Music Trade Review
Issue: 1925 Vol. 80 N. 3 - Page 6
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6
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
JANUARY 17, 1925
How a Little Knowledge Makes Sales
The Retail Salesman in the Radio Department of the Music Merchant Can Meet the Requirements of His Cus-
tomers in Almost All Cases by Knowing the Receivers Which He Carries in Stock — Some
Instances of How Sales Can Be Made Which Ignorance Causes to Be Lost
ITH the new radio prospects entering
the field, it behooves the music mer-
chants handling radio to understand
thoroughly the capabilities of the receivers
which they are carrying. The new element
which the merchant will sell to, as has been
explained before, is made up of people who have
held off from radio for reasons of their own
and who are now reaching the buying stage.
Just as a matter of investigation, several mu-
sic merchants as well as several radio stores
were visited recently and the salesmen in every
place were questioned concerning nearly every
receiver that was on display. The purpose was
to discover if they understood the operation
and capabilities of the receivers well enough
to sell them to any customers who entered the
store. In but two cases it was found that such
was the case.
An Instance
One instance was as follows: The salesman
was asked to demonstrate a given receiver and
a complaint was made because of the fact that
it had to obtain the current for the operation
of its tubes from storage batteries. The sales-
man, instead of following the right track,
switched the purchaser over to a set which was
selling at a lower price and which obtained
its operation from dry cells. In the first case
the receiver was a five-tube ncutrodyne,
whereas the receiver later demonstrated was a
three-tube regenerative operating on the 1^2-volt
tubes.
The same thing invariably happened in al-
most every case, which showed without a ques-
tion of doubt that the salesman, while under-
standing radio, did not understand the various
receivers and tubes well enough to sell to the
type of customer who is going to be the buyer
during the coming season.
The general opinion seems to be that just
because a receiver is a five-tube affair and has
the large sockets it necessarily must be oper-
ated by the storage type of battery, or at
W
least by a similar source of supply. There are
on the market several different types of vacuum
lubes which may be classified as the lj^-volt
tube (WD11 WD12, Cll C12). These tubes are
capable of being operated by one dry cell, but
are not efficient in any work calling for radio
frequency amplification, and therefore may only
be used in such receivers as do not incorporate
radio frequency. Both the WD11 and the Cll
have a special base and need a special socket
or else an adapter to accommodate them to the
standard base sockets. The WD12 and C12,
while having the very same characteristics as
the aforementioned tube, have a standard base.
We then have the 3-volt tube, which is ad-
mirably suited to both radio frequency and
audio frequency and may be used in any circuit
which calls for tubes of this sort and may be
used to replace the 6-volt tubes, with the result
that there will be a slight decrease in the final
volume of music. These tubes arc the UV199,
C299, or De Forest DV3. These tubes operate
on three dry cells in series and consume less
current than any of the other types of tube.
In the case of the UV199 and C299 these have
;i special small base and need a special socket
or else an adapter to make them work in the
legular standard socket. However, in radio
frequency work, for which they are ideal, the
use of an adapter detracts from their efficiency.
The I.)V3, however, has a standard base and
retains the characteristics of the aforementioned
tubes.
There are then, of course, the 6-volt tubes,
such as the UV200, UV201, UV201A, C300, C301,
C301A and DV2, and these all need a 6-volt
storage battery or its equivalent to operate
them. In the case of the UV200 and C300 these
tubes are "soft" tubes and are meant for de-
tectors alone. The UV201 and C301 are used
only in audio frequency amplification. These
tubes are not being used very generally at the
present time as their place is being taken by
the "general utility tubes" of the O1A and DV3
More Sales-More Profits
Mr. Retailer
A mighty good volume of business and a larger margin
of profit awaits the dealers who stock FEDERAL
VACUUM TUBES. The long life built in every
FEDERAL TUBE will put a new life into your Fall
business. Order from your jobber or write us direct
—Now.
SERVICE LAMP COMPANY
Distributors
112-114 Trinity PI.
New York, N. Y.
"FEDERAL TUBES"
For Sure Repeat Business
Federal Type F201A
Fil. voltage
Fil. amperes
All Types in Stock
GUARANTEED
List $4.00
5
0.25
Liberal Discount
type, which are both radio frequency, audio
frequency amplifiers as well as admirable de-
tectors.
The Why and Wherefore
It might be asked as to what use such tech-
nical information is to the merchants. That
may be answered by the question: "If you
don't understand what you are selling thor-
oughly, how can you sell it?" In the first place,
take the illustration given in the first part of
this article. The prospective purchaser wanted
a five-tube receiver but did not at the present
time want to use a storage battery. In all but
two cases he was switched from the set he
wanted to another capable of being operated
en tubes of the dry cell type alone. This
showed at once that the salesman did not un-
derstand his stock or his tubes. Had he under-
stood both thoroughly he could have satisfied
the customer and sold one of the sets which
were desired.
Take, for instance, a customer who enters the
store and desires a set which normally is sold
with a storage battery and storage battery
tubes. Mention dry cell tubes to the salesman
and he will shake his head. This is the wrong
procedure, as a set does not have to be marked
"use with dry cells" in order to operate on dry
cell tubes. Take the popular make of radio
frequency receivers, including the neutrodyne
receivers, which have five tubes and use the
standard base sockets. Should a customer wish
to purchase one of these receivers and at the
same time not desire to purchase a storage
battery, but wants to use dry cells, such a set
can be sold to him with dry cell tubes. In the
case of the neutrodyne receivers, unless the set
is equipped for the UV199 type tubes, it would
be best to sell it with the DV3 type tube. This
will allow the purchaser to use dry cells, at the
same time having a set which he can at any
lime transform to a storage battery outfit by
simply obtaining the proper tubes and the stor-
age battery. No change in the wiring is nec-
essary.
It is likewise possible to sell some of the
other types of receivers in the same fashion,
and while the 1^4-volt tubes mentioned are
only permissible in a circuit comprising a de-
tector and one or two stages of audio frequency
amplification, it is possible by the use of an
adapter to incorporate the useful 3-volt small
tube to many of the receivers of the present
day.
It can be seen at a glance that such selling
methods will give the merchant a much wider
scope for his "heavy merchandise" and allow
him lo turn over his more expensive sets and
at a later date sell the party the necessary ap-
paratus to turn the sets into storage battery
operated outfits, thereby giving a double sale
for one item. It is also possible, by using
these selling methods, to approach customers
who desire the larger outfits, yet who for rea-
sons best known to themselves do not desire
the storage battery.
Before attempting to sell the sets in this man-
ner, however, the merchant should satisfy him-
self thoroughly that the sets in his stock can
be operated in this fashion. It can be safely
said that there is not one set on the market
to-day which uses the storage battery tubes,
which cannot be adapted to the use of the dry
cell tubes.
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
6
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
JANUARY 17, 1925
How a Little Knowledge Makes Sales
The Retail Salesman in the Radio Department of the Music Merchant Can Meet the Requirements of His Cus-
tomers in Almost All Cases by Knowing the Receivers Which He Carries in Stock — Some
Instances of How Sales Can Be Made Which Ignorance Causes to Be Lost
ITH the new radio prospects entering
the field, it behooves the music mer-
chants handling radio to understand
thoroughly the capabilities of the receivers
which they are carrying. The new element
which the merchant will sell to, as has been
explained before, is made up of people who have
held off from radio for reasons of their own
and who are now reaching the buying stage.
Just as a matter of investigation, several mu-
sic merchants as well as several radio stores
were visited recently and the salesmen in every
place were questioned concerning nearly every
receiver that was on display. The purpose was
to discover if they understood the operation
and capabilities of the receivers well enough
to sell them to any customers who entered the
store. In but two cases it was found that such
was the case.
An Instance
One instance was as follows: The salesman
was asked to demonstrate a given receiver and
a complaint was made because of the fact that
it had to obtain the current for the operation
of its tubes from storage batteries. The sales-
man, instead of following the right track,
switched the purchaser over to a set which was
selling at a lower price and which obtained
its operation from dry cells. In the first case
the receiver was a five-tube ncutrodyne,
whereas the receiver later demonstrated was a
three-tube regenerative operating on the 1^2-volt
tubes.
The same thing invariably happened in al-
most every case, which showed without a ques-
tion of doubt that the salesman, while under-
standing radio, did not understand the various
receivers and tubes well enough to sell to the
type of customer who is going to be the buyer
during the coming season.
The general opinion seems to be that just
because a receiver is a five-tube affair and has
the large sockets it necessarily must be oper-
ated by the storage type of battery, or at
W
least by a similar source of supply. There are
on the market several different types of vacuum
lubes which may be classified as the lj^-volt
tube (WD11 WD12, Cll C12). These tubes are
capable of being operated by one dry cell, but
are not efficient in any work calling for radio
frequency amplification, and therefore may only
be used in such receivers as do not incorporate
radio frequency. Both the WD11 and the Cll
have a special base and need a special socket
or else an adapter to accommodate them to the
standard base sockets. The WD12 and C12,
while having the very same characteristics as
the aforementioned tube, have a standard base.
We then have the 3-volt tube, which is ad-
mirably suited to both radio frequency and
audio frequency and may be used in any circuit
which calls for tubes of this sort and may be
used to replace the 6-volt tubes, with the result
that there will be a slight decrease in the final
volume of music. These tubes arc the UV199,
C299, or De Forest DV3. These tubes operate
on three dry cells in series and consume less
current than any of the other types of tube.
In the case of the UV199 and C299 these have
;i special small base and need a special socket
or else an adapter to make them work in the
legular standard socket. However, in radio
frequency work, for which they are ideal, the
use of an adapter detracts from their efficiency.
The I.)V3, however, has a standard base and
retains the characteristics of the aforementioned
tubes.
There are then, of course, the 6-volt tubes,
such as the UV200, UV201, UV201A, C300, C301,
C301A and DV2, and these all need a 6-volt
storage battery or its equivalent to operate
them. In the case of the UV200 and C300 these
tubes are "soft" tubes and are meant for de-
tectors alone. The UV201 and C301 are used
only in audio frequency amplification. These
tubes are not being used very generally at the
present time as their place is being taken by
the "general utility tubes" of the O1A and DV3
More Sales-More Profits
Mr. Retailer
A mighty good volume of business and a larger margin
of profit awaits the dealers who stock FEDERAL
VACUUM TUBES. The long life built in every
FEDERAL TUBE will put a new life into your Fall
business. Order from your jobber or write us direct
—Now.
SERVICE LAMP COMPANY
Distributors
112-114 Trinity PI.
New York, N. Y.
"FEDERAL TUBES"
For Sure Repeat Business
Federal Type F201A
Fil. voltage
Fil. amperes
All Types in Stock
GUARANTEED
List $4.00
5
0.25
Liberal Discount
type, which are both radio frequency, audio
frequency amplifiers as well as admirable de-
tectors.
The Why and Wherefore
It might be asked as to what use such tech-
nical information is to the merchants. That
may be answered by the question: "If you
don't understand what you are selling thor-
oughly, how can you sell it?" In the first place,
take the illustration given in the first part of
this article. The prospective purchaser wanted
a five-tube receiver but did not at the present
time want to use a storage battery. In all but
two cases he was switched from the set he
wanted to another capable of being operated
en tubes of the dry cell type alone. This
showed at once that the salesman did not un-
derstand his stock or his tubes. Had he under-
stood both thoroughly he could have satisfied
the customer and sold one of the sets which
were desired.
Take, for instance, a customer who enters the
store and desires a set which normally is sold
with a storage battery and storage battery
tubes. Mention dry cell tubes to the salesman
and he will shake his head. This is the wrong
procedure, as a set does not have to be marked
"use with dry cells" in order to operate on dry
cell tubes. Take the popular make of radio
frequency receivers, including the neutrodyne
receivers, which have five tubes and use the
standard base sockets. Should a customer wish
to purchase one of these receivers and at the
same time not desire to purchase a storage
battery, but wants to use dry cells, such a set
can be sold to him with dry cell tubes. In the
case of the neutrodyne receivers, unless the set
is equipped for the UV199 type tubes, it would
be best to sell it with the DV3 type tube. This
will allow the purchaser to use dry cells, at the
same time having a set which he can at any
lime transform to a storage battery outfit by
simply obtaining the proper tubes and the stor-
age battery. No change in the wiring is nec-
essary.
It is likewise possible to sell some of the
other types of receivers in the same fashion,
and while the 1^4-volt tubes mentioned are
only permissible in a circuit comprising a de-
tector and one or two stages of audio frequency
amplification, it is possible by the use of an
adapter to incorporate the useful 3-volt small
tube to many of the receivers of the present
day.
It can be seen at a glance that such selling
methods will give the merchant a much wider
scope for his "heavy merchandise" and allow
him lo turn over his more expensive sets and
at a later date sell the party the necessary ap-
paratus to turn the sets into storage battery
operated outfits, thereby giving a double sale
for one item. It is also possible, by using
these selling methods, to approach customers
who desire the larger outfits, yet who for rea-
sons best known to themselves do not desire
the storage battery.
Before attempting to sell the sets in this man-
ner, however, the merchant should satisfy him-
self thoroughly that the sets in his stock can
be operated in this fashion. It can be safely
said that there is not one set on the market
to-day which uses the storage battery tubes,
which cannot be adapted to the use of the dry
cell tubes.
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).