Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
JANUARY 6, 1923
Developing Trade With Moneyed Class
It Is Generally Found That Special Sales Methods of High Calibre Are Required to Get the Best Results in Developing
Really Substantial Trade Among Those of Social Standing—Indirect Approach Through the Friend-
ship of Customers Recognized As the Best and Most Efficient Method
Much has been said and written concerning
making sales to the middle classes who make
up the great mass of the population, but com-
paratively little light has been thrown on the
methods used by concerns who center their at-
tention on the wealthy people of their com-
munities. Plans for making sales to the wealthy
and cultured have been successfully put across
by many dealers while others have failed dis-
mally. This article is not written so much
to give any concrete ideas put in effect by suc-
cessful merchants as to give a composite idea
of what several dealers have discovered in
catering to people of this type.
What may result in a sale to Mrs. Middle
Class in nine chances out of ten would an-
tagonize Mrs. Society, and therefore the dealer
is faced with the problem of how best to ap-
proach these people. The ordinary direct-by-
mail literature will not do the trick, nor will
ringing door-bells. Imagine, if you can, the
salesman ringing the door-bell of the mansion
of Mrs. Society and stating to the butler that
he would like, to speak to the mistress of the
house concerning pianos. The butler might
take his message to his mistress but the matter
would no doubt end with the salesman left in
the cold at the front door. Despite the fact
that "the Colonel's lady and Judy O'Grady are
sisters under the skin" they must be approached
in a radically different manner if results are to
be obtained.
What the sales manager of an exclusive Fifth
avenue, New York, piano house had to say re-
garding his manner of going after Mrs. Society
may be of interest to other dealers who are
trying to sell instruments to the elite of their
communities, so here goes: "Through long
years of experience I have found that very
wealthy people who move in exclusive circles
arc not affected by ordinary methods of adver-
tising and approach. The first essential in do-
ing business with these people is courtesy and
service of the highest order. Not ordinary
courtesy, but attention to the little things, so
that there is no possibility of a displeasing
atmosphere. Price of the instruments is, of
course, of secondary importance, and therefore
no mention of it should be made by the sales-
man, or, at least, this question should be sub-
ordinated as much as possible. Quality is what
counts and in a piano, beauty of tone, finish
and design. One pleased purchaser usually
means other sales without any solicitation on
our part. For example: Recently we sold a
fine instrument to one of New York's Four
Hundred and since that time we have sold other
pianos to four of her friends.
"Now, the point is that with the exception of
the firs't one, all these pianos were sold with-
out any work on the part of our salesmen be-
yond explaining the quality of the instruments.
A friend of the first purchaser would come into
our store and mention that she had seen one
TELLING THE TRUTH WILL TEND TO HELP BUSINESS
of our pianos in the home of Mrs. Blank and
would like lo look over our line. These pur-
chasers in turn pass the good word along to
their friends and the result is more sales, so
that our volume is steadily increasing with com-
paratively little solicitation. It happens occa-
sionally that a former buyer will call up on
the telephone to state that a certain friend is
interested in purchasing a piano similar to hers.
When information of this character is passed
along to us we do not rush a salesman up to
try and make a sale. Instead we send a diplo- •
matically worded note to this prospect, men-
tioning the fact that Mrs. Blank had called our
attention to the fact that she was interested
in our pianos. At the conclusion of the note,
which is necessarily very brief, a definite re-
quest is made for an appointment. We usually
come together and invariably a sale results."
This sales manager also mentioned the fact
that one of the strongest merchandising assets
of his house was its advertising. The ads stress
quality and price is merely a side issue. The
advertisements are also models of good taste and
have brought many customers to that store.
It might be well to remember that advertising
should be directed to the people whom the
dealer desires to reach. A single advertisement
cannot be expected to appeal to poor, middle
class and wealthy. What Mrs. Society can
afford to buy Mrs. Poor cannot even think of
buying.
REINCORPORATE IN INDIANA
Roy S. Dunn, of the Schumann Piano Co., Rockford, 111., Points Out the Harm That Is Fre- Hobart M. Cable Co. Forms New $750,000 Cor-
poration to Take Over Present Business
quently Done by Tuners in Placing False Quality Value on Customers' Instruments
"For years I have made it a practice when on
the train to ask my neighbor what piano is
used in his home and what he was doing in a
musical way for his family. You would be
surprised to know how interested the average
man is in the musical education of his child or
the ability of his wife to furnish musical com-
fort," said Roy S. Dunn, of the Schumann Piano
Co., recently.
"This always opens an avenue for Schumann
advertising and I find the average man much
interested in the construction and manufac-
turing details of our industry.
"However, in six cases out of ten, you will
find that this man owns some old relic of a
civil war hero that has been in the family for
twenty years. He will go on and tell you that
this piano has such a sweet tone, is without
exception the best piano in his city, tuners have
told him time and time again that it is the best
instrument that they have ever tuned and not
to part with it under any consideration, that
it is worth two of any new piano made to-day,
that they don't build them like they did when
his piano was manufactured.
"One poor deluded victim even told me that
a tuner tried to buy his piano for $500, stating
that he wanted the works to put in a new
case. Why will a tuner do this when he meets
One of these broken-backed relics of a forgotten
past? Doesn't he have the strength to stand up
and tell the owner that the piano has a split pin
block, broken bridge, flat board and is about
as valuable as a second-hand toothpick? If he
is a member of the National Association of
Piano Tuners he will no doubt tell the truth
and turn the prospect in to the first salesman
he meets and say 'Sic 'em!'
"Still a lot of very good tuners are cursing
themselves into an early grave when Madam
is in the kitchen, and collecting $5 when they
pack up their kit, repeating the same old bunk,
"You have a very unusual piano." Some of
them are unusual, too!
"What would happen to the automotive in-
dustry if the mechanic in the garage where you
buy your experience followed the same system?
"Was an auto bandit ever guilty of such short-
sightedness? Not yet. You can buy a new
car on one side of the street, drive it around
the block, run it into a sales room and offer it
for sale. They will inspect it, kick the tires
and tell you that if you will buy a new motor,
body, wheels and frame you will get fair satis-
faction out of the old bus as the bumper is
still good.
"The tuner does not try deliberately to make
it hard for the dealer to sell new pianos—he is
simply playing the game, playing it with a sys-
tem as old as the piano business. Suppose he
should adopt the policy of telling every owner
of these museum models that it belonged in
the Smithsonian Institute. That it was a fit
subject for a repository of curiosities, that it
would ruin the ear of the pupil, that it was an
outrage to the ear of a trained musician and
that in his opinion as an expert it was rotten.
Would he lose the tuning job? He would not.
He would lay the foundation for a sale, collect
his commission, give himself an opportunity to
work next trip on a new piano and do his
duty as an expert in the greatest of all in-
dustries."
INCREASES CAPITAL TO $150,000
BRIDGEPORT, CONN., January 3.—The Alfred Fox
Piano Co., of this city, has increased its capital
stock from $50,000 to $150,000.
Among the new incorporations in the State
of New York is that of the Erasmus Music
Shop, Brooklyn, capitalized at $15,000. The in-
corporators are F. Boscia and A. J. Armour.
INDIANAI'OI.IS, INI)., January 2.—The Hohart M.
Cable Co., of La Porte, Ind., have filed new
articles of incorporation in this city which show
that the Illinois corporation was dissolved. The
new firm is incorporated for $750,000 to take
over the present business, the value of which
is given as $600,000. The incorporators are
Hobart M. Cable, Howard M. Morenus, Edwin
W. Schurz, P. Allen Tennis and Walter F.
Sauchild.
TO DIRECT VOCALION RECORDING
Harold Sanford Succeeds T. P. Ratcliff as Direc-
tor of Standard and Operatic Recordings for
the Vocalion Records
Harold Sanford, well-known violinist, has
assumed charge of the standard, operatic and
classical recordings at the Vocalion Recording
Studios, succeeding T. I'. Ratcliff, who resigned
recently to take charge of the marketing of
a new line of health records. Mr. Sanford was
for many years associated with Victor Herbert
as arranger, has played with leading orchestras,
and was for a time orchestra conductor for the
Kmerson Phonograph Co.
DR. SPAETH IN^SPECIAL RECITAL
Offers Interesting Program at Ampico Studios
on Thursday Evening
At the Ampico Studios, 437 Fifth avenue, on
Thursday evening of this week, Signiund Spaeth,
Ph.D., musical director for the Ampico, offered
an interesting recital on "The Rule of Three
in Music," assisted by Erna Cavelle, soprano.
Admission to the recital was by invitation and
a very substantial audience expressed its en-
thusiasm regarding Dr. Spaeth's work. The
Ampico was used in illustrating various points.