Music Trade Review

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THE
MUSIC TRADE
UncLerTHE
T
O create confidence is just as much the function of advertising"
as to sell goods, for the greater the public confidence in the
goods the more business will come to the dealer. Statements made
in advertisements, while not lacking force, should nevertheless be
conservative to the extent of being readily backed up by facts. To
create the impression that you are giving something for nothing
makes the thinking readers wonder whether you are a very poor
business man or a plain liar, and in either case they are not over-
anxious to trust you. It's hammering that makes the impression
in advertising. If the first advertisement does not bring expected
results, keep at it and force the public to read about what you have
to offer. Thousands of successful money-making concerns owe
their success entirely to intelligent and persistent advertising, but
there is yet to be learned of one which won success from a single
advertisement. A single drop of water falling on granite spatters
off and leaves no impression, but steady dropping on the same spot
will soon wear a hole. Talk quality once in a while; price is not
everything. You cannot consistently offer ten dollar gold pieces at
nine dollars, but you can show that they are ten dollar gold pieces
of full weight and .fineness, and impress your readers with the
fact that they represent honest value. Trade that is always looking
for bargains and can only be secured by means of sales will not
form a permanent foundation for any business. Patrons who
appreciate the fact that "the best is the cheapest in the end" are the
ones to tie to, and "quality" advertising is the kind that will win
them. When exploiting the good quality of your own line, don't
dwell upon the poor quality of your competitor's. Some people
may be curious enough to visit him to see how bad his line really
is and may stop to buv.
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•* *6
I
N an address recently delivered by William C. Lovejoy, manager
of the adjustment bureau of the Xew Orleans Credit Men's
Association, before a meeting of the Travelers' Protective Asso-
ciation, he urged that salesmen, in the interest of their concerns and
of the entire business community, do everything in their power to
get advance advice concerning debtors who are getting involved,
and educate them to bring their troubles to their creditors before
moral cowardice sets in, and while there is probably a chance to
rehabilitate their business. He said also that there are always
signs pointing to fraudulent purposes, and the salesman should
know these, so that he can stop him before the crook gets away with
everything in sight, with the cash in the depth of his pockets, where
creditors cannot reach it. Thus, instead of piling up $30,000 or
$40,000 in liabilities, the salesman would hold him down to, say,
$5,000 or $6,000. In this way, said Mr. Lovejoy, there could be
saved to the creditors of Louisiana 25 per cent, of their losses and
something like half a million dollars would be saved annually, the
equivalent of a very handsome profit, which would find its way into
the pockets of business men and salesmen.
1
MIAT dealers appreciate the shipments of pianos in boxes that
can be easily opened so that the boxes may be used again for
local deliveries is evidenced in the following letter sent the Cable
Company, of Chicago, by E. R. Packard, of the Packard Music Co.,
Warren, Ark. After commending this concern on the way they
box their pianos, he says in part: "As little as you may have thought
about this matter, there is a whole lot in the way a piano is boxed
up, to make it easy for the.man at the other end of the line to get
into the instrument without having to literally tear a box up to get
the piano out of it. As you know, we have been handling your fine
line of instruments almost exclusively ever since we have been in
the business, and we decided long ago that you were the only people
who had learned how to box your goods, as occasionally we get a
piano from some other manufacturer and, in almost every case, the
box is nailed hard and fast on both sides, and when we get the piano
out of the box it is never fit to pack another instrument in for ship-
REVIEW
gALL TOWER.
ment, while with yours all that is necessary is to take an ordinary
screwdriver, take out the screws in the front of the box, unscrew
the lag screws at back and piano is then ready to be drawn out of
box, and we want to tell you that this is appreciated by us very
much, as we can take one of your pianos out of the packing case
in just one-third of the time required to take out any piano we
have ever seen boxed up by other concerns. We feel sure that
this must be appreciated just as much by your other dealers as it
is by us."
•?,
*l K
O
UR exports of musical instruments during the past three years
have shown a steady advance. The figures ending with the
fiscal year, June 30, 1911, are interesting and enlightening. The
twelve months' exports of musical instruments ending with that
period amounted to $3,471,401, as against $2,619,772 in 1909. This
shows a substantial gain in exports over two years before. Regard-
ing the details of these shipments, we may say that the exports of
organs were almost the same, the exact figures being 9,135 for
1911, as compared with 9,084 for 1909. The gain was principally
in pianos and player-pianos. During 191 1 we sent abroad 5,617
pianos, valued at $1,307,250, as compared with 3,475 pianos in 1909,
valued at $804,696- 2,876 player-pianos were exported during 1911,
valued at $795,410, as compared with 1,917, valued at $463,153, in
1909.
These figures show substantial gains. While the details
covering the year's exports were published in The Review recently,
we deem it wise to bring these figures to the notice of our readers
again, so as to emphasize the fact that our export trade in musical
instruments is proving a factor of importance in the annual output
of musical instruments in this country. Piano manufacturers are
realizing that, when properly and intelligently followed up, the ex-
port department of their business can be made profitable.
*t « «
W
HILE glancing backward is profitable, too much of it is apt
to dislocate one's mental neck. The woman who presided
over the household of I Vide Lot in the days of Sodom and Gomor-
rah proved that, when she lingered too long in remembrances and
became a pillar of salt. "Westward, ho!" shouted the mariners
who set out to discover a new world. Their faces were set toward
the future. So we, who are of faith, and hope, and good cheer, set
our faces toward the to-morrow. To drop metaphor and get down
to brass tacks. A man in business should be one move ahead of
the game. ()f course, he knows what he is doing to-day, but he
also should know what he is going to do to-morrow ; and the day
after, too, if his eye will carry that distance. When France de-
clared war unexpectedly against Germany the news was flashed
instantly to Yon Moltke, the commander of the German army, that
he might plan his campaign. He turned calmly to his secretary
and said: "Hand me the contents of drawer A." The papers were
opened and there was a plan of the campaign down to the most
minute move. Orders were sent forth instantly, and in an hour the
German army was on the march. Napoleon was overwhelmed and
France for the time put out of the ring. Yon Moltke had been at
his work during years of preparation. A merchant cannot know
what certain supplies will cost him next year. Jiut he can study
conditions and size up present events and guess those of the future,
even as the weather sharps tell us what is coming to-morrow. But,
above all things, he can look for sunshine. He can make to-mor-
row brighter than to-day is by willing it to be brighter. Let him
cultivate his latent hypnotic power. Half the fun of a thing is in
anticipating it. What avails it to mope to-day because it may rain
to-morrow? What if it does rain? It will clear up the day after.
The gospel of cheerfulness; that is the leaven that enters into busi-
ness life and brightens everything that falls under its influence.
I
T is not enough that you should merely satisfy demands—vou
must create them.