Presto

April 11, 1925.
13
PRESTO
LOCATING TALKERS
FOR CONVENTION
National Association of Music Merchants In-
cludes Numerous Undiscovered Dealers with
Ability to Make Enlightening Talks on
Problems at Business Sessions.
SOME TOO SHY
But Were Diffident Ones Identified, Officials Would
Welcome Their Participation in Annual Discus-
sions on Vital Questions.
By RAY McKINNEY.
With the annual convention a little over two
months away the discussion of any phase of it by an
intending participant seems in order. I know that
the various committees will do their parts but, at the
same time, welcome suggestions that will add to the
general success of the meeting.
The business sessions should be the most interest-
ing features of the annual convention because they
are related most intimately with the actual operations
of the music business. The main object of the offi-
cials is to make the business sessions instructive and
their efforts in that respect are always commendable.
Every year the program of subjects is filled interest-
ingly and the speakers assigned invariably do justice
to their assignments. But the committee of arrange-
ments for the business sessions usually overlook a
great many opportunitias.
The Explanation.
That is a statement that needs explanation, which
is simple. The membership of the National Asso-
ciation of Music Merchants is filled with men who
could make interesting talks at the meetings but
never do for various reasons. Some are too shy to
obtrude their remarks among the scheduled papers
and others are too proud to talk because they have
not been officially invited.
It is true that a general invitation to discuss the
scheduled topics holds good throughout the meetings
and many members respond to it, adding to the inter-
est of the proceedings. But the shy ones and the
too-proud-to-talk ones preserve an embarrassed or
moody silence.
During the last convention held at the Drake Hotel
Grand and
Reproducing
Grand Pianos
are the last word in
musical perfection.
Lester Piano Co.
1806 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia
in Chiago I took dinner one day with half a dozen
western dealers in a private room in a downtown
hotel and with the coffee, what was a desultory busi-
ness talk during the dinner, became almost formal,
or rather it became less conversational. But the so-
ciable character of the gathering remained and to this
I attributed a few surprising discoveries.
One dealer, a comparatively young man who has
built up a thriving music business, within eight years,
enlarged upon a topic we had been discussing and
gave an impromptu talk in his modest way that was
enlightening and interesting to all present. He ex-
plained the solution of a problem he had faced and
which many beginners in the music business face
and in doing so gave us an intimate insight into his
own difficulties and the possible difficulties of others.
There was no suggestion of speechifying but he was
eloquent because he knew his topic.
Got Stage Fright.
Later, at one of the business sessions, this dealer
was asked by the president to make a few remarks
supplementary to something stated in a formal paper
read by a member. The president knew the dealer
could add to the value of the paper and that was why
he made the request. I and a few others present
expected to hear another good trade talk. The sub-
ject was akin to that on which he spoke at the dinner.
But what was our surprise to see him rise teeter-
ingly in his place to blushingly and stammeringly
mumble a few words of excuse at what he called his
unpreparedness. He is one of the shy kind, who per-
haps could be induced to make a convention talk
if specially requested to do so. Many brainy and
eloquent men are shy when surprised with an invita-
tion to talk on any occasion. Politicians are usually
spontaneously ready to loosen the valve in their gas
bags but as a rule business men are reticent. I be-
lieve our friend from the west could talk interestingly
at the convention if there was no element of sudden-
ness in the invitation.
The Proud Genius.
Another dealer from the west provided the second
surprise at the dinner in the downtown hotel. To the
profit of the few dealers present he talked about the
credit and trade-in incidents in his own business. He
has never considered them problems and he explained
why he has not done so. He not only outlined his
safe business policy but went into intricate details
of his methods which in themselves are simple.
Afterwards at the conclusion of the business ses-
sion, where the trade-in had been discussed in a
lengthy fashion that showed its vital importance to
the dealers present, I asked this dealer why he did
not stand up and enrich the discussion by one of his
enlightening talks.
"I've been a member of the association for ten
years and I guess the program makers know where I
live," was the reply.
The Remedy.
And there you have one of the too-proud-to-talk-
except-invited kind. Can the proud chaps and the
shy chaps be made available for the impromptu con-
ventions talks? The membership has many of both
kinds and a way to discover their identity and round
them up would benefit the next convention. The
piano travelers who are doing such effective work
for the membership drive of the National Association
of Music Merchants might extend their usefulness by
locating the shy and proud dealers and tipping off
their identity to the program committee. Travelers
usually have an intimate knowledge of their custom-
ers and can correctly guage the ability to talk inter-
estingly of each one of them.
We do not want a convention without the elo-
quence of the faithful band of oldtimers who have
made the annual gatherings occasions for the rally
that keeps association enthusiasm alive, but if the
program committee could drag some of the shy ones
out of their shells and mollify the too-proud-to-talk-
without-official-invitation chaps, by a formal invita-
tion, further advantages for the convention and the
trade would be assured.
CHANGE IN BALTIMORE, MD.
A new arrangement in methods has been adopted
in the business of the Knabe Studios, Inc., 325 North
Charles street, Baltimore, Md., and the Chickering
Warerooms, Inc., 422 North Howard street, which
were recently consolidated under the general manage-
ment of D. J. Tremblay. The firms have been again
separated and each one is now being conducted under
separate management. L. W. Essig is in charge of
the Knabe store and N. M. Michaels, formerly credit
manager with Chas. M. Stieff, Inc., is managing the
Chickering warerooms.
A QUALITY PRODUCT
FOR OVER
QUARTER OFACENTURY
11st. 1893 t = =
POOLE
-BOSTON-
DISCUSS COST AND
WAYS OF DISTRIBUTION
Advertising Men and Publishers at New York Din-
ner Seek Efficiency in Marketing.
Two hundred representatives of twenty trade pub-
lications and thirty advertising agencies attended a
luncheon one day last week at the Hotel Astor, New
York, given under the auspices of the American As-
sociation of Advertising Agencies and The Asso-
ciated Business Papers. The topics discussed in-
cluded reduction of distribution costs in American
industry and the development of greater efficiency in
marketing and selling.
Malcolm Muir, vice-president of the McGraw Hill
Company and vice-president of the Associated Busi-
ness Papers, said that reduction of distribution costs
must follow 7 lower production costs to meet the grow-
ing public demand for reasonable prices.
M. C. Robbins. president of the Robbins Publish-
ing Company, said that the success of an advertising
campaign depends on the economic soundness of the
business advertised. Citing present conditions in the
radio trade as unsatisfactory, he said that there must
not be too great a spread between the cost of manu-
facture and the selling price.
In view of the slashing of radio prices, he said
many prospective buyers are holding off, thinking
that a set priced today at $115 may be purchased to-
morrow for $97.50.
J. Ivey Jessup,
branh of the Stieff
nation in order to
has been identified
years.
manager of the Charlotte, N. C ,
Piano Co., has announced his resig-
enter another line of business. He
with the retail piano field for many
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