You’re An Independent Dealer, Which Companies And What Products Would You Represent?

@waytoomuchstuff

Lots of sage advice and insight. Thanks for sharing.

Juan:

That is a very interesting and eye opening post.

I’m aware of your interest in bringing younger music lovers into the two channel audiophile world and your long standing passion for this hobby. When I look at trends in the motion picture industry over the last fifty years, we have gone from well told, slowly developing stories to fast pace chaotic scripts. My older teen daughters listen to music when in the car, or as a soundtrack to a video. They resist sitting and listening. They tell me that this isn’t the way people listen to music anymore, because they listen while on the go. I believe that is why most of my local audio shops have positioned themselves as home theater experts that also carry two channel equipment. Some have posted in these forums that multi-channel provides a more immersive experience. So, it seems to me that the real challenge is getting young people to sit and listen to a good system. I’ve been able to do this with one of my daughters and she was pretty impressed with the difference between my system and her AirPods. I was shocked when she asked if she could listen to music with her friends. Streaming is a pretty simple task on my system since it just takes flipping one switch. So, how do audio shops get those under 65yo to come into their shops and sit down and listen? In our area, I think the answer is to be home theater specialist.

@vonhelmholtz I won’t go into detail on my thoughts on how to get younger generations involved with 2 channel in the first place -- doing that is a lot of effort if they aren’t already interested! I instead tend to focus on opportunities with those that are younger if they have already expressed some form of interest. In those cases, this is where I value taking in great trades from fellow customers towards new gear. While I won’t just take anything in trade, I do consider worthwhile ones that I can offer to people who are looking for great value, and hopefully convert them with a single piece that transforms their experiences and understanding of two channel.

Since I work out of my own home, I have to be very careful about who I invite for a listening session. It doesn’t make sense for me to want everyone to come by, so cautiously screen people through phone or text first. I enjoy posting used equipment on Facebook Marketplace, though there are a share of shady people and scammers that respond. Other online marketplaces like Audiogon or USAM with local only sales are sometimes helpful as well. My most meaningful moments in the last few years have been at times selling a used turntable/cartridge for $1K, ensuring that the 28yo purchasing it sits down to hear what it is capable of in a reference level system. I ended up spending two hours with that person, who was immediately reveling in the performance, and taught him how to perceive the sound as it came to him, and what components were responsible for doing what. It reminded me of the way Steve Cohen from In Living Stereo did that for me in NYC when I was that age. It is the start of a new chapter for that individual, and a memory I hope he retains for as long as I’ve had the one with Steve.

I’m hoping there are just enough of the younger ones that then can be advocates, though I’m fairly certain that’s quite a long shot!

Whatever sells. 

There’s a coupe of business metrics that caught my attention over the years that I’d like to share.

98% of very satisfied customers will do business again at the establishment. I like the odds here. Certainly makes it worth the effort to keep customers happy.

A 5% increase in customer loyalty doubles the lifetime return on investment. I like the math here, too. New customers are essential for business growth. But, they are very expensive to attract, and increasingly difficult to sell to. Existing customers and referrals build retirement income. You need both. Once those new prospects are converted to customers, then they will pay lifelong dividends if treated right (not ignored).

Seems this conversation has taken a discursive direction, which is fine. Anyhow, I wanted to add that on most any post in these forums, people are jumping out of their skins to recommend their favorite brands and products. I just hope you feel the same here. Thanks!