THE SALESMAN'S CORNER
The biggest and best Retail Piano Salesmen's Clinic ever or-
ganized will take place January 15 at the Hotel New Yorker in
New York City under the sponsorship of the National Piano
Manufacturers Association, it was announced by Lawrence H.
Selz, publicity counsel for the Association, who is in charge of
the program.
The session, which will run from 9:45 A.M. until 9 P.M., will
include a dinner meeting in the evening.
First speaker on the program, following opening announce-
ments by Mr. Selz and C. Albert Jacob, Jr., president of the Asso-
ciation, will be Burdett Green of the American Walnut Associa-
tion, who will speak on styling of pianos and how the piano sales-
man can bring style to play to help make his sales easier.
Following him will come a commentator from the industry,
who will explain exactly how the message can be applied to daily
efforts in selling pianos.
Second on the program will be Ralph Hitz, head of the Na-
tional Hotel Management Company, which operates the New
Yorker and eight other large hotels. Mr. Hitz is one of the
fabulous characters of American business. Starting at the very
bottom of the ladder as an immigrant boy, he became the best
known and greatest hotel keeper in America in a short span of
years. His knowledge of the customer and what he wants should
make an interesting talk.
W. S. Bond of the Weaver Piano Company, York, Pa., will
point out, following Mr. Hitz's speech, the lessons in it for piano
salesmen.
The audience, in which it is expected there will be every pro-
gressive dealer and piano salesman from the eastern section of
the country, will next hear Norman Dine. Mr. Dine, as head of
The Sleep Shop, a division of Lewis and Conger's store in New
York City, has done one of the outstanding jobs in the nation in
selling sleep, rather than just mattresses, springs, and pillows, to
the public. His efforts have brought him a large volume of busi-
ness in the upper price lines against competition that was selling-
low prices widely. The commentator who will explain how Mr.
Dine's message can be extended to the piano business will be
announced later.
Last speaker in the morning will be Russell Pierce, vice-presi-
dent of J. Walter Thompson, internationally known advertising
agency. Mr. Pierce, who has had wide experience in merchandis-
ing and advertising in both the LTnited States and in South
America, will speak on "Merchandising—1940 Model."
Melville Clark of the Clark Music Company, Syracuse, N. Y.,
will bring the points Mr. Pierce makes home in their direct appli-
cation to piano sales.
In the afternoon session, there will be two large group dis-
cussions, headed by dealers.
Karl Rice of Strawbridge and Clothier, Philadelphia, will act
as chairman of this round table and assisting him will be Ray
Fagan, manager of Sibley. Lindsay & Curr Co., Rochester. N. Y.;
Ralph Hits
Sidney G. Wolfe, manager of the Griffith Piano Co., Plainfleld,
N. J.; Ernest Fink, manager of the piano department at Hecht's
in Baltimore; S. H. Galperin of the Galperin Music Co., Charles-
ton, W. Va., and John Gettell, manager of the Mathushek retail
store in New York City. The points they will take up are: How
much and what should the salesman play in demonstrating a
piano? Should he leave the customer alone at any time even to
give him a chance to play the piano unobserved? What type and
price line should he show first when the customer refuses to indi-
cate a preference? What should he show when the customer
opens the discussion by saying, "I want to see a cheap piano?"
What are the best arguments to close a sale? What are the best
arguments to answer the statement, "Due to unsettled conditions
in the nation, T think I'd better wait a while"?
In the evening at 6:30 the entire group will sit down to dinner.
Immediately following the meal, they will hear the two headliners
of the meeting—Miss Helen Koues, director, Good Housekeeping
Studio, one of the best known authorities on women and their
purchasing habits in the nation. Miss Koues, who is revered by
ever} one in the journalistic world as one of the leaders of thought
on purchasing by women, is well known throughout America.
The second headliner will be W. Howard Beasley of the Whittle
Music Company, Dallas. Mr. Beasley, who is president of the
National Association of Music Merchants, will speak on "The
One Price Music Store." He is coming from Dallas expressly
for this talk.
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