Phonographs... Records... Radio

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org

THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, FEBRUARY, 1941 19

concert, which can be scheduled for any night of the week usually slow in store traffic and invitations sent to selected prospects. In this case, care should be taken to match the type of music and the Combination prospects invited. All of this work sounds extensive for a record department, but actually it more than pays for itself in business created and Business in furnishing leads for the piano salesmen. Phonographs... Records... Unique Promotion Radio - Phonographs for Radiola "515" Announced to RCA tube and equip- ment distributors and service dealers by The Value of Skillful Use of means of an unusual promotion stunt coupling the legendary "5:15 train" with Direct Mail in Selling Records the model number of the instrument, the new Radiola Model 515 is being greeted with a flood of orders, according to John By Daniel Webster C. Marden, Radiola Sales Manager of the RCA Manufacturing Co., Camden, N. J. List price of the new instrument is $24.95. Successful development of record sales Contact with all youth educational or- The Radiola, 515. is a G-tube, 2-band in large volume is created by most deal- ganizations, from kindergarten through instrument housed in a modern style wood ers through the skillful use of direct mail. high school will provide you with the cabinet. Distributors handling the Radiola Since most piano dealers have recently names of those who own phonographs. series of table model receivers first re- opened record departments in order to Contests are often invaluable to elicit this ceived a toy train, accompanied by a tiny stimulate store traffic and increase their information. By offering free records as a banner reading "Here comes the 515." contacts with the public, creation of a prize, the dealer is sure to attract those Few days later they received a special record mailing list should work towards who own and play phonographs. record which, with appropriate railroad this same objective. In other words, it is Vital to this record mailing list is the sound effects, urged the distributor to fundamental that mailed solicitation information you can put on each card. "get aboard" the 515. Then came actual should reach far beyond the piano met Scatter-gun mailing is wasteful. Each samples of the receiver timed to arrive the chant's regular accounts and seek to bring piece should be aimed exactly and that same day as a letter telling of the effective new people into the store. can be done only if you have all the sales promotion aids prepared for it. This means building a list of record range data. You can get the necessary The Radiola 515 provides excellent prospects hand-tailored to fit the dealer's facts only by constant vigilance on the foreign reception and unusual perform- ultimate objective, which is to sell more part of everybody in the record depart- ance on the standard broadcast band. Its pianos. Increase of phonograph sales has ment, but it pays big dividends. One of smart appearance is enhanced by the use been so tremendous in the past two yean* the simplest ways of garnering informa- of matched walnut veneers and horizontal that the retailer cannot afford to carry all tion is to make out a sales slip ior every grille rails across the front of the cabinet. owners on his mailing list. Most economi- record sale, listing the customer's name The attractive horizontal dial is placed at cal results will come from the specialized and the records purchased. In spare time a 45 degree angle for easy reading. lists with complete information on every this data can be transferred to the cards It has two built-in antennas—one for name. and the customer classified. domestic reception, and the other for Looking beyond his files of past and Every card should bear a classification foreign turning. Its many other features regular customers, the dealer will find key, indicating the customer's preference include one stage of R-F amplification for ready to hand several sources of new in music. Usually, this is carried under greater sensitivity and selectivity, a per- names. First in importance to the piano such heads as "Dance," "Popular," manent magnet dynamic loudspeaker, 2-point tone control, automatic volume merchant come those who are interested "Symphony," "Opera," "Band" and "In- control, and a plug-in and switch for in music. This will suggest the local music strumental," specifying which instrument phonograph attachment. clubs, concert subscribers, church choirs, in the latter classification. Regardless of music teachers with their students and what kind of mailing pieces you send out, dancing schools. If the dealer makes a or how your addressing is handled, these practice of selling tickets to local musical keys will unlock new profits. For instance, Wood on Extended Southern Trip John J. Wood, Sales Manager of the events through his store, he should get if you are mailing manufacturers' release Ansley Radio Corp., New York, is on an the name of every such purchaser. This folders, the person who is doing the ad- extended business trip through the South activity will put him in touch with most dressing can use a red pencil to circle the and Middlewest, where he will call on the serious music lovers. If he will offer each numbers of special interest to the indi- many Ansley Dynaphone dealers and dis- group some simple aid in their work, he vidual. cuss promotion and sales plans for this will find them very willing to cooperate The record customer's card should line of reproducing instruments. Mr. by lending him their membership lists. have, in addition to the name and address, Wood will be back at the factory in the Since a very large proportion of pianos the phonograph owned, other musical in- early part of March. are bought by parents for the use of their struments owned, type of music preferred children, special emphasis should be and a notation of records bought by artist placed on this market in record promotion. and record number. B. F. Miessner in Florida Often the record department is the most Invaluable information about record B. F. Miessner, head of Miessner In- attractive part of a music store to buyers can be gleaned from stunts to ventions Inc., Millburn, N. J., is now in youngsters. A smart record clerk can dig bring listeners into the store. Of growing Florida where he will remain until the out plenty of valuable information for your importance in this activity is the rental latter part of March. He reports among cards from their purchases which you can library plan, by which records are loaned other things, splendid weather, lots of use in selling their parents. by the day or week. Another is a store tennis and good fishing.