Presto

PRESTO
February 2, 1924.
CHRISTMAN
"The First Touch Tells"
WHY NOT ADD A
LINE OF PIANOS?
Question Addressed to Exclusive Musical Mer-
chandise Dealers Paraphrases One Which
Has Frequently Been Directed to the Ex-
clusive Piano Dealers.
MAKE LINE GENERAL!
Consideration of Case by Veteran Roadmen and Keen
Observer of Trade Conditions Results in Favor
of General Music Store.
There is Style, Finish and Character
in the
* '; ;
CHRISTMAN
Electrically Operated
Reproducing
Grands and Uprights
that challenges Interest on sight, and
the Tone and Operation completes the
assurance that they are Instruments
above and beyond the average pianos
—they are Artistic in every particular
and they are Sold by leading dealers
on that basis.
CHRISTMAN
Studio Grand
Only 5 Feet Long
is recognized as the first to demon-
strate that a small grand piano could
possess the power and quality of a
concert grand. It is a favorite with
critical pianists and it is a magnet
in the line of any piano store.
Every day you are
without the CHRISTMAN
agency you overlook
a good source of profit.
(€
The First Touch Tells"
Reg. U- S. Pat. Off.
Christman Piano Co.
597 East 137th St.
New York
A great deal of convincing matter has been printed
in trade papers urging piano dealers to expand their
line to include musical merchandise, but strange to
say, not much has appeared suggesting the reverse
proposition—for the musical merchandise dealer to
add pianos to his varied attractions. That has always
seemed to me surprising because of a very prevalent
thought in the minds of men who handle the small
goods.
A great many exclusive dealers in musical merchan-
dise realize now and then that they do not cater to
all of the musical needs of their community; that there
is some business they do not get which they might
get with very little additional energy. This is the
business in pianos, players and reproducing pianos
and, in some places, the business in parlor and theater
organs.
Thought for Ambitious Dealers.
It is an interesting thought to dealers ambitious to
develop into general music goods merchants that
there are good profits in the sale of music goods that
do not come to their stores. The thought with many
has resulted in the addition of a piano department
with consequent benefits in a financial way.
The many musical merchandise dealers who have
added pianos and proved the efficacy of the act,
freely testify to the wisdom of expanding their busi-
ness into one of a general merchandise character.
They are unanimous in stating that the action was
beneficial to merchant and customer. The customers
profit by getting the advantages of the larger line of
music goods, convenience in making purchases and
the better service that the expanded business assures;
the merchants in increased sales, larger profits and
the facilities for improved service.
Meaning of a Phrase.
There are prominent dealers here and there
throughout the country who distinguish themselves
by the sub-title to their names of the phrase, "The
Music Man." It is a term with a meaning that sets
them apart from all the other dealers. There is one
thing that every dealer should aspire to be and strive
to be and that is the music man of the community.
The character is a valuable asset. He is considered
an authority on everything musical and when musi-
cal information is desired the "music man" naturally
comes to mind as the competent party to supply it.
But the dealer in musical merchandise alone is not
fully qualified to present himself as the "music man,"
a title associated with full knowledge of things musi-
cal. No matter how extensive the business of musical
merchandise dealer may be he is not considered quali-
fied to talk convincingly of piano or organ matters.
The man qualified to hold the title of "Music Man" in
the community is the dealer whose line is complete,
made up of all the phases of music goods, pianos,
players, reproducing pianos, organs, orchestrions, elec-
tric pianos, phonographs, stringed instruments, reed
goods, band and orchestra instruments, rolls, records
and sheet music. With such a wide line the dealer is
qualified to act as an authority on music goods sub-
jects.
Valuable Results.
Apart from the value of the character of general
music man in bringing business to the store there is
the increased ability to keep customers. There is an
important admission that every dealer who has ex-
panded his musical merchandise line by the addition
of pianos will make and that is the greater ease in
binding customers to the store than was possible
when he carried only musical merchandise. The
pianos, players, reproducing pianos and the mechani-
cal pianos and orchestrions tend to dignify their busi-
nesses.
In every musical merchandise sale even the small-
est there is a new motive, indicative of the enlarged
field. Every purchaser of musical merchandise is
a prospect for a piano sale. The sale of a piece of
sheet music may lead to a piano sale. Every deal has
the possibilities of piano or organ deals to follow.
The boy who buys a harmonica today may be taking
piano lessons tomorrow. The newlyweds who buy a
talking machine this week are good prospects for a
piano or player when they get settled in the new
bungalow.
Customers for Everything.
There is nothing more natural than for the custom-
ers who bought small goods or phonographs to come
back to the same store for the pianos. The valuable
point of contact has been established. The piano or
player customers seek satisfaction in the store which
has gained their confidence in musical merchandise
sales. The purchasing of music goods is a progres-
sive thing. Customers who begin with small instru-
ments are in line for better or larger or otherwise dif-
ferent instruments — pianos, players, reproducing
pianos.
The music merchant who confines his business to
musical merchandise circumscribes his field; ignores
the bigger trade and its consequent greater profits. In
the smaller field he is in greater danger of losing his
customers to the store with the general line. For
when the time comes when the musical merchandise
dealer's customer is obliged to go to the warerooms
of the competitor whose stock includes "everything
in music," there is a likelihood he will continue trad-
ing there.
The Live Competitor.
There is an assurance that the competitor will take
steps to that effect. During the incidents of the
piano purchase, the periodic call with the instalments
and other happenings the old customer of the small
goods house will have developed the habit of trading
with another concern. If the piano purchase is satis-
factory and the service prompt and agreeable there
is the natural tendency for the buyer to continue
buying other musical commodities from his new
business acquaintance.
In such a case the result for the man who carries
the incomplete range of musical goods has the sad
effect. He has one customer less. He has lost the
profits on the sale of a piano and other sales arising
therefrom. A great amount of the musical merchan-
dise dealer's publicity work has been proved ineffec-
tive. When he had held a customer to the stage
where he could afford to spend a large sum of money
for a piano, he loses him because he had no pianos to
show him.
Supplying Whole Family.
The "music man" should be like the family physi-
cian, able to take care of all the members of the fam-
ily. Not only should the music dealer be able to sell
little Jimmy a harmonica, Jenny a violin or harp, Bob
a ukulele or saxophone, but also Dad a playerpiano
for the family Christmas presentation. The arrange-
ment is conceivable, desirable and best of all, prac-
tical.
A number of unobservant music dealers never see
a very common phase of human nature. That is the
pride of families that they have traded with the same
store for years, maybe for several generations. Such
customers would never think of going elsewhere to
gratify musical needs if the dealer only performed his
proper part.—M. D. S.
FIGURES SHOW INCREASE
FOR TENNESSEE DEALER
Business in December, 1923, Increased 32 Per Cent
Over Same Month of Preceding Year.
W. O. Warford, secretary and manager of the
Southern Piano Co., Jackson, Tenn., reported a 20
per cent increase in business during 1923 over the
preceding year. The company also did an excellent
business last month, making a 32 per cent increase
over the same month of 1922. The leading line of
the company is the reliable Bush & Lane Piano Co.'s
instruments, ^which has been a consistent seller in
the Tennessee city, and surrounding territory.
Mr. Warford was a recent visitor to the Chicago
trade and while in that city, called on the Q R S
Music Co.
PACIFIC COAST DEALERS.
Ben Platt, Los Angeles dealer, and George F.
Chase, of the Kohler & Chase Co., San Francisco,
Calif., stopped over in Chicago a few days before con-
tinuing their journey eastward, to attend the Janu-
ary Association Meeting in New York. While in Chi-
cago, the gentlemen called at the H. G. Johnson
Piano Company's office at the Great Northern Build-
ing.
MATT KENNEDY AT CONVENTION.
Matt J. Kennedy, secretary of the National Asso-
ciation of Music Merchants, left Chicago early this
week for New York and other points east. Mr. Ken-
nedy will attend meetings of the committees of the
National Associations at the Waldorf, New York,
this week and will also visit other eastern cities be-
fore returning to Chicago.
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