PRESTO
January 12, 1924.
MODERN BUSINESS LETTERS MUST
LOOK WELX^ND READ RIGHT
Growing Value of the Written Word Is More and More Recognized as Type=
Written Messages Replace Personal Interviews in AH
Departments of Industry and Trade
A recent survey of business organizations discloses
that increased attention is being given to the busi-
ness letter. This survey covered 150 representative
organizations, both industrial and commercial. While
no information was gathered concerning organiza-
tions apart from business, there is evidence to sustain
the belief that such bodies are also realizing to a
greater extent than ever before the power of, and the
need for, good correspondence. Many of them have
developed business letter manuals, according to F. C.
Henderschott, manager of the Bureau of Education
of the New York Edison Company. Discussing this
phase of business, Mr. Henderschott said:
"With each passing century commercial relations
have become more complicated, until today, according
to an accepted authority, only 7 per cent of our com-
mercial transactions are directly involved with cur-
rency, and nine-tenths of all business, which up to a
few decades ago was carried on almost wholly by per-
sonal interview, is now done by letter.
Letters Replace Interviews.
"As a business organization increases in size the
written word tends to replace personal interviews.
Even among the companies' own officers and em-
ployes written memoranda and reports replace per-
sonal interviews. The advertisement and the sales
letter precede the efforts of the sales force. The com-
panies' prospective and annual customers must be
approached and dealt with largely through corre-
spondence.
"Yet, wide as the use of the business letter now is,
'it is still a comparatively undeveloped possibility in
many a house where it might be playing the part of
principal business builder,' says the author of a report
on commercial correspondence. Taking the country
by and large, there are relatively few houses that
appreciate the full possibilities of doing business by
mail, that apprehend in any vital degree the losses
sustained through a neglect of the basic principles
underlying all letter writing.
Old Timers Were Stilted.
"Forty years ago the only letters that showed
symptoms of red-blooded authorship were either love
letters or the controversial letters of statesmen. Busi-
ness communications were composed largely of stilted
and lifeless words and phrases, such as 'pursuant to,'
'beg to advise,' 'esteemed favor,' etc., and business
English still suffers from this handicap. Such ex-
pressions were perhaps legitimate fifty years ago,
when business was confined to the few and when its
transactions were carried on chiefly by personal con-
tact. Written communications then served mainly as
records for legal purposes, and naturally acquired
some of the legal phraseology and much of the legal
atmosphere.
"Finally, however, some one somewhere conceived
the idea that human interest could be woven into a
business letter as well as into a personal message;
that a business letter, after all, is a personal message,
and that it is possible to talk to a man a thousand
miles away in the same words that you would use if
he were sitting beside your desk.
Business Letter Personal.
That discovery, carefully developed, has of itself
dissolved distance and placed the inter-relationship of
business men upon a basis of intimacy that no other
could accomplish. The business letter is doing nearly
everything that could be done by personal interview,
and has had to become personal in the process of
evolution. There is now little reason or excuse for
using stilted phrases that would never be used in
conversation.
"With the advent of the typewriter and the devel-
opment of the stenographer, business correspondence
changed from freak shapes and novelties in forms and
gradually became the method of transmitting impor-
tant messages, information and other data.
"Today no letter will pass the business censor
which is not courteous, neat and phrased in good
business English. The development of the telephone
and telegraph and other methods of rapid communi-
cation have tended only to increase the amount of
correspondence, especially routine letters.
Selling by Letter.
"Sales letters and the work achieved through this
method have caused the business world to marvel at
the possibilities in good correspondence. The writ-
ten message goes straight into the mind of the person
to whom it is addressed, and if the message is cor-
rect good results may be anticipated.
"No man who hopes to occupy an important posi-
tion in the business world can afford to neglect his
correspondence, for by it he will be judged both in
business and social relationships.
"What constitutes a good business correspondent?
Some years ago this question was answered by
Brunetiere, who said: 'The good writer is one who
says all he means to say, says only what he means
to say, and says it exactly as he means to say it.'
"A certain authority says that half the letters writ-
ten by college graduates are dead ones. You've got
to make your letters live. You've got to talk a lan-
guage that the other man will understand. You must
make him feel that you're doing business with him,
not dictating a form letter or a copy book model.' "
Continuing, Mr. Henderschott added:
"All the qualities that should enter into good, hon-
est, straightforward business English require an im-
mense amount of effort and persistence in the getting.
One is not foreordained to become a good writer.
Faculty for expression must be developed. In order
to write one must cultivate at least a certain measure
of w T hat we may term a sympathetic understanding of
people and circumstances. Otherwise our words will
never arrive; they will never hammer their way into
the consciousness of our readers; they will never 'get
over.' "
INTEREST IN EXPORT
TRADE TO ARGENTINA
Piano Exporters Among Others Confer with U. S.
Commercial Attache in Buenos Aires.
Edward Feely, American commercial attache at
Buenos Aires, Argentina, is now in Chicago advising
midwest exporters who seek expansion of sales in the
southern republic. As indication of the world-wide
trend of foreign trade, the present state of American
business in Argentina and the appointment list of Mr.
Feely, while in Chicago, are instructive.
Mr. Feely says he has never before seen such keen
interest in export trade as he has encountered in the
last five days in Chicago, nor has he ever known of
an opportunity that excels that presented to Ameri-
cans by the impending development of Argentina into
an industrial as well as'a farming country.
Chicago sales managers and executives have con-
ferred with him at length and others have come from
Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, South Bend,
and other factory towns of the midwest. The list of
callers displays export interest on the part of pro-
ducers of varied lines, including pianos.
Freight rates at present offer no serious handicap
in favor of the eastern seaboard, but Mr. Feely is
keenly interested in the development of a waterway
to the gulf to facilitate access to the midwest to his
field.
PROGRESSIVE CLEVELAND FIRM.
Improvements have been completed in the Wolfe
Music Company, Cleveland, O., and the results are
very inducive of the piano buying desire. The sec-
ond floor has a series of private demonstration rooms
where only grand pianos are presented. The other
feature is the installation of the player roll room in
the basement, where lighting effects and appoint-
ments are up-to-the-minutes. The Wolfe Music Co.
is credited with conducting the largest player roll de-
partment in this vicinity, virtually 5,000 rolls being in
stock and available to the trade all the time. Often
it is necessary to use more than one player to demon-
strate rolls, since there are always several purchasers
in for new music at all times.
Cincinnati Factories of The Baldwin Piano Company
SUCCESS
is assured the dealer who takes advantage of
THE BALDWIN
CO-OPERATION
PLAN
which offers every opportunity to represent
under the most favorable conditions a com-
plete line of high grade pianos, players and
reproducers
Far Information wrltt
Palbtmn $iano Company
CINCINNATI
INDIANAPOLIS
LOOI&VILLE
Incorporated
CHICAGO
ST. LOOTS
DALLAS
NEW YORK
DENVER
8AN FRANCISCO
The Heppe. Marcellus and Edouard Jules PtaQO
manufactured by the
HEPPE PIANO COMPANY
are the only pianos in the world with
Three Sounding Boards.
Patented In the United States, Great BritalU s
Prance, Germany and Canada.
Liberal arrangements to responsible agents only.
Main Office, 1117 Chestnut St.
PmLADELPHXA, PA-
Grand Piano
One of the old, reli-
able m a k e s . For
terms and territory
write.
Lester Piano Co.
1306 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia
SUCCESSFUL INDIANA FIRM.
Frank H. Brown and Arthur Jamison, of the Frank
H. Brown Music Store of Logansport, Ind., who
purchased the Dependable Music Stores in South
Bend, Ind., from the Hobart M. Cable Company, in
the fall, report a prosperous business. Mr. Brown is
now operating the South Bend music store and Mr.
Jamison the Logansport store.
The South Bend
store is an up-to-date music shop. A great number
of musical instruments are carried.
When in doubt refer to
PRESTO BUYERS GUIDE
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