Music Trade Review

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THE
JULY 12, 1924
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
A Salesman's View of Salesmanship
Retail Piano Salesman Declares That Most of the Reasons for the Dearth of Good Retail Piano Salesmen Can
Be Traced Directly to the Attitude of the Merchants Themselves—His Idea of Better,
Cleaner Selling Methods in the Retail Piano Trade
I
N all the discussion that goes on in the retail
piano trade regarding the status of the in-
dividual salesmen and the necessity of creat-
ing a wider supply of men of more than average
ability, the salesman's voice is rarely heard.
This is not as it should be. The salesman is
too important a factor in the situation for his
views regarding this problem not to be ex-
pressed. That is what makes the following
letter from a salesman on the firing line so
important, and a contribution to the discussion
of the problem that should be read with interest:
"July 2, 1924.
"Editor Music Trade Review: We all see
many articles at this time about the efficiency
in the selling of pianos and player-pianos and
some of the statements made in them are so
flagrant that one would be led to believe that
there are no more decent salesmen left selling
pianos.
"We read about salesmanship schools, etc.
These of themselves are to be endorsed by any
good salesman. But why attack the ability of
the older men in the trade, the men who have
worked night and day to have the players sold?
It has been my good fortune to meet many good
salesmen who have made an excellent living
selling pianos and player-pianos, and they are
mostly dignified, gentlemanly fellows and a
credit to the industry. Why not encourage this
class of salesmen?
"I noted an article a little while back about
one of the leading manufacturers who has a
Manhattan warerooms and wherein it was stated
that the manager was sticking to a policy of
hiring only men who had no previous expe-
rience in the piano business. This is a fine slap
at the ability of the salesmen who have been
responsible to a large extent for the high char-
acter of the business as it is to-day.
Evils of Commissions
"It has been the writer's good fortune to work
for concerns that pay straight salary, straight
commission and salary and bonus and I have
been in a position to study closely the effects
of these different plans. Most of the dealers
encourage the commission plan and right there
they injure the trade at large, for the salesman
will do nothing but sell after the first payment
is made. When he has received his commission
"to hell with the patron." This results in a
patron becoming dissatisfied with his purchase,
and his friends are not even interested in a
player. Therefore the good money spent by the
player manufacturers is wasted and the dealers
wonder why the automobile people get the busi-
ness when they themselves should have it.
"I recently was in an organization where my
predecessor was one of those intensified sellers
—he was all sales and no service. I took charge
of the business and wondered why he had re-
signed. All I succeeded to was complaints, so I
started in to teach the people who had already
purchased their players how to play them prop-
erly and I also started in to give service on
the just complaints. I arranged musicales in
their homes and many sales resulted. I am will-
ing to admit that I was not so successful in
pqtting over the volume that the former man
did, but the customers were of the better class
and bought better players because of their sat-
isfaction. At the end of six months' work the
president of the concern called me into his office
and severely called me for not having produced
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as much business as the man I had succeeded.
I explained to him about conditions and about
the work I had been doing and here was the
answer: "Never mind about the service, go out
and get business. Forget the idea of music in
the home. Simply get their money and get the
paper for us. Forget everything else." I quit.
The Average
"I believe this is the average merchant's
attitude on the player. No wonder the public
is not pleased with it. No wonder good sales-
men get disgusted and wish they had never
heard of a player. No wonder when a salesman
with an unquestioned record asks for a position
he is offered $35 a week and a small bonus
with a kick about expense, etc. No wonder a
merchant hems and haws when a good sales-
man asks him $125 a week. The whole situation
will remain that way just so long as good con-
cerns do not encourage clean, honest selling.
"These same merchants are not willing to help
in making America a musical place to reside.
They are too narrow to know that in the end
they would be benefited. A money-making
salesman does not have the opportunity to work
for the best class of music merchants for the
reason that in most cases they do not pay the
best wages, or, I should say, salaries. It is the
poorer concerns that pay the best. It may be
that that is what keeps them poor, but I never
could see why the good houses will turn down a
reliable producer simply because he asks suffi-
cient money upon which to live decently.
"One man asked me once: 'Why do you not
get with one of the best concerns?' The answer
is that they don't pay enough. Every time I
have solicited a position from one of the better
concerns everything runs smoothly until I am
asked to name a fair salary. When I state a
decent figure I seldom get a reply. I know
that some of the readers of this article will say
that the writer is a habitual job hunter and a
'sorehead.' They are mistaken. I am a reliable
man and can sell where the other fellow falls
down, and a sticker even to my own detriment.
My character is above reproach. I am an execu-
tive and have a thorough schooling in the music
business. My references are unquestioned—and
this article is not from a 'sorehead.'
"I am interested in better, cleaner selling
in the best business on earth, but I do think
it is about time that someone wakes up the mer-
chant and has him take seriously the good work
done by the Bureau for the Advancement of
Music and treat his salesmen with the utmost
respect and not put them in the robber class.
Pay them at least as decent a salary as they
can get in other lines of business and there is
bound to be an improvement in the salesman-
ship.
"I have always considered it a great pleasure
to sell properly any person a player and I
always feel that I have been responsible for
bringing sunshine and happiness into their
home. I enjoy my profession, and if the mer-
chants could only be made to feel the same way
and back up work of this nature with the proper
spirit, then what a greater business we would
have! I recently had one of the leading man-
ufacturer's salesmen tell me that it was not
necessary to give the best class of rolls when
you sold a player. 'Pick up any old bargain
rolls—they are just as much appreciated,' he
said. Wonderful sentiment. A man to talk
music to a prospect and then to have a player
delivered with old rolls. Wonderful!
"Matters like this are disgusting to a man of
high ideals and are entirely contrary to good
business judgment. It makes the business lose
its dignity and discourages good salesmanship.
No doubt this is the reason they want to hire
men who are not dignified and train them to sell
players with trashy rolls and no service. If that
is the object I will gladly turn my ability to
other lines or do nothing at all. When you buy
an auto you never have the salesman tell you to
buy cheap gas or poor oil. He has very little
to say about that, but he does dwell on the
pleasure it will bring into your life. That is
the reason for the success of the auto industry.
It sells what the auto will do for you, not how
easy you can get it or how cheaply you can run
it. The comparison is odious.
"Let's see if the honest, reliable salesmen in
the industry cannot have the proper encourage-
ment and decent salaries. Let us wake up to the
call of service and the results in the home of
what we sell—this will bring better terms, more
pleased patrons, better payers and in the end a
more profitable business than can be secured by
the inexperienced salesman. And, above all, let
us encourage decent rolls with players, even if
it be necessary to cut out entirely the practice
of giving the patron twelve rolls. Why not sell
them the decent rolls and forget the giving (?)
of rolls? Surely the good work done by the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce should
not be wasted. Let us all get behind it and
make America the best place in the world in the
music line. Place the business on a higher plane
with the good, decent, reliable salesmen already
in the industry. Very truly yours,
"JOHN EMORY JOHNSON."
Brother of A. B. Furlong
Is Honored by France
Lieut.-Colonel Chas. W. Furlong Made an
Officer d'Instruction Publique of the French
Academy for Excellent Work
CINCINNATI, O., July 8.—A. B. Furlong, Jr.,
sales manager of the Vocalstyle Music Co., has
been informed that his brother, Lieut.-Colonel
Charles W. Furlong, has been made an officer
d'instruction publique of the French Academy.
Colonel Furlong was accorded this honor be-
cause of his achievements as an author, artist
and explorer. It is the highest distinction be-
stowed in the field of belles lettres in France.
During the war Colonel Furlong was attached
to the intelligence department of the general
staff and accompanied President Wilson to
Paris. His books on the French Colonial em-
pire are well known, while he has also won
fame as an author of military handbooks.
Wilkin-Redman Go. Expands
COLUMBUS, O., July 8.—The Wilkin-Redman Co.,
of this city, at present located at 235 South
High street, has leased the entire three floors
of the building at 174 South High street, where
larger quarters will be available for handling
the growing business.
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