Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1925 2015

Page 5 Text:

PRESTO
March 7, 1925.
CHRISTMAN
"The First Touch Tells"
The Famous
Studio Grand
SELLING MUSIC
GOODS ON CREDIT
Importance of Credit Department Manager in
Closing Sales Made on the Installment
Plan Should Be Properly Understood
by All Salesmen.
SAFEGUARDING PROFITS
Willingness, Rather Than Ability to Pay, Foremost
Consideration of Credit System in American
Music Stores.
(only 5 ft. long)
Remains the foremost of all the dainty
little pianos for Parlor and Music
Room. It has no superior in tone
quality, power or beauty of design.
CHRISTMAN
Reproducing Grand
Equipped with
Action
Has advantages for any Dealer or
Salesman. It is a marvel of expressive
interpretation of all classes of compo-
sition, reproducing perfectly the per-
formances of the world's greatest
pianists.
CHRISTMAN
Players and Pianos
"The First Touch Tells"
IUf. U. 8. P»t. Off.
Christ man Piano Co.
597 East 137th St.
New York
Many a good business has been wrecked by poor
judgment in granting credit and carelessness in col-
lections. So the credit department and the collec-
tion department may be considered first in impor-
tance in every house that is not strictly of a spot
cash kind. And no matter how small the music
business may be at the start, the necessity for some
one with the special responsibility of watching credits
exists from the very first day. It is usually a job
undertaken by the owner, in the early days of his
music dealing, but he should be careful about letting
his selling activities interfere with his credit vigilance
as his business grows.
When the time comes to engage a man specially
for looking after the credits no time should be lost
in acquiring a capable man. Getting one in time is
safeguarding against repossessions and poor collec-
tions. And, when the dealer finds the proper man, a
private office should be set aside for his use. That
is really a courtesy to the customers.
Support the Credit Man.
And when convinced of the credit man's good sense
and ability the dealer should give him his loyal
support. That sounds like an unnecessary thing to
say, but dealers and salesmen are aware of wisdom
in the warning. Should the salesmen's desires be
followed in every case, the credit department would
get in bad. A great many customers passed by
salesmen are promptly objected to by credit men.
The salesmen may be perfectly honest in their es-
timates but guided more by their hearts than by their
heads. The sales organizations are perfectly neces-
sary, but of what use are sales if you can't collect
the money?
Every firm with progressive ideas spends money
for advertising. It is an increase in the investment
but, properly directed, it brings a proportionate in-
crease in profits. Window dressing means the ex-
pending of money. But these things, and anything
else that increases the volume of business, are really
investments. A credit business adds to the expenses
of a store, but expense is not a net expense when it
brings in more gross profit than it costs. A credit
system is really a necessary part of the equipment of
all stores except the strictly cash stores. Wise credit
makes regular customers and every music merchant
knows that the continuous customer is the one who
builds the clientele.
Some Considerations.
The advantages of the cash system are great but,
as a music store manager said this w T eek: "It is not
all pie. Not when you consider the labor and expense
of the C. O. D. transactions. If the business is
big a special system is necessary in the delivery de-
partment and the C. O. D. section may require from
two to eight clerks. Then there are incidental hap-
penings connected with deliveries. Customers may
not be found at home and the article has to take one
or more trips. One saxophone sold C. O. D. by us
eight days ago has not been delivered into the cus-
tomer's hands yet although it has traveled out to
Kdgewater and back four times."
The Salesman's Duty.
Every new salesman, especially one operating on
the outside, should be impressed with importance of
the credit department, pointing out the fact that the
credit manager is the financing guardian of the firm.
Above all things, make the salesmen realize the
necessity of facts about the customers upon which
the credit man must "base his decisions.
"This man is a personal friend of my family," or,
"this young married couple are gilt-edged people,"
are glittering phrases to the credit man who views
things in an impersonal way.
Statistics generally show that farmers are the most
prompt in their credit dealings, and teachers and rail-
road men are next in the degree of promptness with
which they observe the requirements of the credit
department. All of them are more desirable than
professional men. But there are really no certain
methods by which the music merchant can choose
good customers, except from the bookkeeping experi-
ences of other music merchants, and these are not
always available. It is a fact that the so-called best
classes have enough of the poor credit risks to eat
up the profits of the good ones.
Credit a Trade Builder.
Credit has been a greater factor in the development
of the piano business in America than money. The
installment plan was the capitalizing of good inten-
tions. Had the progress of the piano business been
limited to the use of money only it would now be
in the same position it had seventy-five years ago.
The credit plan represented by the installment plan
of sales has made possible the growth of retail piano
selling, helped in the creation of new piano manufac-
turing industries and of course has provided the
means for the employment of labor.
So the position of the credit man is one of trust
and responsibility. He must approve or reject on
short notice and often has to act upon a salesman's
sayso without the advantage of analyzing the custom-
er's personal characteristics from personal contact,
considered such an advantage. He must reason coldly
and often in the opinion of salesmen seems swayed
by unreasoning prejudices when he refuses to agree
that a substantial first payment is a sufficient reason
for the granting of credit.
The truth about the customer from the salesman
helps. The general reputation of the customer is an
important element of credit. Much of the success
of a music store doing a credit business depends
on the judgment of the credit man and the term
judgment covers a broad field. The willingness to
pay is more important than the ability to pay.
LEM KLINE TO MARKET
THE LEE=A=TONE RADIO
Piano Salesman Known Everywhere
Taken Hold of the Latest Receiver
for Music Trade.
Has
Something new again in the trade. Lcm Kline has
taken hold of the new "Lee-A-Tone" radio receiving
set, and will sell it exclusively to the music trade.
He intends to establish protected agencies in all
large centers and believes that he has the best seller
in the radio industry.
The Lee-O-Tone Company of Chicago has been
established to manufacture and sell radio receivers
and parts. It presents a new article in that some
of the features of the Lee-A-Tone are exclusive in-
ventions of George A. Lee, with whom Mr. Kline
has become associated. It is expected that Mr.
Kline will place the new ardio in many prominent
music stores. He starts on his intial trip in his new
line early next week.
FAVOR FOR PLAYERPIANO
GROWS FAST IN ENGLAND
Receives Just Recognition as an Educational Medium,
According to Leading Trade Paper.
In.a new book of Dr. Eaglefield-Hull, published in
London, called the "Dictionary of Modern Music and
Musicians," he says: "The conservative attitude
taken up by musicians with regard to the player-
piano has now largely given way to a recognition of
its abilities." In commenting on the book and its
topics, the London Music Trades Review says:
"Undoubtedly recognition of the potentiality and
use of the playerpiano as an educational medium is
rapidly growing in this country.
The long and
patient efforts of a few firms in the trade towards
perfecting and cheapening- the cost of production, and
the increasing attention paid by professional musicians
and educational bodies is having the result in a grow-
ing demand for one of the finest mediums for musical
expression."
MUSIC ACTIVITIES IN COLUMBUS, O.
On March 16 and April 30 the Cleveland Orches-
tra, of which Nickolai Sokoloff is director, will give
concerts at Memorial Hall, Columbus, much publicity
for which is being given by the music dealers. Sym-
phony concerts will be given at the evening programs
and in the afternoon hours a program for children
will be given. Arthur Shepherd, assistant conductor,
will direct the afternoon concerts. Pablo Casals,
'cellist, will be the soloist with the orchestra on the
first appearance.
NEW HAVEN FIRM EXPANDS.
S. Pierpaoli & Co., 101 Portsea street, New Haven,
Conn., has moved to a more central location at 100
Washington avenue, where an expansion of all the
lines of music goods carried has been effected. The
company advertises carrying a large assortment of
musical instruments of all kinds.
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/

Page 6 Text:

March 7, 1925.
PRESTO
MME. BLOOMF1ELD=ZEISLER
HONOR GUEST OF CLUB
poor, this woman kept plugging right away, and
when the years sales were checked up it stood at
eighty-three. Let the Woman's World's Fair take
that!
NEWS OF THE TRADE
IN CLEVELAND, OHIO
Distinguished Pianist Played at Last Monday's
Meeting and Was Made Life Member of
Chicago Piano Club.
WILL USE RADIO TO
EXPOSE SONG SHARKS
Schulz Store Moved to the Piano Row and
Radio Dealers Are So Thick That
Protection Is Needed.
Gala days at the Chicago Piano Club arc becoming
numerous, for many distinguished individuals have
been guests at the Monday noonday luncheons of
late. No individual, however, has been more welome
or more congenially received than was the guest of
honor last Monday noon, Madam Fannie Bloomncld
Zeisler. And no one more distinguished has ever
been the guest of the club.
Madam Zeisler, as we all know, this week cele-
brated the golden anniversary of her life in music.
For it was fifty years ago when, as a child, she
made her first appearance in concert. And from the
start of Mme. Bloomfield Zeisler's artistic career
she has been recognized as one of the greatest con-
cert pianists.
The Piano Club not only fetes this celebrated lady
but it bestows all the honor in its power to her by
making her an honorary life member of the club and
passes resolutions in praise of her signal qualifications
as a torch bearer of the best in music and her
eminent position as pianist and interpreter. The
resolutions, adopted unanimously by the club, paid
tribute to the high place held by Mme. Bloomneld-
Zeisler as an artist, her nobleness of character and
her almost matchless contribution to Chicago's place
among the music-loving cities of the world.
Beside Madam Zeisler the club was honored by the
presence of the stars of "Blossom Time," the Franz
Schubert musical play now at the Auditorium. These
artists gave several selections from "Blossom Time,"
among them the serenade, which is the famous Schu-
bert Serenade, and the immortal composer's Song
of Love.
The meeting Monday was another overflow affair
and was an occasion that will be remembered for a
long time to come.
C. L. Dennis, of Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce, Will Tell of Swindling Methods.
The May Co., who carry a larger line of musical
instruments than any other concern in Northern
Ohio, are enlarging several of their departments and
making other changes. The radio and brass, string
and reed departments have heretofore been located
on the third floor, while the piano and phonagrphs
were on the fourth floor. All are now adjacent to
each other on the fourth floor.
The company will now specialize in general mu-
sical instruments and greatly enlarge this depart-
ment. A full line of saxophones and all other brass
instruments will be carried, as well as larger stocks
of string and other wind instruments. The radio
department is also being enlarged, and both it and
the musical instrument sare placed under the man-
agement of D. Bumbaugh.
The Schulz Piano Co. have just moved into their
new store at 1904 Euclid avenue. Their old loca-
tion, on Huron Road, is being torn down to make
room for the new Bell Telephone Building. This
part of Euclid avenue is now becoming a regular
piano row, as there are already a number of piano
concerns located in close proximity to each other
here.
The Schulz Co. have much more attractive quar-
ters and are in a better business location than be-
fore. They have an exceptionally deep store and,
in addition to the main salesroom, have three
smaller rooms which will be devoted to the display
of reproducing pianos, players and used instruments.
The next meeting of the Cleveland Music Club
is to be held on March 9th. Luncheon w T ill be
Served at the Hotel Statler and a good speaker will
be on hand. It is to be a radio meeting, and there
is ample to discuss on this subject.
Price slashing seems to be the aim of a majority
of radio dealers in Cleveland,' and hardly a day
passes but announcement is not made of a new set
being placed on the market. Drug stores, washing
machine dealers, and even confectionery stores, sell
sets, and the legitimate dealers fell that the time
must soon come for the industry to be stabilized.
It is expected that a radio show will be held at
Grays Armory the first week of April, which will
be the first real radio show to be held in Cleveland.
REMARKABLE RECORD OF
A PIANO SALESWOMAN
Coming Women's World's Fair Will Make No
Better Showing than Tireless Worker.
The Woman's World's Fair, to be held in Chicago
April 18th to 25th, has as its foundation the showing
of the progress and accomplishments of women. The
exhibits already arranged for will show the part
women take in the practice of law, in advertising, in
missionary work, in the conducting of railroad tours,
hospital work, banking, chiropractic, welfare work,
education, the telephone, in selling, etc.
It is doubtful, however, if any exhibit of successful
effort .by women will equal, for pluck, determination
and results, the record of a woman in the business of
piano selling. This particular woman sold 83 Gul-
bransens in the year 1924, under the most trying con-
ditions. Crop conditions were adverse and roads
were almost impassable—so bad, in fact, that in one
trip of 12 miles, with a Gulbranscn loaded on to a
Ford roadster, and entire new set of tires was ruined.
Four tires—twelve miles! Yet with all the handicaps,
with all the valid reasons whv business should be
The exposure of song sharks and their methods of
defrauding amateur song writers will be continued in
a radio talk by C. L. Dennis, of the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce, to be broadcasted at 3:20
o'clock Monday afternoon, March 9th.
The song swindle has not yet been stamped out,
in spite of the three years' campaign of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce to eliminate these
parasites on legitimate music business, because of the
ignorance of would-be song-writers which makes
them so easily defrauded.
In a radio interview January 7th by Terese Rose
Nagel. of Station WGBS, Mr. Dennis answered ques-
tions about the "Musical Moonshiners," as they were
termed by Carl Engel, of the copyright division of
the Library of Congress, and was asked to return
again Monday, March 9th, to explain in more detail
the methods of the song sharks and the pathetic
cases of their victims.
MORE ABOUT NEW
ADDITION TO PLANT
More About the New Addition Which Will Be Built
to Plant at Hammond, Ind.
Construction work on an addition to the Straube
Piano Company's plant in Hammond, Ind., that will
make the factory one of the biggest in the industry,
was started last week: The new structure will face
on Manilla avenue, and will be four stories high and
basement. The new addition, which is expected to
be completed by early summer, will be devoted to
the manufacture of grand and reproducing grand
piaons.
With the new addition completed, the Straube
company will have a total frontage of 435 feet
with floor space approximating 160,000 square feet.
There could be no better evidence of the Straube
Piano Co. and the favor of the instruments with the
trade.
HELPS EXPORT SERVICE.
The Export Bureau of the Music Industries Cham-
ber of Commerce is used by about one hundred mem-
bers of the musical industry interested in foreign
trade, that maintains a monthly service of reports
based on information received from the United States
Department of Commerce showing shipments of
pianos, phonographs and parts to practically all of the
countries in the world. The Bureau also issues spe-
cial bulletins from time to time whenever it receives
information on foreign conditions or on markets for
musical instruments in foreign countries. Up to the
present date this service has issued nearly 500 reports,
and it is anticipated that it will become more valuable
to its users with the expected increase in activity in
the export field during the coming year.
ROCHESTER FIRM REOPENS.
The S. M. Wallace Eurniture Co., Rochester, N. Y.,
has opened in its new building in West Main street,
Rochester, with five times as much floor space as
that occupied before the fire which destroyed its
building nine months ago. The music department is
one of the principal features of the new store, which
is the largest in Rochester's West Side shopping dis-
trict, it has a frontage of 114 feet and is five stories
high.
INTEREST IN HADDORFF GRANDS.
Ernest Dickerson, manager of the Haddorff Music
House, Rockford, 111., reports excellent business since
the company moved' to its new quarters at 220 N.
Main street. The interest in the models in Haddorff
grands is very lively and many sales have been made.
THE BOWEN LOADER
makes of the Ford Roadster the Ideal piano truck,—most Convenient, most Economical and most Efficient.—Goes anywhere, over any
kind of roads, and distance makes no difference.
It will greatly assist any energetic Salesman, City or Country, but is indispensable for successful country work.
It's the best outfit for making collections and repossessions,
_ Our latest model is fool-proof and indestructible, and the price has been reduced to $95.00 including an extra good water-proof
moving cover. Satisfaction guaranteed or money refunded.
BOWEN PIANO LOADER CO.,
Winston-Salem, N. C.
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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