The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1908)

22 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. known as a good man among good men. I fell to talking with him about salesmanship the other day and elicited a "thunk" or two and a concrete instance. This is about the way Parsons preached. "In the first place, I believe that the essential and fundamental principle of salesmanship is a thorough knowledge and understanding of the line that the salesman may be handling. I don't mean by that to be simply able to know the different types of machines and even the parts of the same, but to go beyond that. I believe the salesman should absorb by frequent discussion an exchange of ideas among the salesmen and department managers in his line and also by keeping posted on his own line and, if possible, his competitors' line by being a subscriber to the best traae paper, or all the trade papers, or perchance. The Talk'ing Machine World, the only trade paper that pertains to his line of work, thereby keeping posted and being able to talk intelligently in a broad way. The salesman will find it helpful when he is brought into competition if he feels that he can talk fluently and entertainingly on the subject in hand. I will try and illustrate this in a practical way. "Several days ago I received a visit from a gentleman who told me that he was a professcrr of languages and that within a week or ten days he would leave for Japan, where he inteaded to take charge of the business administration department of the University of Tokio and he desired to investigate the commercial graphophone, although he had really little idea of investing, just wanted to be posted. Might decide after he had been in Japan for a few months to line up. Of course I determined to get him then and there, but I knew that it would have to be done diplomatically. In the first place, my customer had told me that he was a professor of languages. Incidentally I remarked in turn that Prof. Starr of the University of Chicago had used our machines during his recent visit to the central part of Africa, with great success. This established a mutual bond of interest as my visitor said that he knew the professor of anthropology of the University of Chicago. Well, I came back with the remark that I also knew Prof. Garner, who some years ago visited Africa, taking with him one of our machines to record Simian lingo. Now he knew Prof. Gamer. These points may seem trivial at first glance, but you see he got the idea (pardon me if this seems like egotism) that I was posted on affairs in general and above all, something that he was interested in. All the time, of course, I was going into details about our machine, talking language course in connection. I told him about the simplicity of our product and how much better he could be fixed up right then and could carry in his mind the instructions about the care of the machine, etc., if he was going to use it right away, etc. I sold him and he thanked me for doing it." The Chicago oflBce of the World has received a copy of the most remarkable newspaper advertisement devoted exclusively to talking machines that the writer remembers ever having seen. It occupied four whole pages in the well known Knoxville, Tenn., Evening Sentjinel, issue of FIBRE NEEDLES FOR OISC RECORDS Preserves them indefinitely No Scratch— No Rasp— No Cut Write for Samples and Information **B. M." Fibre Manufacturing Co. 208 East Kinzie Street = = = CMICAQO January 22, 1908. The advertiser is "The Phonograph Store" — The Knoxville Typewriter and Phonograph Co., and deserves more attention, both because of its size and the quality of the matter, than the average pronunciamento of the kind. It is worthy of attention because it embodies three prime requirements of successful advertising. It creates an impression of size and force. It has something to say and says it in a manner calculated to carry conviction and gives definite and valuable infonnation regarding the goods advertised. Furthermore, cuts are used to excellent advantage ' and besides holding the attention to the text they illuminate it. The four large pages contain something like ten thousand words of reading matter, and yet there is nothing formidable about it so well is the matter written and arranged under terse and attractive heads, and so judicious has been the distribution of the illustrations. The company handle Edison, Victor and Columbia goods and the three lines are given thorough exploitation. Of course the wealth of material furnished by the catalogs and literature of the manufacturers are drawn upon to a great extent, but there is a great deal of original matter as well. The first page presents a large cut of the exterior of the "Phonograph Store" and a group portrait of Manager John Rogers and his force of eight capable salesmen, Messrs. S. M. Hill, J. W. Perry, D. B. Orndorff, T. R. Lyndon, A. A. Fairbanks, C. C. Puckette, W. G. Harrison, and L. T. Cardwell. There is also a double-column article, column length, on "Entertainment for" Every Home, Subject the Edison Phonograph," with a sub-head, "Taking Records at Home." An article of similar size is devoted to the Victor Auxetophone with cuts. In the center of the page is the following which may be taken as an introduction to and a summary of the whole big announcement. "Thousands of Knoxville music lovers visit our store, but there are many who do not, and who have no idea of what we have. In order to introduce ourselves to those we give here a few glimpses of our store and of the goods we sell. IT'S ALL IN THE BALL ! thaoc mark IMPROVED BALL-JOINT HORN CONNECTION For Jtll Cylinder Machines. RETAILS A.T 50 CEINTS THE MISSING LINK riiis new AU-Mt'tal Uiill-Joint Horn Cotinecidii is":! wonderful improvement over the old .style .soft rubber connection. It'.s beyond ;i doul)t The Missing Link V>et\veen tlie Horn ;md the Mnchinc "There's more than a reason." 11 is ;i well known fuel thiit any Soft nuiterial is a poor con<luctor of sound. 7nnd soft rubber is no exception. "TIZ-IT" is in a clo-ss by it.self. It is made of brass, nickel-i)lateil and polished. Improves Any Machine 100 Per Cent. Send lor Descrlpllve Circulars and Discounts to the Trade Manufiu'tnri'ii by KREILING & COMPANY North 40lh Avenue and LeMoyne Street CHICAGO. II. S. A. We cannot give even in this space a complete description of our store or of our stock. Our purpose is to interest you sufficiently to induce you to pay us a visit and see for yourself. We will be glad to have you call and hear the latest devices for reproducing sound. "During the past four years we have sold over five thousand phonographs in Knoxville. Our business for the past few months was one hundred times as large as for the first few months we were in business. "We carry nearly eighty thousand records in stock, comprising over five thousand different selections. We carry in stock machines ranging in price from three dollars to five hundred dollars. "Edison and Marconi, the leading inventors of the day, are devoting their time and talents to the manufacture of the tahiing machine and the world's greatest singers are making the records we sell. "Every home in Knoxville must have a phonograph. It is time to buy yours now." One criticism only does the writer feel like making and that is that the name of a specific machine lis used frequently throughout the advertisement in characterizing all of the various makes used. It is true that the word talker is ugly and by no means adequately descriptive and we are still awaiting the man who will furnish us a good name applicable to all makes alike when general reference is desired. The second page is given over to grand opera and includes photographs of the leading Victor artists, list of operas represented in Victor Red Seal records, two-thirds of a column descriptive of the Victor's famous Rigoletto quartet record, illustrations and descriptions of the various types of Victor machines with a special exposition of the Victrola, and two large cuts, one showing the Knoxville company's Victor library and the other a corner in their Victor salesroom. On the grand opera page an article on the Bonci records of the Columbia Co. also finds an appropriate place. The third page is where Mr. Edison gets in his heavy work. There are cuts of the various types of phonographs, a lot of good general argument, a view of the wall of the Edison record room, covered with photographs of gold-molded talent with a bunch of lists, for free distribution, of the records made by each artist hanging under his photo. Then there is a view of the Edison stock and it certainly is an imposing one. We are told that this is "the largest record rack in existence anywhere. Sixty-five feet long and sixteen feet high." if you please sir. "Contains forty-five thousand records." Now it is often easier to make a statement, but " not so easy to prove up. On the first page Mr. Rogers makes a few feeble remarks to the effect that in the four years since his concern started tlioy liave sold over five thousand machines in Knoxville. Beginning on the eastern exposure of the third page and flowing over on the fourth and last page of the advertisement he prints about three thousand of the names of these purchasers with a note saying that for lack of room