August 8, 1925.
PRESTO
PIANO TUNERS
MEET IN DETROIT
EEBURG
TYLE«L"
The KEY to
OSITIVE
ROFITS
MANUFACTURED ONLY BY
J. P. Seeburg
Piano Co.
"Leaders in the
Automatic Field"
1510 Dayton St.
Chicago
Address Department "E"
(Continued from page 3.)
a competent fee; alas! you must remind them. They
will never give a thought to the fact that pianos wear
out; remind them, and you will sell pianos. They
may even forget your name and address; again I say,
remind them. This can only be done by some form
of regular publicity.
"I started by saying that the best advertisement
for a tuner is himself. Let me conclude by saying
that the most worthy advertisement is the quality of
his work. Skilled and honest work will not only earn
for the tuner a living, but it will win for him a repu-
tation which is above gold and the values of this
world."
Told by Tuner's Wife.
The value of team work between the tuner and his
wife in the pursuit of business was ably explained by
Mrs. Donna W. Donelson, wife of F. L. Donelson,
tuner, Flint, Mich. When first assigned the subject
Mrs. Donelson said she didn't think there was much
to say. "For several days I pondered over the sub-
ject. Before long I was surprised at how variously
she can assist," she said.
Apart from helping in the way other wives do, the
tuner's wife has other opportunities for aiding her
husband in his business, Mrs. Donelson pointed out.
"In many particulars the tuner's business is not like
any other. This is especially true of the independent
tuner. While most business men have an office, or
perhaps a store, the tuner's office—I am speaking of
the independent man—usually is his home, and be-
cause his headquarters is his home the tuner's wife
can know more about his business and thus can take
more interest in it, than can other wives. Therefore
she has a greater opportunity to be of assistance."
The practical lady from Flint showed other tuners'
wives present how they can inaugurate a system en-
abling the tuner to group his work so that he does
not journey an unreasonable distance between jobs
and waste valuable time. It also makes it easier to
locate him for emergency, or for long-distance calls.
How the tuner's wife may help in compiling a
piano owner's list; can help in canvassing, and most
important, performs effective work in advertising by
the means available to every woman in a community:
"Women who are known and liked socially are al-
ways a business asset. Perhaps through the church,
the woman's club, the fraternal organization, or
charitable society, to which she may belong, her
name is seen on programs or in newspaper items.
Every time it appears the readers are reminded of the
name seen under the heading 'Piano Tuners' on the
liner page of the newspaper. Every time she enter-
tains her ladies' aid or her bridge club, appears on a
program or acts on a committee, she is helping to
advertise her husband's name. The better known she
becomes, the more indirect publicity she gains for
him, and the less direct advertising he will need to
do."
At Wednesday forenoon's session a new consti-
tution and bylaws were adopted.
Resolutions.
Resolutions were adopted asking the Music In-
dustries Chamber of Commerce to urge co-operation
among the tuners, manufacturers, dealers, technicians,
salesmen, inventors and other piano men, including
supply men, for a better mutual understanding of
this association's purposes and aims.
Also a resolution regretting the death of the late
Charles Sigel.
Alfred Smith, of the Music Industries Chamber of
Commerce, gave an interesting talk, as did also Mr.
Autunes. Mr. Smith said this convention was "the
best convention of any kind that he had ever at-
tended," since his connection with the music business.
One of the interesting off-hand addresses of the
sessions was given at the afternoon session, Tuesday,
by E. S. Werolin, of the service department of the
American Piano Company, New York City. He re-
ferred to the well-known fact that the people of the
East are not as friendly as the people of the West,
particularly of the Middle West. Therefore, it was
a difficult matter for a tuner a few years ago to get
any sort of recognition in the piano stores of New
York. Now all that was changed; the tuner was
grasped by the hand.
What Has Been Done.
"You know little of what we have done in New
York, or of what we're doing now. In starting out
the head of the service department was not even a
practical piano man."
Mr. Werolin's talk was generally of the New York
field. His message and advice were delivered forc-
ibly. He said most tuners now owned automobiles.
They knew considerable about these machines, but
how little the average tuner knows about actions or
playerpianos or grands!
"We take them in and train them; so that they
know their business somewhat," he said.
Social Events.
During the convention the delegates and their
wives will be the guests of J. L. Hudson Company
and Grinnell Brothers on sight-seeing and river boat
rides.
The Detroit Convention and Tourists' Bureau is
co-operating with the association during its stay in
the city.
LEE JONES RETURNS WITH
GOOD TRADE REPORTS
Nelson-Wiggen Co.'s Sales Manager Reports
Farmers Cheerful and Dealers Optimis-
tic of Good Fall Season in Trade.
A recent traveler to the Northwest was Lee Jones,
Sales Manager of the Nelson-Wiggen Co., 1721 Bel-
mont Ave, Chicago, manufacturer of coin-operated
and automatic instruments. Mr. Jones, upon his re-
turn to headquarters after visiting progressive music
merchants and observing business conditions, was in
an optimistic mood and strong in his belief that the
northwest will be a good outlet for the big Nelson-
Wiggen line during the coming months.
Mr. Jones called on many dealers, his itinerary
including the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa,
North and South Dakota. In every state visited the
farmers are in a cheerful mood over the fine condi-
tions of crops, and the possibilities for heavy buying
this fall is strongly evident. This state of affairs has
given many music merchants a renewed hope and
confidence, and the automatic field is unlimited in
this territory in the fact that it has abundance of
summer resorts that are open until late in the fall,
when the hunting season opens.
Mr. Jones was elated over the fact that merchants
everywhere were interested in the Nelson-Wiggen
line and its profit-making possibilities. Styles adapted
for every purpose and purse have made the Nelson-
Wiggen instrument popular with a good class of
dealers and have given satisfaction to their customers.
DISHONEST SALESMAN
IS WANTED IN TEXAS
Barrier Bros., of Lubbock, Offer a Reward for
the Apprehension of Slick Individual
Who Tricked Them.
The house of Barrier Bros., of Lubbock, Texas,
has had an experience with a dishonest salesman in
which there may be a warning for other houses
everywhere. The story of a smooth trickster, passing"
under the name of O'Donnell, is told by the Texas
under the name of Baily, is told by the Texas
firm, who has suffered by his dishonesty, in a letter
addressed to Presto, reading as follows:
"H. James Baily, about 28 years, medium build,
dark-complexioned, had been employed by O'Donnell
Chamber of Commerce, O'Donnell, Tex., to teach
the band, but because of irregular conduct had been
let out. Upon leaving this country, and before we
had been apprised of his discharge, he came to us
and we cashed his personal check for $25, which
has been protested and returned to us.
"We, also, let him have a Buescher Cornet, No.
177724, style No. 14-22—he claiming to have a pros-
pective sale for it—that he has gotten away with.
"First information given us leading to his arrest
will be suitably rewarded."
TWO GUL-BRANSEN VISITORS.
Isaac Bledsoe, head of the San Antonio Music
Company, of San Antonio, Texas, was a visitor to
the Gulbransen factory in Chicago Tuesday. He is
leaving for the east and expects to spend some time
in Maine, returning to Texas about October 1st. Mr.
Bledsoe reports a satisfactory first six months, his
business having shown a good profit. Another Gul-
bransen visitor Tuesday was A. E. Johnson, of John-
son Music Store, Ironwood, Michigan.
ALEX NORDLUND RETURNS.
Alex Nordlund, president of the Nordlund Grand
Piano Co., 400 W. Erie St., Chicago, has returned
from a two months' trip to Norway. Mr. Nordlund,
who is a keen observer of conditions, took note of the
piano trade while abroad and compared many essen-
tial things of the industry with those of the Ameri-
can system. Mr. Nordlund expressed himself as feel-
ing fit for a busy fall season, which is anticipated for
the Nordlund grand.
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