Presto

November 25, 1922.
PRESTO
salesmanship, and suggests the permanency of the work and the
broadening of the opening to profitable fields of special activities.
There may be other lines of work as attractive to young men.
Selling things that are not marked in private symbols is always at-
tractive to men of diversified abilities. It is the same spirit that stirs
the young blood when the bugle blows or the drum beats. There is
conquest ahead. And every piano salesman knows the joy of over-
coming uncertainty, defeating competition, and winning against seem-
ing odds. No line of salesmanship presents that thrill and satisfac-
tion to the same degree as in piano selling. In no field of salesman-
ship will the seller work harder or with such eager determination to
come out ahead. And the man who can win without the sacrifice of
either self-respect or price, is the man who may properly tag himself
as a real salesman.
Just now there is a demand for competent piano salesmen. No
man ever qualified unless he made a start. And there is never a
better time for starting, whether in factory, in the salesroom, or
on the road, than today. The road men are, however, being held in
leash for the time being, because the factories are not well stocked.
But in all branches of the business there is a busy season just ahead.
Piano dealers who employ salesmen on the commission basis
should have the conditions clearly defined in writing. While piano
salesmen are, as a rule, perfectly dependable and honest, self-interest
may sometimes intervene to make trouble for the employers. A com-
mission salesman is really in business for himself, subject to the
restrictions placed upon him by the head of the house for which he
operates. It is not always easy for parties to such a co-operative
effort to define the rights of both. Commissions paid should coincide
with commissions earned—and that is not the way commission
workers always prefer to make their adjustments.
* * *
Whether understanding^ or not, the New York piano house of
Spector & Son seems to be making free with the property of the
great Chicago industry of Lyon & Healy. Last Sunday's New York
newspapers contained a displayed advertisement of Spector & Son
in which that house announces its "Apartment Grand," with picture
attached. The designation "Apartment Grand" has been employed
to describe the Lyon & Healy instrument for several years. It
doesn't seem fair, to say the least, for the Grand street concern to
kidnap the 'Baby Grand of Wabash avenue with which to captivate
the New Yorkers.
* # *
An eastern business organization has been discussing the "over-
turn of salesmen." Figures on the proportion of the order-getters
who remain with their employers long enough to talk about "Our
house," as compared with those who "quit" or get "fired," are pre-
sented. And the "overturn" is characterized as a source of loss. In
the piano industry and trade there is very little "overturn" and a
good deal of turn-in and turn-about.
* * *
Piano men who keep eye open for the unusual in the things of
their business are interested in the way instruments are promoted,
or advertised. Some of the late piano advertising enters upon the
SOUTH DAKOTA PIANO
TUNERS ARE ORGANIZED
W. F. McClellan, Secretary of National Association,
Presides at Meeting in Sioux Falls.
No state organization of South Dakota piano tun-
ers was formed at the meeting held last week at the
Cataract Hotel, Sioux Falls, but instead of the ex-
pected unit of the national organization a state board
of the latter was appointed. The following members
were appointed to the board: J. A. Mueller of Mit-
chell, Edward P. Amley of Madison, E. C. Glazier of
Huron, H. R. Siegrist of Gregory, Fred Haberman of
Watertown, A. D. Disbrow of Madison and Edward
E. Hyde of Sioux Falls, who will act as chairman
of board.
W. F. McClellan of Chicago, secretary and direc-
tor of the National Association of Piano Tuners, was
present to help iii the work of organization. The
state board will have charge of applications for mem-
bership to the association and will promote educa-
tional work with musical clubs.
Following the meeting at the Cataract hotel an in-
formal supper was given for the local men and the
field of both literary and typographic art. Occasionally a pag? in
Presto proves, or illustrates, this fact. And unquestionably the full
page displays of the Steinway piano in the sepia section of the New
York Times touches the highest, spot thus far attained in the
printer's ink publicity. The Steinway pages are art in a very high
development.
* * *
For the first time in the history of the music industry a member
has this week been paid the international tribute of the world of
art. Mr. Henry B. Tremaine, of the Aeolian Company, New York,
is the gentleman thus distinguished. And no man could be more de-
serving of the unique recognition. Mr. Tremaine is a member of a
famous family of American piano men. His career in the industry
goes back to his beginning in mature life, and he has been a loyal
and consistent leader in musical affairs from the first.
* * *
Give thanks next Thursday that you are not in some other line of
business, where the potency of push and personal energy might count
for comparatively little. A counter-stock often moves slowly and
the overhead grows proportionately. In the piano business the re-
sults of special effort, personal drives and extraordinary effort, will
bring results in even the dullest days. Be thankful.
*H
*
•¥•
Because the makers of your favorite piano cannot promptly sup-
ply the instruments you want, is not a good reason for switching to
some other line. But it is good business to have something else good
enough to substitute for your leader in cases •where there is liability
of losing sales because of a shortage.
* * *
Thanksgiving is for all, and one way to make the manufacturers
give thanks is to send them settlements in full, with which to round
out the old year satisfactorily. If all the piano merchants will do
this, they will afford their best friends added cause for thanksgiving.
* * *
Give thanks that our country is at peace and that the things of
"peace will have their inning. The makers of music are numberless,
and the makers of the ins'troments of music have reason to be glad.
4
*
*
*
Give thanks that the dullest year in a long line of years has about
closed, and that you are in a business that is looming up large in pro-
portion to the energy you put into the future.
* * *
Be thankful that the year soon to dawn will be a good one. The
promise is that a bigger and better piano trade will come next year
than before since the busy days of 1919.
* * *
In your giving of thanks, don't forget to thank the sources of
your supplies, for prompt shipments, and for other assistance of a
kind known to all good piano men.
* * *
Give yourself more thanksgiving by making collections. Help
the delinquents to be thankful by getting after them. Make thanks-
giving collections!
visiting delegates. At this several made short talks
and the benefits of such an organization were stated
by members. It was said Charles McCaffree, secre-
tary of the chamber of commerce would co-operate
in work of the organization.
Those who were in attendance were: W. F. Mc-
Clellan of Chicago, A. J. Mueller, Joseph Erler of
Mitchell, Edward P. Amley of Aberdeen, O. R. Bren-
nan of Canton, E. O. Liaboe of Centerville, L. Han-
son of Dell Rapids, Ewald Hohlfeldt of Mitchell, H.
R. Siegrist of Gregory, R. G. Hoyt, Edward E. Hyde
and M. K. Heath of Sioux Falls.
GERMAN INSTRUMENT COMPETITION
Despite the present cheapness of German labor
costs and money, a gradual increase is being noted in
the ultimate cost to the foreign consumers of German
musical instruments. This is being noticed in Swit-
zerland,where Germany's advantageous geographical
position and unusually low prices have almost de-
fied competition. It now seems that the advantage
of prices will not last, and it is believed that when
conditions become normal American musical instru-
ment dealers will be able to compete in Switzerland.
Great effort should be exerted by American producers
to make their products known in this country.
BIRMINGHAM PIANO FIRM
ADOPTS UNIQUE PLAN
Inducement to Women to Visit Store Results in
Sales for E. E. Forbes & Son.
E. E. Forbes & Son Piano Company, Birmingham,
Ala., has adopted a unique plan to induce women to
visit its place of business. The firm has rented the
fourth floor of its building on Third avenue to the
Business Woman's Club.
Hundreds of women visit the club rooms every
day. Dinner is served in the club rooms every day,
except Sundays, to many women. The entrance to
the club rooms is through the piano store and then
to the fourth floor by elevator.
Not only club
women but other women of the city often take din-
ner there. Thus the sales of the company have
been increased by the large number of women visit-
ing the club dining room. Another feature of the
club room is that it keeps the store open until 9
o'clock at night, when other stores close at 6 p. m.
This gives many housewives the opportunity of mak-
ing purchases in musical instruments after supper.
In this way, too, the trade of the firm has been
increased.
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