Sound Marketing

helping music brands be heard

Category: Sales

Information Overload

There are so many ways to disseminate information today, at times it’s mind boggling. Mixed media messaging comes at sales reps, resellers, and consumers in a dizzying array of forms, to the point where information overload risks causing a decision-making lock up. What I mean by that is an extension of “paralysis by analysis,” but perhaps a bit different in that the sheer … [Read more...]

Sales Management During Stressful Times

It was 2007 when I accepted my first promotion to a director-level position at a prominent distributor of keyboards and amplifiers. I was a successful district sales manager for some years at this company and tended to the needs of two very large key accounts. But did that experience really prepare me to be promoted? In retrospect, I wonder where I would be today had I declined … [Read more...]

Follow Your Dreams – They Just May Come True

Several years ago, I wanted to create a cultural arts center in a beautiful, albeit older bank building in our former hometown. The idea was to bring together art, photography, and music under one roof, but the timing wasn’t right, and the concept was set aside. While disappointing, the notion of doing this never left my imagination, and the first week of October will finally … [Read more...]

Get Out and Play!

My last few blog posts have been squarely focused on the current and more recent situation in the musical instrument and pro audio business, much of which called out the challenging times we find ourselves in. Our “aspirational customers” are still sitting it out on the sidelines, there’s way too much fretted instrument inventory in the channel, and uncertainty permeates the … [Read more...]

Hot Fun in the Summertime

In the past couple of weeks, a record heat wave and series of floods, tornadoes and natural disasters have pummeled much of the country. The temperatures in many areas of the U.S. are punishing, especially for older folks, or those whose occupations require them to work outside. From a business perspective in the Musical Instrument and Professional Audio trade, we are going … [Read more...]

A Tale of Two Trade Shows

This past week the InfoComm show was held in Orlando, and by all accounts was a well-attended, successful event. There appeared to be more traffic in the video end of the hall compared to audio, but without question a large contingent of Commercial A/V Integrators made the journey to the “sunshine state,” and there was a decidedly positive buzz in the air. Something of a … [Read more...]

Back to Basics in a Transition Year

As we move further into 2023, it’s become quite evident that the industry at large continues to shake off a profound “Covid Hangover.” There is a mixed bag of results, with Live Sound posting a rebound, while other categories such as fretted instruments still wading through more inventory on hand than would be desirable at this point. As the consumer slowly comes back to the … [Read more...]

Wham Bam, Thank You NAMM!

I’m starting this post at 34,000 feet, winging my way to the 2023 NAMM Show. It’s been a comfortable flight thus far, but internally my adrenaline is bubbling up in anticipation. This is a special convention for me, my family and several others who have supported our efforts to create a new brand of guitars and cajóns. It is with great anticipation and a bit of high anxiety … [Read more...]

When Things are Slow, Go Faster

I came across a Facebook post recently with a quote attributed to famed race car driver Mario Andretti, who quipped, “If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.” It made me pause and think about the situation in the musical instrument and pro audio markets today, along with how various constituents in our industry are dealing with continued turbulence. … [Read more...]