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42
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
JULY 18,
1925
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC PUBLISHING
Conducted By V. D. Walsh
Psychological Aspects on Selling in
the Merchant's Sheet Music Department
An Interview by Russell Raymond Voorhees With H. F. Rhaesa, of Carl Fischer, Inc., New
York City—The Habits of the Department's Customers and the Ways to Handle Them
TX7"HETHER everyone knows it or not
there is a very definite psychology in
selling sheet music and those who sell best
are those who best understand the psychol-
ogy of it. H. F. Rhaesa, of Carl Fischer,
Inc., New York City, has charge of the sheet
music department and not only thoroughly un-
derstands the psychology of selling sheet music
but has a background of musical taste and ap-
preciation with which he can work.
"There are three classes of music," said Mr.
Rhaesa in discussing the psychology of selling
sheet music. "There is the classical, the semi-
classical and the jazz or what is popularly
termed popular. The music of one class cannot
be sold on the same basis as the music of an-
other class, for there is a distinct method of
selling, or at least a distinct method of handling,
the sales in each instance.
"Those who buy classical and semi-classical
music in almost every instance ask for a very
definite piece when they come in and it is use-
less to try to sell them other pieces except those
that are' of a similar sort. If a clerk knows
music it is a great help because he then can
pick out other pieces of the same type the cus-
tomer asks for and possibly sell them also.
"I have found that buyers of classical and
semi-classical, music buy to a great extent on
the name of the composer. If they like one or
two pieces of a certain composer they feel that
they are liable to like others by the same com-
poser and so when they come in they frequently
ask for the new pieces by So-and-So. In a few
instances I have found that customers will buy
music by the name of the publisher, but not to
any extent.
"In view of the fact that it is the individual
taste of the customers that finally decides
whether they will buy a certain piece or not, it
is useless to try to force sales of this type of
music by the methods of selling that are used
in other lines. Musicians buy only what they
want and there is a very definite reason why
they want such and such a piece. About the
best that can be done is to show them pieces
of the same type as the one asked for and then,
in some instances, additional sales will undoubt-
edly be made.
"While it is a big help to a clerk to know
music and to be able to play, still the musician
as a clerk is not always the success that might
be expected of him. For instance, the musi-
cian is aways looking up the new pieces and
running them over in his mind and so takes up
the time that he should be taking to keep his
stock in order and replenished.
"In selling jazz or what is known to the pub-
lic as popular music, different tactics can be
used. Most buyers of popular music come in
for either some new pieces that are popular,
regardless of whether they know them or not,
or else for a certain piece that they have heard.
At the same time they want to buy other pieces
that are new but that they do not know. The
clerk selling popular music will find it very easy
to mention some of the newer pieces that are
popular, and in many instances he will be able
to sell one or more to the customer who either
came in for some definite piece or for some new
popular music. The sales of popular music can
be forced by proper sales methods, but in sell-
ing classical and semi-classical music it is al-
most an impossibility to do that.
"In selling sheet music the thing to remem-
ber is the class of buyers and to act accord-
ingly. Musicians buy only what their own in-
dividual tastes suggest that they buy. Sales
methods won't help. All that can be done is to
show pieces of a similar type. Users of popular
music buy the new pieces and very frequently
they are more than willing to have the clerk
aid in better choice of such pieces. That is
about all there is to selling sheet music."
Two Sheet Music Men
Report Narrow Escapes
the street, which I did. . . . It is the strangest
feeling in the world." Gross also reported that
the train carrying Sophie Tucker to Los An-
geles passed through Santa Barbara fifteen min-
utes before the earthquake happened.
Tom Bullock Leaves Pickwick Club Just Before
Cave-in and Bob Gross Escapes Uninjured in
Santa Barbara Earthquake
Two of Ager, Yellen & Bornstein, Inc., out-of-
town representatives had narrow escapes in two
recent calamities. Tom Bullock, who repre-
sents Ager, Yellen & Bornstein, Inc., in Boston,
was at the ill-fated Pickwick Club early in the
morning of July 4 and left the place just ten
minutes before the building caved in, killing
several scores of people. Bullock had just fin-
ished his last song with the orchestra at 3.20
and the tragedy occurred at 3.30. He was just
outside the building when it happened, and as-
sisted in the rescue work.
Bob Gross, who represents his firm on the
Coast, was thrown out of his bed by the earth-
quake, which shook Santa Barbara. He escaped
with just a shaking up. "I was lying in bed
yesterday morning about 6.40 when the room
started shaking," he wrote in his letter to Ben
Bornsteiri, "when I suddenly found myself on
the floor. The shaking continued for about
thirty seconds. I got back into bed, but five
minutes later there was another shaking, so I
said to myself it is time to get up and out in
More Feist Numbers
Among the new songs added to the catalog
of Leo Feist, Inc., are "Who Wouldn't Love
You," a song written by Benny Davis and Joe
Burke, authors of the successful songs "No
Wonder" and "Yearning." "I'm Tired of Every-
thing But You," a new number by Isham Jones,
writer of "I'll See You In My Dreams" and
other successes, looks like one of the best
things ever written by this prominent orches-
tra leader and Brunswick record artist. Also
a new sensational novelty march fox-trot
called "Kinky Kids Parade" by Gus Kahn and
Walter Donaldson, two of the most dependable
hit writers of the country.
New Manager in Alliance
ALLIANCE, O., July 6.—Russell Gates has been
named manager of the new store of the Mc-
Mahon Piano Co., opened in the Shearer block
recently. Mr. Gates comes to Alliance with
many years' experience in the musical field.
SONGS THAT SELL
When You and I Were Seventeen
Yearning
Oh, How I Miss You Tonight
Ukulele Lady
Oh, Mabel
All Alone
Listening
Show Me the Way
AH Aboard for Heaven
Please Be Good to My Old Girl
Hot Tamale Molly
My Sweetie Turned Me Down
One Night Like This
Marie, Marie, Marie
What'll I Do?
Suite Sixteen
Summer Nights
—
—
BOOKS THAT SELL
—
STRUM IT WITH CRUMIT—Songs for
Ukulele
TIDDLE DE UKES — Comic Songs for
the Ukulele
Universal Dance Folio No. 9 (New)
Peterson's Ukulele Method
World's Favorite Songs
4th MUSIC BOX REVUE, 1925
In the Shade of a Sheltering Tree
Tell Her in the Springtime
Tokio Blues
DIXIE TO BROADWAY
Mandy, Make Up Your Mind
Dixie Dreams
Hits from TOPSY and EVA
Rememb'ring
1 Never Had a Mammy
IRVING BERLIN, Inc.
1607 Broadway, New York
New Skidmore Number
The Skidmore Music Co. has added to its
catalog a new song by Henry Creamer entitled
"Way Down South in Chicago by the Old Pa-
cific Shore." The song is said to be crazier
than the title suggests and may reach the height
of its success during the dog days of August.
Three Endor Numbers
Chick Endor, writer of "Who'll Take Care of
the Caretaker's Daughter When the Caretaker
Is Taking Care," has placed with Shapiro, Bern-
stein & Co., Inc., three new songs, namely,
"When Georgia Smiles," "Just Like a Baby"
and "Every Sunday Afternoon." The numbers
have already been recorded by Cliff Edwards,
known as l/kulele Ike. "Just Like a Baby" is
a new type of ballad and for this reason will
be the featured number of the three new selec-
tions. All of them will bo widely exploited in
various ways.