Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
APPROVE ADOPTION OF NEW CREDIT SYSTEM.
(Continued from page 3.)
trial heads who favor the establishment of a definite credit basis. It will come. There is no ques-
tion of that, and the plans will be crystallized in such a manner that their adoption will be heralded
with joy by all branches of the trade, for under the new system piano paper will carry with it in-
creased value and dignity in the financial market.
There is no move which can be made that will make more for business solidity than to have the
selling systems reformed and reorganized on a systematic and scientific basis, where selling will be
safeguarded in such a way that sales will be genuine, and not for the purpose of the flotation of
paper.
-
Obviously, radical plans may not be acceptable to everyone at the
start, but as I read the handwriting on the wall it is clearly discernible
that new forces and new conditions will be introduced in this trade
within the very near future which wall substantially assist trade sta-
bility and—best of all—net profits.
,
How United States Consuls Help Manufacturers
A /I ANUFACTURERS who are in a position to take advantage
IVJ. of the opportunities that are open may derive considerable
free advertising for their products through the medium of the
United States consular offices throughout the world. Or perhaps
it would be more exact to say that they can have the benefit of
demonstrations of their wares at these consular posts—for, of
course, any manufacturer can gain a certain amount of advertising
by merely filing his catalogs and printed matter at each consulate.
But that is a form of publicity which, naturally, is not so forceful
as visual appeal to foreign prospects.
As an illustration of what might almost be termed involuntary
promotioTi via consular channels, Printers' Ink cites the fact that
the Dick Co. has within a comparatively brief interval sold fifty of
its steel safes, or safe cabinets, so-called, in the South American
Republic of Uruguay as a result of the installation of one of these
steel cabinets in the office of a United States consulate in that
country. The Macey Co. has been enabled to make heavy sales of
sectional bookcases to foreign customers whose trade was cultivated
in like manner, and similarly the Globe-Wernicke Co. has found
new outlets overseas for its record and filing equipment with no
more effort than was required to furnish quotations, etc., to the
prospects referred to them by the various United States consular
officers.
The American consular offices abroad have' not as yet reached
the status which it is hoped they will one day attain, when every
such establishment will include what might be termed a "perma-
nent exposition" of American goods likely to interest the people
of the particular locality in which the consulate is located.
In the meantime, then, the only opportunity for the exhibition
and demonstration work which begets business is found in the
every-day use of such furnishings, equipment and supplies as are
required by the consular officers in the regular discharge of their
business. That is how it comes about that certain lines have
already benefited by commercial "missionary work," which was not
designed to display favoritism in behalf of any particular trade.
Even this plan of making our consular officers practical as
well as theoretical trade-getters is of comparatively recent incep-
tion. It was only a few years ago that the policy was adopted of
furnishing all United States consular offices abroad with articles
of American manufacture instead of permitting the outfitting of
the offices with such utilities as were afforded by the local mercan-
tile establishments. The result has been seen in the stimulated
sales abroad of American products.
It should perhaps be made clear that the advertising attained
by American goods installed in the United States Government's
"branch offices" abroad is distinctly of the object-lesson variety.
It is not the province of a consular officer to go out into the high-
ways and byways and inveigle people in to see American goods
which are on display or in use in his office, but it so happens that
in the natural course of business a large number of residents of
the community—particularly those engaged in mercantile and com-
mercial pursuits—have occasion to visit the American consulate.
If these callers are at all keen for innovations and improvements,
their attention is likely to be attracted to some of those specialties
in the production of which Americans excel. Even at that the
consular officer does not assume the role of salesman. He simply
gives the prospect the address of the manufacturer in the United
States, or supplies him with a catalog.
"Not more than two years ago the dealer in new cars was
inclined to rid himself as rapidly as possible of all the used cars
which were forced upon him in trade. To-day he realizes that
he is in the used as well as the new car business, and, instead of
dismissing the used-car problem, he is trying to solve it and make
the best rather than the worst of it. He no longer dumps his used
cars in the lap of the second-hand man, but instead finds he can
repair and paint the cars he takes in and dispose of them to much
better advantage. If they are of the same make as he is handling
in new cars, he now thoroughly overhauls them and offers them
with full guarantee.
"This is doing a great deal for the dealer and more for the
buyer of used cars, aside from placing this vehicle in a higher
category. Every old model now has a standard market price,
which is being rapidly standardized among all dealers, regardless
of what they are compelled to allow for these cars on a trade deal
for new cars. The market price of all used cars is being carefully
watched by dealers' associations in various large cities, and these
prices go to make up a market report on which all dealers will
shortly base the figures they set upon repaired and rebuilt cars.
All this means that the used car is a permanent fixture, and will be
handled as such in the interest of both merchant and buyer."
This discourse is illuminating and contains a moral for the
piano man.
NOVEL feature of this issue of The Review is the Salesman-
ship Section, or magazine, which will bring The Review
A
closer to the sales forces of this trade. It is simply another
feature of Review service, in conjunction with "Who's Who in
the Piano Industry," which is of obvious value to the selling end^
of the industry.
/'Who's Who" contains a list of the piano manufacturing
firms and corporations in the United States, together with con-
siderable interesting data.
"Who's Who" will clear up a good deal of misinformation
and clarify the trade atmosphere on a number of important points.
Such features are along the lines of constructive work. They
aid manufacturer, merchant and salesman, and we feel confident
that the latter will be particularly pleased with what this issue of
The Review contains in relation to practical salesmanship.