Five Lessons From Leaders This month our, as a Valentine to our readers, we’ve highlighted some excerpts we love most from the Learning From Leaders series. If there’s one thing that’s certain, it is that experience is a great teacher. Attention to detail, communicating well, connecting across channels, committing to a job well done and adapting quickly to change are at the heart of making an impact in the 12-volt world. #1: Uphold Attention to Detail As someone who meticulously stacks his yogurt containers in the fridge, Alex Camara puts that same emphasis on details at the store level. It’s a quality he brings with him from his time as a night shift manager at Sainsbury’s where setting the store for the next day was crucial—not only for consumers who would be shopping the aisles the next day, but also for the day shift crew that would come in to take over the next morning. “I’m a pretty creative person, but definitely detail-oriented when I need to be. It’s the ability to know when things aren’t quite right, and then figuring out the right questions to ask, or different questions to ask. As a night shift manager for Sainsbury’s, part of it involved managing packages that would arrive and then putting them on display. We had to be certain it looked good for the customers, and there was always a delight when the day shift would come in, walk around the store and say how amazing it looked. All those things make a big difference when you’re running a store.” Camara noted that AudioControl dealers manage store presentation well and that it’s an important focus for the company to uphold. “We try to help retailers display their products effectively, and then we want to train their teams so everyone is aware of what our products can do,” he said. “It’s been tough during COVID times, but we’re trying. One thing we have been aiming for is shipping within 24 hours—to go above and beyond and to amaze people.” – Alex Camara has held the roles of president and CEO of AudioControl for nearly 10 years.
Michael Roberts, VP of Sales & Marketing for JVCKENWOOD.
#2: Maintain Good Communication One way to keep dealers motivated and keep things running smoothly has been adapting former in-person dealer visits to something which creates an equally meaningful vibe. To maintain those on-the-road visits virtually, AudioControl implemented what it has nicknamed the ZAP call—Zoom AudioControl Presentation. “People were getting tired of webinars,” Camara explained, “and this is something new. When we were out on the road and visiting dealers, in pre-COVID times, we would go to a territory and spend time with our rep. This is important because a rep definitely benefits from it. They learn about how we present, which they can take forward and utilize. We would typically visit eight or nine dealers in a day, so we wanted to figure out how to spend the time with them.” The decision resulted in a proactive Zoom session, he said. AudioControl launched the calls with its home audio business first, then
Alex Camara, president and CEO of AudioControl.
adapted the concept for the car side. Calls range from 30 minutes to more than an hour. “Of course, we don’t want to abuse peoples’ time as we know everyone is busy, but it’s turned out to be a good way for us to gel with our dealers,” Camara said. “We send lunches over or some pizza and it’s definitely been successful for us so far. It’s a great way for us to be interactive and to keep things more personal. I’ve been impressed by how these ZAP calls have gone.” Of course everyone wants things to go back to normal, he added, “and we’re looking at that now, but we know there won’t be the same level of interaction like there was before. It will be different on the road or at tradeshows, at least for the next few months or maybe even longer.” – A.C. #3: Find New Ways to Connect With so many ways to communicate these days, including text, email, Zoom and phone calls, Michael Roberts of
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