“In just six months, we had surpassed gross sales from Superior Sound’s best year. That was in 2007 when the economy was at its peak,” he explained. “When we first opened, the store was doing fantastic. We had this new image, this newfound rejuvenation. It was mine. I could do what I wanted to do, how I wanted to do it.” Aside from using his own unique approach, being embedded in the 12-volt culture of train- ings, attending KnowledgeFest, and sharing as well as receiving tips from other retailers via social media has become a regular part of the shop’s practices.
“Our sales technique is an interesting part of our routine here at AI. We’re not salesmen, we’re more like facilitators,” Autry explained. “We ask the right questions and qualify what the client is looking for. We sell the clients what they want—nothing more, nothing less. Our sales technique also has us showing potential clients all of their options and even options they didn’t know were a possibility. This technique sets us apart from all the other shops in this town.”
Structured Foundations Going against the old-school logic of
keeping their strategies close to the chest has proven to be a main contributor to the shop’s growth and improvement over the years. This is considering the store is one of 40 car audio retailers in the city of Fresno, Calif. It’s also considering their chief competitor for many years was retail sales guru Del Ellis, who is regarded by many as being the best in the business.
“Our market is tough. I had to sell against Del Ellis, who was less than a mile away from us,” Autry said. “Part of what’s helped us grow is our presentation. You’ve heard the saying, ‘stack ‘em high, let ‘em fly.’ We do the opposite of that. The presentation of our store is very minimal. We’re one of the first car audio shops to take the boxes and inventory out of the showroom.”
Striving for innovation in the shop’s business
practices has also allowed Autry to cultivate some of the top installers in the business, including a 2013 Top 12 Installer of the Year (IOTY), and current installation manager James
me-mag.com 43
» AI of Fresno has stood out amongst the other 40 shops in the city by being the only one that offers custom fabrication.
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