Music Trade Review
Issue: 1907 Vol. 44 N. 11 - Page 4
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
on the part of salesmen to gain information which will be of solid
value to them in making sales?
EDWARD LYMAN BILL, - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Staff:
Gno. B. KBLIJDB.
W. N. TXLBB.
F. H. THOMPSON.
EM:IL,I» FBANCH BACKS.
L. B. BOWBRS. B. BBITTAIN WILSON, WM. B. WHITI. L. J. CHAMBHKLIK. A. J. NICXLIN.
CHICAGO OFFICE:
BOSTON OFFICE:
B. P. TAN HARLINQUN, 195-107 Wabasb Are.
B)»»NBST L. WAITT, 278A Tremont St. TELEPHONES
: Central 414 ; Automatic 864S
PHILADELPHIA :
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS:
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
A. W. SHAW.
CHAS. N. VAN BUBBN.
SAN FRANCISCO: S. H. GBAY, 2407 Sacramento St.
CINCINNATI. O.: NINA POOH-SMITH.
BALTIMORE, MD.: PAUH T. LOCKWOOD.
LONDON, ENGLAND:
69 Basinghall St., E. C. W. Lionel Sturdy, Manager.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION.(Including postage), United States, Mexico, and Canada, $2.00 per
year; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS. $2.00 per Inch, single column, per Insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages, $60.00;. opposite
reading matter, 576.00.
REMITTANCES, In other than currency form, should be made payable to Bdward
\.jman Bill.
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corporation*
Directory ol Plamo
found on another page will be of great ralue, as a reference
Manufacturer a
for dealers and others.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Wand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900
Silver Medal.Charleston Exposition, 1802
Diploma.Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Gold Medal..St. Louis Exposition, 1904
'
Gold 3fe
Cable a d d r e s s : "Elbill N e w York/*
NEW
YORK, MARCH 16, 1907
EDITORIAL
T
HE constantly increasing demand for the small grand piano
under various names has been one of the features of the
pianoforte industry during recent years. Time was when the
small grand did not cut much of a figure in the piano output, but
that period has long gone by, for with the growing wealth of the
country, there has come an augmented demand for the higher
priced products of the piano factories. The grand piano to-day is
most popular, and some of the piano manufacturers put forth more
instruments of the grand creation last year than of upright pianos.
This is true of the output of the great house of Chickering; the
demand for Chickering grands exceeded that of uprights. Such
an insistent call for instruments of this special form has necessi-
tated the creation of an enormous grand department in the Chick-
ering factory.
All along the trade line there has been a steady increase in the
demand for grand pianos. This has been particularly emphasized
in the call for instruments of the smaller size which have been ex-
ploited under special names adopted by the different makers, but
all belonging to the small grand family. There are still some
manufacturers who. are planning this year to add small grands to
their line. It is safe to do this because the demand for small
grands is not going to decrease. On the contrary, there is every
good reason to believe that it will continue to expand.
E
VERY manufacturer and every dealer is concerned in increas-
ing the selling strength of his establishment. The ability to
market a product consists of a broad and deep knowledge of the
principles of salesmanship and an intimate acquaintance with the
product which a man offers for sale.
How many men are there in the retail department of the piano
business who have gained an accurate knowledge of the king of
musical instruments—the piano? They talk it every day, and yet
many of them know it only in the most superficial manner. They
have not acquainted themselves with its intricate .mechanism. They
cannot tell when cornered by some query from a customer why one
piano is better than another. Now, should it not be a good point
'"T" l HERE are too many men in the piano business who are ac-
J_ customed to talk price and not quality. It is so in many
lines of business, but in this particular line the more quality is
emphasized the better it will be for the success of the business.
Of course, a certain percentage of sales must be lost in any
line of trade through the fact that the salesman is not at liberty to
reduce the price which the house has placed upon a product which
he is expected to sell.
All these sales a house can better afford to lose than compro-
mise on the matter of an equitable price, but one thing is certain—
the more rigidly prices are held in every piano establishment, the
more respect for that particular store will be created in the minds
of the public.
T
O illustrate: It was only recently, when we were in a large
Western establishment, and a lady called and was shown a
B
piano which she liked. The proprietor named the price,
which was $450. The lady had evidently been used to the old sys-
tem of elastic prices and demurred somewhat. Finally she walked
out of the store, after offering the salesman within $40 of the price
asked for the particular instrument. He would not show the slight-
est weakness, and stated to her* that if his piano was only worth
the amount which she offered, that is all he would have asked for
it in the beginning. She did not come back immediately, but the
piano man has since written us that nearly a week after the time
of her first call, she returned and paid the full price for the instru-
ment, and declared at the time of her purchase that she had more
confidence in his establishment than in any piano store in town,
because she found the others had an elastic system of prices which
frightened her, and in the end she did not know whether or not she
was getting a good value. She, therefore, returned to the dealer
who had confidence in his own prices, and maintained a sufficient
strength in his position not to yield to the temptation to cut his
prices even to make a sale.
T
HE wholesale piano salesmen are not having any easy time
nowadays, that is certain, particularly the ones who have
been selling on extremely low margins of profit.
They have had to advance their prices, naturally, and many of
their customers have demurred at paying this advance. It is but
reasonable for men to fight to defend their own interests, and the
position of dealers is not different from that of other business men
when an increase is asked for a manufactured product which they
propose purchasing. A certain percentage of sales must be lost
in any line through the fact that the salesman is not at liberty to
reduce the price which the house has given, but when an order is
lost in this way, it is but logical for the salesmen to wish that the
price had not been so high, and this wish begets the idea that the
price demanded by the company is not justifiable.
There are some salesmen in all lines who, not having' the ability
to get trade in spite of a high price, are more apt to consider the
house exorbitant than to consider themselves unequal to the work
entrusted to them, which is that of not only selling goods, but up-
holding the price while doing so. A man to succeed in any line
must have confidence in the product he offers for sale; he must have
confidence in the prices which are placed on pianos; he must know
that those prices are right and then he will fight to maintain them.
I
T should be necessary to-day to talk quality rather than price,
and instead of thinking the price objection is a difficulty, a
salesman would do better to welcome such an objection from his
customer simply because it offers him an opportunity, first, to prove
to the customer the special merit and desirability of the goods;
second, to prove to himself and to his house his own special capa-
bility as a salesman.
By gaining the first point, that is, by proving to the customer
that the price is right, he paves the way to a future campaign when
he shall offer still greater values at still higher prices, because there
are many who believe we have not reached the high-water mark of
values, either in the field of piano manufacture or any other; for if
lumber is still climbing up, and labor continues to advance, how
shall we maintain the present standard of prices if everything
up in value?
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
on the part of salesmen to gain information which will be of solid
value to them in making sales?
EDWARD LYMAN BILL, - Editor and Proprietor
J. B. SPILLANE, Managing Editor
Executive and Reportorlal Staff:
Gno. B. KBLIJDB.
W. N. TXLBB.
F. H. THOMPSON.
EM:IL,I» FBANCH BACKS.
L. B. BOWBRS. B. BBITTAIN WILSON, WM. B. WHITI. L. J. CHAMBHKLIK. A. J. NICXLIN.
CHICAGO OFFICE:
BOSTON OFFICE:
B. P. TAN HARLINQUN, 195-107 Wabasb Are.
B)»»NBST L. WAITT, 278A Tremont St. TELEPHONES
: Central 414 ; Automatic 864S
PHILADELPHIA :
MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL:
ST. LOUIS:
R. W. KAUFFMAN.
A. W. SHAW.
CHAS. N. VAN BUBBN.
SAN FRANCISCO: S. H. GBAY, 2407 Sacramento St.
CINCINNATI. O.: NINA POOH-SMITH.
BALTIMORE, MD.: PAUH T. LOCKWOOD.
LONDON, ENGLAND:
69 Basinghall St., E. C. W. Lionel Sturdy, Manager.
Published Every Saturday at 1 Madison Avenue, New York.
Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Matter.
SUBSCRIPTION.(Including postage), United States, Mexico, and Canada, $2.00 per
year; all other countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS. $2.00 per Inch, single column, per Insertion. On quarterly or
yearly contracts a special discount is allowed. Advertising Pages, $60.00;. opposite
reading matter, 576.00.
REMITTANCES, In other than currency form, should be made payable to Bdward
\.jman Bill.
The directory of piano manufacturing firms and corporation*
Directory ol Plamo
found on another page will be of great ralue, as a reference
Manufacturer a
for dealers and others.
Exposition Honors Won by The Review
Wand Prix
Paris Exposition, 1900
Silver Medal.Charleston Exposition, 1802
Diploma.Pan-American Exposition, 1901
Gold Medal..St. Louis Exposition, 1904
'
Gold 3fe
Cable a d d r e s s : "Elbill N e w York/*
NEW
YORK, MARCH 16, 1907
EDITORIAL
T
HE constantly increasing demand for the small grand piano
under various names has been one of the features of the
pianoforte industry during recent years. Time was when the
small grand did not cut much of a figure in the piano output, but
that period has long gone by, for with the growing wealth of the
country, there has come an augmented demand for the higher
priced products of the piano factories. The grand piano to-day is
most popular, and some of the piano manufacturers put forth more
instruments of the grand creation last year than of upright pianos.
This is true of the output of the great house of Chickering; the
demand for Chickering grands exceeded that of uprights. Such
an insistent call for instruments of this special form has necessi-
tated the creation of an enormous grand department in the Chick-
ering factory.
All along the trade line there has been a steady increase in the
demand for grand pianos. This has been particularly emphasized
in the call for instruments of the smaller size which have been ex-
ploited under special names adopted by the different makers, but
all belonging to the small grand family. There are still some
manufacturers who. are planning this year to add small grands to
their line. It is safe to do this because the demand for small
grands is not going to decrease. On the contrary, there is every
good reason to believe that it will continue to expand.
E
VERY manufacturer and every dealer is concerned in increas-
ing the selling strength of his establishment. The ability to
market a product consists of a broad and deep knowledge of the
principles of salesmanship and an intimate acquaintance with the
product which a man offers for sale.
How many men are there in the retail department of the piano
business who have gained an accurate knowledge of the king of
musical instruments—the piano? They talk it every day, and yet
many of them know it only in the most superficial manner. They
have not acquainted themselves with its intricate .mechanism. They
cannot tell when cornered by some query from a customer why one
piano is better than another. Now, should it not be a good point
'"T" l HERE are too many men in the piano business who are ac-
J_ customed to talk price and not quality. It is so in many
lines of business, but in this particular line the more quality is
emphasized the better it will be for the success of the business.
Of course, a certain percentage of sales must be lost in any
line of trade through the fact that the salesman is not at liberty to
reduce the price which the house has placed upon a product which
he is expected to sell.
All these sales a house can better afford to lose than compro-
mise on the matter of an equitable price, but one thing is certain—
the more rigidly prices are held in every piano establishment, the
more respect for that particular store will be created in the minds
of the public.
T
O illustrate: It was only recently, when we were in a large
Western establishment, and a lady called and was shown a
B
piano which she liked. The proprietor named the price,
which was $450. The lady had evidently been used to the old sys-
tem of elastic prices and demurred somewhat. Finally she walked
out of the store, after offering the salesman within $40 of the price
asked for the particular instrument. He would not show the slight-
est weakness, and stated to her* that if his piano was only worth
the amount which she offered, that is all he would have asked for
it in the beginning. She did not come back immediately, but the
piano man has since written us that nearly a week after the time
of her first call, she returned and paid the full price for the instru-
ment, and declared at the time of her purchase that she had more
confidence in his establishment than in any piano store in town,
because she found the others had an elastic system of prices which
frightened her, and in the end she did not know whether or not she
was getting a good value. She, therefore, returned to the dealer
who had confidence in his own prices, and maintained a sufficient
strength in his position not to yield to the temptation to cut his
prices even to make a sale.
T
HE wholesale piano salesmen are not having any easy time
nowadays, that is certain, particularly the ones who have
been selling on extremely low margins of profit.
They have had to advance their prices, naturally, and many of
their customers have demurred at paying this advance. It is but
reasonable for men to fight to defend their own interests, and the
position of dealers is not different from that of other business men
when an increase is asked for a manufactured product which they
propose purchasing. A certain percentage of sales must be lost
in any line through the fact that the salesman is not at liberty to
reduce the price which the house has given, but when an order is
lost in this way, it is but logical for the salesmen to wish that the
price had not been so high, and this wish begets the idea that the
price demanded by the company is not justifiable.
There are some salesmen in all lines who, not having' the ability
to get trade in spite of a high price, are more apt to consider the
house exorbitant than to consider themselves unequal to the work
entrusted to them, which is that of not only selling goods, but up-
holding the price while doing so. A man to succeed in any line
must have confidence in the product he offers for sale; he must have
confidence in the prices which are placed on pianos; he must know
that those prices are right and then he will fight to maintain them.
I
T should be necessary to-day to talk quality rather than price,
and instead of thinking the price objection is a difficulty, a
salesman would do better to welcome such an objection from his
customer simply because it offers him an opportunity, first, to prove
to the customer the special merit and desirability of the goods;
second, to prove to himself and to his house his own special capa-
bility as a salesman.
By gaining the first point, that is, by proving to the customer
that the price is right, he paves the way to a future campaign when
he shall offer still greater values at still higher prices, because there
are many who believe we have not reached the high-water mark of
values, either in the field of piano manufacture or any other; for if
lumber is still climbing up, and labor continues to advance, how
shall we maintain the present standard of prices if everything
up in value?
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).