Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
J K,
38
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
AUGUST 9, 1924
THE TALKING MACHINE TRADE
Sales Policies That Won
for Euclid Music Stores
William Murstein, General Sales Manager,
Euclid Music Stores, Cleveland, Tells of Suc-
cessful Merchandising Policy
Too many phonograph dealers go into this
business with the idea that mere knowledge,
love and appreciation of music will make them
successful. As a matter of fact, these qualities
have very little to do with success or the lack
of it in the music business.
These dealers overlook the fact that selling
musical merchandise is a plain business proposi-
tion, just the same as selling shoes, neckties or
automobiles, and that their businesses must be
conducted along the regularly established lines
of successful merchandising. I, myself, have no
talent for music, although I have a deep love
and appreciation of it.
My success here in Cleveland has been based
on the axiom of obtaining the greatest amount
of sales with the minimum of expenditure rather
truly remarkable. Nor do I depend entirely on
circularizing. In addition, my men call regu-
larly on these people, and the business obtained
more than justifies this intensive work.
Our salesmen are instructed to obtain the
names of all those who visit our stores. They
experience little difficulty in obtaining them.
Then the prospect is told that a descriptive
story of the instrument will be sent him. How-
ever, instead of mailing out this catalog and
trusting to luck that it will be read, or even
taken from its envelope, a canvasser delivers it
in person. This method proves most effective,
for it serves the double purpose of gaining en-
trance to the prospect's home and assuring a
reading of the literature.
Right here let me advise all Sonora dealers
to build a mailing list, to work it hard, and,
above all, to keep it cleared of old, "dead"
names.
I thoroughly enjoy merchandising Sonora.
There can be no question that high quality mer-
chandise is the proper kind to sell. For high
quality merchandise not only stays sold, but in
addition creates additional sales through the
thorough satisfaction it engenders.
Brunswick Educational
Merchandising Literature
Two Booklets Just Issued Possess Unusual
Merits Because of the Helpful, Informative
Character of Their Contents
William Murstein
than to splurge expense' hither and thither in a
vain attempt to dominate the market absolutely.
And the fact that I have increased business
with the Superior avenue store 75 per cent while
decreasing expenses 25 per cent speaks well for
this method.
Service with no question; continued, careful
watch of all machines sold by us, has built and
solidified a confidence among our patrons which
has created a chain of word-of-mouth advertis-
ing for Euclid that I believe to be unparalleled
in Cleveland.
It is true that most phonograph dealers call
on their new customers at least once to see
how their recent purchases are performing. But
we go farther than this. Every customer who
has ever purchased a- phonograph from us is
called on at least twice a year. The profitable
results from this activity are manifold. One
of the most direct of these is the sale of rec-
ords resulting. Then, too, it keeps us informed
of the condition of all instruments sold, and
gives us an opportunity to talk period models
to the owners of uprights, resulting in many
sales. And the goodwill maintained by these
calls is no small item.
! Besides these direct results we also find that
these periodical calls save a lot of service ex-
pense, by catching the start of a motor or other
fault before it has the opportunity of developing
to serious proportions.
T thoroughly believe that my mailing list is
the greatest asset of my business. This list
contains over 12,000 names,, which I circularize
regularly four times ji month. The results are
An unusual piece of educational merchandising
literature has just been released by the Bruns-
wick-Balke-Collender Co. for dealer distribu-
tion. This consists of two booklets, the first en-
titled "How to Sell Brunswick Phonographs and
Records," and the second bearing a similar main
title with the following illuminating sub-title,
"Four Features of the Brunswick Phonograph."
These booklets are styled Lesson 1 and Les-
son 2.
The first-mentioned booklet is most compre-
hensive in the scope of merchandising problems
which it covers, as is indicated by treatment
of the following subjects: How to Get the
Prospect's Name, How to Classify Prospects
Quickly, How to Sell Young Business Women,
How to Sell Young Business Men, How to Sell
"Newly-weds," How to Sell Married People
Without Children, How to Sell Parents With
Small Children, How to Sell Parents With
Grown-up Children, How to Sell Elderly People
Without Children in the Home, How to Get
Prospects, How to Make Evening Work Count,
How to Get Neighborhood Recommendations,
How to Close Sales—First Interview.
The second booklet deals with selling pros-
pects on the tone arm, tone amplifier, motor
and cabinet of the Brunswick and is covered in
a most illuminating way.
The subject matter in these booklets is
handled in a simple, practical manner and the
points are brought out clearly and interestingly
so that the dealer or salesman, after perusal,
will find it a simple matter to use the informa-
tion gained to splendid advantage in the daily
work of selling phonographs.
Grown Go. Expands Store
PASADENA, CAL., July 29.—The enlarged quar-
ters of the Crown Music Co., at 784 East Colo-
rado street, were formally opened by a musi-
cal program and a large number of visitors was
entertained. This is the third time within a
year that the company has been obliged to en-
large its showrooms and the latest additions
have given them greater facilities.
Starr Phonograph for Radio
Installation Announced
Starr Piano Co. Now Marketing Phonograph
With Provision for the Installation of Radio
—Sales Campaign on New Product Started
The Starr Piano Co., Richmond, Ind., manu-
facturer of Starr phonographs and one of the
leaders in the industry, has just placed on the
market a new instrument which is being mar-
keted under the name "Starr—Install Your Own
Radio, Style XIX-A." This console comprises
all of the distinctive qualities of the Starr
phonograph and the case is delivered completely
furnished with the exception of the radio parts.
When the adjustable lids at the top to the left
are raised there is revealed a space in which
almost any size radio panel can be installed.
The veneered and highly finished panel is not
cut out when the Starr style XIX-A "Install
Your Own Radio" is delivered, but, by overlap-
ping of the edges of the radio panel, an absolute
finish is achieved. Underneath the panel, in the
space ordinarily intended for record filing, may
be installed any quantity up to a dozen of ; ordi-
nary A dry cell batteries and up to three B bat-
teries. Ample room exists, however, to use a
portion of this space for record filing if desired,
even though the maximum number of batteries
is used.
The Starr duplex horn is a double-throated
amplifying horn, each throat being independent
and requiring no adjustments from one to the
other. The radio throat ends in a tube of the
standard size of the ordinary phonograph tone
arm. The holes for the wires connecting the
loud speaker to the radio set arc bored at an
appropriate place. However, no in-put wires
are provided for, as the location must neces-
sarily be arranged differently for various sets.
Panels for this new instrument are being
manufactured regularly by the Crosley Radio
Corp., Cincinnati, O., and the Carloyd Electric
& Radio Co., New York. The new instrument
was exhibited at the music conventions in New
York and attracted wide attention from Starr
dealers throughout the country who placed or-
ders for immediate delivery. The Starr organi-
sation is developing an important sales campaign
featuring the new product, and judging from
the interest manifested the success of the in-
strument is already assured.
Landay Bros. Open Branch
Store in Hackensack
HACKENSACK, N. J.' Aug. 2.—The branch store
of Landay Bros., which opened here the early
part of last month, is doing a thriving business
in both pianos and talking machines. The store
is housed in temporary quarters in a very good
location on Main street. The formal opening
was a gala affair. Wrought iron bridge lamps
were given to all purchasers of talking machines,
radio sets, etc.
Music on Lake Steamers
The music for dancing and entertainment
on the fleet of excursion steamers operated on
the Great Lakes and tributary rivers by the
White Star, Ashley and Dustin lines will again
be furnished this Summer by Finzel's Orches-
tras. Wm. Finzel, manager of Finzel's Orches-
tras, is the personal director of the Finzel's
Arcadia Orchestra of Detroit, exclusive Okeh
dance orchestra and well known to dance
enthusiasts in the Middle West.