Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1929 2215

MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 1929.
E. B. BARTLETT TALKS
ON SALES CONDITIONS
In an Enlightening Analysis of Conditions, Vice = President of W. W.
Kimball & Co., Chicago, Classifies the Dealers and Salesmen
and Comments on Selling Methods
E. R. Bartlett, vice-president of the W. W. Kim-
ball Co , Chicago, entertains no illusions about music
trade conditions and it is clear from his words that
he carries no disappointments as to the business of
his own house or other houses of the progressive
kind who have adapted to modern exactions the tried
and proven methods of good business. There is no
who spontaneously strive for business with love for
their work and pride in their achievements; salesmen
who accomplish sales when driven and salesmen who
merely go through the motions, of course without
results.
"But the 20 per cent proportion of music houses
that perform the biggest part of the music goods
$2 The Yeai
That kind accidentally find prospects. It is a hap-
pening the opposite of the circumstances of the live
wires who discover their prospects as the result of
persistent, well-planned search.
"And the other three-fifths?
In that proportion
you have the kind who would spell defeat for music
goods interests if their negative influences were not
nullified by the energies of the active and success-
ful body. Dealers in that important three-fifths in-
clude the business fatalists who believe "what is to
be will be" and who see no way to ameliorate the
occasional periods of dull business from one cause
or another. The dealers and salesmen composing
that three-fifths lack the initiative trait that creates
new ways to sales; that disregards the precedents
of a day when Opportunity knocked loudly at the
door and customers came to the store prompted by
the spontaneous urge to buy pianos and other musical
commodities."
The Bright View.
"But the pleasant side of that condition is that num-
bers of the dealers and salesmen composing the three-
fifths proportion could be included in the first and
second categories with the help of a little proper
direction and training. The tragedy in the music
or any other business is when the go-as-you-please,
haphazard methods become chronic. There is busi-
ness today for the music merchant, but he must go
after it and keep going after it."
Mr. Bartlett cites a case of a dealer not three
hundred miles from Chicago who was attacked with
the "lay-down fever" and soon his business slipped
away from him and he lost the initiative and the
ability to create new business. The agency in that
city was changed and Mr. Bartlett tried out his ideas
with the result that the agency was given to a man
who had developed into the 20 per cent class. Sales
began coming in and within the last sixty days an
excellent trade has come from that establishment.
More orders than had been received in that locality
for twelve months prior to the change.
CONVINCING PROOF
THAT BUSINESS EXISTS
How a Retail Salesman for the Baldwin Piano
Company's Cincinnati Store Built Up
Sales Is Inspiring.
The Cincinnati correspondent of Presto-Times
sends the following item:
As an example of what can be accomplished by a
piano sales ran who will organize his time properly
and build up contracts that will bring piano prospects,
the following gives the totals in the personal busi-
ness of one of the salesmen in the Baldwin Piano
Company Cincinnati retail store:
1924
$38,991
1927
58,729
1925
$49,214
1928
77,205
1926
57,844
This is strictly personal business and does not
include any sales initiated by "crew" men. It shows
the opportunities for piano selling are better than
ever for the man who will organize his time prop-
erly and work along the right lines.
J. C. HENDERSON IN SOUTHEAST
E. B. BARTL.KTT.
such thing as success without progress in the music
business today.
"New conditions in the music business continually
are effecting change, and it is the alert, observant
dealer, and salesman who keeps walking in the zone
of activities," said Mr. Bartlett this week. "The
inactive, slothful, unimaginative ones get what they
deserve; the alert, keenly observing men who see
victory in defeat and opportunity in changed con-
ditions, get the rewards.
The Classification.
"Music houses today may be divided into percent-
ages of fifths, and the first 20 per cent portion car-
ries the big load of the trade. Piano salesmen may
be classified in the same way. There are salesmen
selling job, of course make the big money. It is
only a just result. What music business is achieved
in the face of persistent and powerful competition
by other trades may be credited to that invulnerable
20 per cent of music dealers in the arena of busi-
ness today.
All Right—But.
"The next fifth or 20 per cent of the whole are
deserving folk who honestly strive for sales results.
But they lack the punch of new systems demanded
by new conditions; the pep born of enthusiasm and
the joy of striving. The half-hearted way in busi-
ness is the sign of the happy-go-lucky individual who
usually waits for Opportunity to call instead of jog-
ging over the highways and byways to locate it.
J. C. Henderson, piano department manager for
the eastern territory of Wurlitzer's, 132 West 42nd
street. New York, is making a southeastern trip this
week in the interest of that breat manufacturing
concern. He is making calls in Washington, D. C,
and in some of the important cities of Virginia. In
the meantime Miss Solomon, his secretary, is taking
care of his office on the mezzanine floor. Mr. Hen-
derson will be back at his desk on Monday and Tues-
day of next week, after which he will probably leave
for another trip.
WILL A. WATKIN CO. EXPANDS.
The Will A. Watkin Company, Dallas, Tex., has
increased its radio display space and has added to
its facilities for service. Twelve salesmen are now
engaged in the radio department and two floors and
a mezzanine floor have special rooms in which radio
demonstrations may be given. The sales department
is prepared to handle the needs of the public, and the
service department is equipped to handle the require-
ments quickly and rapidly.
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/
January 12, 1929
PRESTO-TIMES
Announcing a New Grand
Heppdwhite
The New Packard Grand —
Heppelwhite Model, Style R
4 it. 7 in. long. Mahogany-
jbCUWS
Bench, to match.
..Xacked by aTiealSalesVIanj
1929 is the year of opportunity for Packard dealers. The Packard organization, old
in reputation but youthful in spirit, has kept in contact with dealers' problems in a
way that is enabling Packard to produce new designs in Packard instruments that
will sell most readily and to supply the selling assistance dealers need.
1 he Heppelwhite Grand shown at the rife,ht is the newest Packard value—a splendid
instrument in an exquisite case at a surprisingly low price. It's true Packard quality
in every line with the rich full rounded tone Packard Grands are noted for. Get the
Packard plan behind you—get Packard values on your floors. Write us now!
THE PACKARD PIANO COMPANY
3335 Packard Avenue
Fort Wayne, Indiana
sorbing pictures of floating palaces, descriptions of
then, look at it so, and realize that if the automobile
historic scenes in faraway lands and with special rates dealer, the ticket agent for the steamship company,
may be set down as another active and successful the radio dealer, and even the bootlegger, are com-
competitor of the piano man.
petitors, so are the piano dealers competitors of all
the others. And the piano dealer will usually have all
No, No, This Can't Be True!
It may seem ; t reflection on the dignity of the the best of it, for his line represents every advantage
piano to say that another competitor of the piano and mine of the distractions or even sometimes de-
They Are Plenty Today and All About Him, dealer is the bootlegger, but one veteran salesman leterious elements of the others.
in Chicago attributes the falling off in the number
but the People Who Want Pianos Can-
(if his piano customers for the past few years to the
not Be Turned Aside by Any
misdirection of much good money for questionable
AMPICO IN FLOAT.
drinks.
Distractions.
There was a rodeo held in Baxter Springs, Kans.,
But don't let it worry you too much, for it is also receiuly, in which J. W. Grantham Music Shop, local
The piano prospects always exist, but the dealer reported that some of the most elaborate pianos have representative of the American Piano Company, par-
and his salesmen must be persistent in their discovery. recently been bought by "bootleggers," and if the ticipated. Mr. Grantham prepared a very elaborate
Conditions have changed considerably in the piano new millionaires are to come from that class new and ingenious float, representing a Knabe Ampico,
business within recent years, and a most remarkable possibilities again loom. But that is, of : course, not which was the feature of the entire parade. Mr.
phase of the change is that involving competition said quite seriously. It will always rema n that the Grantham reports that as a result there are many
in a broader sense than formerly. There is a thrill piano man's competition is "plenty," but it will also more people in Baxter Springs and vicinity who have
in the memories of the old days of piano trade always be that selling pianos is a man's business. It an idea of what the Ampico is and some of these are
belligerency when friendships among dealers waned will continue to be a good business for good busi- such live prospects that he hopes to close a few sales
and personalities took the place of piano argument. ness men, and good salesmen will never lack for good within the near future. Mr. Grantham is one of the
The piano dealer's competitors are more numerous results.
most successful representatives of the American
than ever, but they are outside of the trade. Today
If competition is the life of trade, then there is Piano Company's line and has a long record of fine
there is a greater range exerted by the word compe- little cause for complaint along that line. Why not. piano sales to his credit.
tition. It is the result of the vastly wider readies
of music and the means of its expression.
Every man who sells anything that conduces to
the comforts or luxuries of life is now a competitor
of the piano dealer. Most in evidence just now is
the automobile dealer and whether he sells a cheap
car or an expensive one, he irritates the piano man
to a very considerable extent. A lot of piano money
goes into automobiles, but there are other agencies to
exasperate piano men. One dealer, in a small mid-
west city, states that for the past two years the
furrier has intercepted much of t'.ie money that under
more fortunate circumstances should come into his
own cash drawer. The price of a fine fur coat equals
that of a fine grand piano, and the installment plan
of purchase, which is such a boon to the piano cus-
tomer, is equally avaMable to the customer of the
furriers.
New Living Conditions.
Tn former days when the living habits of people
were simpler the fine piano of the average family
was a matter of great pride. But with the average
family today the thought of the piano is secondary
to the desire to live in a showy apartment w r here
very often there is no room for the piano, or where
it is excluded because it does not harmonize with
the furnishing or decorative scheme. So the piano
dealer counts the house renting agent among his
competitors.
The credit and sales department in a Ciicago
reta'l music house, which depends considerably on
the activities of outside sale men, consider people
who are paying for a home a more desirable credit
class than the people who rent apartments. But
of course in both cases circumstances affect the view.
In the apartments are many fine p'ano customers,
and sure payers, and all the ambitious home buyers
are not prompt to fulfill their easy installment obli-
gations.
The Travel Bug
The Christmas window in the Wilking Music Co.'s store. 120 East Ohio street, Indianapolis, was as deco-
Today a great d : strac'.ion which takes millions of
rative as it was constructive of the piano buying thought. The central objects were the items making up a
dollars away from the music trade is the European Jesse French & Sons Piano Co.'s ensemble, consisting of a Jesse French & Son grand piano, bench, lamp,
trip. So the steamship agent who allures with ab- chair and music cabinet.
PIANO DEALER AND
HIS COMPETITORS
JESSE FRENCH IN SHOW WINDOW
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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