Music Trade Review
Issue: 1930 Vol. 89 N. 4 - Page 6
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
Th e
mno
usiness
But
By A. G. GULBRANSEN
President, Gulbransen Co., Chicago
A. G. Gulbransen
T
HAT the piano business is staging a
"comeback" is very evident to those who
are following the activities of the indus-
try. The comeback, however, is making
its appearance in an entirely new form—so dif-
ferent from the accepted manner that many of
us will not recognize it unless we look carefully
and do some real clear thinking.
I know that nearly every piano dealer has the
feeling that some day—eventually, the piano
business will come back. Just how, when and
where, nobody has been able to predict. Un-
doubtedly a belief has developed in the minds
of many that some fine morning we arc to
awaken, go down to our places of business and
find, much to our surprise, that the piano busi-
ness has come back. I believe too many of us
have been waiting for a miracle to happen.
It is high time that those of us who have de-
voted a lifetime to the industry should quit
crystal-gazing and face the real facts. It is time
we should quit building our futuure hopes on
false promises and dig deep into the causes.
We should quit assuming that our business will
revive itself automatically some fine day in the
future, and then sit complacently by awaiting
the millennium. You know, it is possible to be-
come so self-satisfied and so in sympathy with
ourselves that the piano business could come
back and we would never know that it happened.
Frankly and honestly, I'm afraid that it has
happened already—that potentially the piano
business has come back—but we don't know it.
Let's quit feeling sorry for ourselves, and put
ourselves under observation. Let's make a study
of ourselves and for once look directly for weak-
nesses. It easily can be possible that as mer-
chandisers we are not in tune with this modern
day of salesmanship. Maybe we're trying to
meet 1930 selling problems with antiquated 1920 1
methods.
Let's check our activities against those of suc-
cessful merchandisers in other industries. For
example let's take the electrical refrigeration
field and see what they're doing. The best mer-
chandisers in this field approach their problem
from this angle:
1. First, they make a close study of their in-
dividual territory. They break it down into fine
bits—they cross-section it—they gather facts.
When they are through with this survey they
have all this information on index cards. They
classify their prospects as to their requirements
and ability to buy a refrigerator. Then they
start to work!
2. They next organize a sales force and they
drill and school this force until each man be-
comes an authority on refrigeration. They arm
these salesmen with interesting facts and figures
on food preservation. They learn all kinds of
sales talks. They know how to appeal to the
mother through selling talks on the value of
perfect refrigeration in relation to the health
of the children. They have facts and figures to
offer as to comparative costs of electric refrig-
eration over using ice. In other words, they are
armed with "air tight" sales talks which enable
them to meet and overcome every objection.
3. Next, they divide their territory among their
salesmen and hold each salesman responsible for
every prospect in his territory. His work is
checked once a day. A non-producer cannot,
under this system, waste very much of the deal-
er's money. He soon knows within a few days'
time whether or not a salesman is going to pro-
duce. He doesn't take into consideration the
fact that a salesman might be a "nice fellow"
—all he is interested in is whether or not he
makes sales. He looks upon his sales force as a
"sales machine" and if any one individual is out
of gear, he is simply replaced. "Cold blooded?"
you ask. No—absolutely no! If a man is unable
to "click" as a refrigerator salesman, it is only
treating him fair to let him know it quickly, so
he can be on his way to find a niche in the
scheme of things in another line of work.
Now, let's check the above procedure against
the methods used by the average piano dealer.
Chances are you won't
find one per cent of the
^^^^^__^^^^^_
piano dealers going after
^^^^^^^™^^^*
their job as intensively as
this. Wherever you can
point out one dealer who
is using these methods,
I'll point to him also as
one piano dealer who will
tell you definitely the
piano business has come
back!
Let's ask ourselves a
few questions—let's give
ourselves a "third degree."
How many piano dealers
have a complete card in-
dex of every possible
prospect in their selling
areas?
How many dealers have
a complete card system
giving the following in-
ianc
formation on each and every prospect:
a Name of make and age of piano, if any,
b iNumber of children in the home—and ages,
c Financial condition of the home,
d Are children studying piano—if so, name
of teacher,
e Are any children taking piano class instruc-
tion in schools,
f A complete record of number of times con-
tacted,
g A complete record of all direct-mail sent to
prospect,
How many dealers have a definite year-round
direct-mail program?
How many dealers have divided their pros-
pects definitely among their salesmen holding
each salesman responsible for his prospects?
How many dealers demand a certain quota of
calls per day—per week—per month?
How many dealers have a definite set of sales
arguments—sales talks they know from expe-
rience strikes home and gets results?
How many dealers are selling the things a
piano will do for a home, rather than merely
selling so much wood, felt, strings, duco and
metal at a price?
How many dealers are selling the educational
advantages of a piano for children, rather than
trying to sell the more physical piano at a price?
How many dealers have a system developed
wherein they can judge the worth of a new
salesman within a few days rather than several
months?
How many dealers are trying to substitute
(heir own personality—their own pleasant smile
—and the fact that "I'm Jim Smith"—for a
definite selling program as outlined above?
How many dealers have a selling program of
any kind?
Regardless of which category you belong,
frankly, which program do you believe will put
the most money in the bank for you—a definite
selling program, or just a sort of a go-easy pro-
fit is high time that those of us who have
devoted a life time to the industry should
quit crystal-gazing and face the real facts.
. . . We should quit assuming that our
business will revive itself automatically
some fine day in the future, and then sit
complacently by awaiting the millen-
nium."
Th e
mno
usiness
But
By A. G. GULBRANSEN
President, Gulbransen Co., Chicago
A. G. Gulbransen
T
HAT the piano business is staging a
"comeback" is very evident to those who
are following the activities of the indus-
try. The comeback, however, is making
its appearance in an entirely new form—so dif-
ferent from the accepted manner that many of
us will not recognize it unless we look carefully
and do some real clear thinking.
I know that nearly every piano dealer has the
feeling that some day—eventually, the piano
business will come back. Just how, when and
where, nobody has been able to predict. Un-
doubtedly a belief has developed in the minds
of many that some fine morning we arc to
awaken, go down to our places of business and
find, much to our surprise, that the piano busi-
ness has come back. I believe too many of us
have been waiting for a miracle to happen.
It is high time that those of us who have de-
voted a lifetime to the industry should quit
crystal-gazing and face the real facts. It is time
we should quit building our futuure hopes on
false promises and dig deep into the causes.
We should quit assuming that our business will
revive itself automatically some fine day in the
future, and then sit complacently by awaiting
the millennium. You know, it is possible to be-
come so self-satisfied and so in sympathy with
ourselves that the piano business could come
back and we would never know that it happened.
Frankly and honestly, I'm afraid that it has
happened already—that potentially the piano
business has come back—but we don't know it.
Let's quit feeling sorry for ourselves, and put
ourselves under observation. Let's make a study
of ourselves and for once look directly for weak-
nesses. It easily can be possible that as mer-
chandisers we are not in tune with this modern
day of salesmanship. Maybe we're trying to
meet 1930 selling problems with antiquated 1920 1
methods.
Let's check our activities against those of suc-
cessful merchandisers in other industries. For
example let's take the electrical refrigeration
field and see what they're doing. The best mer-
chandisers in this field approach their problem
from this angle:
1. First, they make a close study of their in-
dividual territory. They break it down into fine
bits—they cross-section it—they gather facts.
When they are through with this survey they
have all this information on index cards. They
classify their prospects as to their requirements
and ability to buy a refrigerator. Then they
start to work!
2. They next organize a sales force and they
drill and school this force until each man be-
comes an authority on refrigeration. They arm
these salesmen with interesting facts and figures
on food preservation. They learn all kinds of
sales talks. They know how to appeal to the
mother through selling talks on the value of
perfect refrigeration in relation to the health
of the children. They have facts and figures to
offer as to comparative costs of electric refrig-
eration over using ice. In other words, they are
armed with "air tight" sales talks which enable
them to meet and overcome every objection.
3. Next, they divide their territory among their
salesmen and hold each salesman responsible for
every prospect in his territory. His work is
checked once a day. A non-producer cannot,
under this system, waste very much of the deal-
er's money. He soon knows within a few days'
time whether or not a salesman is going to pro-
duce. He doesn't take into consideration the
fact that a salesman might be a "nice fellow"
—all he is interested in is whether or not he
makes sales. He looks upon his sales force as a
"sales machine" and if any one individual is out
of gear, he is simply replaced. "Cold blooded?"
you ask. No—absolutely no! If a man is unable
to "click" as a refrigerator salesman, it is only
treating him fair to let him know it quickly, so
he can be on his way to find a niche in the
scheme of things in another line of work.
Now, let's check the above procedure against
the methods used by the average piano dealer.
Chances are you won't
find one per cent of the
^^^^^__^^^^^_
piano dealers going after
^^^^^^^™^^^*
their job as intensively as
this. Wherever you can
point out one dealer who
is using these methods,
I'll point to him also as
one piano dealer who will
tell you definitely the
piano business has come
back!
Let's ask ourselves a
few questions—let's give
ourselves a "third degree."
How many piano dealers
have a complete card in-
dex of every possible
prospect in their selling
areas?
How many dealers have
a complete card system
giving the following in-
ianc
formation on each and every prospect:
a Name of make and age of piano, if any,
b iNumber of children in the home—and ages,
c Financial condition of the home,
d Are children studying piano—if so, name
of teacher,
e Are any children taking piano class instruc-
tion in schools,
f A complete record of number of times con-
tacted,
g A complete record of all direct-mail sent to
prospect,
How many dealers have a definite year-round
direct-mail program?
How many dealers have divided their pros-
pects definitely among their salesmen holding
each salesman responsible for his prospects?
How many dealers demand a certain quota of
calls per day—per week—per month?
How many dealers have a definite set of sales
arguments—sales talks they know from expe-
rience strikes home and gets results?
How many dealers are selling the things a
piano will do for a home, rather than merely
selling so much wood, felt, strings, duco and
metal at a price?
How many dealers are selling the educational
advantages of a piano for children, rather than
trying to sell the more physical piano at a price?
How many dealers have a system developed
wherein they can judge the worth of a new
salesman within a few days rather than several
months?
How many dealers are trying to substitute
(heir own personality—their own pleasant smile
—and the fact that "I'm Jim Smith"—for a
definite selling program as outlined above?
How many dealers have a selling program of
any kind?
Regardless of which category you belong,
frankly, which program do you believe will put
the most money in the bank for you—a definite
selling program, or just a sort of a go-easy pro-
fit is high time that those of us who have
devoted a life time to the industry should
quit crystal-gazing and face the real facts.
. . . We should quit assuming that our
business will revive itself automatically
some fine day in the future, and then sit
complacently by awaiting the millen-
nium."
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