PRESTO
LOCATING THE
CASH CUSTOMERS
Strange Indifference of the Music Dealer to
the Existence of Such Strange Beings
Commented Upon and Sug-
gestions Offered.
ALWAYS BEEN WITH US
But Importance of the Role in the Scheme of Things
Has Been Ignored in Instalment
Age.
The development of the instalment plan of selling
pianos and other musical instruments has certainly
broadened the field of sales, but it has led to indiffer-
ence to the cash customer. It is not that the cash
sale is not valued as highly as ever it was, but that
from not seeing one "in a coon's age" the average
music dealer has come to think that the party with
the ready cash is someone encountered in a previous
existence.
How many stores have a list of cash customers, the
exceedingly agreeable people who have a partiality for
paying down on the nail? Every store of course has
a file of names of prospects considered only in the
light of instalment customers. They are approached
as such and when prices are mentioned the figures are
the safe and sane instalment quotations. And the
custom of viewing the buyer field populated entirely
by people who pay something, down and so much per
month gives a visionary character to the prospect with
the ready cash. The dealers know the names and ad-
dresses of hundreds of prospective instalment buyers.
They have quit thinking of such a strange being as
the cash customer.
Value Acknowledged.
Of course the cash customer is conceded to be a
particularly valuable one and the dream of a business
with a minimum of overhead is an enjoyable one even
to those who never try to make it come true. There
is no music store which has not its quota of cash cus-
tomers. The purchase may be a talking machine rec-
ord, music roll, sheet music, strings. The selection
is made, goods wrapped up, cash paid over and the
customer is often allowed to go without leaving a
name. The transactions are handled like so many
sales of loaves of bread in the bakery.
Wisdom of Recording.
The value of recording the character of purchases
in the sales transactions is proved by a satisfactory
feature in the business of a Chicago retail shoe house.
Every woman knows that the high shoe is "impos-
sible" for wear with anybody with the sense of style.
And that has been a fact for more than a year. But
for a number of years the house in question has pre-
served a list of women customers loyal to the high
shoe. How valuable the list has been during the
period of boycott of that style of footwear the
owners of the shoe store know to their satisfaction
and profit.
It is possible for the salesmen in all departments of
a music house to get the names, addresses and other
THE
W. P. HAINES & COMPANY
PIANOS
THE PIANOS OF QUALITY
Three Generations of Piano Makers
All Styles—Ready Sellers
Attractive Prices
facts relating to the customers who buy for cash.
With a little diplomacy the information is always
forthcoming. The explanation that a mailing list is
being compiled and all facts about musical people is
sought. With such an explanation it is surprising
what a lot of desirable information may be added to
the bare name in the prospect list. When, some day,
the constant cash customer desires credit he need not
be put through the usual and necessary questioning.
Possible embarrassments are obviated. The informa-
tion is already in the files. The customer is flattered
when his request for credit is acted upon without
delay. He realizes with pleasure that he has been
considered a friend of the house during his years of
cash buying.
The Clear Course.
But should the cash customer continue as such, all
information about him is desirable. It makes the
mailing list more valuable and the work of special
advertising more potent. The audiences for store re-
citals may be picked with advantage from the list of
cash buyers. The information about the customers
who pay cash is a valuable asset. The sad mistake of
letting the cash customer walk in and out of the store
for years without securing the facts about him, while
credit customers become personal acquaintances of
the salesmen and proprietors is the poorest kind of
merchandising.
STEINWAY PIANO AND THE
GREAT MUSIC MASTERS
Eloquent Tribute to Importance of American Piano
in the Cultivation of Music.
The close association of the great artists with the
Steinway piano is impressed by picture and text of
the artistic page display of Steinway & Sons, New
York, in the Saturday Evening Post of January 12.
"Josef Hofmann, Pupil of Rubinstein" is the caption
to the splendid picture of the great master giving a
lesson to the clever pupil, Hofmann. This is printed:
"As surely as his beloved master Rubinstein was
enchanted by the Steinway tone, as surely as Pade-
rewski and Rachmaninoff became its devotees, so
surely Josef Hofmann chose the Steinway as the
perfect medium to voice his art. . . . Unswerving
fidelity to the ideal of its creator has made Steinway
the continual leader in the development of piano
manufacture. Each of Henry Steinway's descend-
ants has contributed his own particular genius and
ability to the perfection of Steinway craftsmanship.
"The modern Steinway, played by Friedman,
Levitzki and Cortot, is the finest Steinway of all
time. . . . This devotion to perfection likewise has
made possible the Steinway of the home. In the
smaller grand or upright, suitable for the modest
abode, the Steinway tone lives in all its glory and
nobility. Once you have heard or played a Steinway
there can be no question of your choice. It will be
your piano, just as it is the piano of the masters,
Steinway—Instrument of the Immortals."
MAKES MUSIC DANCE TO
MOVE BIG BUSINESS
GULBRANSEN LINE ON
DISPLAY IN NEW YORK
Eastern Trade Is Afforded Special Opportunity to
Examine Famous Instruments from Chicago.
The Gulbransen-Dickinson Co. has a temporary dis-
play of its line at the Collingwood Hotel, 45 E. 35th
street, New York City. The full line of the Gulbran-
sen Registering pianos and upright pianos, as well
as the Gulbransen Reproducing piano, are on ex-
hibition, in charge of H. C. Dinmore, the Gulbransen
representative for the territory.
This display affords an opportunity of seeing the
Gulbransen line and the extensive national advertising
and merchandising service to many in the New York
trade who cannot visit the factory in Chicago.
The Gulbransen-Dickinson Co. and a number of
New York dealers have co-operated in a local news-
paper advertising, campaign, the first ad of a series
appearing in the New York Evening Journal of Janu-
ary 11th.
; :
New York piano and phonograph merchants are
invited to inspect the Gulbransen display.
The Gulbransen-Dickinson Co. had a splendid back
cover-page advertisement in last week's issue of the
Literary Digest. It is a beautifully illustrated dis-
play in colors.
WESER
Pianos and Players
Sell readily—Stay sold
Great profit possibilities
Style E (shown below) our latest 4'6"
Order a sample to-day.
Liberal advertising and
cooperative arrangements
Write for catalogue
and price list
President of Chicago Civic Opera Association Says
Business and Art Go Together.
"There was a time when I let my business dance
to music, but now I make music dance to my
business."
This allusion was made by Samuel Insull, president
of the Chicago Civic Opera Association, referring to
his position as "business head" of Chicago's opera.
Mr. Insull made the statement in an address to a
convention of delegates and officers of music associa-
tions throughout the central west at the Congress
hotel, Chicago.
"Some people," said Mr. Insull, "say there should
be no business in connection with opera. But if there
is no business, there would be no pay, and an insti-
tution like the opera can not be maintained with-
out pay."
Weser Bros., Inc,
Manufactureri
520 to 528 West 43rd St.
New York
TUNERS' DINNER PLANNED.
GRANDS
REPRODUCING GRANDS
UPRIGHTS and PLAYERS
All piano tuners in and out of Illinois are invited
to a dinner to be given at Bloomington, 111., January
25 by the Peoria Division of the National Associa-
tion of Piano Tuners. The dinner is an incident of
the get-together activities of the national association,
and a stronger branch in Bloomington is a possible
result of the social function.
AVAILABLE TERRITORY OPEN
HENRY DREHER GOES SOUTH.
W. P. HAINES & CO., Inc.
138th St. and Walton Ave.
New York City
January 19, 1924.
Henry Dreher, accompanied by Mrs. Dreher, left
Cleveland on Jan. 15 for a six weeks' stay at the
Flamingo Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida. Mr. Dreher
deferred his vacation just too long to escape the re-
cent zero snap, but the beauties of Florida will make
amends for it.
The Lyon & Healy
Reproducing Piano
A moderate priced reproducing piano,
beautiful in design and rich in tone.
Write for our new explanatory Chart,
the most complete and simple treat-
ment of the reproducing action.
Wabash at Jackaon - - - Chicago
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