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The
Established 1879
Vol. 104, No. 11
THE
PIONEER
REVIEW
PUBLICATION
OF T H E
2790th Issue
November, 1945
MUSIC
INDUSTRY
Refresher Courses Important
for Post War Merchandising
fey MORRIS BUTLER
D
URING the global war recently
terminated, the United States
surprised the world by putting
an army and navy totaling 12 million
men on the field of battle in a rela-
atively short time. In addition, Vic-
tory was won in a short time, too.
Most of these men had to undergo
technical training and came through
with flying colors. How was it done?
The army and navy used refresher
courses to a large extent to keep its
officers and men in a progressive
state of mind, so that what they learn-
ed would stick. A refresher course
in education sums up the high points,
helps the student organize his know-
ledge better.
In business, in the music merchant's
retail field, it pays to have refresher
courses now and then for the owner
and for his employes, so that they do
not forget effective merchandising
technique, so that they sharpen their
sales tools and thus earn more profit.
The army and navy discovered that
when men were given refresher courses
they quickly took on their old effi-
ciency with certain work, and then—
and then only—were ready to pro-
ceed to more detailed work in the
same field.
Refresher courses cover the funda-
mentals of certain trades, professions,
businesses, etc., in a much shorter
time than a beginning course for stu-
dents not familiar with the subject.
Because those who take refresher
courses remember something of the
subject, they can necessarily go faster
and assimilate more studies than can
beginners.
Because" of the transitional period
from war to peace will take a year or
more, numerous merchants and their
clerks are going to need refresher
courses in merchandising in all its
phases if they are to reach their for-
mer peacetime efficiency.
New Methods Since Before the War
Refresher courses bring you up to
date in your business. For example,
the writing of advertising copy has
changed considerably in the past 15
years. If a music merchant got his
ad writing knowledge from books
written in 1925 or thereabouts and
continues to write his ads along those
lines, he is missing many of the im-
provements in ad technique which
have been developed since 1925. A
refresher course in advertising would
help him write more effective ads.
Take the matter of salesmanship.
Advances in psychology since 1925
provided a much broader perspective
of the importance of psychology in
selling. The dealer who takes a re-
fresher course in salesmanship today
gets much more for his money than
in 1925 or 1930. This is also true
of 1935 and 1940.
Why Courses are Necessary
Just why are refresher courses
needed in the music merchant's field?
The following discussion will prob-
ably establish some of these reasons
in your mind.
1. Merchandising. To play well, a
football or baseball team must practice
daily. If a merchant wishes to sell
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, NOVEMBER, 1945
well, he, too, must sell daily. We are
now entering a competitive stage in
business, after lush, easy wartime sel-
ling. To get back into top form in
merchandising, the dealer needs to be
reconditioned in this respect. He needs
to go over the vital steps in selling
one by one—and his employes need
to do likewise.
2. Credit selling. Wartime was cash
time. Collection problems were few.
During peacetime, competition will
force extension of credit in many
fields, as merchants compete for busi-
ness. Are you prepared to handle
credit properly? A leading co-opera-
tive organization figures it costs $4
to sell and handle $100 worth of
credit business. A co-op is allegedly
run for the benefit of its members. If
a co-op has to spend $4 out of every
$100 taken in to collect and handle
credit accounts, you, as an indepen-
dent merchant, need to make a charge
for credit, if you are to make a profit.
Don't extend credit to poor risks.
When you do extend credit, incor-
porate the credit handling charge in
your sales price, if possible. It's the
only safe way.
Business Now Through Courtesy
3. Wooing the customer. During
wartime the customer begged for mer-
chandise. In peacetime the merchant
literally begs for business through ad-
vertising and sales promotion. Such
a thing as courtesy has not been
practiced for a long time in many
retail stores.
Surely now is the time for a re-