Music Retail Consulting

Ahh - the new year.  This is the time where we can dive in and begin working on our businesses instead of just in our businesses.   So with that in mind, allow me to share a few of my favorite ideas that invigorate me for the new year. The first one, and perhaps most obvious, is to attend the Winter NAMM show.  Take as many of your staff as you can so that they get inspired to work on your business as well. Obviously the new products are always exciting, but if you spend time in the NAMM Idea Centers you will come away with many ideas that will make your business better in the new year. Also, make it a goal at each NAMM show to meet new people and to strengthen the industry relationships you already have. “Fortune favors the bold” － Latin proverb Second, are you planning any travel this year?  If so, arrange some time to visit other music stores on your travels.  I love to drive when possible, primarily so that I can spend time visiting other music s...

The term “pipeline” is is often used to refer to customers going through the various stages of your sales process. The general idea is some customers are just getting acquainted with your business, all the way to loyal, raving fans. But in order to become raving fans, they first had to start at the beginning of your pipeline. First thing first. Before you go out and tell the world how amazing your store is, make sure it is truly amazing . Now I know this seems obvious, but seriously , take a fresh look at your business and see if it is worthy of telling the world (or at least your local market) about it. Better yet, have your employees, friends, even some Mystery Shoppers, evaluate your business and give you an HONEST assessment. You might want to use an anonymous tool for this so people can give their unfiltered opinion - you’ll find you get MUCH better feedback this way. There are many ways to do this, but I prefer using an anonymous Google Form ( http://forms.google.com ), alth...

The term “pipeline” is is often used to refer to customers going through the various stages of your sales process. The general idea that you’ll have some that are just getting acquainted with your business all the way to loyal, raving fans. But in order to become raving fans, they first had to start at the beginning of your pipeline. While the Sales pipeline is the most common, there are other areas of our business where this mindset would also be useful - Staff and Services. Together, they are the three S's of Music retail, if you will. I’ll share with you some of the things we do at Springfield Music to keep our pipeline full. First things first - let’s start with staff. There is nothing more critical to the success of your business than the people who comprise it. To stuff this pipeline full you are going to need people working in your business that get it, want to be there, and have the capacity to do the job well. Allow me to tell you something you already know (...

Keep it 100.  That ‘s what the cool kids say nowadays when they are saying something that is 100% real, unfiltered, sometimes brutal, truth. If you haven’t read the first two installments in this series, it’s worth checking them out before going further. I have heard from so many of you that have read the first two articles in this series - we have really struck a nerve here! Apparently I am not alone in my struggles, and as the old saying goes, misery loves company! I told those who have reached out to me that this series has probably been the easiest thing I’ve ever written. However, it has been the hardest to allow to be made public. Dealing with your struggles and failures in a public setting, where your peers (and competitors) can see your fears and flaws, is a daunting task. But by bringing these issues out into the open, you find that they aren’t that scary - and that they can be dealt with. However, like all monsters, it’s best to engage them one at a time so that you...