Presto

March 31, 1928
PRESTO-TIMES
THE BALDWIN PIANO
The announcement of new Baldwin piano models bv the Bald-
win Piano Company is the assurance to the trade and world of music
lovers of the addition of more aids to fine music. Every model is a
distinctive triumph of piano craftsmanship; a new attainment of the
perfection sought by artists of world-wide fame.
"Choose your piano as the artists do," is a Baldwin phrase full
of the most powerful suggestion. It is a phrase backed by endorse-
ments by great pianists and singers who know and can appreciate
the best in piano craftsmanship.
To the millions of music lovers who attend concerts and recitals,
it is tremendously significant and compelling that many great pianists
use the Baldwin exclusively to express their art. Such names as
Gieseking, Bachaus, de Pachmann, Naegele, Carreras, are intimately
associated with the Baldwin in their public appearances. World-
famed singers like Chaliapin. Edward Johnson, Lucrezia Bori, and
the brilliant group of artists of the Chicago Civic Opera Company
make the Baldwin their choice for accompaniments and modern com-
posers like Respighi, Bartok and Casella. find the Baldwin piano an
invaluable aid in musical composition.
The use of the Baldwin by such great personages in the music
world is evidence of the highest degree of excellence in the instru-
ment. Like the great artists, it has individuality of the highest char-
acter. The introduction of new models by the Baldwin Piano Com-
pany is more than a mere industrial incident in the piano industry ;
it is an important event of unmistakable significance in the world
of art.
To every lover of piano music, whether he or she be the finished
artist, the trained musician or merely one who loves piano music for
itself alone, every Baldwin piano is highly interesting. To dealers
the announcement of new Baldwin models is, of course, of supreme
importance. The word "Baldwin" today is more than the name of a
piano to prospective buyers; it signifies opportunity to piano dealers.
As wonderful as the system of Baldwin production is the compre-
hensive plan of Baldwin distribution—a scheme of transmitted energy
by which the dealer is enabled to realize on the art of the designer,
the science of the scale draughtsman and the craftsmanship of the
workers in the Baldwin factories.
In Baldwin advertising is involved a wide and varied scheme of
piano publicity. National magazines every month carry the message
of Baldwin merits to the homes of possible prospects for fine pianos.
The messages are consistent, appealing, direct and powerful iu im-
pressing Baldwin merits.
Baldwin advertising in these magazines becomes local advertis-
ing for Baldwin dealers in their own communities.
In the great scheme of retail sales the problems of the dealers
are made those of the Baldwin Piano Company. Baldwin sales and
advertising helps are based on practical piano salesmanship and are
made to fit the needs of the progressive piano dealer. The aids
include expert advice, personal help, window and store poster, news-
paper cut service, consumer direct mailing, folders, national adver-
tising reprints, program electros and special advertising and circular-
izing campaigns.
Under the Baldwin co-operative plan, dealers are not dependent
on finance companies. Ability, not capital, is the prime requisite for
success in handling the Baldwin line.
tract, or at least did not make good on commission
contract, fair or unfair as it might have been. Gen-
erally, "the hurt dog does the yelping."
Safety of Commission Plan.
At that, he in his next to last paragraph of the
March 17 article, proves the contention of the present
Anonymous Correspondent Presents Addi- writer that the commission plan is the safest, fairest,
most practical plan of paying salesmen for selling
tional Arguments for "Ten-Eight" Commis-
nationally known, nationally priced musical instru-
sion Plans in. Another Letter in Reply to
ments for trustworthy firms. The commission plan is
unquestionably right. Every man who is in business
Article by Elmon Armstrong.
for himself is on the commission basis. His profits
(EDITOR'S NOTE.—The anonymous correspondent
who. in several issues of Presto-Times has contributed are assured absolutely by the results he is able to get.
to the interesting discussion on the topic of remunera- The effect of the commission plan is to put each sales-
tion for piano salesmen, advances additional arguments man in business for himself. Prices and conditions
in support of his contentions for a "ten-eight" commis-
sion plan. His letter below is a direct reply to the article of the sales are fixed by the firm. If the salesman
of March 17 by Elmon Armstrong, who is presenting an- thinks it is necessary to pay someone else to help him
other side of the remuneration question. In a note to
the editor, accompanying his letter, the anonymous cor- get the business, he knows in the beginning that it
respondent again gives the reasons for asking his name comes out of his compensation and there is, or should
withheld in printing his letters anJ adds his belief that
Mr. Armstrong would admit the obvious justice of his be, no argument about it. The general principle is
anonymous attitude.)
certainly sound.
It is not a fact that the ''commission basis" is be-
A fair commission plan, like or similar to our ten-
ing relinquished by piano dealers. On the contrary, eight plan, is the best way to keep dealers and sales-
the use of some form of the commission plan is being men pleasantly and profitably employed in the indus-
used much more than heretofore. Many of the ex- try. If such a plan was in general use, more instru-
perienced salesmen are finding- it rather difficult to ments would be sold, hence greater incomes earned
land the dear old warm jobs in winter and cool ones by salesmen, dealers and manufacturers.
in summer (floor). The dealer whose sales organi-
Dealer Also Labors.
zation is getting the business is out for 'em morn-
ing, noon and night on a commission plan in some
"The laborer is worthy of his hire." But keep the
form (let's hope as fair as the ten-eight plan under fact in mind that dealers and manufacturers are also
discussion).
laborers along with the salesmen. The dealer and
We helped the Allies win the great World War manufacturer labor with head, time, capital, and take
when we quit "watchful waiting" and the single track a hell of a risk each and every day. The salesman
mind thinking. We will sell more musical instru- labors only with head and time; no capital investment
and being paid a drawing account, has little or no
ments likewise.
risk. There is far more incentive, desire, urge and
I have not the least intention nor desire to provoke necessity for thought and work under a fair commis-
an argument that would cause ill feeling. What I sion plan, than under a straight salary or a salary and
have written is my "'slant" on the retail musical in- small bonus. Where the commission plan, like the
strument industry as a dealer and a former all-around ten-eight plan, gives the salesman a fair fifty-fifty
musical instrument salesman after approximately two break with the dealers, there can be no just cause for
generations of experience. My one object in writing complaint. The salvation of the musical instrument
these articles is a sincere desire to be of benefit to industry lays in a large force of neatly dressed, mor-
piano dealers and salesmen.
ally and physically clean, intelligent men, who possess
and continually use initiative, ingenuity, imagination
Reasons for Animosity.
and who will w-o-r-k f-a-i-t-h-f-u-1-l-y at least six
I would prefer to come out in the open, but can- hours daily and three hours three nights weekly—a
not, because there is one percentage in the retail 45-hour week—that should "yield" $2 to $5 an hour.
musical industry that is far too low, viz., the per-
Unless the gentleman can shoot the ten-eight plan
centage of sportsmanship, tolerance, yes, and honor,
insofar as there be taken an unfair advantage of the full of holes and prove that it is unfair to the sales-
one who writes as I have written. Articles have man, I have no desire to continue writing on the sub-
been clipped from trade papers by dealers and sales- ject. If my position is untenable—if I am asking the
salesmen to work on an unfair plan, I would be the
men and used against the writer in a grossly unfair
first one to know it, because the heart and arteries of
manner.
So far, my esteemed opponent has not met the the piano business is the sales organization, and the
credit and collection departments.
issue squarely. He has not disproved a single state-
ment I have so far made. His keynote seems to be
a high wail, "The Starvation Commission Contract."
E. J. Jordan, general representative in the Strauss
This inclines me to the suspicion that he or some one
Building, Chicago, for the American Piano Company,
he knows were stung on an unfair commission con- is in Los Angeles this week.
REMUNERATION FOR
PIANO SALESMEN
GORDON LAUGHEAD ENDS
LONG ROAD SALES TRIP
Sales Manager of Wurlitzer Grand Piano Co.,
De Kalb, 111., Reports Splendid Im-
provement in Business.
Gordon Laughead, sales manager of the Wurlitzer
Grand Piano Company, De Kalb, 111., returned this
week from an extensive trip through the Southeast.
He reported two interesting facts, first the splendid
improvement in business conditions and secondly the
solid popularity of the Wurlitzer name with the
southern trade.
Beginning a motor trip at Pensacola, Florida, with
W. B. Word, Wurlitzer Southern representative, and
continuing to Jacksonville, Sanford, Tampa and
Miami many fine orders were taken.
Both Mr. Word and Mr. Laughead inspected the
new store of the M. L. Price Company. When the
building is opened it will undoubtedly house the larg-
est store exclusively devoted to music in the South.
M. L. Price started as a Wurlitzer dealer nine years
ago when the present company was organized. He
still considers it one of his most valuable agencies.
On the return journey by rail, Mr. Laughead
stopped a day with William Carder, president of the
Carder Piano Company, Atlanta, Ga., a Wurlitzer
dealer. T. C. Lanier, the hustling Carder sales man-
ager, honored Mr. Laughead by selling a Wurlitzer
Treasure Chest of Music Grand. The Atlanta stop
was especially enjoyable as both Air. Laughead and
Mr. Carder were associated together with the Hallet
& Davis Piano Company almost sixteen years ago.
The final stop of the return journey was with the
Wilking Music Company, Indianapolis, Ind. Presi-
dent Frank Wilking delivered two Wurlitzer Grands
in appreciation of Mr. Laughcad's visit.
W. D. BELL'S NEW POSITION.
Wilkam D. Bell has been made head of the ac-
counting and finance department of the Capehart
Automatic Phonograph company of Huntington, Tud.
He has been with the Schaff Bros. Piano Company
of Huntington for the last twenty-five years and pre-
viously to that was in the employ of the Erie railroad.
With the piano company he began as bookkeeper, be-
came accountant and then assistant treasurer. In
recent years he has been general auditor of the com-
pany.
HOLDS SPRING OPENING.
Struckeuberg & Borchers department store, Wur-
litzer dealers at Freeport, Til., recently held its annual
spring opening. Beautiful music was furnished by
Mrs. James B. Westlake, violinist, and Chas. E.
Howe, pianist of the Wurlitzer factories. The Wur-
litzer Treasure Chest of Music was also used to
accompany Mrs. Westlake.
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