The Edison phonograph monthly (Mar-Dec 1907)

EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY. 11 Records if they were persistently brought to their notice. Under no condition can the sale of the two classes of Records conflict in any way. The sale of Grand Opera Records simply means additional profit to you and as such you cannot afford not to. do your best to sell them. We are helping you by advertising them in the national magazines which go into millions of homes. This publicity must bring you many inquiries. If you carry the full line it is your business to make these inquirers into buyers. The fact that during the past season New York City has supported two Grand Opera houses and the greatest galaxy of stars ever gathered together in one city, has brought the Grand Opera and its favorite songs closely home to the American people. The interest is growing and means a demand for the Records. The metropolitan and provincial press have helped to advertise the various arias, duets, trios and quartettes by giving great prominence to the doings of the Metropolitan and Manhattan Opera Houses. The desire to possess the gems of vocal operatic art at reasonable prices, is one that will continue to grow, and should prove very profitable to you, if only you use special efforts to make it known that you have them for sale. NO EXHIBIT AT JAMESTOWN. Unless something unexpected occurs within the next month, there will be no exhibition of Edison Phonographs at the Jamestown Exposition. C .B. Haynes & Co., Edison Jobbers at Richmond, who expected to have an exhibit of Edison goods at the Exposition, was compelled by circumstances to abandon the plan. None will be made by this company direct. SELLING RECORDS BY TELEPHONE. The following interesting letter from H. G. Stanton, general manager of R. S. Williams Sons & Co., Edison Jobbers at Toronto, Canada, shows that modern selling methods are flourishing in far-off British Columbia. As the idea may be a new one to many Dealers, we quote it in full : "While in Victoria recently, I called upon our Edison Dealers there, Fletcher Bros., and upon entering their store was much interested and amused in the rather novel way they were making a sale of Records at the time. The Phonograph was beinr played a short distance from the telephone and the clerk seemed to be operating it with the same attention that would usually be given when a customer was listening to a Record ; but as no customer was in sight, I assumed the playing was one for the clerk's benefit only and was very much surprised to find that the trial was for a customer, who was listening to the music over the 'phone and making her purchase while in the suburb named Esquimalt, six miles away." NOTABLE ADVERTISING. The beautiful three color advertisement in the May 4th issue of Collier's, which we mailed to all Edison Dealers, is typical of the thoroughness with which we are conducting our advertising campaign. The Dealer who refers to it will notice that two cuts appear on the second and third pages of the cover we sent. The magazines and newspapers are some of those in which we have advertised Edison Phonographs and Records ; and a glance at the two will convince you of two things at least. First rhat these magazines and newspapers are sjch as to include all classes of possible purchasers, from the richest classes to the poorest, and are known in every State of the Union. Secondly, that you are deriving very direct benefit from this universal publicity. Naturally, the cost of all this is very great but we are satisfied that we are on a right course and there is to be no let up in our activities. On June 8th we shall have a colored page in the Saturday Evening Post, well known as one of the costliest and best advertising media. Every Dealer must be benefitted by this carefully planned, systematic advertising and if he will only supplement it in his own town by distributing the literature we send him, as much as with his head as his hands, he will have every reason to be satisfied with his sales. The sale of an Edison Phonograph differs from the sale of the usual commodity because the Edison Dealer has the opportunities for double profits — one from the sale of the Phonograph and the other from the sales of new Records. A Dealer who sells a stove or range to his customer does not get the opportunity to sell him the coal wherewith to feed it. That profit must go to the coal dealer. Similarly the man who sells you a horse is not the one who sells you oats and hay. The profits on what the animal eats go to another dealer. But with the Edison Dealer it is different — he sells the Phonograph and the Records. How many Records one Dealer can sell to the owner of a Phonograph depends very much upon his own ability as a salesman. We know of Dealers who sit and wait for people to come and buy, and we know of others who make people buy. The one looks desparingly at his stock and wonders when he will sell it. The other sends off telegrams to his Jobber to "rush that order through." No two blades of grass, grains of sand or Dealers are alike, but our advertising should h^lp all Dealers without regard to their location or size of store.