Presto
Issue: 1928 2172 - Page 12
March 17, 1928
PRESTO-TIMES
12
to sell more pianos in our country. The problem is
to increase the business as a whole.
There is much discussion on this question that the
Presto-Times is agitating. Just now comes a letter
to me from another prominent merchant and the gist
of that letter is, that he states that one of the weak-
nesses of the piano business is "incompetent, poorly
paid salesmen." He states that such salesmen are
dragging profits down, and slowing up business, and
he states positively that the cause is "the commission
plan" of employing men. He has tried both plans,
and has lately adopted the plan of a weekly definite
salary, and a monthly bonus. He has applied that
plan with the same salesmen, and immediate increased
results have been obtained.
Profitable Plan Necessary.
The way to "keep the piano merchants in the busi-
ness" is to have a plan of conducting it that will
make it profitable to the piano merchants. The way
to get more salesmen in the piano business is to have
a method of employing these salesmen that will make
it more profitable to them. The way to increase the
piano business is to make it profitable to both the mer-
chants and the salesmen. The "starvation commis-
sion plan" has been tried out, and the results of its
nefarious influence are before the industry today.
IF
We Make
Over One-half the
GRAND PLATES
Made by Plate
Manufacturers
There
Must Be
A Reason!
The
0. S. Kelly Co.
Springfield, Ohio, U. S. A.
Mr. George Dowling of the Cable Company was
right in his statement, let us go back to Solomonic
wisdom from the "Old Book": "The laborer is
worthy of his hire." Let us keep the piano merchant
in business. Let us keep the old factories humming
with plenty of orders. Let us inaugurate a method
of employing salesmen, that will fill up the depleted
rank of piano salesmen, and bring this grand old
industry to that high mark where it belongs.
Kill Starvation Commissions.
The starvation commission contract is responsible
for more dead timber and slow business than any
other one thing. It is a slimy snake that subtly crept
into the business of the manufacturers and the mer-
chant, and spread its poisonous virus right into the
vitals of the industry. If a nominal weekly salary
and a monthly bonus is found with the right kind of
salesmen to run near the figure of 8 per cent and 10
per cent, as suggested by the anonymous correspon-
dent, and probably that is enough, "so mote it be."
But let us lose sight of that one feature of the case
and put the business under the proper methods to
vitalize it.
For Instance—
Let's look a little bit farther than just the ques-
tion of 8 per cent and 10 per cent as the basis for
marketing goods. Most of the piano merchants are
themselves to blame for the deadened condition of
the trade. They foolishly adopted the starvation com-
mission plan during the war in boom days. The war
is over. Times have changed. Many of the piano
merchants are changing to fit the times. There are,
however, quite a few that are sitting in their stores
grumbling at the salesmen and hopelessly waiting
for "something to turn up," instead of changing their
methods, cutting out their old commission contracts,
and adopting a sensible policy that will "turn up
something," and not wait for "sumpin to turn up."
CONN ARTISTS IN CONCERT
Radio Events Conducted by J. F. Boyer Continue to
Hold Interest of Listeners.
The Conn Ltd. artists' concerts and tlks on musicl
instruments every Sunday afternoon over station
KYW, Chicago, continue to be of absorbing interest
to radio owners. Many of the instruments for band
and orchestra have so far been treated in a manner
in Mr. Boyer's lectures to enlighten his hearers on
their construction and characteristics.
Before the series is finished all will have been die-
scribed by him and their functions demonstrated by
the experts. Last Sunday the trumpet headed the list
of instruments and its place in the band and orchestra
and capabilities generally were told. The construc-
tion of the trumpet, how to learn to play it, production
of tone were told. Solos, quartets and instructive
numbers made up the program of musical enter-
tainment.
The C. G. Conn Ltd. brass quartet, made up of
Conn office and factory men, gave several fine selec-
tions. The Conn house can draw on its own employes
for any kind of performers and is able to get together
soloists, quartets of full band or orchestra on short
notice.
KREITER
The Leading and Most Popular
Pianos and Players
Grands, Players, Uprights and
Reproducing Pianos
The Results of Over Forty Years'
of Experience.
Kreiter Pianos Cover the Entire Line
and no Piano Dealer who tries these in-
struments would supplant them by any
others. A trial will convince.
Kreiter Mfg. Co., Inc.
310-312 W, Water St., Milwaukee, Wis.
Factory: Marinette, Wia.
E. Leins Piano Co.
Makers of Pianos and
Player Pianos That Are
Established L e a d e r s
Correspondence from Reliable
Dealer8 invited
Factory and Offices, 304 W. 42nd Si
NEW YORK
The Heppe, Marcellua and Edouard Julos Piano
manufactured by the
HEPPE PIANO COMPANY
are the only pianos in the world with
Three Sounding Boards.
Patented in the United States, Great Britain,
France, Germany and Canada.
Liberal arrangements to responsible agents only.
Main Office, 1117 Chestnut St.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
IMPORTANT RADIO STATEMENT
Commander E. F. McDonald, President of Zenith
Corporation, Announces Important Facts.
Commander E. F. McDonald, president of .the
Zenith Radio Corporation, Chicago, announced this
week at the Vanderlfilt Hotel, New York, that his
company now owns and controls all patents covering
the new and revolutionary automatic broadcast re-
ceiver. Commander McDonald said:
"Despite all rumors to the contrary, I hereby con-
firm the fact that the Zenith Radio Corporation and
no other radio company has acquired complete control
of the H. N. Marvin Automatic Radio patents and
has also purchased the A. J. Vasselli automatic radio
patents.
"I believe that this automatic is the greatest devel-
opment since the advent of broadcasting. I had hoped
that there would be no further radical development or
changes in radio. This automatic development, how-
ever, is too great to be ignored.
It is hoped that Zenith can be in production of
these automatic radio sets by June; but the automatic
field, I believe, is entirely too large to be monopolized
by one company. It is the intention of the Zenith
Radio Corporation to license its competitors under
its automatic radio patents.
NEW AUTOMATIC MUSIC.
The Automatic Music Roll Company, 1510 Dayton
street, Chicago, has issued its April bulletin of rolls
for electric pianos. The new rolls are evidences of
the company's ability to pick the popular numbers
and group them in the most effective way. Many of
the tunes now heard on the best bands and orches-
tras are included in the new April rolls.
The LEADING LINE
WEAVER PIANOS
arand«, Upright* and Player*
Finest and most artistic
piano in design, tone and
construction that can be
made.
YORK PIANOS
Uprights ard Player Pianos
A high grade piano of great
value and with charming tone quality.
Livingston PUnos— Upright* an
Over 70.000 instruments made by tbii company are sing-
Ing their own praises in all parts of the civilised world.
Write for catalogues and state on what terms you would
like to deal, and we will make yon a proposition if you arr
located in open territory.
WEAVER PIANO CO., Inc.
Factory: TORK, PA.
Established 1870
CHRISTMAN
UPRIGHTS, GRANDS, PLAYERS
AND REPRODUCING PIANOS
THE FAMOUS "STUDIO GRAND"
"The First Touch Tells"
(Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.)
The Original Home of Studio Pianos,
Upright, Players and Grands.
CHRISTMAN PIANO CO., Inc.
597 East 137th Street,
NEW YORK
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/
PRESTO-TIMES
12
to sell more pianos in our country. The problem is
to increase the business as a whole.
There is much discussion on this question that the
Presto-Times is agitating. Just now comes a letter
to me from another prominent merchant and the gist
of that letter is, that he states that one of the weak-
nesses of the piano business is "incompetent, poorly
paid salesmen." He states that such salesmen are
dragging profits down, and slowing up business, and
he states positively that the cause is "the commission
plan" of employing men. He has tried both plans,
and has lately adopted the plan of a weekly definite
salary, and a monthly bonus. He has applied that
plan with the same salesmen, and immediate increased
results have been obtained.
Profitable Plan Necessary.
The way to "keep the piano merchants in the busi-
ness" is to have a plan of conducting it that will
make it profitable to the piano merchants. The way
to get more salesmen in the piano business is to have
a method of employing these salesmen that will make
it more profitable to them. The way to increase the
piano business is to make it profitable to both the mer-
chants and the salesmen. The "starvation commis-
sion plan" has been tried out, and the results of its
nefarious influence are before the industry today.
IF
We Make
Over One-half the
GRAND PLATES
Made by Plate
Manufacturers
There
Must Be
A Reason!
The
0. S. Kelly Co.
Springfield, Ohio, U. S. A.
Mr. George Dowling of the Cable Company was
right in his statement, let us go back to Solomonic
wisdom from the "Old Book": "The laborer is
worthy of his hire." Let us keep the piano merchant
in business. Let us keep the old factories humming
with plenty of orders. Let us inaugurate a method
of employing salesmen, that will fill up the depleted
rank of piano salesmen, and bring this grand old
industry to that high mark where it belongs.
Kill Starvation Commissions.
The starvation commission contract is responsible
for more dead timber and slow business than any
other one thing. It is a slimy snake that subtly crept
into the business of the manufacturers and the mer-
chant, and spread its poisonous virus right into the
vitals of the industry. If a nominal weekly salary
and a monthly bonus is found with the right kind of
salesmen to run near the figure of 8 per cent and 10
per cent, as suggested by the anonymous correspon-
dent, and probably that is enough, "so mote it be."
But let us lose sight of that one feature of the case
and put the business under the proper methods to
vitalize it.
For Instance—
Let's look a little bit farther than just the ques-
tion of 8 per cent and 10 per cent as the basis for
marketing goods. Most of the piano merchants are
themselves to blame for the deadened condition of
the trade. They foolishly adopted the starvation com-
mission plan during the war in boom days. The war
is over. Times have changed. Many of the piano
merchants are changing to fit the times. There are,
however, quite a few that are sitting in their stores
grumbling at the salesmen and hopelessly waiting
for "something to turn up," instead of changing their
methods, cutting out their old commission contracts,
and adopting a sensible policy that will "turn up
something," and not wait for "sumpin to turn up."
CONN ARTISTS IN CONCERT
Radio Events Conducted by J. F. Boyer Continue to
Hold Interest of Listeners.
The Conn Ltd. artists' concerts and tlks on musicl
instruments every Sunday afternoon over station
KYW, Chicago, continue to be of absorbing interest
to radio owners. Many of the instruments for band
and orchestra have so far been treated in a manner
in Mr. Boyer's lectures to enlighten his hearers on
their construction and characteristics.
Before the series is finished all will have been die-
scribed by him and their functions demonstrated by
the experts. Last Sunday the trumpet headed the list
of instruments and its place in the band and orchestra
and capabilities generally were told. The construc-
tion of the trumpet, how to learn to play it, production
of tone were told. Solos, quartets and instructive
numbers made up the program of musical enter-
tainment.
The C. G. Conn Ltd. brass quartet, made up of
Conn office and factory men, gave several fine selec-
tions. The Conn house can draw on its own employes
for any kind of performers and is able to get together
soloists, quartets of full band or orchestra on short
notice.
KREITER
The Leading and Most Popular
Pianos and Players
Grands, Players, Uprights and
Reproducing Pianos
The Results of Over Forty Years'
of Experience.
Kreiter Pianos Cover the Entire Line
and no Piano Dealer who tries these in-
struments would supplant them by any
others. A trial will convince.
Kreiter Mfg. Co., Inc.
310-312 W, Water St., Milwaukee, Wis.
Factory: Marinette, Wia.
E. Leins Piano Co.
Makers of Pianos and
Player Pianos That Are
Established L e a d e r s
Correspondence from Reliable
Dealer8 invited
Factory and Offices, 304 W. 42nd Si
NEW YORK
The Heppe, Marcellua and Edouard Julos Piano
manufactured by the
HEPPE PIANO COMPANY
are the only pianos in the world with
Three Sounding Boards.
Patented in the United States, Great Britain,
France, Germany and Canada.
Liberal arrangements to responsible agents only.
Main Office, 1117 Chestnut St.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
IMPORTANT RADIO STATEMENT
Commander E. F. McDonald, President of Zenith
Corporation, Announces Important Facts.
Commander E. F. McDonald, president of .the
Zenith Radio Corporation, Chicago, announced this
week at the Vanderlfilt Hotel, New York, that his
company now owns and controls all patents covering
the new and revolutionary automatic broadcast re-
ceiver. Commander McDonald said:
"Despite all rumors to the contrary, I hereby con-
firm the fact that the Zenith Radio Corporation and
no other radio company has acquired complete control
of the H. N. Marvin Automatic Radio patents and
has also purchased the A. J. Vasselli automatic radio
patents.
"I believe that this automatic is the greatest devel-
opment since the advent of broadcasting. I had hoped
that there would be no further radical development or
changes in radio. This automatic development, how-
ever, is too great to be ignored.
It is hoped that Zenith can be in production of
these automatic radio sets by June; but the automatic
field, I believe, is entirely too large to be monopolized
by one company. It is the intention of the Zenith
Radio Corporation to license its competitors under
its automatic radio patents.
NEW AUTOMATIC MUSIC.
The Automatic Music Roll Company, 1510 Dayton
street, Chicago, has issued its April bulletin of rolls
for electric pianos. The new rolls are evidences of
the company's ability to pick the popular numbers
and group them in the most effective way. Many of
the tunes now heard on the best bands and orches-
tras are included in the new April rolls.
The LEADING LINE
WEAVER PIANOS
arand«, Upright* and Player*
Finest and most artistic
piano in design, tone and
construction that can be
made.
YORK PIANOS
Uprights ard Player Pianos
A high grade piano of great
value and with charming tone quality.
Livingston PUnos— Upright* an
Over 70.000 instruments made by tbii company are sing-
Ing their own praises in all parts of the civilised world.
Write for catalogues and state on what terms you would
like to deal, and we will make yon a proposition if you arr
located in open territory.
WEAVER PIANO CO., Inc.
Factory: TORK, PA.
Established 1870
CHRISTMAN
UPRIGHTS, GRANDS, PLAYERS
AND REPRODUCING PIANOS
THE FAMOUS "STUDIO GRAND"
"The First Touch Tells"
(Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.)
The Original Home of Studio Pianos,
Upright, Players and Grands.
CHRISTMAN PIANO CO., Inc.
597 East 137th Street,
NEW YORK
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).