Radio Broadcast (May 1929-Apr 1930)

After the approach, Mr. Boyce points out, a follow-up is essential in order to make a sale, and this should be done about a week after the first contact is made. The operator again calls Mrs. Jones, tells her she represents the manufacturer of a certain radio receiver, and volunteers a demonstration in the home. Conversation for the second call is something like this: "Good morning, Mrs. Jones! I represent the American Bosch Badio Company. We are wondering if you would not like to hear one of our latest all-electric receivers. It is quite an improvement over the set you now have, and incorporates Card No. i TELEPHONE SURVEY OF RADIO SALES PROSPECTS Smith Radio Service Company 1711 Broad Street, East Newton Name Address. City. Date interviewed Is name a good prospect? Phone Number. (1) Type of set owned?. (2) When bought? .(3) Battery or A.C.?_ (4) Performance satisfactory? <j) If he does not own a Radio set, place check here . (6) Is he interested in radio? (7) Remarks In conducting a radio sales canvass over the telephone Mr. Boyce's representative first asks the questions listed on the above card. Two weeks later she calls to offer a free demonstration and obtains the data required by card number two. Card No. 2 TELEPHONE CANVASS FOR RADIO SALES Smith Radio Service Company 1711 Broad Street, East Newton Name Address City, Phone number_ (1) Type of set owned, (2) When bought? the latest innovations in receiving apparatus. "What evenings this week would you and Mr. Jones be at home? Thursday! All right, we will have our representative call at 8 o'clock in the evening, if convenient, and we assure you of a pleasant evening's radio entertainment." Thus, the appointment is made. And, says Mr. Boyce, according to data taken from dealers employing the system, seventy-eight per cent, of the prospects who permit the home demonstration have purchased a new model receiver of the manufacture demonstrated after the first call. These results were determined after the first tests of the telephone sales method which was conducted in a more or less experimental manner last fall. The seventy-eight per cent, result is very remarkable, and should not be regarded (4) Can appointment be made?. (5) Not interested; Why?_ . (6) Will be interested at later date? (7) Remarks: as the average in the final analysis. It represents only a few small territories canvassed to determine the feasibility of the experiment, and, should it be applied to a greater number of territories of varying purchasing power, it is believed that the average might drop to as low as fifty or sixty per cent. By way of comparison, it may be noted that in other trades where such telephone schemes of selling have been applied, forty per cent, successful reaction is considered good. This latter percentage is more than sufficient to warrant wider use of the telephone sales method. The salesman, Mr. Boyce explains, enters the home completely equipped to install the demonstration set, which is usually a cabinet model. If antenna and ground connections are not readily available, he produces a temporary antenna system which will permit the receiving set to perform at its best under the existing local conditions. His clue to tell of the relative merits and sales points of the particular receiver, is when Mr. Jones asks, either the price, or whether other cabinet models are available. In a foregoing paragraph mention was made of Mr. Boyce's system of obtaining information on the purchasing power of the average individual in each dealer's territory. This, of course, determines to a large extent what make and price receiver will be exploited. The information is readily available through electric light, telephone, and other public service or public contacting companies, who have such data on hand. First, the dealer outlines his territory, and determines the number of homes he is adequately equipped to service. The average income of the power company or telephone company is obtained from either organization f o r small cost. Fifteen per cent, is added as a correction factor to compensate any possible expansion during the ensuing year. The constant for determining the approximate number of receivers which should be sold is, of course, dependent upon the price of the receiver. In the case of the Bosch set, Mr. Boyce says, sixty per cent, is the mark set for the dealer. At any rate, after computation, it is not difficult to decide what price set should be exploited. With the telephone plan placed in operation by the B. H. McMann company, the special operators are trained by the distributor and are, after the dealer agrees, assigned to conduct the "1930 method of approaching prospects." Date interviewed, Successful?_ Is second follow-up advisable? . (3) Battery or A.C.? When Time . When. :u8 • • () C T () II E R 1 9 2 9 •