For those of us who make our living selling things, in my case, advertising, there is a certain joy in working with a truly professional salesperson. Somebody who isn’t pushy. Somebody who knows their products as well as how they fit into the competitive landscape. Somebody who is interested in me ending up with my desired outcome from the deal. These folks are both hard to find and extremely well-paid, which is for very good reason.
When you find a truly professional audiophile salesman, cling on to him or her with both hands, as they are worth their weight in gold, because sadly there are some industry habits and traditions that make the experience of working with a truly pro salesperson pretty rare.
What is the Pretty Woman Close and Why It Should Never Be Used in an Audiophile Store Ever Again …
There are some bad sales tactics out there in the audiophile world, and I just got to experience one of them on the publishing side of things which went embarrassingly bad for said uber-high-end electronics manufacturer and their PR/marketing rep. If you been involved in the audiophile hobby long enough you know that high-end companies come and high-end companies go. Remember when Halcro got a review from Stereophile calling their reference amp “The Best Amp Ever” right on the cover of the magazine? That was pretty high praise for an Australian defense contractor that morphed into making uber-expensive audiophile electronics. And much like one of those floating sea bombs that their mine sweepers were supposed to gobble up – a big explosion of arrogance and mismanagement took down the fast-rising company to the point where they left the market for good. That was supposedly The Best Amp Ever and this Swiss electronics brand today gets hype on that front and charges prices that pretty much set consumer’s expectations as the “best ever” when the cost of one of their amps could build a medical clinic in sub-Saharan Africa. The CEO of the company had to step in and stop with the blatant malpractice, which he thankfully did. I am hopeful that this is the last problem that we have with these guys. At the same time, it cost them a sale of a preamp worth over $40,000, just because of the actions of the marketing woman. Brilliant, lady. Brilliant …
What is the Pretty Woman Close? Remember when Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman went on a shopping spree on Rodeo Drive and the snobby, 1980s women wouldn’t treat a good-looking woman with a pocket full of cash very well? Believe it or not, this still sadly happens in audio. The audiophile hobby isn’t known for being inclusive on any number of levels. At the retail level, if somebody walks into an audio salon and wants to experience what the owner(s) have put on display – they should be in for a treat. Doing a takeaway close like, “You might not be able to afford this … Why don’t you look at these [less expensive] options” is beyond insulting. There is no audiophile club. There are no rules. There is no entry exam to be an audiophile. If you want to hear a good audio system at a retailer – then they should roll out the red carpet for you as that client. That doesn’t automatically mean spending the next two hours listening to music from your phone, but a good 10-to-15-minute demo of a good system and their best demo tracks is how people fall in love with the hobby. One of the things that my first boss and legendary audiophile retailer, Christopher Hansen, told me was that “Everybody is somebody in this town,” and that advice is relevant in big cities and smaller ones alike. The audiophile who gets mistreated at an audio store somewhere in the country might also be friends with the local lawyer or doctor who is a big-time audiophile. At a social engagement, imagine the conversation over a cocktail or two about how so-and-so dealer is a total asshole because they mistreated the first guy? You think that doesn’t have an impact on the more advanced, deep-pocketed audiophile? If, just once, he decided to not go to that dealer for whatever he might need – the costs could be in the thousands to tens of thousands of profit dollars. It pays to be considerate to consumers, it turns out.
Last week, I learned that my iconic yet controversial New York retailer, Andy Singer died. He had been ill for a long time and was a polarizing force in the nation’s most important audiophile retail markets. In his prime, Andy was famous for literally ignoring young Wall Street types who rolled into his older Manhattan retail location after trading was over, looking to spend some of their recently earned finance money. These guys often were full of frat boy, finance bro machismo, and Andy just gave them the cold shoulder. I understand his strategy at the time, but converting some garish young man flush with cash is a great way sell a $100,000 stereo and possibly earn a long-term client, even if the process isn’t so pretty. The fact is, “Nobody walks on the lot if they don’t want a car,” and those guys should have been converted into younger, new, well-heeled audiophiles, and encouraged to grow their systems with each big paycheck.
What is the “Levinson Sucks” Pitch and Why Should It Die …
If you are looking for a way to guarantee that you will piss off an audiophile client, try the Levinson Sucks pitch. How does that one work? You’ve likely heard it somewhere in your life, but imagine you just walked into an audiophile store and the salesperson starts their greeting/qualification. Let’s assume they are a Krell dealer, too, OK? They might ask you, “What have you heard that you liked recently?” You might respond, “I just heard the new Levinson XYZ 123 amp,” which often comes with a knee-jerk response of, “Levinson kinda sucks. Listen to Krell.” To be clear … nobody at Krell or Harman (Mark Levinson’s parent company) wants this response. Also, nobody at either company feels this way, and it is 100 percent off-putting to the customer. Many just pack it in and leave. Others just tuck their Platinum Cards in their wallet and leave it there for a good, long time, which is the exact opposite outcome than is desired by both parties.
What is the alternative to the “Levinson Sucks” pitch? How about saying something positive about Levinson? “Have you ever heard their car audio systems in a Lexus? They are pretty good, right?” or “Those No. 5909 Headphones from Mark Levinson are the closest thing to the Harman Curve. I really like those. Krell doesn’t make headphones, but wait until you hear the setup that we have going with the new Krell XYZ 123 monoblocks … You are going to love it!” That shows respect to your competition and tastefully points the conversation to where you want it to go in a way that doesn’t piss the client off. A savvy audiophile client will likely be much more willing to answer additional “trial close” questions as part of a sales qualification, which will help lead towards getting to a more meaningful sale. It is amazing that the difference in semantics here makes such a big difference, but they do. Truly professional salespeople know how to earn the business from a qualified, enthusiastic consumer. It isn’t that hard, but the standoffish act needs to go away. Literally, nobody likes that pitch, and it has a zero percent close rate.
What Can an Audiophile Do to Help Make the Hobby More Inclusive?
Most audiophiles agree that there need to be more people in the hobby. That means that we need to appeal to new audiences and demographics. This is the stated editorial mission of FutureAudiophile.com, and let me tell you – it isn’t easy. Finding younger audiophiles is doable, but most of the people in the hobby today are 65-plus and male. The FM oldies station doesn’t even market to them anymore, but the audiophile hobby sometimes struggles to open its arms to new buyers.
You wouldn’t be out of line if you interrupted an audio salesperson mid-sentence as they launch into the Levinson Sucks pitch and stopped him or her right there in their thought. You don’t want to hear that garbage, and it doesn’t help sell any more gear. Politely asking them to not trash the competition is purely fair.
If you aren’t vibing with salesperson, you are fully within your rights to ask to work with somebody else. Joe Cali, my second boss and partner at Cello Music and Film Los Angeles 25-plus years ago, is considered to be one of the best audiophile salesmen ever. He still sells uber-high-end gear from the likes of Gryphon here in the Los Angeles market. He also is the custom installer to the stars, as he has more celebrity clients than anybody in town (Oprah, Dr. Dre, Rod Stewart, John Fogarty, Cindy Crawford/Randy Gerber, George and Amal Clooney … the list goes on and on). I remember him telling me, “There is no shame in bringing in help on a sale or turning over a lead in that none of us (no matter how good we may be) are going to be a perfect fit for every customer.” He is completely right, and making that switch can be done on the consumer side.
God forbid you run into the Pretty Woman close. I hope that never happens to you, and it is such bullshit, but if if does, you can call them out on their actions right on the spot. “Am I not wealthy enough to do business with your store, sir?” you might ask. “Do you have other, more important clients coming in soon? Should I leave?” That will correct their ways in most cases. However, if they don’t you a) are unlikely to do business with that store anytime soon and b) might just share your opinion with a one-star review on Google and/or Yelp. Few audiophile stores can take a well-written, non-hyperbolic review online. In the case of Google – when you dip below four stars, you no longer come up in Google Local Ads, which is a very bad thing. You warned them.
Two of our staff writers have an issue with one of their outspoken and sometimes polarizing local dealers (I get along great with the guy, for whatever that is worth), and they simply won’t do business with him. Some of his more ego-driven comments literally cost that dealer a $50,000 component sale just recently. That’s painful, but there are other dealers for any audiophile brand out there. You can do business with them, and many will even pay to fly you out. Joe and I did that plenty at Cello. We’d pop for a first-class plane ticket for the husband and his wife, and arrange for them to have a fantastic time in Los Angeles, assuming they were buying some Cello gear. What was a $2,000 discount on a $100,000 sale? (two percent, I think, but I am not that good at math).
Final Thoughts on Audiophile Salesmanship and How You Can Help Make the Hobby More Inclusive …
Most audiophile salespeople do what they do because they love it. I never ever thought after selling HomeTheaterReview.com and AudiophileReview.com in late 2019 that I would ever be back in the business. A year and a half working for a $48,000,000,000 per year, publicly-traded company helping lawyers make more money was enough for me to say, “I love talking about stereos all day long.” Trust me, there are worse jobs. Way worse …
Embrace and support the best audiophile retailers near you. Let them know how important they are to you and your place in the hobby. Bring new people in to their showrooms to experience what the hobby can offer to them in terms of art, relaxation, health and luxury. Refer new clients to them who are building a new house or need help maintaining a legacy system. Make your relationship with your dealer a win-win and the benefits will well outweigh the negatives. At the same time, don’t allow the old ways of being snobby and off-putting to stand. You have so many options as to where you want to buy your audio gear that you hold all of the power.
Have you ever experienced the Levinson Sucks close or the Pretty Woman Experience? Tell us about it? How is your local dealer? How did you build a good relationship with them or do you go elsewhere now?
Re: “the cost of one of their amps could build a medical clinic in sub-Saharan Africa.”
Years ago I was tasked to write about (not for Stereophile) Gordon Getty’s personal music room surround-sound system. Halcro amps and Egglestonworks loudspeakers.
Please note, Gordon Getty did inherit a big chunk of a famous oil company, but he is not a member of the Idle Rich. He is a conservatory graduate and a very serious modern composer who has written an opera on the execution of Joan of Arc.
He and his now-deceased wife were major philanthropists (the San Francisco Symphony, and Catholic health-care and poverty causes).
I happened to mention, as my family was having dinner, that the Gettys had about $2 Billion in liquid assets.
My (then, perhaps 12-year old) daughter responded with outrage (I had not yet mentioned the Gettys’ philanthropy) “HOW MANY STARVING AFRICAN CHILDREN COULD HE FEED???”
I calmly replied, “Well, if they baked him or roasted him, perhaps 20 to 25. But if they made soup or stew, perhaps 40 or 50.”
My daughter was, as they say at Harvard, unsmiling.
john
As a 46 year veteran of the bicycle industry (16 in retail, 30 as a company sales rep working directly with retailers) I have lived this story most of my life. I’ve made my living selling expensive toys, and training others how to do it,
Much of my time is spent working with staff at retailers getting them to abandon just such selling techniques for sound, relationship-based sales principles. Elitism and competition-bashing are never welcome, and the tactics in this article make my blood boil. Seeing them in my client’s businesses sends me directly to management to find out if it’s an isolated incident or company culture. That’s usually followed with an ask to set up a sales training clinic for the staff. Another big sore sport for me is salespeople hell-bent on displaying their product knowledge without any regard to relevance to the buyer. Spewing specs does not make for a good sales presentation.
The bike biz also has a problem with the customer base aging out – too many young folks were raised on Xbox, not riding their bike. In any business, recruiting new, young, customers is key to sustainability and the tactics in this article never let these young folks see a way in. With out fresh folks entering the hobby, It’ll fade away. None of us want that.
GREAT COMMENT and INSIGHTS…
I am sad to see that these issue make it into other hobbies and luxury segments.
Eye opening nonetheless. Thank you for sharing.
My first wife suggested that my hi-end dealer should have a jewelry counter to “keep her busy” while I look for perfection from the boxes being reviewed
I was a budding audiophile in 1964, when I was 12! When Mom would drag me into the local Sears store, I’d eventually wander over to the “audio department” and drool over the Ampex tape recorders and Gerard record changers. I knew that a “shiny-shoes salesman” would eventually try to shoo me away. But I was ready for him: when Mr. Shiny Shoes asked, in his most condescending tone, “May I help you, young man?” I had a question locked-and-loaded! “What is the frequency response of this machine at 7.5 ips?” This always pissed him off and probably embarrassed him too, since he had no clue about such technical things…
This is beautifully written and truly applies so well to sales in general.
Unfortunately, I’m the guy they’re trying to weed out. I could sit and listen to amazing gear all day, but I can’t afford any of it. I have spent my life in audio production, live engineer, studio engineer, producer, mastering and installing. Some commercial applications and a lot of custom install. Unfortunately I just haven’t recovered financially from a a poorly timed divorce just a few years before pandemic unemployment, that lasted almost two more years.
As a result, I build most of my gear and I truly find it incredibly rewarding. I’m no electrical engineer, but I have spent enough time in studios recapping amps and wiring patch-bays to develop solid soldering skills and Nelson Pass has been an absolute champion for the audiophile diy community.
All that to say, I know my financial limitations and while it’s a bit embarrassing, I’ll usually start any conversation at a HiFi retailer with a disclaimer that I can’t purchase, but would love a listen of they have time before a well healed customer comes along.
I have to say that, for the most part, I have been treated well and I never take offense if they actually don’t have time because of a potential sale.
The thing is, I am an enthusiast and my financial situation is temporary. I will be a serious customer one day and it doesn’t cost a salesperson anything to treat me well. I already know who’s getting my business when I am able to swing it.
Thank you for shining a light on a dark little pocket of the industry that has absolutely held our noble hobby back. The younger generations are rather sensitive and if you blow it with a young customer, they will hold it against you and the brands you represent until someone is really able to win them over. Unfortunately there might not be another chance.
Here is how to get to hear ANYTHING YOU WANT in the audiophile world….
Just BE HONEST.
Tell them that you want to hear those Magico speakers but you don’t have the budget. Don’t spend 30 min of their time or ACT like you can afford it etc…
Then try to buy SOMETHING from them at any level. Showing that you will spend even a LITTLE goes a long way.
In my long history of audio shopping, if I ever encountered either play it was a very long time ago. Plenty of people tried to sell me stuff to replace what I already had, and loved, but never an outright insult. The conversation just goes in a different direction.
But I’ve always tried to be considerate of the sales people’s time, and don’t ask to see or listen to something I will never either afford or be interested in spending that much money on. I don’t close every time, or even close to it, but that’s the game, that’s what the sales people are there for. And when I do find one I can relate to, is considerate and knowledgeable, I do try to reward him (always him) with repeat purchases. Unfortunately, all those stores are gone from my locale.
But walking into Magnolia, checking all the coolest stuff, and not being accosted by a single sales person? Yes, that happens to me all the time. They say they are dropping the Magnolia “store within a store” name, but whatever. They still have McIntosh, Martin Logan, etc. but apparently they have cut the staff to move it. Not a sustainable business model. No one comes in to cover from the main Best Buy store either.
These days it’s super important for dealers and customers to be considerate to each other because so many people find what they want at the brick and mortar store and then order it online.
Walked in to a famous dealer located in a second story building in Santa Monica.
He asked me what I listened to previously, I mentioned Krell… To this day I remember his disdain and bad attitude when mentioning the Krell. If it wasn’t Audio Research it was krapp. So I didn’t spend any $$$$$ with him.
What a jerk.
I walked into a Tweeter store (Nashville) with my dad around 20 years ago. I was maybe 40 at the time, dad was early sixties, and he was not a dresser. Salesman very animatedly glued himself to my dad and wanted to show him anything and everything, while completely ignoring me. Meanwhile, at home, I had two McIntosh systems and 8 pairs of speakers, and a pair of electrostatic headphones ( I buy a lot of gear and despite upgrades rarely sell any of it, in fact the only stereo my dad had after 1978 was my budget gear hand-me-downs). We weren’t in Tweeter long that day LOL
I sell equipment to truck repair shops. I have always had the attitude that if it doesn’t work for the customer, it doesn’t work for me. The equipment I sell MUST make money form the customer, or I failed.
If I sold audio gear, it would be the same way. If they aren’t happy long term, I’m not either.
Well said!