The talking machine world (Oct-Dec 1921)

IS THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD October 15, 1921 IMPORTANT TO THE TALKING MACHINE TRADE Record Albums Yes, Price is one point. But so is Quality another point. Quality and Price must be considered together. "National Albums" are unsurpassed and seldom equaled in Quality. They give permanent satisfaction to the user. Please your customers. Write us for price list. SELECTING THEIR FAVORITES NATIONAL PUBLISHING CO., 239 S. American St., PHILADELPHIA, PA THE PERFECT PLAN GETTING BUSINESS BY DIRECT MAIL (i ontiiiHcd from page 17) the exception, of course, that it names the motor car instead of records. If the reader of such a letter happened to be already interested in motor cars or records a letter with such an opening might receive his attention, but it would do so because he was already interested and not because the opening sentence arrested his attention. By way of contrast, take this letter, which one progressive dealer recently sent out to a list of married women in his territorj': Dear Mrs. Brown : — Have you noticed how "scratchy" John's favorite record is getting? Several little nicks in it, too, if I remember correctly. You know they will get that way after a while in spite of our best efforts to make them indestructible. And where one is so fond of a certain number, and plays it so much, the record should be replaced now and then. But it is the oddest thing; men don't like to meddle with such matters. I'm that way myself about my ties, for e-xample. "The Missus" always selects my ties, and I'd wear any kind of an old string if she didn't get me a new one every now and then. Did you ever know a man to bring home a nice selection of new records of his own accord? But when "Friend Wife" brings them Oh, I'm not hinting. I can "lift" any selections I wish right from stock, you know. But John doesn't happen to be in the talking machine business where he can just help himself, and maybe he's waiting for someone to make him a present of some new records. There isn't a doubt in the world that Mrs. Brown read every word of this letter, because it was of direct, personal interest to her. It was about her husband and she knew that it was about her husband before she had finished reading the first sentence. A letter to wives immediately suggests a similar appeal to husbands. So we suggest something like this: Dear Joe: — She was a fine little woman and a good housekeeper and she had things all shipshape from cellar to garret. But as she stood there dusting off the old piano she looked almost ready to cry. You see, they were going to have company that night — some young folks all full of youthful energy — and she was sure that they would want to dance. Just a few nights before she had been at a little party over at a neighbor's and they had enjoyed themselves very much in dancing to the music of the phonograph. But she didn't have a phonograph. She had a lovely piano, but she couldn't play it and dance at the same time, and besides the piano wasn't nearly so well fitted for producing dance music. And somehow she thought the company might think — well, you know how women are about those things. I wonder why men don't think more about the equipment of the home anyway. Oh, don't mention it, old man; it was only a suggestion. We've got a dandy little wife ourselves. While this letter does not mention the recipient's wife by name in the first sentence or elsewhere, it does mention some woman and it goes right on to make a direct appeal to the BOSTON ALBUMS ARE MADE RIGHT Patented 1914 Patented 1914 BOSTON ALBUMS are made TO SATISFY YOUR MOST EXACTING CUSTOMERS. This means that Boston Albums are made right and have been since they were Patented and introduced to the Trade in 1914. They have never been equaled. We invite you to send for samples of our four new models — all made right. BOSTON BOOK COMPANY 501-509 Plymouth Court CHICAGO, ILL. masculine sympathy — "She" was about to cry. Such a letter will be read, no doubt about that. The friendly tone of the letter, the personal, helpful suggestiveness of it, will evoke a chuckle, maybe, but it will move the recipient to sentimental thoughtfulness, too. Similar human interest appeals can be prepared in the form of letters in behalf of the children as well. If a parent, especially a mother, can be made to realize that other children are enjoying themselves in some way that her children are missing, or that others have advantages that hers do not have, she will provide the necessarjf means for placing her children on a plane of equality with the others, even if she has to cut her grocery bill to do so. The Mailing List While it is essential that direct-mail advertising letters be made personal and "human," it is equally important that they go to the proper persons, at the proper addresses. Much postage is often wasted in direct-mail campaigns because the advertiser does not have a correct mailing list. Such a list may be secured in any one of many v/ays. The dealer in the small town or village can probably make up a list from his own acquaintance with the inhabitants of the territory. Others secure lists by promoting guessing contests or giving away prizes to the ones having tickets bearing lucky numbers. In either case tickets are provided and customers are required to fill in their names and addresses on these. Some also have the contestants write on the tickets whether or not they have a talking machine in their homes. Dealers in large cities will probably do well to go to the offices of the compilers of their city directory, or write to them in case they have no ofiice in the citj-, and ask for exactly the kind of list of prospects they wish to reach. These companies gather a surprising amount of information and are prepared to furnish scores of dififerent lists of names for such a mailing list. Just as an example of what may be accomplished in this way, one live Middle Western dealer is now picking his prospects entirely from salaried people such as teachers, clerks and retail salesmen, and others whose incomes have not been seriously impaired by the present business depression, while he avoids factory workers, many of whom have been unemployed for months and would not be able to buy, no matter how intensely thej' might desire an article. The list having been secured, the dealer must forever afterward keep making changes in it and keep it up to date. People are continually moving, dying, getting married and leaving the community, and the direct-mail advertiser who does not keep his list up to date will soon find himself wasting more postage than his advertising is worth, as well as failing to get results from his campaign. There is no more valuable salesman, however, tlian a mailing list properly kept up and properljf worked.