Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-09
SELLING 4 PIANO.
An o.d Hand at the Business Gives ?
GreeEh0rn Some Points.

?
yen See" said the piano man 70 his
aeE help. as be touched up an old 8 stool
uirh q little boiled oil and kerosense till
i booked Ike a brand new s. article
everyone who comes here 10 buy or hire
piano knows more o. less about the ma
c1lEe-principaIly less-aHd its the duty
y good salesman % guide tGem. 50 70
s1e2k-n
Il understand that. said the new man.
oh, you Go. do yous- said the boss
softly 4s be rubbed MS brush over
scratch. How would you 90 % work with
2 siren -E0oElnE woman II q turned silk
dress a1C cleaned kid gloves. who wanted
% hire 4 SEQ piano for $ amonth and u0t
EaF Tor sending II homer
~, I'd just tell her II could not be
dC1e, and let her walk out as soon as she
co1ld- that's all said the new man. with
a lcGk 4 supreme Indifference on his face.
You are Ike all the rest Of en-" said
c15 5oss, sadly, as he keyed up 500 imi-
eaton grand 70 make a sound Ike a 800
a11e- "zll you lack is patience and jUdg-
meDr and about ten years experience 70 be
a sod piano salesman. Now. you Just listen
u ne ard I'll tell you more in z second
aee-t piano selling t1an you know II d
lifetime
spiel" said the new man, as he COM
l1Se1 himself % rest on piano stC0l the
c-ss had Just picked out 70 send % a Tc-
hama street residence.
There you 90" said the boss. don't
vCl E1oT that's $40 stcol:"
w Ell. what IL il Is"
--sF hat If Il IS" screamed the boss.
breaking d wire IN the excitement Of the
Moment; do you suppose that SO stools
vii stand sitting on: Now. listen 70 me.
an1 III teach you some points about the
piano business. You see, every woman
knows all about a piano. If she don't
IN g. ..a q nd H1
= sure 20 tell her. There's a cool 500
Drc1t - rs on $50 piano, II we
Eel b., but we don't; there's the trouble.
$40 have 70 divide. Just the same IS ii we
we're politicians. a lady comes into the
store and SAYS she wants 20 buy a piano.
Ai-er trying every Instrument in the
place Cr having Us trT them. and getting
al the prices she says: IN nor UnakeuDIny
mad today. III get ny daughters music
I5le-er. VINO knows all abaut pianos. 10
come down and try them Next day
along cones The music teacher. with q
card which says she is rom the COnservs-
-Crr u Music at Milan. Whv. I've had
'-ar4s enough or Old MilaRers here 70 Ill
11s conservatory, let alone leave room for
teachers and pupils. says the teacher.
after I've got over the paralyZing effect Of
t-e card I'll be down tomorrow with
Ms - and 50 20 pick out piano. OF
course expect the usual commission
= e. ma am says !, 10 Per cent and
sway sle goes. Next day rhe buyer and
music teacher come aud pick OFT a
'ldnJ. Inc music teacher does some heavy
- 11l1s around tries ever one Cp ned
ana --Fls Ler opinion ss ~ sc a. az OTl.
~ course s-F can '-ll the difference ne
t'ee7 @ good piaI'-J and a ua0r one"
~ OUTS IL echoed the new man.
3i' 80 either. don't believe snapped
with a lEeaR look IN MS lace.
WY can't you: Cause no one but
-aaEer OF a tuner can. \ good tuner
yrf1l yet the same sound ont Of $500 piano
Il any one can out Of the best instrument
made. That is. he VIII IN place Of mod
crate size. You can't tell anything about
q piano bv playing IL; only whether It's IN
tine or not. And the more you know
-sf.out uIayiug the less YOU are likely 70
know ABOUT . amos. Yes. sir; a cheap piano
vii sound as well as a good one. But
a0vv long VIII il last. That's the ques-
ff0r- That's where the music teachers
fooled. She'll nose around inside ana look
AZ the hammers bObbing up and down,
F,o-e her parasOl at the wires and run her
fingers over the keys, ana tnats an she
knows about Il. " hen she's got through
z-sstiur our time she's advise the lady 10
75rv the one nearest the lady's price,
quarrel with me about getting music
STOOL thrown in, and th4t's all. We nave
10 give b. r 10 per cent. Tor doing that, and,
el-lr.a- she stflE a 44A
EIr Of music the lady buys
suppose you did nOt give up, would not
Gzs customer buy anyhow :: asked the
new man.
Ygu arc a nice one. YOU are" said the
faSS. with q look OF contempt. buy
suppose she did buy, and pay, too: II 'ud
ne a nice thing. TO have on your
mind. wouldn't ito have madhOuse
teacher a-hOvering over your piano and
Giving il a black eve, aid making the lady
sv1 her friends all weary Of It. Fancy
sl=r7n- 3 sweet thing in a Bingham dress
saving % one Of Your best customers;
-Nr. Bland did not treat you right about
that piano. ma'am. | am sorry 70 say That
Us tone is SO lad that dear EtneFs ear is
being ruined The first thing YOU II know
1Ee isdv 'ull want you TO take II back. III
vou don't YOU are cheat, and she'll not
,uIr take her trade away. but she'll ruin
RoI among her friends. You are smart
1lss. YOU are. TO talk about quarrelIng with
a music teacher. Why, I'd sooner give EN-
aslf the profits" -
Il see. slr.'' said the new man. humbiy.
That's all simple" continued the boss;
ss5ut the fine art comes in with tough
customer. One that wants three half dol
lars for a dollar. You have got 10 play
Fbsf kind mighty low down or some one
etse viii catch their trade. a cheap
SNOWY piano is the kind of thing to catch
them: but YOU want 70 hold II back and
sem very reluctant to sell it. W ait till
THEY'VE found fault with the price or tone
Of nearly every instrument in the place,
ard then bring out your best power, so TO
speak: but be sure and put II on the mar
t-et with care. Ask a very sIih price first.
Hint TRAIT you don't care 70 sell ii at all.
tsuc rather than see hatred rival take
Grade from YOUR store you would part with
ANYTHING. Ii she takes tie hint SHELL Try
o. leat you down a quarter or so. Meet
her gradually. tight for every dollar, and,
mind Won. tie second she does say yes
--rab TOR the coin for fear she might change
you can rely on that said the new
man.
Vow. about the hiring business" con-
tinued the boss. Here IS the best part Of
t-r trade. but It needs care. 4 new piano.
1-Isen Il frst goes out for hire, Is worth $
= r--rrh. one that has been used some
tlrie IS only worth -. But there aie
tricks. thank God. - calculated the boss, as
H. c.ed a label bearing the name j. u
Fair ou the leg Of an old, brOken-dOWn
square plano. big enough for a campaign
r0stTum-
-Now. here's an old iingleT that's paid
FOR itself i've times over and brought Us IN
enough for carriage 10 buy new wagon.
It's a beaufy-a bonanza j always call II.
Fair g1t back from North Beach only yes
sad cut At the Mission before the end Of
llie week. When a party comes for
piano tbat 1 can see don't know much /
tr1t ont Fair. Beautiful instrument; first
Frize at the Centennial"
Looks as II II II ght have won a prize
one hundred years back" laughed the
aired man.
.-Ies. SIT: a beauty continued the
a1ss. frowning at the interruption. ''COuld
1ot rent Il under any circumstances, only
80 Was sold and the lady's daughter want
81 an upright. and in moving the back leg
OK tie plano got scratched. One Of the
--ealthiest ladies in san Francisco, too,
bczlebt i. OF course. L could not say who.
Than would be unprOfessiOnal; and. be
sides" said the boss with grin, '-there
--l1u-t 70 need % tell ZEN when the names
On tie label IS large IS lile."
There's smart one. but 1 don't think
IT'S riEbt for him 70 be a deacon OF a
s.-1rcbf said the new man. as the boss
went cut 20 stand OF a solicitor for sub
scriptions in aid Of a cOnsumPtive cOTnet
rlzEer.