The talking machine world (Jan-June 1928)

Money-Making Suggestions (or Ambitious Merchants Owners of Battery Sets Are Prospects for A.C. Receivers — Do Your Record Clerks Know What They Are Selling? — What One Dealer Suggests — Make Your Store a Community Center — Do You Co-operate With the Manufacturers You Represent? There is much discussion in radio circles at the present time as to the future of the batteryoperated radio receiver. There can be no doubt that sets operated from the lighting current are steadily winning more favor, and with new models of A.C. operated receivers being announced by the manufacturers almost daily, dealers are wondering what will happen to those sets requiring batteries which they have in stock. Reflection will show, however, that the market for battery units is far from being saturated. The same story was told some few years ago when the new-type phonograph was introduced and dealers put themselves to a lot of useless worry. Nevertheless the instruments were disposed of. There are still many homes that are not wired for electricity. There are many homes the house current of which is D.C. and not A.C, and there are many people who will continue to buy battery sets for reasons of their own. Forget the pessimistic angle and look on the brighter side. Think of what the new power-operated sets will mean. Not only new customers but resales to those who now own battery sets. These customers know the appeal of radio; they will not be without one, and with them the dealer's problem is half solved. He does not have to picture the delights of radio; that they already know. He must simply point out the desirable features of the electric set and the job is done. Just remember: there will still be a demand for the battery sets and the electric sets will appeal to new customers and to the old. There is nothing dismal about the outlook, it is, instead, bright and shining for the aggressive dealer. Know Your Record Stock A leaflet was recently sent Victor dealers by the Victor Talking Machine Co., captioned "Is your head in the catalog or the catalog in your head?" The writer then went on to tell of two instances of record sales girls typifying the two classes, one who recognized musical titles and could supply the needs of a customer and the other who has immediate recourse to a catalog upon practically every request for a record. There can be no doubt but that the record salesman or saleswoman who has a knowledge of what he or she is selling has a decided advantage over the one who can merely fill an order. This does not mean that every record clerk must be a musician and have an exhaustive knowledge of the great composers, their lives and works. Everyone should, however, be able to classify the different types of music and if a customer asks for a certain record the clerk should be able to suggest other records of a similar nature; record clerks should also be familiar with the titles of classical and standard selections, and with the variations of the titles. A saleswoman who inquires if the customer wants anything else has the right intentions in trying to increase the sale, but how much better if instead she were able to suggest merchandise which would have an appeal. Clerks in other lines of trade do so at all times, why not the record clerk? A Dealer Suggests A prominent Western music dealer of many years' experience recently made some suggestions for his fellow dealers which are wellworth reproducing here. They are: "Limit your trade-in allowance on phonographs and radio from 5 per cent to 10 per cent of the marked price of the new instrument. Pay salesmen on a fair plan that rewards for good service and penalizes for mediocre or poor service. With present "overhead" dealers selling nationally priced phonographs and radios cannot afford to pay over 8 per cent commission for first class or "par sales." Each step below a par sale should cost the salesman 1 per cent, and where two salesmen work together on a sale it should be split fifty-fifty. A "par sale" is one closed by the salesman without assistance at regularly marked prices, for cash within thirty days, nothing to be taken in trade, no discounts, credits, premiums or expenses allowed, no outside commissions to be paid. A "below par sale" is one where (a) a time sale runs over thirty days, (b) over-time sales are those exceeding fifteen months on phonographs and combination units and ten months on radios, (c) trade-in or spe cial credit allowance sales, (d) over-trade-in or over-credit allowance sales are those where the amount allowed exceeds maximum trade-in percentages of 10 per cent for used phonographs, provided the allowance figure does not exceed one-half the resale price of the trade-in. The weekly drawing account of a salesman should be fair and liberal, but not exceed one-half to two-thirds of his probable earning capacity, because surplus earnings should always be payable the tenth of the month." Service Pays It will be readily admitted that the public appreciates service, so it naturally follows that the merchant who gives the best service will prosper the most through the public's appreciation. How does your store rate in the manner of giving service to the customers and prospective customers in your vicinity? Not service as regarded only with reference to caring for an instrument that has been sold, but service of all kinds. If two people are to meet in the vicinity of your store, will they select vour establishment as a place of meeting? If a lecture or musical event is to take place does your store act as a ticket agency? If a customer desires some information regarding where to purchase an item of merchandise other than musical instruments, are your salespeople capable and willing to give the desired information? The music store, because of the very nature of the merchandise it sells, should be more than a mere establishment where goods are bought and sold. It should be a neighborhood center where the public is always welcome, whether the customer intends to purchase anything at the moment or not, for, rest assured, if the prospective buyer feels at home in your store he will come there when the need arises for purchasing anything musical. Co-operate and Benefit Practically every talking machine and radio dealer carries anywhere from six to a dozen products made by different manufacturers and, as a consequence, receives a large amount of mail matter, designed to inform him of new products, or of methods and means to help him sell the merchandise on his shelves. This material, if prepared by skilled experts — and the preparation of it costs many thousands of dollars— should merit the attention of the dealer for whom it is designed. That many dealers do not bother to read this material is well known, and proof of it is given in an item which recently appeared in the Voice of the Victor, the house organ of the Victor Talking Machine Co., which told how three organizations handling Victor products had returned consignments of a certain record to the factory with the protest that the records were defective. It seems that the portion of the record they thought defective was a novelty arrangement part of the selection and really heightens the record's effectiveness. The advance record bulletin and the regular record supplement both made special note of this effect. This is but one instance. Tie-ups Bring Profits Are you enjoying the maximum benefits from visits of recording artists to your local theatres? A glance at the news letters in The Talking Machine World each month usually shows that in more than one city live dealers are profiting from having vaudeville artists make personal appearances at their stores, autographing records and perhaps singing a selection or two that they recently recorded. How about your store? Have you arranged for any such personal appearances? When a popular artist appears at the theatre in your vicinity, do you send an announcement to your mailing list that the records of the artist are available at your store? Do you arrange your window display with a photograph of the artist and an announcement concerning his latest recordings? Opportunities such as these should be utilized by every dealer, for it is by taking advantage of every effective avenue for increasing sales that the volume reaches a satisfactory total. "Here's the best aerial to use with that set you've bought Just connect it to your set and plug into the nearest light socket. This little device uses absolutely no current, requires no lightning arrester, and cuts static down to almost zero. You will get the same perfect reception as you've just listened to here — because we always demonstrate with the Dubilier Light Socket Aerial. Expensive? No, sir! Only $1.50." More dealers than you can count are showing off their receivers to best advantage with this unique aerial, and then selling them at good profit with every set. Others are including the Dubilier Light Socket Aerial in the purchase price of equipped sets as an added inducement. Have you tried out either of these plans? If you're not equipped to collect on this nationally advertised aerial, phone your jobber today for a trial supply. Packed individually in attractive counter display cartons of ten. They are available through any good radio distributor. Dubilier Condenser Corp. 4377 Bronx Blvd. New York Dubilier LIGHT SOCKET AERIAL 28