Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1925 Vol. 81 N. 3

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
REVIEW
THE
VOL. LXXXI. No. 3
Published Every Saturday. Edward Lyman Bill, Inc., 383 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y. Jaly 18, 1925 * ln % m £f#S
i°eJ""*
Featuring the Local Endorsement as a
Means to Make More Sales
The Clark & Jones Piano Co., Birmingham, Ala., Steinway Representative in That City, Uses Names of
Local Owners in Effective Window Display, Which Attracts Large Numbers of Passersby—The
Confidence Created by Familiar Names of Those Who Alreadv Own the Piano Sold
DVERTISERS generally, both in and out
of the music trade, have come to realize
with considerable force the fact that
neighborhood endorsements of various products
have a publicity value which cannot be ignored
if best results are to be secured in the way of
sales. The fact that some great pianist, for in-
stance, uses and commends a certain instrument
undoubtedly lends distinc-
tion to it in the minds of
many prospective purchas-
ers, whether or not they
have had the opportunity of
hearing that pianist per-
form. It is his reputation
which carries weight and
the conviction that his judg-
ment of tone quality is
worth following. But the
endorsement of Miss Smith,
the local music teacher, or
Bill Jones, a near neighbor,
is considered as having
even more value for the
reason that they have direct
contact with the prospec-
tive buyer; he feels that
they are in'his own class
and that what they say can
be backed up by an inspec-
tion of the instrument it-
self.
A
appeal to .the wavering buyer and that the plan
is successful is proven by its continuance.
On more than one occasion piano merchants
have found it worth while to print in booklet
form a list of the names of those people in their
territory who have purchased instruments of
certain makes, and in many cases pictures of
some of the more attractive homes have been
it was worth while to tell the local public just
who owned Steinways among the internation-
ally elect, as well as among the local citizens.
The Clark & Jones Co., as will be seen by
the accompanying photograph, placed in its
show window a large frame in which were dis-
played close to 100 cards bearing the names
of Birmingham's citizens who own Steinways,
together with the names of
some international celebri-
ties who also use and en-
dorse that instrument. With
a view to giving the impres-
sion that the list was en-
tirely too large to be in-
cluded in the single frame,
close to 300 other cards
also bearing the names of
Steinway
owners
were
placed in regular order on
the floor of the show win-
dow, a Steinway small
grand being the only other
feature of the display.
The window emphasized
most strongly the value of
the local appeal, for there
was hardly an hour of the
day or evening when the
space in its front was not
well filled with the curious
seeking to find if the names
of friends or acquaintances
So we find an increasing
were to be found on the
number of piano merchants
cards.
That there were
featuring in their advertis-
shown the names of local
ing the fact that some
people of prominence whose
prominent local citizen has
opinions had a recognized
installed in his home a pi-
value is regarded as having
ano of the make they sell,
Clark & Jones Co. Window Listing Names of Local Steinway Owners
found to be effective for the reason that even
had a distinct effect on sales, according to the
or that that particular instrument was used in a
though the prospective purchaser may not be
piano house.
certain recital or is used for instruction work
acquainted with one of the dignitaries of the
by a local teacher of reputation. There is cre-
The local appeal proved a most effective rep-
town, he has the feeling that, in purchasing a
ated that homey feeling which breeds a confi-
utation builder, and reputation for any product
piano of the same make, he is putting himself
dence that cannot be developed any other way.
of quality, such as a piano, has a distinct effect
in the same class, in a sense, with his more im-
In featuring the local user piano men are not
upon its selling possibilities. The dealer or
portant neighbors.
showing any great degree of originality, how-
the salesman recognizes at once, in talking with
ever. They are. simply adopting a plan which
a prospect, the task that is before him when
A particularly interesting example of how the
has worked successfully in other fields. For
that same prospect declares: "It looks and
local endorsement may be utilized advanta-
some years manufacturers and dealers in house-
sounds like a good piano, but I have never
geously was found in a recent window display
hold accessories and in building equipment and
featured by the Clark & Jones Piano Co., Bir- heard of it before." Good salesmanship can
supplies have seen the logic in citing the expe-
mingham, Ala., who have long represented the quite frequently overcome this handicap, but if
rience and satisfaction of the neighbor as an
(Continued on pag-e 4)
Steinway piano in that section and who felt that
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
Technicians Confer at
Office of A. K. Gutsohn
Members of Association Inspect Standard Pneu-
matic Plant and Imported Pianos at Wm.
Nabe & Co., New York City
A conference of several leading technicians
of the trade was held recently in the office of
A. K. Gutsohn, superintendent of the Standard
Pneumatic Action Co., New York, for the pur-
pose of planning a course of work for the sec-
ond year of the National Piano Technicians'
REVIEW
fire" and that great accomplishments may be
expected this year. Following the meeting,
the conferring technicians were escorted by Mr.
Gutsohn on an inspection tour through the fac-
tory of the Standard Pneumatic Action Co.
The accompanying photograph was taken be-
fore luncheon, after which the conferees were
invited by E. S. Werolin to the Knabe building,
at Fifth avenue and Thirty-ninth street, where
they studied the Ampico mechanism and an
interesting group of pianos, recently imported
from foreign countries, which aroused consid-
erable interest.
The object of the National Piano Technicians'
JULY 18,
1925
Local Endorsement as a
Means to Make More Sales
(Continued from page 3)
the instrument has reputation, either national
or local, and the prospect knows that others in
the same city have bought and used for years
pianos of that same make, he is more likely to
be interested in price and terms than in quality,
for upon that latter point he feels assured.
The retailer who realizes the logic of the
local appeal and seeks to adopt it, need not hes-
itate because, for lack of time or some other
reason he has been unable to place several hun-
dred of the instruments in his territory and
thereby make an impressive showing. A dozen
good names of purchasers properly featured in
advertising and circular work will be found to
have an excellent effect. As a matter of fact,
one dealer in a high-class piano follows up each
sale by advising all his prospects in that par-
ticular section that Neighbor So-and-So has
just bought a piano of that particular make.
The move not only proves good advertising, but
makes a surprising number of sales, both from
those who regard the selection by their neighbor
as proof of quality, as well as those, particularly
in small and suburban communities, who in-
dulge in the popular American pastime of
"keeping up with the Joneses."
Another angle of the local endorsement is
that although an artist of international reputa-
tion may vouch for the instrument, and his
word may be respected, the neighbor in the next
block can be asked directly for his honest opin-
ion. There is something tangible about that
which breeds confidence.
Brooklyn Paper Describes
Progress of the Sterling
Sketch of Piano Manufacturing Concern Fea-
ture of Industrial Section of Brooklyn Eagle
of July 8
Top
Row
(left
In r i ^ h t )
(.'Iwirlt'h I >i•utM.-htiKmn,
P r e s i d e n t of the
N a t i o n a l Association of
Piano Tuners; E. S. Werolin, manager of the Service Department of the American Piano Co.;
William Iiraid White, technical editor of THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
Front Row (left to right) B. M. Strub, Western sales representative of the Standard
Pneumatic Action Co.; A. K. Gutsohn, founder and president of the National Piano Techni-
cians' Association.
Association, of which Mr. Gutsohn is president.
Many of the important problems, which the
Association has under consideration, were
taken up and discussed in a conference that
lasted several hours.
While the definite report of the progress of
the activities of the Association will not be
ready for a week or two, it was very evident
to those attending that big things are "on the
Association is to foster and promote the tech-
nical, artistic and scientific principles in de-
signing and manufacturing pianos, parts and
accessories thereof. Although the Association
is only a year old, much progress has been
made in the direction of refining certain manu-
facturing principles, which will eventually lead
to great improvements in the construction of
the piano and the quality of its tone.
Michigan Music Merchants
Plan State Association
ler Industries, deserve credit for quite a bit of
time and effort spent to get the organization
under way.
Plans for an interesting program are under
way, both from a constructive business view-
point which will include discussions on the
various problems confronting the trade, as well
as entertainment for the visiting dealers, who
will be given a golf tournament.
Meeting to be Held in Grand Rapids in Septem-
ber to Form Permanent Organization
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH., July 11.—For some time
the dealers throughout the state have been
seriously considering and planning to form a
state association and it is announced that an
organization meeting will be held at the Pant-
lind Hotel in this city on September 10 and 11
to form a permanent organization.
C. H. Hoffman, of the Hoffman Piano Co.,
Grand Rapids, has been unanimously chosen as
temporary chairman to carry on the work.
Both Mr. Hoffman and Charles Burtzloff,
Michigan, traveling representative for the Koh-
Highest
Quality
Ampico for Station WBDG
The Wurzburg Dry Goods Co. of Grand
Rapids, Mich., local agents for the J. & C. Fisch-
er pianos, has just received an order from Sta-
tion WBDC for a Fischer Ampico grand for
use in their broadcasting. The instrument was
submitted to every test and more than made
good the requirements of this station.
A tribute to the Sterling piano, together with
a sketch of the history of the company and
the progressive business methods being em-
ployed by Walter C. Mallory, secretary and
general manager, in the retail branches of the
Sterling Piano Corp., in Brooklyn, N. Y., ap-
peared in an article on the industrial page of
the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, in the issue of Wed-
nesday, July 8. Explaining the company's pro-
gress during the last few years, Mr. Mallory is
quoted as follows: "While during the last
twelve calendar months we have increased our
business here 71 per cent over the business
done during the preceding dozen calendar
months, that has been due to extensive news-
paper and other advertising and to an aggres-
sive sales policy. We had to go out to get the
business. Before we made house-to-house can-
vasses and indulged in advertising, we found the
market in very poor shape. But in June alone
w^ sold $60,000 worth of our pianos in Brook-
lyn, more even than in April or May. It was
simply a proposition of going out for it."
Two Hardman Grands
Two Hardman concert grands have just been
placed in the schools of Yonkers, N. Y., by the
Stedman Music House, which handles the Hard-
man line in that city. One of the pianos was
installed in the Nathaniel Hawthorne School
and the other in Theodore Roosevelt High
School, both institutions of high standing in
the community.
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
Highest
Quality

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