Music Trade Review
Issue: 1916 Vol. 63 N. 23 - Page 5
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
SELECT YOUR CUSTOMERS
(Continued from page 3)
sell about all the pianos he can get, and he is going to have money to show for it when the pinch comes, if it does
come.
The man who is going to continue business on a haphazard basis, who considers the number of pianos he is
putting out as an indication of his business volume, is going to find out that while he has done an enormous
business on paper and has disposed of a great number of instruments, he has nothing to show for the trans-
actions except instalment leases.
When things return to normal, as they undoubtedly will, whether it be one year or six years from now, it
will not require a certified public accountant to tell which type of piano merchant is going to survive the slump
with the least danger or worry.
Business is, and always has been, like a revolving wheel. First, the prosperous year is on top and the poor
one underneath, but the positions are reversing constantly as the wheel of business revolves. The average piano
merchant does not expect to quit this year or next. He expects to sell pianos in the future, and with that
expectation he should at least provide in some manner for the future.
HERE are few greater evils in New York, or for that mat-
T
ter in any city of the country, than the private house or
"gyp" method of selling pianos and furniture, and it is interest-
ing to note that the authorities in this city are now becoming
active in rounding up these fakirs.
Late last week a man who made a practice of stocking a
house with furniture, and then advertising in such a way as to
give prospective purchasers the idea that they were participat-
ing in the genuine sale of household effects was fined $25 in
the Special Sessions Court on the charge of inserting false and
misleading advertisements offering the furniture for sale in the New
York newspapers.
This affords an opportunity for the New York Piano Manu-
facturers' Association, or better still, a New York Retailers' Or-
ganization, if it should be formed, to run down those "gyp"
advertisers, who, through their advertisements in the daily
papers are constantly misleading the public, and in this way
materially hurting the piano business.
The nefarious work of these fakirs should be exposed, and
all information turned over to the city authorities to the end
that they be prosecuted for inserting false and misleading adver-
tisements.
an interview in The Review Robt. N. Watkin, of Dallas, Texas,
I plain N claims
that the poor pay of which many piano salesmen com-
is due to the fact that piano merchants give away so much
of their stock to customers, to say nothing of allowing long terms,
that they have nothing left when it comes to taking care of the
salesman himself.
In many instances this might really be the reason, were it
not for the fact that all piano salesmen are not poorly paid.
There are to-day many men selling pianos, either wholesale or
retail, who have forsaken other professions such as medicine,
selling of automobiles, etc., to make more money in the piano
game. In a great many cases it rests with the salesman himself
just how much his income will be.
The great majority of the successful houses either pay sales-
men on a commission basis entirely, or combine the salary and
commission system, for it is found to be the only satisfactory
way. On the commission basis the salesman's earnings are
limited only by his ability to sell goods. The same condition
applies in every other line, no matter what the line or the product
handled.
There are, of course, in the country, concerns who still pay
their salesmen straight salaries, and the result is that the men
are either over-paid or under-paid. If they are satisfied with
their salaries and lay down, they naturally do not earn the money
paid them. If they are energetic and produce results, in many
cases they are not paid in proportion to what they accomplish.
No salary can be advanced one week or cut the next to meet
conditions. Any increase must be made periodically. If it is a
case of adjusting sales once in six months, the salesman is work-
ing some of those months for less than he should receive. Maybe
in the next six months his sales will run behind and his account
will be on the other side of the ledger.
There are a surprising number of energetic piano salesmen
who are making over four thousand dollars yearly. Some crowd
the ten thousand mark. Taken all in all it is doubtful if the piano
salesman is any worse off than the salesman in any other line of
general merchandise.
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
SELECT YOUR CUSTOMERS
(Continued from page 3)
sell about all the pianos he can get, and he is going to have money to show for it when the pinch comes, if it does
come.
The man who is going to continue business on a haphazard basis, who considers the number of pianos he is
putting out as an indication of his business volume, is going to find out that while he has done an enormous
business on paper and has disposed of a great number of instruments, he has nothing to show for the trans-
actions except instalment leases.
When things return to normal, as they undoubtedly will, whether it be one year or six years from now, it
will not require a certified public accountant to tell which type of piano merchant is going to survive the slump
with the least danger or worry.
Business is, and always has been, like a revolving wheel. First, the prosperous year is on top and the poor
one underneath, but the positions are reversing constantly as the wheel of business revolves. The average piano
merchant does not expect to quit this year or next. He expects to sell pianos in the future, and with that
expectation he should at least provide in some manner for the future.
HERE are few greater evils in New York, or for that mat-
T
ter in any city of the country, than the private house or
"gyp" method of selling pianos and furniture, and it is interest-
ing to note that the authorities in this city are now becoming
active in rounding up these fakirs.
Late last week a man who made a practice of stocking a
house with furniture, and then advertising in such a way as to
give prospective purchasers the idea that they were participat-
ing in the genuine sale of household effects was fined $25 in
the Special Sessions Court on the charge of inserting false and
misleading advertisements offering the furniture for sale in the New
York newspapers.
This affords an opportunity for the New York Piano Manu-
facturers' Association, or better still, a New York Retailers' Or-
ganization, if it should be formed, to run down those "gyp"
advertisers, who, through their advertisements in the daily
papers are constantly misleading the public, and in this way
materially hurting the piano business.
The nefarious work of these fakirs should be exposed, and
all information turned over to the city authorities to the end
that they be prosecuted for inserting false and misleading adver-
tisements.
an interview in The Review Robt. N. Watkin, of Dallas, Texas,
I plain N claims
that the poor pay of which many piano salesmen com-
is due to the fact that piano merchants give away so much
of their stock to customers, to say nothing of allowing long terms,
that they have nothing left when it comes to taking care of the
salesman himself.
In many instances this might really be the reason, were it
not for the fact that all piano salesmen are not poorly paid.
There are to-day many men selling pianos, either wholesale or
retail, who have forsaken other professions such as medicine,
selling of automobiles, etc., to make more money in the piano
game. In a great many cases it rests with the salesman himself
just how much his income will be.
The great majority of the successful houses either pay sales-
men on a commission basis entirely, or combine the salary and
commission system, for it is found to be the only satisfactory
way. On the commission basis the salesman's earnings are
limited only by his ability to sell goods. The same condition
applies in every other line, no matter what the line or the product
handled.
There are, of course, in the country, concerns who still pay
their salesmen straight salaries, and the result is that the men
are either over-paid or under-paid. If they are satisfied with
their salaries and lay down, they naturally do not earn the money
paid them. If they are energetic and produce results, in many
cases they are not paid in proportion to what they accomplish.
No salary can be advanced one week or cut the next to meet
conditions. Any increase must be made periodically. If it is a
case of adjusting sales once in six months, the salesman is work-
ing some of those months for less than he should receive. Maybe
in the next six months his sales will run behind and his account
will be on the other side of the ledger.
There are a surprising number of energetic piano salesmen
who are making over four thousand dollars yearly. Some crowd
the ten thousand mark. Taken all in all it is doubtful if the piano
salesman is any worse off than the salesman in any other line of
general merchandise.
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
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).