Music Trade Review
Issue: 1942 Vol. 101 N. 1 - Page 4
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
4t
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, PIANOS ONLY, JANUARY, 1U2
journals (one of which contained 36
pages of advertising in its December issue)
—but the pianos are all made in one fac-
tory each brand having its proportion. It
is therefore, feasible to believe that Ameri-
can production of pianos would be rational,
considering the small amount of war mate-
rials involved; the average age of the factory
workers, and the general earnings and spirit
of the people.
A
LL this is prior to the main idea —
that of re-organizing the methods
{ of distribution to include devotion
' to the merchandising ideals that
have been talked about for so many years
and which remained like Mark Twain's
weather comment. Within ourselves, the
opportunity now is presented to revise fac-
tory methods—perhaps to the extent of
taking 50 to 100 pounds of weight out of the
piano's construction. Maybe our standards
of strength can be revised so that a thinning
of this or of that is accomplished without
impairing tonal qualities. What difference
does it make if a piano is built to last only
25 years, instead of being made for an en-
durance contest with the pyramids?
T
HEN, there is an over-hauling of the
factory book-keeping. Instead of
striving to see how little a factory
can make, put the percentage on a
rational basis, comparable to the figures
found vital for the progress of other indus-
tries. Sales of factories and their nets pre-
sent much space for new financial thinking.
Dealers are not to be blamed for trying to
get low prices, and while we respect the
viewpoint of the consumer, the piano indus-
try has already contributed enough to the
public in the past with its ambition to deliver
such amazing values by factory competition
to see who can give the most for the least
money. The huge advertising and promo-
tion of prior years to develop certain name
symbols of piano quality have also been
ignored in creating proper list prices—other
industries add in a certain precentage of
such efforts for prestige.
T
WO other factors are to contribute to
increased factory prices; that of
adopting a specified overhead and
then finding it must be proportioned
over a less production, and that of interrup-
tion of the smooth manufacturing processes
due to either a shortage of a specific mate-
rial, or the inability to get permission to use
such until a certain time. Even if factory
overhead is cut to take care of the former,
the other delay is expensive. And then,
there are a dozen others all contributing its
spiraling effect towards higher prices. If a
piano wholesaling at this minute for $150,
can be priced at less than $190, then there is
a genius in that factory who ought to get a
commission on the saving. All this is said
in a mild mannered voice, based on condi-
tions, and for no other purpose than to show
that piano selling is also operating under
a fighting campaign, in terms of "results"
N the mechanics of retail sale-ing,
going back to the essentials of can-
vassing, telephone bird-dogging, the
development of leads from customers
—just a few of the endless details that once
worked so well but which were dropped in
easier selling days. This can't be disputed
—that more people want a piano to the per-
centage of sales than discovered in many
other products . . . proof that this huge desire
remains in the wishful thinking form be-
cause not contacted. Millions of persons
"want" pianos; there are roughly 10,000 per-
sons selling pianos, so while if they sell 1
piano a month, each, look what it means in
prospects not even approached? Look at the
possible development of salesmanship, and
its rewards. Even on a- war time production
at higher prices, the job on hand for piano
sellers looks far from formidable in terms of
"potentials."
I
I T H I N all this, as said in prior
months, dealers are in the un-
usual position of being able to
promote the second-hand piano
business as well as to extend their repairs,
service and tuning work. People have been
sold on the idea of having their cars "tuned";
their oil burners serviced; their refrig-
erators inspected; their radios re-tubed;
their carpets and rugs washed; clothes dry-
cleaned and pressed; shoes soled and heeled;
watches repaired—all embraced in the huge
W
4t
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, PIANOS ONLY, JANUARY, 1U2
journals (one of which contained 36
pages of advertising in its December issue)
—but the pianos are all made in one fac-
tory each brand having its proportion. It
is therefore, feasible to believe that Ameri-
can production of pianos would be rational,
considering the small amount of war mate-
rials involved; the average age of the factory
workers, and the general earnings and spirit
of the people.
A
LL this is prior to the main idea —
that of re-organizing the methods
{ of distribution to include devotion
' to the merchandising ideals that
have been talked about for so many years
and which remained like Mark Twain's
weather comment. Within ourselves, the
opportunity now is presented to revise fac-
tory methods—perhaps to the extent of
taking 50 to 100 pounds of weight out of the
piano's construction. Maybe our standards
of strength can be revised so that a thinning
of this or of that is accomplished without
impairing tonal qualities. What difference
does it make if a piano is built to last only
25 years, instead of being made for an en-
durance contest with the pyramids?
T
HEN, there is an over-hauling of the
factory book-keeping. Instead of
striving to see how little a factory
can make, put the percentage on a
rational basis, comparable to the figures
found vital for the progress of other indus-
tries. Sales of factories and their nets pre-
sent much space for new financial thinking.
Dealers are not to be blamed for trying to
get low prices, and while we respect the
viewpoint of the consumer, the piano indus-
try has already contributed enough to the
public in the past with its ambition to deliver
such amazing values by factory competition
to see who can give the most for the least
money. The huge advertising and promo-
tion of prior years to develop certain name
symbols of piano quality have also been
ignored in creating proper list prices—other
industries add in a certain precentage of
such efforts for prestige.
T
WO other factors are to contribute to
increased factory prices; that of
adopting a specified overhead and
then finding it must be proportioned
over a less production, and that of interrup-
tion of the smooth manufacturing processes
due to either a shortage of a specific mate-
rial, or the inability to get permission to use
such until a certain time. Even if factory
overhead is cut to take care of the former,
the other delay is expensive. And then,
there are a dozen others all contributing its
spiraling effect towards higher prices. If a
piano wholesaling at this minute for $150,
can be priced at less than $190, then there is
a genius in that factory who ought to get a
commission on the saving. All this is said
in a mild mannered voice, based on condi-
tions, and for no other purpose than to show
that piano selling is also operating under
a fighting campaign, in terms of "results"
N the mechanics of retail sale-ing,
going back to the essentials of can-
vassing, telephone bird-dogging, the
development of leads from customers
—just a few of the endless details that once
worked so well but which were dropped in
easier selling days. This can't be disputed
—that more people want a piano to the per-
centage of sales than discovered in many
other products . . . proof that this huge desire
remains in the wishful thinking form be-
cause not contacted. Millions of persons
"want" pianos; there are roughly 10,000 per-
sons selling pianos, so while if they sell 1
piano a month, each, look what it means in
prospects not even approached? Look at the
possible development of salesmanship, and
its rewards. Even on a- war time production
at higher prices, the job on hand for piano
sellers looks far from formidable in terms of
"potentials."
I
I T H I N all this, as said in prior
months, dealers are in the un-
usual position of being able to
promote the second-hand piano
business as well as to extend their repairs,
service and tuning work. People have been
sold on the idea of having their cars "tuned";
their oil burners serviced; their refrig-
erators inspected; their radios re-tubed;
their carpets and rugs washed; clothes dry-
cleaned and pressed; shoes soled and heeled;
watches repaired—all embraced in the huge
W
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