Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
an interesting story. If your piano
has a well matched set of ivories and
they are a #2 ivory free from grain
then call attention to it and make
it a selling point. You are also inform-
ing your buyer what he is getting for
his money.
There is a likewise interesting story
on veneers, mahogany, walnut, the
many, many kinds of veneers, how they
are cut to bring out the beauty of grain,
rotary cut, quarter sawed or sliced or
perhaps a sawed veneer, the finishing
of an ebony case is also a work of
art. There is also the story of the life
of the maker of your piano, it's in-
dividual points of construction, the Ar-
tists who play and use it, all offer a
wealth of material for your presenta-
tion. Again make it good. You should
practise it over and over again, try it
on your wife and the other salesmen
around you and ask for friendly criti-
cism or suggestions as to how you may
improve your presentation. A good one
will make you a lot more money than
a poor one and yours must be better
than the other fellows to win.
After his presentation, one of the best
salesmen that I know, kind of turns the
tables around something like this
saying, "Mr. Buyer, I have now given
you a small demonstration of our pi-
ano, and hone that I have convinced
you that it is the instrument for you
to buy, that is at least I should have
done so, but now I want to tell you
that we are not selling you a piano
at all. we are giving you this one.
What we are selling you is a lifetime
of musical satisfaction and enjoyment,
a musical education for your daughter,
a fine hobby for your wife, hundreds
of evenings of musical enjoyment
around this lovely instrument with your
family and friends, the consumate
skill of generations of fine and artistic
piano builders, the art of countless
composers, to enchant you, beauty and
culture for your home, the piano we
just throw in for good measure". You
may or may not like this type of sell-
ing, but you will at least admit that
it is different and places you in a little
different position with your customer
than the other fellow and what he is
going to do. Make yourself, your pi-
ano, your presentation entirely differ-
ent and watch results.
Power of Suggestion
Why did you buy your present make
of car or washing machine or your
home in it's present location or why
do you buy most things? If you will
go back in your memory and be hon-
est with yourself, you will find in al-
most every case was through The Pow-
er of Suggestion. A friend of mine re-
cently told me that some ten years ago,
he read an advertisement on the Nash
car about it's heating and ventilating
system and all these years that adv.
had remained in his memory with the
result that he has just bought.a Nash
car, again Power of Suggestion. After
all what is selling but the Power of
Suggestion? Just what do we do when
we try to sell anything? We start at
once to feed suggestions to our buyer
that what we have to sell to him is of
more utility and use to him than the
money he will expend for it's purchase.
We suggest that the use of what we
have to sell is of far more importance
to our buyer than the cash in his
pocket. We suggest that the utility,
pride of ownership and pleasure of
it's use will more than compensate him
for it's cost. AH arguments are built
around the idea that it is a logical
thing for him to buy and illogical for
him not to buy it.We make terms and
trade allowances to try arid make it
easy for him to say yes, hard to say no.
If our suggestions are accepted by the
buyer, a sale is made. The power of
suggestion is the most powerful selling
weapon that there is, so make use of it.
Use it, use it and then use it some
more as it sells. Keep constantly feed-
ing the buyer with thoughts of what
the piano will mean in his home, what
it will mean to his family, the unequal-
led pleasure of an evening spent around
the piano with friends, the family, etc.
The more selling suggestions that you
get over—the closer comes your sale
and your close. Keep feeding them
again, again and again.
Persuasion
On this point, I shall dwell briefly,
for if your presentation has been well
done, if your points on Power of Sug-
gestion have been strong enough and
if they've been enough of them and if
they have been repeated over and over
again until your buyer accepts them,
then you have already been most persu-
asive and the only way that I know of
that you can be more so is to go back
and repeat and strengthen your former
sales arguments. An old saying goes,
"If you hear anything often enough and
long enough, you will finally believe
it" and also "The constant dripping
of water wears away stone", so don't
be afraid of repetition if it strengthens
your selling talk.
Persistence
As I am writing this article, my
mind is rolling back to some of the
really hard sales that I have closed in
the past, sales that were almost lost
when I came on the scene, where price,
undue prejudice or competition were al-
most overwhelming. If I had success
with many such sales it was only that
I had Persistence. I never gave up re-
peating my selling arguments again
and again, going back and going over
my presentation until my buyer finally
accepted them or maybe it was just
because he bought out of just sheer
exhaustion, unable to give out further
sales resistance, but buy he did, and
so will your customer if you employ
to their fullest use the points all four
of them of piano selling. Then write
up your sale and collect your commis-
sions, you have well earned them.
PMA President Predicts 1953
Best Phonograph Year
"For the first time since the 'Korean
situation' phonograph manufacturers
can look toward a year of consistant
selling and unprecedented dollar vol-
ume," said Joseph Dworken, president
of the Phonograph Manufacturers As-
sociation recently. "For the past few
years, we were plagued by various
shortages. The most serious in 1952
was the lack of motors when they were
needed most. However, with additional
allocations by NPA, we feel that 1953
will ring a steady flow of all supplies
and component parts," he said.
According to Mr. Dworken, the thirst
for portable phonographs in 1952 was
never quenched. Dealers and distribu-
tors were happy to receive Christmas
merchandise as late as December 24th
and many firms placed orders for
January and February delivery; a
rather unusual situation in the indus-
try. As a result dealers are starting
the new year with no inventory prob-
lems, he said.
Another factor pointing to a great
year is the increasing popularity of
the 3-speed automatic changer. Music
lovers are partial to the new devices
which play all size recordings in any
of the three speeds.
The Phonograph Manufacturers As-
sociation is cooperating with the Radio
& Television Manufacturers Associa-
tion, National Association of Music
Merchants, Record Industry Associa-
tion of America, and the National As-
sociation of" Music Merchants in na-
tional campaigns to promote interest in
music and recordings.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, APRIL, 1953