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SHEET MUSIC SECTION
BRINGS 25% OF SALES
To Hollywood Music Co.
By WILFRID
REDMOND
"B
I
I
SENT you a couple of sheet music customers the other merit. Twice a week classes are held in the store, conducted
day," said a facetious dealer friend to L. Waldo Ong, by one of Hollywood's leading teachers.
owner and manager of the Hollywood Music Co., Holly -
The sheet music department is divided into five sections.
wood, Cal., recently. "I suppose you fixed them up all The popular music is on the counter, show pieces in a rack
right." "Yes, I remember them," rejoined Mr. Ong. "I sold at the end of the department, ballads under glass in a rack
one of them a radio." Which incident goes a long way to- against the wall, classics in shelves under the ballads, and
ward explaining why this store makes such a feature of sheet teacher pieces in shelves under the counter. The department
music with a department carrying a continuous stock of 7,000 orders daily. The customer does not know that this is a
regular procedure, however, receiving the impression when he
pieces.
"Twenty-five per cent is a modest estimate of the amount gives a special order that the store is giving a greater service
of store business that comes to the other departments from the than is actually the case.
Customers are encouraged to call by telephone when they
sheet music counter," says Mr. Ong. "As a venture in itself
the profit in sheet music is not such as to deserve the impor- are doubtful about the store having the piece they want on
hand so that they may be saved a trip
tance we give to the department, but as
if the number is not available. Names
a leader to sales elsewhere in the store
and addresses are secured from these calls
it is decidedly worth while with the right
and used as a mailing list.
The sales
kind of a program.
letters
that
follow
account
for
many of
"Every sheet music customer is a pos-
the radio prospects found among the sheet
sible radio prospect in our program.
music customers of the store.
When there are customers at the sheet
music counter it is our unfailing policy
Next door to the store is a talking pic-
to have a radio going somewhere in the
ture theatre. This offers an opportunity
store. The dealer who makes the ex-
for the advantageous display of show sheet
periment will note that the majority of
music pieces, especially as the ticket line
them will come over to the radio de-
forms in front of the store windows.
partment when they have completed their
During the showing of "The Gold Dig-
purchases at the sheet music counter.
gers of Broadway," the store had a run
They show greater interest in radio music
on the song hits of this picture. The pro-
than many other visitors to the store
cedure was for the theatre patrons to see
whom a salesman might select as radio
the picture numbers displayed in the
prospects. It is easier to sell a radio to
window while waiting for tickets, to be
a person with a piece of sheet music in
reminded again by a film leader of the
his hand than to one without.
That
opportunity to get the show hits next
L WALDO ONG
amounts to almost a sales slogan with us.
door on their way home, and to have their
"One of our reasons for having such a large stock of sheet attention again called to them as they passed the windows.
music is that most dealers do not. Some stores acquire a
The tie-up between the pictures shown at the theatre and
conspicuous identity for prices, terms, sales, or some other the window displays is very close. Stills from the picture
outstanding activity. Our aim has been to become known as are always used to set off the song hit displays. The window
the store where a customer can always ge"t the piece of sheet nearest the theatre is used. The displays are frequently varied
music he is looking for. When a customer calls for a piece that by tie-ups with world premiere theatres in Hollywood and
we are out of at the time we offer to get it for her. 'When ?' Los Angeles. Familiarizing himself with the future bookings
she wants to know. When we tell her we will have it for of the theatre next door, Mr. Ong learns what popular song
her the following day she is usually incredulous. Her manner hit pictures are not to be shown there and so is able to plan
indicates that this is an outstanding service in her experience, his tie-ups with these films at other theatres.
which is why we give it. It attracts attention.
As a result of these activities with sheet music the impres-
"Our reputation for never failing a sheet music customer sion is broadcast that the store specializes in this department.
"But," says Mr. Ong, "we do not specialize. A specialist
has had its greatest appeal to teachers. As a result we have
built up this class of patronage until our teacher pieces in depends upon his specialty. In our case nothing is farther
from the truth. We emphasize sheet music to attract a class of
stock have reached 3,000."
(Please turn to page 3 1 )
. . .
A studio of music is maintained by the sheet music depart-
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW,
October,
1931