PRESTO
"IT CAN BE DONE"
AS TRADE SLOGAN
Fitzgerald Music Company, of Los Angeles,
Proves That the Summer Months May
Be the Greatest of the
Whole Year.
PHENOMENAL PIANO RECORD
Instructive Story Tells How the Staff of Active
Piano Salesmen Produced Big
Business.
Taking "It Can Be Done" as their slogan, the
piano department of the Fitzgerald Music Company,
of Los Angeles, has proven that there is no such
thing as a slack season during the summer vacation
period, except as it exists in the imagination of men
who allow this idea to put the brakes on their own
efforts.
This organization has just completed the biggest
month's business in its entire 31 years' history, out-
distancing even the greatest months' record made
during the phenomenal year of 1920, when all busi-
ness was at its peak of activity, according to an
announcement just made by H. C. Braden, vice-
president and general manager of the Los Angeles
company.
"I believe," said Mr. Braden, ''that the phenomenal
record made by our organization during July re-
flects the generally sound, healthy condition of the
present time, and the fact that the average family has
the money to pay for the better things they desire."
No Slack Season.
J. E. Yuncker, secretary and sales-manager, de-
clared: "I have always been convinced that the so-
called slack months of the summer vacation season
could be made just as active as any other months of
the year—in fact, actually better—if the right efforts
and thought were put into the work—if the men
would just rid themselves of the notion that there
was no use trying in the summer time.
"I decided to demonstrate this fact to our men, and
called the entire organization together for a talk on
the subject, one Monday morning at the beginning of
the month. We devoted the entire morning to the
discussion, and I told our men that we were going to
set out to make July not only as good as any other
month of the year, but that we were going to make it
the biggest month in the entire history of the house.
When we analyzed the situation and exchanged ideas,
everybody agreed that there was really no sound rea-
son after all why the demand for music should not
be as active in the summer time as at any other, and
why our sincere efforts to provide people with that
which they sought should not be as resultful.
"In fact, I proved to our men that this so-called
slack season offered even greater opportunities than
at any other time, if we were alert and earnest—
and for the very reason that competition was reduced
to the minimum—other houses, affected ])y the false
notion that effort was useless in summer, neglecting
their prospects, and leaving the door wide open to us.
The men grasped this idea and entered into it with
vigor."
No Forced Drives.
"We did not resort to any special sales, reduced
prices, bonuses, special inducements or forced drives.
There was merely an intensified effort to tell the
truth about our products, to attain a greater fulfill-
ment of our mission of real service, so that those
seeking music could select the instruments they de-
sired with economy and advantage.
"For many years the word sale, and all that it
means in the strictest sense, has been absolutely
stricken from the lexicon of the Fitzgerald Music
Company organization. It may seem strange to say
that we do not sanction 'selling' in our organiza-
tion, but that is exactly the case. In other words,
we cash in on the theory that reward inheres in real
sacrifice.
"J. T. Fitzgerald, the founder and present head
of the house, resolved early in the history of his in-
stitution to abandon all the commonly accepted rules
of so-called scientific salesmanship; to cease trying to
'sell' something, and to reverse the principle of seek-
ing rather to give, to serve, to supply the needs of
his clientele."
An Instructive Formula.
In explaining this principle on which his house
operates, Mr. Fitzgerald declared:
"I used to study scientific salesmanship and be-
came quite proficient in 'handling' people, but this
soon became distasteful to me. The fact that I
could worm my way into the mental realm of a
'prospect' and practically compel him to think my
way and do my will, thus interfering with his free-
dom, did not appeal to me as being fair. Today I
tell my people never to sell anything to anybody.
Let them buy, if they will, and when they will, but
we have no 'salesmen' in the generally accepted sense
of that term."
"We have found that, no matter how nice one is
to a prospective customer, if the least selfish motive
creeps in, the customer feels it and puts up a resist-
ance that is unpleasant and that is profitable to no
one concerned.
Motives 'get across' quicker than
spoken words."
"It is gratifying to know that the bug-a-boo of
mesmeric thought and temperamental tendencies
manifested in pessimism, fear and lethargy concern-
ing summer inaction in business, has been under-
standingly rooted out of the mentality of this organ-
ization for period named at least."
Sold High-Priced Pianos.
An interesting feature of the great record just made
by the Fitzgerald organization was the fact that a
larger number of high-priced instruments were in
demand than ever before, and that, while there have
been single days in which greater records have been
made than in any one day during the month of July,
the regular daily average was higher, and the total
volume for the month in dollars and cents has never
been equalled.
In analyzing the reasons for the remarkable results
accomplished during July, J. E. Yuncker said:
"For one thing, we have what we believe is the
piano organization par excellence. All our men are
filled with a love of their work, an interest and stimu-
lus that springs only from the conviction that they
are really rendering a helpful, profitable service to
our patrons. Furthermore, we believe in recognizing
ability and effort to its full value and our standards
of compensation are, we believe, the highest existing
in any retail piano house in the country. In this way
we are able to obtain the services of the high type of
men we wish to represent us.
"I think nothing more clearly indicates the high
degree of ability possessed by our men than the fact
that in all transactions closed during the month of
July, not one term payment contract extended over a
period of twenty-four months. In common with all
piano houses, we allow the usual thirty months when
desired, but we regard it as greatly to the advantage
of both dealer and patron if this length of time can
be reduced. I, therefore, feel that the achievement
of our organization in this respect is particularly
worthy."
Some of the men responsible for the Fitzgerald
Music Company's big July record are B. E. Lang,
R. R. Pittenger, Wm. G. Woodward, J. A. Yoest,
Coulter Jones, F. W. Nubling, G. P. Widney, C. C.
Boler, L. C. Hathaway, Roy Weldon, Victor Ander-
son and B. F. Driver.
August 25, 1923
WHERE BREVITY IS
SOUL OF THE NEWS
Items of the Trade and Industry in Which
Facts of More or Less Importance Are
Quickly Told.
The Columbia Cabinet Co., of Chicago, is making
a number of small grand pianos for the stencil trade.
Only special names are used and the instruments arc
sold direct from the cabinet factory.
The Hallet & Davis Piano Co. announces that the
Reed-French Piano Co. of Portland, Ore., has se-
cured the agency for the Angclus reproducing piano.
A dealer writes that the page advertisement of The
Cable Company which appeared in Presto two weeks
ago, is "one of the most artistic that has ever ap-
peared." And so it was.
The Poole piano of Boston is featured by the
piano department of the old Ditson house in that
city. Ava Poole, president of the Poole Piano Com-
pany, is enjoying a short vacation at his summer
home.
The "Acoustigrande" piano is having a remarkable
sale. The factory of Chickering Brothers, Chicago,
is doing all possible to keep its customers supplied,
but the coming season will tax the producing capac-
ity.
Dealers who want good instruments at fair prices—
pianos and players in which there is a profit and
dependability—can do no better than to try the
S. W. Millerr, made at Sheboygan, Wis.
The claims of the "Miessuer" piano—"the little
piano with the big tone"—are set forth on page 9
this week. If you have sold the Miessner, you know
that it is a trade money maker.
William Stevens, of Vose & Sons Piano Co.'s re-
tail warerooms in Boston, is on a vacation at East-
ham on Cape Cod. Mr. Stevens motored down and
plans to use his car in visiting other resorts.
A busy New York factory is that of the Christ-
man Piano Co. on East. 137th street. The "First
Touch Tells" piano is winning new dealers fast, and
the famous Studio Grand grows more popular stead-
ily.
J. C. Henderson, eastern Lyon & Healy piano rep-
resentative, said to a Presto man in New York, that
he is constantly adding to the list of new agencies
in his territory. Lyon & Healy is a name that in-
sures attention, and the pianos sustain all that is said
of them.
E. P. Johnson, of the two piano industries at
Ottawa and Elgin, 111., makes his Chicago home at
the Fort Dearborn Hotel. He's there a good deal
of the time.
M. Houston, eastern representative of the Waltham
Piano Co., of Milwaukee, with headquarters in Phila-
delphia, is making many new agencies, and the Wal-
tham trade is steadily spreading eastward.
OFFICERS AND PIANO MEN OF THE FITZGERALD MUSIC CO.
Seated from left to right: J. E. Yuncker, Secretary; J. T. Fitzgerald, President; H. C. Braden,
General Manager.
Standing from left to right: G. P. Widney, W m. G. Woodward, C. Jones, B. E. Lang, Roy Weldon,
C. C. Boler, B. F. Driver, F. W. Nubling, V. Ander son, R. R. Pittenger, L. C. Hathaway, J. A. Yoest.
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