Demo Time

[edjosh23]

Hello Everybody,

I want to learn how to better demo equipment to explain the differences in audio equipment.

Background: I quit my last summer job, bad boss.
I need a job this summer, so I asked a HiFi Buys (Tweeter) in Atlanta if I could be a salesman. The manager told me there was a mandatory 4-5 week training. The training is basically how to talk to customers and how to sell audio equipment. He told me I could work in the stock room. I asked if I could have an interview just to talk even though the training is mandatory and he would want me in stocking. So I went in today, I gave him the best speach any want-to-be-employee could give an employer, well maybe not, but I did pretty well to convince him that I am able to be an extremely young salesman. He told me to come in on the 29th with some test cds to demo store equipment with him. Basically I need to bring in some cds, he is going to pull out the Krell equipment and I have to show him the differences with all of the different speakers they sell now.

They have changed their stuff a little bit, they now sell Focal, MartinLogan, Polk, JBL, Bose, Sony, Monitor Audio, and Yamaha. This store is in Buckhead (for those who live in GA) and they sell higher end equipment than most HiFi Buys (Tweeters). I actually have always hated HiFi Buys because most consumers think they they sell the best equipment, but I think most of their stuff is over priced and bad quality, but I they do stock some things that most HiFi Buys do no sell. There was another HiFi Buys near my house and I got in a yelling arguement with one of their employees because he didn't know that digital coaxial cables were just 75ohm cables, and told me that I was wrong and it would not work to use a video cable as a digital coax cable.

Basically I can skip the training if I can convince him that I have the sales ability. And to him the sales ability is showing the customer what the different speakers have to offer. I showed him some of my circuit board designs and gave him a paper I wrote about The Transmission Line Theory. He understands that I am knowledgable about the products, but is a bit hesitant hiring an 18 year old kid with no sales experience and with no training to work in his store.

Please help me!
All suggestions will be very helpful.
If I do this well, I can have a job at HiFi Buys and boy do I need a job to pay for all of my summer projects.

Thanks,

Josh

HiFi Buys/ Tweeter Website

[planet10]

I was always a "long term greed" sale person as opposed to the all to common "short-term greed guys"

The former treats the customer with respect & works hard to find out what the customer needs. He would rather not sell anything than the wrong thing. the net of that is that the customer keeps coming back. And back....

You need to have a good repotuire of well recorded music with good tunes. And they need to hi-light something.

Good vocals. Female & male. Articulate bass. Instruments that stand out. Stuff with stuff going on well down in the mix.

dave

[sdclc126]

In terms of how to convince this guy to hire you, and how to demo the products, ask him if he will let you audition the products yourself first, so that you can familiarize yourself with them.

Then, when he says to demo, ask him if he'll play the role of the customer coming into the store. Ask what he is looking for, and what his budget is - that should get you started.

Ask lots of questions to find out what he's passionate about, what he's willing to spend his money on, what his "buying buttons" are. Then start showing him what you feel will meet his needs, and why. Match product features to customer preferences.

Don't "sell" - don't tell the customer all this "stuff" about a product - listen to him tell you about himself and simply match your products to his needs. Ask him if he likes a particular product during the demo and why - get information. The customer will like and respect you if you really want to get to know him, rather than try to dazzle him with all your technical expertise.

Finally, when you're confident you've met his needs and he shows signs of interest, ask him for the sale. This should impress the guy you want to hire you at least as much as your knowledge of his products. Sales is about building rapport and trust with the customer - no matter how good your wares are chances are he won't buy anything from you if he doesn't like you.

If you don't get the sales job take the stocking job - you'll get your foot in the door and you can start to learn about the products then. Be patient as well as persistent, and sooner or later the next sales opening will be offered to you.

Hope this helps - good luck and let us know what happens.

[edjosh23]

Dave,

I'm working on CDs to bring.
My favorite test cd is the Tarzan soundtrack. The imaging is like nothing else. Also a good representation of stereo bass.
But I don't have much to show off midrange clairity or anything like that.
The only song I have right now for highs is David Grey - "Please Forgive Me". There is a triangle and only with certain tweeters can your really hear the shimmer and ever single vibration of the triangle. Other than that, thats about it.
Other artists I was going to bring were Joshua Redman, Liz Wright, and Steely Dan. I would like some other suggestions that I may have in my cd collection.

sdclc126,

I will ask to audition the speakers by myself for an hour or so before demoing infront of him.
I believe the point of this excecise is not to actually sell to him, but actually just be able to put in words the differences between products. I think he wants me to know the jargin (which I don't think I know enough of) and how to explain what different terms mean.
So, perhaps he just wants me to be able to differentiate the sound of different loudspeakers and put the differences in words.

Thanks,

Josh

[xstephanx]

IMO you should always have a good rock album, cause where there is JBL, there are people who like rock.

id reccomend a nice remastered DSOTM, VERY well recorded, good low bass, good bass punch, and soem fantastic imagine in Us and them.IMO no audio salesman should be without a copy!

[edjosh23]

xstephanx,

Just wondering if this copy is a digitally remastered version this one .

I have to go to Best Buy this afternoon anyway, so I figure I can pick that up, and if I'm lucky I can pick up an SACD hybrid, but my player doesn't play SACD, but since it is a hybrid that means I can still play it as a regular CD.

Thanks,

Josh

[Curmudgeon]

I'm not much for specifics; but I'd suggest having a fairly broad selection.

Small group jazz, orchestral classical, vocal with someone like Diana Krall or Peggy Lee, Broadway show, "classic" (Credence Clearwater maybe?) rock, Beatles, early Rolling Stones, big band jazz. (The remastered 2 disk Ellington at Newport is great; drum solo, crowd voices, lush winds.) And of course current rock. Maybe a rap album. Dark Side of the Moon as mentioned above is always dramatic. Jazz at the Pawnshop is a longtime favorite demo piece. Rodeo (Copland) excerpts, Wagner excerpts can be good.

The skill is in listening carefully to the customer's budget and taste, and meeting their needs and desires, without imposing your own values on them. If you think they are in error, and heading towards choosing something they will not be happy living with, do not argue, but tactfully demo also something that might be more in line with what they actually want. But if they persist, again do not argue. At some later point you'll spell out the store's trade-up policy. If they have technical misunderstandings, usually just let it pass. Too many audio salepeople forget that they are not on a mission to correct the thinking of those who do not share their tastes or knowledge. Never be condescending about even the most modest purchase. This should be a pleasant experience for the customer; they may be stepping into a new world, and they may have been dreaming about being able to do this for months or years, and now they are. It should be a happy day, leaving them with the feeling that they have done well.

[edjosh23]

Well,

I went to both Best Buy and Tower Records today to purchase Dark Side of the Moon, neither had it. During my trip GM gave me phone call about this thread. He told me many music suggestions and advise on what I need to be listening for when critically listening to these speakers.

GM told me of someone named Takashi Ohi - "Time Steam" and I want to order it, but I can't find it online. Has anyone heard of him? Is my spelling correct? Where else can I look?

I will get Dark Side of the Moon by the date.
I am definately bringing Tarzan.
Lizz Wright, if you haven't heard of her, she is very good.
Joshua Redman definately. Not sure how to describe his music. Jazz, no vocals. Saxophone, organs, drums, bass (Flea plays bass in a couple of songs), synthesizers (lots), vibes, clarinet, guitar, trumpt, etc.
Steely Dan, I was planning on bringing Aja. I have pretty much every Steely Dan album and and open for bringing other albums.
Dave Brubeck I'll bring as well.


I'm listening to Linda Ronstadt right now.
Diana Krall is next (I have a DVD-A)
My dad has a couple of Duke Ellington for me.

Others:
I have lots of other music I'll mention a couple other Artists and if anyone one knows of something I may have that I should bring please tell me.

Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Jamie Cullum, Coldplay, U2, some Motown, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, John Legend, and my Dad has a pretty good selection of music as well, our taste is pretty similar he has a lot more female artists though.
He brought me up pretty well, I must say I really don't enjoy rap. There are a couple of songs, but I don't own albums.


More demo suggestions?

Thanks,

Josh

[pinkmouse]

Josh, don't get hung up on the music. The shop will probably have a fair selection, much better to just spend some time critically listening to two or three tracks so you can recognise differences in systems. Most punters will probably bring their own CDs along anyway.

[edjosh23]

pinkmouse,

As of now, I'm not to worry about how I will be acting towards customers. I have pretty decent people skills and I've been working with customers since I was 11.

Right now I'm just worried about trying to get hired. But at the same time, I'm somewhat clueless as to which music best shows of different parts of speakers.
-Detail is pretty obvious and GM and I talked quite a bit about the relationship between efficiency and microdetail.
-And I think if I find a track like GM described I can tell the difference in XO quality.
-Imaging is made easy with my Tarzan soundtrack.

But I'm not sure what can show of midrange, or some bass for that matter (bass, I know a bit more of and have some tracks in mind, but am open to more suggestions). Basically I'm asking for music which I know shows off certain aspects of speakers. So with the different speakers that I have and my heardphones and I can see how certain parts of songs change with different highs and mids and lows.

Thanks,

Josh