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1,800 CUSTOMERS
HELP SELL F O R
FLANNER-HAFSOOS
T
HERE
are
By M. M. McGILLIVRAY
ever anyone comes
eighteen peo-
into the store to
p 1 e listed on
m a k e a payment,
t h e regular
How efforts of the regular sales staff of eight-
some member of the
staff of workers at
store staff talks to
the Flahner-Hafsoos
een are augmented through friendly contacts
him, finds out how
Music House, Inc.,
he likes the piano,
721 North Broad-
with those who have purchased from the house
radio, band or or-
w a y , Milwaukee,
chestra instrument
but if you were to
which he bought, in-
make inquiries at the store you would be told that there are quiring in a friendly manner as to whether he is satisfied.
more than 1,800 persons acting as volunteer workers, and Should there be any dissatisfaction reported, the store repre-
responsible for much of the business which continues to make sentative immediately offers to send someone out to remedy it,
this retail music house one of the stable musical merchandise and this is taken care of promptly.
institutions of the Northwest.
"This brief conversation is followed up by a query as to
A similar army of volunteer salesmen, making their services whether the customer knows anyone else in his neighborhood
available gratis, may be secured by any store which wishes to or among his friends who might be interested in buying
make use of its opportunities for customer contact, and which an instrument like his.
gives a little attention to the customers listed in the store's
"Frequently this results in discovering a very good pros-
accounts, according to Eric S. Hafsoos, president of the com- pect," Mr. Hafsoos points out. "The customer may not
pany.
know of someone who wants a band instrument like his, but
Mr. Hafsoos and Florian F. Flanner, vice-president of the he may knpw of someone who wants a piano, radio, or even a
company, make it a point to see that the store contacts all second-hand piano. The customer knows the prospect much
of its accounts at least once in two months, whether these better than the salesman can, and usually has a fairly good
accounts are old or new, paid up or not.
idea of financial conditions, wants and dislikes. When a cus-
This may be done through a friendly conversation when a tomer mentions some prospects as being 'good,' they usually
customer drops into the store, through a telephone call, or are."
through a piece of direct-mail advertising, calling attention to
Natural pride in his own judgment causes the customer
some particular service offered by the store. A recent direct- to recommend the instrument and the store to other persons,
mail piece sent out to customers on the store's books offered if he is receiving proper attention, and the result is that he
one free tube testing service, the offer being good during a becomes a volunteer salesman, paving the way for the regular
thirty-day period, and being restricted to actual customers of salesman.
the store. Simply a method of stimulating the good will of
However, the volunteer salesman is not only to be used
the volunteer sales force.
as a forerunner for the regular salesman, it was pointed out.
Seventy-five per cent of the sales of the Flanner-Hafssoos He may complement the regular music salesman in his work.
A prospect dropped into the Flanner-
company are made to people who drop
SAMPLE PROSPECT CARD USED BY
Hafsoos music store recently and asked
into the store, usually at the recom-
FLANNER-HAFSOOS MUSIC HOUSE
to look at a certain make of piano. In
mendation of a customer already on the
the course of the conversation the sales-
store's list. Some, of course, come in
man mentioned a iew other people who
response to the window displays which
had recently purchased similar pianos,
the store features successfully. Can- Name
and the prospect said she was acquainted
vassing by salesmen, special merchandis-
with one of these families. When she
ing promotions centering interest on Address
hesitated in her decision to purchase, the
some particular instrument, and news-
salesman
suggested that she call up her
Telephone
number
paper advertising, are responsible for the
friend, who was a customer of the store,
remaining 25 per cent.
and find out from ,'i.er what she thought
"We try to make a friend of every- Instrument
about the piano. The prospect departed
body who comes into the store," says Mr. Trade-in?
and called the store the following day
Hafsoos. "One thing which we do, and
(Continued on page 13)
feel is very important, is this: When-.
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW,
May,
1932