The talking machine world (July-Dec 1920)

October 15, 1920 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD 218-c iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ THETALKINGMACHINEWORLDSERVICE I A DEPARTMENT DEVOTED TO PROMOTING RETAIL SALES iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ Sales Ideas, Ad Ideas, Window and Other Ideas Sparks That Will Start Your Engine Turning Over OCTOBER — November — December — and Christmas ! These three months will tell the story of your success or failure in the race for profits. You are like the mile racer, who has been pacing round the track, saving his supreme effort for the final sprint to the tape. You have been plugging along through the year. Now is the time to sprint, to put on extra steam, ginger, pep, enthusiasm — whatever you wish to call that vital force which inspires your organization with life and activity. The time to catch fish is when the fish are biting. The time to go after business is when business is most plentiful. That time is now. "Speak now, or forever hold your peace." So said our friend the preacher. Perhaps he never managed a music store, but natheless he spake sooth. Advertise now, or else quit advertising forever. For if ever there was a time when all the advertising and sales effort possible were needed, now is the time. The advertising, the canvassing, the aggressive salesmanship you use now, will count heavily when your holiday season comes along. Father Time is a miser. He won't allow you a fraction of a split second more than your allowance. Don't waste a minute, an hour, or a day of the slender store of time you have in your treasury. To-day is the day to put in that large display ad. To-day is the day to dress up your window with a fresh trim. To-day is the day to prepare that circular, announcing your offer to exchange small machines, or your sale of used pianos, or your newly received shipment of talking machines. To-day call that salesmen's meeting, to map out your campaign, marshal your forces, and permeate your sales staff with the spirit of "up-and-at-'em." To-day is the day to send out a strong circular letter, featuring your instruments, or the size of your record stock, or your convenient location, or the new dance hits and best old dance records, for Hallowe'en, Thanksgiving, and Christmas festivities. If you wait till the last minute, it is too late to start. By that time the other fellow has already begun to "sprint." He is bound to win the race and leave you in the ruck. Q. — "What shall I write my next ad about?" Ans. — Repairing. Get Music From a Music Store. Our Knowledge of the Record Catalog Helps You Find the Ones You Like. Special List of "Hard-To-Get" Records, Now in Stock. Accessories You Need For Your Talking Machine. Records Your Children Will Like. Favorite Dance Records. Exchange Your Small Machine in Part Payment for a Cabinet Model. Q. — What shall T put in my window now? Ans. — A Hallowe'en display, with Jack-o'-Lanterns, against an orange background, showing witches riding brooms, in silhouette. An "educational" display, contrasting the talking machine with a heap of text books and dictionaries, and explaining that the t. m. is a great educator. A children's display, with small machines, children's records, an imitation "Bean-Stalk," and a cardboard figure of "Jack" preparing to climb it. A display of Old Time Songs — in the center, a beaver hat and old-fashioned poke bonnet — grouped about records . with cards reading, "When You and I Were Young, Maggie," "In the Gloaming," "Silver Threads Among the Gold," etc. A "Cheer-Up" display, showing comic records, recitations, and dance tunes, with appropriate signs. EVERY month, about the time the new records are released, comes the question, What kind of a form letter shall we send out with our bulletin ? Shall the letter be general, boosting the_ records, but not featuring individual titles? Shall we feature two or three individual records ? Shall we talk about the educational value and interest of the bulletin, and urge that it be read? Shall we enlarge upon our store service, our comfortable booths, our knowledge of the record catalog ? All of these topics are good — IF skillfully handled. But the letter which gets best results seems to be the one which features two or three individual hits from the monthly list, singling out the best record of the Red Seal class, the best popular song, and the best dance tune — following each with an enthusiastic, well-written description. Most record buyers come in because there is a definite record which they want. So if you give them definite records to thinkabout, they are more apt to come in than if you merely present in general terms, the desirability of having some new records. STYLE is another moot question, in writing form letters. There are successful letters of breezy, chatty style; there are successful letters of conservative, formal style. But while the formal style is more appropriate when you are selling securities, real estate or insurance, the entertaining, friendly letter is more in keeping with the idea of music and all that music implies. Don't be afraid to unbend a bit. FORM letter experts all know that a form letter, like a short story, is made or marred in the first paragraph. It must have a hook, a kink, a catch in it that, with the dexterity of sleight-of-hand, will grasp the reader's attention, and hold on to it. In your newspaper ad, you are helped by display type, cuts and borders. In your form letter, you have no such resources. You must depend solely upon the sharpness of your wits. If the first paragraph is dull and ordinary, the reader goes no farther. In the last paragraph you might offer him a ten-dollar bill in exchange for a canceled twocent stamp — he wouldn't even find it out. The letter "died a-bornin'." In your first sentence, say something unexpected, make a statement that arouses curiosity, start to tell a funny story. Put it over in the first paragraph — or tear the letter up and save your postage. THE psychology of collecting money is delicate. Nobody relishes dunning letters; everybody resents the implication that their credit is not good or their honesty questionable. You can touch a man on almost any other point with less risk than on the subject of money. Therefore, collection letters have to be very carefully worded. The most successful ones are a combination of firmness with friendliness. They avoid threatening, blaming or scolding, and appeal to the debtor's sense of fairness and honesty in a friendly but forcible manner. There are many collection letters which have to be worded individually to fit the circumstances of the case. Here is a form letter which has proven very successful and is an example of the type of letter now favored for general use : Dear Mr. Jones : — ■ Did you ever stop to think what would happen to us if all our customers neglected to make their payments? Guess we'd be in jail, or some place like that. We certainly wouldn't be in business very long anyway. Because we can't do business without money. And our ^ only income is from our customers, — mostly those whom we have accommodated by extending the privilege of making time payments. So we're just sending this letter along to ask you if you won't try to co-operate with us by "coming across." If you can't pay the entire amount of $ now, send along what you can, and tell us when you can send the rest. We certainly will appreciate your effort. Thanking you in advance, we are. Yours very truly, EDITOR'S NOTE — Mr. Gordon, who writes this monthly page, is also director of "The Talking Machine World Service." Mr. Gordon will publish on this page any good ideas submitted by you for the benefit of the trade, and also answer any questions you ask him concerning merchandising problems. Use this department as much as you like. It is intended to serve you.