Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
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MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, PIANOS ONLY, DECEMBER, 19J>1
Follow up oi Christinas Buyers
Developes New Year Sales
By Daniel Webster
I
N the midst of the Christmas rush in
their record departments, piano
dealers have an excellent opportunity
oi laying the foundation for continued
steady business throughout the Winter.
Every record sold in December, and even
every package of needles, should be
primed to bring back customers in Janu-
ary and February. Those piano dealers
who have an experienced record manager
in charge of this department recognize his
skill in developing follow-up business. To
those who have recently added phono-
graphs, the following suggestions are
valuable because they have already
proved their worth in many stores.
GET NAMES AND ADDRESSES
Beginning with the sale of phonographs
and combinations, it is only routine to get
the names and addresses of purchasers.
In December, however, a large proportion
of this merchandise is bought as gifts,
hence the dealer should dig out the name
and address of the recipient. When a
parent buys his son a table model combi-
nation, it is obvious that the follow-up
work for record business should bt
directed at the son, not the purchaser. The
boy's taste in music should be discoverd
and keyed for future mailings. Even when
a customer buys a combination apparently
for himself, it is wise to discover who will
use it most. Perhaps he is buying it to
listen to symphonic music, but it may bo
that it is really because his wife wants
to hear more opera. Future sales of
records depends on knowing who actually
plays the music.
OFFER SOMETHING FREE
Most certain results will come if you
offer something free. And make it FREE
is big capitals. It may be something as
a subscription to a manufacturer's record
magazine, or regular mailing of record
release information, but convince your
gift seeker that the information he is giv-
ing you will be a second gift to the re*
cipient.
Without giving away profits, there are
many "free" offers a record department
can make. For instance, the recipient's
initials can be lettered on albums and
table combinations, or metal initials fur-
nished for consoles. If the sale warrants,
the customer may be allowed to make a
personal recording to go with his gift of
records or player. In some cases, the
dealer can arrange to make deliveries on
Christmas morning.
ONE WAY TO GET NEW NAMES
All of this pre-Christmas activity will
give the dealer an excellent list of new
names on which he can go to work after
the first of the year. If possible, these
names should be checked as soon as pos-
sible, by telephone or mail. This per-
sonal contact will not only create good-
will, but will also indicate leads for im-
mediate follow-up. There is a lot of gift
money to be spent right after Christmas
and many a prospect wants a new com-
bination.
Finally, this work brings the store as a
whole into closer touch with more people,
increases traffic and permits the piano
salesmen to uncover new customers.
Celebrates Quarter of Century of Success
by Opening New Modern Store
No good phonograph salesman delivers
a combination without including in tho
transaction as many records as possible.
For Christmas, an adaptation of this idea
is the gift certificate which permits tho
recipient to pick his own records. Printed
gilt forms are available to the dealer at
a low cost.
GET EXTRA FOR RECORDS
When the combination is to be paid for
by installments, the customer will fre-
quently agree to pay something extra reg-
ularly for records. If the contract calls for
ten dolars a month, it can easily be in-
creased to twelve, the two extra dollars
for records at each payment date. This
assures that the dealer will hold his custo-
mer's record business and keeps his in-
terest at peak.
As the sale of each combination is thus
tagged to create the greatest possible
amount of future record business, the
corollary should also be exploited. Christ-
mas record sales should lead to new
phonographs sales later. Get the name
and muscal tastes of the person who is
going to receive the records. Push the
record gift check idea for all it's worth.
Interior and Exterior View of the Kenney Music Co., Huntington, W. Va.
The Kenney Music Co.. Huntington, W.
Va. rounded out 25 years of progress by
opening a new, enlarged store. The new
location occupies 14,000 square feet of
floor space—just twenty times the space
in the original store. There is a sheet
music department, one for a complete line
of small goods as well as individual piano
display rooms, displaying Winter, Story &
Clark Pianos and Everett organs.
The adjacent building houses the Ken-
ney School of Music which has been an
important factor in promoting the ad-
vancement of Music in Huntington and
has paved the way for many a sale of
all types of musical instruments.
John N. Kenney, head of the house
stated recently:
"This marvelous store which has taken
twenty-five years to build, is not mere
brick and mortar. Kenney's is erected on
two decades of unfailing service and un-
stinted values to generations who come
here year after year. The name of Ken-
ney's in all future years as in the past will
be the synonym for quality, value and
service."
Piano lines handled by this company
include Story & Clark and Winter & Co.
and the Everett Orgatron.