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58
THE
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Is the Publisher Responsible for the
Rate of Turn-Over With the Dealers?
H. L. Golding, Advertising Manager of the Hearst Music Publishers of Canada, Ltd., Discusses
Various Aspects of This Most Important of All Retail Questions
T7ROM the despatch of music from the pub-
lisher's plant to the tinkle of the cash-reg-
ister bell is quite a distance—the distance that
represents rate of turnover.
For years the music dealer has been preached
to and offered all sorts of help. He has been
told how other dealers in other towns turn over
their stocks so many times a year. He appre-
ciates all this, but now he is beginning to realize
that the publishers really have a more definite
responsibility than just talk, that shows the
value of turnover as a profits builder.
The dealer is quite right. There is a definite
responsibility belonging to the publisher in
helping the dealer sell his music and stimulat-
ing turnover along the following lines:
1. Correct selling methods.
2. Discriminate production.
3. Adequate consistent advertising.
Analyzing the proposition along these lines
the responsibility becomes obvious. The "Sell
Him or Die" policy is still very prevalent; and
•the fact that a sale is not a sale unless it gives
complete satisfaction has been lost sight of and
forgotten. The result is that the dealer is still
being oversold and made to buy more than he
can reasonably sell in a certain length of time,
and consequently with the stuff staring him in
the face makes a very poor prospect on a re-
turn trip.
The Hearst Music Publishers of Canada, Ltd.,
do not look upon the dealer as a man to be sold
as much sheet music as his racks will hold. We
are not as much interested in how much he buys
as we are in how much he can sell. We always
think of him in terms of his selling capacity.
We gauge demand by careful analysis and
increase this demand by adequate consistent
advertising, and at no time do we permit any
of our dealers to carry burdensome stocks.
One reason for this attitude is simply because
we realize that the most essential link in the
disposal of any product and particularly sheet
music is the dealer, who, should wrong selling
methods be applied to, cannot help but to re-
flect upon the publishers and adversely affect
their output.
With regard to turnover it would be expedient
to emphasize the fact that $100 turned over ten
times a year gives more profit than $1,000 turned
Jenkins
Outstanding Sellers
POPULAR
JdorationWaltz
—Retorded-
COME AND WHISPER, DEAR
12th STREET RAG—MEAN BLUES
STANDARD
MEMORY'S GARDEN
High. Medium. Low
Duct for Soprano «nd Alto or Contralto and Ban
MY FAITH IN THEE
High. Medium, Low
Duet
once; therefore, discretion should be used both
in buying and particularly in selling. Shelf-
warmers should be most severely eschewed by
both dealer and publisher, and efforts concen-
trated on those publications which move quickly.
The publishers are responsible to a great
extent for the dealer's turnover and it is up to
them to recognize this fact and tune up sales
and advertising to this idea, and so place the
sheet music business as a whole on a better
and firmer foundation.
Most Popular Series
in Show Window Displays
Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge Giving Dealers
Much Material Featuring This Series of Pop-
ular Selling Books
The great progress made in the dressing of
sheet-music windows in recent years has in-
duced both publishers and dealers to give un-
usual thought to the material for such purposes.
Unfortunately, all too often the title pages,
despite their multicolors, do not lend themselves
to effective massed display. This, of course,
being the easiest method of showing the titles
of different songs is a manner that is most fre-
quently used. On the other hand, where set-
tings are used, window dressings have a ten-
dency to become an expensive item. Of course,
the mere dressing of attractive windows should
not be based upon the sale of a particular week.
The fact that the windows create attention will
result in the establishment obtaining revenue
from its position in the retail field for a long
period where the window showings are of a
good standard.
There are really only two methods of dress-
ing windows. Both attract attention and have
sales appeal. One is to dress the window with
goods to be merchandised, and the other is to
make the window showing a work of art, which
not only attracts "right now sales" but redounds
to the benefit of the retailer over a longer period.
It is possible to dress a window with voluminous
title pages, where the popularity of the number
is given widespread acknowledgment. On the
other hand, ballads, educational works, musical
comedy numbers and publications that do not
move with a great rapidity should be given a
better setting because they are apart from a
BUY YOUR MUSIC FROMI
BOSTON
Publishers
NOVEMBER 1,
1924
drive for business a n d a r e repeat sales.
Hinds, Hayden & Eldredge, Inc., publishers of
"The Most Popular Series of Music Books,"
recently created some new and attractive mate-
rial which should lend itself to attractive win-
dow settings. These are in the form of title
pages of some of the selected publications, are
exact reproductions, and carry easel backs. In
this manner they prove of service on the count-
ers in the store and series of them can be
arranged in various manners in the window it-
self. More window display material of this kind
should be welcomed by the dealer as it makes
possible the dressing of attractive windows at a
minimum expense.
The numbers the above publishing house has
selected for its special showings are all good
sellers; therefore, a window with such displays
should create sales. They include "Most Pop-
ular Piano Pieces," "Most Popular Violin
Pieces," "Most Popular Drawing Room and
Concert Songs," "Most Popular Modern Piano
Pieces," "Most Popular Piano Duets," "Most
Popular Songs for Every Occasion," "Most
Popular Home Songs," "Most Popular Selec-
tions for Violin and Piano," "Most Popular
Children's Piano Pieces," "Most Popular Saxo-
phone Solos," "Most Popular 'Cello Solos,"
"Most Popular Selections From the Most Pop-
ular Operas," "Most Popular Mandolin Pieces"
and "Most Popular Cornet Solos."
Leo Feist Numbers at
Top of the Selling List
"The Pal That I Loved Stole the Gal That I
Loved" One of the Selling Surprises of the
Fall Season
The Leo Feist, Inc., ballad, "The Pal That
I Loved Stole the Gal That I Loved," is prov-
ing one of the surprise offerings of the Fall
season. In some sections of the country this
number is leading all competitors in sales fig-
ures. It is quite unusual for a ballad to assume
such quick prominence. From a lyric and
melody standpoint the number has wide appeal
and the early recognition it has received has
induced its publishers to put an intensive sales
drive and publicity campaign behind it. The
number is by Ed Nelson and Harry Pease of
"Peggy O'Neill" fame. Their present offering
promises to rival the sales totals of their earlier
successes.
"Gome on Now Lindy"
"Come On Now Lindy" is the title of a new
song published by the South Bend Music Pub-
lishing Co., Inc., South Bend, Ind. It is from
the pen of George Hill and Grace Ingram. Mr.
Hill is one of the "Three Musketeers" who are
quite popular as radio singers in the Midwest.
Miss Ingram is one of "The Harmony Girls."
Oliver Ditson Company
BOSTON
NEW YORK
Anticipate and supply Every Requirement of Music
Dealers
White-Smith Music Pub. Co.
PUBLISHERS, PRINTERS AND ENGRAVERS OF MUSIC
Main Offices: 40-44 Winchester St., Boston.
Branch Houses: New York and ChicaRo.
ROBERT TELLER SONS & DORNER
Music Engravers and Printers
SEND MANUSCRIPT AND IDEA OF
TITLE FOR ESTIMATE
311 Wett 43rd Street
New York City
BROKEN
DREAMS
THE
WALTZ BALLAD
OF ENCHANTING
BEAUTY AND CHARM
HEARST MUSIC PUBLISHERS.
TRUSTING
High, Medium. Low
Duet for Soprano and Tenor or Soprano and Alto
TRAIL-MATE
High. Medium. Low
Duet for Soprano and Alto or Tenor and Bati
J.W.JENKINS SONS MUSIC COMPANY
Kansas City, Mo.
You can't go wrong with this number
"Moonlight Makes Me Long for You" S S S S
FRANK H. G1LLESPIE
Mu.ic Pubii.her
1112 Forbes Street, Pittsburgh, Pa.