The Edison phonograph monthly (Dec 1914-Dec 1915)

10 EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY, MARCH, 1915 "Before going into details of my selling methods, how I secure prospects, how I close deals, etc., I wish to state why I went into the work of selling Edisons. It was in the fall of 1913 when I first heard the Disc at Erie, Pa., and was very much taken with the tone of the phonograph. Soon after that I came to Ithaca to finish my senior year at Cornell. Athletics and other activities did not seem to interest me so very much, as I was too busy thinking what to do with myself after graduation. This, as you know, is quite a problem with a majority of college men who are about to graduate. I particularly wished to secure employment, but above all I wished to do something that would make me my own master. I wished to be free and work independently and succeed quickly. To do this I had to follow those men who had made the most of an opportunity and who started with a good new thing — like the moving picture men, for instance — the men who fully realized what the invention of moving pictures meant and opened the first movies; anyone knows what they are today. Close to my graduation day I had several "propositions," but I turned them down to be an Edison Diamond Disc Phonograph Dealer. In my judgment this offered the best opportunity to a young ambitious man. Since then I am thoroughly convinced that I did not make a mistake. To start right — although I am very musical and am an amateur player of one musical instrument — I felt that I should have a little experience in selling instruments, so I worked for a Company dealing in and Edisons, and secured quite a lot of it. Besides this I began to travel and see what other dealers were doing in certain sections of the state. The thing, however, that was most surprising was the fact that many dealers did not know what they were talking about, particularly a young fellow who demonstrated a 250 Edison placed beside a 200 was often so mixed up that he contradicted his own statements several times. By the way, he had charge of the phonograph department of this music firm. Even dealers who had been in the business for a good many years recommended to you a certain make "just because." I felt that a little study in the line of sound reproduction, of the different kinds of phonographs in the market, with their good and poor points, is very necessary. There is nothing like really knowing all about them. Even with all this, not being fully satisfied, I began to gather "data" for my future work — that is I wanted to know something about the field I was going to work in. I secured a large list of names and went from house to house to find out what they had in the line of musical instruments. "Statistics" was my excuse — but the fun I had fully payed for my trouble for many took me for Income Tax Collector. I wanted to know if they had a piano — if any member of the family could play it, other instruments, phonographs, their makes, price, whether they liked music or not. You can readily see what a collection of information could afford a dealer to send the right kind of letter to the right party. I found out that most of the pianos were idle, and that in quite a large percent, of cases, no member of the family could use them. In one house I was told that they had all the music they wanted; they said they had a piano, but I found out that no one could play on it. How much better off they would have been if they had bought a phonograph instead of the piano. If there is something difficult to write about it is selling methods. There are as many selling methods as there are customers. You have to meet them individually, sympathize with them, listen to what they have to say very courteously, and help them to the way you want them to think about the goods you are selling. In other words, help them to see, even to hear. A little speech on a record before you play it, with remarks about certain instruments being clearly reproduced, will make the greater impression on the mind of the listener. When I play an operatic selection, quite often I briefly give a description of it, and ask, after it is played, if it does not convey a certain state of mind. It never pays to make statements you cannot prove. Every statement I make I prove to the satisfaction of the prospective buyer. I have quite often placed a phonograph at the house of a friend and asked him to ask his friends to hear, then gather the names of the ones interested in it. They quite often express their desire of buying one some day at their friends house more than at your store. Sending phonograph on approval to people interested in them is a very good method. For the psychological effect of a Phonograph at the home of your prospective buyer that they have lost that much from life without it, when they gather around it and listen, is something like this. To think that such a wonderful thing is in existence, and that it is within the reach of them. What are a couple of hundred dollars compared with the pleasure derived from such an instrument? Every one loves music, and no home should be without a phonograph. To close the sale of a phonograph sent on approval, it is necessary to keep the interest of the people by finding out what kind of records they like and taking back the ones that are not particularly liked. You can be assured that the person that has your machine on approval will go and hear the other makes. Evidently your competitor will load him with information about the machine he has in his home. Quite as often this gentleman or lady, feeling under obligation to you for sending your machine up, will say nothing about it. It is well to tell her all about possible arguments, weak points, prove them groundless before your prospective buyer tells you he would rather wait awhile before buying a phonograph. Do not loose track of your customers, one Edison will sell others, your customers are your best outside salesmen.