The talking machine world (July-Dec 1923)

6 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD September 15 1923 Sales Arguments That Win the Customer Every Dealer From Time to Time Must Cope With the "Difficult" Patron — Frank H. Williams Cites Methods of Several Retailers A talking machine dealer in the Middle West had been spending almost an entire morning demonstrating various instruments in his store to a man and a woman, both of middle age, who were unable to make up their minds to buy. In fact, as it drew on toward the noon hour it became evident that the prospects were going to leave the store without anything definite having been accomplished at all toward closing the sale. Upon seeing this intention on the part of the prospects the dealer determined to put the sale over if it was the last thing he ever did. He did some rapid thinking on the proposition and just as the prospects, after the usual line of excuses and statements about coming back again, were turning to leave the store he said: "Mr. Jones, you've told me that you are in the furnace business. You have had a wide experience in selling and so perhaps you can help me out. I'm up against a certain difficult selling proposition and I don't quite know what to do about it. Will you help me out in it?" Mr. Jones looked somewhat flattered at this. "Sure, I'll help you out, if I can," was the reply. "Well," sajd the dealer, "the proposition is this: Two prospects come into the store, show an interest in all the machines I have for sale and are very evidently going to buy a machine. But — I can't sell them! What sort of an argument can I put up to these prospects to make the sale? Why is it that I can't put the proposition across? You know, in your own business, how important it is to know whether you are falling down in any particular part of your business or not. It's equally important to me to know if I'm falling down in any part of this business and I sure will appreciate it if you'll help me out. Why is it I haven't been able to sell a machine to you and your wife?" This blunt way of putting the thing was a facer for Mr. Jones. He looked a trifle surprised and embarrassed at first. Then he smiled. "Say," he said, "you're all right. You put the thing up to me in a way I'd never thought of before. If I was in your place and had spent as much time as you have in being courteous to us and then didn't make a sale I'd be mighty sore." This led to some further talk about the question of clinching sales which eventually put the sale across for the dealer. How Sales of Records Were Increased And there is probably a worth-while suggestion in the experience of another Middle Western dealer who had a customer come in and spend the greater part of a busy afternoon in one of the hearing rooms and who then bought only one $1.25 record. The dealer naturally cast about in his mind for some way of increasing sales to this customer. It was, really, a puzzling proposition and, for a moment or so, the dealer felt that the best thing to do would probably be to let the customer get away without trying to sell her any more goods. He finally hit upon a plan, however. Accordingly, when putting the customer's one lone purchase into an envelope the dealer said: "Mrs. Brown, I notice that all of the records you have been trying this afternoon have been classical records and I have been wondering what you and your children like among the more popular selections we have on hand. I know that you have a musical family and that the members of your family are all splendid judges of music and so I would much appreciate it if you'd let me pick out some popular selections to try out at your home to-night and then tell me to-morrow which of them you like the best and which your family likes best." Mrs. Brown agreed to this proposition and the dealer accordingly gave her a dozen of the newest and most popular selections handled by the store. Then the next day he went around to Mrs. Brown's house and she bought eight of the records! In explaining this sale the dealer said: "When I was figuring out ways and means of selling more records to Mrs. Brown I happened to remember that she has three lively young children who, naturally, would be greatly interested in dance music. So I thought that if I could get some popular selections into her home and get her to try them out on their own instrument the children would demand their purchase and the sale would be made. And that's just exactly what happened. And it is my opinion that numerous sales of popular selections could be made by dealers to families which have concentrated too heavily on classical selections if the dealer would only recall which families these are and then get the popular selections into their hoines." Sales Arguments That Made a Machine Sale And here is the way that another dealer put over a difficult sale: A rather elderly man and his wife came into the store to look at talking machines and right away the dealer saw that the man wanted to buy a machine, while the wife was hanging back. "We're looking around for a wedding present for our youngest daughter, who is going to get married soon," the man explained, "and I say we ought to get her a phonograph, while my wife's got her mind all set to buy them a washing machine." Of course, upon hearing this the dealer realized that he was up against a hard sales proposition and that the person in the case who must be sold was the wife, as the husband was already sold on the proposition. Consequently, as the dealer showed and demonstrated various kinds of machines he was busily thinking of sales arguments. "Of course," he said, "you want to give them something they will appreciate." "Indeed, we do," said the wife, "and I just know my daughter will appreciate a washing machine more than she will a phonograph." "Perhaps," said the dealer, "but look at it this way: The washing machine would be used on only one day of the week or, perhaps, only one day every other week. The phonograph, on the other hand, would be used every day and several times every day and it would help to make home cheerful every day of the week, it would help your daughter in getting her friends to her house and it would help her in feeling happy all the time. Isn't a gift which will remind your daughter and husband every day of the week of the givers better than a gift which is used only once every other week?" The woman saw the point at once and the result was that the sale was made by the dealer. W. T. HADDON ENTERTAINS FRIENDS Well-known Victor Jobber Keeps Open House at Summer Home at Island Heights, N. J. Wm. T. Haddon, of the Ohio Talking Machine Co., Cincinnati, who maintains a Summer home at Island Heights, N. J., with a full equipment of motor boats and other seashore accessories, has entertained a number of the members of the Victor family during the past month. The visitors included Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Collings, of Collings & Co., Victor wholesalers, of Newark, N. J.; Charles K. Bennett, general manager of the George C. Beckwith Co., Victor wholesalers, of Minneapolis; Harry Goldsmith, general manager of the Badger Talking Machine Co., Milwaukee, and several others. REMODELED QUARTERS IN MEMPHIS Memphis, Tenn., September 1. — Witzman Stuber, Inc., who feature the Brunswick phonographs and records in a big way in this city, are now settled in their handsome remodeled quarters at 99 North Second street, where ^ concert hall has been fitted up for recital purposes and a full equipment of booths installed. The Sonora Appeals to the Buyer of Quality The Sonora dealer is right now preparing not only to make the year 1923 the largest in his history, but also the year 1924 — indeed, all the years to come. Because every Sonora he sells adds to-his reputation as a quality merchant, the complete satisfaction and confidence engendered by Sonora performance raises his enterprise to the position held by all merchandisers of quality products. Greater CUp ^Jjonograpi) Co., 3Jnc. Exclusive Distributors for Now York, Staten Island and the Lower Hudson Valley 234 West 39th Street New York