Music Trade Review
Issue: 1928 Vol. 87 N. 7 - Page 18
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The Music Trade Review
18
Store Demonstration Not Essential
in Retail Musical Instrument Selling
Manager of Band Instrument Department in Milwaukee Music Store Finds the Sales-
man Who Cannot Play Sells More at a Better Profit
AUGUST 18, 1928
public meetings. The playground band is com-
posed of boys from all Los Angeles' Play-
grounds and is directed by Edwin E. Suman.
These boys have just returned to Los Angeles
from a trip to the Playground Boys' Camp
where they spent a vacation of combined re-
hearsal and play. In the past few weeks the
band has played over several local radio sta-
tions and at the International Pageant of Music
recently held in Los Angeles. Other engage-
ments have taken the band to Ocean Park and
Owensmouth and they are scheduled to play
to the Long Reach Exposition in August.
\/fILWAUKEE, WIS., August 13.—It is pos-
sible to sell musical instruments with good
effect without demonstration, and such selling
is more economical to the store, and is far more
profitable, according to one manager of a band
instrument department in a large Milwaukee
music house.
While many local firms favor the idea of
having a large number of the sales staff com-
prised of persons with ability to perform on a
number of musical instruments, this dealer
rather favors getting salesmen who will be in-
telligent enough to study up their merchandise
from the standpoint of its manufacture, but
who at the same time will make selling their
chief concern.
"I find that in many cases the salesman who
is demonstrating is just wasting a lot of the
firm's time, and that his results do not equal
those of the man who will simply sell on the
merit of the instrument," stated this dealer.
"In the first place a demonstration by a musi-
cian of ordinary ability is not always effective
and may not do the instrument he is playing
justice. The salesman who insists on demon-
strating will likely wish to sell more than one
instrument in this way, and he usually has a
very mediocre proficiency on the other instru-
ment. Yet he will be playing away in the store
all day, giving more attention to this than to
the study of the construction of the instrument,
and analyzing his customer's needs.
"I had a salesman of this type in my depart-
ment some time ago, and I insisted that he
stop demonstrating. He maintained that it was
necessary to demonstrate in order to sell, so we
arranged an informal contest, with the permis-
sion of the manager of the concern. I was to
sell without any demonstration, and at the end
of the period our record stood two to one in
my favor. He was simply wasting his time, Jack Powell, Now on Public Circuit, Has Used
demonstrating one instrument after another, and
the Ludwig & Ludwig Product for Past
frequently boring a customer by insisting that
Twelve Years
he listen to the instrument.
"There are cases in which a demonstration
Jack Powell, famous black-face vaudcvi.le
may be necessary to close the sale, but I believe artist now playing the entire circuit of large
that the principle taken by many salesmen that Publix movie houses in a presentation act, is the
they must play on practically every instrument
they bring out before a customer buys, slows
up their selling and makes them ineffective in
their real purpose.
"Where teaching and salesmanship are com-
bined, the qualifications of a selling staff may
differ, but on the whole I believe that a selling
staff should be imbued with the idea that its
work is to sell, to show new merchandise, and
to explain departures from old manufacturing
methods as evidenced by the new lines. This
and an intelligent conception of merchandise
will suffice in most cases to sell the customer,
and with much less time and effort, and at the
same time it will accelerate store business."
Guitars and Banjos
Are Succeeding Ukuleles
according to Mr. Walker. During the last few
weeks there has been a gradual livening, and
Mr. Walker states that he looks forward to a
good Fall and Winter business.
Vcscy Walker Finds Buyers Desire Instru-
ments More Difficult to Play Than Has Been
the Case in the Past
MII.WAUKKK, Wis., August 11.—The demand for
guitars and banjos has increased as musical
education has become more general, in the
opinion of Vesey Walker of the Walker Music
Shoppe here. Mr. Walker reports that the sale
of ukuleles this year has been considerably
under that of other years, but that banjos and
guitars are demanded in increasing numbers.
"I attribute this fact to the more widespread
appreciation of music," said Mr. Walker.
"People are no longer satisfied with being able
to strum a ukulele. They do not consider that
a real art. To be able to play a guitar, how-
ever, carries with it a certain prestige, and con-
sequently the demand for the instrument has
increased."
Business at the Walker Music Shoppe has
been about on an average with other years,
Only Single Drum
Act Uses Ludwig
Hurtt-Jones-Koeder Go.
Has Begun Production
PEKIN, III., August
13.—The Hurtt-Jones-Kocder
Co. has started production on its line of band
and orchestra instruments. The company is
manufacturing Koeder's Majestic cornets,
trumpets, cornet horns, trombones and bugles,
and Hurtt Tuport line consists of trumpets,
cornets and French horns. Euphoniums and
basses will be added to the line later.
Los Angeles Playground
Boys' Band Concerts
The Los Angeles Playground Boys' Band,
which was organized with fifteen boys less than
a year ago, has developed into a sixty-piece
band and is being called upon to play at many
OlDEST AND LAH6EST HOUSE IN I H E I R A K
Dependable
WHOLESALE
ONLY
CATALOG ON
APPLICATION
BRUNO Mcnns SECURITY
MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE
CHA
3
ESTABLISHED
ESTABLISHED 1834
Cfiruno &Son Inc.
951*953 FOURTH AVE-N.V.C.
VICTOR
TALKING
MACHINES
only siiii4It- drum act on the stage. His work
as a "dumb" act, tickling out eccentric rhythms,
drum-stick juggling, using a small Ludwig bass
drum and snare drum to syncopated rhythms,
is stopping nearly every show.
He has been doing this act as a single for
the past year. For ten years before that he
worked the drums with a family musical act in
vaudeville. A European tour will follow as soon
as he completes his Publix contract. For twelve
years he has been using Ludwig drums. He
just bought a new set on his visit to Chicago
where William F. Ludwig worked out a special
display set of drums in a special size and dis-
play combination. He wears out a set of
drums every year.
Waukesha Band Leads in
Northwestern Glass B
MILWAUKEE, WIS., August 11.—Vesey Walker
of the Walker Musical Shoppe, Milwaukee,
Wis., has requested that a correction be made
in Music Trade Review as to the winner of
the Northwestern Ba,nd tournament held at
Oconomowoc, Wis., July 22. In the August 4
issue a statement was made that the Lebanon
Band won first honors in the Class B. event.
According to Mr. Walker, the Waukesha band
won first honors and was followed closely by
the Hartland Band. The Lebanon Band took
third pl?.ce, and the Cuday Band fourth place.
The Hartland, Waukesha and Cudahy bands,
however, were not eligible for the prize cup
due to the fact that they had not been voted
on for membership, and the cup was therefore
given to the Lebanon Band.
BRUNO Mennr SECURITY
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review.
The Music Trade Review
18
Store Demonstration Not Essential
in Retail Musical Instrument Selling
Manager of Band Instrument Department in Milwaukee Music Store Finds the Sales-
man Who Cannot Play Sells More at a Better Profit
AUGUST 18, 1928
public meetings. The playground band is com-
posed of boys from all Los Angeles' Play-
grounds and is directed by Edwin E. Suman.
These boys have just returned to Los Angeles
from a trip to the Playground Boys' Camp
where they spent a vacation of combined re-
hearsal and play. In the past few weeks the
band has played over several local radio sta-
tions and at the International Pageant of Music
recently held in Los Angeles. Other engage-
ments have taken the band to Ocean Park and
Owensmouth and they are scheduled to play
to the Long Reach Exposition in August.
\/fILWAUKEE, WIS., August 13.—It is pos-
sible to sell musical instruments with good
effect without demonstration, and such selling
is more economical to the store, and is far more
profitable, according to one manager of a band
instrument department in a large Milwaukee
music house.
While many local firms favor the idea of
having a large number of the sales staff com-
prised of persons with ability to perform on a
number of musical instruments, this dealer
rather favors getting salesmen who will be in-
telligent enough to study up their merchandise
from the standpoint of its manufacture, but
who at the same time will make selling their
chief concern.
"I find that in many cases the salesman who
is demonstrating is just wasting a lot of the
firm's time, and that his results do not equal
those of the man who will simply sell on the
merit of the instrument," stated this dealer.
"In the first place a demonstration by a musi-
cian of ordinary ability is not always effective
and may not do the instrument he is playing
justice. The salesman who insists on demon-
strating will likely wish to sell more than one
instrument in this way, and he usually has a
very mediocre proficiency on the other instru-
ment. Yet he will be playing away in the store
all day, giving more attention to this than to
the study of the construction of the instrument,
and analyzing his customer's needs.
"I had a salesman of this type in my depart-
ment some time ago, and I insisted that he
stop demonstrating. He maintained that it was
necessary to demonstrate in order to sell, so we
arranged an informal contest, with the permis-
sion of the manager of the concern. I was to
sell without any demonstration, and at the end
of the period our record stood two to one in
my favor. He was simply wasting his time, Jack Powell, Now on Public Circuit, Has Used
demonstrating one instrument after another, and
the Ludwig & Ludwig Product for Past
frequently boring a customer by insisting that
Twelve Years
he listen to the instrument.
"There are cases in which a demonstration
Jack Powell, famous black-face vaudcvi.le
may be necessary to close the sale, but I believe artist now playing the entire circuit of large
that the principle taken by many salesmen that Publix movie houses in a presentation act, is the
they must play on practically every instrument
they bring out before a customer buys, slows
up their selling and makes them ineffective in
their real purpose.
"Where teaching and salesmanship are com-
bined, the qualifications of a selling staff may
differ, but on the whole I believe that a selling
staff should be imbued with the idea that its
work is to sell, to show new merchandise, and
to explain departures from old manufacturing
methods as evidenced by the new lines. This
and an intelligent conception of merchandise
will suffice in most cases to sell the customer,
and with much less time and effort, and at the
same time it will accelerate store business."
Guitars and Banjos
Are Succeeding Ukuleles
according to Mr. Walker. During the last few
weeks there has been a gradual livening, and
Mr. Walker states that he looks forward to a
good Fall and Winter business.
Vcscy Walker Finds Buyers Desire Instru-
ments More Difficult to Play Than Has Been
the Case in the Past
MII.WAUKKK, Wis., August 11.—The demand for
guitars and banjos has increased as musical
education has become more general, in the
opinion of Vesey Walker of the Walker Music
Shoppe here. Mr. Walker reports that the sale
of ukuleles this year has been considerably
under that of other years, but that banjos and
guitars are demanded in increasing numbers.
"I attribute this fact to the more widespread
appreciation of music," said Mr. Walker.
"People are no longer satisfied with being able
to strum a ukulele. They do not consider that
a real art. To be able to play a guitar, how-
ever, carries with it a certain prestige, and con-
sequently the demand for the instrument has
increased."
Business at the Walker Music Shoppe has
been about on an average with other years,
Only Single Drum
Act Uses Ludwig
Hurtt-Jones-Koeder Go.
Has Begun Production
PEKIN, III., August
13.—The Hurtt-Jones-Kocder
Co. has started production on its line of band
and orchestra instruments. The company is
manufacturing Koeder's Majestic cornets,
trumpets, cornet horns, trombones and bugles,
and Hurtt Tuport line consists of trumpets,
cornets and French horns. Euphoniums and
basses will be added to the line later.
Los Angeles Playground
Boys' Band Concerts
The Los Angeles Playground Boys' Band,
which was organized with fifteen boys less than
a year ago, has developed into a sixty-piece
band and is being called upon to play at many
OlDEST AND LAH6EST HOUSE IN I H E I R A K
Dependable
WHOLESALE
ONLY
CATALOG ON
APPLICATION
BRUNO Mcnns SECURITY
MUSICAL
MERCHANDISE
CHA
3
ESTABLISHED
ESTABLISHED 1834
Cfiruno &Son Inc.
951*953 FOURTH AVE-N.V.C.
VICTOR
TALKING
MACHINES
only siiii4It- drum act on the stage. His work
as a "dumb" act, tickling out eccentric rhythms,
drum-stick juggling, using a small Ludwig bass
drum and snare drum to syncopated rhythms,
is stopping nearly every show.
He has been doing this act as a single for
the past year. For ten years before that he
worked the drums with a family musical act in
vaudeville. A European tour will follow as soon
as he completes his Publix contract. For twelve
years he has been using Ludwig drums. He
just bought a new set on his visit to Chicago
where William F. Ludwig worked out a special
display set of drums in a special size and dis-
play combination. He wears out a set of
drums every year.
Waukesha Band Leads in
Northwestern Glass B
MILWAUKEE, WIS., August 11.—Vesey Walker
of the Walker Musical Shoppe, Milwaukee,
Wis., has requested that a correction be made
in Music Trade Review as to the winner of
the Northwestern Ba,nd tournament held at
Oconomowoc, Wis., July 22. In the August 4
issue a statement was made that the Lebanon
Band won first honors in the Class B. event.
According to Mr. Walker, the Waukesha band
won first honors and was followed closely by
the Hartland Band. The Lebanon Band took
third pl?.ce, and the Cuday Band fourth place.
The Hartland, Waukesha and Cudahy bands,
however, were not eligible for the prize cup
due to the fact that they had not been voted
on for membership, and the cup was therefore
given to the Lebanon Band.
BRUNO Mennr SECURITY
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
The Review.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).