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TEN MILLION SALESMEN
(Continued
from page
12)
his dignified profession as a merchant
of music. These and all of the other
positive selling qualities with which
you are familiar give you an oppor-
tunity to develop the kind of a sales
organization which will create confi-
dence in your store and produce in
the long run the most profitable type
of business.
How will we improve our personnel?
Some of us will have to start at the top
by definitely improved store policies.
The music business in many commun-
ities has a racketeering reputation.
Some of the musical merchandising
methods previously resorted to were
barely above the "racket" level. Water
won't run up hill. Sales people are
never going to be better than the
management and the training provided
for them by their employer. I shall
make no attempt to formulate for you
a training program or a method of
screening prospective help. I hope to
point out the necessity for improved
selling methods and suggest a few
sources from which we can find the
type of sales people we want. It is
expected at these regional meetings to
bring you ideas for your individual
adaptation, knowing that the aggres-
sive music merchant has the initiative
to take an idea and fit it to his busi-
ness.
his complete qualifications and in-
terests. The managers of these offices
are just as anxious to find a man for
you as you are to get the right veteran
and provide for him good employment.
Don't overlook the need for piano
tuners and technicians when you are
conferring with your local U. S. Em-
ployment Office Manager. Inquire con-
stantly at the club, among your friends,
your church or social groups. Every
family has some young man, either
among its friends or relatives, who
will be looking for employment within
the next six months. There never was
a better opportunity for the music in-
dustry to enrich itself with the right
type of musical merchandisers.
A Word on Training Courses
Just one word about training courses,
tories and jobbers has been working
Everyone of your supply houses, fac-
on sales training helps. Use them.
Select the ones most adaptable to your
organization and use this very help-
ful material which is being prepared.
Possibly the most striking job in this
sales training program is being planned
just now by your very capable Execu-
tive Secretary of the NAMM, Bill
Mills. Within a few weeks we are
meeting here in Chicago with the new
Committee on Education and Sales
Training, under the capable Chair-
manship of George Beasley, with a
specialist from the United States De-
partment of Education to set up plans
Where To Find Salesman
for
a special sales training program
When do we find prospective sales-
similar
to these useful books that have
men of the type required by our in-
been
written
for the restaurant indus-
dustry? First of all, the delay in mu-
try
and
the
shoe
industry and many,
sical merchandise production may be
many
others.
A
very
exhaustive and
a blessing in disguise. Help is still
intelligent
job
of
research
will be done
scarce and will, I predict, continue to
to
compile,
through
the
efforts
of the
be until after the first of the year.
Music
Merchants
Association,
every
This gives us an opportunity to look
thing
which
will
be
helpful
to
you
in
about and carefully select the kind
training
new
salesmen
and
revitalizing
of people who should be merchandis-
ing music. They are all about us. It your old ones for the job of merchan-,
may be the clerk in the haberdasher's dising music. Whether you use Dale
store, who grew up in a musical at- Carnegie, David Colcord, or the La-
mosphere, is thoroughly sold on music Salle Extension, or any other type of
and is spending all of his spare time material—the most important thing
and money with the music merchant. is that you must use some course of
He is probably one of your good re- study or definitely worked out sales
cord customers. He may be just finish, training program, with regular meet-
ing his term with Uncle Sam—prob- ings of your group if you expect to
ably the most prolific source is your improve them. Don't overlook the
U. S. Employment Office, which has necessity for improvement After all,
a complete record of every veteran, every other profession, — minsters,
24
doctors, lawyers and teachers,—rec-
ognizes the need for constant study.
It's only a few of the old guard, high-
pressure, story telling people who
would argue against the necessity for
constant study and improvement in
the honorable profession of selling.
Confidence is Paramount
In conclusion, let me emphasize
again the need for well-trained sales-
men with chaarcter and unquestionable
integrity. Character is the cornerstone
of our civilization. It's the source of
our confidence, without which we could
not sign a lease, make a contract or
write a check. How then can we, in
dealing with the public, expect to sell
a customer except through confidence,
and how can we expect a customer's
confidence without character in our
business, and without character in the
individual salesman?
I close with a recent poem by Edgar
A. Guest, a brother of one of our
eminent musical merchandisers who is
with us today. With your permission,
Percy, I'll read the beautiful way in
which your brother has stated the
philosophy which, in my humble and
awkward way, I have attempted to
express here today.
"GOOD BUSINESS"
EDGAR A. GUEST
If I possessed a shop or store,
I'd drive the grouches off my floor!
I'd never let some gloomy guy
Offend the folks who come to buy;
I'd never keep a boy or clerk
With mental toothache at his work
Nor let a man who draws my pay
Drive customers of mine away.
I'd treat the man who takes my time
And spends a nickel or a dime
With courtesy, and make him feel
That I was pleased to close the deal,
Because tomorow, who can tell?
He may want stuff I have to sell,
And in that case, then glad he'll be
To spend his dollars all with me.
The reason people pass one door
To patronize another store,
Is not because the busier place
Has better silks or gloves or lace
Or special prices, but it lies
In pleasant words and smiling eyes;
The only difference, I believe,
Is in the treatment folks receive!
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, NOVEMBER, 1945