10
PRESTO-TIMES
November, 1931
SILVER=MARSHALL PROMOTION PLAN MEANS REAL
DOLLARS TO DEALERS
Selling to Retailer Direct Eliminates Much Expense, Which Reacts in Favor of Him—Sales of Company
Jump Way Ahead
THE MUSIC DEALER AND RADIO
SALES
By McMurdo Silver
Results based on nationwide sales show that
radii) merchandise at the right price and backed
by a .scientific sales plan will sell in greater
\olume now than during the peak year of 1929.
O.ir relations with music dealers indicate that
your lrggest obstacle to radio profits is your
unwillingness to discard old and conservative
traditional methods of doing business and to
adapt yourselves to present conditions.
McMURDO SILVER
President Silver-Marshall, Inc.
The music dealer has every advantage and a
reputation for service, but in order to make
money must modernize his sales tactics. Make
the depression your biggest asset by offering
the public \ allies which they cannot afford to
ignore. lie sure that your merchandise is built
of r;:vv materials purchased now and not last
Irre, and you will have retail prices which
will guarantee volume sales.
The m.isic dealer must take his rightful place
in the front rr.nk of the radio industry. Hun-
dreds of others are doing it and you can also.
The pol'cy c.f Silver-Marshall. Inc., of Chicago, that
of seliing direct to tic dealer, coupled with an unusual
merchandising plan, including expert advertising copy
service, has started what might be considered a new
era in the radio field and one that is bound to con-
virce the progressive dealer that it is his real way to
m:ike faster money.
Decision upon this policy was arrived at after a
careful s.irvey of the old methods of merchandising,
not only of the company in question but of others,
and the piano industry was scrutinized carefully as
to its methods of selling to the public, as well as
the relationship of the various factors involved from
factory to consumer. It might be pointed out right
here that there are few large industrial enterprises
in the country that are operated, from president all
tie way down the line, by young blood, like Silver-
Marshall, Inc.
Perhaps it was impatience at the frequent delays by
the old methods, but more likely it was the result
of progressive ideas emanating in the fertile brains
of this group of young men. At any rate they were
not satisfied with the old way of merchandising radio
and felt sure they could figure out a way for the
dealer to make more money, so they got busy.
Once they had decided, it was a day-and-night
proposition, and copy-writers, layout experts, artists,
type-setters and electrotypcrs were pressed into serv-
ice, with the result that when the Silver-Marshall
policy was ready for execution everything was set.
Everyone was on tip-toe and the enthusiasm became
contagious, the dealers falling right into the spirit
of the thing, and when the "button was pushed"
every wheel got into motion and things began to
happen.
Incidentally the Silver-Marshall factory is going
full blast—in fact, often working overtime, and many
Silver-Marshall dealers are experiencing a boom in
their radio trade that they never enjoyed before, mak-
ing real nioncv, for the reason that all charge-backs
on advertising, carrying charges and the other neces-
sary costs under the old system when merchandise
is handled through a third party have been eliminated
and the business is done direct between the Silver-
Marshall offices and the dealers themselves. It is a
time-saver, too, when something comes up suddenly
that otherwise would have to be handled in a round-
about manner.
Another thing, the policy of highly restricted terri-
tories means that the dealer is protected in every
way, has the valuable promotion service of the Silver-
Marshall advertising and- sales departments and, on
top of it all, has an article which possesses the un-
questioned prestige which Silver-Marshall sets enjoy.
The wonderful promotional plans of the company
have been formulated and based upon the experience
gained in seven hundred successful Silver-Marshall
promotions. Every detail has been worked out, and
when a retailer becomes a Silver-Marshall dealer he
is furnished with a complete outfit so that he can put
his story over to the public in interest-compelling
fashion.
Convinced that t'.ie piano dealer is the logical one
to handle radio (for was he not the original one?)
the Silver-Marshall company last summer laid plans
to have these firms handle their sets, and the busy
factory is the substantial, answer, a reaction of big
sales and substantial profits for the dealers. Just
within the last few months, or since early in Sep-
tember, the company has built up a list of responsible
piano dealers throughout t'^e country who handle
their sets that would make an abridged directory, and
Silver-Marshall sets have been selling by the thou-
sands in some territories where the company pre-
viously operated on a more conservative basis until
this new plan was inaugurated.
Many of our readers are among those, we leel con-
fident, who had radio sets in their display ro: ins and
regarded them as side issues, for they did not move
fast, excepting spasmodically when special sales
would be put on with the help of the manufacturers,
then things would quiet down again. You see they
bought through the distributor, or jobber, and he
had to make his profit which, of course, must le
added to the possible selling cost if the jobber had
not been a participant.
The Silver-Marshall policy cut out this millstone
around the dealer's neck. It was a revelation be-
cause of being decidedly away from the ohl accepted
custom. So set were many dealers on the idea that
dropping the prices so materially under the S:l" er-
Marshall policy might have a derogatory effect upon
the public that they hesitated. However, when those
who did fall into line readily got their sets, dem-
onstrated them and found the reaction in the public's
mind that settled it. Now in many territories there are
dealers awaiting the opportunity to hook up with the
Silver-Marshall plan. They had been used to high
retail prices but now "sec the light."
The picture is very different now. Among the
Silver-Marshall sets arc some, for instance, which
retail at $59.95 by their merchandising plan which
otherwise would have to be listed by the dealer at
$129.95 in order to make his right profit and main-
tain quality. Therefore it will be readily seen that
the Silver-Marshall dealers can make faster sales at
the same individual profits, and naturally with such
assurances that have been borne out the company has
obtained the pick of the country's dealers for the
most part and is adding to the list right along.
J. W. Jenkins Sons Music Co. of Kansas City. Mo.,
and with a number of branches at other points, are
outstanding Silver-Marshall dealers. They have a
record of having sold 850 sets in ten days. This
firm's first newspaper advertisement appeared simul-
taneously in the papers where their different stores
are located on September 29, and their first order
was for 250 sets. Two clays later they ordered 3C0
more, then two days afterward 300 additional sets.
To handle this sale in Independence, Kan., they re-
opened their branch in that place.
In addition to the Jenk us company, other promi-
nent piano houses on the Silver-Marshall list include
Lyon & Healy of Chicago; Peoples Outfitting Co.
of Detroit; Foster & Waldo of Minneapolis; Dwyer
(Continued on page 17)
At the left: Model A-21, S-tubc supcrhct, 42" high, retail price $59.95. In the center: Model 11-22, 9-tube super-
Iict, 44" high; retail price $69.95. At the right: Model J-23, 10-tube supcrhct, 44" high, retail price $79.95.
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