A New Voice For Mr X

[Music] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh tom you look pleased about something what's happening i've got a right to look please i found out how to increase my business you have well is it something exclusive or can you pass it on to your friends you know i'm in business too well there's no secret about it i'll give you the tip right now you come along with me and i'll show you where i got the idea [Music] there it is i don't get it you will come inside thank you would you like to hear your own voice just as it sounds over the telephone yes thank you what do i do begin speaking when the light comes on and stop when it goes out would you like to listen to oh but when do i hear what i've said continue holding the telephone to your ear and in a second or two you'll hear your own voice okay i can't think of anything to say oh use it like you use your own office telephone all right go ahead with the lights um uh hello hello what can i do for you uh hello hello what can i do for you may i try it again certainly hello can i do something for you hello can i do something for you once more please hello what can i do for you hello can i do something for you hello what can i do for you hello can i do something for you well that sounds different you get it now you mean that a pleasant voice has something to do with that improved business you talked about sure you're beginning to get it i thought this would start you thinking and it did start mr x thinking with this faithful reproduction of his own spoken sentences there came to him a hint of what a human voice may suggest as well as say he began to understand that the very manner of using the telephone will inevitably cause a listener to form some conception of the person speaking for personality rides the wires as well as words that was what the test revealed to mr x [Music] and the revelation expanded gathering more and more significance as he journeyed back to his office he found himself thinking of the telephones that stand at attention everywhere of their constant use in the nation's industry and commerce to move merchandise or manage men to buy to sell to settle a difference to reach an understanding to transmit the voice of business [Music] and how did the voice of his business sound over a wire what mental picture did it create for those who heard it these were matters he was pondering as he sat down again at his desk [Music] mr roberts of the acme company called about an hour ago he said the matter was important and asked that you call him as soon as you came in okay ms bradley just a moment please yes you get me mr roberts of the acme company please one moment put these pamphlets over there's some valuable information in them all right they're certainly slow [Applause] can't you get me roberts of the acme company this is the acme company mr roberts please wait a minute yes mr roberts please who's calling this is the eastern supply company isn't it i'm sorry he said it was important to call him when we be back i don't know and who are you please this is one of the clerks will you be kind enough to tell him about this call okay your company's voice that some voice that the acme company has do any of our folks use a telephone like that well i'm afraid some of them do tell me frankly how do i sound on a telephone well um sometimes when you're very busy you me too huh well i'm not surprised i wonder what our customers think of this company's voice probably a lot of us around here aren't using our heads and i believe it's costing us money and friends this matters important and i'm going to do something about it the succeeding days brought mr x many experiences that strengthened this resolution he found himself noting and pondering items in the news that formerly had scarcely won even a glance during evening hours with his books his attention was arrested by sentences that held for him a new a personal import having become as it were voice conscious he listened to radio programs with a new appreciation of the power of radio players through speech alone to suggest likable personalities warmth sympathy friendliness came from his loudspeaker generated by human utterance voiced before far away microphones the selling power of friendly tones was demonstrated again and again as he listened to announcers with their merchandising messages the meaning of all this was plain if an urge to buy could be stimulated over the air why not over a wire from broadcast episodes involving telephone conversations he caught the subtle shades of meaning in the simple word hello one that unpleasantly signified so it's you what do you want and another that unmistakably meant come right in i'm glad to see you from all of these experiences mr x became convinced that the ring of a telephone bell was like the ring of a doorbell that the answer to that ring could be like opening the door with a scowl or with a smile it was with this conviction that mr x became an observer of manners and habits at the telephone [Music] in every place of business he visited he noted how the ring of a telephone bell was answered he found out how a voice at a telephone could suggest courtesy friendliness efficiency or could suggest their opposites and as he watched and listened and inquired he made some amazing discoveries they were discoveries of thoughtless telephone habits that would inevitably result in irritation loss of confidence laws of sales it was not until all this evidence had been gathered that he was ready to put his own house in order to give a new voice to his business through the establishment of new telephone practices throughout his organization [Music] [Applause] [Music] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] improvement was certainly well worth the time and effort and i believe that all of our people feel the same way about it yes they do and lots of our customers have spoken to me about the improvement one even asked if we had a new operator at the switchboard well it's the same girl all right but of course she's giving her entire attention to the board now she's what a switchboard operator should be a receptionist only a welcoming committee of one everybody likes the new way why even the office boy seems to enjoy being polite over the telephone we all enjoy it miss bradley that's because courtesy at our end of the wire generates cooperation at the other end you know most people are fine if you give them a chance to show it i'd like to tell my business friends some of the reasons i've discovered for lost sales and lost reputations i'm sure a lot of them would thank you for it i know they would well in some of the cases i investigated [Music] [Music] all right all right [Music] life's too short to wait for them to answer let's have that classified directory i'll look up another dealer hello hello what is it hello hello hello operator what did you call me for there's nobody on the line oh they hung up huh oh well all right okay [Music] just a minute i'll see if we have that in stock thank you [Music] taking her long enough isn't it certainly is [Music] oh i'm through with that store they don't seem to know their own business let me talk to mr frederick's please he knows just what i want mr fredericks he isn't in the office just now hold the wire i'll try to locate him for you murray i want to reach mr frederick's try the credit department fredericks no i haven't seen him [Music] hello sorry i don't know where he is hello no i haven't seen him today i'm sorry i can't locate mr fredericks he didn't leave word where he was going may i take a message a message after i've waited all this time yes you can tell him that i'll call somewhere else and that's the whole story now will you take care of it for me what i said i think mr thompson is the one to handle that matter but i don't want to talk to mr thompson well he handles such things but i've already told you that oh all right put him on the line operator put this call in mr thompson's wire and that's what i want mr thompson will you please look after it right away i'm sorry but that matter comes under mr green's department well you're not the right one either must i tell all this over again to mr green i'm afraid i can't help you [Music] oh all right put mr green on the line and i'll tell it all over again well i am sorry but mr green isn't here today you'll have to call tomorrow that's what you think had my fill of that place hello you want to give us an order wait a minute i find a pencil all right but i'm in a hurry you found it i had a yellow pencil here [Music] just a minute well make it snappy [Music] say hello i'm ready for your order now hello hello well can you beat that he hung up and wouldn't wait of course everybody here saw the point when i explained why customers resent such treatment if we don't show a real personal interest in customers we won't have any i think all our people see that now don't you oh yes i'm sure they do that's this whole telephone proposition in a nutshell to show interest and to mean it the telephone is so sensitive today it practically transmits a person's attitude as well as his words now in those cases i just told you about think how much better it would have been if those calls were made this way beckon company mr harris speaking do you carry 14 gauge copper wiring stock yes sir we stock a complete line of copper wire and we can make immediate deliveries fine take an order for a delivery i'll see if we have that in stock it may take three or four minutes to get the information if you don't want to wait i'll be glad to call you will you that's very kind just call me at main seven one two three four main seven one two three four i'll call you back within a few minutes thank you thank you i like the way they do things at that store [Music] let me speak to mr frederick's please he knows just what i want mr frederick's is mr brown's office at the moment if you wish i'll transfer you do that please just a moment mary this call is for mr fredericks you can reach him in mr brown's oldest [Music] and that's the whole story will you take care of it for me please i'll be glad to do so mrs miller that particular work comes under mr green supervision but i'll explain it to him when we'll ask him to attend to it immediately will you i'll appreciate that very much thank you this is mr jameson 444 main street i'd like to order some material yes mr jameson what kind of material do you need one dozen 40 watt bulbs three 15 ampere plug fuses and 50 feet of white silk covered lamp cord thank you for your order mr jameson the material will be sent out on this afternoon's truck delivery would that be all right it's through courtesy and consideration that we can show the interest that makes and keeps friends perhaps mr roberts at the acme company would uh appreciate knowing what you've accomplished here by george that's an idea i'll give him some pointers get me mr roberts of the acme company please yes sir he doesn't know it but one of his clerks had something to do with starting us on the right track still as slow as ever hello hello bob yes this is uh mr x do you know me sure i know you your voice sounds better than usual but i recognize it just the same what's on your mind i've got a lot on my mind and i want to talk to you about it how about lunch sounds good to me how about meeting me downstairs in say 10 minutes i'll be there okay see you later then [Music] hello bob come over waiting long today you look pleased about something what's happening well i have a right to look please i found out how to increase my business well well something exclusive or can you pass it along to your friend you know uh i'm in business too there's no secret about it i'll give you the tip right now come along with me and i'll show you where i got the idea [Music] foreign