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NEVER STOP GROWING
How can businesses continue to draw in clients? Retailers share advice on growth, raising awareness and learning to listen.
“Here’s some advice for fellow retailers: Never stop expanding, growing and changing. The industry never stops, so why would you?” - Randy Leibenson, Car Audio Depot, Modesto, Calif.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned is that Google and reviews are your best friend. We also put our name on everything.” - David Holden, Soundworx, Summerville, SC “Listen to what the customer is asking you for. Sometimes they ask for more than you can or will provide. This may be a case in which you have to move on to the next customer. This isn’t always a bad thing. The first customer will appreciate this and will be back for something else if it’s handled correctly. Because if you try to provide something you can’t, this will turn into a lost customer altogether—and it probably won’t end well.” - Bobby McCune, Wizard Car Audio Plus, Anniston, Ala.. “Separate yourself from [other businesses] by speaking differently about what you do. There’s no value over the phone. There’s no value unless you separate yourself.” - Jayson Cook, Columbus Car Audio & Accessories, Columbus, Ohio
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BOOK: What to Do Next: Taking Your Best Step When Life is Uncertain
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SITE TO SEE: Car-part.com
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In business since 1988, Car-part.com is the fastest way to search thousands of auto recyclers’ inventories to find parts you need—and at reasonable prices. Even with its database of more than 120 million inventoried parts, the site is easy and simple to search. If you know the part you need, then go with the standard or multi-part search. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, use image search so you can identify and easily click on the correct part. Results can be sorted by price, grade or distance. If you need assistance, the Live Chat feature connects you to the recycler so you can ask questions or arrange a purchase.
WHAT TO WATCH: The Fast and the Furious 10, AKA Fast X
WWW.THEFASTSAGA.COM/FAST-SAGA/FF1
“Fast X” is headed to theaters for a May 2023 release as the 10th film in the series, but the cars pictured have all recently been seen at Los Angeles Airport. Now is the perfect time to catch up on all the prior films so you’re ready. Directed by Louis Leterrier, from a script written by “The Fast and the Furious” director Justin Lin and Dan Mazeau, “Fast X” has a cast that includes Vin Diesel and Dame Helen Mirren as well as Michelle Rodriguez as Letty, Tyrese Gibson as Roman, Ludacris as Tej, Jordana Brewster as Mia, Charlize Theron as villain Cipher and Nathalie Emmanuel as Ramsey. Lin has confirmed the last installation to be a two-part movie. The first film debuted in 2001 and the most recent film, “Fast 9,” was out in 2021. You’ll see hundreds of vendors with cool gear and off-road builds of every shape, description and value. There’s also live music, food and more.
This past June, the industry gathered for KnowledgeFest Orlando. Attendees agreed one of the most important parts of the event is the social interaction. Dean Beyett and Fernando Lopez of Five Star Car Audio in Clearwater, Fla. taught a class on photography techniques, hosting a contest in which attendees took photos of a toy car. The class voted on the best photo, and the winning photographer got to take the car home. When it comes to photography, Beyett said, “Try not to be like everyone else. Look at what they’re doing, and don’t do that.” About 45 people attended the class, which he noted was a good number for a Friday morning.
“We wanted to get people thinking about how they’re going to promote their presence at KnowledgeFest.” It’s important, he explained, to show clients what a business is doing to improve. “The stores are closed and they’re here. That’s why we wanted to teach in the morning—to get people taking pictures, showing their clients why they’re here, and to differentiate themselves from competitors by showing their commitment.” It’s something many people often don’t consider, he noted.
Just being able to talk to others in the industry is what he and Lopez really look forward to. “This trip, I had a car we needed information on, and I knew some guys who worked on that type of car. I got a first-hand account of what they’d seen, what they experienced, what they liked and didn’t like,” he explained, adding that the input helped him decide how to move forward.
KNOWLEDGEFEST ATTENDEES DISCUSS INDUSTRY TRENDS
Jayson Cook of Columbus Car Audio and Accessories in Columbus, Ohio co-taught “The DNA of a Sales Pro” with Elias Ventura and Jason Kranitz, a class that continues to be popular with attendees. Cook said they opened it differently this time, originally aiming for a roundtable discussion, but the class wanted to see the presentation. “There was a lot of engagement and a lot of questions asked,” he said.
Back home in Columbus, Cook said car audio sales have been up, and more clients are seeking amp and subwoofer installs. “I think we’ve been doing more upgrades in general, whether it’s a full system with DSP, or just a DSP amp integration for better overall sound. For some reason, it’s really booming right now.”
While he noted that marine audio is also a big hit in his area, the shop is currently working on a lot of full car audio systems. “That’s abnormal for this time of year,” he added, noting that CarPlay and Android Auto is still trending up.
Jon Lackey of Boulevard Customs of Lakeland, Fla. agreed that CarPlay and Android Auto has also continued to be popular at his store. Much of the upgrades in recent years likely have to do with being unable to get a new car, he added.
“Money is tight, so they’re fixing up what they already have,” Lackey said.
John Larson of Minn.-based Sound Connection spoke with Installer Institute at the show about future trainings. He noted that KnowledgeFest is incredibly valuable, but attendees must continue to invest in their education.
“They are willing to spend money on that.” He noted that window tint is always strong in Florida. Additionally, truck accessories are a big category at Boulevard Customs. “We have yet to do one marine jobs this year, though,” he added. “We usually do 20-plus boats in a year.”
Lackey theorized the price of fuel might have something to do with the change, citing the cost of towing the boat to the water. “I could be off. There could be other shops who are very busy with marine audio.” However, he noted, he’s witnessed similar changes in categories relating to other recreational vehicles, too. “People with side-by-sides aren’t coming by. We’ve done more motorcycles—which is still only two or three this year. We haven’t sold any radar detectors yet, either. All the extras have been really minimized.”
- John Larson, Sound Connection, Waite Park and Brainerd, Minn.
Minn.-based Sound Connection—a business with two locations in Waite Park and Brainerd, respectively—has seen a recent change in both customer count and revenue. Owner John Larson said the stores are seeing about half the traffic they used to, but the clients are spending twice as much. “The numbers are about the same, but we’re getting less jobs,” he explained. “The customers are more affluent. Instead of a basic radio and speakers, they’re getting a full system.”
Marine audio revenue has also gone up. Customers are spending about four to $8,000 on a boat, versus the $1,500 to $2,000 they spent in the past. Larson isn’t exactly sure why the changes occurred. “I think it’s just a natural progression of the economy,” he said. “People who have the money are spending it. Clients who would’ve spent smaller amounts of money are possibly stockpiling it. We’ve had more boats, UTVs and campers, but not as much car audio.”
The Brainerd location, he added, is surrounded by lakes and resorts. In the last few years, he said, it seemed like everyone was acquiring a boat, a camper, a UTV or a motorcycle—possibly to
RETAILERS ASK THOSE WHO DON’T ATTEND TRAININGS: “WHY NOT?”
After speaking with manufacturers at KnowledgeFest, Beyett reflected on the difficulty in trying to get some businesses to see the value in industry events. As a Florida-based shop, Beyett said he noticed a lack of attendance from other businesses in his state.
Lackey echoed Beyett’s concerns. “I was on the KnowledgeFest roundtable discussion. We talked about what we thought, what we’d change and the response,” he explained, adding, “I’m disappointed in terms of not enough Florida shops attending.” Lackey noted his shop was one of a small group that attended from Polk County. “Have the initiative to be better,” he stressed.
Beyett noted the abundance of training opportunities in northern areas: “There’s DAS, Go Fast—the kind of training we never really did down here.” He said that while they’ve had plenty of dealer trainings, KnowledgeFest is different and much bigger. “We try to promote any event we’re attending. We film videos at the show so people will see what they’re missing.”
A common response, Beyett added, is that a shop is too busy to go. “So, you’re not willing to invest a two-day or three-day weekend on learning something and meeting people face-to-face?” he said. “I can’t understand that.”
Cook said he feels some people don’t focus on education because they think they’ve been doing it so long that they don’t need any training. But, he said, “That’s how you get stagnant. Not enough shops are taking advantage of training events. I think it’s imperative for shops to attend if they want to grow. Otherwise, you’re treading water. To grow your business, you have to train more.” Jason Kranitz (left) and Kevin Hallinan both continue to teach well-attended trainings at KnowledgeFest, introducing attendees to the fundamentals of fabrication and sales processes, respectively.
spend more time outdoors, and less time around other people.
Beyett said Five Star Car Audio is booked out for several months. “People still want radios, and they’re more plentiful now, which is nice.” However, he noted, inventory issues aren’t over just yet. “Here, we stock every brand. When one brand is out, the others aren’t. By diversifying the brands, we sell Alpine one month, Kenwood another. We’ve done well with this because we stock so much product.”
The majority of shops he’s spoken to, he added, are still busy and trying to get caught up. When people mention a slowing down of business, he said, “I think what they’re talking about is that big boom we had. It’s not slowing down in the sense that there’s no traffic. It’s just that people who are coming in are more purposeful. The traffic is thinner, but the volume is good.”
Lopez theorized that with the recent increase in travel, perhaps people “are finding more stuff to do than car audio.”
ATTAINING KNOWLEDGE, REFRESHING THE BASICS
Industry veterans who’ve been attending KnowledgeFest for years agree that there’s always something to learn or refresh. Cook said he learns something every time he attends a training. “If you’re not learning something, you’re in the wrong mindset,” he noted. “Some people think they’ll be handed a magic guide, everything you need to know. That’s not the case. We share strategies, but what I do might not work for another shop.”
Cook advised attendees of any training event to go back and review their notes. “Try to apply something each day or week that you gained from a training. Take it small. Don’t try to change everything at once.”
When he teaches, Cook said he’s always impressed with the feedback. In Orlando, “The DNA of a Sales Pro” drew about 28 people on Sunday afternoon. He agreed with Beyett and Lopez in terms of the importance of interaction between and
after classes: “It’s a low-pressure setting. People have their guard down and they’re more likely to ask questions,” he said, adding that at least one attendee asked him for advice on how to pay salespeople. “It was a unique situation and we talked at length about it.”
Reflecting on what he learned personally, Cook said he always picks up something in Kevin Hallinan’s sales trainings. “The longer we do this, the more we forget the basic stuff that got us where we are now,” he said, noting that it’s important to refresh these basics.
“One thing that stood out to me is the more you’re talking, the less likely you are to close the sale,” he added. “You can talk yourself out of a sale. You’re trying to educate the client.” During his own training classes, Cook reminds attendees, “If a client wants to know the details, they’ll ask. If they came in, there’s a reason, and you have to capitalize on that and listen.”
In the future, Larson said Sound Connection will be investing more energy into boats. Additionally, the business has been expanding its truck accessories category. The team is also looking to get a pontoon boat with a full wrap, and a dock slip at a local lake. All 13 employees will have a chance to take the boat out on weekends.
“We’ll light it up and just be a presence on the lake,” Larson said, adding that he hopes passersby will see what the business can offer and remember them.
When it comes to KnowledgeFest, Larson said he was able to bring new installers and salespeople to Orlando. “They got a chance to see what’s out there. A lot of it had to do with RTAs and tuning. It was really helpful for them to see AudioControl and Ken Ward showing everyone what’s going on from the factory in a vehicle,” he explained. However, there’s plenty more to do.
“They’ll have to go back and study more,” he said. “It was a great general overview of information. Here’s what you need to be aware of, now go home and invest in more education.” While there, he and his team also spoke with representatives from Installer Institute and Kingpin University.
KnowledgeFest, he said, always makes him reevaluate his entire store from top to bottom. “When I come back, I always notice I’ve slipped up and let something go that I shouldn’t have. It reinvigorates me and helps me reset,” he said, adding, “I get a new perspective whenever I return from an event.”
