After a two-year hiatus and a subsequent delay in January of 2022, the NAMM Show will once again open its doors in Anaheim in early June. Word is that this will be a smaller event than in previous years, as many vendors have chosen to pass. For my own part, I am not attending due to health reasons, and only a handful of my Reflex Marketing suppliers will have booths. Our … [Read more...]
Category: B2B
Opportunity Knocks in the Musical Instrument Trade
Looking back over a rewarding 41-year career in the musical instrument and pro audio business, I cannot help but reflect on the many opportunities that have presented themselves. Embarking on a new journey can be scary, create a certain amount of anxiety, and inevitably force saying "yes" or "no" to a new adventure. For me, the internal barometer is adrenaline. As I dwell upon … [Read more...]
The “Human Supply Chain” in the Musical Instrument and Pro Audio Business
Much conversation of late centers around the physical supply chain, exemplified by container ships, trucking companies, raw materials, and delivery of products in general. The headaches in each of these areas appear to be compounding weekly in the trade, with unfortunate results for all concerned. Since many of these issues are out of our direct control, how about we as an … [Read more...]
Making Sense of Supply & Demand Imbalances in the Musical Instrument Trade
For the past several months, you haven’t been able to avoid the headlines. “Container ship stuck in the Suez Canal”, “Chip shortage worsens due to factory fire” or “China’s third largest port closed due to COVID lock-down.” Chances are, if you’re reading this blog the issues surrounding the supply chain have directly or indirectly affected your livelihood, complicated your … [Read more...]
Take a Bite of the Big Apple…
In the past few months since the COVID vaccine rollout, life as we knew it has gradually returned to some sense of normalcy. Thankfully, the Live Sound business has started to recover, and music venues are once again welcoming patrons. Our musical instrument and pro audio rep firm Reflex Marketing was quite fortunate that fretted instruments, microphones, and home recording had … [Read more...]
You had a great NAMM show, what comes next?
The party’s over, now the real work begins... It was quite an event, without question a memorable one for me personally. At dawn on Friday, January 17th, I was crossing Katella Avenue after preparing for a vendor meeting at the Starbucks across from my hotel. In a freak accident, I was struck by a pickup truck and thrown to the curb. The laptop bag I carry on my right … [Read more...]
Sales Reps – Preparing for a successful Winter NAMM show…
The annual trek to Anaheim beckons; are you ready to maximize your time there? It’s a musical instrument and pro audio industry ritual, and for many of us on the east coast a welcome getaway from cold weather. Ah yes, the splendid sunshine of Southern California, rekindling longstanding relationships, visiting with vendors and dealers, and in general setting the table for … [Read more...]
How to distinguish yourself as a sales rep
I’m now fully engaged as the owner of Reflex Marketing, a manufacturer’s rep firm serving the MI and Pro Audio industry. My fondest memories during a four-decade career were those years when I was a district sales manager for Ensoniq, covering a sizable region, and Korg USA, where the geography was much smaller, but the product lines also included Marshall and VOX. It’s not … [Read more...]
