Music Trade Review
Issue: 1916 Vol. 63 N. 19 - Page 5
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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ADVERTISING AS A FACTOR IN BUSINESS SUCCESS
(Continued from page 3)
to endeavor to insure the permanency of that prosperity by advertising their lines more intensively than ever
before.
Now is the time to impress upon the general public the need for pianos in the home to such an extent that
a piano will come to be regarded as more of a necessity and less of a luxury than it has been hitherto.
When this idea becomes firmly implanted in the public mind the piano industry will have but little fear
of times of business depression and inactivity.
Advertising is the only medium through which this idea may become prevalent and permanent.^
Therefore, piano manufacturers, consider the parable of the hen and the duck!-
becomes discouraged by the problems offered in a field with
which he is as yet unfamiliar.
The progress from doorbell ringing to star salesmanship
does not take the form of a sudden jump. The new man in the
piano sales field must naturally expect to begin at the bottom, but
the dealer who puts him there and leaves him to his own devices
is not only making a mistake, but naturally is not making money.
It is safe to say that many more sales in the making are lost
by the inexperienced doorbell ringer, through lack of knowledge
of how to impress new prospects favorably, than are lost by the
same kind of a man on the wareroom floor, where he can have
the assistance of the manager or salesman in closing a sale.
The dealer who really wants to build his own sales force
should give the newcomer a chance to develop in all depart-
ments, both inside and outside. 11 is education may cost money—
may mean the loss of a few sales—for it must be considered that
the education that doesn't cost anything, either in money or
effort, is really worth about what is paid for it—but the loss will
eventually be more than recovered.
In the case of the piano salesman, the properly trained
dealer is in a position to secure ample return on his investment.
The successful piano salesman is not the result of accident; he
must receive special training in several departments, especially
under the present system of selling pianos, and particularly now
that the player-piano with its new problems is proving such a
strong factor.
The piano merchant who complains about the lack of ex-
perienced men must realize that to secure men of ability and
experience means that somebody must have had the labor of
training them, or must have stood the expense of such training.
If the piano merchants in a body would each resolve to take a
proportionate share in the trouble and expense of training sales-
men, the individual expense through lost prospects and sales in
the beginning would be surprisingly small, and the benefit's to
the trade at large could not be overestimated.
many instances the greatest enemy of the player-piano is
I it N seems,
the player-piano itself— that is, the instrument that is played,
for the purpose of producing noise instead of music.
On the great majority of player-pianos the control devices
are designed to modulate and soften the tone instead of increas-
ing it, that is, if we except the sustaining pedal. Some day there
is going to be a player-piano manufacturer who will produce an
instrument so regulated that it will normally produce a medium
volume of sound—a volume suitable for the average room and
which will require the use of special devices to produce fortis-
simo effects. Such a manufacturer would not only earn the
blessings of those who are forced to listen to noise producing
neighbors, but will benefit the entire trade, by reducing in some
measure the tone volume of the player-piano.
contrast to the wails that come from piano men in various
I is N cutting
sections of the country regarding the belief that the automobile
into piano sales, it is rather refreshing to learn that
the piano men of Detroit are finding the self same automobile a
source of profit, for in that city automobile workmen and execu-
tives earning large wages and salaries are spending good money
for pianos in large numbers.
If the demand for automobiles continues to increase and the
factories grow in number, with the consequent enlargement of
their staffs, w r e may see the time when automobile makers will
buy enough pianos to make up for the lack of sales to those
"common" people who nowadays buy automobiles rather than
pianos. It is conceded that within a few years practically every-
body will travel around in their own car, and that the inhabi-
tants of the United States will be divided in two classes, the
quick and the dead—those fast enough to dodge the autos and
those who are not. If this condition develops and everyone has
purchased an automobile, they will then perhaps turn their
thoughts and minds to pianos and players. It is simply a case
of waiting long enough.
GETTING DOWN TO PLAIN PLAYER FACTS
The education of the public along player lines is a necessity for the expansion of the player business.
There is no doubt of that; and education of the piano merchants and salesmen is also a vital necessity,
because through them will come a powerful force in the education of the public; and right here we wish to
remark that we have produced a line of books upon, the player-piano which comprehensively covers the
entire player situation.
In this respect this trade newspaper stands alone, for it has been the principal source from which player
information has been available for piano merchants and salesmen for a period of years. Our latest book,
"The Player-Piano Up to Date"
is the best of the series. It contains upwards of 220 pages of matter bearing directly upon the player.
Every piano merchant and piano salesman should have a copy of this book within easy reach. It
gives to readers a fund of information not obtainable elsewhere.
It contains a series of original drawings and a vast amount of instructive and educational matter, as
well as a detailed description of some of the principal player mechanisms.
It costs $1.50 to have this book delivered to any address in the United States, and your money will be
refunded if you are not satisfied with the book after examination. No one yet has availed himself of this
opportunity. Foreign countries, 15c. to cover extra postage, should be added.
Estate of EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Publisher
373 Fourth Ave., New York
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ADVERTISING AS A FACTOR IN BUSINESS SUCCESS
(Continued from page 3)
to endeavor to insure the permanency of that prosperity by advertising their lines more intensively than ever
before.
Now is the time to impress upon the general public the need for pianos in the home to such an extent that
a piano will come to be regarded as more of a necessity and less of a luxury than it has been hitherto.
When this idea becomes firmly implanted in the public mind the piano industry will have but little fear
of times of business depression and inactivity.
Advertising is the only medium through which this idea may become prevalent and permanent.^
Therefore, piano manufacturers, consider the parable of the hen and the duck!-
becomes discouraged by the problems offered in a field with
which he is as yet unfamiliar.
The progress from doorbell ringing to star salesmanship
does not take the form of a sudden jump. The new man in the
piano sales field must naturally expect to begin at the bottom, but
the dealer who puts him there and leaves him to his own devices
is not only making a mistake, but naturally is not making money.
It is safe to say that many more sales in the making are lost
by the inexperienced doorbell ringer, through lack of knowledge
of how to impress new prospects favorably, than are lost by the
same kind of a man on the wareroom floor, where he can have
the assistance of the manager or salesman in closing a sale.
The dealer who really wants to build his own sales force
should give the newcomer a chance to develop in all depart-
ments, both inside and outside. 11 is education may cost money—
may mean the loss of a few sales—for it must be considered that
the education that doesn't cost anything, either in money or
effort, is really worth about what is paid for it—but the loss will
eventually be more than recovered.
In the case of the piano salesman, the properly trained
dealer is in a position to secure ample return on his investment.
The successful piano salesman is not the result of accident; he
must receive special training in several departments, especially
under the present system of selling pianos, and particularly now
that the player-piano with its new problems is proving such a
strong factor.
The piano merchant who complains about the lack of ex-
perienced men must realize that to secure men of ability and
experience means that somebody must have had the labor of
training them, or must have stood the expense of such training.
If the piano merchants in a body would each resolve to take a
proportionate share in the trouble and expense of training sales-
men, the individual expense through lost prospects and sales in
the beginning would be surprisingly small, and the benefit's to
the trade at large could not be overestimated.
many instances the greatest enemy of the player-piano is
I it N seems,
the player-piano itself— that is, the instrument that is played,
for the purpose of producing noise instead of music.
On the great majority of player-pianos the control devices
are designed to modulate and soften the tone instead of increas-
ing it, that is, if we except the sustaining pedal. Some day there
is going to be a player-piano manufacturer who will produce an
instrument so regulated that it will normally produce a medium
volume of sound—a volume suitable for the average room and
which will require the use of special devices to produce fortis-
simo effects. Such a manufacturer would not only earn the
blessings of those who are forced to listen to noise producing
neighbors, but will benefit the entire trade, by reducing in some
measure the tone volume of the player-piano.
contrast to the wails that come from piano men in various
I is N cutting
sections of the country regarding the belief that the automobile
into piano sales, it is rather refreshing to learn that
the piano men of Detroit are finding the self same automobile a
source of profit, for in that city automobile workmen and execu-
tives earning large wages and salaries are spending good money
for pianos in large numbers.
If the demand for automobiles continues to increase and the
factories grow in number, with the consequent enlargement of
their staffs, w r e may see the time when automobile makers will
buy enough pianos to make up for the lack of sales to those
"common" people who nowadays buy automobiles rather than
pianos. It is conceded that within a few years practically every-
body will travel around in their own car, and that the inhabi-
tants of the United States will be divided in two classes, the
quick and the dead—those fast enough to dodge the autos and
those who are not. If this condition develops and everyone has
purchased an automobile, they will then perhaps turn their
thoughts and minds to pianos and players. It is simply a case
of waiting long enough.
GETTING DOWN TO PLAIN PLAYER FACTS
The education of the public along player lines is a necessity for the expansion of the player business.
There is no doubt of that; and education of the piano merchants and salesmen is also a vital necessity,
because through them will come a powerful force in the education of the public; and right here we wish to
remark that we have produced a line of books upon, the player-piano which comprehensively covers the
entire player situation.
In this respect this trade newspaper stands alone, for it has been the principal source from which player
information has been available for piano merchants and salesmen for a period of years. Our latest book,
"The Player-Piano Up to Date"
is the best of the series. It contains upwards of 220 pages of matter bearing directly upon the player.
Every piano merchant and piano salesman should have a copy of this book within easy reach. It
gives to readers a fund of information not obtainable elsewhere.
It contains a series of original drawings and a vast amount of instructive and educational matter, as
well as a detailed description of some of the principal player mechanisms.
It costs $1.50 to have this book delivered to any address in the United States, and your money will be
refunded if you are not satisfied with the book after examination. No one yet has availed himself of this
opportunity. Foreign countries, 15c. to cover extra postage, should be added.
Estate of EDWARD LYMAN BILL, Publisher
373 Fourth Ave., New York
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