Music Trade Review

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63 PIANO SALES TO
146 PROSPECTS
RIGHT NOW
I
T is to be admitted that the buying public are not forming are carried on in addition to and without interference with
lines in front of piano warerooms for the privilege of the regular sales activity of the Weaver organization. The
purchasing instruments for themselves or their children result has been a great increase in the number of children in
and the ordinary type of salesmanship fails more often York taking piano instruction. No charge is made for the
than formerly in the effort to secure some of the diminishing preliminary instruction given by the company. After the
stock of dollars in exchange for a piano. Canvassing in many children have progressed to a certain point, the parents are
cases is not as resultful as it used to be and even the cheap advised to arrange with the progressive, modern teachers of
type of bargain advertising is beginning to lose its appeal so the city for more advanced instruction. So many have fol-
that, without the adoption of some special plan, the average lowed this advice that the private teachers have increased their
dealer must rely solely upon making as many contacts as classes and become very enthusiastic about the work of the
possible on the basis that such contacts must eventually bring Weaver Co.
a certain amount of business under the law of averages.
It is not unusual for a private teacher to telephone or call
Xhere is one plan, however, that can be worked success^' the Weaver Company and tell of a family who have children
fully even under present conditions, a plan that has succeeded and. no piano and ask that the parents be solicited to send the
since the first of the year in bringing about the sale of sixty- children to the Weaver showrooms for this free preliminary
three pianos among a group of less than 150 families. It instruction. If this leads to the sale of a piano, the parents
all hinges on first making the appeal through the child, show- are advised to arrange with that particular teacher for more
ing that there is in him a certain amount of musical talent advanced instruction. One private teacher recently gave four
and then selling the piano to develop that talent. It is a such "leads" and in a period of three weeks two sales resulted
plan that is being worked very successfully by the retail with excellent possibilities of two additional sales in the near
department of the Weaver Piano Co., York, Pa., and in the future. In sixty-three years the company has never had such
month of June, 1932, alone brought a volume of business cordial and cooperative relations with any group of piano
twenty per cent in excess of the corresponding month last teachers as have been developed under this plan. It is also
doubtful if the company has ever so directly created so many
year.
It is only recently that the eighth in the series of monthly new piano pupils in any similar period of time.
The sales that have resulted from this Look and Play Plan,
Look and Play piano recitals was held in the showrooms of
the Weaver company, in York. Children from twenty-three added to the sales made in the regular way, resulted in 20%
families participated and the audience of 150 was made up more retail piano sales in York by the Weaver organization
of these children and their parents and close relatives. No in June, 1932, than in June, 1931. As the number of families
public announcement was made and invitations were issued solicited and reached by the plan increases, the effectiveness
of the plan grows. Whereas in the beginning it was difficult
only to the families represented in the recital.
Since this series of monthly recitals was inaugurated in to persuade parents to send in their children, some parents
December, 1931, 146 families have participated. None of now call on the company for this service. A return of reason-
these families owned pianos when the children were invited ably good employment conditions will undoubtedly greatly
to play in the recitals. The parents had been solicited to increase the present gratifying results.
send their children to the Weaver
In a recent interview Walter L.
Bond, treasurer of the Weaver Piano
showrooms for preliminary piano in-
Co., Inc., said: "The beauty of this
struction without obligation to buy
Weaver Piano Co.'s training and
Look and Play Plan is that it is
pianos. This instruction is given by
recital plan by the Look and Play
equally adapted to the needs of the
members of the Weaver organization.
Method has won the support of
one-man dealer or the large organiza-
The most likely children of those re-
tion. It does not involve cash outlay
ceiving this instruction are then in-
parents and music teachers and
nor an increase in employes. It was
vited to play in the monthly recitals.
increased retail sales this year over
worked out not only for ourselves but
To date sixty-three pianos have been
for the leading dealers in the East
sold and delivered to these families
1931—A plan that can be adopted
and they are making sales by it. We
by the Weaver Piano Co.
successfully by the smallest dealer as
will gladly send full particluars re-
This has all been extra business for
garding the plan to any dealer who is
the Weaver Piano Co. The Look
well as the largest.
interested."
and Play teaching and the recitals
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW,
August-September,
1932