• Contact Me
  • Archives

Sound Marketing

helping music brands be heard

  • About
  • Blog
  • Consulting
  • Let’s Talk

The Future of Trade Shows in the Musical Instrument and Pro Audio Business

colorful illustration of a tradeshow floor with booths, displays and attendees seen from above

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...]

Road Stories from an Old Musical Instrument Rep

vintage black and white photograph of man in suit and fedora displaying buckets, pots and pans on the back of an old pickup truck

Recently one of the musical instrument industry’s “elder statesmen” Ed Rider started a Facebook Group called “Old Reps Never Die” (they just go out of commission). Some of the posts brought back memories from the many years I spent roaming around the country, foraging for sales, and making friends along the way, including Ed. I remember distinctly traveling with him in the … [Read more...]

Corroborative Selling Techniques for Brands and Retailers to Leverage

jigsaw puzzle design with a piece labeled brand fitting into a space labeled unified

Years ago, in a much earlier stage of the Internet, a company I worked for commissioned a survey. Even in those nascent days of the web, most recipients indicated that they visited a manufacturer’s website before going to a music store, ordering from a catalog on a toll-free number, or placing their trust with what were early incarnations of e-commerce websites. It immediately … [Read more...]

Push Me Pull You in Musical Instrument Sales

illustration of two cyclists in business trying to pedal the same bike in opposite directions

At a company corporate meeting what seems like a lifetime ago, then VP of Sales Dan Garrett questioned the assembled Ensoniq District Sales Managers. At the time it felt like something of an inquisition, as each of us was asked quite directly “how do you increase sales?” The answers ranged from more training, in-store clinics (big at the time), more sales calls, to other … [Read more...]

Is This a Company or a Rock Band?

man in a suit makes a pointing gesture to choose a icon representing music

In the past few weeks, I have interviewed candidates for an open position at my rep firm. Even after many years of hiring while working for others, I believe I am not a particularly good interviewer, at least in the traditional sense. This time, I Googled some standard questions, but inevitably got caught up in the moment and started telling stories about where we’ve been, and … [Read more...]

Opportunity Knocks in the Musical Instrument Trade

an impressive wooden door with a sign that reads opportunity is knocked on by a business-suited person

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...]

Musical Instrument Trade Profiles in Excellence

navigation compass pointing to excellence at the north

Let’s face it, business today in the Musical Instrument and Pro Audio channels is challenging, and that may be a significant understatement. Supply chain headaches have only increased in recent weeks, and even the heartiest optimist among us may have trouble staying upbeat. The typical run-up to the Holiday selling season is not developing as one would expect and looking back … [Read more...]

The “Human Supply Chain” in the Musical Instrument and Pro Audio Business

abstract representation of flow of digits, documents and downloads

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

cargo ships docking at a busy port with a large city in the background

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…

workers harvesting a 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...]

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Welcome to the show.

Sound Marketing sits at the intersection of music, sales & marketing. We explore how insightful strategy, focused tactics, and organizational change will help manufacturers be heard over all the noise in the musical instrument marketplace.

My name is Doug Nestler, and I’ve spent 40 years—still going strong—in sales & marketing. My resume includes roles in all areas of channel management and distribution, and Sound Marketing is a way to share my expertise with you.

Subscribe to Email Updates

Join over 2,000 musical instrument and equipment manufacturers to get the latest music industry news.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Categories

Popular Posts

sales rep with many arms handling phones, computer, clock and coffee

How to distinguish yourself as a sales rep

Grateful for my time in the musical instrument trade

musical instruments and audio equipment in a shopping cart

Psst…want to know the secret of sales?

bearded music store dealer with crossed arms standing in front of music equipment and instruments

Reciprocity – the key to a successful vendor-dealer relationship

illustration of electric guitar with wings in a decorative background

Partnering with your retailers in the musical instrument and pro audio trade

© Copyright 2023 Sound Marketing · All Rights Reserved