Presto
Issue: 1928 2172 - Page 11
1 J RES T 0-T IMES
March 17, 1928
REMUNERATION FOR
PIANOJ5ALESMEN
Starvation Commission Basis Established in
Boom During the Great War Now Being
Relinquished by Piano Merchants
Who Obey the Exigencies of a
New Day.
DREAM DUST POLICY
You Can't Keep in Business as a Piano Merchant by
Merely Opening Up in the Morning and
Closing at Night. Wake Up!
By ELMON ARMSTRONG.
In the following article Klmon Armstrong, the widely
known piano traveler, continues the discussion of deal-
ers' methods of financially compensating salesmen for
their work in finding piano prospects and closing sale^.
The other party to the discussion is a prominent dealer
who declines to have his name appear. The latter had
an article printed in Presto-Times on Jan. 14. headed,
"Suggestions to Help the Trade," in which definite
trade-in allowances and definite sums as commissions
were proposed. In the issue of Feb. 18, Mr. Armstrong
replied with' "'Keeping Salesmen in the Piano Trade,"
in which he disagreed with the propositions of the
anonymous correspondent and made suggestions of his
own. It became a hot controversy when the anonymous
one "came back" at Mr. Armstrong in Presto-Times
of March 3 and it is brought up-to-date in the letter
from Mr. Armstrong printed below:
The articles that the Presto-Times has been pub-
lishing regarding the conduct of the piano business
are creating considerable interest in the trade. Piano
merchants will talk a great deal about a matter of
this kind, but they seldom write articles to the papers,
so it is difficult to always determine just how much
interest is being manifested in a matter of this kind.
Rut, traveling among the trade gives one an oppor-
tunity to ascertain the interest felt.
Some of the articles published by the Presto-Times
which I contributed more than a year ago, started
the "talk," and has resulted in a number of changes
in method of conducting business. One salesman
in Denver, Colo., supposed to be of the worthless,
inferior type," read the articles in the Presto-Times
a year and a half ago and wrote a letter to me. The
adoption of this plan led to this ''worthless salesman"
on the "starvation commission contract" basis, land-
ing a job as manager of a large piano store. The
principle of selling, and the conduct of the business
that has been shown by articles in the Presto-Times
that I have contributed on this subject, was incor-
porated in that business and vitalized it. It increased
the number of salesmen in that organization. It
increased the business of that institution, and the far-
reaching effects were felt in the center of the man-
ufacturers.
Multiply That Instance.
It is a very simple business proposition to take
that one instance and multiply it many times in this
11
country through the dealers, to ascertain the stub-
born tact that this will positively increase business,
and therefore pull the piano business out of the "bog
hoe," using common parlance.
Another instance, learned this week, is similar in
nature. A small dealer in phonographs read the arti-
cles in the Presto-Times and began to take an inven-
tory of himself. He made up his mind that he would
quit kicking at others, and find out if there wasn't
some fault in the method he was employing in selling
his goods.
Quit Ostrich Tactics.
He abandoned his old time-worn "dream dust pol-
icy" of working his business and took on a sensible,
just, co-operative plan that has been outlined in the
articles published by the Presto-Times and conceived
that sa'esmen were the soldiers that won the battles of
business. He found in these articles the code for
the general to employ in handling his "soldier-sales-
men. Last year he sold 1,100 phonographs, and busi-
ness is good with him now. Incidentally, instead of
having a loan at the bank as heretofore, he has loaned
the bank $5,000 and taken a certificate for it.
The anonymous correspondent, the party of the
second part in this discussion headed his first article:
"Keeping Merchants in the Piano Trade." This cor-
respondent is looking at the matter from one angle
only, and that is, keeping the merchants in the piano
trade, and from the angle of being sure that the mer-
chant doesn't pay the salesmen too much of his profit
It is good as far as it goes, but it doesn't go any
farther than simply looking at a conservation of the
profit for the merchant. From that simple angle it is
sane, safe and conservative, but it embraces too little
of the '"Great Problem" that confronts the piano
business. It is altogether probable that 8 per cent
and 10 per cent is enough to be allotted to the sales
fund, as he contends.
Keeping the Business.
But, the big question is not only "Keeping the Mer-
chants in the Piano Trade," but to keep the business
done by the merchants going full blast. They could
keep in the piano trade, and many of them are doing
it today, by opening their store in the morning and
closing it at night. They could keep offering 8 per
cent and 10 per cent commissions only, and many
of them are doing it, and if the anonymous corre-
spondent will investigate that side of it, and learn
a little more of that angle of it, he will know why
these fellows that are "keeping in the trade" are not
doing enough business, and why the piano business,
as he admitted in a former article, is in "a deplorable
condition."
This anonymous writer is all right in his one
thought, but he cannot lead the orchestra by playing
the violin on the E string only, and his 8 per cent
and 10 per cent plan alone hasn't developed business.
It has been "weighed in the balance and found want-
ing. Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin!
In his last article this anonymous writer begins to
get nearer a broader conception of the big problem.
He is in favor of a weekly drawing account for the
THE JEWETT PIANOS
Reliable Grand, Upright and Player Pianos
JEWETT PIANO CO., Boston Factories: Leominster, Mass.
WALTER LANE RESIGNS
OFFICE OF PRESIDENT
Plans Long Rest and Is Succeeded by C. L.
Beach as Head of the Bush & Lane
Piano Co., Holland, Mich.
Walter Lane, president of the Bush & Lane Piano
Company, Holland, Mich., has resigned from that
office but will continue on the directorate. Ill health
has forced him to refrain for a time from active work
and necessitates the rest promised in a long vacation.
But his advice will be depended upon when any con-
WALTER LANE.
struction problems arise in the factory. Mr. Lane
has a nation-wide fame as a piano expert.
At the election last week, C. L. Beach was chosen
to succeed to the office of president and other officers
elected were: W. H. Beach, vice-president; C. V.
Hungerford, secretary, and E. P. Stepham, general
manager. As factory manager Mr. Lane is succeeded
bv O. W. Schantz.
salesmen. That is very good. But does he know
how many piano merchants are sitting in the stores
behind big mahogany desks, anxiously expecting some
customers to come in and buy. Does this anonymous
writer know that all such merchants are saying: "I
want some salesmen." And when they come he
throws out a "starvation commission agreement" that
with no weekly salary or financial cooperation and'
agreement" that is as promptly thrown down as
it is offered? After this occurs that gentleman lights
his cigar and begins to talk about the worthless,
trifling salesmen," and "what is the matter with the
piano business?"
The Real Problem.
The problem is not to keep the piano men in the
business only as suggested by the anonymous corre-
spondent. He is "in" it now, and "in it bad." The
problem is to vitalize the whole business. The prob-
lem is for both the manufacturers and the merchants
(Turn to next page)
POOLER ANOS
GRANDS AND UPRIGHTS
Established Reputation and Quality Since 1873
P?A D NOS N G
FACTORY
OFFICES AND SALESROOM*
1020 So. Central Park Ave.,
319-321 So. Wabash Ave..
Corner Fill more Street
New Adam Schaaf Building.
CHICAGO, ILL.
Dealers and Their Salesmen Find
•D
PRESTO BUYERS' GUIDE
A Great Help in Closing Sales.
Fifty Cents a Copy.
CAMBRIDGE-A
BOSTON - MASS.
GOLDSMITH
ADAM SCHAAF, Inc.
REP
FACTORY - OFFICES
•D
Players and Pianos
Have Every Advantage in Quality and Results
to the Dealers
An Investigation Will Prove It
GOLDSMITH PIANO COMPANY
1223-1227 Miller Street, CHICAGO
I ILj
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/
March 17, 1928
REMUNERATION FOR
PIANOJ5ALESMEN
Starvation Commission Basis Established in
Boom During the Great War Now Being
Relinquished by Piano Merchants
Who Obey the Exigencies of a
New Day.
DREAM DUST POLICY
You Can't Keep in Business as a Piano Merchant by
Merely Opening Up in the Morning and
Closing at Night. Wake Up!
By ELMON ARMSTRONG.
In the following article Klmon Armstrong, the widely
known piano traveler, continues the discussion of deal-
ers' methods of financially compensating salesmen for
their work in finding piano prospects and closing sale^.
The other party to the discussion is a prominent dealer
who declines to have his name appear. The latter had
an article printed in Presto-Times on Jan. 14. headed,
"Suggestions to Help the Trade," in which definite
trade-in allowances and definite sums as commissions
were proposed. In the issue of Feb. 18, Mr. Armstrong
replied with' "'Keeping Salesmen in the Piano Trade,"
in which he disagreed with the propositions of the
anonymous correspondent and made suggestions of his
own. It became a hot controversy when the anonymous
one "came back" at Mr. Armstrong in Presto-Times
of March 3 and it is brought up-to-date in the letter
from Mr. Armstrong printed below:
The articles that the Presto-Times has been pub-
lishing regarding the conduct of the piano business
are creating considerable interest in the trade. Piano
merchants will talk a great deal about a matter of
this kind, but they seldom write articles to the papers,
so it is difficult to always determine just how much
interest is being manifested in a matter of this kind.
Rut, traveling among the trade gives one an oppor-
tunity to ascertain the interest felt.
Some of the articles published by the Presto-Times
which I contributed more than a year ago, started
the "talk," and has resulted in a number of changes
in method of conducting business. One salesman
in Denver, Colo., supposed to be of the worthless,
inferior type," read the articles in the Presto-Times
a year and a half ago and wrote a letter to me. The
adoption of this plan led to this ''worthless salesman"
on the "starvation commission contract" basis, land-
ing a job as manager of a large piano store. The
principle of selling, and the conduct of the business
that has been shown by articles in the Presto-Times
that I have contributed on this subject, was incor-
porated in that business and vitalized it. It increased
the number of salesmen in that organization. It
increased the business of that institution, and the far-
reaching effects were felt in the center of the man-
ufacturers.
Multiply That Instance.
It is a very simple business proposition to take
that one instance and multiply it many times in this
11
country through the dealers, to ascertain the stub-
born tact that this will positively increase business,
and therefore pull the piano business out of the "bog
hoe," using common parlance.
Another instance, learned this week, is similar in
nature. A small dealer in phonographs read the arti-
cles in the Presto-Times and began to take an inven-
tory of himself. He made up his mind that he would
quit kicking at others, and find out if there wasn't
some fault in the method he was employing in selling
his goods.
Quit Ostrich Tactics.
He abandoned his old time-worn "dream dust pol-
icy" of working his business and took on a sensible,
just, co-operative plan that has been outlined in the
articles published by the Presto-Times and conceived
that sa'esmen were the soldiers that won the battles of
business. He found in these articles the code for
the general to employ in handling his "soldier-sales-
men. Last year he sold 1,100 phonographs, and busi-
ness is good with him now. Incidentally, instead of
having a loan at the bank as heretofore, he has loaned
the bank $5,000 and taken a certificate for it.
The anonymous correspondent, the party of the
second part in this discussion headed his first article:
"Keeping Merchants in the Piano Trade." This cor-
respondent is looking at the matter from one angle
only, and that is, keeping the merchants in the piano
trade, and from the angle of being sure that the mer-
chant doesn't pay the salesmen too much of his profit
It is good as far as it goes, but it doesn't go any
farther than simply looking at a conservation of the
profit for the merchant. From that simple angle it is
sane, safe and conservative, but it embraces too little
of the '"Great Problem" that confronts the piano
business. It is altogether probable that 8 per cent
and 10 per cent is enough to be allotted to the sales
fund, as he contends.
Keeping the Business.
But, the big question is not only "Keeping the Mer-
chants in the Piano Trade," but to keep the business
done by the merchants going full blast. They could
keep in the piano trade, and many of them are doing
it today, by opening their store in the morning and
closing it at night. They could keep offering 8 per
cent and 10 per cent commissions only, and many
of them are doing it, and if the anonymous corre-
spondent will investigate that side of it, and learn
a little more of that angle of it, he will know why
these fellows that are "keeping in the trade" are not
doing enough business, and why the piano business,
as he admitted in a former article, is in "a deplorable
condition."
This anonymous writer is all right in his one
thought, but he cannot lead the orchestra by playing
the violin on the E string only, and his 8 per cent
and 10 per cent plan alone hasn't developed business.
It has been "weighed in the balance and found want-
ing. Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin!
In his last article this anonymous writer begins to
get nearer a broader conception of the big problem.
He is in favor of a weekly drawing account for the
THE JEWETT PIANOS
Reliable Grand, Upright and Player Pianos
JEWETT PIANO CO., Boston Factories: Leominster, Mass.
WALTER LANE RESIGNS
OFFICE OF PRESIDENT
Plans Long Rest and Is Succeeded by C. L.
Beach as Head of the Bush & Lane
Piano Co., Holland, Mich.
Walter Lane, president of the Bush & Lane Piano
Company, Holland, Mich., has resigned from that
office but will continue on the directorate. Ill health
has forced him to refrain for a time from active work
and necessitates the rest promised in a long vacation.
But his advice will be depended upon when any con-
WALTER LANE.
struction problems arise in the factory. Mr. Lane
has a nation-wide fame as a piano expert.
At the election last week, C. L. Beach was chosen
to succeed to the office of president and other officers
elected were: W. H. Beach, vice-president; C. V.
Hungerford, secretary, and E. P. Stepham, general
manager. As factory manager Mr. Lane is succeeded
bv O. W. Schantz.
salesmen. That is very good. But does he know
how many piano merchants are sitting in the stores
behind big mahogany desks, anxiously expecting some
customers to come in and buy. Does this anonymous
writer know that all such merchants are saying: "I
want some salesmen." And when they come he
throws out a "starvation commission agreement" that
with no weekly salary or financial cooperation and'
agreement" that is as promptly thrown down as
it is offered? After this occurs that gentleman lights
his cigar and begins to talk about the worthless,
trifling salesmen," and "what is the matter with the
piano business?"
The Real Problem.
The problem is not to keep the piano men in the
business only as suggested by the anonymous corre-
spondent. He is "in" it now, and "in it bad." The
problem is to vitalize the whole business. The prob-
lem is for both the manufacturers and the merchants
(Turn to next page)
POOLER ANOS
GRANDS AND UPRIGHTS
Established Reputation and Quality Since 1873
P?A D NOS N G
FACTORY
OFFICES AND SALESROOM*
1020 So. Central Park Ave.,
319-321 So. Wabash Ave..
Corner Fill more Street
New Adam Schaaf Building.
CHICAGO, ILL.
Dealers and Their Salesmen Find
•D
PRESTO BUYERS' GUIDE
A Great Help in Closing Sales.
Fifty Cents a Copy.
CAMBRIDGE-A
BOSTON - MASS.
GOLDSMITH
ADAM SCHAAF, Inc.
REP
FACTORY - OFFICES
•D
Players and Pianos
Have Every Advantage in Quality and Results
to the Dealers
An Investigation Will Prove It
GOLDSMITH PIANO COMPANY
1223-1227 Miller Street, CHICAGO
I ILj
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).