Music Trade Review

18
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Music Trade Review
JANUARY, 1951
Use All Channels to Piano Sales
(Continued from page 3)
have a better-equipped home than before. She
will enjoy her home better. She will be more
satisfied than ever before. Her reason for
purchasing a piano is fully as legitimate as the
reasons of the other two buyers.
"And so we are taking advantage of the
fact that there is a growing demand for pianos
for home decoration. At least we are listing
'home decoration' as one of our strongest sell-
ing points in the merchandising of pianos. And
we are plugging tooth and nail this merchan-
dising, or rather buying phase—Home, Decora-
tion.
"In days gone by it used to be that folks
bought pianos for what they could get out
of the instruments. They bought them prin-
cipally for entertainment. Of late, many have
come to realize that a piano has wonderful
innate educational possibilities. At the present
moment there is an added and third big reason
for purchasing a piano, a reason that does not
seem to be taken hold of and made capital
by a great majority of musical merchandisers.
This reason, as already mentioned, is 'correct
home decoration.'
"That is why, in our window displays, we
try to depict the home atmosphere. We try
to place pianos, not only in the windows, but
here in the department itself, in such a way
as to give people ideas along home decoration
ifnes. We place a piano here, and a piano
there, surround it with lamps, carpets and other
incidentals, so that the general public can't
help but note that a piano is, among other
things, a truly decorative piece of high-grade
furniture. The plan works well and we shall
continue it indefinitely."
Schweglers use the classified section of one
of Buffalo's daily newspapers. This is done
principally to sell the used piano. And what
success!
Last week, a quite typical week,
Schweglers sold two new pianos and six used
instruments. This firm uses the classified sec-
tion in this fashion! The column in which
Schwegler copy appears is dominated by this
Backed by Family Pride
BOGART PIANO CO.
music house. If, for example, there are twenty-
five items listed under the "musical" section,
a good thirteen to fifteen will contain the
Schwegler name. Each advertisement is written
differently. Punch is injected into every item,
no matter how small, with the result that
classified advertising pays and pays big for
Schweglers.
People see the Schwegler name so many
times and feel that their store is a good place
to purchase a used piano. They arrive at the
store and many become interested in a new
instrument. Here is quality-plus advertising
copy at a minimum cost!
Notwithstanding this fact, radio broadcasting
is Schweglers' biggest result-getter. Located
on the third floor of the store, the Schwegler
broadcast studios provide the setting for the
issuance of much potent copy. This store
broadcasts some three and four times weekly
and the fact that Schweglers' is a first-class
piano as well as radio headquarters is stressed
in every program. Using radio broadcast
facilities to sell pianos is something that this
store has done successfully for several years.
"Schweglers' Happy Hour" has indeed made
Schweglers' perhaps the busiest radio store in
western New York. At the same time broad-
cast advertising has done not a little to keep
pianos alive in Buffalo and to pave the way
for a wonderful piano future, as predicted by
"AT' Schwegler himself.
Another procedure that is helping Schweg-
lers to sell the piano "idea" is the printing of
piano information on every letter, personal
card and printed matter that leaves the Schweg-
ler offices. This store employs a large staff
of salesmen and it is no small matter to have
every card they pass out contain the piano
suggestion.
Salesmen follow every known lead in selling
pianos. Music teacher advertisements, musical
instrument "want" copy—everything is closely
gone after. If the prospect is avowedly a
piano prospect, nothing but pianos is men-
tioned. Salesmen are taught to appeal to the
prospect through the channels of Entertainment,
Education and Home Decoration, depending
entirely on the status of the prospect. If the
latter is obviously poor, the Home Decoration
selling point is ignored, and instead the sales-
man drives home all the harder the entertain-
ment and educational features a piano affords.
"In calling upon radio prospects," says Mr.
Schwegler, "we don't forget that we sell pianos.
If unable to sell a radio, there is the piano
that might appeal to the prospect. It happens
not infrequently that an 'N.G.' radio prospect
develops into a first-class piano prospect, and
later becomes an actual piano customer. We
try to overlook no bets when it comes to sell-
ing the larger instrument."
Schweglers offer substantial allowances for
pianos taken in for trade. Forty dollars is the
average price paid by Schweglers for a used
instrument. Used stock is sold at prices rang-
ing from $10 to $50, with player-pianos com-
manding a price as high as $150. All used
merchandise is put into O.K. playing shape at
small cost.
"We allow liberal terms on all new pianos,"
concluded Mr. Schwegler, "but we take no
chances. Terms are down in black and white
and before a piano is actually sold we are quite
sure that the customer can make payments
regularly and on time.
"I don't care much for the role of adviser,
but if I would give advice to the piano re-
tailer I'd tell him to first keep trying to sell;
second, advertise as much as possible, and do
it consistently; third, have a good stock on
hand; fourth, get in as many piano windows
as possible; fifth, have all salesmen talk pianos
at all times; and sixth, BELIEVE in a bright
future for the general piano industry and work
for it.
"Pianos are coming back. The rapidity of
the 'comeback' depends to a large extent on
the plugging of the individual music store
dealer, individually and collectively. If we all
put our shoulders to the wheel, 'yesterday' will
be here again, when pianos meant real profits
to all concerned. '
Goetzlin Does Well With
Mathushek in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL,—Louis F. Goetzlin, 138
McAllister street, maintains a beautiful group
of Mathushek models on his floor. His present
favorable location is just alongside of the great
William Taylor Hotel, recently completed, and
facing the Civic Center. While the Mathushek
was comparatively little known here when he
took it on several years ago, he states that it
has made its way largely on its excellent tone,
and beautiful finish. Teachers have been inter-
ested in it and as a result pupils have carried
the story of its merits. So trade has been
steadily developing.
MEHLIN
PIANOS
500 E. 134th St., New York
"A Leader Among Leaders"
PAUL G. MEHLIN 6c SONS
KURTZMANN
PIANOS
Wareroomi:
509 Fifth Ave., near 42d St.
NEW YORK
RAKAU
Win Friends
for the Dealer
C. KURTZMANN & CO.
Factory, 526-536 Niagara St.,
BUFFALO, N. Y.
Main Office and Factories
Broadway from 20th to 21st Sts.
WEST NEW YORK, N. J.
GRANDS
UPRIGHTS
PLAYER-PIANOS
KRAKAUER BROS.
Cypress Ave., 136th and 137th Sts.
NEW YORK