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Music Rolls Sell
When Merchants Push Them
How Four Chicago Music Merchants Build Up Good Demand in
Music Roll Departments by Developing Clientele of Roll Buyers
Through Sales Pressure—Push Rolls and the Player-Piano Sells
T
HE merchandising of the music roll, with
few exceptions, does not receive an ade-
quate share of the dealers' attention in
comparison with selling methods in other de-
partments which he is using to build up his
business. Yet the music roll is an integral part
of the player-piano business.
There are a number of examples, however, of
dealers who feature their music roll depart-
ments on an equal basis with the player depart-
ment in stimulating sales. The most essential
point, it is asserted, is to have a large and
timely stock and develop the sale of music
rolls by suggesting and working with the cus-
tomer, through the regular channels of sales
promotion such as window displays, sending out
monthly bulletins, letters, etc.
Reichardt Piano Co.
The roll department of the Reichardt Piano
Co., 1311 Milwaukee avenue, Chicago, is very
up-to-date, not only in its complete stock of late
numbers, but in arrangement, sufficient demon-
stration booths and general management. As
this store caters to a large foreign trade, this
fact has been taken into consideration in stock-
ing and ordering.
It is explained that, in addition to having a
selective stock to cater to the customers, good
window and counter displays to attract atten-
tion, and issuing regular monthly bulletins sup-
plied by the roll companies, an effort should
be made to work closely with the customer at
all times.
"Careful attention should be given to each
individual customer," says Miss A. E. Reimers,
manager of the department, "to ascertain just
what type of music he or she is interested in
and to suggest similar numbers. If the cus-
tomer has not heard the number that you men-
tion and yon believe that it will particularly
appeal to him, play it.
"To work with the customer in this manner
requires that you should know and study \\u:
trade especially the foreign nationalities and
have a good knowledge of the catalogs, In. go-
in.g over the catalogs or late bulletins with the
customer and talking about the numbers with
comments on the type of music, etc., interest is
stimulated and the customer will hear of a
large assortment of selections that he is
anxious to play.
"Not only is it important to know what your
customer likes in selling him, but this is also
true when ordering. This enables the depart-
ment to meet the demands of the trade and
eliminates the growth of a dead stock."
Vitak-Elsnic Co.
The Vitak-Elsnic Co., 4639 South Ashland
avenue, likewise caters to a large foreign trade
and has built up an unusually good foreign roll
business. The many nationalities located in this
neighborhood demand that the company neces-
sarily have a large and selective stock, but with
the efforts that have been made to stimulate the
sale of music rolls, the stock moves rapidly and
a flourishing •"busrwes-s has bee'n built up*. The
Bohemian, slavs, Polish, Lithuanian, Mexican,
Hungarian and Roumanian nationalities are
catered to.
"We issued a four-page folder written in a
foreign language which lists the various rolls
and gives a brief description of the music," said
Joseph Elsnic. "This folder is sent to our regu-
lar list of player-piano customers and enclosed
with orders and other mailing material.
"We also prepare from time to time another
special folder which contains the more popular
rolls and the best sellers which have been re-
leased during the period of three months. If
we find that a roll is a good seller we include
it in the list of best sellers and continually call
the public's attention to this group for we know
by the many orders that have previously been
received that they will appeal to the custom-
ers.
"Windows are changed regularly and new
rolls displayed as soon as they are released. We
also aim to have a number of attractively col-
ored counter signs, and display cards to attract
and stimulate interest in the department."
Solar Music Co.
The Solar Music Co., 3215 West Twenty-
sixth street, in following up sales made to old
customers in order to keep in personal touch
with them and call attention to new lines, etc.,
has applied this principle in selling music rolls
in this store.
"It is important," said Louis Solar, Sr., "to
keep in touch with the customer after the sale
of the instrument is made and not neglect him
when the deal has been closed. The monthly
bulletins of late releases should therefore be
sent out regularly, for these not only/- stimulate
a desire for new numbers but enable you to
keep in touch with the customer;"
•„, Witzel Music Co.
,
The Witzel Music Co., 1454 Barry avenue, has
a modern rrfitjiic roll depaij-tm^ibnt with ^ com-
plete stock, ggod arrangegaejrit and suJfiQcJe,nt
demonstration booths. It is pointe^ out "t^ai! it
is veTy, irritating to the prospective b\jyer when
he wants 1 ' a. certain roll to have the deajer tell
him that he is sorry but that jakajrticula^ nttmbjer
is not in stock. It 1'eaVes a bad impression in
the mind of the customer and he looks for an-
other store that will have what he wants. To
overcome this problem it is necessary to study
the trade and the catalog and order as carefully
as possible in order to have an up-to-date stock.
Clark Progressing on
"Making of a Melody' Film
ciated by hundreds of piano merchants. The
company's production and shipping facilities are
equal to any reasonable demand that can be
made, and the dealer is kept posted as to what
is new and his own customers are also kept
posted by descriptive literature mailed regu-
larly, which gives the ultimate buyer an ac-
curate idea of any number offered by the com-
pany.
President of Clark Orchestra Roll Co., Chicago,
Working on Motion Picture Showing Man-
ner in Which Music Rolls Are Produced
DEKALB, 111., May 28.—-President Ernest G.
Clark, of the Clark Orchestra Roll Co. here, is
making highly satisfactory progress with his
film picture "The Making of a Melody," pre-
viously referred to in these columns. Already
three films have been completed and tried out
before members of the trade, and the complete
picture itself will be ready for exhibition very
soon. Piano merchants who handle player-
pianos and player rolls are logically the ones
most interested and the. ones who could most
benefit from the exhibition of this film because
it enables those who have never visited the
Clark orchestra roll plant here to understand
clearly the careful attention to detail, as well as
the musical and mechanical knowledge involved
in making a player roll.
The Clark Orchestra rolls have long been
noted for their musical and mechanical ex-
cellence, and it is entirely possible that this
Ernest Clark film may be exhibited to the gen-
eral public in some of the motion picture
houses as an educational film, in which many
patrons of those houses—and there are thou-
sands, who want to know how and why about
the making of a thing—will be interested.
Business in general continues to be satisfac-
tory, considering conditions. Mr. Clark is an
acute analyst of the fundamentals on which
our national prosperity is based. He knows,
by the history of his own business, that service
based on intelligent understanding of trade
problems and buying methods will, if it be ade-
quate service consistently adhered to, bring in
to his company the proper revenue.
Years ago the Clark Orchestra Roll Co. as-
sumed the burden of carrying roll stock for the
dealers, and this co-operation has been appre-
Starr Go. Portables
in Good Demand
Firm Issues New Folder Pointing Out. District
Field Which Exists for This Type of Phono-
graph
RICHMOND, 1ND V May 31.—The plant of the
Starr Piano Co. here not only makes thousands
of pianos each year but is noted also for talk-
ing machines and Gennett records. Just at pres-
ent this department, which is growing rapidly, is
particularly busy with the manufacture of Starr
portable talking machines, which can be con-
servatively said to have made an emphatic suc-
cess. The company has just gotten out a four-
page folder on the Starr portables which are
made in three styles, S 1, S 2 and S 3. Each
is enclosed in handsome leatherette cases in
red, blue, green, gray, tan and black, and has a
separate compartment for records.
Accompanying this the attention of the trade
is called to the fact that "This is a portable
year" and then follows a few paragraphs which
summarize conditions. "Every dealer knows
that there is as separate a field for the portable
phonograph as exists for the larger and more
pretentious models," it says. "This market is
distinct. Its possibilities, owing to a wide field
of various uses, are almost .unlimited. The port-
able is a rapid seller, the portable business is on
a short time basis, the turnover is quick and
the margin is good. Furthermore this business
is a constant feeder for your other lines of mer-
chandise—notably records and needles."