sales pro-
motion work. The company operates a truck
in which are loaded several talking machines
and a number of records, and the salesman
starting on the road does so with sufficient
stock to meet all demands for a day. Both the
city and the country districts surrounding it
are thoroughly canvassed. The farmers have
been found especially good prospects.
The method followed is simple, but very
effective. The instruments are placed in the
home of the prospect for a twenty-four-hour
trial period. The next day the salesman visits
the prospect and in most cases closes a deal.
In the majority of instances it has been found
bv this live house that once an instrument has
these demonstration records and select a record
that we know to be popular with these people.
The same applies to the Greeks, to Hebrews,
Germans, or whoever else it may be. If the
buyer happens to be a young boy or girl we
play the latest jazz; if an elderly person, one of
the old songs, such as 'Seeing Nellie Home' or
'Carry Me Back to Old Virginny.'
"Do you see the point? We are playing for
them the pieces that they in turn will play—the
selections they love. They hear the phonograph
you are trying to sell them under the most
favorable conditions. And such a demonstra-
tion is sure to sell them in nearly every in-
stance. This, to my mind, is scientific sales-
manship. And I have my sales records to show
that I am right.
"I have always operated on the idea that it
is the best policy to show a prospect the
cheaper instrument first. Of course, the re-
sourceful saleseman will endeavor to discover
the financial condition of his prospect at once.
But by starting with the cheaper instrument you
do not discourage the prospect of limited funds.
However, if one were to start with the highest
priced instrument one might defeat one's own
object by creating an impression on the mind
of the prospect that the cheaper instrument is
an inferior product. And then one runs a
chance of losing the sale entirely, for the pros-
pect may think that, since he cannot afford
what to him is the better instrument, he had
best not buy at all. On the other hand it is a
simple matter to lead up from the cheaper to
the highest priced instrument.
"It is vitally necessary to all business that a
simple yet efficient prospect list be kept. I find
a card index to be the ideal manner of doing so.
Immediately upon the report of a name by one
of our salesmen the name is entered on a card,
while the bookkeeper enters a duplicate in her
file. As all salesmen are requested to make a
daily report on prospects, a constant check is
kept on these names, every one being accounted
for. If within fifteen days a home sale has not
been made the name is turned over to another
salesman. In this way 'dead' prospects are
eliminated and a close check kept on each sales-
man's activities. We find that this intensive
manner of working prospects gives us a maxi-
mum of sales and that, if the prospect can be
sold at all, Krakauer's will get the business in
the majority of cases."
been placed in a home, even temporarily, it is
likely to stay there for the reason that non-
owners are reluctant to have it moved out
again.
This is so for several reasons: First, because
the prospect gets a glimpse of the delights
awaiting him through the ownership of a talk-
ing machine and, second, because, foolish as it
seems on the surface, people always worry
about "what the neighbors will think" if they
see the machine being taken out again. The
fact that a salesman is able to secure permission
to leave a machine in the prospect's home for
a trial is positive proof that the prospect is a
live one and it also makes selling easier, be-
cause the demonstration is made at leisure.
World Go. Chartered
Incorporation papers have been filed recently
for the World Talking Machine Co., New York,
which will have a capital stock of $5,000. S.
Berman, B. B. Weinberg and D. Rubin are the
incorporators. The company has engaged the
law firm of Koppelman & Weinberg, 144 Riv-
ington street, as representatives of records of
the company.
io double
TJour Income
and the proposition could be proved
sound from every angle, you wouldn't
hesitate, would you? Of course not,
but do you realize that a talking machine
department can be made to provide
sufficient revenue to take care of the
overhead on your entire establishment ?
Thousands of other retail music mer-
chants have proved the above made
statement true and thousands of retail
music merchants have looked to The
Talking Machine World for guidance
in the matter of selecting the make of
talking machines they would handle, the
way they would map out their talking
machine department, etc.
—<^~^
The Talking Machine World is the
oldest and largest trade journal in the
world devoted exclusively to the talking
machine industry.
Some book, eh? Yes, and some encyclo'
pedia of the kind of information that
will positively double your income.
Don't miss your chance.
coupon now.
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TALKING MACHINE WORLD,
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