Sales and service

Philco was an interesting company, showing an attitude that no longer exists in big business. They needed customers, not shareholders. Their slogan was Sell merchandise that doesn’t come back to customers who do come back.

A newly added 1937 Philco catalog shows their attention to both sales and service. Philco made a full line of test equipment for service.

They also made a gadget to smooth out demonstrations in the showroom:

The dealer had a big antenna on the roof, and needed to demonstrate several radios. This gadget automatically sensed which of the sets was turned on, and switched the antenna to that set. The dealer didn’t have to mess around with reconnecting the single antenna. The gadget could also be sold to homeowners with several radios.

Another source clarifies how it worked. You needed one Multiple Switch for each set. You’d tie the antenna to the inputs of all the switches, and then plug each set into the outlet of its own switch. When the set was turned on, a relay inside the switch detected the current flow and connected the antenna to this set.

Philco understood that the key to selling is SAMPLING the product. Let people experience the benefits and pleasures of the product. Free sample of food, test drive a car, test listen a radio. The customer should be focused on the radio, not on the salesman’s efforts.