The talking machine world (Jan-June 1928)

Profit Wnrai^ Sales Wrinkles Let the Non-Selling Staff Aid in Building Volume— Increasing the Record Sales Unit— Galperin Music Shop Builds Mail Order Record Business— Disposing of Radios Taken in Trade— Tell Passers-by What Record Is Being Played— Other Stunts Although a man or woman may be employed as a bookkeeper or stenographer or doorman or delivery clerk, it does not follow that he or she has not the capabilities of a good salesman or saleswoman. Every employe of a music-radio store should be given an opportunity to become one of the selling staff in making either direct sales or furnishing prospects, and should be rewarded for his efforts. Occasionally dealers solicit the help of their employes outside of the regular staff by sponsoring competitions with extra awards to those who secure the greatest volume of sales. In the current issue of The Voice of the Victor such a competition, as developed and used by the J. W. Jenkins' Sons Music Co., of Kansas City, is described as follows: "This sales plan does not interfere with regular business. It is designed to employ the interest and ability of those in the store organization who do not regularly sell musical instruments. The piano and Victrola salesmen make sales as usual . . . but do not compete in the contest. Thus it is entirely fair . . . each employe has the same chance. The plan is run on a system of points. A sale amounting to between $100 and $200 counts 1 point; $200 to $500, 2 points; $500 to $1,000, 3 points; $1,000 or over, 4 points. The awards, after the campaign has been in operation for twelve months, are as follows: First prize, baby grand piano; second prize, Victrola 8-30; third prize, Radiola." It might be interesting to note here that at the present time the leader in the contest is a member of the sheet music department and those occupying second and third places are both doormen. Increasing Unit of Sales Are your record salesmen or saleswomen really selling or are they content to fill the orders of customers entering the store because of advertising or a window display or because some friend has told them of a certain record? A short time ago Parham Werlein, president of the Philip Werlein Co., New Orleans, La., found that although the store was doing a good record business the average unit of sale seemed to be low. Investigation showed that the average unit of sale had never been over $2 per sales girl. He decided to keep a definite record of the average unit sales each week and inform the salespeople of the result. This was what happened in the first two weeks: First Second Week Week Record Salesperson No. 1 $2.50 $3 03 l-These are Record Salesperson No. 2 3. OS 3.24 Record Salesperson No. 3 3.06 4.04faV?rage Record Salesperson No. 4 3.05 3.S3 J unit sales These figures prove conclusively that the sales force was not selling to the best of its ability and that when real efforts were put into record selling a big improvement was noticed. Details, such as average unit sales in records or other small items, often escape the attention of the dealer, but careful supervision of all departments of the business, regardless of the price of the items of merchandise, is necessary if all possible profits are to be made. Pushing Soundboxes Many dealers are more or less actively promoting the sale of the new soundboxes designed to improve the tone of the old model phonographs. A New York dealer has secured excellent sales results by placing a small placard in each of the record demonstrating booths, reading as follows: "Tone! The new soundbox on your old Victrola will make a marvelous difference in the tone of it. Plays your old records better and gives that wonderful new tone to the Orthophonic recordings. Ask to hear it." Sell Them by Mail It will be conceded by most dealers that if talking machine owners could have the new record releases brought to their attention regularly without the necessity of making a visit to the store, they would buy more records. It sometimes happens that a record customer lives at an inconvenient distance from the dealer's quarters and by the time he or she is in the vicinity of the store several releases have gone by and many possible record sales lost. The Galperin Music Shop, of Charleston, W. Va., has quite a number of these customers. In order that they continue as regular record buyers despite their inability to visit the store, or disinclination to do so at frequent intervals, the Galperin Music Shop has built up a mail order business through frequent advertisements. A list of record releases is published with the following order blank attached: Out-of-town patrons may clip this ad, mark the numbers you want, mail to us with name and address, and we'll mail them to you — C. O. D. if you wish. (You save, however, by enclosing money order and adding 15c, for post' age.) Name Address '. , Dealers, especially in the smaller cities and towns, will find that mail delivery will more than pay for the time and money expended in increasing sales by this means. Trade-in Bargains What are you doing with radio receivers taken in trade? In most cases the out-of-date instruments, because of their age or design, have but little value, and have no place on your store floor with the new and up-to-date receivers, yet they have some value, and the dealer should realize whatever profit there is in each set. Why not set aside a corner of the store as a bargain counter and display the traded-in sets? Display the price prominently and many people who would not be interested in buying a regular new set will be attracted by the low price. Incidentally, accessories will be sold and the resale of the old set will offset whatever was given in the trade-in purchase. Should the number of sets so received reach a quantity it would be well every three or four months to advertise a sale of used receivers at low prices, for many would be attracted by the price who, having entered the store, might prove good prospects for the latest model receivers. Letting Them Know The Independent Radio & Electric Co., 2386 Broadway, New York City, Brunswick and Columbia dealer, depends to some extent upon attracting record customers by playing an instrument immediately inside the store-door. In warm weather this instrument is so placed that it is visible to passers-by and can be depended upon to stop a certain percentage who, attracted by the selection being played, enter and purchase the record or records. With the coming of cold weather, when it became necessary to keep the store-door closed, a new stunt was tried and has proved successful. This consists of an attractive hanger which is attached to the inside of the door and is plainly visible from the street and which reads: "Columbia (or Brunswick) record now being played" and in an insert the record is placed. In order to secure the maximum results from store-door playing listeners should be informed of the number to which they are listening. The idea being used by the Independent store is good, as is the one used by another New York dealer, consisting of displaying a copy of the sheet music of the selection being played on the phonograph. Album Set Follow-ups There is perhaps no better example of the benefits which can be received by an intelligent and aggressive follow-up of a customer than that of securing orders for new album record sets from those who have already purchased this class of merchandise. Record buyers who are interested in music of the better class and gratify this interest by buying sets of symphonic works will welcome a reminder from the dealer when a new album set is placed on the market. A metropolitan dealer who does a large record business, including many sales of Victor, Columbia and Brunswick album sets, makes it a point to drop a line to each of these customers upon the introduction of a new series of records and does, as a consequence, a large amount of repeat business. Special attention to sales promotion of these recordings is certain to be profitable. Dulce-Con Radio Talking Machine Speaker Get In On These RADIO PROFITS WITH radio almost universal, it's easy to include a Dulce-Tone in every talking machine sale — and you might as well get that extra profit. Or sell Dulce-Tone to former talking machine buyers. Dulce-Tone makes an ideal loud speaker of any phonograph, and it fits any make and any radio set. Simply set the talking machine needle in the Dulce-Tone reed, plug in, and you have the full volume, the beautiful clear tone that only Dulce-Tone and a talking machine can give. The General Industries Co. Dulce-Tone Division Formerly named The General Phonocraph Mfc. Co. Elyria. Ohio 6