How do you get to listen to high end speakers?

Sadly this is one of the issues confronting the 'mystique' of High End Audio.
Two very disparate perspective taint this discussion.
Dealer:
"Hey some guy in Studio Three wants to hear the Wilson Grand Slams, and he looks like he couldn't afford a Denny's Grand Slam Breakfast."
"Yea, well blow him off, tell him they're not hooked up."
Customer, leaving the store, "That ass*ole, doesn't know that Kenney Chesney sent me in here to audition these to see if they're as good as everyone says. What a schmuck. OR
"You know honey, every since we inherited your Dad's money people seem less inclined to wait on us. Let's look on the internet."

All to sadly, dealers prejudge buyers, or assume that two hours with the customer is wasted, since the prospective buyer will go the 'net, and buy a used, or from elsewhere, just to save taxes.
My training that I did for THIEL at stores around the US, mentions this very issue. The training, called, "Eleven Hard Earned Lessons" highlights this very situation in great detail.
The most frustrating part of all this is, the customer WANTS to buy, and the dealer WANTS to sell, and friends, THAT is fertile ground for happy customers, AND profits.
Sorry, I am not pontificating, but bear with me while I tell a story that happened to ME as Vice President of Sales for THIEL Audio, in one of OUR Dealerships.
I was doing sales training for free, as part of my effort to establish dealer partnerships, instead of just a supplier, buyer relationship, (more on that another time).
Anyway, they had two salesmen, who were experienced in sales but not audio. But the mistake you're about to hear about, has nothing to do with audio experience, just common sense.
In roll playing, I set up the scenario that I wanted to talk to a salesman, he approaches...
Hello,
Hi there.
How may I help you?
Well, I just saw a friends magazine, uh Stereophile?
Yes that's it.
Yeah, anyway there was this speaker on the front, of it that looked really good cosmetically, something my wife might go for because the wood was really nice, and it was a THILL, or uhh
(No help from him to say THIEL)
Anyway, I saw it laying on your counter when I came in. I had looked in the Yellow pages and saw that you sell them.
And I'd like to hear them, and maybe, if they sound as good as the reviewer guy said...
The salesman, given this 'Slam Dunk' scenario shot back with: Hmmm...What kind of turntable do you have? Then he proceeded, for ten minutes to try to sell me a turntable, even though I asked several times about the speakers again.

I told the dealer about it, dismayed at the salesman's lack of attention to my buying signals, and just plain old questions. And, instead of him being concerned, he defended the salesman, and said, "Well, he's new."
I countered with, "Yes, but he does speak and understand English doesn't he?"
Mediocrity in sales people abounds, and customers often take advantage of dealers, demoing, when having no intention of buying 'locally'.
HOWEVER, that is no excuse to not DEMO.
Dealers MUST DEMO or DIE!!!

To the person wanting a demo. Call the manufacturer; ask for the local representative of their product; have them call the store owner "at your request" and introduce you.
Make the appointment to go in and listen at a predetermined time. This will allay any confusion or poor treatment.
Most all manufacturers are dying to have people respond to their reviews, or their advertising. They have no control over the way that some people treat customers at the retail floor level.
Good luck.
Best

On the other side of the coin,

I called Straightwire this week because Im buying a new DLP front projector and I needed a long run of RGBHV cable for my new Dwin.

I spoke with Jerry from Straightwire and he quoted me a price on a 25 foot run of their better cables that while Im sure it was worth it, it was a little out of my range considering what I just spent on the projector.

He explained that he understood and said for me to think about it and give him a call back whenever I decided what I wanted to do.

The next day, he called me back.....I didnt have to call him. He told me that he really wanted to work with me and he understood what it was like to work on a budget. He said, "let me look through our B stock and see what I can come up with for you".

Ten minutes later he called me back and told me that he had a 32 foot run of some very nice cable that they had used for a trade show and that I could have it for $275.

Since Straightwire is local here in South Florida, I spun by there to pick it up that afternoon. Now, here I am, just got off work in shorts, a T-shirt and sneakers and Im here to buy a $275 cable. Jerry greets me up front and gives me the red carpet treatment. He brings me in the back and starts showing me all of their high dollar cables and explains the extrusion process on some of their more expensive stuff. He introduces me to the owner Steve and his father. He went out of his way to help me out on a cable that saved me a significant amount of money and still treated me like I was their most important customer.

I left there feeling like a million dollar customer. I was almost stunned by their sense of courtesy to their patrons.

That kind of service wins me over every time.

Straightwire has earned a customer for life. I will never buy another cable without first auditioning what they have to offer first.

Nm512, it's sad to hear a story like yours. A lot of us have been in your situation at one time or another, and for those who haven't, count your blessings.

Sedona's example is perfect. His brother did the right thing, going back to the Mercedes dealer and speaking with the sales manager to tell them that they lost a sale (and future sales) and WHY. The latter is important, and while it's a bitter pill for the dealer to swallow, if he's smart he'll learn from the experience and do better with other customers.

I don't agree that someone wanting a demo should call the manufacturer to be introduced to the local dealer and have a demo arranged. If the dealer isn't going to help you, that's his problem! Like the Mercedes dealer, he should be told after the fact that he lost a sale and why, but except for a few cases he doesn't deserve a second chance. By the same token, a little mutual respect can go a long way.

My story that dates back to around 1977 is about when I happened to be working in the area for a few weeks and decided to take the train into Chicago to visit a dealer or two I'd seen ads for in some of the high end publications. One of them carried most of the stuff you would see mentioned, and on that Saturday in the summertime there turned out to be a fair number of customers in the store. The memorable moment came when one of the salesmen, dressed in a WHITE SUIT, walked over to where several of us were standing around and loudly proclaimed, "anybody who's here to A/B preamps today might as well forget it" and marched back to whatever he was doing.

As it turned out I did get a chance to audition some gear that day and gather some literature, but that day will always stand out in my mind as a bad experience.

Conversely, I had some wonderful experiences back then with Mel Hodes and John Thomas of Perfectionist Audio, a home based dealer in central Pennsylvania who's long gone. These guys had killer stuff, and they demo'd the stuff in an unpretentious manner: Dayton Wright, Quad, Magneplanar, Dunlap Clarke, Audio Research, and the list goes on and on. To this day I vividly remember leaving John Thomas's home in total awe after experiencing his Tympani IIIA's triamped with ARC tube gear. WOW! More than anything, it was Mel and John's sincere approach as music lovers and audiophiles that made a lasting impression and served as an inspiration for what a high end dealer should strive for. Since I now wear the hat of a dealer as a home based dealer in my spare time, I have a good example to live up to.

Brian

I really see nothing wrong with a newbee, calling to have that personal invitation.
Certainly it's partly true that if the dealer won't help its his problem; the issue is that the customer STILL hasn't been serviced. That only points out the bad dealers and doesn't help the customer.
I have given personal introductions to dealers from customers who called the factory for information.It is a very simple process that helps BOTH parties.
The dealer is on the ready for the, sometimes intimidated customer, putting him or her at ease and gives him great treatment.
It should be that all experiences are that way but they aren't.
I have made many customers VERY happy by giving them a simple intro to their local dealer.
Best,

Nm512, Jerry from Straightwire is a very wise (and accommodating!) man, indeed! I really admire a businessman who treats a new potential customer as a future loyal client, whether or not this actually occurs. This type of "marketing campaign" costs no money, just an investment of time, decency, and courtesy. So many dealers will either treat a potential customer as a "mark" or as a "waste of time", depending on the salesman's mood, or cursory initial evaluation. The old marketing adage is true: a loyal customer provides a priceless source of advertising, and while a satisfied customer may not tell others about his experience with you, an unhappy and dissatisfied customer will tell EVERYONE about his experience with you!