Music Trade Review

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How a Salesman Lost
A Piano Sale That Meant $1,800
False Judgment of a Customer From Appearance More Often
IThan Not Leads to the Salesman Missing an Opportunity to
Close a Sale—That Loss Is Invariably the Competitor's Gain
HE familiar story—especially written for
salesmen—usually revolves around the
theme of "How to Make a Sale." This
is a different story. An unusual story inas-
much as it tells the tale of "How to Lose a
Sale." This is a true story.
When Mary Brown was eight years old, her
mother walked into the dining room one day
and saw a sight. Mary was down on her knees
in front of a dining-room chair humming to her-
self, while her fingers played the tune on an
imaginary piano.
"What are you doing, Mary?" Mrs. Brown
asked laughingly.
"Playing piano," answered Mary shyly, jump-
ing to her feet and running to her mother.
That settled it. Mrs. Brown went to the
telephone, called up her husband and told him
of the incident. The next day when Mary
returned from school she walked into the living
i ooin and saw an upright piano. Her joy knew
no bounds. That night at the dinner table
Mr. Brown said solemnly, "Mary, we have a
music teacher coming to give you lessons to-
morrow, now that you have your own piano."
How the little face of Mary lit up at that!
"Is it really my piano?" she asked, eyes
shining with happy eagnerness.
"It's really yours," said Mr. Brown, "and,
Mary, if you practice faithfully for the next
eight years, on your sixteenth birthday I'll buy
you a grand piano."
The following years showed plainly that Mary
was a born musician. She quickly outgrew her
music teachers and entered the University
School of Music for advanced study.
Mr. Brown was in very comfortable circum-
stances, so, on Mary's sixteenth birthday, he
said, "I want you to stay out of school to-
day, Mary, and go down this morning and pick
out your grand piano."
"Alone?" asked Mary happily.
"You're the musician, aren't you?" joked her
father, gazing fondly at his daughter.
"Yes, father, and I know the piano I want,"
said Mary.
"All right," said Mr. Brown, rising from the
breakfast table, "you call me up when you have
found the piano you want and I'll meet you at
the store and write out a check."
Mary left the house at nine-thirty and start-
id downtown. She was dressed in a navy blue
spring suit, with starched white collar and cuffs.
A small sky-blue felt hat was pulled down over
her blonde curls.
The excitement of going
down.and at last selecting her grand piano had
brought a dash of bright color across each
smooth check.
Arriving downtown she walked straight to
the music store that carried the—piano.
"This young lady," said the man who had
conducted her upstairs to a pompous looking
individual who stepped forward, "is interested
in buying a—— piano." With that her courte-
ous guide turned and walked away.
1
The stout, slightly bald piano salesman looked
at Mary and said patronizingly, "Ah—aren't you
pretty young to be looking at a piano to buy
—alone?"
"I don't think so," said Mary.
T
"Well," the salesman shook his head dubious-
ly, "I'll show you what we have. You wanted
to see the
uprights?"
"I wanted to see a
grand," said Mary dis-
tinctly, and added, "not the baby grand, but the
next size larger."
The salesman stopped in his tracks and smiled
broadly as he said, "Do you mean to say your
parents are willing to let you select a grand—
alone?"
Mary, without speaking a word, turned and
started towards the elevator.
"One minute," called the salesman, still
taking the whole affair as a joke, "now that you
are here, I might as well show you our line of
grands."
As Mary had dreamed of owning a
piano
for years, she made a brave attempt to control
her rising indignation and followed the sales-
man down the room. He stopped in front of a
grand in a beautiful mahogany case.
"This is the n£xt size larger than a baby
grand," he said, waving his hand airily toward
the piano.
"How much is it?" asked Mary, laying a
caressing hand on the beautiful wood.
"$1,800," said the salesman impressively—oh,
so very impressively. And then, without more
ado, he sat down on the bench and began play-
ing. As if entranced with his own performance,
he drifted from one piece to another. Mary,
who was longing to try the piano herself, stood
it for fifteen minutes and then said, "Thank
you. I believe I will have to go." Very
reluctantly, the pompous salesman got to his
feet. He had become so in love with the im-
pressive picture he imagined he had been mak-
ing on Mary, as he played, that he was loath
to quit his role.
On reaching the elevator he said, smiling
smugly, "When you really are in earnest about
buying a grand, and your mother is with you,
I'll be glad to talk pianos."
Holding her head high, Mary left the store.
As she started down the street, her eyes were
full of tears. Tears of disappointment. Well,
she decided she'd call her father on the tele-
phone and let him handle the matter. And then
she noticed a beautiful grand piano in a win-
dow she was passing. She entered the store.
Again she was courteously conducted to the
second floor. No salesman, however, was in
sight, so her guide excused himself and said
he would locate some one to show her the
stock.
Before he had time to return from the first
floor, a slender, well-dressed mair with snow-
white hair walked quickly from the back of
the long room towards Mary.
"Are you being waited upon?" he asked
courteously.
Mary smiled and told him no.
"What was it you wished to see?" asked the
courteous salesman. -
Mary then explained how, in passing the store
she had noticed the
grand in the window,
and although she knew little about that make
of piano she thought it would do no harm to
come in and make inquiries concerning it.
"If you are interested in a grand," said the
••
'
7
' '
courteous salesman, "I'd like to show you the
.line." With that, he led her from one model
to another. After Mary had explained about
wanting a size larger than a baby grand lie
said, "You are right there. The strings are
longer on the next size larger than a baby grand
—consequently there is more tone." Then he
sat down on a bench and ran his fingers light-
ly over the keys. Mary mentioned that she
had thought of buying a
piano, but that she
loved the tone of the
. Instantly the sales-
man rose to his feet and said, "You play, don't
von?" As Mary nodded, he smiled and said,
"1 love music but I do not play—only a few
chords. Sit down and try the piano yourself."
Mary sat down and began playing. Quite
in love with the sweet tone of the piano she
said, "I believe I like the
better than the
— , after all."
"You know," said the courteous salesman, "we
(Continued on prifjc 22*
Pratt Read
Products
keys actions
players
are shipped on time.
When we make a
promise you can
count on it.
When you want
quick service you
can get it.
We have over
200,000 sq. ft.
of manufacturing
space to back you
up with.
Write us at the
first opportunity.
PRATT, READ & CO.
Established in 1806
The PRATT READ PLAYER ACTION CO.
Deep River, Conn.