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...]
My lasting musical contribution to the keyboard industry
In 1986 I was working as a customer service representative for Ensoniq Corporation, a disruptive music technology company at the time. Up against leviathans such as Yamaha, Korg and Roland, three former Commodore Computer heavyweights had managed to one-up the competition with the arrival of the Mirage, an affordable sampler that had taken the market by storm. Next up was to … [Read more...]
Leading by example in the sales and marketing world
During my 39 years in the musical instrument and professional audio business, I have experienced firsthand the good, the bad, and the downright ugly when it comes to leadership qualities. I’ve been fortunate to have learned from some outstanding leaders and observed some of the worst to determine “what not to do”. The key from my perspective is to lead by example and be willing … [Read more...]
Grateful for my time in the musical instrument trade
I came from a family of academics and career professionals. My father was a brilliant aerospace engineer, and I was the “black sheep” who dropped out of college to join a rock band. I sometimes wonder what I missed by not pursuing higher education and choosing the path I did. Then I come to my senses and realize whatever you do, be the best you can. Wherever life leads you, … [Read more...]
Proposal Writing in the Musical Instrument and Pro Audio Business
One thing I’ve learned over the years as a sales rep is that “one size does not fit all”. The days of heavy-handed manufacturer demands are over, save the exception of a few mega-brands that continue this distasteful practice. I have yet to meet a dealer who was impressed or appreciated the one-sided conversation and threats of termination that came along with this … [Read more...]
A Day in the Life of a Musical Instrument Account Manager
We all have the same 24 hours a day to work with, and how we choose to utilize that time defines us as sales professionals in the musical instrument and pro audio business we call home. In previous blog posts, I’ve shared time-saving concepts such as “Concentric Travel”, and of course stating the obvious about the importance of organizing your day. Each of us gets to choose … [Read more...]
Triangle Concept in Everyday Selling Situations
My longtime industry friend and mentor Bob Brennan founded Reflex Marketing over 35 years ago based on an undeniably simple yet effective concept. Like the equilateral triangle where all sides are of equal length, so is the nature of the relationship between vendors, resellers and rep firms in the musical instrument and professional audio business. No one entity is more … [Read more...]
