Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1925 2015

Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American P i a n o s
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
PRESTO
E*ablUhed 1984.
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Presto Year Book
The Only Complete
Annual Review of the
American Music In-
dustries and Trades.
" Cent.; $2.00 a Tmmr
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1925
OSCAR SWANITZ JOINS
KOHLER INDUSTRIES STAFF
Popular Salesman Will Travel Out of Chicago
Office of Big New York Concern,
Managed by Kenneth Curtis.
Oscar G. Swanitz, for many years a well-known
figure in the piano trade, has joined the Kohler In-
dustries organization and. will travel in middle-west
territory, under the general direction of Kenneth W.
that time had purchased the Baltimore and Washing-
ton Knabe stores from the American Piano Co. Mr.
Davis recently went with the Platt Music Company
on a four weeks' contract and at the end of that time
Mr. Platt was so well pleased with his services that
he offered him this permanent position.
The assistant general sales manager, Herman Beck,
is well known on the Pacific Coast. He was born in
California and has a happy faculty of making friends.
Mr. Beck has been associated with the Platt Music
Company for almost eight years. Before accepting
this new position he was doing sales promotion work
for the various Platt stores. Mr. Beck is a hard
worker, loves the music business, knows every branch
of it thoroughly, from harmonicas to reproducing
pianos, and is entirely conversant with all details per-
taining to the retail piano business and is loved by
everyone with whom he is associated.
WITH CUT
???
BUSY MINNESOTA FIRM
READY FOR SPRING RUSH
Middleton Music & Furniture Co., Marshall, a Typic-
ally Energetic House of Prosperous Section.
O. G. SWANITZ.
Curtis, manager of the Chicago office. Mr. Swanitz
has a very large body of friends among the music
merchants and the manufacturing end of the trade.
For a number of years he traveled for the Jesse
French & Sons Piano Company, of New Castle, Ind.,
having the south and west for his territory. He was
for a number of years with the J. B. Bradford Piano
Company, of Milwaukee. More recently he has been
with the L. Grunewald Company of New Orleans.
Mr. Swanitz is skilled in all matters pertaining to
the piano and has an immense store of piano lore.
He has a pleasing personality and is one who inspires
the confidence of all those with whom he has to deal.
In his new connection he should be able to confer
new laurels upon himself and upon the organization
that he represents.
NEW SALES MANAGER
OF PLATT MUSIC CO.
Leonard Davis Joins Progressive House at
Los Angeles, Cal., and Has Added
Herman Beck to Staff.
Ben Platt, president of the Platt Music Company,
of Los Angeles. Cal., announces Leonard Davis as
general salesmanager of the Platt stores. On accept-
ing the position, Mr. Davis immediately made. Her-
man Beck assistant general sales manager. Mr.
Davis is well known to the trade, as the greater part
of his time during the last twenty years has been
spent in doing retail efficiency work for piano dealers
throughout the United States.
For a number of years Mr. Davis was manager of
the Retail Service Department of the American Piano
Company, frorii which position he resigned to become
general sales'manager with J. H. Williams, who at
One of the active firms of Minnesota showing an
assurance in the business for spring is the Middle-
ton Music & Furniture Co., of Marshall. The com-
pany did not concern itself with probabilities or
possibilities when it considered its spring and sum-
mer supplies of piano players and reproducing pianos,
but had in mind certainties when big orders were
placed for everything in the music line.
In its location at the southwest corner of pros-
perous Lyon County, the thriving city of Marshall
is fortunate. The city is the center of an agricul-
tural and stock raising section that is representative
of the best and most ambitious in the northwest.
Knowing its field and understanding the requirements
of well-to-do and tasteful prospective customers the
Middleton Music & Furniture Co. is always prepared
to serve them with the best.
The company is a generous user of the local news-
papers but its excellent sales system relies consider-
ably on the personal appeals of an energetic staff of
salesmen, who know their prospects and their ability
to buy.
MUSIC WEEK IN DENVER.
Music memory contests in Denver, Colo , schools
culminated in Music Week, when the prizes were
awarded. H. G. Prada, of the musical merchandise
department of the Knight-Campbell Music Co., was
chairman of bands and orchestras. Frank D. Dar-
row, president of the Darrow Music Co., was chair-
man of the finance committee.
W. H. LEWIS TAKES CHARGE.
W. H. Lewis has assumed his duties as manager
of the Adams Music Company at Canton, 111., which
position was made vacant by the resignation of R.
S. Hervey, who goes to Council Bluffs, la., to enter
the A. Hospe Company music store. Mr. Lewis has
been employed by the Adams Music Company before
and is locally popular.
BUSINESS AS USUAL.
The Marshall Music Co., Inc., White River Junc-
tion, Vt., has resumed business in temporary quar-
ters in the Arcade Building on Currier street, and the
firm is interesting prospects by spirited advertising
in the newspapers. The firm was recently burned
out in the $500,000 fire in the Hotel Coolidge Block.
ESTEY ORGAN DEDICATED.
A new Estey pipe organ was recently dedicated in
the Unitarian Church, at Twelfth and Salmon streets,
Portland, Ore., recently. A recital by Milly Perryn
Canfield was one of the principal features of the
event, which was enjoyed by an appreciative musical
audience.
Mexico now has ten broadcasting stations, four of
which are of the high power size. It is estimated
there are about 20,000 receivers in Mexico City and
12,000 in the rest of the country.
MAKE PLANS FOR
JUNE CONVENTION
Ringing Slogan Adopted for Big Gathering of
Music Trade and Personnel of Various
Committees Announced by Secre-
tary Kennedy.
PLANS TO ENTERTAIN
Making It Pleasant for Convention Visitors Is Main
Purpose of Activities Proposed for Annual Meeting.
"Make America Musical" is the slogan adopted for
the 1925 Music Trades Convention, to be held at the
Drake Hotel, Chicago, June 8, 9, 10, 11. This slogan
was suggested to the convention committee by Alex
McDonald, of Sohmer & Co., New York, a member
of the executive committee of the National Music
Merchants' Association. It will be used in all con-
vention advertising, and those interested in the con-
vention are urged to use it.
Entertainment Features.
The entertainment features of all previous Chicago
conventions will of course be carried out by the com-
mittee, but the real purpose of the convention will not
be overlooked by those in charge of the convention.
Every assistance will be given the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce to carry out the serious and
more important part of the convention. The pro-
motion of music, the stimulation of business in assist-
ing those who are exhibiting, the co-operation of the
exhibitors and those in charge of the business ses-
sions will be included in the work of this committee.
The National Association of Band Instrument
Manufacturers have been invited by the committee
to arrange a school's band contest during the con-
vention.
The executive convention committee voted to raise
$5,000 by subscription for the advertising and general
expenses of this convention.
The personnel of the executive committee will be
as follows:
Harry D. Schoenvvald. general chairman.
Joel G. Childs, treasurer.
(iordon Laughead, secretary.
Hotel Accommodations.
Henry W. Hewitt, chairman of hotel committee:
James T. Bristol, chairman of merchants' banquet
committee; John McKenna, chairman in charge of
entertainment for merchants' banquet; Harry B.
Bibb, chairman in charge of noonday luncheons; Matt
J. Kennedy, chairman of newspaper publicity com-
mittee; Harry J. Lindeman, chairman reception com-
mittee; Roger O'Connor, vice-chairman; Walter
Kiehn; Kenneth W. Curtis, chairman in charge of
golf committee.
The complete committees will be announced at the
next meeting of the executive at the Drake Hotel
Monday evening, March 23.
The hotel committee announces that several new
hotels have recently been completed near the Drake
Hotel since the last Chicago convention. This will
enable those attending the convention to have a
wider choice of hotel accommodations.
The Chicago Association of Commerce and the city
of Chicago officially will take part in the convention.
FINAL F. G. SMITH MEETING.
Notice is given that Horace W. Davis, receiver in
the matter of F. G. Smith, Inc., bankrupt, has filed
a supplemental final report showing a balance in his
hands of $9,292.64, for further distribution to credi-
tors, less the payment of expenses, and that a special
meeting of the creditors will be held at the office of
Peter B. Olney, Jr., Referee in Bankruptcy, 2 Rec-
tory street, New York City, on the 13th day of
March at 11:45 o'clock in the forenoon, for the pur-
pose of passing upon the report of the trustee herein
and also to consider the application of the trustee for
his additional commissions amounting to $86.76, and
the applications of Michael Halpert, E. M. Cole and
Henry Caplan for compensation for their services
to the trustee in the sum of $250 each.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
March 7, 1925.
PRESTO
PIANO SALESMAN
AND HIS SYSTEM
He Has Happy Choice of Building His Own
on the Fundamentals and Developing
Methods Never Dignified as Theories
or Set Down in Books.
SEEING PROSPECTS
Interviewing the Probable, Possible and Impossible
Ones Adds Largely to His Patience and
Knowledge of Human Nature.
By DOUGLAS McNAIR.
In selling their products all trades are governed by
a few fundamental rules, either tacitly understood or
set down in a formal way in printed instructions.
There are salesmanship books and booklets galore
and most of them are honored more in the breach
than in the observance! This is due to the sense of
initiative in the men and women who are directed to
use the books and booklets in their novitiate days.
A sales department may develop a system of great
theoretic value, which, however, only brings results
when reduced to practice. The really good, success-
ful salesman is a law unto himself.
The first rule of any system has to do with the
locating of the prospective customer. In the piano
house the prospect is identified as a person interested
in an upright piano, grand piano, playerpiano or re-
producing piano, and the importance of a proper
estimate of his desires is easily understood by every
salesman of experience. It means a saving or wasting
of a salesman's time. It often removes the possi-
bility of spoiling a sale.
The Prospect List.
In trying out a list of prospects the effort is to
make every case a closed incident in the shortest
possible space of time. The keen-minded salesman
can see the uselessness of a second call when the
conditions point that way. Hope does not spring
eternal in the breast of the hard-headed piano sales-
man. Time is money and he does not wish to lose
anything in hoping.
But this first call on a prospect is highly important
and on the salesman's judgment depends the profits
of a sale when things look hopeful and the obviating
of further loss of a salesman's time when it is con-
sidered the chances of a sale are nil. Very impor-
tant facts may be gathered in the first interview.
The First Call.
The first call is important also in the fact that the
first impression on the- good prospect is powerful in
the ultimate decision. Many pianos are as good as
sold at the first interview. It is a vital moment when
the fire of desire for a certain instrument may be
lighted. A good first impression makes possible a
later visit. A failure to properly impress at a first
interview makes later visits of doubtful value. But
in many instances the enthusiasm of the salesman
who finds a prospect in a receptive mood sweeps
away all hesitations.
There is where the good piano salesman proves his
mettle by closing the sale at the first successful visit.
A decision on the part of the customer may not be
complete. Other members of the family may have
to be consulted or there may be hesitation in the
choice of model or . finish, things not calculated to
hang the sale.
First Crisis.
Then arises the necessity of prompt action in ar-
ranging a second interview which should be set for
the same day if possible. The salesman remembers
the admonition to "strike while the iron is hot." If
other members of the family are to be consulted the
salesman should set a time when he is assured of
meeting those interested. It rather weakens his case
to call back when there is only a bare chance of see-
ing them.
At the first call the salesman should be able to
learn who is to do the actual buying and there is no
need to call back three or four times to learn that.
It is clear that there is no need to call the second
time to verify an "impossible" finding at the first
visit. Impossible people do not become possible
prospects overnight or in the course of one. or two
days.
What He Learns.
A good first interview may not necessarily end in
a prospect signing on the dotted line. It is a profit-
able visit when the salesman learns who is to do the
buying, in what kind of instrument the family is in-
terested, and discreetly finding out the ability to buy
this or that instrument of a more or less big price.
In a first interview the keen salesman can sense the
variety and strength of the buying resistance. At the
second visit the salesman is thus better prepared to
override the obstacles, should any be presented.
The Family Head.
Sometimes the nominal family head has not the
final sayso in the piano purchase. Dad may be only
a yesman to mother, and it often happens in this day
of emancipated youth that the old folks may only
have the privilege of putting up the first and succeed-
ing payments where the piano deal is in question. But
the observant salesman makes no breaks and does
not get mixed up in the intricacies of family politics
by thoughtless word or actions. In short, the sales-
man should have his eyes peeled and his ears open,
and the why and the wherefore he will never learn in
any book about selling pianos on the outside.
Every first visit is productive of information to the
outside salesman. It may make him wisely decide
to cross off the prospect from his list, thereby saving
his own or some other salesman's time and energies
in the future. In his first visit he may acquire the
kind of information that may make a subsequent visit
profitable. Much depends on his powers of observa-
tion and it is the extent of this faculty that makes
him a good, bad or indifferent salesman.
POPULAR MANUFACTURER
TELLS OF FOREIGN TRIP
A. Goldsmith Tells of the Delights of Travel
but Admits that Homecoming Will
Be Best.
Presto has received a letter from A. Goldsmith of
the Chicago piano industry which bears his name.
Mr. Goldsmith is on a Mediterranean tour and his
letter was written at Medierra Island, where he ar-
rived on February 6th.
"Am having a very pleasant trip," the piano man-
ufacturer wrote. "We had rough weather crossing,
but the trip has already done me good. The com-
pany was very congenial, and there was good music
aboard—as indeed everywhere in this enlightened
day.
"We will stay briefly at Seville, Cadiz, Grenada
and will follow the cruise through Egypt, Palestine,
Turkey. We expect to leave Naples late in March,
and then tour Europe, visiting all of the principal
cities. I may be able" to make a rapid sketch of
piano conditions in some of the larger centers and,
if so, hope to send something to Presto which may
prove entertaining.
About May 9th I expect to be ready to start back
for the good old U. S. A., and I am sure that, with
most Americans who get away from their happy
homes under Old Glory, the most enjoyable part of
this agreeable change will be to see again the Statue
of Liberty at the entrance of New York harbor.
For we all agree with the old-time American song
writer and statesman that there is "no place like
home." Hope Presto will hand out my regards to
all in the trade, near and far.''
FLOCK OF PIANO TRAVELERS
A SURE SEASONAL GAUGE
When Albert Lea, Minn., Sees the Phenomenon
Early in March, City Is Happy.
The people of Albert Lea. Minn., scout the belief
in the absence of the ground hog's shadow as indi-
cating the arrival of springlike weather and they
laugh to scorn the goosebone seasonal auguries of the
ancient pioneers. When Spiffin's Almanack says
February will be a cold month everybody looks up
lighter underwear and one Albert Lea editor reck-
lessly dons his summer collar button. The almanac's
prognostications are read as reverse English.
But there is a sign that no Albert Lea citizen ig-
nores and that is when the flock of piano travelers
steps off the 9:45 in the first week in March and in
the gregariously happy way of the breed, waves away
the taxis and busses and walks downtown. That is
among the unerring phenomena of prophetic import.
So when one day this week the citizenry encountered
E. N. Prinz of the M. Schulz Co., L. Barnett of the
Straube Piano Co., and George M. Slawson of The
Cable Co., niftily stepping from the station to the
hotel they sent up gladsome cries of "Spring is
here!" "The vernal equinox has beaten its sched-
uled date! Rah! Rah! Rah!" and other exclamations
to that effect.
The piano dealers along the way, hearing the joy-
ous tumult, sat down to seriously figure on a big
order for the piano traveler who would gladhand
him in a short time. The sign was unerring. They
knew spring weather had arrived and the time had
come to tune up the gaswagons for the prairie piano
prospect quest.
AIDS MUSIC MEMORY CONTEST.
The annual music memory contest for schools in
Charles City, la., takes place this month and the
Anderson Music House and the Sheldon Music House
are co-operating with the women's clubs of the city
in making the contest as successful as in previous
years. The two music houses will give weekly con-
certs of music memory contest selections during the
next few weeks. Membership enrollment blanks are
distributed by the firms.
- N JHfe Onduring*
«HL
TO n e '^^^
WALTER A. LUND TRANSFERRED
TO PACIFIC COAST FIELD
T E
" SHardman
Leaves Chicago Office of the Kohler Industries for
Washington, Oregon, Service.
Walter A. Lund has been transferred from the Chi-
cago office of Kohler & Campbell, Inc., New York,
to the San Francisco branch. He will have charge
of the Northwestern territory under the management
of Kohler & Campbell's San Francisco office. Mr.
Lund has been with the Kohler Industries since 1915
and has an enviable record during his work with the
Chicago office. He is an accomplished pianist and
has proved invaluable in assisting salesmen in closing
retail business.
Mr. Lund's headquarters will be in either Portland
or Seattle and his mailing address is Kohler Indus-
tries, 458 Phelan Building, San Francisco. This move
of the Kohler Industries in placing a veteran sales-
man in the Northwestern territory is thoroughly in
line with the dealer co-operative policy of the com-
pany, and is also in line with the policy of promotion
within the ranks.
Besides his experiences # and ability Mr. Lund has a
charming personality and will undoubtedly be of great
assistance to the trade in this fast-growing part of the
United States.
The ^Hardman £ine
is a complete line
It comprises a range of artisti-
cally worthy instruments to
please practically every purse:
The Hardman, official piano of
the Metropolitan Opera House;
the Harrington and the Hensel
Pianos in which is found that in-
builtdurabilitythatcharacterizes
all Hardman-made instruments;
the wonderful Hardman Repro-
ducing Piano; the Hardman
Autotone (the perfect player-
piano); and the popular Playo-
tone.
JUDGE LYLE WILL SPEAK.
The speaker and honored guest for the next meet-
ing of the Piano Club of Chicago will be Judge
John H. Lyle. The meeting will begin promptly at
12:15 and close at 1:30. The place of the meeting is
the Illinois Athletic Club and the date March 9th.
Membership is growing each week and all are urged
to bring a new member. This is most important
club work.
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Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

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