Presto
Issue: 1920 1775 - Page 24
24
PRI1TO
July 31, 1920.
TALKI
THROW THEM OUT
business if by misrepresentation he sells cheap
phonographs. His reputation is too valuable
in his piano business to be hazarded for the
sake of whatever profits he might make in the
sale of the inferior instruments.
Eventually the phonograph manufacturers
will work hard to secure the piano merchants
to represent their products. The "talking ma-
chine shops" cannot survive. The talking ma-
chine belongs logically to the musical instru-
ment trade.
Piano dealers will find the phonograph a
desirable adjunct to their business. But it
must be a good phonograph, to sell at a good
price, or better no phonograph at all.
No established piano dealer can afford to
handle cheap talking machines. If the piano
house is the logical home of the phonograph—
as it certainly is—there is no profit in selling
inferior machines. It is because a piano mer-
chant has become established, by selling repre-
sentative musical instruments, that he is well
equipped to introduce a thoroughly good pho-
nograph. He has the respect of his commu-
nity. He is recognized as an authority in tone
production, and he is conducting a store to
which the people have become accustomed to
visit when they want anything musical.
More than all, perhaps, he has the "pros-
pects" already "lined up." He knows just
where the people live who have bought pianos,
PERSISTENCY COUNTS
and he knows just how they bought and how
What is the proportion of talking machine
good their credit is in the event of their being
customers
who buy without being canvassed?
installment customers—as many of them are
The
question
was the subject of an unofficial
sure to be.
forum during the days of the Edison caravan
In short, the piano dealer is prepared to convention in Chicago recently. The number
do a phonograph business just as soon as he of different estimates provided fun and was an
can get a line of instruments fitted to his trade incentive of very interesting discussions. But
and as dependable as they must be to sustain the consensus of opinion was that the big
his established reputation. And that means majority of talking machine sales results from
that the phonographs into which he may put the personal solicitation of salesmen, plus the
a share of his energies, his organization, and advertising. It was even said that there is no
his local influence, must not be of the "cheap such thing as a spontaneous phonograph pur-
and nasty" kind. They must be as good as chase ; that customers coming to the store ap-
the industry can boast. They must be so good parently of their own free will and without the
that their prices suggest a fair profit and not invitation of salesmen have been influenced
the whatever-you-can-get basis of terms.
by the talking machine publicity.
If any established piano house has been sell-
That talking machine sales are for the most
ing the unreliable, cheap and flimsy talking part the result of persistency on the part of
machines—the kind that shine too brightly a salesman was the most frequent opinion ex-
when new and lose their luster next month; pressed. In fact, the general verdict of the
the kind that suggest nothing but a varnish veteran salesmen was that the average sale is
pot and a scratchy noise, befitting a few dol- a hard fight to get the prospect's name on the
lars in cost, it is good business to throw them dotted line.
out and begin again.
A short time ago the demand for phono-
A talking machine record department man-
graphs was so much in excess of the supply
ager says records made from musical comedies
that anything that looked like a talking ma-
are uncertain sellers. The reason, is that the
chine would sell to the trade. It isn't so to-
average musical comedy contains little music
day. The time has come when salesmanship and less comedy.
is required to sell phonographs, whether at
wholesale or retail. And salesmanship implies
A second talking machine bought on the in-
quality in the goods to be sold. It isn't sales-
stallment
plan led to the discovery of the
manship to give things away. There is no skill
double
life
of a Denver man. The man who
in taking a dealer's order for phonographs
tries
the
double
life finds he has to do two
that cost so little they suggest being thrown
men's
work
and
ten
men's lying. So what's
in to insure full measure. But anything that
the
use!
is so nearly "thrown in" is only good enough
¥ * *
to be thrown out again. It isn't fit to sell, be-
If the salesman shrugs his shoulders at the
cause it didn't cost enough to make it justify
mention
of the talking machine of a competing
any expectancy of durability or satisfaction
house
it's
a sign he can tell something that
to the "ultimate consumer" who may be
ethics
prevent
him from voicing.
tricked into its ownership.
The piano business has suffered by misrep-
A collector for the talking machine depart-
resentation. So has the talking machine. But
no piano dealer who has represented piano ment of a Minneapolis house, who is very
values can hope to continue successfully in the much "wanted," is said, in the descriptive in-
Sjs
3j!
Sjl
formation, to be averse to all kinds of humor.
It i said that on his first day in the store he
quarreled with a salesman because the latter
ventured a joke at the newcomer's expense.
It may have been a very poor joke, but anyway
the collector made it clear he would not take
a joke. Nine weeks later, in working for a
branch store, he took all the money he could
collect and skipped in a grave and serious
manner.
*
Sj!
*
Before giving the fair prospect advice about
the talking machine to buy, find out the gen-
eral direction of her tastes. Then agree with
her, but not too heartily, is the advice of the
wareroom cynic.
The Better Business Bureau might perti-
nently point out that the habitual trade adver-
tising liar is punished when he tells the truth.
Then nobody believes him.
DETERLING
Talking Machines
Challenge Comparison in
every point from cabinets to
tonal results.
Prices attractive for fine
goods. Write us.
Deterling Mfg. Co., Inc.
TIPTON, IND.
THE WONDERFUL
"FAIRY" Phonograph Lamp
Truly « Work of Art. Scientifically Constructed
Sale* Unprecedented. Secure Agency Now.
T h e greatest
practical nov-
elty offered to
the Phonograph
trade—
The
"FAIRY tt
A Phonograph
|l
Lamp
"looks" and
"a p e a k B" for
itself. In ap-
pearance luxur-
ious, It achieves
Its g r e a t e s t
triumph In Us
tone.
A newly pat-
ented s o u n d
a m p l i f y in g
chamber, radi-
cally differing
from the con-
ventional
de-
signs, give* a
true m e l l o w
tone of volume
equalling that
of most ex-
pensive Instru-
ments.
Electrically operated and equipped with a specially
designed invisible switch, regulator and tone modifier.
Let us tell how sales of the ".FAIRY" have re-
quired our maximum output ever since its appear-
ance In 1918.
ENDLESS-GRAPH MANUFACTURING COMPANY
4200-02 W e s t Adams Street
CHICAGO, ILL.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
PRI1TO
July 31, 1920.
TALKI
THROW THEM OUT
business if by misrepresentation he sells cheap
phonographs. His reputation is too valuable
in his piano business to be hazarded for the
sake of whatever profits he might make in the
sale of the inferior instruments.
Eventually the phonograph manufacturers
will work hard to secure the piano merchants
to represent their products. The "talking ma-
chine shops" cannot survive. The talking ma-
chine belongs logically to the musical instru-
ment trade.
Piano dealers will find the phonograph a
desirable adjunct to their business. But it
must be a good phonograph, to sell at a good
price, or better no phonograph at all.
No established piano dealer can afford to
handle cheap talking machines. If the piano
house is the logical home of the phonograph—
as it certainly is—there is no profit in selling
inferior machines. It is because a piano mer-
chant has become established, by selling repre-
sentative musical instruments, that he is well
equipped to introduce a thoroughly good pho-
nograph. He has the respect of his commu-
nity. He is recognized as an authority in tone
production, and he is conducting a store to
which the people have become accustomed to
visit when they want anything musical.
More than all, perhaps, he has the "pros-
pects" already "lined up." He knows just
where the people live who have bought pianos,
PERSISTENCY COUNTS
and he knows just how they bought and how
What is the proportion of talking machine
good their credit is in the event of their being
customers
who buy without being canvassed?
installment customers—as many of them are
The
question
was the subject of an unofficial
sure to be.
forum during the days of the Edison caravan
In short, the piano dealer is prepared to convention in Chicago recently. The number
do a phonograph business just as soon as he of different estimates provided fun and was an
can get a line of instruments fitted to his trade incentive of very interesting discussions. But
and as dependable as they must be to sustain the consensus of opinion was that the big
his established reputation. And that means majority of talking machine sales results from
that the phonographs into which he may put the personal solicitation of salesmen, plus the
a share of his energies, his organization, and advertising. It was even said that there is no
his local influence, must not be of the "cheap such thing as a spontaneous phonograph pur-
and nasty" kind. They must be as good as chase ; that customers coming to the store ap-
the industry can boast. They must be so good parently of their own free will and without the
that their prices suggest a fair profit and not invitation of salesmen have been influenced
the whatever-you-can-get basis of terms.
by the talking machine publicity.
If any established piano house has been sell-
That talking machine sales are for the most
ing the unreliable, cheap and flimsy talking part the result of persistency on the part of
machines—the kind that shine too brightly a salesman was the most frequent opinion ex-
when new and lose their luster next month; pressed. In fact, the general verdict of the
the kind that suggest nothing but a varnish veteran salesmen was that the average sale is
pot and a scratchy noise, befitting a few dol- a hard fight to get the prospect's name on the
lars in cost, it is good business to throw them dotted line.
out and begin again.
A short time ago the demand for phono-
A talking machine record department man-
graphs was so much in excess of the supply
ager says records made from musical comedies
that anything that looked like a talking ma-
are uncertain sellers. The reason, is that the
chine would sell to the trade. It isn't so to-
average musical comedy contains little music
day. The time has come when salesmanship and less comedy.
is required to sell phonographs, whether at
wholesale or retail. And salesmanship implies
A second talking machine bought on the in-
quality in the goods to be sold. It isn't sales-
stallment
plan led to the discovery of the
manship to give things away. There is no skill
double
life
of a Denver man. The man who
in taking a dealer's order for phonographs
tries
the
double
life finds he has to do two
that cost so little they suggest being thrown
men's
work
and
ten
men's lying. So what's
in to insure full measure. But anything that
the
use!
is so nearly "thrown in" is only good enough
¥ * *
to be thrown out again. It isn't fit to sell, be-
If the salesman shrugs his shoulders at the
cause it didn't cost enough to make it justify
mention
of the talking machine of a competing
any expectancy of durability or satisfaction
house
it's
a sign he can tell something that
to the "ultimate consumer" who may be
ethics
prevent
him from voicing.
tricked into its ownership.
The piano business has suffered by misrep-
A collector for the talking machine depart-
resentation. So has the talking machine. But
no piano dealer who has represented piano ment of a Minneapolis house, who is very
values can hope to continue successfully in the much "wanted," is said, in the descriptive in-
Sjs
3j!
Sjl
formation, to be averse to all kinds of humor.
It i said that on his first day in the store he
quarreled with a salesman because the latter
ventured a joke at the newcomer's expense.
It may have been a very poor joke, but anyway
the collector made it clear he would not take
a joke. Nine weeks later, in working for a
branch store, he took all the money he could
collect and skipped in a grave and serious
manner.
*
Sj!
*
Before giving the fair prospect advice about
the talking machine to buy, find out the gen-
eral direction of her tastes. Then agree with
her, but not too heartily, is the advice of the
wareroom cynic.
The Better Business Bureau might perti-
nently point out that the habitual trade adver-
tising liar is punished when he tells the truth.
Then nobody believes him.
DETERLING
Talking Machines
Challenge Comparison in
every point from cabinets to
tonal results.
Prices attractive for fine
goods. Write us.
Deterling Mfg. Co., Inc.
TIPTON, IND.
THE WONDERFUL
"FAIRY" Phonograph Lamp
Truly « Work of Art. Scientifically Constructed
Sale* Unprecedented. Secure Agency Now.
T h e greatest
practical nov-
elty offered to
the Phonograph
trade—
The
"FAIRY tt
A Phonograph
|l
Lamp
"looks" and
"a p e a k B" for
itself. In ap-
pearance luxur-
ious, It achieves
Its g r e a t e s t
triumph In Us
tone.
A newly pat-
ented s o u n d
a m p l i f y in g
chamber, radi-
cally differing
from the con-
ventional
de-
signs, give* a
true m e l l o w
tone of volume
equalling that
of most ex-
pensive Instru-
ments.
Electrically operated and equipped with a specially
designed invisible switch, regulator and tone modifier.
Let us tell how sales of the ".FAIRY" have re-
quired our maximum output ever since its appear-
ance In 1918.
ENDLESS-GRAPH MANUFACTURING COMPANY
4200-02 W e s t Adams Street
CHICAGO, ILL.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).