Difference Makers

Passion Makes Perfect

With an all-out love of audio, it’s not just about product for CF Marketing, but good sound and solid service.

WORDS BY JAMIE SORCHER

Howard Feldman figured out early on in his career that running a successful rep firm is about passion for the product and for high-quality sound.

“In college I managed a bunch of record stores so I was always in audio,” he said. “I wanted to get out of retail so I answered a blind ad back in 1983. It was from Bob Rosenberg who had a rep company, Bob Rosenberg Associates. I was hired by Bob and he was, among other things, the Kenwood rep. I ended up working for him almost 20 years until he retired in 1999, so I’ve been a Kenwood rep now for 37 years.”

After his stint with Rosenberg Associates, Feldman formed CF Marketing with partner Claude Colson (the “C” in CF Marketing). “He retired eight years ago and I didn’t want to change the name to just ‘F Marketing,’ so it has stayed the same,” Feldman said, adding that the company is a bit different from other reps in that the firm manages both home and car.

Feldman remembered years ago when Kenwood was in both the car and home businesses. “Eventually Kenwood decided to get out of the home side of things,” he added, “but we stayed in it so we’re a bit more of a rare breed in that we do both. It is probably 60 percent car and 40 percent home.”

A Wide Territory with a Small Team

Based in Elkridge, Maryland, CF Marketing covers the mid-Atlantic territory. It includes all of Maryland, Washington D.C., eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. In Pennsylvania, the territory is expansive, ranging from Philadelphia to State College and way up to Wilkes-Barre. In New Jersey, the

The company’s representatives spend a lot of time on the road, but they also spend plenty of time in the office fielding calls. Pictured is Rick Weippert, office and warehouse manager.

southern territory goes to Trenton. The company consists of four people, and Feldman is as busy as the others. He takes his role on the road seriously. “I am not a rep principal who sits behind my desk,” he said. “I call on accounts, train, and do all the other stuff that a rep does.”

In addition to Feldman there is Paul Ward, who has been with CF Marketing for 18 years, and handles the northern part of the territory. John Gray, who has been with the company for five years, handles all of Virginia. Prior to Gray, the rep who had served in his place had been with CF Marketing for 14 years. Holding down the fort is Rick Weippert, the office/warehouse manager.

The territory isn’t without its challenges. “We have a lot of dirt,” Feldman said. “When John goes from Virginia Beach to Roanoke it can be a five-hour drive, but we have to be in front of these guys.”

Even with all the time spent on the road, there is a home base. “We don’t work out of our cars,” Feldman said. “We have an office so someone can call and talk to a real live human being if they need to track an order, get a return authorization or check on availability. They don’t have to try to track me down in the field.”

Lean, Mean and Lovin’ it

It’s not just Feldman’s sales team that is a tight-knit group. It’s also the firm’s select group of vendors. A quick look at CF Marketing’s line card reveals just a handful of manufacturers. Feldman confirmed this is how he prefers to do business.

“I get calls from manufacturers on a monthly basis who reach out because CF Marketing is in with the ‘A’ players,”

Feldman said. “What we must do is look carefully at a manufacturer and then ask ourselves if it complements who we are currently representing or if it presents a conflict. By just looking at our line card, it’s easy to see that we don’t represent a lot of manufacturers.”

The lineup includes Kenwood, Firstech (remote starters); Elettromedia (Hertz and Audison with step-up speakers, amplifiers and processors); and ADS/ Maestro (interfaces).

“We are very lean for a reason,” he added. “There is only so much time in the day and if I can’t give our current vendors their share of attention, it’s not fair to the them or to my sales guys.”

In fact, the last time the vendor mix changed was about 10 years ago, according to Feldman, who said that another vendor would have to bring something different to the table. “For instance, the last line we brought in was ADS/Maestro and what they do is find ways to interface an aftermarket radio or amp with a factory system,” he said. “This gives us the ability to use our other brands like Kenwood and Audison to interface with a factory system.”

What might make sense for CF Marketing in the future, Feldman said, is the possibility of a dedicated marine line. “Kenwood does dabble in marine, but if it was a marine-only vendor then we would look at that,” he said. “It would have to be the right situation because we have never been a company that brings in lines, throws them up against a wall and then sees what sticks.”

Communicating With Salespeople and Installers

In the mid-Atlantic territory, retail accounts run the gamut from large to small. Feldman said one of the company’s big accounts is Crutchfield, but they also deal with small shops that have one owner.

“I’m also a rep distributor so we’re able to assist those retailers who are in outlying areas that either don’t do the volume to justify being direct with a vendor or don’t have the credit line. We call on those customers as well. Most of our business, though, is built around the auto sound specialists,” he added. “That is where we live and breathe.”

Maintaining strong relationships with all of the accounts means lots of face to face interaction. Feldman pointed out that it’s essential to spend time with salespeople. “You have to connect with

installers in the back, too, because as we know in this business installers drive a lot of business from sales,” he said. “Each time someone sells a product and the installers complain about it, the salesperson will stop selling it. What it comes down to is that you can’t do this job justice by sitting behind a desk or on the phone. We are out there every day.”

A successful sales call accomplishes several things. First, Feldman said, it addresses product. “We need to make sure the right amount of product is on display, that all of the products are working, and that the sales team knows how to operate all of it,” he said, adding that it’s also important to address any questions. “It’s also an opportunity for us to get competitive information.”

He explained this means finding out why the product isn’t selling. “You have to spend the time to get things right—to be sure product is appropriately displayed, that it’s working, and that the sales guys know how to operate it,” he said.

Visits are important for bringing buyers up to speed on product availability and where they stand with programs and opportunities for additional margins, Feldman said, adding, “It’s not about walking in with a bag of donuts and some literature and asking how everything is going.”

Don’t Forget the Demo

At KnowledgeFest and distributor shows, Feldman said, many vendors bring in their own trainers so retailers can

Howard Feldman, pictured, founded the company with partner Claude Colson—the “C” in CF Marketing— who retired eight years ago.

get educated if they attend these kinds of events. “The biggest difference in my time is that manufacturers used to have an East coast trainer, a mid-west trainer, a West coast trainer and then maybe an assistant who worked underneath them,” he said, noting that this has changed. Webinars and virtual trainings have become popular.

“To complement what vendors offer, we also do trainings.” Feldman said they stay away from PowerPoint presentations. “For larger retailers—multi-store operations— we do have a factory guy who comes in for trainings.” They also have someone who will travel to handle training.

As the industry continues to evolve, Feldman is keenly aware of attrition with dealers and the changing landscape of the car audio world. He added that he doesn’t have as many storefronts to call on as he once did, and online sales continue to impact retailers. Still, he said, “there are a lot of used cars out there and integration is still a big part of the business. Kenwood partnered very early on with ADS/Maestro and were essentially early adopters. We’ve been lucky in that we deal with companies who saw the disconnect very early on have done a good job addressing it.”

The challenge and opportunity today from the sales and installation side, Feldman said, is reaching out to and educating consumers who think that what they have in their cars is good enough. “We have to show them that there is better product out there, and that we can integrate it with their vehicle without them losing all the benefits they bought their car for,” he explained. “You’ve got to show customers there is better stuff out there, and you have to demonstrate it. Some retailers do, and some don’t, and part of our job is to encourage dealers to do the product demos.”

Passion is the Biggest Gauge for Success

This year marks the 20-year anniversary for CF Marketing, but Feldman is low-key. “I just want to make it to my twenty-first anniversary,” he said. “We don’t have any huge plans.”

For now his focus is to keep doing what he loves. “I can’t think of anything else I would rather do,” Feldman said. “I like interacting at dealer events and getting a chance to talk with consumers and I have long-standing relationships with the vendors and dealers who I have been calling on for more than 30 years.”

He has also found that passion is probably the biggest gauge for success. “All of my guys are audio guys and we all know what good sound is,” he added. “We all have systems in our cars. We’re not just selling boxes at a price to make a commission. We are into the stuff that we sell. We always have been.”

A long time ago, Feldman said, he hired someone who was a professional salesman and thought he would train him on car audio products. The attempt lasted three months. Feldman said he recognized a lacking in passion for the product. “He didn’t care about it. He didn’t understand anything about sound,” he said, adding that these are things which translate to the customer. “If a guy comes in and all he wants to do is sell you a bunch of boxes so he can make a commission, it doesn’t take long for a buyer to see that. To be successful in this business, you have to have a passion not only for the product but for the music.”

Howard Feldman, pictured, founded the company with partner Claude Colson—the “C” in CF Marketing—who retired eight years ago.