Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
FEBRUARY 28,
1925
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
The Problem in Selling the Player
Eliminating the Unscrupulous Merchandiser of Player-Pianos and Training the Retail Sales Force to a
Full Realization of the Musical Capabilities of the Instrument, the Two Conditions That Must
Be Achieved if the Player Is to Reach a Volume Commensurate With Its Market
GOOD friend of the present writer, talk-
ing about merchandising methods in our
industry, spoke somewhat as follows:
"You are right enough in telling dealers that
they cannot sell player-pianos or reproducing
pianos on a large scale by putting all the em-
phasis on figures and terms, for the fact is that
most people even to-day do not know one-
tenth of what a player-piano or reproducer will
bring to their homes in the way of entertain-
ment, recreation and fine pleasure; but . . .
do not put all the blame on the dealer.
"What," continued this trade expert and wise
man, "is the dealer individually to do? All
around him are competitors, some of whom
care absolutely nothing for the player business
as such, nor for how much they demoralize it,
since they would get out of it • to-morrow if
something more profitable-looking turned up.
One man doing cheap merchandising may de-
moralize a whole company of good men who
would rather do the high-minded thing any day,
and who know that they could do it with profit
as well as with pleasure, but for the evil influr
ence against which it is so much harder to
fight than anyone outside the retail trade can
ever know.
"Moreover, even if a dealer should make up
his mind to carry out the undoubtedly correct
principles you have laid down, where is he
going to get salesmen to work enthusiastically
with him? How many salesmen will conde-
scend to learn to play a player-piano decently
well? How many will rather persistently re-
fuse even to attempt such a thing? If you can
suggest some pratical way of remedying this
difficulty then you will be doing something
really worth while towards solving the retail
merchandising problem in the player business."
Thus far a gentleman whose views, here quo-
ted correctly in their substance, command re-
spect wherever and whenever they are ex-
pressed.
Well, here we have a succinct and undoubt-
edly correct summing up of one of the biggest
practical difficulties the retail player trade has
to face. The man who tells us these things is
telling the truth. Somehow or other, we must
face the situation so presented to us; and some-
how we must find an adequate answer to the
difficulties so pointedly and correctly posed.
Answer the First
There is', of course, but one answer to the
first difficulty. The piano business must some-
how be made so unpleasant for men who will
not conduct their share of it rightly that they
will either reform or get out. We all know,
moreover, that the various State and city trade
associations are working steadily to the end
of discouraging practices of the rotten sort, and
that no matter how slow the progress may seem
to be progress it undoubtedly • is. Doubtless,
too, we shall have to be content with this, for
the probabilities are much against manufactur-
ers, in general or collectively, refusing to sell
to a merchant because he is locally a trade de-
moralizer. Unhappily, we have not yet reached
the general level of trade intelligence which
such action would indicate. Some day perhaps
we shall; but till then we must do the best we
can. Nevertheless, reform, though slow, is
steady. It does go on all the time.
On the Other Hand
^jrr-J he—other hand, when it comes to the
other half of the problem, we can talk not only
more immediately btit much more certainly.
For we actually now have in the trade men who
are working steadily and with all sincerity to
A
put the player business upon a right basis of common. Here is a difficulty which all share
cleanness and high-mindedness, knowing that and which no man can help to solve without
the best salesmanship is high-minded and that benefiting himself quite as much as he benefits
fundamentally it is impossible to maintain a his rivals. Here is something worthy of your
high-class industry upon low-class principles. fighting blood."
Thus, to take a transparent example, we have
A Dozen Ways
the Ampico Art Society. Now, here is an en-
Here is in fact a problem of the very kind for
terprise deliberately conceived in the interest of the solution of which trade associations are
the Ampico instruments, by their makers; and formed. Let such associations take up and
yet conducted upon such a high level of aspira- study in a practical way this problem of player
tion and achievement as to make it an out- salesmanship and adopt a plan of some practical
standing example of the understanding and ap- kind for bringing the whole body of salesmen
plication of the remedies for which we are within their jurisdiction under some kind of
searching. The Ampico Art Society proposes practical discipline and training. It can be done
to itself nothing less than the adequate educa- in a dozen ways. There are experts connected
tion of every man and woman whose duties re- with the different manufacturers, there are inde-
late to the selling of Ampico instruments, to pendent experts, there are local musicians who
the end that the correct principles of Ampico can talk about and interpret music, there are
selling shall be understood—and practiced, too traveling salesmen who know the problems
—by every such an one.
which other merchants are meeting, and how
Simple and Practical
they meet them. There is a wealth of material.
The aim is simple and easily understood. It It is mainly a question of good will and of
is directly related to the immediate commercial recognizing facts. Problems more difficult than
interests of everyone concerned. It is therefore these have been met and solved by trade asso-
practical. But it is also high-class, for it is ciations. The big problem of reconstructing
built upon the understanding that a reproducing the retail position of the player-piano is pre-
instrument of the Ampico's class can only be eminently a retail problem, and essentially one
sold when its selling appeal is wholly based to be solved by the united and communal ef-
upon the transcendently fine things which it forts of that trade. Therefore, it is an asso-
does. And for that reason it is realized by ciation problem, and above all a problem for
the American Piano Co. that Ampico salesman- local or State associations.
ship is music salesmanship; and that an ac-
Moreover, it is a problem which holds for
quaintance with the music which the Ampico re- everyone who aids in its solution ripe fruits
enacts is of its very essence.
of increased sales and greater profits. And
Much the same may be said, on a different lastly, it is one in which every manufacturer
scale, of the eminently interesting and valuable is not only willing, but eager to assist.
work being done through the sales department
Here is a practical and a fruitful issue for
of the Gulbransen Co. in teaching dealers every- every State and local association of music mer-
where how to play, and thus how to sell. Re- chants.
lating the music, in exactly the correct way,
to the sale, so that the sale is ever kept in
mind as being the precious freight which the
music alone can carry to its destination, this
simple system is able to make the intelligent
man, musically trained or not, into an efficient New Volume by Sigmund Spaeth Designed to
Gulbransen demonstrator. And that exactly is
Add Great Value to His Interesting Book on
what is wanted, as much for the Gulbransen in
Music
its peculiar way as for the Ampico in quite an-
other way.
There has just been issued by Boni & Live-
"Here Is a Problem"
right, New York, a teachers' manual for use
If now it is possible for single houses to with "The Common Sense of Music" in class-
tackle, and show the right way towards han- room and assembly work, prepared by Sigmund
dling successfully, the vast problem of sales- Spaeth, author of the original book, and with
manship training in the two great divisions of a foreword by George H. Gartlan, director of
the player business, it is also possible for those school music of New York City.
bodies which have arisen in the general trade,
In view of the wide interest that has been
and which cut across the boundaries of trade shown in Dr. Spaeth's book and the sound logic
connections, to do the same thing. The Na- contain therein, it has found high favor with
tional Association of Music Merchants, of both teachers and students of music, and the
course, is primarily a national body dealing with new manual should prove of great value in add-
great questions of national policy, and al- ing to the usefulness of the volume.
though no question is more important in a na-
tional sense than this which we are discussing,
jet the practical manner of handling it will have
to be worked out locally. So we turn confi-
dently to the various State and municipal trade
Italo Montemezzi, the renowned Italian com-
associations and to them we say: "Here is a p«ser, whose new opera, "Giovanni Galleruse,"
problem just as important to you as the regula- was had its premiere at the Metropolitan Opera
tion of trade ethics, or the exchange of local House, New York, on February 19, has recently
credit information. Here is a problem which expressed a strong preference for the Hardjnan
vitally concerns each one of your members. piano, which he uses in his studio. Mr. Monte-
Here is a problem which, whether we relate it mezzi is also the composer of the opera
to the foot-played player-piano or to the repro- "L'Amore p^e^Tre Re," which has been pro-,
ducing piano, is actually too big to be handled duccd in recent years at the Metropolitan.
by the efforts of any single retail house or
even of any single manufacturing corporation.
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
Here is something which the decent and high- The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
minded merchants in every community have in free of charge for men who desire positions.
Teachers' Manual on "The
Common Sense of Music"
Montemezzi Praises Hardman