Presto

PRESTO-TIMES
The American Miuic Trade Weekly
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
PRESTO P U B L I S H I N G CO., Publishers.
F R A N K D. A B B O T T - - - - - - - - - -
(C. A. DANIELL—1904-1927.)
J. FERGUS O'RYAN
- - - - - Managing
Editor
Editor
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 0234.
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), "PRESTO," Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
Post Office, Chicago, 111., under Act of March 3, 1879.
Subscription, $2 a year; 6 months, $1.25; Foreign, $4.
Payable in advance. No extra charge in United States
possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on
application.
confidence and in that lies his ability as a good
salesman.
With most people a suggestive remark has
far more weight than a direct statement. The
average piano customer is a skeptic. And
where the skeptic is fortified against the flat
statement the apparently unconscious sugges-
tive remark creeps into his mind unawares and
scores its impression. It is true that most
customers purchase their pianos on the sug-
gestive effect of the pianos on themselves.
Rut the fact is that they purchase almost
wholly on the influence of the suggestion of
the bright salesman who waited on them.
THE TUNER'S EVIDENCE
A wise observer recently asserted that
"salesmanship at its best is suggestion pure
and simple." It is a view at variance with the
experts of the schools.
The odd thing about the schools and teach-
ers of salesmanship is that they dwell on the
importance of "strength of character" and
"force of appeal." The meaning of a good deal
of the instruction is that a man should be
equipped with a good "front" and possess the
ability to talk like a lawyer about the thing
he is selling. If you have the nerve to butt in
to the presence of a prospect and then the gift
of gab to talk him or her to a fare-you-well
you are up to standard as a salesman, accord-
ing to some of the make-you-by-mail pro-
fessors. It is wrong doctrine.
The real salesman is loth to assert in the
manner prescribed by the school of force. He
realizes that people are far more ready to ac-
cept incidental and apparently disinterested
evidence than evidence from the loud partisan.
The suggestion to buy a particular piano is
often more effective than the straight-out ver-
bal advice to do so.
This power to suggest is the all-important
one to be possessed by the salesman. It in-
volves what is commonly known as magnet-
ism. The salesman with the quality for sug-
gestion does not truckle, palaver or bully. He
makes the customer feel his ability. He is in
tune with the customer's nature. He suggests
in each case explains the functions of the in-
struments they play in band or orchestra. His
instructive talks are potent in creating greater
pleasures for the radio audiences and enables
them to dissect-each orchestra number on the
program and distinguish the various instru-
ments and their parts in the orchestration.
And in advocating the claims of the brass
and reed instruments his company makes, he
also gracefully draws attention to the power
of the piano in increasing the beauties of the
solos, quartets and full orchestra numbers.
Mr. Boyer, who is an all around musician,
plays the piano accompaniments which make
the program musically perfect.
SUPPORTING THE CHAMBER
One of the admirable results of the meeting
of the executive committee of the Music In-
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if of
general interest to the music trade will be paid for at
dustries Chamber of Commerce in New York
space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen in the
smaller cities are the best occasional correspondents, and
recently, was the assurance of the required
their assistance is invited.
amount of money to carry on the operation of
Payment is not accepted for matter printed in the edi-
the Chamber. The importance of the Chamber
torial or news columns of Presto-Times.
Where half-tones are made the actual cost of produc-
as a joint body in representing music trade
tion will be charged if of commercial character or other
than strictly news interest.
interests is so plain that any curtailment of its
When electrotypes are sent for publication it is re-
quested that their subjects and senders be carefully indi-
effectiveness through lack of finances seemed
cated.
unlikely when the possibility of such a thing
Forms close at noon on Thursday. Late news matter
should be in not later than 11 o'clock on that day. Ad-
was put before the various national associa-
vertising copy should be in hand before Tuesday, 5 p. m.,
tions.
to insure preferred position. Full page display copy
should be in hand by Tuesday noon preceding publication
day. Want advertisements for current week, to insure
The necessity of proper financial support this
classification, should be in by Wednesday noon.
year is particularly vital. The Chamber has a
Address all communications for the editorial or business
schedule of unusual activities for 1928, involv-
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
ing aid in an important way to the industrial
and commercial phases of the music business.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1928.
The problems confronting the Music Indus-
tries Chamber of Commerce for this year are
The last form of Presto-Times goes to press numerous and each one is of the highest im-
at 11 a. m. Thursday. Any news transpiring
after that hour cannot be expected in the cur- portance to some interest or other in the trade.
rent issue. Nothing received at the office that The Revenue Law, involving the tax on in-
is not strictly news of importance can have stallment collections, copyright legislation,
attention after 9 a. m. on Thursday. If they freight on music goods, the question of credits
concern the interests of manufacturers or and promotional activities are all matters the
dealers such items will appear the week follow-
ing. Copy for advertising designed for the Chamber purposes to attend to with its usual
current issue must reach the office not later vigor.
f:han Wednesday noon of each week.
SUGGESTION IN SELLING
&&ruary 11, 1928
A letter from a tuner to E. J. Radle, Inc..
New York, reproduced in the news pages of
Presto-Times this week, is one of many com-
munications which testify to the quality of
endurance in the F. Radle pianos. The letter
alluded to an F. Radle piano which left the
factory 29 years ago and in which had been
preserved for that period the essentials of a
good piano.
The spontaneous tribute to the F. Radle was
included in a communication requesting a bass
string, but its importance is obvious. It
naturally recalls the policy of the founder of
the F. Radle piano, who seventy-five years ago
established the purpose of continuous striving
toward perfection in the piano. "Radle Tone"
was made a stimulative phrase and the efforts
to effect a tone of a quality that would dis-
tinguish the instrument became the ambition
of the house.
PROMOTING MUSIC
The enthusiastic promoter of music usually
is broad in his plans for results. He believes
that the favor he accomplishes for one instru-
ment influences the display of favor for others.
That is the admirable attitude of Mr. J. F.
Boyer, secretary of C. G. Conn, Ltd., Elkhart,
Ind., who realizes the independence of all the
instruments in the scheme of music.
Mr. Boyer is director of a notable series of
Sunday radio concerts in which the artists are
furnished by his own band instrument manu-
facturing company. He introduces them and
THE OUTSIDE SALESMAN
Prospect finding systems depending on the
advertising and follow-up methods of a piano
house may be productive of good results, but
no dealer minimizes the importance of the out-
side salesman, both for finding prospects and
converting them into customers. Perhaps a
remark by a Chicago piano department man-
ager to the applicant for an inside salesman's
position may describe the dealers' attitude:
"We can get all the inside men we want. What
we are looking for in an eager way are men
who can go out and find prospects and close
sales."
The remark of the piano department head
epitomizes the position of the outside man in
the piano field as an actual creator of business.
The importance of the good inside salesman
is well understood. And when he combines
his work in the store with activities on the
outside, he materially adds to his worth to
the house. The inside salesman is a most valu-
able and altogether necessary adjunct to any
piano business, but it is the outside prospect-
finder and sales-closer who creates most of
the opportunities for building a better, bigger
and more substantial business in the piano
trade.
In the re-organization of Strich & Zeidler
(Inc.) of 740-742 East 136th street, New York,
the names of the new officers of the corpora-
tion point to the assurance of unusual po-
tentialities in all the phases in operation of
the company. \V. T. BrinkerhofT, president, is
an experienced piano manufacturer with the
gift of organization and with a charming per-
sonality that makes and keeps friends; F. E.
Edgar, vice-president, is a roadman with a
wide circle of friends and strong selling abil-
ities ; Charles Stanley, secretary, has a repu-
tation in the factory phase of the trade that
promises much for Strich & Zeidler, and L. D.
Berry, treasurer, has unique abilities for that
important position.
The first active steps toward making the
second annual Greater Chicago Children's
Piano Playing Tournament were taken this
week. In the Sunday edition of the Chicago
Herald and Examiner the announcement was
made and an outline of the plans printed.
Practically the same rules which governed the
last tournament will obtain in the new one.
In the new arrangement, however, the judges
will be screened so tliev cannot see the con-
testants.
* * *
If you need a boost in your business, try
advertising in Presto-Times ; it means the pro-
motional help involving the finding of a larger
market. To those who look forward to an
actual augmentation of return upon invest-
ment, it is a well of help.
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/