The talking machine world (Jan-Mar 1921)

March 15, 1921 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD 159 |iuiiiiinniiiiiiiniiiiiin^ iiinuiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiuiiiiiiiin i idiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiy^ THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD SERVICE A DEPARTMENT DEVOTED TO PROMOTING RETAIL SALES fimugiiiu^^ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuii! i muni iiiiiiuiiii u u i iiiniiii iiiiiiiuii i uunum iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil Get the "March" on Your Competitor PRACTICALLY every one in the talking machine field concedes to-day that an owner's interest in his machine will wane if he is not educated to buying high-class selections. Therefore, you should continually center a large amount of your sales efforts on records featuring operatic, instrumental and vocal music of the very best class. This thought comes to mind at this time because of the fact that Eastertime is always associated with music of the highest standard. Connect up the theme of Easter with your store, featuring in your windows those selections which portray its spirit. Also give a list of seasonable selections to each salesman on Monday of the week prior to Easter, and instruct these salesmen to call to the attention of all customers the fact that these selections may be of interest to them. If you have a machine playing in your foyer most of the time, see to it that selections of a character in keeping with the Easter season are played. THERE'S many a clever little wrinkle which, if employed, will create good feeling and stimulate action. From time to time you probably circularize your prospective customers with literature pertaining to the purchase of a talking machine. In one of these circulars, cut your story short by asking them to inquire of you about your "easy payment plan." Enclose therein a postal card — on one side of which is your name and address, on the other a formal inquiry for more detailed information concerning your plan, with a place for the name and address of the prospect. Now,the little wrinkle is as follows : On the place where the stamp should be affixed have a square printed and within the square the following : "A Penny for Our Thoughts." A dealer who employed this wrinkle informed us that many of the customers, to whom he had finally sold through the form letter, told him that they answered the original postal card because it only cost "a penny for our thoughts." % ^ $c A CHILD when shown a new toy immediately reaches out its hands to play with it. Grown folks feel the same desire, although they do not express it. When demonstrating your next machine, show the customer how the needles are attached, how the machine is started and stopped, and then permit the customer to do it himself. You will be surprised how quickly the customer will take genuine interest in the demonstration. * * * IT is an old saying that "Whether the hen faces East, West, North or South in the "nest, it lays the same egg." Equally true is the statement that "No two salesmen present their proposition in the same manner." In order that a second salesman might try his method of approach when the first salesman had failed, the following system was devised : A push button was placed in the booth behind the talking machine, or in any other place where it was inconspicuous. This in turn rang an indicator which was located in the rear of the shop. When a salesman realized that he had practically lost the sale he would ring the bell, whereupon another salesman would appear and would apologetically inform the first one that he was wanted. The second salesman would then remain in the booth and would re-discuss with the prospective customer the entire proposition. * * * HERE is a system which is being used to increase the mailinglist for the record bulletins and is meeting with quite considerable approval in different parts of the country : Hung in each booth is a neat card, measuring about 9x12 inches — which has a bulletin attached to it and carries the following words: "DO YOU WISH ONE OF THESE ATTRACTIVE BULLETINS SENT TO YOUR HOME EACH MONTH? IF SO, WE WILL GLADLY PLACE YOUR NAME ON OUR MAILING LIST." A DEALER who did quite a large mail order business hit upon the scheme of keeping his regular customers supplied with printed postal cards bearing his address on one side and ruled lines for orders on the other. On the first of the month, when the new supplements were mailed to his customers, he attached to the supplement one of these ruled postal cards. When the order for records came in a delivery boy was sent out to take these packages to the different homes. On receipt of the package the customer would pay the boy for the amount of money due for the records. Of course, before sending the records out, they should be sealed to show that they have never been used. The sealing of your records will inspire confidence in your customers, and they will have no fear of ordering records from you through the mails. * * * ONE of the hardest things to do is to get rid of your old records, or stickers. Here is a little idea which will help you to solve that problem. Build a record rack in each booth which will just hold four records. Over the top of this rack have the following words neatly printed : "Here are the records we recommend this week." Then place a classification over each one of the four record spaces. One should be "Operatic," another "Dance Hit," a third "Popular Song," and a fourth "Instrumental." Place records that are stickers under their appropriate titles. Change the four selections each week. * * * GROWN folks will stop and watch a steam-engine or any other mechanical device in operation. Take your repair department and move it, or at least a part of it, into one of your show-windows. A work bench, a foot lathe, a few springs and motors will be sufficient. Let your best repair man sit in the window and clean and repair your motors. About the window have several signs placed, which will convey the following messages : "Our Expert Repair Department Is Always at Your Disposal"; "This Is a Practical Demonstration of the Expert Work Which We Do" ; "The Oil Used on Your Machine Gums Up — Therefore Your Motor Should Be Cleaned, Oiled and Adjusted at Least Once Each Year"; "We W'Ll Call for Your Motor and Return It to You Within a Period of Two Days." Such a window will bring you some unexpected business and will definitely impress the public with the fact that you have a repair department. * * ^ ONCE upon a time Mrs. Browning, the poetess, seated herself and wrote: "But so fair She takes the breath of men away Who gaze upon her unaware." And this makes me think that after all very few dealers have put to advantage the charms of the feminine sex toward helping to stimulate record sales. Recently the writer came across a dealer who had secured the services of a very charming young lady. To his surprise, the record sales jumped up immediately, and he also noted that the people who called once became steady customers. And why? First — because the beauty of the young lady captivated them. Second— her winning smile helped them to feel more at home. Third — after trading for several times she came to know the exact type of music which the different individuals cared for so that their record buying became a genuine pleasure. Although I do not recommend that the selection of record girls be made for beauty alone, I do suggest that more attention be given to their attractiveness. A TALKING machine dealer once openly made a statement that he was selling talking machines and records. Get that idea out of your head and realize that you are selling music. Talk, deal and think in terms of music. In this way, you will develop your store into a music center, so that you will be respected in your community as a judge, critic and patron of music. One way to establish such a reputation in your community of being more than just a talkingmachine shop is by always making it a point to sell tickets to the musicales which are given in town. Whether or not you make money at selling these tickets is not so important. The good-will you can build up as a music lover and as a promoter of art and music in your city will more than compensate you for your efforts. 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.