The talking machine world (Oct-Dec 1921)

NOVTMBER 15, 1921 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD 29 iiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy How Best to Transform the Thanksgiving I Spirit Into Talking Machine Sales := By Thornton Hall 1 II In a week's time will come a holiday that is too often overlooked by talking machine merchants— Thanksgiving Day. There are certain aspects of this holiday that can be turned into profit by the dealer who is alive to them. It has long been a matter for wonder that the dealer who will create more or less of a merchandising fuss over Halloween from a business viewpoint and who goes after Christmas season business in a big way will pay absolutely no attention to the potential profits of Thanksgiving. There are dealers, however, who do include this Thanksgiving season in their merchandising plan and program. Suppose we draw briefly from their experiences for the benefit of those dealers who still have time to cash in on the 1921 Thanksgiving trade. Thanksgiving can be exploited in many phases of retail sales promotion. The work of all departments can and should be included. The sales forces, the window trimmers, the bookkeeping and collection departments, the advertising manager, even the delivery force should be made to recognize the value of Thanksgiving as an extra sales booster. While it is the window trimmer who is naturally thought of first in connection with holiday promotion work, perhaps we can show how the Thanksgiving link-up can be made effective right down the line. Utilizing the Display Window. The street window is the most important display spot in the talking machine store. It is here that the merchant flags the passing prospect and gets his idea across to him. In this case the message is something like this: "Stop. Thanksgiving is coming. Let me tell you why Thanksgiving should cause you to buy a talking machine and records. Come in." In other words, the window display should get over to the prospective customer the idea of the association of Thanksgiving and music — particularly talking machine music. Dealers should, of course, make use of the excellent lithograph window trims appropriate to Thanksgiving usually supplied by the manufacturer. These are always helpful, but even more helpful are windows which carry out an idea of the dealer's own. This gives an impression of being alive and on the job, even to the casual observer. People like to trade with stores that impress them as being progressive. Last year a certain dealer of this type transformed his show window into a Thanksgiving banquet scene, with a long table set for a large family and heaped with typical Thanksgiving foods. All the "fixin's" were there — a turkey, cranberry sauce, everything. Over in the corner in a promi nent position was a large cabinet model talking m.achine bearing a large card, with the legend: "The Guest of Honor," and a sitreamer leading to a window sticker which read: I "MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE BIRD HIM | g SELF for the success of the Thanksgiving dinner is 1 M a Talking Machine. Make sure 1 1 you've provided for the Music with the .Meal." 1 Riiiiimiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiinitiiiiiiiiiiii^^ Another window trim which suggests itself for the Thanksgiving holiday has to do with pushing the sale of Caruso records. The Thanksgiving effect can be secured by means of a background of cornstalks, pumpkins, etc. In the foreground on the left place a mourningdraped photograph of Caruso and at the right a poster listing all of his records that you have. Let a third poster read: lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll This tactful reminder will in a great many cases smooth over an embarrassing item, for it is a form of "dun" that sacrifices none of the customer's good will. The on-the-job dealer has a list of live prospects w'hich he circularizes at least once a month. Here is a timely letter that works in the Thanksgiving idea: A REAL CAUSE FOR THANKSGIVING The voice of Caruso will live forever. Dear Mr. Prospect: — It is a wise custom that decrees the setting apart of one day each year for Thanksgiving. You and I will no doubt receive a substantial moral benefit next week through the medium of a few moments' reflection on the goodness of Providence. Among the things I am thankful for is the evergrowing love for music among the citizens of this community. The wide popularity of the talking machine is in a large way responsible for this educational boon to mankind. If you decide to secure your talking machine before Thanksgiving, you will be thankful all the rest of the days of your life. Sincerely yours. Capitalizing an Old Familiar Stunt The sales department can make use of an old familiar stunt which has been often used with great success in other fields. This is the Thanksgiving turkey raffle, always popular with the public, which dislikes to admit its inherent love for getting "something for nothing." Simply give a number to each record which is sold for a certain number of days before Thanksgiving Eve. Let these numbers be dropped in a box and a good, fat turkey be given the holder of the lucky number. It is a safe guess that many extra records will be sold to get those extra chances at winning the bird. Later you have the chance for a "human interest" story in the papers on the title of the selection whose number was the winning one, which will be good publicity. Another means of keeping alive interest in the Thanksgiving sale of records is the taking of a poll of customers as to the selection most appropriate to Thanksgiving. The mind of the public is fairly well fixed on Christmas and other holiday music and people will be interested to discover the popular sentiment about Thanksgiving music. A record can be given to the person first choosing the most popular title. A clever idea is used by one dealer each year just before Thanksgiving Day. When sending out the November statements he has the statement clerk put all statements of overdue accounts to one side. On each of these he affi-xes a sticker which reads: Another dealer even works his delivery department into his Thanksgiving program of sales promotion. He has a fleet of Ford delivery trucks and a week before the holiday he decorates them with a canvas sign reading: I STORE CLOSED ALL DAY THANKSGIVING | I DAY. I 1 Open for your convenience until 10 Wednesday 1 ; evening. Arrange for your holiday music now. W This same dealer also turns over two of these trucks to the use of a local charitable organization in distributing Thanksgiving turkeys and food to the poor for a few hours on the preceding Wednesday. The advertising department will find it more beneficial in the long run to devote its contract newspaper space during Thanksgiving week to the "good will" or institutional type of advertisement. Topics adaptable for advertising copy are "The History of Thanksgiving," "The Meaning of Thanksgiving" and "Thanksgiving and Music." It is the belief of the writer that by exercising his ingenuity the dealer can make use of the Thanksgiving "motif" in every department. It is this tying-up of a central idea among all departments that is responsible for the notable success of a great many retail institutions and there is no time like the present to adopt its use. INCORPORATED IN WEST VIRGINIA I THANKSGIVING DAY, November 24.— One of the | 1 things we hope to be thankful for is the settle 1 1 ment of the attached account. 1 Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiili ~ The Beckley Phonograph Co., with a capital stock of $15,000, has been incorporated in West Virginia by C. M. Ward, T. C. Moorefield, C. G. Casto, French Lucas, D. B. Jarrell and others. ajyaiiiiLaiMiMii^iii^iMiMiMiiyjiiyiiiyjiMiMii^ I WHOLESALE ^^HERE Service to Victor Dealers is Backed by Long, First-hand Experience in the Field of Distribution. II rs MASTEIS VOICE DISTRIBUTOR EMANUEL BLOUT VICTOR EXCLUSIVELY 2799 BROADWAY, at 108th Street, NEW YORK