Category: Dealers

The Three R’s – Resilient, Resourceful and Relentless

Challenging times call for creative measures At the beginning of April, I must admit it appeared that everything was collapsing. Here in my home state of Pennsylvania, we had been on “lockdown” for about two weeks and our business, understandably, had slowed tremendously. The daily headlines and near-panic from some quarters was quite unnerving, and there seemed to be no … [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...]

Psst…want to know the secret of sales?

Putting a lifetime of lessons to work and sharing the “inside story”

I’ve enjoyed a lengthy and enjoyable career in musical instrument and pro audio sales. Curious friends and colleagues ask periodically about dealing with the rejection, self-doubt and unpredictable income that come with the territory. To some, it’s a scary proposition to work without a … [Read more...]

Tools of the trade — processes for developing a robust dealer network

Utilizing the sales funnel in the musical instrument and pro audio business

Any student of our craft has likely heard of or implemented a “sales funnel” during their career. It’s a tried-and-true method that defines the steps from prospective account identification to the delivery of an opening order. There are tools available to automate this process, but … [Read more...]