The talking machine world (July-Dec 1924)

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12 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD December 15, 1924 Salesmanship as a Radio Profit Builder Factors That Make for Increased Retail Radio Sales Outlined by B. R. Hassler, Sales Manager of the Colin B. Kennedy Corp. Something new to sell, to the real salesman, is more fascinating than a steam engine to a small boy. It is a challenge to his enterprise, to his resourcefulness, to his knowledge of selling craft. When, in addition to the appeal of sheer novelty, it brings with it the romance, the glamour of unseen and mysterious forces that make radio what it is, the appeal is usually irresistible. At the same time, not even radio has attained to that mythical level of the product that "sells itself." It has plenty of difficulties, also arising chiefly from its sheer novelty, to make it inter, esting and worth the salesman's while. And from the knowledge that there is a right way and a wrong way to sell radio, we are gradually working out a sound selling method which, as it happens, fits the average talking-machine store as though made to order for it. No Need of Technical Knowledge Just a word of reassurance. The mystery of radio is all inside, where it is a help to the salesman and not a hindrance. There is no need of a course in the theory of electric oscillations or a diploma from an engineering school to sell radio to-day. In fact, it may help sometimes if the salesman can make a convincing display of ignorance, in order to relieve the fear of a lady customer that a radio receiver is too abstruse, too" scientific and too complex for her. "Why," the salesman might say, "a new-born babe knows as much about electricity as I do. I know when I push the button the light comes on, and I know that when I turn this knob here and set this dial on that number I get music. And now you know as much about it as I do. You don't need to know any more." The day of selling a radio receiver as a scientific novelty or an engineering achievement has gone by. The engineering and the science have to be there, of course, but they should no more be in evidence than the knowledge of acoustics and the typical formation of sound-waves should be in selling talking machines. The people who really understand the difference between a reflex circuit and a neutrodyne, or have some faint appreciation of what they are talking about when they discourse learnedly of impedance and damping, conductivity and reactance, all have radio sets of their own already, which they usually built themselves. The people who are buying radio to-day don't know and don't care — don't want to know — how the thing is done in a scientific sense. They are satisfied to know Radio must be sold intelligently if the retail talking machine dealer expects to make the most of this branch of his business. Experience has proved the fallacy of -many of the methods of selling which existed quite generally a year ago and which obtain in some stores at the present time. Mr. Hassler has a wide knowledge of radio merchandising and because he is a keen analyst and is in a fortunate position for observation his statements are authoritative and worth consideration of the trade. that you turn this knob here and set that dial there, and music comes out of the horn. And that isn't so very different from the phonograph, is it? Selling by Home Demonstration The way to sell radio, like the way to sell phonographs, is by demonstration. But there are some points about the radio demonstration that are different and that give the salesman a chance to exercise his mind and his acquaintance with human nature. Instead of selecting records from the cabinet in accordance w-ith your best guess as to a customer's tastes, you have to watch the broadcasting programs and time your demonstrations accordingly. But you also have two factors to play with: not only the beauty of the music, which is the appeal of the phonograph record, but also the appeal of the distant and mysterious origin of the music: "They all look good when they're far away" might be paraphrased in selling radio into "They all sound good when they're far away." This thrill that adds to the thrill of fine music that of the knowledge that it is reaching you over hundreds of miles of space can be very effectively capitalized in demonstrations. Suppose you take a receiving set which can be accurately and positively tuned. You knowthat at 8.30 to-night an exceptionally fine orchestral selection will be given from a local broadcasting station. You take this set to a prospective customer's home, connect it up (which isn't complicated) and leave, first impressing it upon him that under no circumstances is he to touch it. Then, at 8.25 this evening, call him on the telephone. Tell him simply to turn the proper knob and to set his dial at 95, and listen. What a thrill he will get when, a moment later, he hears, "This is Station XYZ," and then his room is filled with melody! The chances are good that you will get a check and an enthusiastic letter in next day's mail. Store Demonstrations Naturally, store demonstrations can be arranged in the same fashion. You will soon learn to keep track of all the broadcasting programs in your neighborhood — and there is no neighborhood in the United States to-day that is not within range of high-class broadcasting — and to take advantage of particularly fine program numbers, to invite the prospective customers to whom you think they will most appeal to be on hand at that hour to hear them. But you are not confined, you must remember, to music alone for demonstration purposes. Think of the advantages of such events of great popular interest and dramatic importance as the farewell of General Pershing, etc. Overcoming Sales-Killing Difficulties There are, of course, difficulties which must be faced. No selling job would be interesting without them. "Electricity" to some people is still a dread and mysterious word, and an aerial conjures up danger of lightning. This is particularly true of the very people to whom radio in other respects has an almost irresistible appeal — the "shut-ins," or elderly women, too timid to leave their homes, to whom the radio brings the voice of the great outside world. Naturally one of your first tasks will be to secure the names and addresses of all persons of this class or type in your neighborhood. They are your best prospective customers, but too aggressive salesmanship is a sure way to lose them. The outside aerial is still, to-day at least, essential to the highest efficiency of a radio receiving set. Many of us produce a set which operates successfully on an indoor loop, but that same set is even better with a real aerial. You naturally want your customers to get their full share of enjoyment; therefore, in my opinion, sound salesmanship calls upon you to meet the aerial difficulty frankly. You must convince the timid ones — what is perfectly true — that there is absolutely no danger in a properly installed aerial; that, on the contrary, by dispersing accumulated atmospheric electricity by continuous discharge to earth, it actually diminishes the danger from lightning; and that the only current that is ever in the aerial consists of impulses so minute as to be utterly imperceptible to human senses. No, radio is not too easy to sell. It has problems of its own, mostly inseparable from its newness. But it is an inspiring thing to sell. 1 defy any man to deal with it for any length of time and not be gripped by the consciousness that, in his own sphere, he is helping in the spread of one of the mightiest forces ever bent to the service of civilization. Its material rewards are attractive, but its intangible rewards are tremendous. FULL LINE of HARDWARE FOR UPRIGHT, CONSOLE AND PORTABLE PHONOGRAPHS. IN NICKEL, GOLD AND SPECIAL FINISHES. We have been catering to the hardware needs of the talking machine and radio industries for a number of years. Consequently we are in a position to give attention and service of the highest calibre. H. A. GUDEN CO., Inc. 227 CANAL STREET NEW YORK, N. Y.