The Edison phonograph monthly (Jan-Dec 1916)

12 EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY, JANUARY, 1916 Edison Salesmansh ip LITTLE SERMONS IN FEW WORDS TO EDISON CYLINDER DEALERS THE way to make a success of your Edison Cylinder store is to make people feel they can't get along without it. You accomplish this by giving them such service as they can't get elsewhere. The successful Edison salesman talks to his prospect. The unsuccessful salesman talks at his prospect. See the point? Then again the successful salesman talks about what he knows he knows. The unsuccessful salesman talks about what he thinks he knows. Make the inquirer feel at ease and welcome to your store. There are a thousand-and-one ways to do it, but the easiest is a smile and a "good morning." THE SALESMAN THAT SURMOUNTS MOUNTAINS TO SELL EDISONS BY THE TELEPHONE CENTRAL OFFICE ANEW kink in phonograph selling was developed by Bert Bailey of the Eureka Phonograph Company while on a trip in the Willow Creek district, Colorado, from which he recently returned. Owing to the impossibility of reaching the widely separated homes of the residents of that section Mr. Bailey hit upon the idea of giving a concert demonstrating the perfection of the Edison Phonograph, which he represented. Instead of renting a hall and giving the exhibition in the usual manner, he went to the hotel at Willow Creek, where the telephone exchange is located, and by connecting all the subscribers with the main office gave a concert that was heard by telephone by all the people in the neighborhood in their own homes. Several sales resulted and the machines were delivered satisfactorily, but with some inconvenience to the salesman, since several large cabinet machines had to be carried by pack horse over the mountain trails that could not be traveled even by his faithful Ford. NO SALESMAN AT ALL NOT long ago a certain salesman, who is of the high collar type, accustomed to deal with ladies of the fashionable world, greeted with disdain a poorly dressed man of past middle age who entered the shop near closing time. "Thought I'd look at a phonograph," said the older man in a rather hesitating voice. The salesman took a good look at the "prospect" and decided in his own mind that what the customer really wanted was the lowest priced Edison in the shop, if he wanted any. "I doubt if we have anything that would interest you," he said, hoping to discourage his prospect and close up shop and go home. "Yes, I saw an instrument in the window that looked pretty nice," he replied. "How much is it?" That "something" proved to be a $75.00 Diamond Amberola. The salesman said in a hopeless sort of way, "Oh, that's our best machine; it's $75." And then, still further sizing up his prospect the salesman added, "You know our terms are strictly cash." "That's all right; I'll take it," said the purchaser, and reaching into his hip pocket, withdrew a great roll of Christmas money and pulled out a crisp $100 bill, that made the salesman's eyes stick out like saucers. Then the salesman jotted down the address and promised to have the instrument delivered that day. When the purchaser had gone the salesman remarked to a fellow salesman, "If the old boy had been a farmer I would not have been surprised, because with wheat at $1.00 or more a bushel every farmer must have money to burn out here. But that chap looked like a run down clerk on a small salary and where he got that wad I don't know." From any point of view he was a poor salesman. He didn't sell the Edison; it sold itself; the window advertised it! All of which leads us to remark, what is the use of throwing out advertising lines, baiting the hook, dressing the window and keeping the store open and warm and comfortable, when you have a salesman that is not a salesman? We need experienced salesmen — at least those willing to learn and eager to sell, not merely to wear good clothes and stand around. The Ditzell Music Company, Oklahoma City, Okla., writes — "Our advertising is having its effect. We have just one Edison left on the floor. So in a day or two we will have our first stock all sold out and readv for another." WHEN YOU SELL, GIVE PREFERENCE TO THE HIGHER PRICED EDISONS IT is a fact that it takes little if any more effort to sell a prospect one of the higher priced Edisons in preference to the lower priced models. Right here we want to quote one successful dealer's experience along these lines. The Quincy Phonograph Co., Quincy, 111., say: "We know from experience it is to our interest to sell the best instruments possible. We have found that the higher priced machine we can land, the better satisfied customer we have thereafter."