2 I MUSIC INC. AUGUST 2016 AUGUST 2016 I VOL. 27, NO. 7 PUBLISHER Frank Alkyer EDITOR Katie Kailus ASSOCIATE EDITOR David Ball CREATIVE DIRECTOR ùHUL[HǕ\U[V]m CONTRIBUTING EDITORS ,K,UYPNO[)VII`9LLK PRESIDENT Kevin Maher EASTERN ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Pete Fenech WESTERN ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Billy Heschl ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER Sue Mahal CIRCULATION MANAGER 2L]PU94HOLY BOOKKEEPING Evelyn Oakes OFFICES 7O ࠮-H_ LTHPS!LKP[VY'T\ZPJPUJTHNJVT CUSTOMER SERVICE (877) 904-7949 Jack Maher, President 1970–2003 :<):*907;0659(;,:! VUL`LHYPZZ\LZ [^V`LHYZPZ- Z\LZ[V<:(HKKYLZZLZ VUL`LHYPZZ\LZ [^V`LHYZPZ- Z\LZ[V*HUHKHHUKV[OLYMVYLPNUJV\U[YPLZ(PYTHPSKLSP]LY`H[JVZ[ :05.3,*67@HUKIHJRPZZ\LZSPTP[LKZ\WWS`! 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AUGUST 2016 August 2016 Jim and Nan DeStafney 50 I THE MARKETING GUIDE An in-depth feature that will boost your store’s marketing game today. 50 I Overcoming Marketing Obstacles 52 I Creating a Brand Story 53 I The YouTube Video You Should Have 54 I Does Facebook Still Work? 56 I Getting Started With Content Marketing 57 I Curbing Negative Reviews 40 I THE THANK YOU TOUR After the passing of ESSA, NAMM delegates took Capitol Hill for the annual NAMM Fly-in. Middle C Music’s Myrna Sislen describes the experience from a participating retailer’s point of view. 46 I FROM THE TOP Peaksware CEO Gear Fisher discusses how the purchase of Alfred Music will affect the company. 58 I THE NEW 34 ACOUSTIC MARKET Seven years after the economic downturn, acoustic piano manufacturers and suppliers are turning 34 I INTO THE WILD BLUE YONDER to technology to boost sales. How Blues Angel Music went from a one-man shop to a full-line dealer with a staff of 25 and a full acoustic piano showroom. PROFILE 25 I INDEPENDENT RETAILER 62 I PIANOS & KEYBOARDS 14 I How Andy’s Babiuk best-selling book boosts his X Eschliman highlights common inventory mistakes 64 I GUITARS, AMPS & ACCESSORIES retail business 26 I THE TECH BEAT 66 I DRUMS & PERCUSSION 15 I NEWS X Harding shares tips on how to dominate on Craigslist 68 I AUDIO & RECORDING X Sweetwater’s GearFest 2016 breaks records 28 I THE MARKETING MINUTE 70 I BAND & ORCHESTRA X Whitmore provides pointers on grabbing local media’s attention 71 I DJ & LIGHTING 30 I NEXT GEN RETAILING PROFILE ASK THE X Masarik offers insight into making the most 20 I Under new ownership, Heritage Guitars plans to renovate of B&O rental season RETAILER its iconic facility 74 I ASK THE RETAILER 32 I MY TURN X Dealers share one aspect of their business they’d like 21 I NEWS X Blackman explains the benefits of implementing to improve X Hal Leonard announces new investors a 401(k) retirement plan. Cover photo by Michael Spooneybarger 8 I MUSIC INC. AUGUST 2016 PERSPECTIVE I BY KATIE KAILUS ADVICE FROM THE FRONT LINES iguring out how to grab customer attention and bring them through your doors can give any business owner a headache. It’s competitive out there. Well, learn to love it. Great marketing is the lifeblood of your business’s success. So, Music Inc. has devoted a large section of this month’s issue, beginning on page 50, to helping you glide over Fthose marketing hurdles with insight from some of the best in MI. From Dustin Hinz, Ernie Ball Music Man’s executive vice president of marketing, sharing tips on developing your brand’s story to Chrissy Hansen, Reverb. com’s director of marketing, explaining how to become a content source for your custom- ers — this month’s Marketing Guide is chock full of good ideas to give your store’s game a serious boost. When preparing the feature, Music Inc. surveyed a slew of retailers asking them for their best marketing tip. Brian Douglas of Cream City Music in Brookfield, Wisconsin, advocated being true to who you and your store are throughout all consumer touch points. “Don’t feel as though you need to project a larger than life image of what your busi- ness represents because authenticity and a genuine desire to help someone wins out over an inflated marketing image every time,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s the personal relationships you build with your customers that results in repeat business.” A few retailers focused on social media, with Randy Wood, owner of The Music Shoppe in Normal, Illinois, suggesting spending any advertis- ing dollars you have online and on social media, noting that it’s working for him. One of the most innovative social media tips came from Anthony Mantova, owner of Mantova’s Two Street Music in Eureaka, California, who said joining live video streaming app Periscope has added to his company’s standing as a reputable source for all things musical to potential customers. “A few days ago I did one on DW Drums,” Mantova said. “I had 65 people submit 15 questions [for me to answer during the broadcast]. While I don’t credit it with selling loads of gear, it’s built up credibility for hun- dreds of potential customers.” This Guide is a keepsake. Hold onto and refer back to it when developing your store’s marketing plan for the next year. While you’re at it, heed Dustin Hinz’s advice and ask yourself the following questions: “What experience I am crafting?” “How am I capturing and conveying that experience?” “How am I broadcasting this message to my target audience?” By answering these questions and utilizing some of the tips in the guide, you will ensure custom- ers will be stopping by to check out what you are offering. MI 10 I MUSIC INC. AUGUST 2016 RPMDA at 40 ting smaller every year,” but it hank you so much for your didn’t seem small this year. We Twonderful coverage of the love Summer NAMM because Retail Print Music Dealers As- it’s in Nashville which means sociation’s 40th anniversary we get the opportunity to visit reunion convention. We are with some of our local support/ always so grateful to Music Inc. clients/fans. for the incredible support and We always use NAMM to informative industry stories. roll out new products and to What an amazing convention get the immediate feedback it was! There were so many from customers and others in familiar faces with members the industry and it is priceless, coming back that we haven’t really. This year Kyser rolled out seen in several years. There a brand new product, the Kyser were, in fact, 12 past presidents Quick-Clip, which is a tuner that in attendance as well as lots of will clip to the silicon boot on new faces. St. Louis was the site the back of the capo, thus saving of the first RPMDA convention room on the headstock. (RSMDA as the organization At the end of the day, other was known then) back in 1976, than showcasing your products, and it was the perfect setting it feel more like a family re- for this year’s celebration. union which is nice, especially The 2016 convention had el- for someone like me who is ements from the past, present relatively new to the MI in- and future of the print music dustry. industry. It was very important Meredith Hamlin to us that we acknowledge and President/CEO Kyser Musical Products thank the pioneers that helped to Canton, Texas build this industry and support the needs of the music commu- nity for so many years. RPMDA to do business. We have the op- Secondly, the article put me Corrections: was created by a small handful portunity to deliver even more in front of many great people in n page 53 of the of dealers that wanted to offer products and services to the music our industry, and I met so many July 2016 issue, support to each other and help makers of our time and do it in O at Summer NAMM and made SoundSynergies’ Rus- keep the lines of communica- ways we couldn’t have imagined new friends directly because of sell Reed’s name was tion open between dealers and even a few short years ago. the article. Thank you. spelled incorrectly. publishers. It has come a long Christie Smith I’d like to end by congratu- way in 40 years and those found- Senior Sales Associate On page 79 of the Alfred Music lating your magazine and, in July 2016, the Ar- ing members, and the hundreds Past President, RPMDA fact, all the trade mags in our of members that followed, have riba Cases Life- business, who in my opinion style Series photo made a significant and meaning- Grateful for the deliver world-class journal- ful contribution to the music Opportunity was reversed. It is ism and coverage of an ever- shown correctly industry as a whole.