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46
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
AUGUST 30,
1924
THE TALKING MACHINE TRADE
Practical Methods of Digging Up Live
Prospects and Keeping List Up to Date
Artistic New Bakersfield
Store of Don C. Preston
Development of the Talking Machine Dealer's Business Depends Largely on His Prospects and His
Success in Selling Them—Sources of Prospects—Things to Avoid in Compiling List
Branch Opened by Successful West Coast Music
Dealer the Last Word in Attractiveness of
Layout and Conservation of Space
' I s HE question as to the best means of build-
ing up the mailing list of the talking machine
dealer is always a live one, for the reason that
much of the present and a far larger percentage
of future business depends upon such a list—
it is the key to the development of a list of
actual prospects.
Things to Avoid
Dealers have had at various times costly ex-
periences in this direction. It has been found
that to send out canvassers "cold," as it were,
with a view to digging for prospects alone is a
long, expensive process; to wait for customers
to bring in names of a sufficient number of
friends to make up a working list is slow and
unsatisfactory, although the aid of the customer
is not to be despised. The average city direc-
tory is practically useless, for there is no guide
as to the standing of the individual, and, al-
though the telephone directory can be made to
yield some good names for the prospect list,
the separating of the sheep from the goats
among telephone subscribers also is an ex-
tremely costly proposition.
Sources of Live Prospects
The main thought is to put on the mailing list
the names of those who are most likely to be in
a position to buy talking machines or records or
who for one reason or another should be in a
buying mood. Perhaps one of the best sources
for digging up a live list is found in checking
up the marriage licenses. In many cases the
granting of licenses, together with the names
of the contracting parties, are published in the
newspapers daily. The great proportion of li-
censes mean that new homes are to be estab-
lished and that there should be a place in those
new homes for the talking machine and its
accompanying records.
The Technique of Service
Vital in Business Domain
The real estate records form another treas-
BAKEKSFIKID, CAL., August 21.—The accompany-
ury from which many valuable names may be ing illustration shows the artistic new store of
taken. Like the marriage records, they are
open to public inspection, and one has only to
copy the names and addresses wanted. The
records of purchasers of new houses are espe-
cially valuable to dealers, as here again the pur-
chaser is very likely to be in the market for
additions to his home accessories. Most people
who are building a new house postpone the buy-
ing of a new sofa, a new table or a new talking
machine until they are ready to occupy the
house—so you will find these people in a con-
venient frame of mind for your approach. It
has been pointed out that many dealers have
found it pays them to make arrangements wit!}
real estate men in the vicinity to compile for
Don C. Preston's New Store
them lists of new tenants and lessees moving
into the neighborhood. Still others, through Don C. Preston, one of the most successful
the good will of apartment hotel managers, are music dealers on the Coast, who also operates
supplied with a list of new tenants at regular a store in Taft. As may be seen the interior
intervals.
arrangement takes account of every bit of space
in the most efficient and attractive manner. On
Prospects for Art Models
The dealer who devotes special attention to the left are the wall racks for musical merchan-
pushing the elaborate and expensive art models dise, while on the right to the fore is the sheet
and machines built to special order will do well music counter. Talking machines are displayed
to get in touch with leading architects and in- along the aisle of the store.
Mr. Preston, during a period of four years,
terior decorators in his territory, show them
what he has to offer in the matter of special starting with small capital, has, through unusual
period models that will fit into particular deco- foresight and energy, built up a large business
rative schemes and then enlist their support in in talking machines and other musical products
his work of placing the instrument in the and this new store was opened because many
homes.
of his patrons were located m~and about this
Next to compiling the list, the important mat- city, thus giving them added service and making
ter is to keep it alive, to have the addresses buying of musical products easier.
correct and to cut off the names of those who
have moved to other sections or who otherwise
become unavailable as prospects, thus avoiding
waste sales effort.
Sterchi Bros. Enjoying Good
Starr Products Popular
in Buffalo Territory Demand for Vocalion Records
BUFFALO, N. Y., August 25.—The H. B. Marsh
Co. of this city, distributor of Starr phono-
graphs, pianos and Gennett records, made by
Truck of the H. B. Marsh Co.
tlie Starr Piano Co.., Richmond, Ind., is .meeting
with gratifying success in building up distribu-
tion for these popular products throughout this
territory. H. B. Marsh, head of the company,
is one of the most aggressive Starr wholesalers,
and under his direction the sale of Starr prod-
ucts and Gennett records has steadily increased.
The company has a group of delivery wagons
which are used to give dealers in this territory
efficient service, and the accompanying photo-
graph shows one of these wagons with Mr.
Marsh at the right-hand side.
A new technique is coming in the business
world—the technique of Service.
Many of us have for years been trying to
give service to our customers and the public;
Knoxville Concern Appointing Numerous New but we have been rather clumsy at it.
Dealers and Also Featuring Vocalion Records
Very few of us have done it whole-heartedly
Successfully in Own Chain of Stores
and well.
Very few of us have really studied what serv-
KNOXVILLI:, TKNN., August 25.—Sterchi Bros., ice means, in all its details.
who for some time past have been distributors
We say that it means courtesy and the Golden
for Vocalion Red records, report a steadily in- Rule and giving people what they want in a
creasing demand for those records and the estab- pleasant way.
lishment of a number of new dealers in the
So it does; but it means far more than this.
leading cities of the South. The entire chain
It means new ways of pleasing, obliging and
of Sterchi stores handle the Vocalion records attracting the public.
and feature them strongly.
It means more and more of the personal touch
Since Sterchi Bros, have been handling the and less of cold-blooded routine.
Vocalion records several local musicians have
It means originality as well as courtesy; and
recorded for those records, including M. S. inventiveness as well as good manners.
Mason, of Dyersburg, the popular banjo player,
It means working out the spirit of friendship
and George Reno, of Knoxville, the blind musi- and applying it to all the details of buying and
cian who is widely known in this city. The rec- selling.
ords of these two men have had a wide sale
Service is as great a word as astronomy, and
locally.
vastly more important to us, because people are
of more consequence than stars.
In brief, as the Efficiency Magazine so aptly
puts it: Service is the noblest thing in business
as well as one of the most popular.
DENVER, COLO., August 22.—A new location at
210 Sixteenth street, this city, has just been
The Hill Piano Co., of Huntington, VV. Va.,
obtained by the A. 1.. Arvidson Piano Co., to
which its full line of pianos and musical instru- recently moved to its new quarters at 921-923
ments are being removed. The quarters have Furth avenue. An increased line of pianos and
been fitted up especially for the piano house phonographs is made possible by the change
in location.
and are modern in every detail.
To Have New Location