The talking machine world (July-Dec 1924)

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24 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD December 15, 1924 Babies Bring 28,000 Prospects to Baker's Importance of a Live Prospect List in Developing Radio Business— How Baby Contest Did the Trick for Baker's Music House Has the talking machine retailer handling radio in a small town as great an opportunity as the dealer in a large city? The small town dealer often feels that he is handicapped because the field from which he draws trade, in point of population, is restricted, losing sight of the many advantages which are his. The dealer in the small community who confines his business to his immediate neighborhood certainly can never expect to do a great volume of business. But the merchant who makes a serious and sustained effort to expand his operations to include the hamlets and rural districts surrounding the community in which his store is located is in an enviable position indeed. A retailer of the latter type is G. H. Baker's Music House, of Ossining, N. Y., a small city, which has the disadvantage of being so near to New York City that many of the residents in that and the surrounding towns motor in to do their shopping in the metropolis. In spite of this serious obstacle this concent does a tremendous business in radio, more than three hundred sets having been sold within a period of ten months. This is an average sale considerably in excess of one set a day, quite an achievement when one considers that this dealer is faced with competition of the stiffest kind. Securing the Elusive Prospect G. H. Baker's Music House, which was established by G. H. Baker about twenty-five years ago, is now operated by John Wistoft, his sonin-law, who has added to the prestige of the business by his progressive methods. During the Summer just past, when radio business was rather slow, Mr. Wistoft put in effect a simple plan to promote interest in it which far exceeded his wildest dreams and which points the way to dealers who hesitate to do the unusual in sales promotion. His idea was really to interest parents in radio through babies! In short, he decided to stage a voting contest to determine the most popular baby in that section of the State. Accordingly, he had six thousand ballots printed, which were distributed from the store, through the mails, etc. He believed that this number would be more than sufficient, but the idea caught like wildfire and spread throughout Ossining and the surrounding towns and cities for miles. The votes started coming in in an avalanche and the demands were so insistent for more ballots that he found it necessary to keep all the printers in the town busy for a few days. When the contest ended tabulation showed that 28,000 votes had been turned in. Competition in the radio retail business is growing so keen that dealers are compelled to make a real effort to sell in order to do a satisfactory business. The G. H. Baker Music House, of Ossining, N. Y., realized this and it also realized that the one road to more sales lay in securing more prospects. Therefore, a baby popularity contest was held, and the result was 28.000 votes. Some list! Try it! Think of it — 28,000 names from, which to select a live prospect list and from whom to solicit business! The total population of the city, including every man, woman and child, is little more than that number. They Know Baker Handles Radio Every one of these people was impressed with the fact that G. H. Baker's Music House handles radio. Of course, the contest was widely advertised in the local newspapers of Ossining and the surrounding towns, and to the parents of the most popular baby was presented a radio set. The voters' names and addresses appeared on the ballots, which were placed in a barrel provided for that purpose. While many of the names proved useless as prospects and lack of time and facilities made impossible tabulation of all the prospects obtained in this manner, the contest was an undoubted success in that the intense interest generated during the Summer, an especially slack radio season, was confined to Baker's Music House and the lines of radio handled by it. The result was a general immediate sales boom, the indirect effects of which are still being felt and which undoubtedly will influence many persons interested in radio to select from the extensive stock handled by this live retailer. Does Small Town Advertising Pay? The foregoing is only one illustration of many which show how dealers in small communities are making the most of their opportunities and are doing large business. Another method of creating business which retailers in the small towns are prone to neglect is publicity. If there is one place where people read the newspapers from the first to the last page it is in the small city or isolated community. Consequently, the advertising receives serious consideration. G. H. Baker's Music House has found this to be so not only of newspaper advertising but also of any other publicity matter sent out through the mails. People in these communities are not so rushed as those in the large cities and they are pretty certain to read anything that is delivered by the postman. Recognizing this truth, this dealer at irregular intervals sends out to his customers and prospects especially prepared literature dealing with the lines handled. Invariably the results make the expenditure and effort very much worth while. The firm's advertising appears regularly in the local newspapers, and that these ads are effective is proved by the fact that when anything special is offered through the columns of the newspaper the demand immediately starts to climb. The Farmer as a Radio Prospect The small town dealer should go further than the confines of his community for business. Also, he should not stop merely by including the surrounding cities and towns. The territory between, the farming districts, is a rich field for radio business. The farmer can and should be sold on the need for a good radio set, and from the rapidly increasing number of radio sets owned by rural dwellers it seems that the farmer is already sold on the need for radio. It resolves itself down to whether the set is purchased from a mail order house, sometimes hundreds of miles distant, or from the local dealer. It is safe to state that a large proportion of the radio sets owned by farmers have been purchased from the mail order houses. Where this condition exists the dealer is not receiving the volume of business which his territory justifies. If the dealer deliberately sets out to capture this business he can do so and the mail order houses do not stand a chance. The dealer has everything in his favor. He is right on the spot, while the mail order house is represented by a catalog. He can emphasize that when the set is purchased from him the customer is certain to secure the service to which he is entitled, including installation if it is desired. He is also sure to get a set which is recognized as a standard and worth-while product made by a reputable concern. But why go on? The point is obvious, but the fact cannot be emphasized too strongly that the sales volume reached by the small town dealer depends upon himself and, instead of being in a restricted territory, he is in a field which for broadness and excellent sales possibilities ranks as the best. Selling by Canvassing Route H. B. Hunter, Columbia dealer of Madison, Conn., is using the house-to-house canvassing method of reaching prospects for phonographs and records. Mr. Hunter is one of the oldest established C olumbia dealers in this section, having started some thirteen years ago. Special built "Professional" type mahoganlzcd horn, li In. bell. Extra Heavy Gold-plated Adjustable Ferrule — Height uver all 30 In. Cabinet Box Solid Mahogany — Sln> 5%x3UxOH In. Exceptional cabinet work and finish throughout. Retail Prlc-e. 150.00 In U. 8.: Canada (53.00. Special finished to order, 15.00 extra. 8ubject to usual trade discounts. No Extra Batteries Required Your Profits Safeguarded and Increased Sales Assured through our Special Franchised Dealers' Plan You cannot sell a considerable volume of any Radio article at a fair and liberal profit if indiscriminate competition continually offers the same merchandise at ruinous prices. You cannot build and serve or hold a retail following without a fair profit — Can you? Retail outlets for "Professional" Radio Reproducers are limited to specially Franchised dealers of the better grade. This means that your store can be "Professional" Headquarters for your entire neighborhood. The "Professional" sells readily because when given a side by side test with any other Loud Speaker — regardless of type or price it will clearly demonstrate its amazing superiority. It marks the first radical improvement in sound reproduction in 46 years. Cannot choke or blast — no rattling echoes — extremely sensitive to low signals — unlimited in volume. The only Radio Reproducer on the market today licensed under Voluma Patents (diverged not converged sound waves). A Professional Radio Reproducer will be sent to any responsible dealer for a ten-day test. The instrument will be sent C.O.D. with return privilege. Write us today. VOLUMA PRODUCTS, Inc. HEMPSTEAD NEW YORK New England Distribntori THK WHITAI.Ii RADIO CO. Sprinirllclfi. Mass. Other Distributors MOTOR PARTS CO.. PII IL AO EI.PH I A. PA. ECONOMY DKI Q CO., KNOXVILLE, TENN.