Interior Decorators Influence Style
Until recently many interior decorators have fought
pianos, especially in homes where a special music room did
not exist. You can cultivate the support of this important
group, as you have already commenced to do, by offering a
little wider choice of styles and finishes. Even with their
knowledge of decoration they are none too familiar with the
complete, authentic style-wood picture that is available to
you through such publications as are mentioned here. The
decorators, an influential element in your selling, can be made
an asset rather than an obstacle by proper presentation of
such information.
with the thought of selling the public better pianos than they,
too frequently, think they want. If every piano salesman
left the room with the thought that he must renew his effort
to train his customer up to a piano that will mean more happi-
ness for the customer as well as a better sale for himself, the
meeting was not in vain.
I hope that by the end of April, every piano dealer and
salesman in the country will have attended at least one clinic.
Only the fact that a salesman has no desire to be better
equipped for his work can stop him from attending the clinics
which are being held from coast to coast.
1940 Full of Promise
You are aware, I am sure, of a fact definitely in your
favor for 1940—in 1940 you will be showing better styled
pianos, suited to the homes of today, of finely figured cabinet-
woods, and properly finished. Actually, this is a pleasing
prospect for you salesmen.
THE llll III
III CLINICS
au/rence
COMING CLINICS
These clinics will follow the general lines of the recent
New York Clinic.
General Chairmen
Mar. 11, Muehleback Hotel, Kan. City, Mo.; John W. Jenkins
Mar. 18, Adolphus Hotel, Dallas, Tex. Wm. Howard Beasley
Mar. 22, Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, Cal.; A. B. Fredhold
Mar. 25, St. Francis Hotel, San Fran., Cal.; D. F. McCormack
Mar. 28, Olympic Hotel, Seattle, Wash.; Don C. Preston
Apr. 8, Raddison Hotel, Minneapolis, Minn.; Harold J. Sneller
Apr. 15, Peabody Hotel, Memphis, Tenn.; Tannen Hollenberg
Apr. 18, Atlanta Biltmore Hotel, Atlanta, Ga.; W. W. Garder
Apr. 22, William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Art. O. Leckner
elz
As this is written,
seven hundred music
men in America have
sat at sales clinics.
Approximately that
many more will at-
tend clinics being
held through the West
and South in the next
Lawrence H. Selz
two months. What
does this mean?
As I said in my opening remarks at the clinic held in
New York on January 15th, all religions have some period
or day on which their members meditate on all their sins of
the past year and consider how to live a better life in the
future. Selling pianos is a religion and I view these sales
clinics as the day on which our members view their sins of
the past and consider hew to remove them in the future.
At the clinic in New York, the 243 persons, a new record,
who filled the hall heard some of the outstanding merchandise
authorities of New York City and also men who are leaders
in the piano industry. As they heard these things, each per-
son in the audience was thinking how he could do a better
job of selling pianos.
During the afternoon, much discussion was concerned
THE JRNUflRY PIRNO SHIPMENTS
PROVE SURVEY CORRECT
On pages eight and nine of this edition is to be found a
survey of the music business. In addition to the letters pub-
lished we received a number of others. The consensus of
opinion was that 1940 would show an increase of at least 15%
in music business. We found in making a close study of other
sources that it was generally anticipated that business would
increase by that percentage. Just while we were in the process
of publishing this edition we received a report from Mr.
Mennie giving us the figures for piano shipments for January
which show that the increase was 15.78% over January 1939.
The number of pianos shipped during the month was 9,862
of which 8,200 were uprights or 83.15%, and 1,622 were grands
or 16.85%. There was an increase of nearly 2 % in uprights
for last month over the same month a year ago.
This is one time when the prophets were correct, and we
hope the profits will be correspondingly correct.
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