Presto

10
PRESTO
CONVINCING WITH
SALES MANUALS
Printers' Ink Makes Analysis of Many Meth-
ods of Conveying the Facts That Result in
the Customer's Name on the Dotted
Line.
THE GULBRANSEN WAY
Makers of the Registering Piano Credited With Per-
fect Sales Method Which Convincingly Presents
Main Arguments by Text and Talk.
How sales arguments are presented in sales man-
uals was the object of a survey made by Printers'
Ink recently, the results of which are presented in an
article by E. B. Weiss in the number for April 10.
The article is an analysis of sales manuals collected
from houses all over the country and it is very grati-
fying to the Gulbransen Co., Chicago, that its sales
manual was declared the most effective of all those
reviewed. The article in Printers' Ink is reprinted:
The primary function of the sales manual is to pro-
vide the sales force with selling talk. But there are
many methods of convincingly portraying the more
important sales arguments. The plan decided upon
can make the main talking points graphic and more
easily remembered or it can bury the information in a
maze of poorly arranged and poorly presented ma-
terial.
It is because the importance of according this phase
of sales manual construction is quite generally under-
stood, that Printers' Ink has been receiving numerous
requests lately for an analysis of what is being done
along this line.
Accordingly, a study of the various devices em-
ployed in different manuals for this purpose was
made. Here are the findings:
The Analysis.
Perhaps the. most interesting of all plans unearthed
in this investigation is that used by the Gulbransen-
Dickinson Company, Chicago, manufacturer of the
Gulbransen piano. This company had found that
one of its dealers far outdistanced alt other Gulbran-
sen retailers in his annual sales volume on that piano.
11 was curious to know the reason and some one
was sent to secure a complete report relative to his
methods. The investigator induced the retailer to
explain his selling plan in detail. In addition, the
merchant actually staged a sale so that the reporter
could secure a verbatim copy of his sales talk. Most
important of all, the dealer was asked, and consented
to pose for a number of photographs picturing his
actions at various times while the sale was being
made.
With this background, the company is in a position
to introduce its manual by saying in the foreword:
"Without any qualification, the statement can be
made that the method of demonstration of the Gul-
bransen, outlined in this manual, is selling more Gul-
bransens than any other plan. It is being success-
fully practiced not by one man in an organization, but
by entire organizations; not in one city, but in many
cities."
Importance of the Foreword.
When a manual is given a send-off such as this it
makes a more impressive start than might otherwise
be the case. In other words, the sort of bow a man-
ual makes to its readers is quite important in deter-
THE
W. P. HAINES & COMPANY
PIANOS
THE PIANOS OF QUALITY
Three Generations of Piano Makers
All Styles—Ready Sellers
Attractive Prices
GRANDS
REPRODUCING GRANDS
UPRIGHTS and PLAYERS
AVAILABLE TERRITORY OPEN
W. P. HAINES & CO., Inc.
138th St. and Walton Are.
New York City
story back of the story told in the book, if it is at all
interesting or impressive, should be related in the
foreword for it lends added dignity to the sales
arguments and in that way makes their actual presen-
tation more effective.
It should be mentioned at this point that the Gul-
bransen-Dickinson manual is distributed among re-
tailers and dealer-salesmen. However, inasmuch as it
is designed to increase selling efficiency, the audience
to which it is directed is not of great moment. The
same appeal which causes a retailer or a retail sales-
man carefully to read a manual and practice what it
preaches will prove every bit as convincing when used
in a book of instruction distributed among manufac-
turers' or wholesalers' salesmen.
The Conversational Form.
The natural thing to do, when a manual is based on
information obtained in the manner related, is to have
the text written in conversational style. That is ex-
actly what Gulbransen did. As a result there is noth-
ing artificial about the manner in which the sales
arguments are presented. It is really a case of one
salesman talking to another and the language pol-
isher was not given an opportunity to perform his
duty of eliminating a word here, substituting a word
there and improving the language generally. Instead,
the text reads as one would expect a retail salesman
to talk.
For example, the manual begins with a complete
absence of long-winded introduction. "If I may, I
want to show you, first, what a wonderful piano we
have in the Gulbransen." There you have the open-
ing sentence. The start is almost abrupt. But most
retail selling talks are shorn of unnecessary trim-
mings and the company wanted the book to read true
to life.
Making It Plain.
This thought is worthy of elaboration. The sales
argument, no matter how good it may actually be,
which is placed before the Salesman in a language as
foreign to him as Greek, falls flat. It loses SO per cent
of its effectiveness. This does not mean that the ar-
gument should be served in language which the sales-
man can adopt without a change of a word. But
it does mean that, unconsciously, the salesman-
reader is thinking, "Would I say it like that?" If
his subconscious mind replies negatively the sales ar-
gument is weakened considerably.
This is the way Gulbransen circumvented this com-
mon pitfall. The manual has reached the point where
the salesman is explaining to the customer the prin-
ciple of the Gulbransen Instruction Roll. He is say-
ing:
"We have here, in Gulbransen Instruction Roll
Xo. One, a song you have, no doubt, heard many
times. It is 'My Wild Irish Rose.' You see the
words are written on it. The end perforation, on
the right, in this piece represents the tune. This first
hole for the word 'If,' the next for the word 'you,' etc.
Now. if we sing the words, we sing the tune. Don't
we? Well, then, if w 7 e accent the w r ords, we accent
the melody and will be playing it as a piano solo.
The only thing you have to know is whether those
end perforations that represent the words are coming
under the Melody Indicator or not. They are coming
under it. Are they not?
"Well, then, release the treble lever, only, and pedal
a little. Hear the melody being accented? Now,
here we have no words, so pinch both levers together
and you have the accompaniment soft. Here are the
words again, so open the treble lever for them. Fine!
Hear that? You did that beautifully."
All the while this running fire of talk is continuing,
the prospect is seated before the piano. He is finger-
ing the various keys and devices as the salesman talks.
Bearing this in mind—isn't the conversation honest-
to-goodness dealer talk?
Sounds Natural
Notice, how naturally the conversational style gets
across argument after argument. There is nothing
forced. The sales arguments just seem to become
part of the mental equipment of the reader without
effort. And all because the reader and the text meet
on a common ground—the sales floor of a retail store.
Nor did the Gulbransen-Dickinson Company stop
here. Fully two-thirds of the pages contain large-
size photographs posed by the dealer and presum-
ably a professional model who poses as the prospec-
tive buyer. The photographs are exceptionally well
done. They are as unassuming as the text. Each
picture visualizes, directly or indirectly, a vitally im-
portant sales argument and presents it photographic-
ally so that the talking point must necessarily be
permanently impressed upon the reader.
VISIT LYON & HEALY.
Among the dealers who visited the wholesale de-
partment of Lyon & Heajy, Chicago, last week
were: Bert Forth, Montgomery, W. Va.; Ben Pol-
lach, Whiting, Ind.; G. M. Adams, Adams Music Co.,
Ft. Worth. Texas; Mr. W T eiffbrod, Richland, Ind.;
Mr. A. Bell, East Chicago, Ind.; Mr. Brown, Mat-
toon, 111.; Mr. Cardinal, Kenosha, Wis.; Wm. Jule-
mati, Antioch, 111., and A. E. Nye, West McKinley,
Illinois.
NEW ILLINOIS BRANCH.
J. H. Rhodes, Hillsboro, 111., opened his new music
store at Litchfield, 111., recently. Mrs. Louise Hood
Rahmeyer, prominent in music circles in Litchfield,
is manager. The new store is located in a desirable
part of State street. Mr. Rhodes handles the Gul-
bransen, Adam Schaaf, and other pianos, the same
lines he sells at his Hillsboro store.
May 10, 1924.
MORE STIMULATION FOR
DEALER AND SALESMAN
Way to Piano Sales Pointed Out in Baldwin
Bulletin in a Way That Is Practical.
"Price is not a factor. There are more Rolls-Royce
cars on Fifth avenue than Fords," says a bulletin of
the Baldwin Piano Co., Cincinnati, prepared for the
inspiration of dealers and salesmen.
"The quality of the Baldwin may be assumed from
its continued use by the great masters who, for the
sake of their art and their prestige, will use only the
best," the bulletin continues. ''Direct stimulation of
sales by dealer includes canvassing and local adver-
tising; development of a live, likely mailing list and
the regular distribution of appropriate literature; sell-
ing talks to your salesmen; effective use of display
material, booklets, etc., prepared by us for your use.
One or two Baldwin sales will cover the entire cost
of your local work. Indirect stimulation of sales by
dealer includes cultivation of your local musicians,
music clubs and music teachers, boards of education,
etc., co-operation with theaters, concert halls, etc.
Remember that one enthusiastic musician may place
dozens of pianos in homes where otherwise the se-
lection would be at random.
"Actual sales to only a small percentage of those
able to buy an artistic piano in any community will
amount to a wonderful business. And what a de-
sirable business it will be—better prices, shorter
terms, more profit."
LATE FACTS GATHERED
IN THE MUSIC TRADE
Brief Items of Activities in the Business Collected
in Many States.
The Frick Music Store, Richmond, Ind., of which
Roy Emrick has been manager, is moving its goods
to Eldorado, Ind.
The Strand Music Store, Albany, N. Y., purchased
the property at the southeast corner of Quackenbush
street and Broadway and plans for a modern struc-
ture to be erected upon this property have been made.
This is an extremely valuable corner.
The Diggles Music Co., Sacramento, Calif., reports
a lively business in the Public Market Building, Thir-
teenth and J streets.
Papers of incorporation have recently been filed
for Miller's Music Store, Inc., Salem, Mass., which
will deal in musical instruments and merchandise.
WESER
Pianos and Players
Sell readily—Stay sold
Great profit possibilities
Style E (shown below) our latest 4'6"
Order a sample to-day.
Liberal advertising and
cooperative arrangements
Write for catalogue
and price list
Weser Bros., Inc.
Manufacturer*
520 to 528 West 43rd St.
New York
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