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The Music Trade Review
H. H. Fleer, of Lyon 6? Healy, Talks
of Problem of Teachers' Commissions
Where Legitimate Assistance Is Given Merchant in Making Sale, Teacher Should Be
Paid Legitimate Commissions—Checking the Graft in the Problem
J J RRMAN H. FLEER, secretary of the Na- ment which will harmonize with the architec-
•*• -*• tional Association of Music Merchants and
vice-president of Lyon & Healy, Chicago, in a
recent interview declared that one of the prob-
lems of the piano merchant to-day is that of
H. H. Fleer
paying commissions to music teachers and
other who influence, or pretend to influence,
sales, and regard the dealer as legitimate prey.
Steadily growing competition serves to em-
phasize this problem, and as a solution Mr.
Fleer believes that eaoh dealer should align him-
self with teachers of standing in his community,
have them use their best efforts to bring cus-
tomers into his store, and recompense them for
those efforts, at the same time ignoring the de-
mands of the grafting element.
"There is no objection whatever," said Mr.
Fleer, "to paying a music teacher a commission
where the teacher really does give legitimate
assistance to the dealer in making a sale to
either a pupil or anyone who may rely upon
the judgment of the teacher in question. This
is work which should rightfully be paid for.
"What the music merchant objects to, and
justly so, is where a teacher goes the rounds
of various stores and in some cases files the
name of a prospect with half a dozen dealers
and really does no actual work whatever in
the selection of a piano or influencing a sale.
The teacher should be specific in her recom-
mendations, and if the customer buys elsewhere,
she should get nothing. The teacher should be
just as close to a retail piano store as a sales-
man for that house.
"The average music teacher knows next to
nothing about the construction of a piano. The
teacher should receive instruction from a piano
house so that she can talk intelligently with a
prospective customer and have something other
to say than just the expression of opinion as
to the tone of the instrument. The teacher
should familiarize herself with the strong sell-
ing points about the various pianos handled in
any store with which she is allied.
"There are others beside teachers who occa-
sionally ask for commission. In some cases
the commission is justified. Occasionally we
have a call from some retail house in another
line of business saying that they could influence
the sale of a piano and asking what commission
there will be in it for them. To such an in-
quiry, our answer is, 'Nothing.'
"On the other hand, we work very closely
with interior decorators. We feel that an in-
terior decorator is legitimately entitled to a
commission because he has a great deal to do
with the selection of a particular style of instru-
tural design and furnishing of the home. "This
is a subject which may profitably come up for
discussion at one of our convention sessions."
The trade-in problem was also discussed by
Mr. Fleer. He said that it is of course obvious
to all dealers that the trade-ins cost the dealer
altogether too much money.
"It seems," said Mr. Fleer, "that when busi-
ness is bad the average dealer has a tendency
to make larger trade allowances than he ordi-
narily would, with a result that there is a corre-
sponding dec/ease in profits. In about 75 per
cent of the cases, the customer with a piano to
trade in, is smarter than the dealer.
"I knew of a case recently here in Chicago
where a customer was in the market for a re-
producing piano, having an old player grand
to turn in in exchange. The customer went to
one house and after talking with the salesman
said that a certain other house had offered an
allowance of $1,650 for the old player grand.
This was after the salesman had offered $1,000
for the trade-in. Immediately afterwards, the
customer went to the other house and told
identically the same story. Fortunately the.e
two houses were on very good terms and a tele-
phone conversation between the two resulted
in their both adhering to the offer of an allow-
ance of $1,000 and no more. The sale was made
by one of the houses and the allowance was
fixed at $1,000. This was all the instrument
was worth as a trade-in; but if there had been
no co-operation between the houses in question,
one or the other might quite possibly have met
the alleged offer of the other of $1,650.
"There are retail houses who mark up the
price of new instruments with the direct pur-
pose of making apparently large allowances on
trade-ins, and to take care of customer dis-
counts, but this is not the right way for a house
to operate."
Benches in the White
SOUTH
ACTON,
MASS., December 24.—The A.
Merriam Co., manufacturer of piano stools and
benches, reports it has received very heavy de-
mands for the special period benches, and that
its manufacturing facilities have been taxed
to keep up with this demand. This company
has given particular attention to the prepara-
DECEMBER 31, 1927
tion of a unique line of upholstered benches
and benches in period designs that have found
a ready market. Another departure in the Mer-
i iam organization is the production of benches
in the white which allows the piano manufac-
turer to finish the bench to match the instru-
ment exactly.
St. Louis Trade Views
Next Year With Optimism
Past Year Generally Satisfactory Considering
Tornadoes, Floods and Other Untoward Con-
ditions
ST. LOUIS, December 27.—The year of 1927 has
been a satisfactory one from the standpoint of
the St. Louis piano and other music trades,
according to the opinions of local dealers, who
look for a continuance of the generally favor-
able conditions during the coming year, if not
a slight increase.
The situation as a whole in St. Louis was
summed up by one of the leading dealers of
the city, who preferred that his name be not
used. He pointed out that while the talking
machine and radio trade has been good, the
demand for pianos and band instruments was
sporadic, but fairly good.
"The past year has been an unusually profit-
able one for the talking machine and radio
trade," he said. "Both of these lines witnessed
an extraordinary demand, and the results of
tlie year should show a good increase over last
year. The piano business, while not remark-
able, has been on the whole satisfactory. The
demand for pianos during the year has been
sporadic, with moderate-priced instruments
more or less favored, although better and more
high-priced pianos moved in fairly good volume
during the holiday season. Virtually the same
situation existed in band instruments and
smaller goods during the earlier part of the
year, although the demand for these strength-
ened later, and should end the year in fairly
good condition.
"The recent St. Louis tornado, the Missis-
sippi Valley floods and other similar factors
all had their effect upon the local trade, as
well as other businesses, and to this condition
can be ascribed most of the weaknesses that
the trade exhibited during the past year. But
on the whole, the music trade was sound, and
generally satisfactory and 1928 should be
equally as good if not better."
George M. Reese, Jr., formerly general man-
ager of the Gewehr Piano Co., Wilmington,
Del., has joined the staff of the Robclen Piano
Co. that city.
Reproducers and New Merchandising
(Continued from page 3)
prospects in fact should be the foundation of
that although the reproducing piano is an in-
all reproducing piano merchandising; and that
strument for the connoisseur there are plenty
means personal work based upon intelligent
of connoisseurs to keep the sales going. Sec-
demonstration. Once more comes in the per- ond, we must understand that selling costs can
sonal factor, the factor of personal interest in be kept down only when sales work is done
the music which the instrument renders. No personally by seeking out the prospective pur-
salesman can sell reproducing pianos success- chasers and working with them. Thirdly, it is
fully who is not personally interested in and t vident that the only kind of salesmanship
acquainted with the work of the recording which can bear up against aggressive competi-
artists and with all the musical side of the tion in other fields is salesmanship based upon
thing. That may be taken as axiomatic.
musical interest and not upon social value. In
So we arrive at this situation. The repro- other words, the reproducing piano is not likely
ducing piano is costly, but can hardly be made t
much cheaper save at an undesirable sacrifice alone. Given due attention to the principle of
of quality. Service is costly to a public not musical demonstration, however, it can go dur-
yet educated to understand that the piano in- ing 1928 farther than it has gone even in its
dustry no more than the motor car industry best years hitherto.
can afford to give it without charge. Competi-
Must Be Sold
tion within the same price range is formidable
In a word, the reproducing piano must here-
and aggressively organized. What then are after be sold, for one can be reasonably sure
the probabilities of the future?
than it will no longer merely be bought. And
Good Enough
the selling must hereafter be based on music,
Good enough if only we take the actual facts not on mere social values, which have already
into consideration. First, then, we must realize begun to pass on to other fields.