The talking machine world (Jan-June 1928)

Money-Making Suggestions for Ambitious Merchants Don't Spoil Your Sales Talk— How Not to Sell Records— Two New York Dealers Cleaned Up on Album Sets, and You? — Three Days Are Coming That Afford Tie-ups, St. Patrick's, Easter and Mother's Day Tell your sales story; then stop. The longwinded sales talk or the ad that uses up a lot of valuable white space in useless verbiage both are ineffective. Some merchants jam more language into a small space ad than a sardine packer puts into the tins. Get "your money's worth" but cut out the "bunk." Barnum may have been right when he said that the public liked to be fooled, or words to that effect, but so was Abe Lincoln when he said: "You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." There's a whale of a lot of sense in that last remark, as some retail merchants must realize when they stop to analyze complaints, repossessions, overdue accounts, etc. There's a reason for the dealer's troubles. Maybe it isn't his fault and, then again, maybe it is. Advertising and salesmanship turn a prospect into a customer, but too much talk and too many claims in selling and advertising have the same effect — enemies instead of friends, less business and not profitable volume. Avoiding Good Will! At regular intervals there appear in these columns items and articles relating the methods used by retail stores to build up good-will and suggestions to dealers that they use every possible method to have their stores regarded and used as the music centers of their localities, ft would seem obvious that the more good-will a store attracted the more profitable would be its dealings and a wider scope and territory would be covered. Yet there are stores which, not content with sins of omission regarding this important item, go to the other extreme and deliberately institute policies which on the face of them would seem to destroy every vestige of good feeling toward the store and militate against a customer making repeat purchases. One of the instances in mind is a New York City store which does not have chairs in the record demonstration booths lest customers make themselves too comfortable and stay too long. Experience may have taught this establishment that this is a good policy but it certainly does not seem like good merchandising. The majority of people wish to hear the records before they buy and it is difficult to picture customers standing around a booth listening to music and calling for more records about which they are undecided. It might be that a potential customer has heard a record or heard of it and knows exactly what he wishes but this type of selling does not make for large unit record sales. Compare this policy with that of the best type stores in this country where every device to make the customer feel at home is used and with the stores in England where record sales are considerably higher than those in this country, where merchants outfit their demonstration booths luxuriously and provide musical magazines and even cigarettes and ash trays for the greater comfort of customers. Album Set Possibilities In each issue of The Talking Machine World there appears at least one article by W. Braid White outlining the sales possibilities of music of the better class; the orchestral symphonies, arias from the operas, etc. Too often, dealers are inclined to overlook and neglect the market for this type of music, feeling that the demand is limited or segregated in sections not covered by their stores. That such an attitude is costly and untrue has been told many times in these columns. Perhaps two incidents of recent happening will best illustrate how live dealers are finding exploitation of high class records, and particularly album sets, profitable. Of comparatively recent date, the Columbia Phonograph Co. issued a special album set of eleven records of the Wagnerian Festival at Bayreuth, Germany, listing at $16.50, and at approximately the same time, the Victor Talking Machine Co. issued a special album of five THE WINTHROP— An Early American corner secretary — radio receiver, bookcase and writing desk combined. Equipped with the new Splitdorf allelectric receiver operating directly from a light socket without batteries. No acids or eliminators. List price with built-in loud-speaker but without tubes, $600. records of Victor Herbert music. O'n the same day the writer visited a Columbia dealer and a Victor representative, and inquired as to the demands for the above-mentioned works. This was about ten days or two weeks after the release of the albums. In the first store, the Columbia dealer has sold upwards of twenty sets without any advertising or window displays but by simply sitting down and writing to a selected list of customers, informing them that the sets were available, adding a few words of praise for the recordings and inviting the customers to hear them. The Victor dealer reported that the Herbert sets had sold in a most satisfactory manner, hundreds of dollars' worth being sold within the first few days after customers had been told they were in stock. Cultivate and develop this market. It is profitable, not only in initial sales but when a customer shows a liking for this type of music, it means that future sales will be in order as album sets are released. Push Irish Records When this issue of The Talking Machine World is received by dealers but two days remain to make preparations to increase record business by featuring Irish records, taking advantage of the occasion of St. Patrick's Day. Of course, to secure the greatest benefits dealers should have started their campaigns to sell these records weeks before, but if, for some reason or other, this has been neglected, repair the damage as much as possible by dressing your window in an appropriate manner with records of Irish songs, by Irish artists, featured. That there is a tremendous market for music of Ireland is well evidenced by the fact that practically every record manufacturer has a special catalog of Irish recordings and that advertisements and display matter featuring this type, of music are used regularly. The music of the Gael has an appeal that is international, for the lilting strains are known and loved not only by Irish-born and their descendants but by all races. Prepare for Easter . . . Apropos of featuring records that have a special significance on a special day of observance, let it be borne in mind that Easter Day is but a few short weeks away and this also affords dealers an opportunity of effecting tie-ups with a season that should help in increasing sales. Especially is this true of dealers whose patrons are inclined to observe the penitential season of Lent and to whom Easter Day is a real day of rejoicing and celebration. Then again, Easter Day is generally regarded as the unofficial start of the Spring season. Dress your windows in a manner that conveys this thought. Make them bright and colorful. The dull, drear days of Winter are over and the gay, lighthearted season has arrived. And what else can bring this spirit better than music. Let your windows and your mail matter tell the story. . . . and Mother's Day Dealers in practically every line of endeavor owe a debt of gratitude to the gift card industry, for through its efforts the entire year is interspersed with days of observance that are not patriotic holidays, saints' or feast days, yet which by clever exploitation work are as widely if not more widely, observed than the traditional ones and dealers in all lines benefit from them. Perhaps the most famous of such "days" is Mother's Day, observed on the second Sunday of May. Although the florists have in the past reaped the great harvest from Mother's Day, it offers unlimited opportunities to music dealers. Give a thought to the possibilities of increasing your sales volume by planning a campaign on this "day." Use advertising, direct mail letters and window displays. Although two months must pass before the second Sunday in May arrives, it is not too early to outline your campaign and have it in readiness. 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