Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
ADVERTISING HAS MADE
AND KEPT
CAMERON'S
SALES ALIVE
By RALPH H. BUTZ
B
E G I N N I N G in a modest manner in a small room as
a dealer in musical instruments some twenty-odd
years ago, Duncan Cameron's business just grew and
grew. But there was a reason for that growth.
Cameron says 1 the reason was "hard work and plenty of it."
But there was advertising too, and plenty of that.
A born advertiser is one who is able to interest others in
his activities, but never gives away the secret. He keeps on
working, builds 1 a business organization that is a model of ef-
ficiency, and when he emerges on top he is asked to tell how
he did it.
"When we started in business," explained Cameron, "we
sold pianos and organs only. Organs soon passed out of style,
so we concentrated on pianos. We had only a few pianos in
stock, but we turned over this small stock so often that we
couldn't help but make a profit. As the business increased
we added more stock, and that's how we've been adding ad-
ditional items since. But we never forgot the lesson about
quick turnovers.
"The foundation of the business was built on a liberal ad-
vertising policy and a force of outside salesmen to follow
prospects. In the musical instrument and radio end of the
business it is necessary to follow up prospects consistently.
If we don't some other dealer will—and get the sale."
Today the Cameron Store, in Allentown, Pa., is one of
the city's large stores. Three departments are maintained,
each section being devoted to one line; pianos, radios and fur-
niture. The radio department was added ten years ago, but
the furniture department is a recent development in this busi-
ness.
In reporting on the methods that have been used during
the past two years to maintain volume he advised that sales
volume has not been affected materially because more ad-
vertising and better sales efforts were used to fill the breach.
"It is during a period like the present," he continued, "that
real sales effort counts for the most. I have gone into this
period of general decline with the courage that is born of con-
viction. If it should be necessary to lose a certain amount
of capital, I honestly believe that it is a better plan to lose
it by doing the largest possible volume of business than to lose
it by crawling into a hole and letting the public forget that we
are in business:.
"The merchant who exerts his best efforts, who keeps his
organization intact and does not allow the morale of salesmen
to become impaired, has the advantage that will permit him to
move ahead more rapidly when the first general improvement
begins to materialize. Our every move is based on this
principle.
"Salesmen should be kept busy, whether customers merely
look or whether they buy. To do this we continue advertising,
bringing customers into the store, developing new prospect
lists. The merchant who dominates with his advertising at
present not only reaps the largest volume today, but he is
just as surely building for the future.
"The unemployed man is a wonderful advertiser. He
tells everybody about it, and how terrible conditions are.
The man who is working does not advertise that fact. He
isn't bragging to everyone about his good fortune. In my
talks with the salesmen I impress this fact, so that they will
remember there are ten men employed for every man who is
not, and that if the employed man is not buying it is prob-
ably due to lack of salesmanship."
There has been no change in the credit policy at this store,
and credit problems are met on the same basis as established
years ago. This firm is a member of the local retail credit
bureau and has not at any time solicited business from people
known as slow pay or poor credit risks.
"We have not and will not now sell to any person whom
we suspect of being unable or unwilling to meet his obliga-
tions," says Cameron. "Our volume of credit business is
large and we are keeping our losses at as low a point as at
any previous time. When credit losses begin to rise it is
usually because too many little details have been overlooked.
Carelessness on the part of the credit executive is a serious
matter at any time, and especially at present."
At a time when many dealers 1 are attempting to do busi-
ness with skeleton stocks it is interesting to find a merchant
who believes in carrying a full assortment for the customer's
selection. Also where expenses have not been slashed regard-
less of the consequences.
"I believe," he remarked, "that our policy of carrying a
full stock is right, but the next few years will prove whether
we were right or wrong. Reduction of stock to a certain
point is wise at times, but when the point is reached where
customers are unable to make a selection then you lose both
the business and the customer's good opinion of your store.
"Unnecessary expenses should be reduced at all times, not
only when sales come harder. But when the sales organi/.a-
{Please turn to Page 10)
The Combination of Persistent,News-
paper Advertising and an Active
Sales Staff Makes for Quick Turn-
over of Stock—Panicky Retrenchment
Fatal, Says This Music Merchant
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW.
M a r c h . 1932