Mobile Electronics October 2015 by Mobile Electronics

October 2015

me-mag.com

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INDUSTRY ETIQUETTE: ARE YOU BUILDING OR TEARING DOWN? - PAGE 8 ORCA Q&A: FOCUS IS ON EMPOWERING SHOPS TO SUCCEED - PAGE 40 KNAPP ON TAP: INDUSTRY VET SHOWS DOS AND DON’TS OF IPAD INSTALLATIONS - PAGE 44

 pagtagoptimize your senses

RVC1000

RVC910

RVC1100

RVCLR

Mini Super Wide Viewing 150º view, Programable Normal or Mirror Image, 0.5 lux

Wide Viewing, 120º view, 0.3 Lux

OEM look, Stick On mount super wide, 160º view

Flexible Rubber Surface Mount

NEW ! Auto Switcher SVC 2000SW

RVCLPM (Chrome) RVCLPMB (Black Chrome)

RVC800LPWIRB (Black) RVC800LPWIR (Chrome)

License Plate Camera 120º view

IR License Plate Camera 120º view

RVC1500IRA

SVC2000

Front Windsheild IR Camera with Audio Output

Side CCD Cameras with LED Marker Lights

OnStar ! OE STYLE REARVIEW MIRROR

4.3” WIDESCREEN LCD MONITORS Rear View Mirror or Glass Mount Monitor

NEW ! with Built In 4.3” LCD (Manual Dimming)

Glass Mount Monitor Snap-on Sunshade

Rear View Mirror Monitor

4.3” LCD Rear View Mirror Manual Dimming Includes Cable Adaptor Adjustable Parking Lines Works with old and newer OnStar Systems

NEW !

Adjustable Parking Lines

RVMMMDOS

Mini Digital Multi-Meter with Built in Flash Light

TFT-LCD Monitor AV Signal Auto Detect Power On/Off 2 AV Inputs Auto Switch when reversing PAL/NTSC compatible Temperature Range Operation : -20ºC ~ 70ºC

STANDARD POWER 20A to 100A CBM20 CBM25 CBM30 CBM40 CBM50 CBM60 CBM70 CBM80 CBM100

NEW !

2 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

Rear View Glass Mount

Manual Reset Circuit Breakers

NEW !

Compact design makes for easy portable use.

Features Illuminated display and built in flash light

RVM430NG

20A 25A 30A 40A 50A 60A 70A 80A 100A

Priced as low as $4.95 Why use standard fuse and fuseholders anymore !

DM300

LCDP43LW

u o y e r A NEW !

LED SPOT OR FLOOD LIGHTS Available in 30ยบ or 60ยบ Angles

NEW !

White LED flood light 15 watt, 12vdc operation

LL27WAS - Spot Light 30ยบ LL27WAF - Flood Light 60ยบ

LL15WAS - Spot Light 30ยบ LL15WAF - Flood Light 60ยบ

60ยบ Angle Flood Light

30ยบ Angle Spot Light

INDIVIDUALLY CUSTOM DRILL IN ! LED Daytime Running Lights

a e R

LED SPOT OR FLOOD LIGHTS Available in 30ยบ or 60ยบ Angles

White LED flood light 27 watt, 12vdc operation

30ยบ Angle Spot Light

. . . dy

60ยบ Angle Flood Light

BLIND SPOT SENSOR KIT with LED & Audio Warning Sound

Finally a quality, high profit aftermarket blind spot sensor kit ! Also Avilable in Bar Style

Install flush into any grill or actual bumper itself. Custom mount in a straight line on follow contour curves of bumper

Installs in locations where no DRL1200 other DRL can fit !

DRL2000

2 side sensors Dash LED Distance Display 2 dash or mirror mount LEDs Main control box BSS200D Continuously indicating obstacles Piezo warning sounds after turn signal activated (if there is an obstacle)

LED Indicator Activated

Dash Mount or Mirror mount LED Indicator

BSS200

17900 Crusader Ave, Cerritos, CA 90703 USA (800) 788-1212 (562) 809-5090 me-mag.com โ 3

Volume 32// Issue 6

Ad Index ®

32 26 // Business Feature: Competitive Analysis They say there’s always somebody better. But what if you don’t have to be better, but more unique to stay competitive? Retailers and experts chime in on tips to handle the competition.

Accele Electronics......................................... p. 2-3 Alpine Electronics................................................ p. 5 Auto Design NYC ................................................ p.31 Compustar .......................................................... p. 59 Directed ................................................. Back Cover Illusion Audio ....................................................... p. 31 InstallerNet ......................................................... p. 57 Infinity ..................................................................... p. 11 Kenwood ................................................................. p. 9 Memphis Car Audio ........................................ p. 28 Metra ....................................................................... p. 12 Mito ......................................................................... p. 29 Mobile Electronics ............................................ p. 19 SiriusXM ................................................................ p. 13 Voxx .......................................................................... p. 7

32 // Real World Retail: Musicar Northwest After five years of business, Musicar Northwest has established itself as one of the premier retail shops in the nation. By utilizing a unique service approach, the company has grown into a new facility and won multiple awards, including this year’s Retailer of the Year Runner-up.

40 //Behind the Scenes: Orca Design & Manufacturing The manufacturer behind premium brands like Focal and Mosconi has proved their worth this year when retailers voted them the Vendor of the Year. But what makes the likeable company so effective?

44 //Tech Today: Mounting Pressure Industry veteran, Joey Knapp, discusses the trials of moving his business from coast to coast while maintaining the quality of work he’s known for with new clientele. The feature includes a look at various iPad installations done by Knapp’s business, Simplicity in Sound.

44 Articles

14 Retail News/Who’s Who 20 External Effects 50 Installs On the Cover Making a 12-volt retail store into a successful company is one thing, but doing so with a staff of two and creating a memorable brand with its own terminology is a feat worth mentioning. Such is the case with JML Audio of St. Louis, a point that Joshua Landau makes sure to reiterate in this month’s Real World Retail feature. Landau emphasizes the terms “facility” and “high quality” to show the importance not just in the focus of the shop but that branding takes place on every level of a business. COVER DESIGN: ROBIN LEBEL

4 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

Departments

6 Feedback 8 Editor’s Forum 10 Stats 12 Helpful Stuff 22 On the Market 56 Guest Editorial: Jeannette Howe, Revenew 58 Guest Editorial: Christine Corelli, Author

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* Jeep and Wrangler are registered trademarks of FCA US LLC. The Bluetooth® word mark is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such mark by Alpine Electronics, Inc. is under license. Other vehicle makes and models are those of their respective owners. © 2015 Alpine Electronics, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

me-mag.com 5

 feedback

Ready, Set, Go! Retailers provide tips to help prepare you for the holiday selling seasons, plus other advice.

ADVERTISING SALES Kerry Moyer 703.598.6759 • kerrym@mobile-electronics.com ®

EDITORIAL

“Social media is a powerful thing. It’s important to stay on top of it.” Bill Wyko, Audio 2000, Tucson, Ariz. “Utilizing the Directed 5x10 and 4x10 systems has helped us increase profit margins and close rates. Being able to add functions to the OEM remote is a big plus with our clients.” Alan Roath, Cartronics, Miami, Fla. “KnowledgeFest by far was the best decision I have made this year. For all the owners out there that are feeling overwhelmed by the Internet or just frustrated with running your business, KnowledgeFest will renew why you started that 12-volt shop: for the love of car stereo. I can honestly say I’m ambitious again and looking to be a top contender in mobile electronics.” Eddy Lamour, DSP Audio and Video, Silver Spring, Md. “Listen to the customer before you set up for the sale.” Billy, Auto FX, Yukon, Okla. “We were recently chosen for our county to handle the Guardian Interlock clients. They sent a representative from the company to teach us about the whole process. This brings an additional 90-150 different consumers into the door for free and we get paid for the services we provide.” “Magic” Mike Hassen, Blvd Customs of Lakeland, Lakeland, Fla. “Customers want to feel like they are being treated fairly.” Kenny McCardie, Auto Sound Specialists, Union City, Calif. “Sell and push the lines that protect your area around your shop.” David, Sound Depot, Madison, Ala.

6 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

“Set the price for remote starts in your market. Hold firm to those prices; once the undercutting starts it’s downhill from there.” Anonymous “We are getting ready for October when we launch our Coats for Kids promotion again, which has been a fantastic promotion year after year. We are also in the process of making a menu type selection board that will work with our interactive AvidWorx remote starter display, showcasing all of the key-fobs and accessories.” Eric M. Carter, Cartronix, Inc., Valparaiso, Ind. “Start remote season training early. Test the employees on as many cars needed to make sure they are selling the product correctly.” Mark D’Elia, Sound FX, Warwick, R.I. “I have been taking the time to really explain some of the newer technologies that are available in the newer head units and customers have responded in a very positive way. I try to assume that they don’t know anything and that it is my job to educate them. I had a guy recently come and see if we could repair what someone else had installed. As he was leaving he handed me his keys and said, ‘I am glad I came in, this feels right.’ I told him ‘that was the best response that I could have asked for.’” josh Mojica, GNC Customs, Goshen, Ind. “Positive networking between owners is the key to growing and helping each other.” Joshua Landau, JML Audio of St. Louis, Fenton, Mo.

Solomon Daniels 213.291.1528 • solomond@mobile-electronics.com Ted Goslin 800.949.6372 ext. 466 • tedg@mobile-electronics.com Creative Layout and Design: Robin LeBel Contributing Editors: Jamie Sorcher, Laura Kemmerer and Rosa Sophia.

Published by

Chris Cook, President 978.867.6759 • chrisc@mobile-electronics.com Kerry Moyer, VP Strategic Partnerships 703.598.6759 • kerrym@mobile-electronics.com Solomon Daniels, Dir. Media and Communications 213.291.1528 • solomond@mobile-electronics.com Richard Basler, Dir. Technology Solutions 978.645.6449 • richb@mobile-electronics.com Karin Drake, Events Manager 978.645.6478 • karindrake@mobile-electronics.com Robin Lebel, Creative Director 978.645.6456 • robinlebel@mobile-electronics.com 1)Title of publication: Mobile Electronics. 2) Publication No.: 957-170 6. 3) Date of filing: Oct. 1, 2015. 4) Frequency of issue: Monthly except FEB/MAR & APR/MAY 5) No. of issues published annually: 10. 6) Annual subscription price: $35.00. 7) Complete mailing address of known office of publication: 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 8) Complete mailing address of the headquarters or general business offices of the publisher: 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 9) Full names and complete mailing address of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: Publisher: Chris Cook, 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845; Editor/Managing Editor: Solomon Daniels/Ted Goslin, 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845 10) Owner. MERA, Mobile Electronics Retailers Association, 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 11) Known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders owning or holding 1% or more of total amounts of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None. 12) Tax Status: Not applicable. 13) Name of Publication: Mobile Electronics. 14) Issue date for circulation data below: August 2015. 6. a) Total no. copies (net press run) Average: 12,484 Single Issue; 12,826. B1) Paid/Requested mail subscriptions Average: 6834, Single Issue: 6826. B3) Paid sales through dealers, etc.; Average: 0. Single issue; c. Requested distributed by other classes of mail: Average: 531, Single issue: 520. Total paid and/or requested circulation; Average 7365. Single issue: 7346. d) Non-requested distribution by mail; Average: 4382 Single issue: 4223. Free distribution through other classes of mail: Average: 0, Single issue: 0. e) Nonrequested distribution outside the mail; Average: 325. Single issue: 750. f) Total non-requested distribution; Average 4707, Single issue: 4973. g) Total distribution; Average: 12,072. Single issue: 12,319. h) Copies not distributed; h1) Office use, leftovers; Average: 412. Single Issue; 507 j) Total; Average: 12,484. Single issue; 12,826 Percent paid and/or requested circulation; Average: 61.01%. Single issue 59.63%.

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 editor’s forum

The 6 Deadly Sins of the Mobile Electronics Industry

Brothers fight. Brothers argue. Brothers hate. However, brothers also accomplish the impossible. And brothers share in their collective successes.

There is no argument that forces against our industry have brought us closer together. We are a super-concentrated version of what we once were. We focus on what’s important. Collaboration in many cases tops competition. As a result, we’ve accomplished some great things. Nevertheless, a close collaboration can also become a crowded room; one in which people form cliques and create hierarchies or argue over a perceived lack of resources. And when the ability to resolve issues face to face is replaced with the detachment of forums and social media, then you have another barrier to making things work. Don’t get me wrong: Facebook, Google and forums are great places to share ideas. But because we are now able to reach out to others and never leave the safety of our own domains, we often forget humility when we interact with others. And that’s when the problems start. As social media has gone from an every-now-and-then means of communication to a practical prerequisite, there are six bad habits I’ve noticed that do nothing to help others or encourage camaraderie: Being a hater. You make a product, use a product or own a product. You think it’s the best thing since duct tape. You tell everybody how great it is. So far, so good. But then you go and tell everybody how its competitors suck in comparison. Competition is great. But there’s no need to disparage other products in the process. Think about your own experience when you look for something new: You’re more interested in how it will solve your issue than how it didn’t solve someone else’s. Making policy out of your personal opinion. You have a tool (or person, or situation) you like, and despite your best efforts, it just doesn’t work for you. So you tell everyone how bad it is because it didn’t really do what you needed it to do, when it’s actually just more of a matter of preference on your end. The reason we don’t review products in the magazine is because we believe there is a product for every customer, and that should be your view as well with people, products or situations. If it wasn’t for you, it wasn’t for you, and that’s all you should tell others. Putting people “on blast.” This simply means spouting your negative opinion about someone’s (or a company’s) actions, interaction with you, habits, preferences, etc., and doing it for no other reason than to “get back” at them for a perceived wrong.

8 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

More than likely, your rant comes off as a personal issue, and won’t dissuade someone else from a continued relationship with that person. Worst case is you hurt someone’s ability to make a living and care for their family by damaging their reputation within this small industry. Do you really want to do that? You’re better off trying to resolve your issue in private. Complaining just to complain. You went to a group meeting and it didn’t go the way you wanted. But instead of offering solutions during the meeting, you wait until after and bend everyone’s ear about how bad/stupid/idiotic/dumb all of the participants were. My old boss Michael Schroeder taught me: “Don’t come in my office talking about a problem if you don’t already have an idea of how to fix it.” I hope this teaches you the same. Perpetuating pompousness. You belong to a group, club or “clique” and make comments to imply that your participation puts you higher than others. My pants went on one leg at a time this morning. We all started somewhere, and elevated status doesn’t change the fact that learning is relative. JT Torres is a great example to follow. Being judge and jury. You read something someone wrote (probably involving one of the five examples above) and then you take a side and express your opinion without knowing the whole picture. There are always two sides to every story, and a whole subset of factors based on how people view a situation based on their own life experiences. In short, you’re in no position to judge, so don’t. Within these examples I took pains to “change names and situations to protect the innocent.” I will just say that you can apply any of these “sins” to different situations, including product competition, moving to new retail locations, attending group events, etc. You know who you are, and I say these things with love. We’re too small for the bickering, but the opportunities for growth are still large. Take a moment before you write. Everything should have the goal of making something better. Remember that, once you hit the ‘Send’ or ‘Post’ button, you can’t take it back; it’s on the Internet forever. That means you’re either helping forever or tearing down forever with your words. Which will it be? 

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 stats

How Many Did You Want? Retailers provide insight on how well different products sell as the fall and winter months approach. Amount of Increase for Orders in Fall/Winter Per Category

WE DON’T SELL NO INCREASE INCREASE

SMALL INCREASE

MEDIUM SUBSTANTIAL TOTAL INCREASE INCREASE PERCENTAGE

HEAD UNITS (any type)

49.06% 33.96% 11.32%

5.66%

53%

SPEAKERS

54.72% 33.96% 9.43%

1.89%

53% 52%

SUBWOOFERS

3.85%

AMPLIFIERS

1.89%

66.04% 22.64% 5.66%

STANDALONE VIDEO

5.88%

76.47% 11.76% 3.92% 1.96%

51%

VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS / DEVICES

3.77%

52.83% 28.30% 11.32%

3.77%

53%

VEHICLE SECURITY SYSTEMS / DEVICES

53.85% 28.85% 13.46%

3.85%

52%

13.21% 18.87% 11.32% 54.72%

53%

REMOTE START SYSTEMS

1.89%

A/V INTEGRATION AND PROCESSING

71.15% 17.31% 3.85% 3.85% 3.77%

73.08% 21.15% 5.77%

53%

52%

SECURITY / CONVENIENCE INTEGRATION

1.89%

41.51% 33.96% 9.43% 13.21%

53%

INSTALLATION TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES

5.66%

49.06% 30.19% 3.77% 11.32%

53%

Time of Year Orders Are Increased Per Category

NOT APPLICABLE

IN AUGUST OR EARLIER

IN SEPTEMBER

IN OCTOBER

IN NOVEMBER OR EARLIER

TOTAL PERCENTAGE

Head Units (any type)

21.28%

14.89% 17.02% 25.53% 21.28%

47%

Speakers

26.67%

15.56% 6.67% 26.67% 24.44%

45%

Subwoofers

35.56%

15.56% 6.67%

20% 22.22%

45%

Amplifiers

34.09%

15.91% 6.82%

25% 18.18%

44%

Standalone Video

58.70%

13.04% 4.35% 13.04% 10.87%

46%

Vehicle Safety Systems / Devices

43.18%

13.64% 13.64% 15.91% 13.64%

44%

Vehicle Security Systems / Devices

38.10%

16.67% 21.43% 16.67%

7.14%

42%

4.44%

15.56% 42.22% 33.33%

4.44%

45%

Remote Start Systems A/V Integration and Processing

52.27%

15.91% 2.27% 13.64% 15.91%

44%

Security / Convenience Integration

27.27%

9.09% 27.27% 20.45% 15.91%

44%

Installation Tools and Accessories

42.22%

10 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

24.44% 13.33%

11.11% 8.89%

45%

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 helpful stuff

BOOKS:

Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention By Ben Parr

WWW. CAPTIVOLOGY.COM HARPERONE - $27.99

These days there are more digital distractions than ever. It’s no wonder we find our attention constantly shifting from one thing to the next. This educational and entertaining book, Captivology, takes a closer look at the psychological stuff that captivates our attention—and how we can leverage that to draw and retain attention for our ideas, work, companies, and relationships. If you’re a salesperson, employee, marketer, business owner, or a parent, then putting the spotlight on your ideas, insights, projects and products requires a deep understanding of the science of attention. A former editor of Mashable and cofounder of DominateFund, author Ben Parr explains how and why the mind pays attention to some events or people— and not others. He presents captivation triggers—techniques guaranteed to help you capture and retain the attention of friends, colleagues, customers, fans, and even strangers. The book is packed with interviews with more than fifty scientists and visionaries including Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg, film director Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockovich, Traffic, Ocean’s Eleven), and Alexis Ohanian, founder of Reddit. The takeaway is that you will change how you assign jobs to your staff, dole out chores to your children, devise a marketing campaign, or deliver your next presentation.

12 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

Software/Apps: Watermark, $1.99 (iTunes) TUNES.APPLE.COM/APP/IWATERMARK

You’re taking photos of your shop’s latest installs or you’re at an event and want to capture vehicle images for your web site. This watermarking app is essential for securing and protecting your photos with a text, graphic, signature or QR watermark. Once it has been added to a photo, the visible watermark displays that it is created and owned by you. Watermarking is increasingly important nowadays—and discreetly displays, no matter where your photo goes, that it’s yours. Watermarking can also be used to add your email, a web site, or personal message to any photo.

Services:

Adventure Associates

WWW.ADVENTUREASSOC.COM/LOCATIONS

Sites To See: Kickstarter

WWW. KICKSTARTER.COM

Go to any tech event, auto show, or lifestyle event and guaranteed there are companies, exhibitors, and entrepreneurs who got it all going with Kickstarter. The funding platform is basically a new way to subsidize creative projects. The Kickstarter site does a great job explaining the details and rules. There are 15 diverse categories from technology to music--and projects are both big and small. What they all have in common is they’re directly funded by people like you. Project creators just set a funding goal and a deadline. If people support your project, they pledge money to make it happen. The company is based in Greenpoint (Brooklyn), New York, and since its launch in 2009, over $1.5 billion has been pledged by more than 8 million people funding more than 80,000 creative projects. Have an idea? A killer install you want to undertake? What are you waiting for?

The business retreat is back. Whether you’re looking to reward your team or just do some bonding, a getaway can be a small investment with big returns. But don’t think of those bloated corporate events of years ago with A-list entertainment and lots of booze. Today’s business owners and corporations are keeping it real—and more practical. For instance, former Cisco executive Ed Kozel, who serves as an advisor to tech startups, has hosted retreats at his ranch in Sonoma County, Calif., as a way to “get people out of the rat race and into an area where they can focus on teambuilding and strategy off-site,” he said. The property includes 100 acres of hiking trails, two barns that are used for function space, an exercise studio and tennis court. With Adventure Associates, the company has led events nationwide for the last 20 years and can adapt a program to meet your needs. They can create an event in an office, a resort, hotel, park….even a parking lot. Site-specific experiences include team sailing or ropes courses. Whether you are seriously considering a retreat or think it might be something for the future, there is no better investment than building and/or rewarding your team.

The Newest Addition to the SiriusXM® Product Lineup!

Built for the Pro, Designed for Custom Installation. FEATURES: • • • • •

Connects to Any Car Stereo Full-Color, Touchscreen Display Dash Mounted, Fully Integrated Look Compact Size: 4.1" x 1.7" x 0.5" Includes FM Direct Adapter (FMDA25), Flush Mount Kit & Hardware MSRP: $129.99, Available Nov 2015

S U B S C R I P T I O N SAV I N G S

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(Includes Streaming & Activation) See Offer Details below and @ siriusxm.com/nevermissabeat

© 2015 Sirius XM Radio Inc. Sirius, XM and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Sirius XM Radio Inc. All other marks, channel names and logos are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

me-mag.com 13

 retail news

Riding High

An install on a rare Corvette helped attract fresh clientele to Mobile AVC. WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

ustom work was recently completed on a rare vehicle which will surely attract more business to Mobile Audio Video Creations located in Garden City Park, N.Y. Erik Quick is the owner, head fabricator and installer, with one employee working with him as a second installer. Having already worked in high end audio, Quick started his own business in 2003 with a solid customer base. The quality of his work speaks for itself. When one of his regular customers came to him with a 1992 Chevrolet Corvette Callaway ZR-1, Quick knew it would be great for his business.

14 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

“The customer takes it to Carlisle every year for annual car shows,” Quick said. “I met him at a car show, a local car one, and he had a Lamborghini and he was having electrical problems. That was about ten years ago, and I solved those problems for him. He’s a repeat customer.” The install took place over a series of weeks—from this past February to March. “The car had to be ready by April,” Quick explained. “It took about six weeks, a few weekends, as the car was being taken apart and worked on at another shop through the various stages, through the base to dynamatting to stripping the car, to running new wires. That was finished by the end of March for a photo shoot and car show in April.”

Quick anticipates that the work he has done will open new doors to him, giving him access to a new community of car enthusiasts—those who love Corvettes. “The restoration business is getting big,” he said. “This car is 25 years old and it has some issues since it’s older. Working on this car reinforces my ability to work on unique cars. And they [the Corvette community] feel there are only certain ways of doing things, but I took all those limitations off and opened up the whole book by putting a lot of modern technology into an older car without making it look like anything had changed.” This success will show prospective clients what Quick is capable of, and will surely increase his exposure.

Who’s Who Ben Larson Sound Connection, Inc. Sartell, Minn. Years of industry experience: 20 Hobbies: Spending as much quality time as possible with my wife and children before they grow up What you’re really good at: Connecting People and finding solutions to problems

Although most of his work is done at customer’s homes and work places, Quick rents space at Ventura’s Car Care, which functions as his base of operations.

Eric King A&S Installation Allentown, Penn. Years of industry experience: 15 Hobbies: Cars What you’re really good at: Car audio

Eddy Lamour DSP Audio and Video Silver Spring, Md. Years of industry experience: 20 Hobbies: Singing, playing guitar, watching movies, traveling, concerts, football What you’re really good at: Everything

Quick uses the outdoor bay for his stereo/alarm/detail work. He also works in the shop on electrical challenges for customers.

By stepping into the unique realm of Corvette enthusiasts, a whole new world will open up for Mobile AVC. “It gives me a new challenge,” Quick said. “It is nice to work on an American icon. There’s a lot of pride there.” In the past, Quick completed an install on a Corvette that was a tribute to 9/11, which was featured in Mobile Electronics Magazine as well as Vette Magazine. He attributes much of his success to word of mouth marketing and consulting one-on-one with clients. Clients hire him to work on their high end vehicles because the value they receive is clear. “It’s

Alan Roath Cartronics Miami, Fla. Years of industry experience: 35 Hobbies: Fishing, RC model airplanes, riding my motorcycle What you’re really good at: System design and tuning

me-mag.com 15

 retail news great to have that trust between clients and a business,” Quick added. With a dependable local network of well-connected people, the only thing Quick does to promote his business is go out and meet people and attend car shows. “I don’t really pay for any advertising,” he said. “I don’t have the overhead a lot of other shops have. I am fortunate enough that I can work in this kind of realm almost at my leisure.” The versatility of his mobile business means he can go to clients instead of having them come to him, working around their needs and schedules. “A lot of my clients are a little bit older,” Quick explained. “What they care about is meeting me and getting a feel for if they can trust me with their two or 300 thousand dollar car. I get more work than I can handle.” The Corvette will be featured in Vette Magazine, and when the article is printed, Quick intends to promote the work he has done on his website and social media. “I have a good network of people and I’ve never steered any of them wrong, so I use that momentum to drive that part of my business,” Quick said. “I’ve been blessed.” 

New Display Helps Car Toys

Increase Profits

Car Toys Tulsa is one of five retailers nationwide to showcase the new Sony Mobile display, which has led to an increase in Sony sales. WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

16 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

aising brand awareness is essential in the 12-volt industry. Car Toys in Tulsa, Okla. became a recipient of the new mobile display Sony created for this purpose. Rob Rice, of Car Toys, has eight employees, and the business has been the city’s leading provider of highend mobile electronics for 15 years, according to the company’s website. Sony has always been a popular product, and the new display has been a great addition to the store. The display itself is a unique marketing approach that helps the brand stand out from the others. “It’s Sony, which makes it unique,” Rice said. “A lot of the manufacturers want to differentiate themselves from everyone else out there. Sony really, in my opinion, went the extra mile. They included graphics to go behind the display.” The display consists of eight head units, three amplifiers and six pairs of speakers. Car Toys was required to prepare the wall behind the display to meet Sony’s criteria. “We had to prepare the wall to their specs as far as the look,” Rice said. “Just a matter of correct materials, right color. Sony outsourced a local graphic designer to put the graphics on the wall and used people at Avidworkx to build the display. We got the very first one that was produced and they shipped it to us. Basically, it came in on a pallet with a whole bunch of boxes, and we put it together on the wall. It worked out really well.” When customers step in the front door, the very first thing they see is the Sony display. “It’s their brand awareness,” Rice explained. “Everybody knows Sony, so it really attracts a lot of attention. It’s helped our Sony sales.” The store was already carrying Sony products, but the display gave their profits a boost. As a result, the store sells roughly 20 percent more Sony products than they did previously. “When Sony decided to get back into the mobile electronics field, I was excited. I always liked Sony,” Rice said. “The product is really solid, and most of their items carry a three year warranty.” Rice also noted that Car Toys Tulsa is careful about the products they sell. “You can buy Sony everywhere, all the big box stores. We’re real careful that we don’t buy products that our competitors do, so we don’t have to get beat up on price,” he explained. “As long as you’re smart in the way you buy, there’s a great profit margin in the products.” Sony products also have high sound quality. “It’s been a really good experience,” Rice said. “Now this makes it even better.” The display has been in the store for about 30 to 45 days. Rice has still seen an increase in profits, despite the fact that September and October are historically slower months in retail. Sales will likely increase come Christmastime.

Owner Rob Rice stands next to his Sony display, one of five in the nation.

Car Toys is careful about the products it sells in order to give clients a unique product offering they can’t get at the big box stores.

me-mag.com 17

 retail news

The store has created its own displays for other brands to help increase brand awareness.

“Electronics are a luxury item, not something you have to have, so people are buying things for their kids for school around this time,” Rice said. “So it’s slow,

18 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

[these are] typically our slower months. When you think of the margins, they naturally gravitate toward the Sony products. The higher quality products.” Rice stated the new Sony display is indeed the most effective display in the store. Car Toys Tulsa has created their own displays for other brands, as well, to help increase brand awareness. “Rockford Fosgate doesn’t really produce displays, but

we have made them.” Rice said these displays were also successful. “I think most manufacturers are going to have to go to a brand-specific display to really showcase their product if they want to get noticed.” The days of having a traditional sound room could dissipate in the future, according to Rice. Car Toys Tulsa still has a sound room, but the displays are certainly increasing brand awareness. Rice also noted that although the store sells a lot of Pioneer products, they do not have a brand-specific display for the manufacturer. With safety becoming top of mind to car owners, Apple’s CarPlay has also sold well. “It’s just really neat stuff. Hopefully, Sony will do something like what Pioneer has done with safety features soon,” Rice said. “Like Pioneer has done with Apple CarPlay.” 

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 external effects

Email Use, Life on Mars and Connected Car Apps BY JAMIE SORCHER

Phone Fix

What’s Going On: Voicemail? Not so much. According to a new study, email is the more accepted and intimate way to reach out to someone these days, in particular millennials. Not too far back, the opposite was true. According to the study, “To Email or Not to Email: The Impact of Media on Psychophysiological Responses and Emotional Content in Utilitarian and Romantic Communication,” email allows a sender to give more thought to their message while a voice message doesn’t offer that since it is recorded in one take.

How It Can Affect You: Professor Taylor M. Wells, of California State University, Sacramento, and Alan R. Dennis, at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, got the idea for the study while they were researching how technology is used in business communication and decision-making. They found that email messages prompted a stronger psychophysiological response in recipients whether emails were sent for business or otherwise. Something to consider when relating to customers or colleagues—calls are important, but emails can make more of an impact.

To Mars And Back What’s Going On:

NASA plans to send a crew to Mars sometime in the 2030s and is doing the necessary legwork to prepare. They recently shut six people inside an isolation dome which is 20 feet tall and 36 feet wide in Hawaii for a year—the longest such experiment in the U.S. The dome is situated on a barren slope on the Mauna Loa volcano. Each inhabitant has a small room with cot and desk, limited Internet access, and food like canned tuna and powdered cheese. Trips outside can only be made in spacesuits.

How It Can Affect You: It is years away, but planet Earth will not always be the only place humans live, work and shop. The Mars mission is part of a larger look at travel logistics in a program at the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) dome, which has already done studies about cooking on Mars in addition to eight-month co-habitation missions. Trips to the Red Planet will probably be longer than one year since getting there would take one to three years. Location, location, location, as they say.

20 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

Frenemies in Frankfurt

What’s Going On:

There was some distraction at the 2015 Frankfurt International Motor Show which is now in its 66 th year. The electric and low-emission vehicles which had previously owned the spotlight when the show was last held two years ago were upstaged by the buzz surrounding automated driving and connected cars. By 2020, 90 percent of cars are expected to feature built-in connectivity, up from just 10 percent today with an estimated 210 million connected cars hitting the road over the next few years.

How It Can Affect You:

New technologies are dominating the conversation right now, but the big question among automakers is whether they’ll be the ones to provide the new technologies or if it will be the tech giants like Google and Apple. The two sides have managed to keep the peace so far, but for how long? It would certainly come to a screeching halt if Apple or Google started making cars— but both companies have said they are not planning to do that. Dieter Zetsche, the head of Daimler AG, has said the car and technology companies are “frenemies.” Most important now for Daimler, Zetsche noted, is to keep control of customers’ data—and use the information responsibly. What is clear is that the motivation for consumers when buying a vehicle is changing and carmakers will need to adjust. Consumers would be willing to switch car brands for better-connected services, according to consulting firm McKinsey. The number of consumers that would do so rose from 20 percent in 2014 to 37 percent this year. According to McKinsey, it shows the direction in which the auto industry is headed. “The fact that within just one year the number of people willing to switch car brands for connectivity has almost doubled shows that connectivity is evolving from a should-have to a must-have” for carmakers.

Here is Hum

What’s Going On: Hum is Verizon’s telematics device and it’s ready for the road. Originally called Verizon Vehicle when it was announced back in January, Hum consists of two devices: an OBD-II reader and a speaker that clips onto a sun visor. The OBD-II reader grabs diagnostic information from the vehicle’s Controller Area Network while the speaker has a wireless modem sending that data to the cloud. It also allows for the capability of talking to concierge mechanics and emergency services.

How It Can Affect You: Definitely this qualifies as a bold move for Verizon. The aftermarket connected car market is only getting more crowded with a wide range of companies building connected OBD-II devices and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for thirdparty app developers. Verizon’s device has its own modem and doesn’t require a smartphone in the car to work. There is more awareness now of what Internet-connected OBD-II devices can do than ever before, but with connected cars’ benefits come certain risks and the hacking era looks like it has just begun.

Jingle All The Way

Apple Wants A Bigger Bite What’s Going On:

Apple’s email invitation to journalists for its event last month in San Francisco created plenty of anticipation and didn’t disappoint. There were new products including the debut of the next generation iPhones—the 6S ($200) and 6 Plus S ($300) with a contract—and an enhanced version of the Apple TV set-top box. There was an Apple Pencil ($100) and even a collaboration with luxury house Hermes on a ritzy smartwatch with a $1,500 price tag.

What’s Going On:

How It Can Affect You:

Back to school season is in the books and retailers are gearing up for the holiday selling season. Along with an abundance of offers and promotions, retailers are planning to open their doors earlier and figure out how to capture business online as well as in their stores.

With all of this going on and the iPhone the bulk of its business (it contributed to more than two-thirds of the company’s $107 billion in revenue during the first half of 2015), Apple made it evident at its presentation that it’s looking to branch out, tap into new categories, and court customers with other product lines. The strategy could help Apple compete with Microsoft, Samsung and Google. For example, the latest version of the iPad has an optional keyboard that seems to mirror Microsoft’s Surface, also a combo laptop-tablet device. The new version of Apple TV, which will offer video games, shopping and travel tools through a range of apps, includes a remote control that could also function as a video game controller. It could help Apple establish a serious beachhead in the living room. The product is priced higher at $150, up from $70, demonstrating the company is betting that consumers will be able to justify the new features are worth the higher cost. For now, the iPhone remains Apple’s most important product, but the company will ultimately need to show more growth, especially when smartphone sales are slowing worldwide.

How It Can Affect You: All signs, with the economy back on track, look positive. A gradual recovery in the housing market as well as the manufacturing sector, along with an improving labor market and falling gasoline prices, are putting a favorable spin on the economy. Good news for retailers who will also need to be ready to embrace the increased mobile shopping aspect. IBM found that 50 percent of all traffic to retail sites is occurring on mobile. By December, these figures are expected to grow, making mobile transactions all the more important for retailers come the holiday shopping season.

No Glass Ceiling What’s Going On:

In spite of its rocky past, Google Glass is giving it another go. Renamed Project Aura, the Google Glass effort has new employees and new strategies in place. Google Glass was at the forefront of the wearables wave, being among the first smart accessories to hit the market, but there have been few buyers.

How It Can Affect You: There is a new purpose to Google Glass. Developers have said it will no longer be an entertainment device, but one used for work-related activities—think augmented reality which could make work and education more interactive. According to Google, their Glass project could make business meetings and presentations a lot more engaging so that employees could communicate faster. No word about pricing. No launch date either, but don’t expect to see anything from Project Aura before 2016.

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 on the market

Displays, Promotions and Specialty Kits Massive Audio D1600.4 Digital Amplifiers www.massiveaudio.com

Notable: Massive Audio has released the new D1600.4 Full Range Digital Amplifiers. Styled to match the D-Block Series, the D1600.4 four channel amp has a cosmopolitan, brushed aluminum heat sink which is centered by a soft blue backlit Massive logo. The four corner Hex bolts conceal the hidden mounting holes for clean installation. MSRP is $649.95.

Diamond Audio Motorsport Series Speakers WWW.DIAMONDAUDIO.COM

Notable: According to Diamond Audio, they are Motorsport series speakers. Designed style and are passionate about great speakers are manufactured for recreational/leisure sectors. They audio performance while being mental conditions. The Motorsport series speak(5.25-inch), HXM65 (6.5-inch), 1-inch bridge-mounted titanium rate highs. The mid-bass driver is Kevlar aramid fiber cone that is musical transition and minimizes Motorsport series speakers result from

now shipping the “highly anticipated” for those that enjoy the outdoor lifesound quality, the new Motorsport series activities in the marine, all-terrain, and are engineered to provide high far-field able to withstand the harshest environers consist of three models, the HXM525 and HXM (8-inch). All models feature a dome tweeter that delivers crisp and accudesigned with a thermal molded waterproof lightweight, but strong and provides for quick output distortion. The mounting depth specs of a balanced super high-energy neo motor system design.

SlamStop Soft Door Closer WWW.SLAMSTOP.COM/US

Notable: SlamStop has been around in Europe, and has now set its sights on the U.S. market. The SlamStop unit allows a driver to close a vehicle door enough to catch the latching mechanism. The system takes it the rest of the way, closing the door quietly and securely. The kit is universal, meaning it can be installed on any door where there is space for its components. It also works on manual sliding doors. While it was originally marketed toward the customizer community, it’s also a great safety addon, helping avoid incidents where a back door flies open while driving because it wasn’t closed securely. MSRP $369.99.

22 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

Metra Electronics WWW.METRAONLINE.COM

Notable: Metra Electronics has announced its radio installation kit for the 2015 and newer Toyota Sienna. Part number 95-8250 is designed specifically for double-DIN installations and includes a pocket for single-DIN installation. Installers should use the AXXESS ASWC-1 to retain the factory audio steering wheel controls, and check metraonline.com, Metraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s app,or axxessinterfaces.com for information about harnesses, interfaces and antenna adapters available to complete the installations in these vehicles.

Power Acoustik Marine Subwoofers

Soundstream SMR-31B Marine Receivers

WWW.POWERACOUSTIK.COM

WWW.SOUNDSTREAM.COM

Notable:

Power Acoustik is now shipping 10-inch Marine Subwoofer MW-10WT units. The subs are designed to take on any water sport. Features include a marine grade waterproof 10-inch subwoofer, high density ABS construction with UV coating, a 100 percent waterproof sealed back speaker frame and stainless steel mounting hardware included.

Soundstream is now shipping marine source units SMR-31B single-DIN CD player with Bluetooth capabilities. The SMR31B source units feature a CD/MP3, AM/FM and USB receiver, theft deterrent detachable faceplate, Bluetooth V2.0 hands-free calling from enabled phone and A2DP MP3 Audio Playback from an enabled device. Remote control and faceplate carry case included.

AAMP Dash Kits for 2010-2015 Prius WWW.AAMPOFAMERICA.COM

Notable: Aftermarket mobile electronics manufacturer AAMP of America introduced American International TOYK953 and Best Kits BKTOYK953 installation dash kits for the 2010 - 2015 Prius. These new American International and Best Kits dash kits facilitate the installation of one Double DIN radio or a Single ISO radio with pocket. For a complete installation AAMP offers Best Kits wire harness BHA1761 and antenna adaptor BAA44 (2012-2015), and American International wire harness TWH950 and antenna adaptor LX8 (2012-2015).

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 on the market Mobile Electronics ME-TV Program WWW.MOBILE-ELECTRONICS.COM

Notable:

Cerwin-Vega Mobile Active Display Board Program and RPM Speaker Line

Mobile Electronics® is now offering a new digital-signage solution for retailers. Its Mobile Electronics TV (ME-TV) is cloud based; making it easy to distribute video content to retailers’ showrooms. Retailers simply attach the ME-TV dongle-like player to their flat-panel display. Video content, supplied by either the retailer or from one of their vendors, can be consumer-facing and promotional or training-focused. New product or technology can be highlighted, or retailers can simply tell a brand story. In-showroom digital signage can be like having another salesperson. Low pricing for this service is available to all Mobile Electronics Association members. For more information email info@mobile-electronics.com or call (800) 949-6372.

WWW.CERWINVEGA.COM

Notable: Cerwin-Vega Mobile has announced that it is now offering a fully active display board program to its existing dealer base and potential new dealers. The brand new Cerwin-Vega Mobile display boards have been fabricated to merchandize an assortment of Cerwin-Vega Mobile products. There are a total of six speaker cabinet slots that can showcase Cerwin-Vega Mobile’s 6.5-inch component speaker systems and various coaxial speaker sets from 6.5 inches to 5-inch X 7-inch to 6-inch X 9-inch sizes for a full-sounding demonstration. For low end, the display board incorporates space for two 10-inch and two 12-inch Cerwin-Vega Mobile subwoofers. The subwoofer cabinets are factory-tuned to provide optimal output and performance. The display board has placement settings for up to four total amplifiers and two source units. Cerwin-Vega Mobile’s RPM series Bluetooth modules can also be showcased in this section. Cerwin-Vega Mobile is also now shipping its highly anticipated RPM (Recreation Powersport Marine) speaker line. The RPM Vega series includes a 6.5-inch (VM65) and 8-inch (VM8) model while the RPM Stroker series includes a 5.25-inch (SM52) version in addition to its own 6.5-inch (SM65) and 8-inch (SM8) models. The new RPM VEGA series speakers deliver loud and crisp sound for specialized applications that can withstand harsh outdoor environments. Designed and engineered to be IP65 compliant from infiltration of dust and water, the thermal molded, UV-coated speakers also utilize a patent-pending waterproof composite paper cone. MSRP ranges from $159.99 up to $329.99 for the various models.

24 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

SiriusXM SXV300 Tuner Promotion WWW.SIRIUSXM.COM

Notable: The SiriusXM “2 Ways 2 Save” SXV300 tuner promotion is working to capture consumers’ interest. To create even more in-store visibility for the promotion, SiriusXM has developed point-of-purchase kits that contain a number of attention-grabbing items: standee, counter mat, mirror hang tags, head unit wraps, plus peel and stick tags. Digital assets are also available. Consumers who purchase the SXV300, Alpine CDESXM145BT or CDE124SXM2 (which include either the SXV200 or SXV300 tuner in the box) will receive a $70 Mail-In Rebate after activating the tuner with the Select ($14.99/month) or All Access ($19.99/month) subscription package. The rebate offer runs from May 15 through December 31, 2015. Tuners must be purchased from eligible retailers to qualify. Purchases from Amazon and Best Buy are not allowed. In addition to the $70 Mail-In Rebate, SiriusXM is offering consumers three months of free programming when they activate the All Access package on their tuner. The All Access package includes satellite and Internet radio listening, which offers combined savings for the buyer at over $140.

VOXX Backup Camera/Sensor ACA900 WWW.VOXXELECTRONICS.COM

Notable: Backup Camera/Sensor (ACA900) integrates technology from both a backup sensor and camera into one device, increasing the safety benefits by delivering both video and audible warnings to the driver. This camera features a 130-degree field of view and a 120-degree sensor angle that can detect objects and/or people that may move or walk into the path of the vehicle while backing up, alerting the driver with both visual and audio warnings. The ACA900 is designed to work with any monitor/screen with an RCA video input (sold separately) and will display the distance in feet/inches on the monitor when there is an obstruction behind the vehicle. Also included is a 21-foot cable to connect to the monitor, and a 12-foot warning buzzer cable for back-up sensor warnings. The ACA900 is available now with an MSRP of $129.00. The new product is joined by two replacement mirrors with built-in monitors, which are part of the company’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) product line.

AVIDWORX M3 Active Sound Board Display WWW.AVIDWORX.COM

Notable: AVIDWORX launched its new M3 customer experience centers at this year’s KnowledgeFest. M3 is a new line of modular, wall-mounted sound stages and showcases that combine AVIDWORX design and interactive switching with a clean, modern look designed to turn heads. The company claims that the idea is significantly more cost-effective than other options—less than half the cost for some applications—with the result that AVIDWORX Productions can now offer complete M3 sound stages for under $100 per month. Complete showroom packages with sound stages and other top product categories start around $270 per month on a four-year lease-to-own program—an amount that Newell is confident retailers will more than recoup from increased sales.

Kicker VSS Ford Truck Systems and Klock Werks FIT KITS WWW.KICKER.COM

Notable: KICKER Performance Audio has developed four new Vehicle-Specific Solutions (VSS™) for Ford F-150, F-250 and F-350 truck owners. VSS provides a custom KICKER subwoofer, amplifier, wiring harness and bracketing with repeatable performance every time, featuring no cut metal and factory wiring staying 100-percent intact. The systems are currently shipping to Authorized KICKER Dealers, with the VSS PowerStage™ System available at an MSRP of $1,499.95, and the VSS SubStage™ System available at an MSRP of $799.95. The company has also released a new grouping of audio upgrades for motorcycles, in collaboration with Klock Werks® Kustom Cycles of Mitchell, S.D. Seven models of Klock Werks FIT KITs Powered by KICKER provide audio for more than 100 different motorcycles, and they will be obtained by consumers through Authorized KICKER Dealers as part of KICKER’s Vehicle-Specific Solutions (VSS™) lineup. Every FIT KIT is engineered to install easily, require minimal power and sound great on the road. The included Klock Werks wiring harness is properly terminated right out of the box, including the amplifier connections, with no cutting, crimping or insulating a single wire.

me-mag.com 25

 business feature

A Courteous Rivalry

Retailers and experts agree that remaining firm with positive values encourages healthy competition amongst regional competitors, keeping negativity out and profits in. WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

n a highly competitive marketplace, a successful business should be built upon positive values and ethics. Jeffrey Gitomer, an author and public speaker on the subject of sales and customer loyalty, once stated, “Great people have great values and great ethics.” In all aspects of life, spreading negativity or badmouthing others is a first step toward hitting bottom. However, there is a delicate balance when it comes to choosing whether or not to interact with competition, how best to interact with them, and how to keep customers coming back to your store. Adhering to positive values helps keep competition healthy. And if it’s done the

26 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

right way, businesses can benefit from working together. Kenny McCardie of Auto Sound Specialists in Union, Calif. has numerous 12-volt retailers in his immediate area, yet knows how to stay competitive and balance this with positive relationships with his competitors. Auto Sound Specialists set themselves apart by “taking care of each and every customer as an individual, not just throwing the same solution at every customer,” McCardie said. “We analyze or try to pull as much information from each customer [as possible] and make recommendations based on their needs.” McCardie noted that Auto Sound Specialists has a high ratio of return

customers, yet they are always willing to help those who come to them with questions—including the competition. “We are in the same business, so our philosophy is we all work together,” McCardie said. “If someone else in our industry is looking for help, we are happy to help.” In the past, competing shops have gone to McCardie for parts or advice, and vice versa. “If someone asks a question, we want to help them to help their customer. If we call another shop and need a part or have a question, we do the same.”

Work Together, Win Together When shops speak negatively about one another, at the end of the day, the customer will not want to go to either shop. Negativity only breeds more negativity. Leanne Hoagland-Smith, author of “Be the Red Jacket in a Sea of Gray Suits: The Key to Unlocking Sales Success,” stresses the importance of values and ethics in business. With over 30 years of experience in sales, Hoagland-Smith

recommends the most basic of ideals. “It’s just a matter of getting to know people,” she explained. “Listening, keeping your ears open, and going back to what my Swedish grandmother always said: If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” If a business is firm in their positive values, staying on track is much easier. Always keep values and ethics in mind when interacting with competition and customers. How you present yourself to others will be remembered by all those you come in contact with. McCardie of Auto Sound Specialists recommended honesty as the number one approach. “Never directly compete against your competition,” he warned. “If they have a line and you don’t have one, don’t try to advertise like you do and bait the customer to switch when they come in. Know the other shops in your area, talk to them, engage with them.” It is important to remember that if everyone is on the same page, and if the positive values of two businesses mesh, competing businesses can enjoy beneficial relationships with one another. “It doesn’t have to be us versus them. We can all win.”

We give our clients bottled water and we also mail thank you cards to every client.” Having made alliances with some local shops, they try to “help each other with supplies here and there, and even refer

Sales expert, Leanne Hoagland-Smith

Have No Fear

Frown Upside-Down Competition might speak badly of you regardless of how well you treat them. How can retailers win in this situation? Del Ellis, who has trained three out of four Retailers of the Year for 2013, has had to deal with negativity in the past. “My competition, although I treated them right, usually talked bad about my store,” Ellis said of his time in Fresno, Calif. “I used them bad mouthing me, without bad mouthing them, to get the sale! I am a fierce competitor and when I go to train my clients on how to win, they do.” John Schwartz of Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security in Anchorage, Ala. said that he tries to have amicable relationships with other stores, but “in reality, we are competition, and we don’t get along with everyone.” By focusing on client experience, the store sets itself apart. “We ensure our facility is the nicest around and we keep it immaculate,” Schwartz said. “Our staff all have uniforms and are very friendly to our clients.

If others are negative, the cycle has to end there. To keep customers without badmouthing competition, simply talk to them. They will arrive at their own conclusions. “What I teach is how to ask the right questions,” said Del Ellis, an expert in the 12-volt industry. “For example, let’s say I am waiting on a client that I know has been somewhere else. I always educate and teach my clients to do the same. Afterward, I would always ask them, ‘When you were at the other store, did they show you these things that I have?’ They usually said no! I would then ask, ‘Why do you feel they didn’t?’ They would answer, ‘They didn’t know.’ I always asked, ‘You wouldn’t want to go somewhere that didn’t know, working on your $80,000 vehicle, would you?’ They always answered, ‘No way!’” Kenny McCardie of Auto Sound Specialists has run into negativity in the retail world, as well. “There’s always ‘that shop’ or that person who is gonna have a negative comment,” he said. “You don’t need to tear someone down. Never do that to build yourself up.”

work to each other,” Schwartz explained. “This is an ideal relationship because it makes the industry and the experience better for the customer. The ones that we don’t [get along with] … if a customer asks about them, we never say anything negative. We just show them what makes us Perfectionist!”

Very often, professional connections can become essential business alliances. In the 12-volt industry, willingness to be open to what others have to say can be a great boon to business owners. Competition is often feared, but this fear does nothing to propel the business forward. It is not only important to carefully choose who to form alliances with, but it is imperative to always remember positive values in the process. “I never say anything bad about my competition, even though there is questionable behavior out there,” Hoagland-Smith said. “That’s what you have to do. Don’t fear the competition.” When deciding which businesses to form alliances with, go back to the beginning and reexamine an essential question. “Why are you in the retail industry? What makes your retail store different than all the other retail stores?” Hoagland-Smith urges business owners to find their purpose statement. “”The On-Purpose Business,” another good book, talks about the why. What is your

me-mag.com 27

 business feature

Retailer of the Year Perfectionist Autosound & Security manages to maintain a high level of demand despite being less than a half-mile away from one of the largest Best Buy stores in the nation.

purpose for being in business? My purpose statement is, ‘I’m a trailblazer.’ The simpler we can keep it, the easier it is for people to remember.” Being purposeful and intentional in business helps solidify the reason for being in business in the first place, making it difficult for some companies to transfer their focus to a new product or a different approach. “When we lose why—the purpose—we see sales start to suffer, we start living in fear, create anxiety, because we’re not doing what we originally set out to do,” Hoagland-Smith stated. “Maybe because we didn’t have clarity about why we are doing what we’re doing. What makes you different? What do you really like about selling?” A suffering business may not know who their ideal customer is. This means they go after everyone out of desperation, which dilutes their original message. That desperation—that fear—can cause a business to fail.

Differentiation

800.489.2300

call us today!

28 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

John Schwartz of Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security stated that his business’s analysis of competition includes utilizing Facebook and Instagram. “We

By focusing on customer comfort and service, Kenny McCardie differentiates his shop Auto Sound Specialists from the large number of 12-volt shops in his area.

try to pay close attention to all our competitors,” he said. “Having good relationships with reps and distributors can provide good insight.” However, the store does not compete on price. “We focus on our facility and products and show these to the clients,” Schwartz said. “We feel the client isn’t as motivated on price, but more on the quality of work they will receive.” Finding the uniqueness in a business, and pinpointing what makes a business stand apart from the rest, is what will help set that business apart from the competition. “What we have to do is find out, ‘Why do people come to my business?’ And that goes back to the fact that many small businesses don’t ask, ‘Why are you here? What brought you into this store?’” Hoagland-Smith recommends investing in the time to discover why customers are stepping into one retail store instead of another. “Just talk to your customers to find out,” she said. “And remember why you’re in business.” At Auto Sound Specialists, Kenny McCardie ensures the customer has a great experience. This positive experience will be something the patron will remember in the future, keeping the

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 business feature

With a welcoming entrance and clean store presentation, any shop can separate itself from competition that may be unwilling to focus on the aesthetic.

business top-of-mind. “The customer gets that from the experience, the moment they walk in the door, to the resolution, the work performed. It doesn’t stop at the cash register,” McCardie explained. “It doesn’t stop when you hand them keys and they pull off. If they call you with a question, help them with that.” Helping customers can be as casual as “recommending the greatest sushi place. Personalize yourself with the customers and consider their needs.”

Best Practice Winning back customers can be a difficult experience. “Most of the time they just want you to listen and understand,” said John Schwartz of Perfectionist Auto Sound and Security. “Not everyone is trying to get something for free. I teach my staff to always be their own customer. I ask them to always think, how would that make you feel? We just really focus on giving the client the solution for their need.” When it comes to dealing with competition and keeping customers, how a business presents itself is key. This

30 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

concept brings retailers back to the idea of remembering values, and remembering why the business was opened in the first place. “I want anyone that walks into my store to feel like we are the standard,” Schwartz said. “We want to be the ‘hottest steakhouse’ in town.” Schwartz stressed keeping all interactions on a professional level. “No gossip, no badmouthing, no drama. Treat people they way you want to be treated,” he said. “I think we can all learn from each other, and I love being able to help local guys if they want it. I need them to be better so that we can keep more consumers happy.” Del Ellis has had over 35 years of experience as a store owner, and as a result knows the best practices when it comes to attracting customers, keeping them coming back, and dealing with negative competition. “I used to have customers come in all the time and I would ask, ‘How did you find out about us?’ I can’t tell you how many times my soonto-be customers would say, ‘All the other store did was talk bad about you. So we decided to come in and see for ourselves!’” Ellis said. “I always responded,

‘We love those guys! If they wouldn’t have talked badly about us, you wouldn’t be here buying, now would you?’ Of course when they responded, ‘Yes, that’s right,’ they unconsciously admitted they were going to buy from me and did!” John Schwartz recommended creating an environment in-store that focuses on the clients’ experiences. “Competition is good for everyone. It forces us to look at our weaknesses and strengthen them,” Schwartz said. “A true champion invites competition, because they want to be challenged by the best. I always ask people, ‘What is the definition of average?’ It’s the best of the worst, or the worst of the best. So, simply, don’t be average. The clients will see your passion and want to be part of it.” Small business owners need not respond to negativity. “You’re not searing the competition,” said Leanne Hoagland-Smith, one of the Top 25 sales influencers in 2013. “If we understand human nature, your customers will be badmouthing your competition far more than you would ever have to.” Someone who has a good experience will tell one

or two people, but those who have bad experiences will tell seven or ten people. “There’s enough negativity. You don’t have to answer to it.” Always being positive is a good practice for business owners to adopt. “Let the other person do the talking and you do

the listening,” Hoagland-Smith said. “If it’s someone who has a soiled reputation, be polite and extricate yourself. You are judged by the company you keep. You just shake hands, smile, and remove yourself from the situation. If someone starts badmouthing somebody, just remove yourself

from that as well. Don’t be a part of that negativity.” Understand the customer’s needs, be positive and be professional. “By displaying positive core values, one can always be friendly. It takes time to find out if competitors are on the same wavelength as you are.” 

NOW HIRING NYC Custom Shop Master Technician with installation/ troubleshooting skills and experience in all aspects of Mobile Electronics. Fabricators with multi-level skills in all materials. You must be crafty with a good mind for design. We are Manhattan’s premier and only high-end custom shop. Out-of-state installers, we can help with relocation assistance, if you qualify for the position. We are looking for serious people with long-term goals in the business. Plenty of growth potential, competitive pay, with great benefits like paid vacation and sick days.

Send resume to Stefano@ autodesignnyc.com or call 212-255-8900

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real world retail

Quality Defined By using an appointment-only approach with no merchandise on display or in the store, Musicar Northwest has built its reputation as a world-class audio and integration facility. WORDS BY TED GOSLIN

32â&#x20AC;&#x201A; Mobile Electronics ď&#x201A;Ť October 2015

n the realm of language, there is perhaps no more significant a spoken form than Latin. Known as one of the Romance languages, along with French, Italian and Spanish, it is significant for being the official tongue of the Roman Catholic Church, despite its current status as a so-called "dead language," which means it's not used in great measure. Temet nosce, Latin for "know thyself," is a popular phrase that has been used in pop culture to signify the importance of self-awareness in everyday life. For Ken Ward, co-owner of Musicar Northwest in Portland, Ore., this concept is a familiar one considering it has helped him craft the company philosophy: integrate, taken from the Latin term, integritãs. After winning this year's Runner-up award for Retailer of the Year - Single Store, Musicar Northwest has proven that it knows itself well enough to utilize an uncommon language and concept to elevate it to the top of 12-volt vernacular. On the home page of its website, immediately visible on the Our Approach page is the statement, "Car stereo is not that important—but enjoying music is experiencing art, and that’s very important." Utilizing that idea as the basis for the business, Ward and his business partner, 2014 Installer of the Year Tom Miller, focus on creating individualized experiences for their customers. Each customer is scheduled for a consultation, which can last up to an hour, and covers everything from walking them through the installation bay to see work being done, to sitting down at the system design table for a presentation. Each presentation uses a dry erase board, used to explain the principles of a system and how the product will work in the car, and a 32-inch TV paired with Apple TV to showcase pictures on Facebook of

vehicles similar to their own. This tactic is used to help build value and trust with the client, showcasing that the company is interested in building the best system possible, tailored for each client. "If they have Porsche 911 and they want radar system, we bring up previous one,"

not happy, bring it back and we'll give your money back or credit you towards something better. If we spend time with policies and procedures to tell them how we won't give them their money back if something doesn't work then we're just pissing them off. We assure them if we don't make them very happy then we don't deserve their money." Once a system is designed, usually by Ward himself, and the client agrees, parts are ordered specifically for the install, as no product is stocked in-house. "Our philosophy is: our reputation is developed by the things you actually do, not by the things people notice. It's an example of a division we are seeing in our category between retailers and integrators," Ward stated. "Between Best Buy putting things on a shelf versus custom integrators putting things in your house, we follow the latter model. If you're a merchant, your job is to buy inventory and sell it before the bill comes. There's nothing wrong with that, but if we decide to be merchants and battle Amazon and other retailers in our territory, it would be difficult for us to win. The game we play is we will order the exact right part for you and start the 30-day performance guarantee clock once it's done. We will always order what you think is best for what you need. We seem to find enough customers that the approach resonates with. If a client wants the lowest price then we probably are not their resource."

“I REALLY MADE IT MY MISSION TO UNDERSTAND HOW AUDIO WORKED AND HOW TO DESIGN A SYSTEM. AS I LEARNED MORE ABOUT IT, I REALIZED THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A BUSINESS OUT OF IT.” KEN WARD

Ward said. "I love words, but images are a lot more powerful than anything I'm going to be able to say." When a client has settled on the design they want for their vehicle, Ward sends them an email contract that lays out the specifics of the work along with an explanation of the company's performance guarantee. "We will email a full proposal where their money would go, where time would go, what costs what and want them to feel really comfortable about how they spend their money. The customer doesn't take care of the balance until installation is finished and they have inspected the results. That's when the Musicar Performance Guarantee starts," Ward said. "You have 30 days to determine if a Musicar sound system is right for you. If you're

Musicae Primordia From the start, Musicar has used its unique made-to-order approach as part of the company's foundation. Since opening its doors in 2010, Ward and Miller have been providing their own brand of 12-volt, combining non-pressuring sales tactics with top-quality installations that

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real world retail

Tom Miller and Ken Ward first met through their respective roles as expeditor and retailer, but reunited through their similar vision for 12-volt.

The company is located near a major highway but away from most shopping centers, which emphasizes its unique flare as a specialty shop.

The facility consists of 5,500 square feet of space, with 3,500 dedicated for the install bay.

34â&#x20AC;&#x201A; Mobile Electronics ď&#x201A;Ť October 2015

are fit for a king. But like all defined concepts, this one didn't start in the dictionary. As a teenager, Ward worked for a company that did auto trim and was sent out by his boss to learn about window tinting. Ward quickly realized that the installation side of the business wasn't for him due to the difficulty a man of his height, being over six feet tall, would have in smaller vehicles. "I saw someone tint a 300 ZX and it wasn't for me. It looked really awkward and uncomfortable. So I got a different job." In 1986, Ward worked for a retailer near San Diego called Mad Zack's Sound Center, a seven-store chain. Starting as a salesman, Ward, being an avid car lover, believed in learning the technical side of the business to better help his customers. "When I started in the business I developed a reputation for wanting to understand how things worked underneath. That was back in the day when Rockford would teach you how to build passive crossovers," Ward said. "I really made it my mission to understand how audio worked and how to design a system. As I learned more about it, I realized there was an opportunity to make a business out of it." His love of the business would lead Ward to open his own car audio shop called Abincar. There, he would develop not just his managerial skills, industry connections and business philosophy, but his technical knowledge as a troubleshooter. The latter would draw attention from aftermarket manufacturer Directed Electronics, which soon offered Ward a position as tech manager. Ward accepted. "I never made a living as an installer, but ended up managing the tech support department because I was good at troubleshooting," Ward said. "You don't want me to fabricate a panel but when it comes to troubleshooting, I can always help solve a problem." From his stand-alone shop, Ward developed a client base and a network of industry contacts, which included Tom Miller, who had performed expeditor work for Ward in the past. Seeing a connection between his old clients and Miller, Ward arranged for Miller to perform work for some of his old customers on his behalf. After both men realized their goals and styles were very similar, specifically regarding the concept of integrated design, the duo began the preliminary process of starting a business

together in 2009. In 2010, Musicar Northwest officially opened its doors. Sumus Musicar Over the last five years, the company has garnered nationwide recognition by reaching the Top 12 categories in both Retail and Installation multiple times, as well as Miller's win as Installer of the Year. One could say that these achievements are a result of the company's motto: to provide world class audio and integration to its customers. Not to say that's all they do. "If you're looking for an FM modulator for your Corolla, we're probably not your resource. Generally, we end up working on premium cars. Not exclusively but that's how it works out," Ward said. "I am surprised that we do so many navigation upgrades. We do a lot of upgrades from older systems to modern systems." To maintain the store philosophy and its focused clientele, Ward and his newest staff member, industry veteran Nick Akin, handle most of the sales and system design. Akin also manages the installation schedule. Installations are performed by Miller, 2015 Top 12 Installer Rich Clapp and one other installer. The team also utilizes a part-time bench installer to prepare items like wiring kits and harnesses as a preparation tactic to save time during installation. "If we are splicing into a wiring harness, we will install male and female Molex connectors so they can be connected together when removing our equipment," Ward added. At its first location, the store had 3,000 square feet of space to utilize for all operations. Since moving to its larger facility last year, the company now has 5,000 square feet of space and has made the most of it. "Our current facility has a very nice showroom with room for one or two cars. The installation facility uses 3,500 square feet of space, while the remaining 1,500 is for office and showroom," Ward said. "We can fit five or six cars in the bay but are more comfortable with four. We try to always

have at least one vehicle in the showroom to deliver to the customer. It rains a lot here in Portland. It's better to show a car to a customer out of the rain." The new facility has made a significant impact on the company's bottom dollar, with a 35 percent increase in sales occurring in its first year of operation (2014). Thanks to hiring only experienced personnel, the company can handle most jobs that come into the shop, regardless of who is available at the time. " We have two full-time installer/ fabricators, one part-time installer and two guys that can do system design. I do analysis, design and all audio tuning," Ward said. "It's an unusual division of work, but everyone here deals with the customer. We are very much set up to handle everything. Sometimes when you play baseball the shortstop has to cover second base." Scientia Est Potentia Due to the short time the company has existed, retention incentives like benefits have not yet been established. But it is in the works, according to Ward. "We haven't grown to the point of instituting a comprehensive benefits plan. However, I've run the numbers on it and am looking to bring that in next year. We have been fortunate not to have any employees leave." Since the average staff member has at least 10 years of experience, in-house training is minimal and focused on the customer promise. "The primary process is to make sure they understand our grand promise to the customers," Ward said. "It turns out that a speaker works the same everywhere, but the installation of that speaker varies dramatically. To many consumers today, an installer is someone who bolts a satellite dish to the side of their house and we want to be clear that's not how we approach their project." To ensure the staff is continuously advancing its expertise to keep up with the latest technological trends, the owners regularly close the shop to

MUSICAR NORTHWEST FAST FACTS WEBSITE:

www.musicarnw.com FEATURED STORE

Musicar Northwest is a single, boutique style retail facility that utilizes a made-to-order approach of purchasing product when ordered, storing no product in-house. It is located at 2504 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR, 97202. The store sits in an industrial area near several small businesses and next to the 99E, a major highway. Word-of-mouth and Internet promotions generate all traffic to the store, which is scheduled in advance. The store sees little to no walk-in traffic. The facility is 5,500 square feet in total with 3,500 dedicated to the installation bay and remaining space used for the showroom and offices. Staff includes two full-time installers, one part-time bench installer and two sales staff.

TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 6 KEN WARD: Vice President of Electricity TOM MILLER: Vice President of Fiberglass RICH CLAPP: Installation Technician NICK AKIN: Sales/Scheduling

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real world retail

2014 Installer of the Year, Tom Miller, works a project in the fabrication room.

The Musicar team accepts its award for Retailer of the Year Runner-up at KnowledgeFest 2015.

36â&#x20AC;&#x201A; Mobile Electronics ď&#x201A;Ť October 2015

attend the industry's premier educational event, KnowledgeFest. "The last two years we've closed the store and paid for the entire crew to attend KnowledgeFest," Ward said. "Before attending, we have sat down as a team and mapped out which courses would be attended by which employees so we could cover all and share the knowledge as a team after the event." Employees are also treated as fairly as possible with a base pay that is enhanced with performance-oriented bonuses. "We're big believers in the win-win concept. Everybody has to win. The customer has to be happy with what they got and the company has to see a profitable transaction," Ward said. "The sales person has to see money for selling and the installer has to make money for installing. If you built the business on the basis of fooling people or underpaying staff, it's not sustainable over time. Everybody has to win." Additionally, the owners have branched out in their own rights as instructors to help the industry, with Miller aiding fabrication maestro Bryan Schmitt and his company Mobile Solutions periodically in Arizona. Likewise, Ward has taught classes at KnowledgeFest and other events, most notably for Orca Design and Manufacturing, the 2015 Vendor of the Year. His educational brand, Educar, has been invited to different regional events by the company to help educate their staff to be more capable and professional. "29 years ago, if a shop wanted us to sell digital speakers, the president or vice president would train us on product. That doesn't happen anymore. There're some people like Bryan at Mobile Solutions that teach fabrication. We're not talking about that with Educar. We talk about sales and OEM integration," Ward said. "This Year, Orca asked Educar to come in and do some trainings for their dealers on OEM integration applications. We've done that a few times and have gotten great feedback from the dealers. It's

The storeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest employee, Nick Akin, performs a client consultation.

not a business proposition but something we feel is valuable to the industry." Ward added that a lack of training is hurting the industry and should be a more common practice by retailers who wish to further both their businesses and the industry as a whole. "My wife is a CPA and in order to stay a CPA she has to take a certain number of hours of course work per year to maintain her professional level," Ward said. "We as an industry are lucky to know someone that goes to the national convention. We as an industry need to attend the convention and act as a market for resources. The vast majority of our industry doesn't attend any class of any kind all year. As an industry we are not yet elevating ourselves." Industry Misnomer Attracting clientele hasn't been a problem for the company, considering the combined clientele that Miller and Ward brought in when the business began, but also because of the option the shop represents for consumers as an alternative to standard stack 'em high, let 'em fly merchants. Its business strategy isn't the only thing that's different from the average

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real world retail

“YOU FOCUS ON THE WORK YOU’RE DOING FOR THE CUSTOMER, YOU IMPROVE YOURSELF EVERY DAY AND EVERYTHING ELSE WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF.” KEN WARD

Talk of the Bay Ken Ward discusses what stands out most to the clients of Musicar Northwest when visiting its installation facilities.

“Our installation bay has a dedicated fabrication shop which is enclosed and includes its own air filtration system. The shop is used for working with wood and fiberglass. It is not large enough to include a dedicated upholstery area but we would like to add one. “One of the biggest features that people comment on over and over is our walk of windows. We have better light and exposure to the outside than just about any installation shop that I’ve seen. It is exposed to the elements. This sets a great tone inside our installation bay.”

38 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

12-volt operation. It also has virtually no budget for marketing, relying almost entirely on word-of-mouth. "We've supported a local car event for the last five years and the vast majority of our customers are repeat business and referrals from other clients and dealers," Ward said. "We haven't marketed ourselves in traditional channels. What works for us is branding identification rather than calls to action, which usually involve the concept of saving and that is antithetical to our presentation." The company does use social media (primarily Facebook) to promote its work, posting various builds from time to time. "We find that it's a great way to feature high quality work and images. In terms of budget, it's miniscule." Ward also stresses the importance of understanding what the purpose of marketing is, given that its definition and what is taught in college is different than its common professional definition. "If you go to an MBA (Master's of Business Administration) level marketing class, they tell you that the definition of marketing is deciding what your product is, what you can sell it for, and if there's a market for

it," Ward said. "It's first deciding those three things, then you can talk about advertising. I think we spend a lot of time on marketing at Musicar." In defining the brand and type of service offered, Musicar has cut through the need to use traditional marketing sources and instead let its philosophical message soar to its customers through word-of-mouth. As a sales tactic, the company implores the concept of heightening the emotional connection the client has with the work that is going to be done. The more the client cares, the more invested they are and engaged enough to pursue the best option available for the work they want done. "I've been through a lot of sales training programs, read a lot of sales training books; the underlying principle is that no one makes a decision without the proper emotional framework," Ward said. "People have to feel trust and feel comfortable to want to make a decision. The perception of pressure and pushiness is the number one response to polls about sales because they've been asked over and over again to make a decision before reaching an emotional place to decide. We demonstrate our command of the technical and design side and a

Killer Whale

Orca proves to be the perfect partner for Musicar’s off-beat style.

A Ferrari client shows Tom Miller what the shop’s work means to him. command of a vehicle just like theirs so they can get to a place of comfort with us being the right resource. That's when we ask them to make a decision. Asking them to make a decision isn't pushy. Asking for a decision you haven't prepared them for is pushy."

Translating Tomorrow As a merchant of integration services, not product, Musicar has established itself as one of the top companies in the field, and is determined to define its style of business as a guiding beacon for other businesses in the future. "I really believe that this division between merchants and integrators will grow and grow over the next ten years, even more than it already has," Ward said. For only being open five years, Musicar Northwest has set the bar high for other non-merchant, service-based companies in the industry. Ward cites the company's approach and use of the Internet for its strong run. "To me, winning means that our peers appreciate what we're doing.

Consumers have the ability to see a couple of shops but through the magic of the Internet (Facebook and other social media), our peers have a way to see the work performed by dozens and dozens of shops across country," he said. "Both Tom and I are assisting installers in Facebook groups and Internet forums to help build a sense of community in our industry. That's part of the reason some industry folks voted for us." Despite starting the business in the middle of perhaps the worst recession in the history of the country, Ward is proud of how his company has fared since its inception, citing the philosophy that started it all. "Last year was a rollercoaster year for our team. We appreciate the fact that so many people in our industry were supportive of us. Last year it would have been impossible to succeed without that type of support from our brethren in this industry and we're very grateful," Ward said. "You focus on the work you're doing for the customer, you improve yourself every day and everything else will take care of itself." 

“We certainly appreciated that Orca was awarded Vendor of the Year because they have been a great partner for us. The Mosconi line has played a key role in our progression. “We have been partnered with Orca for four years. We brought Mosconi in right about time they came into this country. We watched them introduce new electronics, especially in the DSP area. We feel the future of our category lies in DSP. We appreciate the way they enable DSP products. We have a great rep, Andy Blackburn, who is a local rep for Orca and have a great relationship with him. Also Nalaka, Jacob, Dwayne and the whole crew at Orca are fantastic. We wish all vendors were as helpful as they are. “They introduced a line of DSP amplifiers in very small packages that allowed us to install in spaces we couldn’t before. We installed a stealth system into an Audi A3 and couldn’t have done it without the Mosconi D2 series of products. “They have announced a new line of amps that are class Ab with DSP built-in, which are arriving at the end of year. We’re very excited about those. “They have supported us with plenty of referrals from their website and people contacting them. Unlike some companies, they have done a great job knowing the technical functionality of their product. I am a demanding consumer of technical support and we are very happy with what we get there.”

me-mag.com 39

 behind the scenes

Nalaka Adikari accepts Orca’s award for Vendor of the Year at the 2015 Mobile Electronics Industry Awards.

Orca: A Whale With Three Tails The 2015 Vendor of the Year is putting its attention where it can make the most difference: with its retailers. WORDS BY SOLOMON DANIELS

hen Nalaka Adikari, sales director for Orca Design and Manufacturing, stepped on stage to receive the Mobile Electronics Vendor of the Year award at the most recent KnowledgeFest event, it was to his company the recognition of a bunch of good things coming together. It was great product with a long history of quality and craftsmanship. It was continued innovation while still sticking to the company’s core competency. And it was strong bonding with its dealers—not as a company—but as a series of individual relationships that really define today’s successful partnerships between vendors and retailers. While many manufacturers procure products and sell them under their own brand, Orca is primarily an importer. The

40 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

company, based in Southern California in the city of Camarillo, is the exclusive distributor for three of its four well-known brands in car audio. It started with Focal America in 1985, when Orca Founder Kimon Bellas moved from France to the U.S. to become the exclusive importer of the French OEM home speaker maker. The company agreed in 2007 to become the exclusive importer for Italian-made Mosconi amplifiers and later, German-engineered Gladen speakers. Three years ago, Orca added to its lines with a brand it designed and engineered in-house: Illusion Audio. ME spoke with Adikari and Duane Pilgrim, product director about the company’s brands, products and value to retailers.

ME: What were some of the highlights of the past year for Orca? Adikari: We figured out how to strengthen our dealer base and educate them on the solutions that Orca can offer the aftermarket. Even with our new product innovations and our Vendor of the Year award, I think that is the greatest job we did last year. Whether a dealer is doing a complete custom install or just upgrading a factory system, we can offer solutions for any situation through our three brands. Because of that, we have made a lot of good dealers and great friends. Our goal is to really to help retailers and installers be at their best, so a lot of times we find ourselves helping on stuff that has nothing to do with our brands. Myself, Duane and our engineer Alan

have all been doing this for a long time, and it feels good to share our knowledge with retailers and installers. ME: You mentioned products. What’s been significant on the product side? Adikari: This year Focal introduced a new cone material. As you may know, Kevlar use in cones is a proprietary Focal design; so is the process of sandwiching material between two layers of glass fiber. This year we introduced flax cones, built in the same sandwich design. It’s lightweight material that gives our speakers better midrange response, and it’s cultivated in France. You see the flax cones on the Focal Performance series drivers. ME: Now, the opposite: Where do you feel like you as a company fell short in the past year? Pilgrim: We weren’t able to get some of our products out to market fast enough. The advantage to having a small team is that we can really focus on the product and our customers, but it comes with some challenges.

Focal P 25 DB

me-mag.com 41

 behind the scenes available, is included on the list. Our Websites receive 90,000 visits per month, so having the dealer locator is a powerful tool to help our dealers. We also get tons of phone calls from consumers asking where they can purchase our products. We push them directly to their closest dealers. ME: Let’s talk about brands for a second. I know Focal has been the main brand since you started in the U.S., but your other two brands have really started to gain traction with retailers over the past couple of years. How did your distribution agreement with Mosconi come about?

Focal Utopia Be component set

Pilgrim: We became the North American distributor for Mosconi in 2007. Mosconi is designed and built in Italy. What we liked about the brand is they’ve really done a great job and really stuck to the ‘Made in Italy’ slogan. They refuse to source parts from the traditional manufacturing countries, even for parts where it makes more financial sense for them to do so. Everything they do is within 100 miles of the factory. Plus, their product complement what we do. We sell highend speakers, and they make high-end amplifiers and processors. It’s a small company like us. So we’re a perfect match.

Illusion Audio Carbon C6 6.5-inch SQ Audiophile Component Speaker Kit We all have great ideas for new products and new ways to help our dealers, but there is only so much time in a day. What we released was great and we got great feedback from dealers, but it seems like we should have done more. Adikari: I also think we didn’t do the best job of marketing our brands. We were able to get some traction, but you always feel like you could do more. ME: How have you corrected that for this year? Pilgrim: Internally, we’ve mainly started focusing on one thing, one product at

42 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

a time. We want to see one project to completion rather than trying to do too many things at once. We’ve got new products coming out for CES, and our goal is to have inventory on our warehouse, ready to ship when our products are introduced. Adikari: And on the dealer side, we’ve had some good success in finding ways to push customers to our dealers. We recently revamped all of our websites and included a dealer locator. Any store that has the capability to demonstrate our speakers live for a customer, whether using our display board or having a dedicated demo vehicle that is always

ME: So why only recently has the brand really started to make an impact? Adikari: We had a slow start with Mosconi because we brought it in right at the beginning of the recession. I don’t think we felt it as bad as some other companies, but it did slow down the introduction of the brand. We really picked up in 2010. A few dealers started using it, it won some awards, and then more dealers brought it in. It’s just been a snowball effect from there. ME: How did Illusion Audio come about? Pilgrim: Illusion is our own brand. We developed it from the ground up. The reason we brought it back was because it ended back in the late 90s with a good

reputation. Everybody liked it. It was good product. We still had a good relationship with the people who owned the Illusion brand before, so we took everything they had before and stepped it a huge notch and re-launched the brand. It’s currently in North America but we get a lot of requests outside the U.S. Canada and Mexico. Of all our brands, it’s experienced the strongest growth because it’s the newest. ME: As a high-end speaker supplier, you seem to have taken the stance that there is a customer for every product, regardless of price point, when you announced delivery of the Focal Ultima kit—a case with two subwoofers, two woofers and two tweeters—with an unheard-of MSRP of $24,000. Is it a flagship product, or are you planning to sell many? Adikari: It’s definitely a flagship product, but it also fills a market need. There are guys out there who spend up to $1 million on their home theater or two-channel home audio systems. We wanted to give dealers a product that capitalizes on that segment of the market and give these customers a set of speakers that delivers a similar experience in the car. ME: What can a dealer expect when he signs up with your company? Adikari: He can expect territorial integrity. We maintain territory with our dealers and work hard to control our brands online. That’s very important to us because we need supportive dealers. We don’t need a dealer competing with another dealer across the street. Because of that we have had very steady growth year after year. The credit goes to our dealer base, getting behind our products, supporting us the way they do. And also we have some amazing rep firms that represent our product. They are very loyal and appreciate audio quality just like we do. Because of that, ours is the brand they push. So dealers can expect strong support from our reps as well.

ME: Some companies still offer incentives for owners of high-performance stores. Is that something you do as well?  Adikari: Yes. Every year we hold a sales promotion for the first six months. After that, we select a group of top-performing dealers and their spouses and we fly them to the Focal factory in France. We spend two days in the factory listening to al lot the speakers and demonstrating our manufacturing process. Pilgrim: Focal is one of the only companies left that does its own manufacturing. That’s why we talk so much about cone design, because the factory controls the whole process from design to finished build. During the dealer trip they will

actually shut down the line to allow dealers to build their own cones. We spent half a day letting dealers experience what goes into building a fantastic speaker. They leave with thorough knowledge of our process and affirmation of our dedication to great sound.

ME: What’s next for Orca? Adikari:We want to grow. We want to give dealers even more support. Next year we plan to launch regional trainings, bring some outside help in to train and empower guys who feel they can’t accomplish certain types of jobs. You can’t be one-dimensional anymore in this business. 

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 tech today

44 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

Despite the challenges of a cross-country move, industry vet Joey Knapp was able to produce many top-quality builds, including a prototype dash for Ford. WORDS BY JOEY KNAPP

little over two years ago I moved out to California to partner with Bing Xu to expand Simplicity In Sound. Up until that point, I lived in Florida all my life, but with the timing right for the move personally, I decided to give it a go. I always wanted an opportunity to be in an area that could financially support the kind of work I wanted to do, and this seemed like my chance. I soon found that the people I came in contact with in Northern California really cared about their cars. They also understood the value of, and were willing to pay for, a job well done. There was also a big difference in

what people were willing to spend on their stereo systems versus what I had seen in rural Florida; the smallest jobs we were doing at Simplicity In Sound would have been considered a really big job in Florida. Bing has worked for years building the reputation of the Simplicity In Sound brand on the Internet, therefore the focus of our facility was not on a fancy showroom. Through the countless build logs potential clients can view, they see every step of the work performed at Simplicity In Sound. When the clients come to Simplicity In Sound, it is typically to meet us and pay a deposit to book

Joey Knapp, Co-owner, Simplicity in Sound

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 tech today

The base of the mount begins with creating an MDF template. The MDF is inexpensive and easy to shape.

Once an MDF template is made, the shape is transferred to acrylic. That piece is then test fit in the vehicle. Whenever possible, multiple points are used to help secure the mount. In this Toyota Rav4 mount, the knobs and the top of the dash were used to secure the piece.

46 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

their installation. The level of trust they have in us has afforded us the luxury of being able to suggest equipment based on their needs. Sure, some clients bring in some gear from time to time, or have specific parts they would like to use, but as a whole the decisions are typically entrusted to us. Because of this trust, we were able to focus our attention on what we felt was the most important part of the facility—the fabrication room. While many shops focus on an elaborate display and sales floor, we were able to concentrate our efforts on the area we would be using the most. I spent time in Florida planning out what the space would look like, so when I moved out I could immediately start building. I wanted room to be able to cut any length of wood on the table saw, and three router stations. After a few weeks of building and organizing, we were ready to work on cars. Initially, there was a multi-month client waiting list, and this trend has continued. This took a little time to get acclimated to. I put a bit of pressure on myself when I know that there is work to be done, but knowing that there were months of work to be completed has brought it to a whole different level. It took about a year before I began to get comfortable in dealing with the internal pressure. Toward the end of the first year, we were contacted by a large corporation to see if we would be interested in building some vehicle related displays for them. One of our reps, Scott Baughman of Reliable Product Marketing, had heard the company needed the displays and recommended us to them. At the meeting, we found that they needed a freestanding display that mimicked the dashboard of a vehicle, as well as a way to demonstrate some software usage in a vehicle. The car they wanted to display in was a Ford Mustang, with both displays using an iPad as the source for the software demonstration. We were hesitant to initially commit to the project because of the backlog of clients we already had waiting, but this was a unique opportunity, and we didn’t want to miss it. We shuffled around our upcoming clients and proceeded with the project, expediting

things by bringing Tom Miller, of Musicar, down to help with the Mustang display. Tom was selling a ready-made kit for the Mustang at the time, so he was well versed in what needed to be done for that part of the project. At the very end of the deadline, they added one more iPad mount for a Ford Explorer. Not a welcome addition, but it was, thankfully, able to be completed on time. As exciting as a project like this might sound, it wasn’t without its challenges. One of the first obstacles we encountered was that of communication. It seemed like there were a number of different people involved with the project on the corporation’s side of things, and this meant that whenever we would have a question, the question would have to filter through all of those people. What normally would have been a simple reply often turned into a multi-day process to get the answer. This was more of a surprise than a problem. The project was on such a short deadline, it seemed like their end of things would have been faster. Jokingly, we would say that if it didn’t get done, it was because they took so long to respond to our questions. Another challenge we ran across was addressing the issue of payment. Normally we complete a project and receive payment directly from the client. But when it comes to large corporations, we found it was a far more complicated procedure. Bing had to correspond with at least four different people, in four different countries, to get setup in their system to be paid. The process to get paid took longer than the project itself! The clients were very happy with the work, and we were excited for the opportunity, hoping it would open the door for similar work in the future, which it eventually did. A few months ago we were contacted by another large company about building similar displays for vehicles; they had seen the work we did for the other company and needed a comparable solution. The idea was the same: the ability to showcase software through an iPad Mini in a vehicle.

Routering pieces of acrylic that become thin can be tricky and dangerous. Here I taped reinforcement blocks to the areas I would be working on, then taped one more block on top of them to lock the pieces together. This not only protects the piece and reduces the chance for damage, it also gives me something substantial to hold on to. Another benefit of using the MDF templates is that it also gives you additional flexibility in how the acrylic pieces can be shaped. Leaving the template attached to the acrylic on this piece allowed for adding a 45-degree chamfer to the inside opening. The additional thickness the MDF offers gives the router bearing a surface to ride on. me-mag.com 47

 tech today

Try and make all the cuts and templates fit the vehicle as closely as possible. The final step before primer is a final fitting and blending to the car. The area along the perimeter of the mount is taped off, and then the mount is installed. Body filler is used to blend the mount to the car; this gives a perfect fit to the dash. On this BMW mount I wanted to incorporate a colored stripe into the piece to mimic the design of other interior pieces. To make the cut cleanly, I securely taped the acrylic to the MDF template and made the two cuts with a table saw. The saw was set to cut just over the thickness of the acrylic, so the MDF would hold the pieces all together.

This is a look at the Hyundai Sonata mount before it is painted. The largest piece is the main mount, and the piece to the right of the main mount is the top piece. The iPad slides into the main mount and then the top piece slides down into centering grooves in the main mount. A magnet on each end of the top piece keep the part in place. The piece to the right of the top is an accent that was painted a matching silver color. 48 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

Construction and Attachment Some fabrication techniques and construction ideas used on different aspects of some of the built iPad frames should be noted. I wanted these mounts to meet or exceed the quality of the interiors they would be going in. I chose acrylic as the substrate to build them with; from my experience, it holds up well to the elements. If one of the mounts encountered extreme humidity or high temperatures, I didn’t want the mounts to warp or swell. They are assembled using acrylic cement, cyanoacrylic (CA) glue and finished with body filler, primer and paint. I started each project by making MDF templates, because machining acrylic is more difficult to work with than the softer MDF. The templates not only allowed for easier shaping, but they also provided a master shape pattern, and in many instances, facilitate routering additional contours on the acrylic. One of the biggest challenges for these projects has been how the mount would attach to the dash. We were told at the beginning of the project that they needed to be able to be quickly attached and removed, with no modifications done to the vehicle. That meant I had to find a way to secure them with what the car designer provided. The BMW platforms were not too bad; their exposed control displays allowed for the mounts to slide over the display. The Hyundai and the Toyota were a bit more of a challenge, as they had no protruding pieces on the dash. It turns out the solution for both of those was to have the mounts center and slide over the control knobs for the radio. The location of the knobs, combined with the existing ledges around the radio surfaces, provided adequate attachment.

Fastening The second biggest challenge was how the iPads would be inserted and held in the mount. In all cases, the mounts had to encase the iPads. This meant that it would be necessary to have

For acrylic pieces that will be exposed or polished, it is best to slowly step down the flush trimming of them on the router. For thinner pieces that will be painted, I will often use a 36grit disc on a grinder to reduce the size of the acrylic, then I’m able to flush cut the piece in one pass. I also use this technique to knock down the corners on pieces, to increase the safety while routering—the corners are the most challenging parts to router. I used the same type of alignment edge on this BMW i3 mount. Here I used 1/8-inch drill bits to center the outer trim piece to the main frame. Note the taped-up areas that are ready for the application of the Duraglass. One method of mechanical centering that I used for the front plates on the mounts was an alignment edge. Rather than deal with making a fragile acrylic edge, I use Duraglass for the lip. A way to safely router smaller pieces, like the end of this trim piece, is to use a larger piece of wood. For this small trim piece I used template tape to attach it to a larger piece of scrap wood. This gave me a large surface to hold on to and kept my fingers away from the spinning bit.

This piece has been primed and painted. The holes for the magnets were taped, and now the tape has been removed in preparation for the magnets to be glued in. The bottom sides of the magnets are scuffed with sandpaper before they are glued. some way for the mount to open to allow insertion of the iPad. As with the attachment process, the procedure for inserting the iPad needed to be done without any tools, as well as quickly and easily. Across the board, the answer was using magnets. Coupled with various mechanical centering processes, the magnets allow for pieces to be held together without the need for tools or adhesives. I used a number of different methods for inserting the iPads into the mounts. The Toyota mount used a rear entry cover, the Hyundai went in from the top, and the BMW’s went in through the front. Each type of installation procedure required different fabrication techniques. What I found to look and work the best was to install the magnets after painting. It is important to remember to tape off the magnet holes before primer and paint; the glue to most effectively adheres on paintfree surfaces. Once primed and painted, the tape is removed from the holes and the magnets are glued in. I use either epoxy or CA glue. Before putting on any adhesive, I scuff the glue side of the magnets with sandpaper before attaching them to give the glue a good surface to adhere to.

Finishing Touch So far I have completed five of these iPad frames, which have been a good source of additional income from a revenue stream we didn’t really pursue. If we initially turned the job away because “that isn’t something we would normally do,” it would have been our loss. So, I encourage you to keep your eyes open for opportunities. I am not saying if you are a fabrication-heavy facility you should decide to start selling ice cream, I am just suggesting to keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to take an opportunity that is within your skillset. I think we, as an industry, are an extremely creative and talented group of individuals. I hope that the abilities we are showcasing continue to open doors for us in new areas that allow for continued growth and profit. 

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 installs

As one of his first acts as 2015 Installer of the Year, Torres felt it would be a good idea to showcase how an installer can build a custom enclosure in a short amount of time to remain profitable. This 2006 Scion XB was brought to Torres with the hopes of enhancing its stock system into something with a little more punch. The catch was to keep the rear space clear for transporting musical equipment for the client’s gigs. That’s where the enclosure idea came in. To accommodate the owner’s use of the vehicle, the enclosure was built out of MDF material and covered with linex with the intent of placing it under the passenger’s seat. MDF was chosen instead of the alternatives of vinyl and carpet due to its ability to survive abuses like passenger shoe scuffs and potential food and drink spills. The enclosure build took Torres less than two hours with it housing a JL subwoofer. The linex liner work was outsourced to a local shop and only took about five minutes of labor. “A lot of guys feel that that custom work doesn’t pay. If we were charging for that box we would charge 300-400 bucks,” said Torres. “You can bill a customer for four hours for that. You gotta pay someone to do the linex work and wait for it. Luckily we have a really good relationship with the linex place and do a lot of stuff for them. It’s simple and quick.” To round out the system, a JL JX 500/1D amplifier was installed under the driver’s seat, mid-range Focal speakers were used in the front doors and JL co-axial speakers were placed in the rear of the vehicle. The head unit was replaced with a single-DIN Kenwood Excelon KDC-X399 Bluetooth receiver, which required the use of a dash kit to properly replace the double-DIN unit that previously occupied that space. The entire build took two days, including the sub enclosure.

50 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

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Complete Camaro SUBMITTED BY: JIMMY DAVIS, JD GLASSWORKS, LUBBOCK, TEXAS

revor Doelling, the owner of Texas Speed and Performance, brought in his 1969 Camaro to finalize a build which already had an LSA 6.2L supercharged 707-hp engine with a six-speed manual transmission put in by the same company. Now it needed an interior and sound system. Davis and his team—comprised of Matt Massengill and Seth Smith—installed a full KICKER system with three CX 300.4 amplifiers and one CX 1200.1 amp. It also included three Comp R 10-inch subwoofers, one set of 5x7 KICKER CS684 components in the kick panels and two four-inch KICKER CS44s for the center channels in the dash. A set of KICKER CS654s was placed both in the front doors and in the rear for rear fill. One KICKER KQ30 EQ and a KX2 crossover were used. A JVC 31mbs radio and a JVC RK62m wired remote were used in the center console for easy adjustment along with the push button start. Every interior panel was fabricated from scratch and covered in black leather. The entire car was custom-wired with an EZ wiring harness. The team was given a tight 12-day deadline to complete the interior and wiring, which it hit.

52 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

Time T Build SUBMITTED BY: EDDY LAMOUR, DSP AUDIO AND VIDEO, SILVER SPRING, MD.

This 1986 Monte Carlo complete interior build was a referral from a local mechanical shop. the work took a total of two months and included a Rockford Power series system and Pioneer AVH-4000NEX receiver. The Rockford parts used included a T400X4ad 400W amplifier, Power T500-1bdCP 500W mono amp, T1693 6X9-inch 3-way full-range speaker, T165S component system with 1-inch fabric dome tweeters and a T1D212 12-inch DVC subwoofer.

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 installs

Styled For Space SUBMITTED BY: MATT CROPPER, STEREO KING, PORTLAND, ORE.

Top 12 Installer Matt Cropper was given the task of adding bass to this 2010 Mercedes E Class coupe while retaining the OEM look and trunk space to use for luggage, shopping bags and golf clubs. Cropper chose to put a JL Audio HD 750.1 and Rockford hi-level adapter in the wheel well. The amp rack was built out of 1/2-inch expanded PVC material and mounted into factory bolt locations meant for a battery that wasn’t in this model. All wiring was wrapped in Tesa tape and ran in to factory channels to keep the OE appearance. All connections were soldered for durability and cleanliness of the install. The box design is an up-firing enclosure through the rear deck of the car using a JL audio TW3 12.

54 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

The stock woofer was removed to allow the sound to reach the cabin. A Hushmat sound deadener was used on the deck lid to prevent rattles and vibrations in the vehicle. The enclosure was mounted with bolts through the top of the deck lid and nutserts to allow simple serviceability from various access points and to prevent the need to disassemble the rear of the car. The enclosure design consisted of a layered wooden box to get the desired shape and to save time on sanding and finishing work. A Mobile Solutions curve template was used, along with specific router techniques to form the box. Templates were also used to create the vinyl insert that follows the factory look.

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µ guest editorial

Why Teamwork Is Critical To Your Success Forget tough. Today’s competition is fierce! Now, more than ever, your commitment to establishing a true team culture is not optional, it is vital to the success of your mobile electronics business. It was a joy to have been a speaker at KnowledgeFest this past August. I truly enjoyed the audience, and was really happy to see my sessions were packed. If you did not attend, my sessions were on “Dealing With Difficult People and Situations” and “What Needs to Change in Your Business.” After my first session, one of the attendees asked me for some tips on how to establish teamwork in his business. This smart businessman knew how important teamwork is to a business. Is it easy to establish highly effective and proficient teams? Absolutely not. Does it simply mean that everyone on your team is working toward your common goal, the goal to drive business growth and increase profitability? That would be too easy. As I explained to the store owner, “There are two major challenges when it comes to creating a true team culture. The first consideration is that teamwork is voluntary. You cannot force anyone to be a team player. The second is that it does not necessarily come naturally; teamwork requires training. Here’s why: Most individuals have been programmed from childhood to excel as individuals and not as team players. Unless a person has had teamwork training, or experience on a sports team under the direction of a great coach, he or she may not know how to perform effectively as a member of a team.” In spite of these obstacles, it is critical to develop teamwork within your retail business, regardless of whether you are a team of two, or twenty. You simply can’t achieve success without the full support of every employee.

You’re Only As Good As Your Pit Crew Think of yourself as a professional racecar driver. No matter how proficient and daring you are behind the wheel, a split second can make or break you on the track. You cannot win the race without a highly cohesive and dynamic pit crew. A pit crew is a great example of teamwork, as they must work together as a highly cohesive team to assist the driver in winning the race. In addition, there are numerous similarities in what a pit crew must do for their professional driver and what your team must do for your business. Review a few of them below: • A pit crew is committed to the driver and focused on the goal of helping them win the race. Each individual must perform to the highest capacity and as a unified team. Your retail team must install perfectly, be committed to helping you achieve your goals, and be focused on helping your business grow and prosper.

56 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

• A pit crew has everything pre-staged before the race for greater speed and efficiency when the driver is being serviced. Your team must have tools, procedures and practices in place for installing correctly. • A pit crew practices gassing, changing tires, engines, parts, and tearing off those breakaway windshields in their efforts to help the driver achieve greater speed and efficiency. In addition, they train continuously. Your team should know the best ways to install quickly and correctly, and even find ways to help streamline your business. • Pit crews have meetings to share ideas for continuous improvement with an atmosphere of open communication. These meetings are both formal and informal. They stick to an agenda, and don’t go off into discussions other than what has been set. Communication is open, allowing everyone to feel free to voice an opinion or bring forth an idea and speak up without being asked. You, too, should have frequent meetings that are short and to the point to discuss solutions to problems, customer service excellence and other important aspects of your business. • Often, a pit crew will participate in competitions. Your team must recognize that each and everyday, they are competing for you and their job security against other mobile electronics businesses.

Without Teamwork… …You can bring disharmony into your store. That’s not healthy in today’s highly competitive climate. Harmony within your team is critical to job satisfaction, customer retention and business growth. …Your team can fail to assist you in helping you to obtain new customers. …Your team can lack the capacity to understand the pressures you face of keeping your business afloat and keeping customers happy. …Barriers can develop among people. Finger-pointing and blaming can occur. …Quality workmanship can be compromised. Installation can go wrong. …Conflict can arise and not be resolved. Problems can occur and not be “nipped in the bud.” No business can afford any of these situations. On the other hand, when there is a true team culture, your store can be a great place to come to work each day, and your business will be in a far better position to grow and prosper. Ask your team how you can improve the level of teamwork in your business today.

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µ guest editorial

Small Business Saturday: An Under-Utilized Resource In 2010, American Express launched a new promotional campaign featuring independently-owned, small, local businesses. They dubbed the event Small Business Saturday, an event which is now a strong player in the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. We go from big sated bellies on Thanksgiving, to the mayhem of Black Friday. The more genteel Small Business Saturday follows while the shopping-centric weekend is capped by Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday has become one of the most successful shopping days of the year for those with an online presence. You should put your company front and center during the holiday shopping bonanza! The first Small Business Saturday took place on November 27, 2010. The event is designed to encourage people across the country to support small, local businesses the day after that big box circus that is Black Friday. In 2011, the day became official from sea to shining sea. Senators, mayors, governors and local communities all voiced their support for Small Business Saturday. In 2012, 73.9 million people went out to shop at small businesses. In 2014, an estimated $14.3 billion was spent at small independent businesses during the event. November 28, 2015 is the next Small Business Saturday, and together we can help make it the biggest one yet! Our suggestion? Run a Small Business Saturday campaign. Differentiate yourself by offering hot apple cider, cocoa, donuts or pastries as an alternative to the grueling camp outs, stampedes and crazy lines on Black Friday. Hosting events can be a very effective way to generate interest among your clients and reinforce relationships. Events engage your customers in new and exciting ways, while keeping your business top-of-mind. Remember, when you have an event. you are the host. The people attending it are your guests, and this “party” is really about their experience. Create a celebratory atmosphere with balloons and posters, and offer tours of your installation bays. It is the holidays, and it is a time to be festive! Revenew has created a campaign for Mobile Electronics Association members in support of Small Business Saturday. Promotional themes can include: Shop small Buy local (a very successful trend in the restaurant and foodie community) Celebrate America’s small businesses Give back to your local community Small businesses are the backbone of the economy Visit the local expert

One of the aspects I like to point out to consumers is that when they buy local, they are supporting the nearby community. The message should be, “Our kids go to school with your kids.” When people buy local, the money goes back to support the police department, firemen, teachers and crossing guards. We live and work in this community. When you buy from us, you are supporting a local independently owned business—not

58 Mobile Electronics  October 2015

corporate shareholders in cities and states far far away.

Here are some Small Business Saturday strategies that you can use to make the most of the weekend: 1) Send emails to your customers announcing your Small Business Saturday event. Revenew is providing Mobile Electronics Association Members with an email campaign complete with an RSVP. 2) Post the invitation to your Facebook 3) Have your sales people actually call and invite their favorite customers in to visit your location. 4) Serve food. You don’t have to go crazy with catering. Coffee and pastries work; be sure to have some “kid friendly” snacks. 5) Amex has free tools available to you as well, and you do not have to be an American Express merchant to take advantage of them. 6) Use Small Business Saturday to promote products! Customers have an expectation that your cash registers will be functional on Small Business Saturday. 7) Download Revenew’s Guide to Event Planning and start planning today. Go to: http://www.revenew. com/a-guide-to-event-planning/ Once your planning is all done, you can enjoy all of your hard work. On the day of the event make sure that you have everything you need in order.

Small Business Saturday Checklist: • Instruct your staff to arrive early to the event so that they can take care of all the last minute details • Make sure decorations and the venue looks polished and well organized • Have the food out and ready, with extra napkins, plates and utensils on standby • Get the raffle or activity ready to go with all your promotions and give-aways displayed • During the event, take photos of attendees enjoying themselves and engaging with your products • Gather feedback at the end of your Small Business Saturday event so you can improve on next year Now that the event is going off without a hitch, you want to be able to show your success. Make sure to assign someone to take photos during of attendees having a good time and interacting with your products. Post the pictures on your Facebook and get ready for a rocking holiday season!

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