AUDIO TECHNICA COMPANY PROFILE
feature of the event – that was in fact launched there – is the series of summer schools and Centres of Excellence from Audio Technica. As a retailer, developing a good knowledge base for the whole MI spectrum can often be a real challenge, especially when it comes to the industry’s more technical categories, which is why when Audio Technica announced that it was to send its training and product specialist, Logan Helps, to dealerships nationwide in order to get them more clued up on the often complicated and confusing subject of microphones, retailers leapt at the chance. Upon receiving an invitation to sample one of these sessions at Absolute Music in Poole, therefore, it seemed both churlish to refuse and the perfect opportunity to see an initiative like this in action. The first impression that was created
was how face-to-face and personal the training was. Too many schemes of this kind seem too much like a boring and lengthy university lecture, but with an excellent informant like Helps sitting so close and pointing out features and giving in-depth explanations, it’s no wonder that so many participants have come away stating how beneficial it was to their staff and personal knowledge. Travelling the length and breadth of the
country, visiting a large number of stores and doing more or less the same thing repeatedly might put other people off, but
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School’s in for summer T
he success of the MI Retail Conference & Expo is no secret to MI Pro readers by now, but one key
Logan was clearly happy with this element of his responsibilities. “It’s about the application rather than
the products,” said Helps. “I’m doing 34 of these, which is of course very tiring, but I’m really enjoying it. The question and answer format is key, as people just want knowledge in order to sell the products more effectively.” Participating retailers were given the option to choose which modules they wanted to cover, encompassing other areas such as headphones, wireless systems and various categories relating to the world of microphones.
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support offered by Audio Technica in training staff, increasing their understanding and enabling them to sell product from a position of confidence,” said Harvey Roberts, Audio Technica’s senior UK marketing manager. Microphones are an often- misunderstood area of MI by both retailers and consumers. To many, the dizzying selection of mics available from Audio Technica alone might seem almost unnecessary at first, until you learn the importance of getting the right mic for your voice, something that was stressed repeatedly by Helps.
It’s about the application, rather than the products. The question and answer format is key as people
just want knowledge in order to sell. Logan Helps
Training and product specialist, Audio Technica Condensers, cardioids, sibilants, ribbon
and instrument mics were explained in immense detail, with background information, diagrams and explanations on suitable applications all part of the package and if that wasn’t enough, an entire box full of cut-away product examples meant the participants could see for themselves how the theory is applied to the actual models. It is an initiative that has gone down well with those that have taken part. “Our customers have really appreciated the
Of course, some stores will benefit
more than others, particularly those that specialise in other areas, but are looking to get more educated in this sector. In this case, the Absolute Music workforce already possessed a good deal of know- how on microphones of various kinds already, but were still extremely glad that they took part. “We’re very big on sales training,” said
Richard Malpass, Absolute’s store manager. “You need to know your products. We already had good knowledge, but you can
The complexities of the microphone can be perplexing to many MI retailers, which is why Audio Technica decided to help out. Adam Savage went along to Absolute Music in Dorset to see what the Summer Schools were all about…
always do with knowing a bit more. Audio Technica is a major brand for us as well.” Recommending the right microphone to a customer, rather than automatically selling the first one they take an interest in was another crucial point made. “We get a lot of people coming in and
asking for a (Shure) SM58, because it’s what everyone else has,” said Absolute’s Dan Henry. “It’s nice to know more about Audio Technica products specifically, especially as they have a wider range than many other manufacturers.” As vocalists usually have just the mic
for their entire set-up, they are often much less ‘nerdy’ with their gear choices and so another feature of the Summer School is to encourage dealers to ensure that a customer doesn’t just go home with the right model, but that they also know about what they’ve bought. Having smashed the target number of sign-ups at the MI Retail Conference & Expo launch, Audio Technica would have already known it had hit the right note with a scheme such as this. “The reaction to Audio Technica’s Summer School training programme has been excellent. We exceeded our expectations for dealer ‘sign-ups’ at the MI Retail Conference, where we launched the initiative and I’m very pleased with the response to the training sessions around the country,” added Roberts. “The programme has been a great success and has become an important part of Audio Technica’s commitment to customer support this year.” AUDIO TECHNICA: 0113 277 1441
miPRO OCTOBER 2010 43
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