Mobile Electronics Magazine September 2017

September 2017

me-mag.com

High Gear!

KnowledgeFest Turbocharges Retailers & Installers With New Classes, More Training PLUS: DSP: The Final Chapter Editorial: Do You, Not Them Digital Biz: Manage Your SEO

It’s About

ROI

Tunes-N-Tint Goes Digital to Get Results

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Volume 34// Issue 9

Ad Index

14 FEATURES 14 // What’s Happening: KnowledgeFest Dallas 2017 The flagship event took hold of the city of Dallas this year in a big way, complete with new vendors on the show floor, fresh and timely seminars and the new batch of industry award winners ready to take the industry into the future.

Accele Electronics...................................... p. 2 & ®3 Alpine ........................................................................ p. 7 American Bass ................................................... p. 31 American Road Products .............................. p. 11 Businessworx ................................................... p. 50 DD Audio ............................................................... p. 19 Elettromedia: audison / Hertz ................. p. 47 Firstech: Compustar / ArcticStart ........ p. 59 Harman: JBL ....................................................... p. 29 HD Radio .................................................................. p. 9 InstallerNet ......................................................... p. 55 Memphis Audio ................................................. p. 22 Metra: Axxess .................................................... p. 12 Mobile Electronics .......................................... p. 39 Orca: Illusion Audio ........................................... p. 13 SiriusXM ............................................................... p. 23 Sony .......................................................................... p. 5 SounDigital ......................................................... p. 37 Soundskins .......................................................... p. 51 VAIS Technology ............................................... p. 36 Voxx: Code Alarm ............................................ p. 60 Waylens ................................................................ p. 57

32 // Real World Retail: Tunes-N-Tint In order to keep up with the changing landscape, both with his customer’s needs and evolving technology, Joe Cassity adapted by diversifying products, consolidating his three stores into one and keeping his staff trained on the latest trends

40 // The Support Team: AAMP Global The newest feature in the magazine offers an inside look at a company’s supporting departments. In the case of AAMP Global, the feature centers on its in-field experts, Team Phantom, who help to revive the passion of retailers by refitting them with winning strategies.

44 // Digital Biz: The Power of SEO Finding and keeping customers relies on the Internet today more than it ever has.

But how do you reach them? Experts and retailers chime in on the importance of maximizing the use of Search Engine Optimization to stay in the black permanently.

32

48 // Tech Today: DSP Tuning, Part 4

ARTICLES

This final segment from Andy Wehmeyer explains the difference between tuning cars for a hobby versus tuning them as a profession

20 Retail News/Who’s Who 54 Installs

On the Cover

After four of the most memorable days possible, KnowledgeFest 2017 is in the books. Retailers shared their passion with each other in the hallways, at bars and on the show floor, eager to push the limits of their businesses for the year ahead. The show saw more vendors presenting their products at booths than ever in recent memory, offering options for the brand new shop owner and veteran pro alike. We chose these images to showcase every element of the show, which took place at a new venue and offered new opportunities for the industry as a whole.

COVER DESIGN: ROBIN LEBEL

4 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

DEPARTMENTS 6 Editor’s Forum 8 Feedback 10 Stats 12 Helpful Stuff 24 Hot Sellers - Products from KnowledgeFest 58 From The President

facebook.com/MobileElectronics

Sony Electro nics Inc. 16535 Via E sprillo San Diego, CA 92 127

A ugust 14, 2017 R E : M obi le E le ct

ron ic s Top Ve ndor

Sony dealers, distr

A udio/ Vide o award

ibutors and ve ndo

r part ners:

Sony wou ld like to exte nd a very sin cere than k you to vote d for us in th all who is years’ M obi le E le ctron ic s Industr We are tru ly hono y A wards. re d to be awarde d the Top Ve ndor A udio/ Vide o for 2 in 017.

T his award is a te stame nt to the ha rd work and de dic li ne put forth by o ation to the ur dealers, as we ll as our distribut managers and sale or pri ncipals, s profe ssionals.

W ithout your su pp re c ogn it ion wou ld ort, this not be possible . P lease join us in c this award; it is a e le brati ng s muc h yours as it is ours.

We look forward to having c ont inue d succe ss in 2017 earn your su pport and hope to and re c ogn it ion o nce again in 2018.

A gain, than k you!

Re gards, T he Sony N orth A

merican C ar A udio

Team

editor’s FORUM Who Runs Your Store, Anyway?

The people you should listen to are the people who pay you.

Thumbs up. Peace sign. Smiley face with sunglasses. COOL! This mish-mash of words and emojis is how we speak online these days, and it’s to the point that you can practically create sentences using just little images. (I predict that, by next year, Merriam-Webster will have a new section committed exclusively to defining emojis. I wonder what they will say about that little brown pile emoji …)

Anyway, I saw the above expression on a Facebook page under the image of someone’s new showroom. It was written by a fellow industry person to express admiration for the cool design of gray walls with yellow trim, and pieces of modified door panels that, like fine paintings, were attached to the wall and lit with miniature spotlights. Shiny metal chairs faced a black leather couch from the opposite side of a small coffee table adorned with electronics and muscle car magazines.

There were more pictures, and the gist I got was that this showroom was a true work of art. It was designed by someone who was proud to show it to his buddies in the industry. At the same time, I thought, I know what this says to other industry professionals, but what does it say to customers?

Showrooms are about comfort, and people define comfort by their own preference as well as major influences. I don’t know of anyone who would decorate their living room or office lounge this way. It was obvious the showroom was designed based on what the store owner thought would look cool, and this was influenced by what he saw from other industry professionals.

Networking is great. It’s a vital practice of any business to share ideas and experiences with peers. But where networking goes wrong—and this happens quite a bit in our industry—is when people make decisions about their business and professions based primarily on what others in the industry do or think. When you take on a customer service practice because it works for someone else.

When you use one vendor and shun another mainly because one is considered cooler than the other. When you orient your store to look like what other industry people define as the ideal store.

6 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

When the show is over, when it’s time to close Facebook and Instagram, when it’s time to go to work, the industry doesn’t follow you through the front doors every morning. All that’s left is you and the people you serve. The people who entrust their vehicles to you and pay you. The people who provide the ability for you to grow your business and take care of your family and obligations.

How much say should they have in your business decisions? I would say plenty.

Your customers should be the major influence in defining their experience in your store. Did you know that orange makes people happy, and that reinforcing your store colors with those from your logo can increase brand recognition by 80 percent? There are entire studies that focus solely on what makes customers stay longer and buy more in retail environments, and what makes them come back. It’s important to note that none of them are specific to mobile electronics retail, which is good. You want to infuse your business with ideas that work on a broad scale, because your customers are influenced by all different types of shopping environments. The more your environment mimics the characteristics of other places they buy from, the more comfortable they will be with you.

Once customers are comfortable, they should be able to buy what fulfills them. (‘Fulfill’ is a word I use a lot when talking about customer service; you should too.) The worst mistake you can make is buy what you like. The second-worst mistake you can make is buy what you like and think you’ll get your customers to like it too.

Start by defining your customer base. If you say ‘all types’ when someone asks you about the types of customers you have, then you can’t define your customer base. People gravitate toward others with commonalities, which is how groups and neighborhoods are formed. You’re in a neighborhood, therefore the people you serve have commonalities that you can cater to. Find these out by participating in your neighborhood gatherings and activities. Then, look at your product mix to see if what you have fits the needs of what they value.

As a retail professional, you must keep things in perspective.

Your business and professional obligations center on your customers and your livelihood, and nothing else. Listen and share experiences with other professionals, but DO what’s best for you.

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me-mag.com 7

 feedback

Close to Home Annie Amen believes learning from one

another in the industry is the way to steady profits and personal growth, while Christopher Reavis takes it a step further by encouraging retailers to make friends with local competitors.

“We built a display for the Sony XAV-AX100 radio and since doing so, sales have increased by 100 percent on the unit and still seem to be climbing.” Jeff Cantrell, JC Audio, Jackson, Tenn.

“The Internet is the future so embrace it ASAP.” Anonymous “In our industry, I think it’s important that we all work together and help each other out whenever possible.

I may be in a unique situation where I don’t have a lot of competitors nearby, but with the few that I do have, I always help when they reach out to me for advice on difficult jobs like remote starts or if they just need a dash kit or even a particular brand stereo that they don’t have access to.

I know if I am ever in a pinch and find myself in need of a wire harness or bypass module that I happen to have run out of, they will always be willing to help me out in a jam. Our industry is so specialized, I think it’s important we share our knowledge with each other so we can all be better at what we do and ultimately provide the end user consumer with the best experience possible.” Annie Amen, Sounds Incredible Mobile, Brookfield, Conn.

“We just opened our doors in November and we have already have a huge high-end customer base. We do some amazing work! And would like to show it off. Basically, we took everything we didn’t like from other shops and opened up a shop that has a state of the art showroom and a spotless bay. Our experience says it all!” Craig McGinnis, Chronos Specialty Autoworks, Omaha, Neb.

business is growing rapidly. Businesses want to lower risk and expense.

12-volt specialty retailers can expand their revenue by going after local fleet business with a dedicated plan and person(s). Ask our authorized retailer(s) to share their successes with commercial fleet safety.”

Stephen Witt, American Road Products, Huntington Beach, Calif.

“Don’t talk down to other businesses, help each other grow!” Christopher Reavis, Best Buy, Aurora, Ill. “You cannot make everyone happy.

You must stand for what you believe in. If a customer doesn’t agree with what you sell or your prices, avoid the sale to save a headache. Let another shop have fun with them!” Aaron Creech, JR’s Custom Audio, Irving, Texas “Roll out the red carpet for your customers. They are your guests so show them your best (electronics, knowledge, accessories and facilities).” Kimberly Trainer, Car-tunes, Inc., Greenvile, Miss.

“Had I known about many things when I was younger I would have protected myself from penalties.

Others would know and practice safer habits in their business. For example, in California you need to have an air compressor permit. During my 30plus years of operating I never knew such a thing existed.” George Smith, Mobileworks, Santa Maria, Calif.

“Don’t overspend to make projects move forward in your store for a remodel!” John Schumacher, Audio Solutions StL, St. Louis, Mo.

“Local commercial fleet safety

8 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

ADVERTISING SALES Kerry Moyer 978.645.6457 • kerrym@mobile-electronics.com ®

EDITORIAL Solomon Daniels 978.645.6463 • solomond@mobile-electronics.com Ted Goslin 978.645.6466 • tedg@mobile-electronics.com Creative Layout and Design: Robin LeBel Contributing Editors: Jamie Sorcher, Laura Kemmerer and Rosa Sophia.

Published by TM

mobile electronics association

Chris Cook, President 978.645.6434 • chrisc@mobile-electronics.com Kerry Moyer, VP Strategic Partnerships 978.645.6457 • kerrym@mobile-electronics.com Solomon Daniels, Dir. Media and Communications 978.645.6463 • solomond@mobile-electronics.com Richard Basler, Dir. Technology Solutions 978.645.6449 • richb@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. (ISSN# 1523-763X) 3) Copyright © 2017 by the Mobile Electronics 4) Date of filing: Sept.

1, 2016. 5) Frequency of issue: Monthly. 6) No. of issues published annually: 12 7) Annual subscription price: $35.00. 8) Periodical postage paid at Lawrence MA and additional mailing offices. 9) Complete mailing address of known office of publication: 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 10) Complete mailing address of the headquarters or general business offices of the publisher: 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 11) 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 12) Owner: MERA, Mobile Electronics Retailers Association, 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 13) Known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders owning or holding 1% or more of total amounts of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None. 14) Tax Status: Not applicable. 15) Name of Publication: Mobile Electronics. 16) Issue date for circulation data below: August 2016. 6. a) Total no. copies (net press run) Average: 12,484 Single Issue; 12,826. b) Paid/Requested mail subscriptions Average: 6834, Single Issue: 6826. c) Paid sales through dealers, etc.; Average: 0. Single issue; d) Requested distributed by other classes of mail: Average: 531, Single issue: 520. Total paid and/or requested circulation; Average 7365. Single issue: 7346. e) Non-requested distribution by mail; Average: 4382 Single issue: 4223. Free distribution through other classes of mail: Average: 0, Single issue: 0. f) Non-requested distribution outside the mail; Average: 325. Single issue: 750. g) Total non-requested distribution; Average 4707, Single issue: 4973. h) Total distribution; Average: 12,072. Single issue: 12,319. i) 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%. 17) POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Mobile Electronics, 85 Flagship Drive Suite F, North Andover MA 01845-9998

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 stats

Overall Rating of KnowledgeFest Dallas 2017 Good - 10% Very Good - 43% Excellent - 47%

0

0.05

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How Well KnowledgeFest Met Expectations

0.25

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0.35

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0.45

0.5

Helpfulness of Content Presented at KnowledgeFest

A lot better than 20% Aexpected lot better -than expected - 20%

Extremely Extremely helpful 43% helpful -- 43%

expected Better than - 40% expected - 40%

Very helpful helpful-43%

About what-I40% expected expected - 40%

Somewhat Somewhat helpful -- 13% helpful 13% Not so Not so helpful helpful-0% 0%

Better than

About what I Worse than

Worse than- 0% expected expected - 0%

Value Added to Career Development From the Networking Opportunities at KnowledgeFest Not at all valuable - 3% Not so valuable - 0% Somewhat valuable - 3% Very valuable - 60% Extremely valuable - 33%

0 10 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

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 helpful stuff Book:

Rule #1 Don’t Be #2

by Dan Milstein

http://www.danmilstein.com/ rule-1-dont-be-2 In his fourth book, RULE #1 DON’T BE #2, Daniel Milstein continues to inspire. He challenges readers to dream big and tap their potential—just as he has. The founder and CEO of the Gold Star Family of Companies (financial services, sports management, and more), Milstein was born in the Soviet Union and came to the U.S. at 16 years of age after narrowly escaping the Chernobyl disaster. He had just 17 cents in his pocket. In addition to sharing how he overcame adversity, he also offers up the stories of others who have dominated their respective fields after overcoming what might have seemed to be impossible obstacles. Framed in his fast-paced, conversational style and thought-provoking quotes, Milstein shares the life-changing lessons of the world’s greatest achievers. If you believe in hard work and positive thinking, this book will motivate you and your team like never before.

Sites To See:

DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR AND AXXESS INTERFACE IN ONE SOLUTION NEW! AX-DSP Combines an Interface and DSP for Digitally Amplified Vehicles • Works with Any Aftermarket Amplifier and Speaker Setup • Smaller Size and Easier Install than Competing Products • Use with Axxess T-Harness to Reduce Install Time to Just 5 Minutes

Visit AxxessDSP.com to learn more.

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12 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

I N T E G R A T E

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Sociallysorted.com

http://sociallysorted.com.au/blog/ To keep up with all the latest in social media, you need a site that sifts out the not necessary from the need to know. Are you curious about how to boost your Instagram engagement? Easy. One way is to leverage captions for storytelling. For instance, give as much info as you can with the picture and caption on that install and avoid sending folks to another site for more information. Tips like this and so much more are part of this engaging blog written by Donna Moritz, a Digital Content Strategist. She is listed as one of the Top 50 Social Media Influencers worldwide while her blog has been named a consecutive winner the last three years of Social Media Examiner’s Top 10 Social Media Blogs.

Digital or Analog Amplifier

Software/App: Stash (for iOS and Android)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stash.stashinvest&hl=en Maybe this fall is the time to learn a little about investing. While there are always risks involved and each person has a different comfort level, Stash is an SEC registered adviser designed to make the process of finding and selecting investments less intimidating for beginners. Getting started requires a $5 minimum investment. There is a charge of $1 a month for account balances under $5,000 and a 0.25% annual fee for accounts with $5,000 or more. It’s suited to those who don’t just want to put money into the market, but who want to invest in something they believe in. This app lets you invest in portfolios you choose based upon your goals, values, or companies you love.

Conversely, many similar services pick investments for you (factoring in age, risk profile, goals). Offerings are organized into categories like: I Believe: (clean energy, socially responsible companies, and companies that support LGBT rights); I Want: (Choose goals like an aggressive, moderate, or conservative mix, or stocks that pay regular dividends); and I Like: (Retail, tech, and social media stocks). If nothing else, it’s a great way to learn how to pump up your portfolio without a huge investment.

Services: Flickr www.flickr.com

In the old days, when you had tons of photos that you didn’t know what to do with, you stuffed them in a shoebox. Those days are long gone. Now all of your images— hundreds, maybe thousands--are stuffed on your smartphone or tablet. If you’re doing installs, attending shows, working on vehicles, and taking boatloads of pictures during the year, then at some point, you’ll want to share.

With Flickr, a longstanding favorite in photo sharing and storage services, you get 1TB of storage for free (that’s somewhere between 500,000 and 2 million images). You’re able to organize pictures into categories and tag people, too. It is also simple to upload and share albums on social media. In a nutshell, this service offers a great way to get organized and be able to share your best shots.

me-mag.com 13

 what’s happening

Show of Shows WORDS BY TED GOSLIN

I

f the 21st iteration of KnowledgeFest were a person, they would be inexperienced, fresh-faced and eager to have their first drink. For many attendees at this year’s KnowledgeFest event in Dallas, the feeling was similar considering the palpable excitement felt by attendees and exhibitors alike.

Now in its 21st year, KnowledgeFest 2017 took place at the Omni Hotel and Dallas Convention Center August 11 through 14. The four-day event included 24 educational seminars, 59 manufacturer trainings and 50 exhibitors on the show floor, which featured a host of new and returning companies, including SounDigital, XFire, LinksWell and off-road/marine company, ProBox.

14 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

In its new location at the Omni Hotel in Dallas, Texas, KnowledgeFest 2017 won over attendees with a host of new vendor booths, fresh speakers and a night of spectacle with the Mobile Electronics Industry Awards.

The event has been hosted in Dallas since 2010.

Everyone who attended seminars and manufacturer trainings was able to find them using a collection of signage at the venue, along with class times and locations posted on the official KnowledgeFest website, kfest.me. Those who signed up ahead of time were sent text message reminders prior to the start of each class to ensure they made it on time.

Attendees had different things to say about what ended up being the most valuable part of their experience during a post-show survey. “Learning lots of fab tricks from Bryan, JT and Chris Pater; that alone was worth the trip,” said one

attendee. Another made note of the success they had at the manufacturer trainings, saying, “The best thing I gained was new product knowledge from several manufacturers.” Overall, attendees found the event to exceed expectations, which is notable since the majority of those who filled out the survey had attended the show at least twice previously. Past Retailer and Installer of the Year, Jon Kowanetz of Handcrafted Car Audio, had his own take on the event, based on his experience as a presenter in the Installer/ Fabricator track.

“I like how big the venue is in terms of the scope of the event. It makes it feel bigger. And the facility is good. I had no issues with electronics. The rooms are

huge which is better than the previous venues because they felt packed in. The rooms here are big enough so people don’t feel packed in,” Kowanetz said.

“What excites me most about the show are the discussions between people that help make us more capable of being in business. When I go around and have conversations with guys, that’s the real value for me.”

Talking Points People learn things in all kinds of ways at trade shows. Aside from the obvious seminars and trainings offered, one of the biggest is through one-toone interaction in the hallways, on the show floor and at lunch during the event.

One such interaction took place at this year’s KnowledgeFest Spring Training in Indianapolis between two competitors, John Schumacher of Audio Solutions StL and Brandon Green of The Car Audio Shop, both out of St. Louis, Mo. “We met I believe it was 2010 when I offered to help out JML Audio, where he worked at the time, on some projects.

But we never really became friends really until this year during Indy K-Fest,” Schumacher said. “We really don’t consider ourselves as competitors. We help each other out to make each other better, both on the retailer and installer side. We help each other on projects, ideas and now have become friends and even had family get-togethers.”

The show was founded on such a mentality when the first store owners got together to help one-another in the mid-90s. While camaraderie and sharing information between competitors are important lessons that have helped retailers improve over the years, another key lesson shared at this year’s event came from an unlikely source.

Instead of having a town hall event, which in the past has featured a panel of industry veterans and manufacturers, the opening night event was a keynote speech from world-renowned speaker, passionate entrepreneur and podcast host, Brett Gajda. He has presented for companies like Ebay, Microsoft, JPMorganChase and Bloomberg, among others, with an emphasis on how to make positive

KnowledgeFest changed venues this year from the Hilton Anatole to the Omni Hotel and Dallas Convention Center to accommodate the increased numbers in attendance. change and create growth in business.

The keynote, titled “Accelerate Your Success,” discussed how business owners can better identify and attain success in their business and personal lives: through strong, conscious leadership.

“If leadership is how you do your dayto-day, you need to show up as much as possible,” Gajda said. “I started to think about how the man I want to be would eat a hamburger. It sounds silly but it worked. As I sat alone I thought about how I might eat that burger in front of a date I really liked. Leadership is about being conscious and present. Be the person you want to be. Slow down and enjoy the flavor.”

Building Blocks Resting on the show floor, amidst a record number of manufacturer booths since the show was taken over by new owners in 2010, were several vehicles used to exhibit product and skill. Among them was a build featuring product from Focal by this year’s Installer of the Year, Chris Pate: a 2010 Toyota Tundra, covered in Kevlar material. The build, which included a custom enclosure in the back seat, was created over the course of a year-and-a-half, and developed over that time based on ideas that Pate had as he

went along with his partner.

“The vehicle itself is completely different than what we started with. We did the brakes in front, Stoptech in the rear, TW brakes in the front, exhaust in-house. We actually built the rack the week before the show and powder-coated it,” he said. “We carried the theme from inside to the outside of the truck. It took about a week-and-a-half. We test fit it and did everything by hand from there.”

Pate built three vehicles total at the show, including a Red Toyota F150 for Kenwood and a Silver Chevy Impala for SounDigital.

Also at the show was a build by Dan Ungaro, Owner of Soundscape Car Audio, who brought his personal 2015 Audi A4, which doubles as a demo car for his store.

“The idea with this as a demo vehicle is to have kind of a luxury vehicle since most of our clients have a car like this.

I wanted to show them that we could make a high-end build in stock locations,” Ungaro said. The build consisted of a full active three way component set and factory radio to keep the stock look. “For the audio files, I have a Sony RSXGS9 Hi-res radio. We also used the factory radio to go into the processor so we can switch between those two. I can demo either one to show we can do integration

me-mag.com 15

 what’s happening with OEM radio or aftermarket radio with hi-res files.”

Teach a Man to Fish...

Marie Still from AAMP Global (left) and Chris Cook, president of MEA (right), discuss marketing techniques in the seminar, “Marketing Types: Finding Your Next Best Customer.”

Creating builds that cater to audiophiles who are in to high-resolution sound has become a popular trend, especially in the last year. Releases like the Sony RSXGS9 hi-resolution singleDIN radio and the AudioControl DM-608 DSP Matrix Processor were designed specifically with this concept in mind.

To take advantage of this growing market, 2016 Installer of the Year Matt Schaeffer and Bryan Schmitt of Mobile Solutions taught a class called, “High Res Audio - The Next Big Thing,” which drew a packed house of over 250 people, with many spilling out into the hallways.

“The seminar was inspired by the system we recently built for my Toyota Tundra,” Schmitt said. “All active, DSP system with one thing different: the source was a high-res player. I was completely blown

2017 MOBILE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY AWARD WINNERS Installer of the Year Chris Pate

Most Improved Store or Chain Absolute Electronix

Top Vendor, Audio/Video Sony

Installer of the Year Runner-up David Cruz

Best Online Presence Sound Wave Customs, Virginia Beach, Va.

Accessories and Materials AAMP Global

Trusted Tech Ata Ehdaivand, Absolute Electronix Rockville, Md. Retailer of the Year Single Store Kingpin Car and Marine Audio Wilsonville, Ore. Retailer of the Year Single Store Runner-up Sound Wave Customs Virginia Beach, Va. Retailer of the Year Store Chain Sound Connection Waite Park, Minn.

Retailer of the Year Store Chain, Runner-up Mobile Toys, College Station Texas

16 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

Best Customer Retention Program Cartronix Best Customer Experience Kingpin Car & Marine Audio Career Achievement Award Mark Fukuda Rookie of the Year Pierce Barrett, Soundscape Car Audio, Carrollton, Texas Sales Pro Award Elias Ventura, Safe and Sound Mobile Electronics, Chantilly, Va.

Safety and Driver Assistance VOXX Electronics Connectivity and Integration ADS Security and Convenience Firstech (Compustar) Vendor of the Year K40 Expediter of the Year American Radio Distributor of the Year Lesco Distributing Rep Firm of the Year Marketing Pros. Inc. Sales Rep of the Year Mike Eckley, AAMP Global

away with the fidelity. I have been in the business for 25 years and never heard this before. I realized a lot of others haven’t either, They’re missing the opportunity!”

On the sales track, retailers were getting a better understanding the different aspects of a sale and how to identify different types of customers in the class, “Sustainable Selling - The Four Rules & Four Modes of the Sale”. The two-part class was hosted by Ken Ward of Educar training and keynote speaker, Brett Gadja. For at least one retailer, the course was the best one he’d seen at the show to that point.

“I try to do different classes to get a lay of the land. One class I took the most of so far is the one on sustainable selling,” said Keith Mayfield, owner of Suncoast Sound in Monroe, La. “It’s about how people are different and how to sell to different personalities. You have to learn one thing with one person and something different for somebody else.”

Mayfield has come to the last four KnowledgeFest shows, in addition to the original show in the mid-90s. “For the last three years I’ve shut the store down to bring everybody down. I just hope they find something they can take home and use.”

The newest class concept at the show was the addition of night school, which features two different classes: an advanced owner/manager workshop with Sergio De Oliveira of SAMMAX, which discussed long-term planning for workers and advanced leadership development, plus a course with Marcel Newell, Tony Dehnke and Omar Jawad discussing budgeting, modeling and key performance indicators.

“The symptom of things being broken is long hours and low pay,” Newell said at one point. A retailer asked the question of how to find the correct number to pay installers. Newell answered by saying, “pay them as much as you can. Pay too little and you don’t get quality and you’re at risk with your installers leaving for better pay.”

Overall, the class discussed how to cut costs on things like shipping rates and went through how much each aspect of a retail business costs. “Time

is money,” Newell added. “Save time wherever possible and charge properly for your time.”

Showtime at the Omni Located in the Dallas ballroom of the Omni Hotel, the stage was set once again for the Mobile Electronics Industry Awards, Several technicians showcased their work at the show which took place this year, including Dan Ungaro (bottom) with his Audi A4 on Monday, August (seen here) and Chris Pate (top) with his three vehicles, 14. New winners including the 2010 Toyota Tundra, seen here. were crowned in every category, with one noticeable difference: no recipient Mark Fukuda helped make physical awards were handed out. the show successful with his heartfelt Due to a mix-up with the company acceptance speech. creating the trophies, the show had “[Car audio] is very easy for me to do. to go on without them, with the The businesses I’ve been in, it’s been like winners instead encouraged (by Mobile I’ve never really had a job. Standing in Electronics magazine Editor-in-Chief front of all of you reminds me of when Solomon Daniels) to take the stage with I did my first MERA training,” Fukuda an entourage made up of friends and recalled, explaining that none of his family. Regardless of the mix-up, the presentation materials had arrived, event went on without any other issues, forcing him to present off the top of his offering up the spectacle and excitement head. “Here were all these guys that had attendees have come to expect over come to see me talk about fabrication and the years. Career Achievement Award I had nothing to show them. But I went

me-mag.com 17

 what’s happening

Offroad/marine manufacturer, ProBox, made its debut at the show this year, complete with a walk-in semi-truck.

All past Installers of the Year were invited on stage prior to the announcements of the winner, Chris Pate (left center) and runner-up, David Cruz (right center).

when you shouldn’t be buying a company and risking money that you shouldn’t be risking that late in life,” Finley said. “I decided that if I was going to own a company it was going to be iconic. So, everything we do is to prove to ourselves and the world that we don’t have to do what everybody else does. That Mike Eckley of AAMP Global accepts we can do business soul to soul the Sales Rep of the Year award at the 2017 and not role to role.”

Industry Awards.

Jason Kranitz, who’s store out, stood in front of 300-plus people and won Retailer of the Year, Single Store, it was one of the best trainings I ever had. attributed his win to the similar I was so used to building that perfect sentiment of keeping with his company scenario for myself. But I realized, ‘Hey, philosophy. “One of my favorite quotes, the show must go on.’” which is hanging on a wall in my store A first for the show was the winner is, ‘If you really want to do something of the Vendor of the Year award, which you’ll find a way. If you don’t you’ll find in the past has been given out to only an excuse.’” With this being the second companies who have full lines of products time his store has won the coveted prize, in multiple categories. This year, since Kranitz felt it meant more this time the category is won by votes, not judging, considering the work involved. “I was the industry spoke and gave it to K40 proud to win the first time but I never Electronics. President and owner Peggy really felt we deserved it. Now I feel like Finley attributes the win to the company we do really deserve it. It was something vision, which she and her team never we wanted last year and didn’t win but gave up on, despite years of struggles. that made us work harder this year.

“When I bought the company in 2009 I We had a strange year, a lot of ups and wanted to retire, but the owner was going downs, but it makes you stronger every to close the company. I realized that no day.” one could get a job and I loved these Before the awards, 2016 Installer of the people so I bought the company at a time Year, Matt Schaeffer, was asked what it

18 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

took to be the Installer of the Year, since he was about to finish his run later that night. “There are a lot of expectations that come along with it. Installers are going to hit you up on Messenger or text you and it’s kind of like an obligation to be tech support,” he said. “There’s a time and place for everything but at the end of the day I remember when I was in that position reaching out to Jeremy Carlson and Tom Miller and when they got back to me I thought the world of it.

Being able to talk with everyone and say that we are all in this together, we all love music, this is why we’re here.”

New Installer of the Year, Chris Pate, who’s journey has been 10 years in the making, shares a similar sentiment to Schaeffer. “Surreal and relieved are the two words that can best describe this. I really didn’t think I deserved to be on that list when I started but I do now because of how hard I’ve worked,” Pate said. “The most challenging thing in getting here has been every day working harder and harder, making sure that there was no question that what I did was gonna be perceived as the hardest work and the best work possible. In the coming year I look forward most to helping train new installers, getting guys up to speed and getting more installers in this industry.” 

 retail news

Part of having a prepared shop is having a staff that can manage the business in case the owner is out of action. Luckily, West has such a team behind him.

Accidents Happen

Jeff West of Benchmark Autosound suffered a major injury at his store this year.

While it has been a struggle for West, there’s always a silver lining that provides an invaluable lesson.

WORDS BY LAURA KEMMERER

Accidents can occur unexpectedly, even to seasoned industry professionals such as Jeff West of Benchmark Autosound and Security of Springfield, Illinois. On March 22, West became injured in his shop.

“I was taking apart a rear entertainment product display in the back of our store,” he said. This was part of a larger renovation going on because of an accident that had happened in December of 2016. According to West, “A customer’s car pulled off the main thoroughfare. The gas pedal got stuck underneath the floormat and the car crashed through the store completely.”

As part of the aftermath of the accident, West had been taking apart a display anchored to the ceiling, which put him on a ladder nine to 10 feet in the

20 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

air. “I had to take apart the bracketry and to free these panels up, and one of the panels fell after I’d taken that screw out.

It went to fall and it kind of flipped in a way where it almost hit my head,” West said. “I ducked so I wouldn’t get hit in the head and when it fell to the floor, instead of bouncing away, it kicked back like a football. This panel hit the ladder, which knocked me out of balance.”

West’s injuries were severe. “My right arm was a severe compound fracture,” he said. “And I also fractured my left wrist, so here my right arm is only attached by muscle.” But his team remained calm and collected to get him the help he needed.

While West has recovered much of the use of his left wrist, his right arm may take up to a year to heal. He reaffirmed that freak accidents do happen on the

job but, as a U.S. Navy veteran, he is familiar with codes that can help prevent accidents like this from happening.

“There is a military code—when you’re on ladders at high elevations—you always have a ladder tender. Their sole purpose in life is to tend that ladder. Nothing else.

Now, had I used that military rule, we’d be talking about a different topic today,” he said.

West went on to add that footstools were of a lower height, so they are not as much of a concern. For taller ladders, however, he highly recommended some kind of stability system, such as a tender or something to brace the ladder with.

“Safety precautions are always key with our industry,” West said. 

»

Who’s Who Jon Schmitz

Mach 1 Audio Washington, Mo. Years of industry experience: 18 Hobbies: Fishing and family

Elias Ventura

Safe and Sound Mobile Electronics Chantilly, Va. Years of industry experience: 13 Hobbies: Football, basketball and BBQ’n What you’re really good at: Talking Sports, ideas and planning and BBQ’n

Craig McGinnis

Chronos Specialty Auto Works Omaha, Neb. Years of industry experience: 18 Hobbies: Firearms and having a few drinks at the bar. But not at the same time!

What you’re really good at: Remote starts. I do a lot of custom work also.

Josh Bowen

Sommer Sound Systems Panama City, Fla.

After Jeff West broke his arm in a freak accident, he realized the cause of the accident rested with his lack of preventative safety measures. That led to an internal overhaul.

Years of industry experience: 4 Hobbies: Drumming has always been a passion What you’re really good at: Providing customer service the way it should be

me-mag.com 21

 retail news

Charity Begins at Home By participating in a local charity event, Sound Wave Customs has reaped the rewards in more ways than one.

WORDS BY LAURA KEMMERER

To keep customers engaged, business owners must constantly be on the lookout for marketing opportunities. Oftentimes, these can be events like a raffle for charity or a blowout sale around the holidays.

Ethan Blau, CEO of Sound Wave Customs (SWC) in Virginia Beach, Va., did just that.

SWC worked with local fellow business Eastern Truck and Accessories (ETA) to install an audio system in a Jeep Wrangler—which was up for grabs in the raffle—and included a Pioneer four-channel amplifier and four Phoenix

Gold speakers. The charity event raised $49,500, which was raised for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, according to Blau.

Sharing the charity event with ETA was nothing new for the Virginia-based car audio retailer. “I actually worked for ETA years ago, definitely when I was a teenager,” Blau said. “I’ve known the owner (of ETA) for a long time. He’s proud of who I’ve become and what I’ve done with Sound Wave Customs. We pass a lot of business along to one another and do a lot of cross-promoting.”

Sound Wave Customs also had its second annual blowout sale earlier this year. During the first year of doing the

event, there wasn’t much planning. This year, however, Sound Wave Customs went all out. “We started advertising and blowing it up, especially on social media. We also did radio for almost two months in advance,” Blau said. And despite intense questioning from friends, family and customers alike, Blau did not reveal prices before the actual sale. “People got excited.

We advertised up to 76 percent off. It was easily our biggest sale of the year,” Blau explained.

Choosing a day to host the blowout sale was a selective process. It was on a Thursday, right after the military/government payday. Blau also bet on the fact that not many people would have plans for a Thursday evening, but would most likely be otherwise engaged during the

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weekend. His planning did not stop there.

“A good friend of mine is a local radio personality. I asked him to do a Facebook Live video with me because he has a pretty big following,” he explained. That video got 16,000 views in 48 hours.

“We had a separate page on our website for the sale. For people to get a ticket/ register, we just needed a name, phone number and an email address. We printed that stuff out and gave it to security at the door,” Blau said. For those who didn’t register, if they wanted a raffle ticket, they had to register at the door. On the day of the event, this resulted in people in staying in the store longer to see if they’d won anything. For those who didn’t win anything, Blau and his team reached out by phone or email and offered a special discount for the next time the customer was in the store.

In terms of customer draw, events like Salepocalypse helped draw those who had never heard of Sound Wave Customs.

When it comes to the charity, Blau firmly

believes in community outreach and engaging on a personal level with good causes. “I think with the charity thing, people definitely think you’re the good guys,” he said.

For future outreach, Blau knows that retaining a dynamic approach is the key

to success. “We do a lot of events as far as different shows and car shows. We’ve even done shows that aren’t entirely car related,” he said. “We’re all in this industry because we love it and we’re good at what we do.” 

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Product Showdown

Exhibitors at KnowledgeFest offer their latest and best products for attendees on the show floor.

AAMP Global Phoenix Gold DSP8.8

Features: With wireless control, the new DSP allows users to perform real-time tuning via a graphic user interface controlled by iOS, Android, Mac and Windows PC apps. It also allows for aux input (high level for external BT/NAVI or 3.5mm), USB input for uncompressed audio streaming, 240 bands of parametric EQ adjustment (30 bands per output channel) and multi-function dash-mountable remote control for volume, sub level, EQ preset and illumination.

Accele Plug N Play Smartphone Mirroring

Features: The adapter for iPhone requires only a USB cable and no additional software or apps. The unit keeps the phone charged and is compatible with most Android phones.

Alpine Electronics iLX-207 7-inch Mech-less Audio/Video Receiver

Features: Now shipping, the second unit in the line features a built-in touchscreen, Bluetooth-ready and allows wireless connectivity to Apple and Android devices.

American Road Products/Pearl Rear Vision

Features: This next generation license plate frame backup protection is the world’s first product with moving obstacle protection. The device utilizes a DSP chip set used by Apple to process the moving obstacle detection feature that’s designed to provide better performance than other backup products on the market.

24 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

AudioControl D-4.800 DSP Amplifier

Features: By combining DSP functionality within the amplifier, the D-4.800 enhances performance while conserving space and installation time in comparison to solutions that require multiple components and connecting cables. The D-4.800 incorporates AudioControl’s new Smart-User DSP software platform that was developed for the DM-810 and DM-608 signal processors, providing the most refined levels of tuning flexibility for any factory or aftermarket sound system. MSRP is $699.

Avidworx M3 Light Sony Kiosk Displays

Features: New for fall 2017 are the simplified kiosks for the Sony brand, designed to offer a cheaper, smaller display solution for retailers to help sell product. The new displays are scheduled to ship this fall.

Crux SOOGM-16V OnStar Radio Replacement for GM Vehicles

Features: The interface features steering wheel controls and the ability to switch between front and rear cameras. MSRP is $140.

DD Audio Z3 Subwoofer

Features: The latest iteration of the company’s flagship model features a 13 lens-grade 52 neodymium open motor design. The current model was designed to overcome structural saturation levels and increase peak and total flux levels by allowing more energy to flow through the magnetic lens architecture.

Diamond Audio HXMPRO1ST High Output Tweeter

Features: The newest product in the Diamond audio product line, set to ship this fall, is a high output tweeter that features a speciallydesigned phase plug, brand new terminal design and a threering seal made of silver, black and copper. MSRP will be $199.

me-mag.com 25

 hot sellers

Easy Fab Co. Conform Shaping Tool

Features: Returning to KnowledgeFest with a new name and new products is Micah Williams with his Easy Fab Co. (formerly Sonus).

The company is now shipping its Conform large format shape capturing router guide. The tool comes with 2- and 4-inch extensions and is sold for $199.

elettromedia/Hertz Marine and Powersports Speakers and Amplifiers

Features: All speakers are interchangeable for use with marine or powersports applications. The speakers come in six- and eightinch coaxials, with or without LEDs, and four-channel mono amplifiers for both.

Firstech Compustar DC3 All-in-One Bypass Features: Compatible with all ADS T-harnesses, this new bypass has an MSRP of $399.99 and is set to ship this fall. Features include remote start, keyless entry, security upgradability, and a battery backup input.

Focal (Orca) FDP Sport Amplifier

Features: The latest brand new amp in the FDP line is designed for tighter applications (Harley-Davidson specifically) to offer the same power and efficiency users of the line have come to expect. It features flexible crossovers with 6dB or 12dB slopes to cover all situations.

Harman Infinity Kappa Three-Way 2-inch Soft Dome Mid

Features: The world’s first 2-inch mid-range speaker comes with adapter plate for Chryslers and Jeeps, a band pass crossover and allows users to switch from a two-way to three-way component system.

26 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

JL Audio C7 Component Speakers

Features: Set to ship this fall, the components feature mids and woofers built in the U.S., offering a high-end option to retailers with each speaker sold separately. There are no passive crossovers, designed to be used with electronics crossovers.

Kenwood KMR-D772BT Marine Receiver

Features: This brand new head unit, set to ship in September, features three sets of 5-volt pre-outs and Kenwood’s App Decks technology to allow for Bluetooth compatibility with Android devices.

The newest feature in the single-DIN line-up is the inclusion of Spotify as an independent source, plus 96K 24-bitvia flap on the USB port.

Kingpin University Monthly Membership Programs

Features: The program offers a new pay plan for its professional installation, retail management and fabrication training courses. The three-tiered membership structure allows store owners to send one or more staff to multiple training sessions and make manageable monthly payments.

LinksWell S2Hoo2A-Y01E Multi-Camera Interface

Features: The module is designed to deliver maximum visibility from vehicles equipped with GM MyLink systems. The factory 8-inch display can switch between the factory camera and five additional cameras. The interface is compatible with IO5 or IO6 model factory radios.

Memphis SixFive Series Component Speaker Set

Features: According to the company, these are “the highest quality components” in the company’s history, including two external crossovers, two 6.5-inch woofers and two tweeters.

me-mag.com 27

 hot sellers

Metra Axxess AX-DSP Digital Signal Processor

Features: The “before the amp” solution is designed to allow installers the option to remove the factory amplifier or to add a subwoofer while still maintaining the original equipment features and controls of the radio. Since every customer has different needs and budgets, the flexibility of the Axxess Digital Signal Processor allows the installer to customize a solution based on what the customer is wanting to replace or keep in their system.

Mobile Solutions Phonic PAA3 Hand Held RTA

Features: Available at a price point of $599.99, the full color Phonic PAA3 (Personal Audio Assistant) is designed to help with a number of common tasks with system tuning and OEM integration tasks.

The unit has a menu driven RTA that also has a polarity check, signal generator and SPL meters.

No Limits Radenso Radar Detectors

Features: The newly acquired radar brand offers the Radenso XP and Radenso Pro M, which both offer multiple threat displays for up to three signals at once, low speed GPS auto-muting and voice alerts with 260 different messages. The XP is billed by the company as the “quietest radar detector ever.” The XP has a MAP of $399 while the Pro M has a MAP of $549.

Probox Off-Road Audio Extreme Waterproof Amplifiers

Features: The completely waterproof amplifier is designed to be used in extreme weather environments for all off-road and marine applications. Features include 1100 watts of output, an RGB LED controller, Bluetooth audio controller and fuse holder.

Rostra SourcePWR Module

Features: This ‘Intelligent 12-volt Power Supply’ allows installers to supply 7.5 amps of power to add-on accessories when the vehicle’s engine is powered on, automatically powering down those same accessories when the engine is powered off.

28 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

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Sony XAV-AX200 Multimedia Receiver

Features: The second model in its line features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration with Bluetooth support. The device has a 6.4-inch touch screen and supports input from three external cameras, one of which is always assigned to reverse.

SounDigital 800.4D EVO 4-Channel Class D Full Range Amplifier Features: The 4x200 Watt amplifier comes in 2 and 4 Ohm versions and is compact in design enough to be used largely in builds for motorcycles. The efficiency and power/size ratio are considered its strongest attributes by the company. The unit is currently shipping at an MSRP of $349.

SoundSkins Vision Flush Reverse Cameras

Features: The new line of high quality reverse cameras give high resolution images with 720 by 480 pixels due to the advanced active pixel image sensor. The camera has the widest possible viewing angle at 170 degrees to give clear image without “fish eyeing” or skewing the image. This means reversing can be done without any issue of misinterpreted vision.

VOXX Electronics CarLink Bluetooth Long Range

Features: The app gives consumers full smartphone control to lock, unlock and start vehicles with no monthly or annual fees. The transmitter communicates via Bluetooth within a range of 150 feet or less to the transmitter, which is usually in the users pocket. The device communicates to the vehicle from up to a mile and a half away. MSRP is $149.

Waylens Secure360

Features: Making its KnowledgeFest debut, the company showcased its innovative camera device that provides a 360-degree view of what happens in and around the vehicle, automatically storing imagery to the cloud for on-demand access.

30 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

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real world retail

d o o G r e t a The Gre

By catering to client needs through strong customer service and product diversification, Tunes-N-Tint has become a Top 50 Retailer and hot spot in its home of Lakeland, Florida.

WORDS BY TED GOSLIN

P

eople are motivated by many things in life. Money, family and career ambition are among them. A chief ideal among many is to do the right thing. It’s not always clear what that is, but for the most part, it’s widely understood that doing the right thing usually requires doing something for others. Often, it’s a favor.

For those who believe in principles like honor, dignity and integrity, any favor

32 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

given is one returned, to keep balance in the world.

Joe Cassity, owner of Tunes-N-Tint in Lakeland, Fla., believes in these principles and uses them daily to cater to the needs of customers. Whether that entails going above and beyond to help a customer in a stressful situation or by adding window tinting or specialty lighting to his business, Cassity reaps the rewards of his ever-expanding offerings through his growing list of return customers.

“We’re in the customer service

business, we just happen to sell X. Whether that be car audio, leather or window tint, at the end of the day customers come to us because of the experience, not the product,” Cassity said.

“The most important person who comes into the store is the customer.”

It’s no wonder Cassity developed such a strong affinity for helping his customers considering his background working for so many companies that didn’t carry as strong an opinion on the subject. “From a very young age, the car stereo bug

»

bit me. I had bought products off of JC Whitney, Pyramid Electronics and a few low-end brands. I started out as a parttime installer at Circuit City around 1999 and worked my way to a management position with them,” he said. “It was one of the few places that would hire someone without professional experience.

I was let go in the structure change in an early round. There was a conflict with management, which made it more than a cost-saving measure for them. It gave me an opportunity to prove myself in spite of being let go.”

His disagreements with management at Circuit City led Cassity to make the fateful decision to start his own store, Alarms, Etc., a mobile installation company. Within six months, he knew he had made the right decision as the company was profitable enough to open its first retail location.

Over the course of two years, the company became a chain with two more locations, two in Lakeland, Fla. and the original remaining in Tampa.

In 2009, the Tampa store was sold as a franchise store, leaving the two Lakeland locations. Finally, in 2016, Cassity decided to consolidate both Lakeland locations into a single store to better streamline operations and cut down on overhead.

“It allowed us to increase some of the services we were offering and now we are a single location retailer,” he added. “That location in Tampa is over 30 miles away so we’re not in direct competition and still work together from time to time.”

The name change from Alarms, Etc. to Tunes-N-Tint was made due to the change in product sales, mainly that window film had become such a large seller. “While security was once our bread and butter, it’s not as big a part of our business as it once was. We still have a lot of customers who believe the head unit is the heart of the system,” Cassity said. “As more integrated systems are hitting our store, we’re seeing more need for OEM integration. Safety has also been a huge growth category for us. We were an early adopter of Mobileye and Rydeen’s 360 cameras.”

Part of the name change was the addition of the tagline “Automotive

Restyling,” which includes leather, upholstery, spray and bed liners, and truck accessories, which has been a huge growth opportunity for the store this year. “It gave us a strong focus, let us set up accounts with some of our key vendors like Keystone and Meyers to offer a wider range of products, vehicle lifts, graphics, wraps and electronics.”

The overall effect of consolidating his business has allowed Cassity to focus more on improving margins through strong customer service practices, in addition to lowering risk and liability exposure through having only one store.

Means to an End At its current location, Tunes-N-Tint consists of around 4,600 square feet of space, broken up into 1,200 for retail, 2,000 for the install bays, and 1,400 for office and storage space. Storing product is of particular use to Cassity, who utilizes its presence it as a selling tool on the show floor.

“We have a substantial amount of real estate dedicated to storing products. We don’t do bulk stacks but during sales and promotions it’s a great way to move product,” Cassity said. “When clients see products stacked on the sales floor with a sale tag attached to it, sometimes they will gravitate to it even if they weren’t in the market for it.”

Aside from word of mouth, a large portion of the store’s business comes from the 40,000 vehicles per day that pass by on the nearby highways. “The store we closed up was located near a downtown area. It was conducive to walking traffic which wasn’t really good for automotiverelated business,” Cassity added. “We have four automotive retailers in our same reasonable area. We do get some bleed over traffic from them.”

In addition to consumers, the

Fast Facts

TUNES-N-TINT www.tunesntint.com

Number of Stores: 1 Store Type: Boutique Number of Employees: 8

-= KEY STAFF =Joe Cassity

Operations Manager

Jessie Walker Store Manager

Angela Cassity Office Manager

Austin Thorne Lead Technician

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real world retail

Tunes-N-Tint has a large product offering visible in the show room to help show customers the types of work available to them.

store works with companies to aid in dealership and fleet work, including Enterprise Rent-a-Car. “We do some dealership work but the vast majority is them referring the customer to us and staying out of the transaction. The dealership work that we do, we’re not necessarily selling boxes or SKUs, we’re selling solutions,” Cassity said. “They don’t care what the SKUs or parts are; we tell them the price and provide a solution.”

When customers first enter the store, they are greeted and taken around the store to view all categories the store offers. Once an interest is taken by the customer in a particular product or products, they are taken to their vehicle for an inspection to determine further things they might need.

“When the customer comes back to the showroom, we give them different options based on the discovery we made at the car. For methods of closing, we offer financing, inquire when the

BEST LAID PLANS “This year we put together a promo/planning calendar. It’s a roadmap of all of the various promotions we intended on running in 2017. We normally did planning like this the month before. Instead we did all of 2017 in December/January. We planned out our days off, the various holidays which occur throughout the year and added sales/promotions to times of the year when business was soft.

“It was done simply to have a roadmap instead of typical shotgun planning. We try to run more sales/promotions. It helps us keep the store fresh and lively and [we] made sure that everyone on the team was on the same page as to what we would be doing and when.

“We utilized an Excel file and printed it out. We gave this to third party marketing clients and incorporated the graphics/ themes for each sale.

“By creating a large scale map, we were able to drill down into individual aspects and plan those out as well. Questions like when to change the road sign or when to send out email blasts or change price tags went away.

“The biggest challenge wasn’t coming up with the initial plan, it was following it. And we did an okay job at that but I didn’t expect 100 percent execution. My hope was simply

34 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

having a map that would keep us on the path.

“I can share the broad roadmap I started with. I’ve shared it with other dealers. Even if the average dealer only sticks to it half the time, they’ll likely be twice as successful as they would have been if they hadn’t had a plan at all. Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

customer wants it installed and avoid asking the customer if they’re going to buy it,” Cassity said. “Then assuming we did our job, we collect the sale, collect customer information in our POS system, a mandatory email address and end up with a high rate of email collection.”

Once the information is collected and the car is in the bay, the installation team uses special practices to inform each other and the client of the vehicle’s status. A review request is sent to every customer via text message link, with the customer’s permission up front.

“It’s increased our positive reviews significantly. We use a third party service that allows customers to leave reviews on Google, Facebook and Yelp. The vast majority do it through Google since it’s hooked into a lot of smartphones these days,” Cassity said. “We always struggled in the review department. It’s not hard to get a negative review, but getting them to leave a review through a third party system has helped us out quite a bit and incorporating that into our work flow. It’s important to have a predictable process to have a predictable outcome. We have a fairly young crew compared to some of my peers. I opened my store at 20.”

Defenders of the Cause Maintaining a store that has diverse product offerings is often easier said than done, but thanks to strong training practices and a staff that’s eager to learn, no job is too unique or challenging to take on. With a total of eight employees, including himself, Cassity has inspired his staff to remain loyal by providing them with growth opportunities and incentivebased pay.

“We offer incentives for positive reviews, credit app submissions, as well as commission paid on gross profit.

Before we incorporated reviews into our processes, we paid a bounty of $5 per positive review they received. They solicited by handing customers a card that says if you want to give me a tip, use the QR code and link to leave a positive review,” Cassity said. “My personal sales experience is a cultivation of different places over the years. I received training from Circuit City, Eddie Kay and Zig

Wrong Turn

“I’ve had a lot of marketing failures over the years. Often, doing an ad or running a campaign without any consideration of the big picture is the biggest problem. It’s a constant challenge for a small business with limited resources. The number one thing I’ve learned is to simply say no. I’m not advocating shops don’t advertise or market themselves, but you have to limit your spending and focus instead of doing shotgun marketing.

“My worst campaign has been on menus, TVs in restaurants and bowling alleys. The customer simply isn’t in the right mindset for it to be effective. It may give us an ego boost and be good for general branding campaigns, but in my experience the

patrons of those establishments simply ignore it. The reach on campaigns like that is also extremely limited.

“An existing customer came in, pushed the product, its value, and we took advantage of that. We put in dedicated call tracking numbers, but I didn’t get a single call in six months.

“I probably should have been more reserved and spent my marketing dollars on what I wanted to spend it on, not what someone recommended to me. I don’t think there’s a successful way to capture that type of business. It was done on a whim, not part of a stream or part of a broader marketing strategy.

I shouldn’t have expected good results. I didn’t plan very well.”

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real world retail

By adding diverse product categories like window tint, the store has managed to steadily increase its business each year.

Ziggler. We constantly engage in continual education either individually or as a group. We’re fortunate that some of our reps help deliver that, too.”

Part of the sales process is for staff to use their own vehicles to demo product. “We have a former SPL vehicle we are currently rebuilding. We also have a wrapped 2006 F-150 with a full stereo system,” Cassity said.

“Pickup trucks appeal to our local demographics.

We’re more rural than suburban. The average price tag is $50,000 to $80,000 vehicles.”

36 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

The staff ages range from 21 up to 57, with the shortest tenure of a year and a half and the longest being 10 years.

Time with the company, however, doesn’t seem to be an issue when it comes to productivity, considering one of the newest employees is also the 2016 Mobile Electronics Rookie of the Year.

“Austin Thorne is the lead technician.

He manages the day-to-day installations and performs installations. He also oversees the bay seeing that standards and procedures are followed,” Cassity said. “He did an internship with us immediately after graduating from the Installer Institute.”

Thorne isn’t the only one who executes with precision in the install bay, considering the majority of the team is certified with ASE, A6 electrical and MECP Basic. “ASE has more consumer recognition than MECP does. Hanging them side by side on the wall makes the conversation a lot easier with the client,” Cassity added.

Installation technicians are paid based on commission in an effort to allow higher-performing techs to be compensated for their performance.

The installation bay is supported by a dedicated wood working room, complete with table saw, dual router, dust collection system and down draft sanding table. As a special feature for customers, the staff solder all wires and use cloth tape when appropriate.

“We embrace technologies. We’ve utilized Plotters for cutting Film & Vinyl since back in 2001,” Cassity added.

“All of our team members are crosstrained. Some have core competencies and strengths compared to others.

We have one dedicated window film specialist who still helps out as needed in other departments and has former sales, installation and owner experience himself.”

Sales staff are trained to use interactive displays and use pre-planned steps as part of the sales process. Every category has a “good, better, best” option, although the staff use the terms “basic, premium, best/ultimate” for their internal terminology, according to Cassity.

Talk of the Town To advertise the store’s diverse product offerings, Cassity maintains a strong digital marketing presence. Internet marketing includes Google Adwords and Facebook ads.

“It seems to be the most measurable and quickest return on investment. We spend between five and 10 percent of our sales budget on marketing. It does better when we’re engaging in a larger promotional event,” Cassity said. “You can post all SKUs on Facebook, spend $50 and probably clear them out by the end of the day.”

To capture return customers, the store sends out regular e-newsletters and promotional sales content. While the store has more interactions with its salescentric newsletters than anything else, Cassity learned one major lesson from the failures that made them worth while.

“Some of our higher unsubscribes are an inadvertent function of our iOS. As far as I know there’s nothing that can be done to prevent that,” he said. “This last spring at KnowledgeFest, Marcel Newell answered a question about it. As long as you’re collecting more emails than your unsubscribes, you’re going in the right direction.”

Seasonal promotions also help the store generate regular revenue. Events like “Dads and Grads” and the 4th of July are promoted strongly with store signage and email blasts. The recent addition of posting every promotion’s start and end date on the shop’s annual calendar has helped greatly in the planning process, allowing Cassity’s team to maximize profits for every holiday.

“We also try to participate in larger local shows. Austin Thorne is putting on a car show across the street here in August: the Lake Mirror Classic car event. It’s not just classic cars.

It’s a high attendance event for car enthusiasts,” Cassity said. “We bring out displays, merchandise, tents and always get power. I firmly believe in interactive displays for shows like that as well as a demo car. We may be doing a tent sale at the end of summer to coincide with our store remodel and store flip.”

The store takes its show on the road at local events, and includes a power generator to ensure its product displays are fully functioning.

Better Than Ever After consolidating his business to one location and changing his product offerings, Cassity has improved his business in more ways than just increased profits.

The company has made the Mobile Electronics Top 50 retailers for 2017 and its lead installer, Austin Thorne, has won the 2016 Rookie of the Year award.

“It’s awesome for one of our staff members to get national recognition. It helps with morale and helps us distinguish ourselves from the

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real world retail

The installation bay adheres to strong procedures of cleanliness and uses a dedicated wood working room for fabrication projects.

Pickup trucks, like those seen here, make up a large portion of the company’s business.

Friends to the End

“Kenwood is one of our key vendors. We’ve been selling Kenwood as an Excelon retailer for over a decade. It was one of the first few brands we had a direct relationship with. We have great relationships with all of our vendors and their reps.

“The sales rep makes all the difference in the world and that’s with any brand. Bill Freeman has been our rep for Rockford, HushMat, AudioControl, FirstTech, Accele and many other brands over the years. Bill has been Kenwood’s Rep of the Year five times running.

“Kenwood’s navigation products often open the doors to much larger tickets.

The head unit is still like an ‘anchor product’ in car audio for us and in the eyes of the consumer. Features such as Apple

38 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

CarPlay have been great conversation starters and the comfort and security of onboard navigation is still important to a lot of customers.

“I’m very excited about driver safety integrations and general in-dash integrations. Integrating the various technologies is something the aftermarket is sorely lacking. This is a great step in that direction; it is a great conversation piece and a way to sell premium dash cams, a category we currently don’t support.

“Kenwood has various incentives structured around volume and support.

The X-rewards programs are a great way to keep staff excited and engaged. It’s one of the few brands where we get multiple trainings during the year depending on release cycles.”

rest of the pack. In Florida, stereo shops are a dime a dozen so we have to make sure we stand out in customers’ minds,” Cassity said. “We’re constantly striving and pushing ourselves to be better. In the past year, we’ve redone our install bays, including cabinetry. We’ve removed clutter, captured before and after pictures of vehicles and redid our sign at the beginning of last year. We’re doing even more in our showroom remodel.”

Once the remodel is complete, the store will streamline its inventory management and business practices to increase sales and volume. While there’s no employee handbook in place to capture those practices, Cassity says there are plenty of processes and procedures in place that could be turned into a handbook if needed. “Process and procedures are designed out of need. In a smaller organization, the core processes are stronger than in a larger, disconnected organization,” he added.

For the long-term, Cassity hopes to hit close to $2 million in annual revenue with the ability to expand product offerings even further. Adding offerings will require a larger facility to accommodate more product and more bay space, but Cassity feels it will all be possible as long as he and his staff follow his own advice.

“We’re in an industry that is sometimes cutthroat competitive. We keep competing over the same piece of the pie when the pie is a lot bigger than we realize,” Cassity said. “Quit chasing your competition—start chasing your customers.” 

TM

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Technology Education

Information Partnerships

Mobile Electronics believes a strong, growing specialist channel is critical to the future of the automotive aftermarket industry. ®

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We are committed to providing channel support that includes education, access to information, technology, and media.

We believe industry growth depends on our dealer members investing in their businesses in order to make them better and stronger, while delivering an exceptional customer experience.

Contact us today to become a Mobile Electronics® partner.

Mobile Electronics® • info@mobile-electronics.com • 800-949-6372

 The Support Team

Phantom Assistance With its in-field experts outfitted in Phantom vehicles, this AAMP Global support team is resetting retailers, reviving passion, and returning the industry to the art of selling.

WORDS BY JAMIE SORCHER

Editor’s Note: This month we kick off a new series called The Support Team to take a closer look at how manufacturers are handling support functions across the board whether it’s customer support, tech support, rep support—it all needs to come together to keep wheels turning. Read on for our first installment featuring AAMP.

Mike Eckley, Team Phantom Sales Manager, Florida

40 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

T

aking care of folks, whether it’s dealers or consumers, requires some hand holding, a touch of tough love, and a sense of humor. Just take a look at AAMP’s support page on their website which reads: “WE’RE HERE FOR YOU. Drop us a line, give us a call, or send your carrier pigeon if that’s how you roll.”

AAMP has taken an aggressive but

innovative approach to support with its Team Phantom initiative. In the middle of its two-year rollout, the program sets a new standard in retail support in the 12-volt industry. The core of Team Phantom revolves around in-field experts who provide solution consultations and leading edge customer service, sales support, and product training for AAMP’s network of retail partners.

“We are the first line of defense for AAMP to the dealer and we’re also the marketing voice at consumer-based shows,” said Mike Eckley, Team Phantom sales manager and Mobile Electronics Sales Rep of the Year. “We are a multi-hat function—we’re technical support, sales support, and marketing support. We go in and help dealers merchandise their stores. We solidify sales business with our inside salesperson. We essentially are the

eyes and ears of AAMP that are constantly moving out on the street.”

The Phantom team is now in six regions with the larger rollout to encompass a team of 40 for the full-blown Phantom Nation.

Outfitted in high-impact, experiential AAMP-branded showcase vehicles, 2014 to 2017 Chevy 1500s, these special vehicles allow AAMP’s partners to fully immerse themselves in AAMP Power Brands solutions and preview new products pre-launch.

“Right now we are Team Phantom conducts trainings for retailers all over the country, helping them to right in the middle of the retool their businesses and stay up-to-date on the latest products. full launch so we are still about a year-and-a-half out,” Eckley said, website.

“When Klatt became the CEO of AAMP, who handles the Florida region. “In “Those things haven’t gone away just it was easy for him to implement this the Northwestern territory—the Seatbecause we now have Phantoms,” Eckley swarm idea because he already knew the tle market—there is Mike Hall. In the said. “We just have a faster response time success it would have,” said Eckley. “He Dallas, Texas area we have Kevin Allen. in that aspect, but we are still regionally knew we needed guys on the street; we Rick Ross is in the Bible Belt region— based and the team is still in its infancy.” needed guys out there that would bleed Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and some AAMP.” of Mississippi. Jason Denton is in the Step Inside And Be Surprised Next it was a matter of getting the northern to mid-eastern area covering When CEO David Klatt, Jr. took the trucks and loading them with all of the Pennsylvania, part of New York, and New helm of AAMP over two years, he brought products and dealer support materials.

Jersey. Our latest member is Steve Rogers with him some ideas to jumpstart the Inside is everything from Phoenix Gold who handles the Chicago/Dakota market.” sales programs. While at Black & Decker speakers and amplifiers to Stinger wiring Team Phantom doesn’t replace the and DeWalt Tools, Klatt was part of the and accessories to Stinger batteries to standard procedures already in place. For senior sales leadership involved with Stinger RoadKill products, along with instance, there is still the 800-number “swarm teams” that would go out to PAC automotive integration pieces, and (hit option 2) and it puts someone store openings, regional events, and EchoMaster safety products. through to technical support. For marketconstruction sites to host demos to “We’ve got product outfitted in the ing questions, dealers can send an e-mail build awareness for the brands and the vehicles so someone can walk in, see request through a generator on the products. what is new, check it out, try it, and then

me-mag.com 41

 The Support Team we can go to the back and install it,” said Eckley. “That is what the Phantom team does. We take every aspect of the business from AAMP and put it in the hands of the retailer when we are right there. It is much like being a rep, but we are a concentrated rep. We are only focused on AAMP-branded products.”

The success to date isn’t just due to loading up the trucks with the right product. It’s also about Team Phantom’s long-tenured and knowledgeable sales staff.

“We have all been in the industry a very long time and we all have strengths that make us better than any one person on the team,” Eckley said. “Each of us has A Phantom Team member hosts a training for retailers.

15 to 20 years of experience in this industry. We’re not a marketing team being managed by an outside firm. We this,” Eckley said. “There are folks driving are car audio enthusiasts who had shops, by and see this awesome looking truck Ready, Reset, Go were reps, worked for other manufacturand wonder what it is and what is hapAll of the Phantom visits touch on the ers—so the team is put together from that pening. Maybe that even prompts them fundamentals. “Sometimes we are with aspect.” to stop and come in. I have had people guys who are super business savvy so we follow me to a shop because they’re just don’t need to spend a lot of time on the Drive-In curious—‘What have you got in there? statistics—we just educate them on the When the Team Phantom truck pulls in Where can I get it?’ I cannot tell you how new products,” Eckley said. “Other times at a retailer’s location there are a number many times that has happened.” we’re going in and teaching a retailer of ways the shop benefits. The vehicle can One of the biggest benefits, according how to be more profitable. Or, it could be used as an event builder, teaching tool, to Eckley, is that when he rolls into the be that we’re teaching a retailer how to or an experience. “We set up whatever is lot he has a captive audience. “When I merchandise.” needed for that retailer visit,” said Eckley. visit that retailer, I have their undivided That, it turns out, can be a critical issue “We call ahead, make the appointment, attention for an hour if I need it,” he said. for retailers. “Sometimes a shop has old and have some agenda items like maybe “If I’m doing a training, I might have two inventory and it’s time to update their talking about new products. Maybe it’s or three hours. I have had retailers tell wall because the stuff has been there too about having the retailer experience the me they want to take a customer out to long,” Eckley said. “I have had some of my new PG speakers that we just came out the truck so we can demo the RoadKill accounts for 15 years so I know what is with. It might be ‘Hey, we just put all the products, for instance. At that point, it going on. At a certain point, I’m trying to new amps in the truck so you really need becomes an opportunity for us to show help the retailer refresh that wall because to listen to the new ones versus the old retailers how to do a proper demo and I want them to expand and have the new ones.’ Again, we use the truck for whatrelate to them why it is so important for products. I might offer them a buy back ever is needed at that day’s positioning.” them to build a demo car for their shop. opportunity or stock adjustment opportuBefore anyone even gets inside the Having a display board is great, but only nity. I can do that on the fly. I take the old Phantom truck, it does its job as an atten- gives the consumer a one-sided listening packaging off the wall, I inventory it, and tion-getter creating a visual outside of the position. If someone is in a demo car, the call it into my internal sales guy who hanstore much like a billboard. “It’s exciting person gets a feel for what it might sound dles the area and asks what we can do to for the customers at the store who see like in their car.” set this retailer back to new. Sometimes

42 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

Mike Eckley awards a Phoenix Gold DSP to the owner of Ultimate Auto, an AAMP retailer.

“It’s important that we have an open dialogue with retailers the minute we start this process. I don’t care if they call me at 10 pm. If they’re working, I’m working. it’s a one-to-one deal because it’s a very good customer. Sometimes we take stuff back and give the retailer 50 percent on the dollar for what it was worth. We take that, apply it as a credit and refresh the store.”

The big benefit, according to Eckley, is that it heals the retailer of product that’s been kicking around the shop for years and years and just isn’t selling. “Maybe it’s outdated,” said Eckley. “Maybe it’s an old iPod 30-pin connector that nobody has anymore and they didn’t sell through them all. They feel like they’re stuck with this stuff, but we can take that situation, turn it around, and in the process build our business relationship.”

Hitting that reset button is a delicate matter. Eckley understands the combination of sensitivity and encouragement that needs to be shown when helping retailers through that process. “We can see when we visit a retailer if they’ve got Stinger product from 10 years ago and we want to talk through things with them,” he said. “I’ll go in to a retailer and just say ‘Show me some of your old stuff.’

Sometimes they forget they even have it so it’s a nostalgic way for them to rewind the clock. But it’s also a way for me to figure out how to capture more business with a retailer. How can I earn that business? That I took that extra hour to go through their inventory, find out which pieces aren’t moving anymore, and reset the ones that are, allows me to make their business healthy.”

Once the Phantom truck leaves, there is follow-up to make sure the retailer is on a steady course. “We have an internal

sales team that takes over at a certain point. We work with our inside teammates which is why it is called Team Phantom. It isn’t just a one-to-one situation out there. For the six Phantom trucks out there, each is linked to an interior sales guy. Those are the follow-through guys—they are the ones maintaining that day-to-day relationship,” Eckley said. “As a Phantom, if I just reset a guy, then it’s my job to make sure that it’s successful so I manage that. Maybe I set something up to go back in a week to make sure everything is okay, that there are no questions, and that they have my phone number.

It’s important that we have an open dialogue with them the minute we start this process. I don’t care if they call me at 10 pm. If they’re working, I’m working.

That is how the relationship is being built because we know the intimacy of their business. We’re a business partner at that point—we’re not just a vendor or a rep.”

We’re All In This Together One reason why the timing for Team Phantom is so appropriate is because of the shift in how consumers buy product today and how the whole retail selling experience has completely changed. The Internet and social media have played a huge part in changing how people purchase products.

“The art of selling has tapered off because the end-user, the consumer, can educate themselves so fast on the Internet that now sometimes they’ve overeducated themselves, said Eckley.

“You get that consumer who comes in to the shop who is overeducated and tries

to play stump the chump. These folks try to make the retailer look like he doesn’t know what he’s doing. We have all experienced that guy in one way or another.

That is why we need to arm our retailers with ways to combat that. We need to re-center them because a store that is out of date isn’t up with the times. The shop owners who haven’t reset their stores since the day they opened their doors are the guys who are calling tech on a daily basis. That’s what we’re trying to do in our regions as the Phantoms—make sure nobody is stuck in the early 2000s. There is too much product out there now that can keep them ahead of the curve.”

With any support that AAMP offers, the key for retailers is to ask. “If you don’t ask, the answer is always no,” Eckley said. “We have to get out retailers asking the right questions. That is what we are trying to teach these guys from a Phantom perspective. It’s about engagement—and getting back to the art of salesmanship. It’s about getting back to why we got into this industry. A lot of us are still passionate about this. It’s not a job for me. If it was a job I would go do something else. We just want to light the fire back under our industry—as a whole and for AAMP. When we get that warm and fuzzy from the retailer, it’s like we went in, hit the reset button for that guy, and he came back to life. Somebody is finally paying attention to him.” 

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The Power of SEO Since most people look online for businesses first, it only makes sense to utilize the tools available. Experts explain why a business could suffer without search engine optimization.

WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

W

ith millions of other websites and online pages competing for attention, the best that a business can do is think of a search engine as a partner. Rather than trying to conquer the search engine so the website appears on the first page of the listings, consider how best to attract attention and draw in viewers. This is done through search engine optimization, or SEO. For those who are unfamiliar with search engine optimization, the term is simplified by comparing SEO to billboard advertising, according to Michael Irving, co-founder of Intech Together, an IT support and web development company.

44 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

“It’s your digital billboard, but not just that, it’s the stuff around the billboard,” Irving said. “Imagine you’re deciding to get a billboard. You’re not going to get one that’s 300 miles away; you’ll get one closer. If your clientele are people who do cars, they modify high-end vehicles, the best place is right next to the high-end dealership. Find and see what is available, what side of the street [is best].”

Irving added that SEO is comprised of the details surrounding “the billboard” itself; for example, placement, keywords and key phrases. What are the right words to use? What will draw in the viewer?

“How are people searching it? What words do I put into my search to find it?”

Irving said. “Those words, phrases, key

phrases, zip codes, these are areas used in order to drive traffic. That’s what SEO is.”

How SEO Works Soundscape Car Audio of Carrollton, Texas relies totally on SEO to drive traffic. Traditional advertising is no longer as effective. “We don't do any print, TV or radio ads, so referrals, Internet and social media are our primary sources of clientele,” said Dan Ungaro, owner of Soundscape. Search engine optimization is therefore an essential tool.

Adam Miller, managing director of Web Badger, noted that SEO is all about how a search engine views a website. “Do the Googles, Bings, Yahoos, view a website favorably? If yes, it translates into more calls, and more customers,” he explained.

Irving added that SEO simply involves Ungaro handles it himself. “I designed first step, before SEO is brought into the text boxes of information and characters. and maintained my website, so there picture.

“People refer to web crawlers,” Irving was a learning curve with SEO,” he said.

“If I look at it from the business ownsaid. “They are looking for those text “When I redesigned it, I had to learn very er’s perspective, do they honestly have boxes to identify what your website is. quickly so I could get our ranking back the time to become an SEO expert? It’s Are you going to say 12-volt industry [as up. It took a few months of research and easy to watch a video or read a book and a key phrase]? A client isn’t going to be tagging the site correctly to regain firstsay you know everything there is to know looking for that. As a client, I’m going to page status, but it happened much faster about SEO,” Miller cautioned. “One of the be looking for backup cameras most influential SEO books is in Dallas, for example. [Using] over 700 pages long. It’s easy zip codes. Another part of SEO to read ‘SEO for Dummies’ and is your description, the two or think you’re an expert, but to three sentences that pop up I designed and maintained my website, so there think you know all the nuances under the site link. They read and how Google changes these was a learning curve with SEO. When I redethat, scanning through the algorithms in a couple days’ signed it, I had to learn very quickly so I could results.” All of these factors go time, isn’t going to happen.” into making your site more vis- get our ranking back up. It took a few months of The learning is continuous research and tagging the site correctly to regain and requires a person dedicated ible to search engines, and to potential clients. Using proper first-page status, but it happened much faster to the task. “Does the business keywords and targeting them have an individual with the than I expected. locally is a good strategy in technical acumen to work on Dan Ungaro, Owner, Soundscape Car Audio multiple digital platforms? It’s search engine optimization.

According to Miller, over 82 not just on the website, [it’s] percent of shoppers’ research also offsite SEO that needs begins online. “Not to say to be done. The time is a big these clients are purchasing thing. Is there enough discionline, but when they make a call, they than I expected.” pline involved to develop content every have searched before they have called or Miller handles SEO for businesses. month?” Often, a business or dedicated walked through the door,” he said. “In While a business can certainly handle individual may start strong, but other order to gain viewership to websites, you its own SEO, as Soundscape does, it things get in the way. need SEO to catch this 82 percent that comes down to examining a few factors “I find specializing in one field typically shops or researches online.” first, before deciding whether to tackle it will get better results than trying to be Some years ago, it was standard proin-house or outsource the task. “There’re a jack of all trades. They may see really cedure to look for a phonebook when quite a few components that need to be good results, though,” Miller added. While seeking a business. Miller pointed out answered first before they can say, yes, many businesses do very well handling that businesses needed to be listed within we can do that,” Miller said. “What’s the their own SEO, it’s important to underthe first pages of a section in order to website they have? If you’re dealing with stand what the job entails if you’re just get the most attention. “Chances are a site that’s not mobile responsive, withgetting started and to be prepared for the good [the customer] would have picked out plugins or software, it’s going to be an many changes ahead. up a phonebook. If the business was uphill battle.”

Noting all the difficulties that come listed toward the back of the category, Whether a website is mobile-friendly with learning how to work with search they would receive fewer calls than or not is a huge consideration. Most engine optimization, Ungaro noted that those listed in the beginning,” he added. people have smartphones and will look “content is king.”

“Search engine listings behave in the things up throughout the day, as they “It's a walk in the dark for a techsame way. If you’re on page one, you’ll think of them. If a potential customer turned-shop-owner like me,” he receive more calls. If you’re on page three finds your business via Google, and taps continued. “I can't say I am a guru with or four, you’ll receive less.” on the website link, they won’t stay long SEO—far from it. If you are doing good if the site is not mobile friendly. “Google work and taking the time to present it, Outsourcing Versus DIY has been saying for years we need natuthen you're doing what you need to. The Search engine optimization involves a ral language, mobile-first technology on nuts and bolts of optimizing a website lot of work and dedication. Some busiall our websites,” Miller added, stating and making it searchable are importnesses may elect to handle all of this that a business without a mobile-friendly ant, but what do they see when they get themselves, while others may outsource website is wasting their time when it there? Is it canned, or is it indicative of the work to companies that will do it for comes to search engine optimization. the work you do?” them.

The mobile-friendly website must be the By focusing on quality work, content

me-mag.com 45

Adam Miller is managing director of Web Badger, a company specializing in SEO for 12-volt specialists.

and placing the website in multiple platforms, Ungaro is able to increase the website’s ranking. “This all serves to bolster your SEO ranking because it drives real traffic to your site,” he explained.

“Google sees that and watches how long people stay on your site. If you have good content, they will stay longer. If you have a blog or video that keeps them engaged, you've won their ear for a few minutes and engaged them. Isn't that what we are going for?”

If a business is considering doing this for themselves, it’s important to consider all the factors, especially one of the biggest—the time needed to conduct research. Plugins are available through website creators, such as Wordpress, and by using these plugins and managing it themselves, business owners may have fantastic results. “A good SEO plugin forces content developers into a certain way of formatting their written content that’s going to be favorable in an SEO realm,” Miller explained. “It forces keyword rich formats and makes sure [keywords are used] throughout the website. It’s going more for how the content is structured. It’s a forced keyword into that content.”

Business owners may be wondering which is the better option—hire someone or use plugins to manage their own SEO? Neither option is necessarily better, according to Miller, because an expert

46 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

will use plugins as well. A plugin simply means a tool that allows keywords and phrases to be more easily modified. “I think the two work hand in hand,” he said regarding website plugins and SEO. “Someone you’re hiring to perform SEO, if they are worth their salt, will use plugins.

I am sure you can do it by hand, but why do that when you have software that can assist you? They are going to make it better. They aren’t mutually exclusive; they are better when combined.”

Search engine optimization covers a broad spectrum of factors, and can be managed by a business through something like a Wordpress plugin or an agency that may charge thousands of dollars per month. The differences between these two avenues are not necessarily cost, but come down to some very specific questions a business owner must answer, such as: Does the business have someone who can handle this task? Is there time enough in the day? Or, does it make more sense to outsource any work related to SEO? This depends entirely on the business and their answers to these pertinent questions.

To help decide, Irving recommended making a simple comparison. While any business can handle their own SEO, will it work for them? Irving stated that, if he really wanted to, he could handle his own payroll and write checks. “But I recognize that’s not what I do all day. That’s not

my forte,” he said. “I don’t know all the ins and outs of HR rules. I outsource to a payroll company. I spend a few seconds a week on it and that’s it. Everyone can do it, but is it worth it to bring someone else in? The benefits of having someone else do SEO is they already know the keywords to use, and they can make modifications quickly. It’s another thing you don’t have to mess with, [like payroll].”

Continuously Learning If SEO is still a gray area, begin researching today. For Ungaro, the most difficult part of understanding how SEO worked was figuring out how the specific platform he was using handled it. “I used Webydo to build my site, so it was important for me to research how they handle SEO tagging,” he said.

At one point, the business’s website operated from WIX, and their procedure for SEO tagging was much different, according to Ungaro. “I wish I had known the specifics of SEO for Webydo before I built the site. Retroactively updating it proved to be time-consuming. Had I known the importance of compressing images before placing them on the site, I could have saved all the time I am looking forward to spending speeding up the load time,” he explained. “Through the research I did, it seemed apparent the SEO on a WIX site was not as good as other platforms. This was the catalyst for

A strong SEO strategy should result in a store coming up on the first page of Google search results, as seen here with Soundscape Car Audio.

Soundscape Car Audio relies on the Internet and SEO to drive its business.

me completely rebuilding the site. Google looks at different encodings differently, so it's a good idea to keep up with the search engine changes.”

If a business is considering handling all their own SEO, a good first step in research is to talk to other business owners and find out what they do. This way, the business can learn about the different website platforms, the various SEO plugins and how to manipulate them, and they can find enough information upon which to base an educated decision.

“Ask someone who has done it before,” Irving advised. “You’ve got lots of people you can ask. Google it, research. When I don’t know and I don’t have time, that’s when I look for companies to outsource to.”

Those who have difficulty understanding search engine optimization and what

it entails often put off getting involved, according to Miller. “The one thing that we see over and over again is procrastination due to lack of understanding from the business owner’s perspective,” Miller said. “It’s human nature; if you don’t understand, you’re going to be reluctant or afraid, so they don’t do anything at all or wait six months to get started because they don’t feel they are educated enough.”

If a business wants to move in this direction, it’s important to get started right away. After all, everything is moving to digital, according to Miller. “It surpassed all forms of advertising last year,” he added. “It will only increase. Don’t allow lack of understanding to influence the business decision of getting started.

Find a partner you can work with and move forward.” 

16691 Noyes Ave Irvine, Ca 92606 (877) 567-3030 www.elettromedia-usa.com me-mag.com 47

 tech today

DSP Tuning Andy Wehmeyer wraps up his tutorial in DSP tuning by explaining the difference between amateur and professional tuning work.

WORDS BY ANDY WEHMEYER

In the last segment on this topic, I suggested a process to be used in the installation bay for tuning cars that’s effective and efficient. For some readers, this process may differ greatly from what you’ve been told by numerous enthusiasts, sound quality judges and other accomplished tuners. So, before we get started here, I’d like to explain why.

There’s a big difference between tuning cars as a profession and tuning cars as a hobby. For the hobbyist, the tuning is often the end rather than the means. The tuner likes to spend hours experimenting, listening and retuning.

For the professional, these extra hours spent on listening and retuning eat into our profits and our ability to move on to the next car.

Finding Balance First, my objective in all of the tech tips I write—whether those tips are on the Audiofrog web forum, on Facebook or in articles like this one—is to provide

48 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

an appropriate balance between speed, predictability and performance. In the interest of speed and predictability, I favor objective processes that don’t require us to use our ears and make a thousand subjective analyses and an endless series of adjustments. There’s a place for subjective analysis, but that’s after all objective measures have been exhausted.

There’s a temptation among many of us to see the speedy and objective process as worse than the lengthy “artisan” process of tuning primarily by ear. This is a fallacious argument if the quality of the performance that the two processes provide is the same or even similar.

Here’s an example: Every subwoofer box built for a round subwoofer needs a hole in the baffle that fits the subwoofer.

What’s the appropriate tool? Most of us would immediately say it’s a router with a circle template or a circle cutting jig.

For some, the answer is a CNC router.

We don’t bash these processes as lacking the necessary opportunity to include our “art” or our skill in the process, even

though cutting the circle freehand and with no line to follow using a jigsaw would better demonstrate our circle cutting skills.

What are the chances that we’d cut a circle with a jigsaw and no guide to follow as accurately as our CNC machine?

Not good. Eventually, with a series of files and sandpaper, we might get close and after a much longer process, we could demonstrate that the outcomes are similar. What’s the difference? Cost. If we’re charging the customer $30 to cut a round hole, then it behooves us to use the most efficient method that provides an appropriate outcome.

In our circle cutting example, the objective process is not only speedier, it’s more accurate, too. Determining if the circle is correct is a simple matter; either the speaker fits or it doesn’t fit.

“Hey, there’s a difference. Sound is subjective but a circle isn’t!”

Yes, that’s true. Sound is somewhat subjective. Some customers prefer more bass. Some prefer less high frequency content. That doesn’t change what

Figure 1: Unsmoothed measurements made in a 7-inch circle around the position of the driver’s head. stereo systems and a stereo recordings are designed to do. That design dictates what’s correct. The system is correct when the left and right frequency responses match and the signals arrive at the listener in phase. After it is correct, we can make some adjustments for personal preference.

When we are tuning cars, our objective tools and the information they display allow us to see how far from correct we are in each step of the process. Because of the way our brains work in processing what we hear, it’s helpful for us to use analysis methods that correlate well with what we hear. Some measurement processes are better than others.

We’re all probably familiar with the situation in which the RTA curve appears to be correct, but the car sounds terrible.

In some cases, tuners use this as a reason to reject the tool, rather than look deeper into the reason that what appears to be correct is not. The first question to ask in that situation is, “Does this measurement make sense?” The second question is, “What am I really measuring?” The RTA doesn’t lie, but it also doesn’t completely characterize the performance of the system. It shows us one aspect of performance.

Do tools exist that allow us to completely characterize the performance of the system? Sure. Do we all know how to use them? No. Is it necessary to completely characterize and correct everything? No. Our next consideration should be, “Which deviations from correct are inaudible?” We don’t need to focus on those. If we don’t need to focus on them, then we don’t need to spend money and

Figure 2: Unsmoothed average of the five measurements in figure 1.

time analyzing them during a production tuning process. As a skills-building exercise to be conducted on our own time, learning those processes and how to use those tools may make us better able to identify problems and solutions, but those activities should be extracurricular.

When we’ve improved those skills to the point at which we can deploy them to increase accuracy, predictability or efficiency, we should introduce them into our process.

The objective of this article is to clear up a few misunderstandings about what we measure, what it means and what’s sufficient based on audibility.

Frequency Response The first topic is frequency response measurements. Is a single microphone measurement sufficient or do we need to make multiple measurements and find an average? There’s no question among acousticians that the multiple-mic measurement technique better correlates with what we hear. This means that what we see on the graph looks more like what we experience, but by how much and what’s the basis for this process?

For car stereo systems optimized for one seat, we are primarily concerned about performance for the driver. We often think of this position as completely stationary. The driver looks forward at the road while he drives, right? Hmmm… maybe not. We move our heads all the time. We look to the left, we look to the right, we look up and down. Sometimes we do that unconsciously in order to localize sounds we hear. A spatial average measurement is meant to approximate these head movements and to eliminate a

comb filter that we measure with a single mic, but we don’t hear that with our ears in the same way. In the frequency response measurement in figure 1, there are five measurements displayed. These measurements of the passenger’s side speaker system, including the sub, were made with the microphone in the driver’s seat. The microphone was placed in five positions in a 7-inch circle.

In Figures 1 and 2 it’s pretty easy to see that there are two distinct regions and a transition region. Below 200Hz, the five measurements are very similar. No matter where we move our head (or the microphone), we hear the same thing.

Above 1kHz, the measurements vary a lot.

Moving the mic changes the frequency response by 25dB or more. Not only do the measurements vary from position to position, they include a lot of very narrow peaks and dips. These variances and the peaks and dips are caused by reflections from the interior of the car. We don’t hear them unless we play a sine wave or some other steady state signal while we move our heads. When we listen to music, this is far less audible.

The region in between 200Hz and 1kHz is a transition region in which the measurements begin to diverge.

Figure 2 is the average of those five measurements. This better represents what we’ll hear in terms of frequency response (see Figure 2).

I made these measurements with Room EQ Wizard. Since they are sweep measurements, and computing the average is a post process, using the average and adjusting the EQ in real time isn’t possible. That compromises our ability to tune this car quickly. If you have

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 tech today

Figure 3: Average measurements and one of the original five measurements. No smoothing. extra time, this is a good way to analyze.

We’re interested improving efficiency, so it would be helpful to have a process that can display a similar graph that shows us improvements as we equalize.

Figure 3 is a graph that shows the average of the five measurements along with one of those original five. Besides the really narrow peaks and dips, the overall shapes are pretty similar (see Figure 3).

50 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

Figure 4: Unsmoothed average and single mic measurement smoothed to 1/12 of an octave.

What if we smooth the single mic measurement? Will it look more similar to the average? Figure 4 shows the average of the five measurements and our single mic measurement smoothed to 1/12 of an octave. With a few small exceptions, they match pretty well (see Figure 4).

Now, if we remember that moving our heads makes small peaks and dips inaudible at frequencies above about 1kHz, maybe at frequencies above 1kHz,

further smoothing will provide better correlation.

In figure 5, I’ve applied 1/6 octave smoothing to both the average and the single mic measurement and they correlate much better. There are a few small exceptions at 2.6kHz, 1.2kHz, 602Hz, 445Hz and 334Hz. Everywhere else, the curves match pretty well. So, a single mic measurement smoothed to 1/6 octave might almost be a suitable substitute for a spatial average if it weren’t for those five frequencies (see Figure 5).

If we look more carefully we’ll see that at every one of those points where the single mic measurement differs from the average, the peak or the dip in the single mic measurement is narrow. We shouldn’t equalize those. If we’re using a parametric EQ in our process, then we can make a simple rule that we shouldn’t use a filter with a Q value higher than six. That simple rule will prevent us from equalizing what shouldn’t be equalized.

So, what have we discovered? In a basic sense, we’ve determined that a single mic measurement with 1/6 octave smoothing is sufficient to approximate a spatial average around the listener’s head. We’ve also determined that we should limit our parametric EQ filters to Q values lower than six. That’s simple. Now we can analyze in real time while we make our adjustments and also see the results in real time. We’ve also applied a limit to our equalization process that prevents us from getting lost in the weeds. We’ve optimized our process for speed, cost and appropriate accuracy, based on what’s audible. We’ve built ourselves a basic algorithm that improves efficiency while

Figure 5: Both measurements smoothed to 1/6th octave. maintaining the accuracy that’s necessary.

The next topic from the last article in this series that deserves some additional explanation is choosing and applying crossovers.

The Selection Process There are lots of choices and even more opinions about which ones are the best.

Arguments for and against the various slopes and alignments often include all kinds of crazy suppositions about the effects of phase shift, arguments that purport a gradual roll off to be better because they allow the speakers to “blend.” Some people advocate “brick wall” filters or even asymmetrical filters (12dB/octave high pass and 24dB/octave low pass). Some just choose crossover alignments because the name sounds exotic without any real understanding of the performance. I’m a big fan of Russian food, but that’s not a good reason to choose a Chebyshev alignment.

The simple explanation of crossovers is that they are filters we use to assign the duty of playing certain bands of frequencies to speakers best suited for the job. That transition should be inaudible.

That means that we should hear the midrange and the tweeter, for example, as if they were one speaker. Basic crossover design assumes that the distance from each speaker to the listener or to the microphone is the same. Setting delays appropriately ensures this.

The suggestion that crossovers are bad because they shift phase is too simple to be useful. Yes, they shift phase. That’s how crossovers work. Phase in a low pass filter lags the input and phase in a high

pass filter leads the input. A properly designed and executed crossover is simply an arrangement; the amount by which the low pass lags and the high pass leads are complementary and cause the sum of the sound of the two speakers to combine to hit the target.

When two identical sine waves—or music waveforms of any shape—are in phase, they combine to +6dB. When they are 180 degrees out of phase, they cancel each other. When they are 90 degrees

Figure 6: 6dB/octave crossover frequency response and phase. out of phase, they combine to +3dB. All crossover alignments are efforts in managing the frequency response and the phase response to arrive at a target.

In figure 6, the high pass and low pass sections of a 6dB/octave crossover are displayed. The crossover point is 3kHz and both the high pass and the low pass sections are -3dB at 3kHz. The result of the 6dB crossover, if the frequency response of the speakers with the filters applied matches these targets

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 tech today

Figure 7: 12dB/octave crossover frequency response and phase. and the sound from the speakers arrives at the same time, will be flat response.

That works because at the crossover point, both the high pass and the low pass are -3dB and the 90-degree phase relationship makes the sum +3dB (see Figure 6).

In figure 7, the high pass and low pass sections of a 12dB/octave crossover are shown. In this alignment (called Butterworth 6) the slopes are 12dB/octave and the high pass and low pass are each -6dB at the crossover frequency of 3kHz (see Figure 7).

If we look carefully at the phase graphs of each, we see that the speakers are 180 degrees out of phase at all frequencies.

At the crossover where the sound of both speakers play, this 180-degree phase relationship will create a deep and narrow dip in the response at 3kHz. We can fix that hole by swapping the polarity of either the midrange or the tweeter.

In the Butterworth 3 alignment, in which both sides of the crossover are -3dB at the crossover, the response will include either a wider and deeper dip than the Butterworth 6 or a small +3dB hump in the response at the crossover when the polarity of one side is swapped (remember, in phase sums to +6dB and the speakers are both -3dB at the crossover; the 3dB hump is the rest of that 6dB).

Figure 8 shows the high pass and low pass sections of a Linkwitz-Riley 4 alignment. The slopes are 24dB/octave, the crossover is 3kHz and the high pass and low pass sections are both -6dB at the crossover frequency. The phase

52 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

relationship between the HP and LP is 360 degrees, which is similar to zero degrees. With the speakers connected in the proper polarity, the crossover becomes flat (see Figure 8).

Remember, however, that the real crossover is the acoustic output of our speaker. So, in order to make these crossovers work the way they’re supposed to work, the output of the speakers have to match these slopes as closely as possible.

Let’s see what happens when we apply each of these to a real tweeter. Figure 9 is our 6dB/octave filter applied to the tweeter (see Figure 9).

It’s pretty easy to see that the acoustic output of the speaker isn’t very close to the target response.

Figure 10 is our 12dB/octave crossover applied to the same tweeter. This is better than the 6dB crossover, but there’s still room for improvement. Remember, if we use the 12dB slopes, we’ll have to reverse the polarity of the tweeter or the mid (see Figure 10).

Another thing to note in the two figures above is that the tweeter is still getting a lot of power below the crossover frequency around its resonance. Speakers make the most distortion at resonance, so it’s good audio engineering practice to minimize the amount of power we apply there.

In order to optimize both of these so our crossover works as it’s supposed to, we’ll need to apply some EQ to the tweeter channel to bring the frequency response in line with our target. That’s an extra step that takes time and we’re looking for the most predictable and

Figure 8: 24dB/octave crossover frequency response and phase. speediest process that provides the desired result. What if there was a crossover that did the job without extra equalization of the individual channels?

Figure 11 shows the tweeter response before and after the 24dB/octave filter is applied. Because the filter is so steep, the tweeter’s output matches the target much more closely. No additional EQ is required to match the response to the target. Finally, at resonance, the tweeter gets almost no power and we’ve minimized distortion (see Figure 11).

Figure 12 shows the response of the midrange with its crossover, the tweeter with its crossover and the sum of this tweeter and midrange using the 24dB/ octave Linkwitz-Riley alignment. In practice, you might want to correct some of the small peaks and dips below 500 Hz and tilt the high frequencies downward a little to match your in-car target curve with the EQ, but those are simple adjustments (see Figure 12).

The same set of graphs for the other alignments are shown in figures 13 through 16.

Figure 13 is the 6dB/octave crossover with both speakers connected in proper polarity. Figure 14 the 6dB/octave crossover with the tweeter polarity reversed. Figure 15 is the 12dB/octave crossover in proper polarity. Figure 16 is the 12dB/octave crossover with the polarity of the tweeter reversed. As you can see, all of these require additional work—either with the EQ or by swapping polarity or even both.

When choosing crossovers, the 24dB/ octave Linkwitz-Riley type can save us

Figure 9: 6dB/octave crossover applied to the tweeter.

Figure 10: 12dB/octave crossover applied to the tweeter.

Figure 12: 24dB/octave crossover.

Figure 11: 24dB/octave crossover applied to the tweeter.

Figure 14: 6dB/octave crossover with tweeter polarity inverted.

Figure 13: 6dB/octave crossover.

Figure 16: 12dB/octave crossover with tweeter polarity Figure 15: 12dB/octave crossover. inverted. time, minimize the complexity of the process and preserve and protect tweeters, too.

For tuning customers’ cars in the bay, we need efficient processes that work. Many of us are both hobbyists

and professionals. As enthusiasts, we sometimes get sidetracked by the idea that additional complexity is, by its nature, additional accuracy. Often, that’s not the case. Sometimes the simplest way is also the best way. This

article has presented two money- and time-saving procedures you can use in the bay to improve the performance of the systems you tune and improve your ability to tune cars efficiently and predictably. Happy tuning!

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 installs

Sonic Bliss

SUBMITTED BY: MIKE SCHWITZ, SOUND CONNECTION, INC., WAITE PARK, MINN.

A long-time client and friend of Schwitz brought in his 1991 Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR4 to make it ready for sound-offs. Focused on sound quality, Schwitz mounted a Sony double-DIN receiver in the factory location and used an Audison bitOne for signal processing. Hertz Mille component speakers were fed the signal, along with a pair of Hertz High Energy 10-inch subwoofers. Mesa wiring was used through the entire system. The vehicle was covered from top to bottom in Stinger Expert Roadkill. F.A.S.T. rings were used on the 6.5-inch mids and the 6x9s to couple the drivers to the factory panels. The enclosure was built to mimic an engine in the rear of the vehicle. RGB lighting was used in the front of the vehicle, in the enclosure and on the amp rack. The entire amp rack/enclosure is wired with quick disconnects so the customer can easily remove it when going to the track during sound-off competitions.

54 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

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 installs

The Cable Guy SUBMITTED BY: ETHAN BLAU, SOUND WAVE CUSTOMS, VIRGINIA BEACH, VA.

A Cox Communications rep made his way around to local shops in Virginia Beach for quotes to get the Cox Communications Promotional/Demo truck (a 2014 Chevy Silverado 2500 Single Cab) outfitted with a full custom build.

The team at Sound Wave Customs was happy to oblige replaced all the interior speakers with Phoenix Gold Ti speakers, an SXT shallow subwoofer and a PG SX 5-channel amplifier to the existing Pioneer AVIC4200NEX head unit. They also added sound dampening material and F.A.S.T. Rings to the set-up. An older remote start system was removed and replaced with a new Compustar T-11 with Drone Mobile set-up, to which triggers were added on the truck bed, work cover side doors and rear door as well. On the "entertainment side" of the work shell door openings they installed two 42-inch LED televisions and two Xbox One game systems along with some side lit dream LED light acrylic panels for their logo.

56 Mobile Electronics  September 2017

“. . . if you’re hitting the racetrack, or just the expressway in an R8, the Waylens is the way to go.” — Autoweek

Introducing the Ultimate Automotive Camera System from Waylens The Waylens Horizon was designed for the auto enthusiast. More than a dash cam, the Horizon represents years of passionate design to capture the fun behind the wheel, integrating the vehicle’s performance.

Precision, high-performance camera: The Horizon system includes a state of the art HD camera that captures the drive in crystal-clear video. Its elegant design looks at home in any vehicle. Its custom lens and highspeed processor captures every moment, even in low light conditions. A quick-release windshield mount makes it easy to install or remove.

Wireless Plug and play vehicle data: The wireless data module plugs into the vehicle’s OBDII port and communicates vehicle performance data, including G-Force, Pitch and Roll, Boost and other critical parameters to the camera. The result is the total driving experience, including vehicle performance, in brilliant 1080p.

Capture the best moments: We’ve made it easy to instantly highlight your customer’s best moments during their drive with our one-touch remote. They simply tap it during a hair-pin turn or other event and the system will file it separately for easy retrieval later.

Application Features: Our free app allows us to continually add the features drivers want. Waylens GO lets users post 0-30 and 0-60 times to our cloud-based leaderboard in real time.

And, our LapTimer feature uses GPS to map out a track or course and automatically track lap times.

Gauge the progress: The ultra-bright display provides optional information at a glance.

G-Force

Easy editing and sharing: Video is stored on a high-performance SD card, but our unique mobile app allows easy access and sharing of the best moments without removing it. Editing on a larger screen is also made simple by removing the card or camera and reviewing the video with our desktop application software.

Comes complete: The Waylens Horizon Automotive Camera system comes complete with everything your customers need to capture their total driving experience..

Visit Shop.Waylens.com for more product information or for dealer inquiries email us at info@waylens.com

Pitch and Roll WAY-4-007-Camera-Jul2017-2.0

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7 Traits

of Effective

Leadership Being a leader is a gift. Some are born leaders, others learn to be leaders. Either way, leadership comes with great responsibility.

How you treat others says a lot about your leadership style. To be an effective leader you really need to have a love for people. Your people!

Effective leadership motivates your people to grow both professionally and personally. Let’s look at some traits of successful leaders to determine your expertise as a leader.

Are you a patient leader? Do you provide others the same room to make mistakes that you would want them to give to you? Let’s face it, mistakes will happen. I’m not saying to ignore it when one of your people makes a mess of something. However, you should look at every mistake as a learning opportunity. A teachable moment. Extend the same courtesy that you would hope others would extend to you in a similar situation.

Are you kind to those that you lead? Do the people you lead like to be around you? If you want to know the answer, just see how many of them would join you for an after-work activity. Kind does not mean passive. Kind is treating others as you would like to be treated.

Do you protect your people? Having someone else’s back in a tough situation is a must. If you demand loyalty, you must be willing to extend it. For example, when someone attacks one of your associate’s character, will you defend them or make them the scapegoat? Not saying that you should defend your associate’s bad behavior. Just make sure you stand behind them when the going gets tough.

Do you trust those you lead? Do you believe that the people you lead can make day to day decisions without your input? Guiding them to make the right decision is a better solution than just making the decision for them. Your guidance will allow them to grow in their decision-making ability, freeing up time to lead your business.

Do you have hope in those with whom you lead? This one thing, hope, is a key to effective leadership. Think about your people.

Do you automatically assume the worst or the best of them?

You will be amazed at what can happen when you believe in your people! It will inspire them to take ownership and lead in their area of responsibility.

Preservation of those you lead is a must. If you are quick to give up when they make a mistake or fail to meet your expectations

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then you are in for some high turnover. If you took the time to make a good hiring decision and believe it was the right one, then take the time and be willing to teach them through their shortcomings. Remember how you overcame your own limitations and use these lessons to teach others to do the same.

And finally, are you dedicated to never failing? Not to say that you and or your team will never fail. However, knowing how to recover from failure takes leadership. True leaders are patient, kind, protective and trusting of those they lead. If something failed, and you want to produce a successful outcome through that failure, you must believe (have hope) in your team. Do everything you can to preserve your team even when they fail. If you can inspire them during those teachable moments, your people will produce the best outcome even in adversity.

Your success will be determined by how you treat others. Take a good look at your business? Do you have a high or low turnover?

If the number is high then maybe it isn’t the people failing. You see, people will not remember you for what you accomplished.

They will remember you for how you made them feel and what you did to help them accomplish great things with you.

If your leadership is lacking a love for others, then you may want to dig deep and ask yourself if your leadership style is truly effective. Think about today. Who have you taken the time to encourage? Are you more interested in who your staff are becoming or in what they are doing? If it is the latter, you need to consider a change in how you lead.

Do you believe that you are smarter than those you lead? If you don’t respect them, or are threatened by them, you are headed for trouble. When your people understand that they are on the same team, working for the same goals and willing to speak the truth respectfully, the best ideas will be presented and adopted, leading your team and business in the right direction.