Mobile Electronics Magazine October 2016

October 2016

me-mag.com

! n o i t a r b e l e C e l b u Do

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 Still in the Game 

Sony’s unconventional but effective support for 12-Volt specialists

 Get the Big Jobs 

Strategies for landing fleet, municipality work

 Gmail? Please. 

Get a real business URL and double your branding

optimize your senses

RVC1000

RVC910

RVC1100

RVCLR

Mini Super Wide Viewing 150º view, Programable Normal or Mirror Image, 0.5 lux

Wide Viewing, 120º view, 0.3 Lux

OEM look, Stick On mount super wide, 160º view

Flexible Rubber Surface Mount

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RVCLPM (Chrome) RVCLPMB (Black Chrome)

RVC800LPWIRB (Black) RVC800LPWIR (Chrome)

License Plate Camera 120º view

IR License Plate Camera 120º view

On Star ! OE STYLE REARVIEW MIRROR with Built In 4.3” LCD (Manual Dimming)

RVC180B Split Screen 180º Rear/Front Camera

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PROFESSIONAL GRADE 7 PIECE DASH PRY TOOL SET! Easily Remove Trim, Molding, Door Panels and Dashboards !

4.3” LCD Rear View Mirror with OnStar !

Manual Dimming Includes Cable Adaptor Adjustable Parking Lines

W! NEPT700

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RVMMMDOS

OE STYLE REARVIEW MIRROR with Built In 4.3” LCD (Auto or Manual Dimming)

PT700

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Rear View Mirror Monitor

RVM430NG

Adjustable Parking Lines

RVM430MMD RVM430MAD

WIRELESS CHARGING CRADLE For Samsung Note/S3 and iPhone 4/5

USB POWERED PODS AND EXTENTIONS

Just drop the phone into the charging cradle for instant charging

Samsung Note 2/3 & Samsung S3/4 Dual USB Power Output

Dual USB Power POD with Mount

12 VDC Input Air Vent Mount

iPhone 4/4S and iPhone 5/5S

Surface Mount

Round flush mount

Dual 2.1A / 2.1A Output

Volt Meter

USBD12V

DVM100/DVM200

1 amp & 2.1 amp USB output

HDMI / USB Extension

USBR12V

USBRHDMI

u o y e r A 11” WIDESCREEN FLIPDOWN MONITOR

With Wifi Steaming & Built In Multimedia Player •11” WideScreen 16:9 • Built-in IR Multi-Media Player • 2 Audio / Video Inputs • SD Card Reader + USB Input

( ( ( (

Wirelessly Stream !

(

AXFD102HDWF

17900 Crusader Ave, Cerritos, CA 90703 USA (800) 788-1212 (562) 809-5090

7” DASH MOUNT NAVIGATION AND DVR

DVD9800

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9”

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• 7” LCD Display • iOS, Andriod and Win8 Supported • 12 million pixels • 1920 X 1080 Resolution • Auto Recording while Driving • TF memory Card • Power Protection Supported • Screen Saver Supported • Auto Switching Supported • Front Facing Camera

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• 9” LED backlit High Resolution Digital Panel • Works in all type of Cars • Multimedia DVD Player • Supports 3-In-1 SD Card Slot, USB, DVD • HDMI Input • Dual IR Wireless Headphone Transmitter Built-in • FM Transmitter Built-In • Game Controller • Slim Design • Touch Button Controls

10.2” OR 17” WIDESCREEN FLIPDOWN WITH WIFI STEAMING

(

(

a e R

• Built in Wireless Wifi HD receiver • Built in SD card player • Audio Video inputs • Wireless IR headphone transmitter • Wireless FM transmitter • Led Dome lights • IR Remote control

1080 HD Content from your smartphone

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AXDNAV700

Volume 33// Issue 11

Ad Index AAMP Global: Stinger / Phoenix Gold ... p. 42 ® Accele Electronics...................................... p. 2 & 3 ADS ............................................................................ p. 7 Bracketron .......................................................... p. 45 Clarion ................................................................... p. 57 CybCar .................................................................. p. 38 Elettromedia: Hertz / Audison ................. p. 43 Firstech/Compustar ..................................... p. 59 InstallerNet ......................................................... p. 33 Memphis Audio .................................................. p. 18 Mito ..........................................................................p. 39 Mobile Electronics ........................................... p. 23 SiriusXM ................................................................ p. 19 Sony ....................................................................... p. 29 Voxx ....................................................................... p. 60

46 FEATURES 10 // News Feature: The Big Job

Have you ever had that one big job come in that was both a financial relief and occupational burden all at once? Find out how to turn that burden into a consistent and manageable profit in this month’s news feature.

24 // Installer of the Year

After starting his career learning the ropes of both the automotive maintenance and 12-volt sides of the car, 2016 Installer of the Year Matt Schaeffer learned that his path to the top would require constantly challenging himself to be better than yesterday.

34 // Behind the Scenes: Sony

Despite being part of a massive multi-media conglomerate, Sony’s mobile electronics division has worked to set itself apart through innovative product offerings it hopes will change the landscape of car audio.

40 // Business Feature: Put A Ring On It

Finding the right vendor partner for your business is always a challenge, but with some words of wisdom from industry veterans, anything’s possible. Experts and retailers weigh in on this critical topic.

46 // Tech Today: The Perfect Shot, Part 1

The first in a series, Joey Knapp takes installers through the basics of photographing their work for promotional use.

40 ARTICLES 14 Retail News/Who’s Who 52 Installs

On the Cover

On his final day at KnowledgeFest, Matt Schaeffer was in a bar lounge at the Hilton Anatole, surrounded by friends and fellow 12-volt technicians. He sat with a perplexed look on his face while staring at his phone.

His wife had text him, asking him to come home in preparation for the birth of their second child. From those in attendance, although they knew he had to go, they felt his conflict without him having to say a word.

COVER DESIGN: TIM CAUSA COVER DESIGN: ROBIN LEBEL

4 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

DEPARTMENTS 5 Feedback 6 Editor’s Forum 8 Stats 9 Helpful Stuff 20 New Products 58 From The President

facebook.com/MobileElectronics

 feedback

Take It Or Leave It Anonymous responders share both praise and constructive criticism for this year’s KnowledgeFest in Dallas. One felt processes could have been better defined while another complimented Andy Wehmeyer on his course.

“I wish I could attend every training at Knowledgefest!”

“The presenters could have done a better job if there hadn’t been so many hijackings from the audience.”

“I’ve been to many of Andy Wehmeyer’s classes in the last few months and every time I learn something new. He presents everything in a way that experienced and novice tuners can understand. He has a great mix of being extremely technical with just the right amount of humor to keep you awake and intrigued in all of the information he throws at you in a short amount of time. He is always available any time to further help you through understanding the how’s and whys of tuning.”

“Wonderful courses, great presenters. Thank you for finally putting these types of courses together.

This was much needed for the industry.”

“There was no specific process defined. Just a bunch of pieces of information. Like a pile of ingredients but we never made any food.”

“I just wish the classes were longer.”

“I can’t say enough good things about Andy Weymeyer’s classes.

His ability to take complicated and scary subjects and break them down into easy to understand lessons is fantastic. I entered this class, after taking many of his others, with high expectations and was blown away. Before the class the subject of upmixing was totally confusing and now I honestly feel ready to tackle an upmixed system without any hesitation. Thank you Andy, keep

doing what you do for this industry!”

“We definitely need more classes like these next year.”

“My only concern was that I felt like the speaker was interrupted more than I thought was necessary and wish he was able to speak more about the high end customer explanation.”

“We need more classes that focus on the mentality and mindset of a successful business owner.”

“The presenter did not seem too prepared. He only went about 20 minutes before asking for questions, did not give any good examples, was very vague with examples and gave unrealistic closing rates.”

“Can’t wait for next year already.”

“Not advanced. Call the class better but not advanced. Lots of time on things not related to integration techniques. Should have taught those techniques.”

“The event coordinators should test equipment and prepare room against having technical difficulties. I don’t know that that is fault of presenters though. Other than that, presenters did great job.”

“This was the worst class I’ve attended. The presenter’s best advice was to always sell at Amazon’s price and try to pay your overhead and feed your family on the profit from labor and accessories? Ridiculous! When it was over, most of us left feeling insulted rather than empowered.”

“Keep Del on staff, what a great mentor. The industry really needs someone like him.”

“Keep bringing Ken Ward back.”

ADVERTISING SALES Kerry Moyer 703.598.3733 • kerrym@mobile-electronics.com ®

EDITORIAL Solomon Daniels 213.291.7888 • solomond@mobile-electronics.com Ted Goslin 800.949.6372 ext. 466 • tedg@mobile-electronics.com Creative Layout and Design: Robin LeBel Contributing Editors: Jamie Sorcher, Laura Kemmerer and Rosa Sophia.

Published by TM

mobile electronics association

Chris Cook, President 978.867.6759 • chrisc@mobile-electronics.com Kerry Moyer, VP Strategic Partnerships 703.598.3733 • kerrym@mobile-electronics.com Solomon Daniels, Dir. Media and Communications 213.291.7888 • solomond@mobile-electronics.com Richard Basler, Dir. Technology Solutions 978.645.6449 • richb@mobile-electronics.com Karin Drake, Events Manager 978.645.6478 • karindrake@mobile-electronics.com Robin Lebel, Creative Director 978.645.6456 • robinlebel@mobile-electronics.com 1)Title of publication: Mobile Electronics. 2) Publication No.: 957-170 6. ISSN# 1523-763X 3) Date of filing: Sept. 1, 2016. 4) Frequency of issue: Monthly. No. of issues published annually: 12) Annual subscription price: $35.00. 7) Complete mailing address of known office of publication: 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 8) Complete mailing address of the headquarters or general business offices of the publisher: 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 9) Full names and complete mailing address of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: Publisher: Chris Cook, 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845; Editor/Managing Editor: Solomon Daniels/Ted Goslin, 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845 10) Owner. MERA, Mobile Electronics Retailers Association, 85 Flagship Drive, Ste F, North Andover, MA 01845. 11) Known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders owning or holding 1% or more of total amounts of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None.

12) Tax Status: Not applicable. 13) Name of Publication: Mobile Electronics. 14) Issue date for circulation data below: August 2016. 6. a) Total no. copies (net press run) Average: 12,484 Single Issue; 12,826. B1) Paid/Requested mail subscriptions Average: 6834, Single Issue: 6826. B3) Paid sales through dealers, etc.; Average: 0. Single issue; c. Requested distributed by other classes of mail: Average: 531, Single issue: 520. Total paid and/or requested circulation; Average 7365. Single issue: 7346. d) Non-requested distribution by mail; Average: 4382 Single issue: 4223. Free distribution through other classes of mail: Average: 0, Single issue: 0. e) Nonrequested distribution outside the mail; Average: 325. Single issue: 750. f) Total non-requested distribution; Average 4707, Single issue: 4973. g) Total distribution; Average: 12,072. Single issue: 12,319. h) Copies not distributed; h1) Office use, leftovers; Average: 412. Single Issue; 507 j) Total; Average: 12,484. Single issue; 12,826 Percent paid and/or requested circulation; Average: 61.01%. Single issue 59.63%.

me-mag.com 5

editor’s FORUM Google Doesn’t Need Your Marketing

Your store branding should be about you and only you. Make these changes to maximize your online appeal.

Every year about this time I do one of those boring editorials telling you to get ready to thrive in the fourth quarter. This year is no different.

Just kidding.

The changes I’m suggesting today aren’t just about the end of the year, but about your business overall; specifically, how it’s seen online. At any given point, whether you’re attracting prospects or communicating with customers, you are doing so over email, the Web or on social media. And if you think first impressions are important, how you present online is absolutely vital because the written word sticks forever. So here are four changes you need to make now to improve your online impression.

Joesstereo@gmail.com is for amateurs. If you’re one of those people who likes the simplicity of Gmail and you use it for business because you think it’s easy for customers to remember, you’re looking at things the wrong way. In every part of our interaction with customers, branding needs to be key. What you are doing with a Gmail address is giving away 50 % of your branding opportunity! (Worse, you’re giving it to a company that doesn’t need it.)

Instead, get a URL that represents your business. Try for a .com address if possible. You may not be able to get your exact name, but try a combination of dashes, or creative names like go2joesstereo.com. Then, set up email addresses for yourself and all staff members with a first name (and last initial if there are two Mike’s for instance), like solomon@go2joesstereo.com. See the difference? Now when you email someone, not only are you getting your store branding, but you’re creating a personal experience as well with your first name.

By the way, you can still use Gmail because Google Apps for Work lets you personalize your email address and still keep the simplicity of Gmail.

Get serious about collecting email addresses. It’s amazing how a retailer will complain about slow business, but when I ask how many customer email addresses they have, I get a blank stare, a bad approximation or worse, a paltry sum. It’s like setting up a lemonade stand in the barren desert: right climate for the business, but a missed opportunity to reach customers.

I’ll say this officially: GONE are the days when it’s considered impolite or shady to ask for an email address. It needs to

6 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

be a regular part of your business practice. EVERY customer or prospect, whether on the phone or in store, needs to be asked to provide an email address. “By the way, we send out email periodically on our specials or client events. Can I get your email address to include you? You can of course opt out at any time.” Put a line on every invoice and make it part of your customer checklist. There is no reason you shouldn’t have several hundred email addresses within a year. Now, once you’ve accomplished that…

Start talking to your prospects and customers over email, regularly. Many of you get the email newsletters I send on behalf of our industry’s vendors. You should be doing the same thing.

Listen: it’s great to have a service do this type of stuff for you, but it doesn’t need to be overly complicated. Companies like MailChimp, Constant Contact and Robly make it super easy to sign up, load in your customer email list and select a template that fits your business. From there, it’s a matter of you sitting with your staff once per month and talking about things you’ve done or plan to do. New speaker model? Inventory in? New staff member?

Getting close to the 1,000th customer? New show car? There are tons of things you can talk about. Pick 2-3 MAX, place a picture and write a few words. Most important: have someone proofread your work!

Finally, put up some new pics. Refresh your online presences every three months, minimum. This one is relatively simple, unless of course you hired some college kid to build your website from scratch and he’s no longer around to make changes.

(Wordpress, people!) But if your site’s homepage or your Facebook page has looked the same for more than three months, it’s time to change things around. It can be simple stuff: update the main image with new pictures. Put a new cover photo on Facebook. Try different approaches: one month, put a picture of a completed install (with your customer’s permission); the next month, do a staff shot, then a storefront shot, etc. Different images will appeal to different customer groups.

Even though we are brick-and-mortar stores, all of our customers are online. We can’t take internet presence for granted anymore. It’s time to be proactive in ensuring that our branding and online reputations represent the kinds of retailers we really are. 

Das auto starter.

Introducing iDataStart® VW2 — the industry’s first complete remote start system specifically designed for select Volkswagen and Audi models 2006 and up. Featuring ‘plug & play’ installation, embedded KLON® immobilizer bypass technology and included 1-Mile remote, there’s never been a better time to say ‘YAH’ to Volkswagen and Audi installs. For more information, contact your iDataStart Authorized Distributor or ADS at 866.427.2999.

THE ART OF START

W W W . I D ATA S TA R T. C O M

®

 stats

Knowledgeable Reactions

Attendees from this year’s KnowledgeFest give their opinions on the most effective elements from the show.

Excellent - 62%

A Lot Better Than Expected - 38%

Very Good - 23%

Better Than Expected - 36%

Good - 11%

About What I Expected - 22%

Fair - 3%

Worse Than Expected - 2%

Poor - 1%

OVERALL RATING OF EVENT

A Lot Worse Than Expected - 2% Far Too Long - 0%

HOW WELL EVENT MET EXPECTATIONS

Too Long - 1% About Right - 75%

Too Short - 20%

Far Too Short - 4% Extremely Helpful - 46%

Very Helpful - 36%

LENGTH OF EVENT AND INDIVIDUAL CLASSES

Somewhat Helpful - 14%

Not So Helpful - 3%

Not At All Helpful - 1%

HELPFULNESS OF CONTENT PRESENTED AT CLASSES 8 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

Very Engaging - 37%

Somewhat Engaging - 9%

Extremely Engaging - 52%

Not So Engaging - 1%

Not At All Engaging - 1%

HOW ENGAGING SPEAKERS WERE AT CLASSES

 helpful stuff BOOKS: Trump Revealed: An American

Journey of Ambition, Money, Ego, and Power

By Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher Full disclosure: Donald Trump was the commencement speaker at my college graduation. He landed in his Trump copter and was brazen enough to bring his book, The Art of the Deal, to sign for graduates. I was not impressed. But I don’t have much to go on other than that one brief experience. I only know what I have read in the news or seen on TV. This recently released book, a deeply researched biography of Donald Trump, could not come at a better time. As the country prepares to send its next

APPS:

president to the White House, what do we truly know about him?

In Trump Revealed, readers get a look at his life from a well-to-do upbringing in Queens to his surprising lock of the 2016 Republican candidacy for president. It covers his family roots coupled with his determination to make a name for himself in New York society. It examines his controversial dealings in real estate like his projects in Atlantic City, New York City, Florida, and more. Understanding his background might give us a window into his positions on the economy, immigration, race, global trade, and terrorism. Love him or hate him, with the presidential election around the corner, this should be required reading.

Google Duo

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com. google.android.apps.tachyon&hl=en Texts and e-mail can only go so far. In-person is your best bet, but if not, there’s always the mobile video call. Up until now, there was an issue if you had to reach someone on a different platform than yours. Apple folks couldn’t Facetime with Android folks. Problem solved with Google Duo. This free 1-to-1 mobile-only video calling app takes the frustration and complexity out of making video calls so they’re easy, reliable, and productive. Sign up takes just a moment and no separate account is required. All you need is the phone number from your contact list and you can begin video calling with a single tap. Call quality adjusts depending on the network connection. For video calls on the go, Duo switches seamlessly between Wi-Fi and cellular data so you won’t have to worry about a dropped call mid-sentence.

SITES TO SEE:

Jillkonrath.com https://asana.com/

If you’re in sales then you’ll want to check out the blog of Jill Konrath, a sales strategist and thought leader among other things.

Her most recent post was about asking the right questions when prospects contact you. Over-eagerness, she shares, can send your opportunity to get the business out the window making you look unattractive. Another recent post offered an early warning sign for a bad sales job. Still another offered How To Kiss Your Boring Sales Presentation Good-Bye. There’s a lot of info here and all in an easy, conversational style.

SERVICES: HOSTGATOR www.hostgator.com

If you don’t have a website for your business yet, why not make this the year to establish one? It can be a full-blown fancy e-commerce site or just a basic page with contact info and photos of your best installs. Whatever way you go, you’ll need a web hosting service. The entry-level Hatchling Plan (starting at $3.45 per month) offers unlimited bandwidth and

support for one domain and they can help you build your website, too. It’s of no value to have a web presence if a potential customer can’t contact you which is why HostGator provides an unlimited number of email accounts right out of the gate. It’s worth checking out so you can get your business online today.

me-mag.com 9

 news feature

Most shops know what their day-to-day jobs are going to be for the most part. But how does a shop balance the biggest build ever while continuing everyday work?

WORDS BY TED GOSLIN

You're an independent retailer. Your staff of three operates a small but profitable shop in your middle-class community. The work is good but so far there've been no jobs that have overwhelmed you or taken your attention away from your regular duties of installing speakers, decks, amps and the like.

That is, until now.

Does this scenario sound familiar? If so, know that you aren't the only one to deal with it. Rob Paterson, co-owner of 2016 Top 50 Retailer, Sound Auto, in Hamilton, N.J. experienced it first-hand when a client brought in his RV in the hopes of adding a few extra bells and whistles to spice up his weekend joy ride.

Several visits and thousands of dollars later, the job was done and the small, three-man operation had won over the

10 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

client, created a memorable build and managed to balance the massive, twoyear job with the rest of their workload.

That begs the question: How did they do it? The answer: Very carefully.

Randy Lumia had the idea of getting a few upgrades done on his 28-foot RV. The client arrived on a Saturday and asked about technology, amenities and items that could give him bragging rights during fishing and camping trips with friends, effectively creating a "Man Cave On Wheels."

"We have 14-foot-high bay doors as part of a 3,000 square foot facility. 90 percent of it is bay space; we had 12 cars in here at one point," Paterson said. "Without the ability to have this thing inside, I never would have taken this job."

The sales staff discussed a variety of

upgrade options while Lumia stressed the importance of leaving room for future upgrades as the budget would allow. After about an hour or so, he drove off and the salesman was left to contemplate possibilities for the camper. A couple weeks went by before the customer's return.

During that time, he had the A/C unit replaced, a new generator installed, found an interior person and ordered all of the materials, installed new wheels, tires and brakes. From that point on, it was clear to Paterson and his two-man crew that this would be a serious project.

"You've got to step back and get the larger idea. With a large job like this, if it's not done in 20 baby steps, you've got a hot mess," Paterson said. "You've got 20 lines going to the battery. But if you plan it at the offset, you can plan a power

distribution set up. Plan four steps ahead.

Get an accurate idea of what the scope is."

Although the practice of properly planning for a big job is something Paterson is accustomed to, the same can't be said of all retailers, who face different issues as large projects come in.

amplifier and Pinnacle Baby Boomer subwoofer (which pulled double duty for

for personal use, mainly to be used for concerts, sporting events and camping.

The Start of Something Big With over 33 years of experience working for companies like Alpine Electronics, VOXX Electronics and now, president and chief technology evangelist of American Road Products, Steve Witt brings a plethora of information with him on all aspects of mobile electronics. But since his current company sells safety products like backup sensors and collision avoidance products, which are installed by a partner company he works with called Premiere Services, Witt is well-versed on what it takes for retailers to handle largescale projects like fleet builds and large vehicle installs.

"To find and prepare for a big job, whether it be a single vehicle or fleet of vehicles, there are multiple steps a retailer should follow. First, plan the scope of work with your team. That includes getting the complete custom requirements on paper, assigning tasks to the most appropriate employee based on knowhow and creating a task management timeline. That can be something as simple as a whiteboard in the install bay.

It doesn't have to be a big document with charts," Witt said. "Then, brief the customer with that plan because what will happen is once you regurgitate to the customer additional needs, requirements or wants could come out that could increase the sale."

As it turns out, that's just what happened to Paterson, albeit in a more scattered timeline. The build took place in several stages, which were planned one step at a time, considering neither the shop nor the customer knew there would be more than one stage. The first stage of the build consisted of upgrading the windows and door locks from manual to electric. The team also added a radar detector, alarm, remote start, a Morel GPS, a JL Audio XD three-channel

Stephen Witt is the president and chief technology evangelist of American Road Products with over 33 years of experience with technology and installation practices.

both the front end and lounge areas).

The bunk area was equipped with two 32-inch TVs on swing-out arms, an Onkyo eight-channel receiver, Blu-ray player, sound bar and surround speakers. A 19-inch TV and speakers were installed in the rear bedroom to round out the entertainment center aspect of the build.

Getting the customer to sign off on the plan was easy for Paterson given his extensive experience, customer rapport, and the customer having done his research online prior to seeking Paterson out. Once the first phase was complete, the customer was billed on that work and the job was seemingly done—or so they thought.

"Scope Creep" Variables Although some jobs are planned ahead of time, like multi-vehicle fleet work, Paterson experiences the random single vehicle builds that happen in stages, like the RV. His staff also recently completed a 40-foot tour bus build for a businessman who didn't fly and wanted a mobile board room. In comparison, the RV was

The difference in work and randomness of jobs like this for such a small operation points to another problem, according to Witt: the "scope creep," or unexpected variable.

"The most common scope creeps are one, if it's a single vehicle job, the customer comes to visit, sees progress, perhaps asks for additional changes causing an immediate pause by retailer in that the answer must be based on an agreedupon cost or additional charge. Two, if it's a fleet job with multiple vehicles, the customer begins their education process in safety technology and begins calling because you've done work, you complete one to two on one day, the drivers report back to the owner, then the owner calls the retailer and asks for changes saying they expected something different," Witt explained. "What we see at Premiere Services with customers is that the owner of a business contacts us for scope of work to put commercial-grade backup cameras on 15 to 20 of his bigger trucks where there is no rear visibility, no windshield, rear view mirror. We go do three or four

me-mag.com   11

 news feature of them, then they get really busy on fleet side. They can't pull their trucks off the road because they're really busy. Then they come back and say they read about blind spot cameras. In that instance, it's good because you're getting additional business with additional labor and hardware markup, but it throws a monkey wrench in the overall of the job. All of a

Rob Paterson, Sound Auto

sudden, you planned to have X number of guys do work and scope and now it's out of whack. That's really common in fleet management work."

In comparison, once the client returned to Paterson with his next request, Paterson had moved on to other work and wasn't even thinking about the build and what he had done. Luckily, he had recorded all parts used and sold on the job in his records so that he could reference the work done and know how to move forward with the new elements.

The next "scope creep" Paterson would have to contend with, other than the work itself, would be how to bill, knowing the work would likely continue for a while.

"Billing is very difficult on jobs like this. In a perfect world it would be T&M (Time and Material). It's hard to look at your customer as a perfect checkbook.

Car restoration guys have a similar difficulty," Paterson said. "Some of the stuff you can foresee but you can't know how long a lot of the custom stuff will take. I don't have a rule of thumb for billing. I

12 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

To complete the client's vision, the next step of the build consisted of a full interior lighting package using color-changing LEDs. Aluminum extrusions with defused lenses were used to create the right look.

After stopping by to see the progress, Lumia (the client) asked about possibil-

“I don’t have a rule of thumb for billing. I try to gauge the time I have into it based on 24 years of experience and I still get it wrong half the time.

You have to be loose and be careful what you promise. I try to under promise and over deliver.”

try to gauge the time I have into it based on 24 years of experience and I still get it wrong half the time. You have to be loose and be careful what you promise. I try to under promise and over deliver. Shoot high; if somehow everything comes in according to plan, I will transfer that to the customer and I end up looking like a rock star."

The job was billed in spurts, according to Paterson. "If we had the RV for an extended period, we'd complete a leg of the job and he'd pay. If it was a smaller leg of the job, he'd pay upon delivery," he said. "I try to keep it modular, listing what section costs what. Organization avoids confusion. I don't like gray areas on a bill."

The second stage of the RV build included an exterior lighting package with an SPod switch controller and Hella lights on three sides of the roof.

Docking lights were added on either side of the vehicle to help with nighttime setup and teardown.

Stage three would With a main focus on bread and butter installs like head present another challenge. units and speakers, Sound Auto has adapted to handling

large-scale work like RVs and buses.

Neat and Tidy

ities for more outside sound. The shop obliged and added an outside sound package consisting of a Yamaha A-S501 integrated Amplifier with built-in DAC, Yamaha Bluetooth audio receiver, Klipsch AW-650 outdoor speakers, a Klipsch AW-800-SW outdoor subwoofer, and a Klipsch RSA-500 500W subwoofer amplifier. As much of a mouthful all that work is, the biggest challenge was maintaining neatness due to the sheer volume of wiring used throughout the vehicle.

"Toward the latter end of the job, trying to keep everything neat was very difficult. We were in the situation where it was add-on after add-on. About twothirds through the job, I started labeling everything I could just to keep things straight," Paterson said. "I would see a bundle of wires and think 'what's this?'

I realized it would be really confusing if I ever had to warranty anything on this job. I started labeling everything I could find. I can't say enough on jobs like this for being organized and methodical.

You could easily lose a whole lot of man hours."

Stage four consisted of performance work, which included a custom console that was fabricated to house an iPad Air in a Soundman side slide kit, a CB radio, PA system, LED lit stainless cup holders, four AC plugs and four USB charging ports. The console was wrapped in vinyl and suede with aluminum accents. The console project billed 47 hours, plus materials.

Rob Paterson and his team worked on his client’s RV over the course of almost two years, installing a piece at a time, including this detailed and challenging center console build.

Shifting Priorities With 55 percent of Sound Auto's business coming from what he calls "bread and butter jobs" consisting of speakers, head units, OEM repair and so on, taking on larger work requires great planning, organization skills and smart billing practices to become a regular part of the business. But according to Witt of American Road Products, jumping on the fleet band wagon might be something Paterson and other retailers out there should consider.

"If you have any opportunity to sell an existing customer more product, services or labor, it is a solid business decision because you have zero acquisition costs to getting that additional business. You've already got 'em, so adapt," Witt said. "To prepare for fleet work, first prepare the organization for the fleet selling needs.

That would include sourcing product, having strong product knowledge, and using different selling tactics. Especially if the fleet needs are for safety."

While retailers may need to lower the costs on product to win over fleet jobs, Witt believes it's worth it in the long run.

"Understand that hardware margin will

decrease slightly but your business measurement must become a margin/dollar contribution by job. It's not like retail thinking of trying to maximize the gross margin on a single unit or four units that make up a system on one vehicle," Witt said. "But never compromise on your labor. Your labor is your best calling card and your reputation depends on it. Don't shortcut labor to win a fleet deal."

To obtain fleet business, Witt suggests that retailers create a one-page flier that lists the value propositions of why the fleet owner or manager should want to put specific product in their vehicles. If the shop prefers its current clientele with the occasional big vehicle job, like Paterson experienced, they should at least consider expanding product offerings to increase their chances of getting more big jobs.

"I can't stress enough how many guys I spoke to at this year's KnowledgeFest about how many of them tried one Mobileye forward collision sale and gave up," Witt said. "You will make mistakes in the beginning. Don't give up. Learn and evolve to win big jobs. They may not be profitable on the first one, but keep going." ď‚ľ

Premier Services is an installation company that works with American Road Products to travel and install safety products in fleet and individual vehicles as needed. me-mag.com   13

 retail news

This 2015 GMC Sierra 2500HD is the largest build in the shop’s history with 26 amplifiers and 16 subwoofers in addition to a litany of other parts used.

HEAVY DUTY

The biggest and most detailed build of the shop’s history is sure to draw new clients to Audio 2000 of Tucson, Ariz.

WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

The installers at Audio 2000 in Tucson, Ariz. have finished the biggest and most detailed system they’ve ever built in the 25-year history of the shop. Bill Wyko, Dan Kirchenberg and Beau Campbell

14 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

worked together to make the build a success.

The business has four employees and does mostly custom audio. “I started in 1986 in San Diego,” Wyko said. “That

makes me 30 years in this business.” The immensity of their latest build is one for the record books.

The vehicle is a 2015 GMC Sierra 2500HD. According to Audio 2000,

»

Who’s Who Anthony Caldwell Extreme Car Audio Knoxville, Tenn.

Years of Industry experience: 25+ Hobbies: Car audio competitions What you’re really good at: Stereo system design and trouble shooting.

Matt Borgardt Cadence City of Industry, Calif.

Years of Industry experience: 32 Hobbies: Audio / fabrication What you’re really good at: Acoustic and speaker design/fabrication

Isaac Siegfried Jam Audio Brunswick, Maine Years of Industry experience: 17 Hobbies: Family, watching sports What you’re really good at: Relays, remote starts, system design and builds

equipment used in the build included Rockford Fosgate, Audiofrog, GP Audio, Pioneer Electronics, XS Power, DC Power Engineering, RAS Quikill Sound Dampening and Transpo Electronics.

The highlights included a charging system that consisted of five DC Power Engineering 370-amp alternators, 16 XS Power 14-volt batteries, as well as eight Rockford Fosgate digital hybrid capacitors. Completing

the electrical system were custom-made aluminum fuse blocks.

A Pioneer head unit and four Rockford Fosgate signal processors and amplifiers made up the audio system. Then, a whopping 26 amplifiers and eight 16-inch subwoofers were used in support. The woofer box itself weighed almost 1,800 pounds. The front doors were fiberglass molds, and according to Wyko, “The molds were custom made specifically for this

George Smith Mobileworks Santa Maria, Calif.

Years of Industry experience: 30 Hobbies: Dirt track racing. Nhra drag racing. Car shows. Kids sports events.

What you’re really good at: Jack of all trades. Assisting others with installation problems. Multi tasking.

Retail sales. Expediter service.

Customer service

me-mag.com 15

 retail news

Bill Wyko sands a trim panel in preparation for installation. application and were fortified to withstand the abuse from the SPL we were expecting. The sheet metal in each door had been covered in RAS sound deadening material and plywood plates were added for more rigidity.”

The truck had to be modified to include a “cut-through” from the cab of the truck to the bed, “eliminating the rear wall and window of the cab as well as the front portion of the bed. A plate was made to bolt the cab to the camper, with provisions for an accordion boot to allow flex between the two.”

Custom brackets hold alternators in place and a steel battery box holds 10 additional batteries in a hole cut in the bed, according to Audio 2000. “Steel airbags had to be added to the rear suspension to level out the sag created by over a ton of equipment. The tailgate and rear shell glass were modified to motorize open, using a pair of Firgelli linear actuators.” In the front console, a motorized tablet tray holds a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet.

The build took 17 months, and according to Wyko, “It’s just gotten bigger and

bigger. It wasn’t really built to break any records, but we’re probably the loudest street legal vehicle that can be a daily driver—161.4 decibels. We turned it on, that’s what did it,” Wyko said. “Almost 1,000 watts of power.”

The vehicle will be going to shows and

amps and 52 speakers. “He won first place for the best 1950 and older vehicle,” Wyko said. While they attend local events and car shows, the staff of Audio 2000 has yet to host an event at the store’s location, but they would like to do so in the future.

“We have a small parking lot. I haven’t been able to make time for it,” Wyko added. “When we were at the last month and a half of this truck, we were working double shifts to get it done.”

The attention to detail is what makes it stand out from previous builds. When asked what makes the build unique, Wyko stated, “Usually systems are rough, bare wood. This one is carbon fiber, Plexiglas, leather, handmade fiberglass panels.

Everything flows beautifully through the truck. It’s got half a ton of Plexiglas. Lots of carbon fiber.”

Wyko stated that he has a passion for detailed builds. “I’ve developed techniques for fabrication that give you results that are extremely accurate,” he said. “I like to mix it up with the hot rod community. They see the kind of detail we do, and it makes them rethink it.” 

“Usually systems are rough, bare wood.

This one is carbon fiber, Plexiglas, leather, handmade fiberglass panels. Everything flows beautifully through the truck. It’s got half a ton of Plexiglas. Lots of carbon fiber.”

Bill Wyko, Audio 2000

16 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

the owner is excited to compete, according to Wyko. The truck has already won an award at one event. “In addition, we’ll have it here at the shop on occasion,” Wyko said. “I’ll reach out and do demos, have people come out on Saturday and test cars. We’ll use it in a lot of different ways to bring people into the shop.”

Audio 2000 had completed another build that was a 1950 Dodge with 10

EXTREME

The remodel of the shop has seen alterations both inside and out.

MAKEOVER

While one of the three Extreme Audio locations is undergoing an exterior remodel, the company endeavors to keep things consistent at each store.

WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA

Located in Wisconsin, Extreme Audio has three locations—Manitowoc, Green Bay and Appleton—and they are currently working on a major exterior remodel of one store. While the remodel has taken longer than initially planned, it will surely improve the store’s image.

Co-owner Craig Smidel feels the remodel will definitely help business.

“Our Manitowoc location was like a steel building, and we get a lot of our influences from Vegas. We like the architecture and themes,” he said. “The inside didn’t match the exterior, and people

came in and said, ‘Wow,’ and we said, ‘How can we help you?’ and they said, ‘We had no idea the inside would look like this.’ So, we knew we had to do something to the outside and get that on the books. The inside reality doesn’t match the outside reality.”

Across all three locations, the company has nine employees, including owners Craig Smidel, Kurt Scherer, Chris Fransen and Jack Zuleger. “Each location is independently owned,” Smidel said. “We have co-owners that used to be employees and we brought them in as owners. Appleton

is the most recent location. That one, I think, is just coming on two or three years.”

Smidel has been in the industry since 1995. After attending Mobile Dynamics school, he was unable to find employment and as a result chose to open a business.

Extreme Audio was born in the same year with one location. “It was out of Kirk’s grandparents’ garage,” Smidel recalled.

Now, the Manitowoc location is undergoing the remodel, and once it’s finished Smidel hopes to have a grand reopening.

“I’d like to have an open house to show

me-mag.com 17

 retail news people who haven’t been to our store what we do,” he added. “The best way to describe it is ultra-modern. We wanted to go to a high-end look, like a high-end car dealership. We do home audio as well.”

The business has hired someone to do the remodel. The whole outside of the building is stucco, with a “cool” pattern and fake stone, according to Smidel.

While word-of-mouth has been the best form of marketing for Extreme Audio, they also attend trade shows and car shows and do Facebook promotions as well as radio. “We try to keep everything consistent among all three stores,” he added. “It kind of feels like a chain, so you go to one store, it’s the same look and feel. There are different projects done out of each location.” At the Green Bay location, they even do work for the Green Bay Packers. In terms of the kind of work they do at each location, “It’s kind of scattered.

That’s what’s weird. In Manitowoc, we do have quite a bit of high-end work down here, which I guess is unusual since in

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18 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

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Labor-intensive jobs like this fabricated trunk are still being done at the shop, despite the remodel.

Green Bay and Appleton the market is larger. We work on a beat up pick-up one day, the next day it’s a brand new highend pick-up or car or a Porsche.” Most

recently, they finished a K40 installation on a unique F-Type Jaguar convertible.

“We possibly might be looking for a new location in the Green Bay market,”

Smidel said of the company's next goals.

“We’re outgrowing that location. There may be plans in the future to find a new facility.” 

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me-mag.com 19

 new products

Autumn Preview The Fall Season Brings Camera Solutions, OEM Integration Upgrades, New Amps and More!

add 3o han the ind

Alpine Electronics HCE-TCAM1WRA Rear View Camera System For Jeep Wrangler www.alpine-usa.com Notable: Alpine Electronics of America, Inc. has expanded its lineup of Jeep Wrangler products with the introduction of the HCE-TCAM1-WRA rear view camera system, which is now shipping. The HCE-TCAM1-WRA is compatible with the 2007-Up Jeep Wrangler JK and is the company’s second camera system developed for a specific vehicle. The three-in-one design incorporates a rear view camera, LED third brake light, and LED reverse light in a 7-inch round housing. The housing has a matte black finish with gun metal gray powder coat accents and attaches to the spare tire mount.

20 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

DD Audio Z2c Competition Amplifier www.ddaudio.com

Notable: DD Audio has just released the Z2c, “the ultimate competition amplifier!” according to the company.

With more power from lower voltage than the Z2b, the Z2c is capable of an additional 1500 watts of power on a 14V charging system. Featuring High Volume Air Circulation technology, or HVAC, this large amplifier is designed to stay cool under the highest competition stress levels. For ded durability, the chassis mounting points for the heavy duty oz PCB have been optimized for minimal vibration while the power devices are nd-wound and hand-soldered for maximum current flow. For reliable and accurate operation e Z2c includes our latest VM-Remote gain control unit that features a digital voltage display and clipping dicator.

Echomaster PCAM-BS1 Blind Spot Camera http://echomaster.com/index.php/products/blind-spot-camera Notable: Echomaster, power brand of AAMP Global and manufacturer of cameras, sensors, monitors, and other automotive safety equipment, has introduced a new blind spot camera designed to improve visibility and reduce the risk of collisions and other accidents, especially when changing lanes. The PCAM-BS1 is designed for versatility, and its self-adhesive design, with flexible base can be mounted on multiple areas of a vehicle. When mounted beneath side mirrors, the PCAM-BS1 improves driver visibility during lane changes. Pairing the PCAM-BS1 with a PAC BCI video interface, or with EchoMaster’s rearview mirror with monitor PMM-7333-PL, triggers the camera to turn on when a turn signal is being used, and converts the video signal to a constant.

GROM Vline Aftermarket Infotainment System Upgrade

http://gromaudio.com/store/vline/grom-vl1-lex5.html Notable: Vline is the aftermarket infotainment system upgrade for existing Lexus and Toyota car stereos with navigation touch screen. Vline interfaces with the vehicle’s original manufacturer installed stereo to upgrade its abilities and offer new features. Connected to the factory car stereo with navigation touch screen, VLine aftermarket infotainment system provides video interface to display latest apps that provide drivers with the safety and convenience while on the road.

Built on automotive grade Android 5.1.1, VLine provides driver with modern GPS and maps such as Google and Waze, music apps that include Web Radio, Spotify, Google Music and so on, Bluetooth A2DP music streaming, and access to the other apps available at Google Play.

me-mag.com 21

 new products

PAC VS41 Intelligent 4-camera Switcher

www.pac-audio.com Notable: PAC, a Power Brand of AAMP Global, is addressing the subject of safety with the launch of its VS41 intelligent 4-camera switcher. The camera interface is small, compact, and designed for easy installation, automatically triggering the inputs based on driver behavior. The new VS41, combined with EchoMaster or other aftermarket cameras, and a compatible radio, provides a complete integrated safety solution for drivers. It enables a front, left and right, and reverse cameras to be quickly added to an aftermarket radio, or factory radio (with the addition of a camera interface). The back-up input on the VS41 is triggered by simply shifting the vehicle into reverse making the input a priority to display the reverse camera feed on the radio. This is especially helpful with large vehicles like trucks and vans that make it extremely difficult to see what is behind the vehicle while backing up. The PAC VS41 is available now for a suggested retail price of $149.95.

Retro Manufa

www.re

Notable: Retro Manufacturing, a toration market, will be shipping The device is the only SiriusXM the SiriusXM® SXV300 Conne tion required). The SXV300 plug for special adapters or cables. Th behind the dash for a fully integ will receive a three-month subs SiriusXM “All Access” package NBA game, every NASCAR® ra erage, as well as access outside other connected devices and o

Rockford Fosgate Punch Element-Ready Mono Amplifier www.rockfordfosgate.com

Notable: Rockford Fosgate’s new “No Power Wire Required” PM100X1K Punch Element-Ready 100-Watt full range mono amplifier is now available. Designed for mobile, motorsport and marine applications, the PM100X1K has an MSRP of $399.99 per pair (left/right). The Element-Ready PM100X1K is a high dynamic power amplifier that utilizes the company’s patent-pending BTL-powered ‘Freeload’ technology and a conformal coated pc board for multiple applications in a small, stealth-like package. The technology in the PM100X1K initially uses the DC offset voltage for its turn on power as well as primary amplification power. As volume is increased and the output power demand rises, the amplifier begins sharing the power load between the DC and AC signals. Once high volume is reached, the majority of the amplifier’s power is provided from the AC signal only and is supplemented by its internal storage bank.

22 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

Power Acoustik Wireless Headphones

acturing Long Beach Radio

etromanufacturing.com

a leader in audio solutions for the classic resg its newest radio offering, Long Beach, this fall.

M-Ready™ radio for classic cars. It connects to ect Vehicle Tuner (sold separately, subscripgs directly into Long Beach without the need The compact size installs easily and discreetly grated look. Customers purchasing the SXV300 scription to SiriusXM’s All Access Package. The includes Howard Stern, every NFL, MLB®, and ace, plus NHL® games and PGA TOUR® cove the vehicle to SiriusXM on smartphones and online at siriusxm.com.

http://poweracoustik.com/car-video/ video-accessories/ headphones/ Notable: Power Acoustik has released its wireless headphones HIR1 and HIR2. These headphones come in graphite black or snow white. Their soft comfortable faux leather ear pad make them comfortable for users to wear. Additionally they also contain other key features such as built-in momentary mute switch and auto off timer to increase battery life. Lastly they contain 25 feet of maximum operational range and fold flat for convenient storage.

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me-mag.com 23

 installer of the year

Better Than Yesterday

To break out of a stalling career mindset six years ago, Matt Schaeffer made the conscious choice to challenge himself every day. Today, he stands atop the 12-volt industry as Installer of the Year.

WORDS BY TED GOSLIN PHOTOS BY TIM CAUSA

24 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

The Safe and Sound staff, Left to Right: Back Row - Brendan Knick, Adrian Gary, Craig Timmerman; Middle Row Mark Rabatin, Tommy Chan, Michael Mancilla, Dayton Allen; Front Row - Willy Winstanley, Richard Pietraszko, Matt Schaeffer, Elias Ventura

N

ot everyone knows what they want to be when they grow up. Some wander the world in search of a dream job with no particular focus, hoping that some mystical force will guide them into their ideal life. But it doesn’t work that way.

Some people never find their calling and wind up taking whatever career path is most convenient. And then there’s Matt Schaeffer.

At the age of 11, Schaeffer received his first four-wheeler and fell in love.

Cars became a passion off the bat for the future installer, who learned quickly what his favorite hobby and future career would become.

“I became obsessed with building it, customizing it, making it my own. I even got into making panels and customizing my four-wheeler,” Schaeffer said.

“Then when I was in high school I got an Eclipse GSX. Using the mentality I

had with my four-wheeler, I customized the GSX with panels, fabricating and installing.”

It was during this time period in the early 2000s that master fabricators like Dave “Fishman” Rivera, Steve Brown and Chris Yato were making the rounds in various magazines, showing off their work to a new generation of 12-volt enthusiasts. The build articles featured things like how to build fiberglass panels, Schaeffer recalled. “I would reverse engineer my parts from those articles to figure out what I wanted to build,” Schaeffer said. “For me, I fell in love with building, making things my own. I built my Eclipse to be a show car on the East Coast. It won Best in Show at the Funk Master Flex show in Daytona. It showed the artistic place where my passion lies and I knew that’s where I wanted to take my career.”

After high school, Schaeffer sought out

a school to learn his craft. But instead of heading straight for 12-volt, he started with the basics at the Universal Technical Institute (UTI) in Orlando, Fla., where he received an education in automotive repair. “I learned transmissions, suspension, all the things I wasn’t versed in. As I’m installing something in a car, I’d want to be more versatile and be able to diagnose problems in a car,” Schaeffer said.

“I had a lot of fun there and use a lot of what I learned now with wheels, tires, lift kits and performance upgrades. It’s something I hold dear to my heart that’s a nice change of pace from doing custom installs and head units. In my opinion, Universal Technical Institute would be the college for our industry.”

Upon graduating in 2006, Schaeffer attended the Installer Institute, which lasted about two weeks. He then went to a week-long training with his idol, Dave “Fishman” Rivera, called “Fish Camp.”

me-mag.com 25

 installer of the year

Finding The Lines

Schaeffer’s most difficult build is also one of his most recent, with this 2012 Subaru Forester coming in just before his win at KnowledgeFest.

Due to the time limit of having KnowledgeFest less than two weeks away, and being given complete freedom to design the build to his liking, Matt Schaeffer was at a loss when a client brought in their 2012 Subaru Forester. Aside from a few requests, like maintaining functionality and trunk space for groceries, he was told to go for it by the client.

“It was hard for me because I am retail, not boutique. I had to think for three hours about what I wanted to do,” Schaeffer said. “I looked at the interior. Whoever did the design for that car did a terrible job. There were no good lines and no fab materials. I started panicking big time. There was no inspiration.”

But since he’s one of the best in the business, he found a way to make it work by searching for something stylistically in the vehicle that he could mimic in the trunk. Once he found it, he began creating depth by adding nine layers to the sub enclosure. “That’s the direction people are going right now. Lots of layers,” he said. “I knew I wanted to build a trim floor. There were accented pieces I already built. I finished the build on time and the customer was happy.”

The parts used for the install included JL Audio Slash Series 500/1 and JL Audio Slash Series 300/4 amplifiers, two JL Audio 10TW1 Subwoofers, Focal ES165KX2 Front Component Speakers and a Kenwood DNX9903S Radio.

“A lot of people online said it was one of the coolest things I ever built. I couldn’t have been more scared going into it but I’ve found the next time I’m in a scenario like that with no inspiration that I’ve gotten through it despite all that adversity,” Schaeffer said. “The point of doing something so uncomfortable is that you’re going to start problem solving. That moment you think that failure is inevitable is when you do your best work.”

26 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

me-mag.com   27

 installer of the year

Schaeffer attributes other parts of his education to industry support, including an early fabrication workshop with Dave “Fishman” Rivera, at his popular “Fish Camp” series.

The camp opened his eyes to what is possible with fabrication.

“That was the first time I realized how easy it could be. Fish made it look so easy and effortless,” Schaeffer recalled. “Seeing him layer different pieces together, this piece into that piece, I never realized how easy it could be. I just looked at it and thought, ‘so that is how they do it.’”

After finishing, he got help from UTI to land a job with a Lexus dealership. While grateful for the opportunity, he quickly discovered a problem with the position.

“I absolutely despised it. It paid well, the workshop was well set up, but when you spend eight hours fixing a cam seal when the end result is that the car doesn’t leak anymore, there’s no payoff,” Schaeffer said. “You can’t see the expression on a customer’s face. For me, in my field, when I build a custom trunk for a customer, and you see their face having no idea

28 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

what to expect, that excitement makes the hardest job pay off. With Lexus, we weren’t anywhere close to that. It was a job and very quickly I knew that it was nothing that I wanted to do.”

Soon enough, Schaeffer found himself working for 12-volt retailer, Tweeter in Maryland. “That was the first place I worked at that felt like a career. It was a different atmosphere than my first job at Circuit City; these were a bunch of guys who looked at Tweeter as a career.

There were a lot of college kids, a bunch of guys who looked at Tweeter as a career.

I ran the day the way I wanted to run it.

I had some ownership on the 12-volt side of Tweeter. That’s where things started taking off,” Schaeffer said. “I charged what I wanted to charge. It felt like I was running my own business. I developed my own clientele, some of whom are still with me now, even moving 70 miles south.”

Eventually, Tweeter went out of business, but luckily for Schaeffer, he sensed something was off and left seven months before the doors closed. His next position was with 410 Motoring where he and one

other worker who did body work handled both traditional automotive work and mobile electronics. His work included engine swaps, exhaust, lift kits, lowering kits, drive trains and 12-volt. The difference was that he had no safety net or mentor to guide him along. He was on his own for most of the work.

“The first engine swap I did I pretty much had to figure it out. I didn’t have anyone to show me things. That was heart of recession when a lot of shops were closing up. That’s what happened to us,” Schaeffer said. “There were two guys working on long-term projects who didn’t have constant revenue to pay the bills.

That’s when I looked north, but nobody was hiring. The first place I looked to the south was Safe and Sound, in Manassas, Va. I’m lucky to be part of this area. Of the wealthiest counties in America, a lot are right here. It seems this area is recession proof.”

Catfish and the Cod To the untrained eye, it may seem like Schaeffer was destined for greatness from a young age. His passion and drive must have been a rare sight for friends and family around him, not seeing any slowing down for the young installer. They would be wrong.

In 2010, after spending five years chasing his dreams, Schaeffer hit a wall.

Although he was part of his chosen field, had a house and family and was seemingly living his dream, his creative juices were stagnant. He needed a fresh start.

Once at Safe and Sound, his current position, Schaeffer was immediately thrown to the wolves, working on jobs well out of his comfort zone. One such job was to build a Ford Galaxy from scratch.

“I was always challenged by the job, and in most cases was very uncomfortable doing it” he said. “We had record years and built a second location during the recession in Chantilly, Va. just north of Manassas. That location was another car audio company that went out of business after several years. They started stealing clientele from us because it was closer for some of our customers. So we moved to Chantilly. Now, we’re doing great at that location. I’m booked out at least three

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 installer of the year form of long-term builds, like the aforementioned Ford Galaxy.

Thanks to his focus on long-term, labor-intensive custom builds, Schaeffer shook off his professional atrophy and began turning heads.

His role at Safe and Sound allows him to take on the more high profile jobs, which he considers boutique work, while the other installers take on the traditional retail install jobs like speakers, head units, amps, collision avoidance systems and remote starts, to name a few. While the shop itself is a traditional retail business, there’s a reason it’s attracted more boutique custom work in recent years.

“Because of Instagram, YouTube and referral business, I have a lot of clients find me As his clout in the industry grew, Schaeffer was inand we sell big, vited to participate in a Mobile Solutions All-star training with some of his idols, including Tom Miller, Bryan Schmitt $20 to $50,000 jobs,” Schaeffer and JT Torres, among others. said. “These are months in advance.” two- to three-week jobs. That’s where my Much like his mentor, Dave “Fishfocus is.” man” Rivera, one could liken Schaeffer’s But that’s not all he does. While on the career stall to that of a cod. When transsales floor, the occasional customer will ported long distances, cod are said to see certificates on the wall and request turn to mush due to inactivity. To solve that Schaeffer perform a regular instalthe problem, fishermen placed a catfish lation like collision-avoidance or backup in the tank to stimulate the cod, which cameras. “I’m normally the one who kept them healthy and fresh when they works on higher-end exotic cars. If we’re arrived. Schaeffer’s catfish came in the doing a NAV-TV interface on a high-end

30 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

car, that’s more tedious to take apart.

I’ll do those jobs as well,” he said. “It’s hard because we have to find the happy medium with one to three months for a client to get their job done.”

At age 29, Schaeffer is one of the youngest to ever win Installer of the Year, having started his career off at such a young age. But to Schaeffer, age is less important than the hours he spent learning his craft, which has allowed him to be considered a master.

“I started working on cars because all my friends were older than me in high school. I started customizing cars when I was 14 to 15 years old. When I work at Safe and Sound, I’m working six days a week,” Schaeffer said. “I read this book called Outliers by Malcom Gladwell. It said that 10,000 hours of experience sets you to being a master in your own field.

When I look at my story, I’ve literally been entrenched in this industry since I was 14 to 15 years old. I may be young, but I have definitely put in the hours.”

A Useful Skill Unlike other top installers in the industry, Schaeffer prides himself on being a jack-of-all-trades, knowing both the vehicle installation side inside and out, and the sales side of the business. He became well-versed in how to conduct a sales transaction with customers at his first 12-volt job.

“It started from Tweeter. I sold my own jobs there. Early in my career I was just used to that,” Schaeffer said. “Being a custom guy, it’s easy to articulate to the customer what you want, what he wants and how to make it work. The salesman doesn’t always know that. He calls me out before he closes so I know what happens.

I’m always involved in the sales process but I’ve never gone to sales classes per se.”

Without specific training on the subject, Schaeffer has used a common sense approach to selling his work, focusing on relating to the customer. “If a customer comes in, has a brand new Acura or Mercedes and wants to upgrade speakers, it might sound worse if we are not selling a DSP to go with it. We have a little education class giving a background in audio

before we sell a product,” Schaeffer said.

“I’ll say, ‘You can go to Best Buy, buy a top end TV, but if you plug a VCR into it, do you think it will look like it did in store? Of course not.’ I use that analogy for speaker signals. Replacing speakers, you need DSP. Everyone knows if you buy a badass TV and you’re not using a Bluray player, why make the investment in the TV? Once the customer starts seeing comparisons, they know what they need audio-wise. For me, it’s about knowing your clients and how to talk to them, building rapport. That’s money in the bank because they know they trust you. I never have a problem selling because of that fact.”

Although he acknowledges that not every shop is able to operate like his, Schaeffer stresses the importance of training sales staff to push DSP due to its importance in the makeup of a vehicle’s sound quality.

“The more involved you are in sales, the more you know what’s going on. Educate your sales guy on how to talk to the customer to sell a DSP,” Schaeffer said.

“The money is there all over the country. I have had people come from Florida, Georgia, even had a guy come from Ohio just to have an amp installed. He drove 10 hours because he knew we would do it right. I guarantee we charged 10 times more than where he would go locally. The

“For me, in my field, when I build a custom trunk for a customer, and you see their face having no idea what to expect, that excitement makes the hardest job pay off.”

Matt Schaeffer customer just needs a little faith and rapport and they’ll be yours forever.”

Installer DNA Earning the top spot in 12-volt is about more than just knowing your craft and executing it. It’s also about implementing

a unique style that represents you, as well as those mentors who came before you.

Much like 2014 Installer of the Year, Tom Miller, Schaeffer believes in enhancing the factory look of the vehicle with any fabrication he does. Unlike Miller, however, he has to do so without the benefit of a detailed sketch before he starts.

“As far as coming up with a design for a custom system, each customer tells me how they want it look. Tom Miller is amazing at drawing. He can put stuff on paper and make it work. But for me, I tell each customer the car will dictate how the install will look based on the lines of the interior and other factors,” Schaeffer said. “That’s the DNA of how I’m going to build. Once you put in the layers and materials from the factory, use the same lines that will accent adjoining lines in place. It will have the DNA intact and won’t look like some monstrosity that’s out of place. I come in with ideas and don’t throw them out. The customer will come in with the expectation that we can do something special.”

Schaeffer’s most challenging build

Special Thanks Matt Schaeffer would like to thank the following people who helped make him the man he is today:

My wife Kimberly, daughters Jaiden and Kennedy, my team at Safe and Sound, Bryan and Michele Schmitt, “Fishman,” Chris Yato, Jeremy Carlson, Jeremy Katz, Tom Miller, JT Torres, Gary Bell, Doug Dobson, Jamie Schuh, Mark Klettee, Shon Besharah, Randy Kunin, David Smyer, Nalaka Adikari, Todd Ramsey, Solomon Daniels, Chris Cook and Joe Dirt.

me-mag.com 31

 installer of the year those guys who know what you go through and how hard the industry can be is amazing,” Schaeffer said.

“KnowledgeFest this year was very emotional for me.” Due to several cancelled flights from bad weather and the eminent birth of his second child, Schaeffer nearly missed everything.

Thanks to the support of his peers, he was able to maximize his time at KnowledgeFest, catch a morning flight home to see his wife, and get their support on stage when accepting his award. But the biggest moment for Schaeffer came just as he was leaving for the airport in Dallas.

“The morning of the awards, the doctor said she could go into labor Needing to leave early to witness his wife give birth, Schaeffer was unable to at any moment, so I had to fly home. accept the award during the Mobile Electronics Industry Awards. Thankfully, he Those guys walking me out and being had help accepting on stage from several top industry veterans/friends, including there for the awards ceremony meant (left to right) past Installers of the Year Tom Miller and JT Torres, Doug Dobson, a lot to me. I just looked at all my Bryan Schmitt, Rich Petraszko (owner of Safe and Sound), Gary Bell, Jeremy Katz peers who I’ve looked at for years,” and past Installer of the Year, Jeremy Carlson.

Schaeffer said. “When I got in that car, seeing their emotion at that moment, came two weeks before KnowledgeFest, foundation to be more profitable with I felt that I won. That was the winning when his method was tested to its fullsmall tricks that you learn,” Schaeffer moment when I was on stage accepting est extent. A customer brought in their said. “At that point, it was really learning the award, seeing how supporting they Subaru Forester, hoping for something the time savers. That was the first time I were as a 12-volt family. It was by far the special. Schaeffer was at a loss because felt like I was being mentored by Bryan.” biggest moment as far as the work I put the car had few good lines to use as inspiSince then, Schaeffer’s work caught into the industry.” ration. However, after thinking hard for Schmitt’s eye, as well as the eyes of other Now having reached the pinnacle of his three hours, he figured out the probtop installers, and he was invited to craft, Schaeffer has big plans for himself lem and made magic for the customer. participate in an all-star workshop in and his fellow technicians, while mainBut it wasn’t just the customer who was November 2015, where top installers were taining a foothold on his past. impressed. paired up to complete a custom center “My goal is to use the platform of “A lot of people online said it was one console job in just three days. “That was Installer of the year to help other people. of the coolest things I’d ever built. It feeds really cool because here are all the guys I It started after winning IOTY Runner-up into what people are doing right now. grew up looking up to like Gary Bell, Tom last year. I received lots of messages Lots of layers,” Schaeffer said. “I couldn’t Miller, and Jeremy Carlson. When you’re from people on Instagram and Facebook, have been more scared going into it. surrounded by smart, successful people, mostly younger people 18 to 25 years old There was no inspiration. The point of you can’t help but grow. I learned a lot and are new to the industry. I gave them doing something so uncomfortable is that from that.” advice that would have helped me at you’re going to start problem solving.”

In addition to that course, Schaeffer that age. Things don’t happen overnight.

Thinking outside the box is a trait has participated in training classes at You have to fail to learn, work outside Schaeffer developed both on his own, KnowledgeFest Indy and Dallas, provides your comfort zone and always try and be and with the help of mentors like Bryan online tips to anyone who asks and has better than yesterday,” Schaeffer said. “It’s Schmitt, who he met for the first time written for Mobile Electronics magazine funny because six years ago when I was about three years ago at his first Mobile on multiple occasions in the Tech Today doing cool projects, I was challenged by Solutions training. section. the project but never by myself. I would “I already had good grounds of curSchaeffer stressed that the most never elect to try something new. Then rent fabrication techniques. What blew important part of working with his idols one day I stumbled across this quote: my mind with Bryan was the organizaand getting to know them was experienc‘The master has failed at everything the tion, tricks with the table saw and how ing the family-like support they provided. beginner’s never tried.’ If you don’t try it, he saved time with cuts. He gives you the “Having that support system with you’ll never know if you can do it.” 

32 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

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me-mag.com 33 www.InstallerNet.com • 800-444-1644

 behind the scenes

A Name Of Its Own Sony’s mobile electronics division is working hard to develop a brand identity while competing both with a saturated market and its larger, corporate namesake. The good news? It does it, and then some.

WORDS BY BILL BRAUN

S

ony is one of the most recognized names in the world. According to Interbrand.com in a 2015 survey, Sony owns one of the most recognizable names on the planet, trumping even Adidas, VISA and Starbucks.

From its beginnings over half a century ago to now, this multi-billion dollar company has focused its product lines into consumer segments: Electronics, PlayStation, and Entertainment. This is on top of their movie studios, which is one of the very few major studios left in the US with full-sized audio suites for movie production, in addition to several music labels including Sony/BMG, Epic, RCA, Arista and Universal Music Group.

34 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

Sony’s mobile offerings have changed with the times, as has every 12-volt manufacturer. While the diversity in amp, speaker and subwoofer lines have thinned over the years, head units have become a conspicuously diverse enterprise; increasing in features while simultaneously lowering in relative price point.

One exception to the rule comes in the Sony Hi-Res Audio RSX-GS9—a single DIN, mechless, preamp only, head unit the company website touts as “The Ultimate In-Car Audio Experience.” The Hi-Res Audio receiver retails for just under $1,500.

The modern rendition of Sony’s highend head unit is now centered upon D/A

conversion, word clock quality and playback of lossless codecs, but the goal has remained essentially unchanged: get the music to the masses, and make it sound as realistic as possible—without losing invaluable market share in the process.

Anatomy of a Brand The dichotomy of a brand offering affordable head units, then in the same breath showing a very high-end receiver is not unheard of, even from Sony themselves. In the late 1990s the company’s XES line was one of a select few to offer not just a high-end head unit, but a dedicated line of amplifiers, processors, subs and speakers.

All of this was geared to a single end: performance. Back then, the CD was king.

The cell phone and the internet had yet to be invented. (How many of you are shuddering at the thought of life before Facebook?) But the goal was the same as it is today, albeit manifesting in a decidedly different fashion.

During the height of car audio competition, manufacturers clamored to sate the competitors’ need—and consumer’s desire to emulate them—to sit atop the hill of “best sonic quality available.” Price was still a factor, albeit a lower one. In most installations, the technical challenges surrounding factory integration were not yet considered a factor.

Attempting to appeal to the purist and budget-conscious alike is no small feat, but the introduction of a high-end head unit made to appeal to the smartphone-owning audiophile is ample evidence that Sony remains unconvinced that the sound-quality hardcore are gone, or broke, for that matter.

There is proof to that particular pudding according to Chris McNulty, Owner of Driven Mobile Electronics in Chantilly,

me-mag.com 35

 behind the scenes manufacturers’ board room. In fact, Sony holds a seat on the board of the CTA (formerly the CEA), which discusses industry-wide aftermarket opportunities like lane departure, collision avoidance and more.

Finding the next path to sustain the aftermarket is one avenue to maintain the industry’s growth, but as Takumi Sasaki, Marketing and Business Unit Director for Sony Car Audio likes to say: Sony is a sound company The new XAV-AX100 head unit is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible and features a first and foredouble-DIN touch-screen display and reverse camera input. most. “Our focus is people that listen Va. Chris has been a Sony dealer since he high-resolution radios, going as far as to music. We are intentionally developing opened his shop nearly four years ago. installing one of the prototypes in their things that make the music sound better.”

According to McNulty, his shop has competition car, which ended up competAs a business, Sony has found success installed several of the ing at the IASCA finals a year ago. “We’ve in a rarified distribution model: with seen a lot of interest in it. Not a lot of the exception of select people have pulled the trigger because of big box price point, but people are asking about it on a regular basis.”

Critical Connections

The XM-GS100 amplifier’s compact framework and single-sided connections provide multiple mounting options while maximizing audio output. MSRP is $249.99.

36 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

If a shop owner intends to do business with a company, product offerings are just one of several critical aspects they need to know about. Take a look beyond the confines of the price sheet, and you’ll see fulfillment, support and education all play a role in a successful relationship between dealer and manufacturer.

It’s a truism that a retailer rarely has occasion to look beyond the proverbial “velvet rope” that is the corporate product planning process, but rest assured, the future of the industry is a consistently discussed topic in every car audio

The XS-GSW121 12-inch subwoofer features an MRC glass fiber composite diaphragm and has a price point of $129.99.

stores, no one is direct. Instead, Sony relies on a third-party staffing company called ActionLink (www.actionlink.com) to connect independent specialty dealers with Sony’s authorized, 12-volt dedicated, distributor partners across the country.

As implied by the policy, the regional distributors and ActionLink account managers are entrusted with significant Sony 12-volt responsibility. Selecting dealerships, stocking those dealers as needed—even handling return authorizations are handled by a contact the shops often know on a first name basis. This also means the distributors are not simply order-takers. They are the suppliers, and according to Sony’s National Sales Manager, Rick Kojan, they are evaluating shops and building relationships on a “day-to-day basis.”

In Sony’s eyes, the territory-specific distributors have the agility to react to their local shop with greater speed, and service orders on a “just-in-time” basis.

They also have been given the authority to assess a shop’s returns, and replace any product within the warranty period. The distributors are given a “returns allowance” for direct replacement, based on revenue. “We are in the business of immediate customer satisfaction,” said Kojan.

“If it’s in the warranty period, swap and replace.”

The system seems to be working, according to McNulty and Driven Mobile Electronics. “The distributor we use is phenomenal as far as warranty. They’ll normally do an exchange during the warranty period. It’s as simple as that.

They’re great about handling that for us.

To be honest, it hasn’t been an issue. We haven’t had an amp, sub or speaker go bad.”

“We know there isn’t going to be another Best Buy 1,000 store chain footprint opening up any time soon,” said Kojan, “but there are numerous smaller mom and pop specialty shops that are.

We are looking for shops like them.

That’s why we have specialty distributors and the ActionLink team. We choose them very carefully, with a lot of scrutiny and rules set about what our expectations are.”

and action is taken. A series of warnings and violations can result, with the possible termination of a product line or the dealer.

Kojan stressed that while the MAP policy is completely a voluntary undertaking, those that try to bypass or ignore the MAP pricing policies do so to potentially adverse effect.

Like most manufacturers, Sony and its affiliate distributors evaluate relationships regularly. Consistent MAP violators may hurt their chances to renew ties when the retailer’s authorized status is up for renewal with their distributor. A similar third-party monitoring of their Sony 12V gear occurs in the endless pursuit of unauthorized online retailers.

Here, products are actually purchased and serial numbers traced to define their origins and eliminate the source(s).

As larger companies like Sony, Alpine, Pioneer, Kicker and others define the necessity to monitor the pricing of their dealers consistently—especially online— the industry as a whole seems to believe that the dreaded “Race to Zero” is something to be vehemently avoided.

Internal compliance departments, anonymous buying services and a real set of consequences are all becoming the norm. The return on that investment is apparently outweighing the costs involved with keeping an offending seller from going off the proverbial reservation.

But the rule is not without an exception.

There are companies in the 12-volt industry that make one exception to an otherwise immutable MAP policy. The recipient of this exception? Amazon. This exception is in the internet giant’s own algorithms, which can—if a company allows it—create pricing that varies to constantly stay competitive, according to a CIO.com article.

Kojan explained that Sony leverages its overall size, breadth of their various product lines and valued partnership with Amazon’s marketing power and consumer reach to stress the importance of MAP

“MAP is so important because it remains a policy. It can become an effective policy only if you have actionary intent.”

Rick Kojan, National Sales Manager, Sony

Rick Kojan, National Sales Manager, Sony Those expectations have started to align with more and more of the major manufacturers, especially when it comes to online advertising and MAP pricing policies. Kojan said he “loves MAP pricing” for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is the ability to help retailers maintain price integrity throughout the lines for realized profits to protect their business livelihoods.

Priceless Protection Simply put, Sony 12-volt enforces MAP policies through anonymous thirdparty monitoring of their gear online or in print ads/flyers. When the gear is documented as advertised below the minimum advertised price (MAP), an internal committee discusses the incident

me-mag.com 37

 behind the scenes

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Dealing Through Diversity The company believes they are creating what is termed a “specialty haven.” The resulting consistency means that the consumer is concentrating more on the shop and less on price. Sony has noted fewer reports of customers price-shopping on their phones in-store, which was driving down the price almost to the retailer’s cost.

“We did this for our own self-preservation and existence. And to reaffirm and sustain relevance with the Specialty dealers,” Kojan explained. “MAP is so important because it remains a policy.

It can become an effective policy only if you have actionary intent. MAP lends integrity to our price, our value and to our Sony-authorized specialty retailers, so they don’t get their doors blown off by every unauthorized Tom, Dick and Harry on the internet, and so they don’t get reduced to just meeting the lowest unauthorized online dealer’s price for the valuable consultative services that they

The Sony Hi-Res Audio RSX-GS9 media receiver with Bluetooth features DSD native playback and DSEE HX upscaling.

MSRP is $1499.99. provide integrating into today’s more complicated vehicles.”

The way Chris and his employees get trained every year is in one fell swoop, at a large show in Atlantic City. What is notable about the training is not the simply the content, but the timing of the training itself.

“The Sony folks are doing product training consistently,” says McNulty. “We hit that show, and new products have already hit the shelves. We can ask relevant questions about that gear because we’ve already started to use it in realworld situations.”

The shop owner notes a glaring issue he has experienced with other manufacturers is the lack of real-world examples, or even more importantly, an interval of time to use the gear in the “real world.”

Discussing products that are not shipping yet becomes an exercise that quickly loses relevance, as the unique aspects of the gear can be lost with the lack of daily direct exposure to the product.

“There are some features that it will have that you can’t play with yet,” McNulty stated. “By the time the gear trickles in, you lose a lot of the info from the training because you don’t remember what they said.”

Sony’s endeavor to stay in the hearts and minds of the big box consumer and the specialty retailer is in many respects a similar process. Features and value still

rule the day, but for the privately held 12-volt shop, the back-end business functions play no small role.

When Sony decided to empower authorized distributors to both actively stock product and replace broken gear, they

expanded a long-standing paradigm. The company’s desire is, as Kojan stated, “a hope that the resulting speed, flexibility and efficiency helps to reinforce Sony’s commitment to the independent 12-volt specialty retailer.” Time will tell, but if McNulty and his shop are any indication, they are on the right track. 

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me-mag.com 39

 business feature

The age old dance between retailer and vendor is nothing new, but finding meaningful ways to partner up is more valuable than ever.

WORDS BY JAMIE SORCHER

W

hat makes a successful marriage is communication, collaboration, empathy and trust.

Well, the same could be said for the relationship between a retailer and a vendor.

If you’re going to put a ring on it, so to speak, then you want to be in a mutually rewarding situation.

Today, the partnership or bond between retailer and vendor is more valuable than ever and aligning your company with the right significant other(s) can definitely impact your business.

Collaboration between retailers and suppliers is nothing new, but it has become more crucial to everyone’s success as consumers grow more demanding and, in some cases, more detached from the in-store buying experience.

According to a report with global management consulting firm Kurt Salmon,

40 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

cultivating strategic partnerships is critical to being able to provide customers with the right product at the right time.

Vendor partners can certainly make sure a retailer has plenty of product on the shelves, but it goes beyond getting boxes to the store. Vendors may reach out to get a retailer’s input when developing their next-generation speakers or security systems. With the valuable suggestions a retailer provides, the final result may actually turn out to be more profitable for all parties.

Vendors can also be a source of valuable information. They talk to and hear from lots of folks in the marketplace so they’re in a position to give you a broader view of what is happening. They can help you identify new opportunities and offer potential new products.

On a grand scale, take a look at the retailer-vendor partnership that Best Buy

has. Its store-within-a-store models are designed with key vendors. Back in 2008, Best Buy partnered with Apple and has since rolled out more than 1,400 Samsung Experience and 600 Windows store-within-a-stores—concepts that the retail giant has called successful. The newest addition is with high-resolution audio as Best Buy and Sony team up to roll out more than 250 hi-res listening stations in stores across the country.

Best Buy isn’t the only retailer experimenting with this concept. Many brick-and-mortar retailers are adopting similar formats to broaden their reach and entice more folks to walk in the door and experiment.

So whether we’re talking about a large business like Best Buy or a one-store operation, it doesn’t matter. Selecting good suppliers and vendors must be a part of a retailer’s growth plan. Getting

started means considering several key factors including accountability, minimums and more.

The Elephant In The Room—Price!

Naturally, retailers are attracted by a supplier’s pricing, but what retailers acknowledge as most important is the support a manufacturer offers to go along with its product and pricing. It means shipping the right number of items, on time and in good condition. It means handling quantities without question.

According to John Schwartz, owner of Perfectionist Auto Sound based in Anchorage, Alaska, it was the honor of being awarded 2011(and 2015) Retailer of the Year and the company’s key relationship with Compustar that definitively put the store on the map.

“When it comes to vendor-retailer relationships, the biggest thing is getting support from the vendor,” Schwartz said.

“A lot of times you’ll hear them preach, ‘Oh, we’ll take care of you,’ but at five p.m. if you’re having trouble with a piece of their equipment, how hard is it going to be to reach out and get hold of someone at that time?”

Schwartz said that kind of accountability is far more important than marketing support. “With most of the guys we work with, we get their cell phone numbers so they can help us out after hours, especially since we’re in Alaska,” he said.

“When you’re in the battlefield, you’re in the trenches in that moment so nobody cares about advertising, POP, or stuff like that. It doesn’t matter when you have a problem with something that’s not working and the customer is right there standing over you,” he added.

All the way across the country, that same sentiment with accountability applies. “One of the most important things is how quick can you get product,” said Jon Lackey, president of Blvd Customs of Lakeland, a Florida-based Mobile Electronics Top 50 Retailer of 2011 and 2012. “It’s a pretty high priority. You want to work with a vendor that is known to have stuff in stock all the time with no back orders.”

Closely linked to that stand-up kind of support is the overall stability of the

supplier. Consider vendors who have been in business for a solid stretch of time and who have long-tenured senior executives.

Vendor K40 Electronics is a perfect example.

“When I came aboard in 1981, we were selling the most expensive CB antennas,” said In a day and age when things can be more complicated Peggy Finley, than necessary, K40 keeps grounded with its core mission. president of K40 Electronics. “They were machine made instead of hand wound.

They were accurate and could be tuned beautifully.

To introduce them, we did a direct mail piece that cost $50,000. We got five responses, then another six, then 10, then four, and then none. We began calling to ask if the mailing In the radar detector business since 1981, K40 takes was received—and pride in its products, its people, and the company’s netthen a conversation work of elite dealers and installers. The sales and customwould start.” er service staff tenure averages 20 years.

Back when the company was founded, Finley noted there the Internet. We have had to say no, no, was no term for telemarketing. “So when no. However long the specialty retailers we called to ask, ‘What did you do with are around, we are committed to that. the mail piece we sent you?’ and ‘Why So over 35 years for me, all we’re doing didn’t you order?’ we got a whole range of is sharpening that. It didn’t just happen answers from ‘I was too busy’ to ‘I threw overnight to dedicate ourselves to the it away.’ Every conversation resulted in independent retailers.” an order. We were a manufacturer at a It is this reliability and stability time when everything was going to disthat retailers desire. For Perfectionist’s tributors. We have always danced with Schwartz, the reliability of Compustar the one who brought us and we have has resulted in category exclusivity in his never changed even though the world shop. “It is the only brand that we carry has changed. The number of retailers has for remote start and security,” he said. diminished by almost 70 percent since “We have ties together. It is a vendor 1979. We started seeing big boxes, and and a brand. They have terrific support. retail chains and distributors—and then They’re innovative. There are always new

me-mag.com 41

 business feature

Based in southern California, Orca has been dong its thing for 30 years.

products coming out. They do a lot of marketing and POP.” There are other vendors that Schwartz has strong ties with, as well. For lighting, he sticks with Vision X. “For door speakers we push pretty

Having a display board where consumers can give a listen has been a big boost for retailers.

hard on Morel,” Schwartz said. “With head units we’re focused on Pioneer. We don’t look for a lot of width; we look for more depth. We stay with a vendor that is focused on what they do. We don’t focus so much on brand. I am not trying to be

the dealer where someone walks in and says, ‘I’m looking for JL or Rockford.’ I just want them to come in and want to work with us, with Perfectionist.”

Minimum Orders – Buy This, Get That An important consideration for any retailer choosing a vendor partner is to evaluate the upfront commitment and what is required to take on a product line. Going back five to 10 years ago, a retailer would likely have to buy a whole line of items—even if they didn’t want all of them—just to get a few select products.

“You were kind of stuck,” Schwartz said. “Nowadays, although being in Alaska is a little different because we do stock more than most retailers, generally if you have a good solid plan and you’re buying right, you should have some leverage on whether you have to purchase an entire line.”

Granted, vendors don’t want all those boxes sitting on a retailer’s shelf collecting dust. “By the time CES comes around, everything is obsolete anyway,” Schwartz said. “Still, there are guys who come into this without a plan and that doesn’t give the vendor any assurances. You’re not watching out for their best interests, so in that case the vendors are going to force everything on you.”

“My goal is to support the manufacturer,” said Blvd Custom’s Lackey. “But there are certain SKUs that I don’t carry.

Take Pioneer. I am not going to carry

42 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

the whole line. I just sell their radios— no amps, no speakers, no marine. We let Alpine go because it just didn’t make any sense for people to come in and have 15 choices. It just made the process harder, it takes longer and now you’re selling against each individual unit based upon the client’s needs or application.”

Working with a distributor, said Lackey, has allowed him to purchase certain SKUs that he normally wouldn’t have access to unless he made a bigger investment in the line.

“We only have one distributor that we work with for stuff that we need because we’re not Pioneer direct,” Lackey said. “I don’t like the idea that with every brand I have to carry all of their stuff. There are going to be certain brands where we need SKUs that are going to be a priority for us, so we need a distributor to fill in that gap.”

But going the distributor route has its drawbacks, Lackey noted. “When you’re dealing with a distributor, you’ve got to know that all gates are open,” he said.

“Everybody and anybody can get it. You might as well have Amazon down the street. That is why we prefer to deal direct.”

Orca Design & Manufacturing, which won both Top Autosound Vendor of the Year and Overall Vendor of the Year at the 2015 Mobile Electronics Industry Awards, has minimums but offers a strong marketing program to go with the commitment a retailer makes.

“We do have a minimum amount to partner up with us, but it isn’t high enough that it’s ever been an issue,” said Nalaka Adikari, Sales Director for Orca.

“One of our biggest successes is that we’re pretty easy to deal with. Our whole philosophy is not about the opening order, but about the relationship that you build for the next 20 or 30 years. We give you the necessary training with our national trainer. Let him get out there and get the guys comfortable. Then we go from there.”

For retailers who do partner with Orca, there is a substantial display program.

“Those who partner with us in using our display boards for high-end speakers,

amps, subwoofers see almost a 50 percent increase from traditional retailers,” Adikari said.

Orca also has an MECP program to motivate the installers to further their educations. That information is then displayed on Orca’s dealer locator.

“If the installer passes the MECP certification, we put an icon on our dealer locator stating that they’re MECP certified,” Adikari said. “For those installers and retailers who go the extra mile, it offers validation. I know for me as a consumer, I would prefer to go to a place that is certified rather than a place that is not certified—even though I may not know what that means. It’s just human psychology. We supply retailers with all the MECP materials for the advanced and master as a promotional item. We also pay the testing fee for the first person at that location who passes the examination.

Our goal is to get every single one of our dealers MECP certified.”

Conversely, some companies including K40 require no minimums. “All that we require is that the retailer holds MAP,” Finley said. “And if they do have an online store, they must also hold MAP. It’s very easy to do business with us. We’re not real attractive to distributors because we don’t have different pricings. This is how we keep it clean. One price—no fight.

I don’t care if you’re going to buy one radar detector a month or 100, everybody gets the same pricing.”

The Problem With Online Selling Another question for retailers before partnering with a manufacturer is what is that vendor’s e-commerce policy. It is an increasing source of aggravation for retailers who are finding that some suppliers can be the new competitor on the block.

“One person in the marriage has been committed to the independent retailer and slowly we are reaping the rewards,”

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 business feature “We have to embrace the e-commerce stuff,” Lackey said. “We know it’s real.

It’s not going to go away. We’re trying to give our customer an experience and an experience can’t happen with the click of a mouse or a button.”

Not In My Backyard

Orca takes pride in the quality of product it manufactures and presents it on its YouTube channel in a video for both client and customers to view.

Sales director of Orca, Nalaka Adikari, makes doing business with the company efficient and enjoyable. said K40’s Finley. “We don’t sell to distributors. We don’t sell on the Internet. We don’t sell direct to consumers.”

“If a vendor is going to do this, then they are not looking out for the true specialist,” Lackey said. “It is disrespectful.

So it’s more about the money.” Lackey said he found it especially aggravating

44 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

that one vendor won’t sell their home audio products online—just ones for the car.

“It just makes it that much easier for the consumer not to leave their comfort zone and come into the store, and get knowledge about what they really want,” Lackey said. “We’re not even being thrown into the equation. We’re only in the equation when the customer realizes, ‘Oh crap, I got this cool gear, this is way over my head to install it.’ Now they start searching for a labor shop.”

Perfectionist’s Schwartz is equally turned off by vendors who have adopted an e-commerce approach. “I try not to deal with too many people who do online stuff,” he said. “The problem is then it becomes all about price. There is no opportunity to show the benefits. At that point, it’s a price game. I can’t compete if I can’t tell the consumer all the features.

I understand with the economy, vendors have to move boxes because they have to pay the bills, too. But the specialty dealer is the ground. That is the foundation of the industry. The more support you give them, the more loyalty the retailer will give back to the vendor and will work harder to push that brand because now it’s a true partnership.”

Maybe a vendor isn’t on the Internet, but what if they are supplying competing shops that are too close in proximity to your business? Retailers need to think about this when choosing a vendor and will want to work with those who are sensitive to territories when signing up accounts.

“We are not going to sell to retailers across from one another,” said Orca’s Adikari. “We are not here to take business from one bucket and put it in another.

We’re not growing that way. Our whole goal is we’re going to protect you. If you’re supporting our business, we’re going to protect you.”

“We manage by objection,” said K40’s Finley. If I have two or three retailers, we will actually call and see and talk with them to figure out if it is too close. We want to know if they have the same clientele. We will inquire about the store.

We want to sell more, but we don’t run into that issue like we did in the 80s where everybody was very successful and everyone wanted exclusive territories.

Retailers just aren’t on top of each other anymore.”

It’s About Profitability At the end of the day, the relationship between retailer and vendor works for both parties if there is profitability.

“Our customers come first before anything else,” said Orca’s Adikari, “and that means from the retailer to their customers that walk in the door. We want everyone to be happy. We find that customer service is the key for us. More retailers want to deal with a company that understands that philosophy. The key is profit.”

Orca, Adikari pointed out, has grown double digits in the last four years. “And that trend will keep up,” he said. “And 10 years from now, we will still be a strong partner for most of our retailers. You

cannot purchase a $2,000 set of speakers on the Internet. Well, you can, but most people will still want an independent retailer so they can go and listen.

We sell toys. You have to listen to it. Feel it. The Internet is still going to be a big part of our business, and to the industry as a whole, but independent retailers are important because consumers still need a place to go and get it installed. They still need a place to listen to products and a place to get service.”

“For the vendor-retail partnership to work, there has to be empathy,” Finley said. “You have to have an understanding of the independent retailer. It works the other way also. When I design a product, I bring in several installers and successful retailers to look at the design to get their input.”

Finley also stressed the importance of a retailer having a relationship with a potential vendor’s decision makers, or at least to have access to the decision makers. “It’s all about having full

disclosure,” she said. “No hidden agendas. No surprises. When you surprise a retailer who is a small business—and I am a small business, too—it never works.”

“All things being equal, the customer is going to buy on price,” said Perfectionist’s Schwartz. “But the problem with that is if retailers continue to go the way that they’re going, it will force the customer to go online. If you’re not providing them with all the aspects of service then they will just go online, get crappy service, but save some money and get free shipping.”

What retailers need to do, summed Schwartz, is create an environment that shows a difference. “That way we make the Internet irrelevant,” he said. “There are deals out there. When a customer shows me some of them, I have to admit, ‘Hey I can’t get it that cheap. If you can get it that cheap, you gotta do what you gotta do.’ But then we tell them if something happens, they’re going to have a problem.”

Right now, Perfectionist is gearing

up for the meaty season of remote start and service will be the key, according to Schwartz.

“We are all excited about it. It’s always a lot of money for everybody, but a lot of guys lose focus on service because they’re trying to knock out as many cars as they can. If we don’t put the effort into it, the customers will still be going online.

What I try to explain to new people in our industry is that remote start season is easy: do you want number one, two or three,” Schwartz said. “Same thing every day—one-way, two-way, or you’re going to use your phone. With car audio, it’s the opposite. Every single car you do is tailored. We’re fitting a solution for that person at that time. So it takes effort.

Remote start is easier to clerk than with audio season where you’re a salesperson.

No matter what, if you don’t absolutely kill people with service, you’re not going to have a business.” 

Sony is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation of America. JVC is a registered trademark of JVCKENWOOD USA Corporation. Pioneer is a registered trademark of Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.

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 tech today

The Perfect Shot Installation guru Joey Knapp tackles the topic of installation photography with the first in a two-part series.

WORDS BY JOEY KNAPP

K

nowledgeFest 2016 Dallas has come and gone. This year’s event was great! KnowledgeFest has always been a time for me to learn some things, reconnect with old friends and network with new friends. In all of these areas, this year did not disappoint. The classes I attended were all very informative. It seems that each year the classes get better and better. I went to classes on the owner, management and installer tracks. As usual for me, one of the biggest challenges is deciding what classes to attend.

There are only so many training hours available, and it always seems like there is an overlapping of interesting classes.

I am thankful we have an event with so many training options that picking which to attend is a challenge!

This year held a little more excitement for me. With the exception of sitting in on a training with Ken Ward once, I have never presented at KnowledgeFest. Earlier this year, I was approached by David MacKinnon about presenting a session

46 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

on photography. In addition to my job at Simplicity In Sound, I also work for 1sixty8 media. At 1sixty8 media, one of our premium products is the build post.

One of my duties is to select the photos that the clients supply for use in their build posts. As a result, I see hundreds of build photos per month. The majority of the photos I see could look much better, with just a little bit of work. I thought this would be a good opportunity to share some tips on making car-related photographs better. As David and I worked on how to split up the session, Matt Schaeffer and I were also having a discussion about some photography-related topics.

In the discussion, KnowledgeFest came up. I told Matt that David and I had submitted to teach a session this year on photography. Surprisingly, Matt was planning a photography session, too. We decided to combine our sessions.

As we talked more about our presentation, it seemed that each person had their own strengths. I wanted to discuss composition, David wanted to outline

the basic fundamentals of photography, and Matt wanted provide an introduction to Lightroom for post-production work. The three parts together would make a very useful class, so we proceeded forward with this plan. Due to travel issues, our class was moved to the last day, at the end of the day. In addition to the scheduling changes, Matt left early so he wouldn’t miss the birth of his child. Our session was taught in a different order than we planned. I thought covering some of the key points would be beneficial as a reference for those who attended. For those who were at other trainings, this will give you the opportunity to see what you missed. To add to the realism and immerse yourself in the experience, please note that I speak in a slight southern accent, so I encourage your inner dialogue to use the same when reading this!

This article will be broken into two parts. The first part, which I am writing, will cover composition and some of the theories on good picture-taking. The

second part will be split between David and Matt, and they will cover photography fundamentals as well as using Lightroom. Hopefully, these articles will serve as a great tool to help you take better pictures and make more money with them!

Composing The Shot Let’s get started with composition.

I know many of the challenges you face in regard to getting good photographs to promote your work and facility. If you are a shop owner, it is a challenge to get your guys to take photographs so you can promote their great installation and fabrication work. If you are an installer or technician, you have the pressure of not only knocking it out of the park on each installation, but also documenting the build and final product to the level of a professional photographer. And if you are a manager, you guys have it the worst. You are stuck in the middle. You get pressure from the owner for marketing material, and push-back from the technicians who never have enough time in the day.

If your facility isn’t taking and using any photographs of your work yet, I suggest you start with the simplest path: the smartphone. Everyone has one. Newer smartphones don’t take pictures on the level of a DSLR, but the pictures can be acceptable for social media use. I would look at the smartphone as a step in the right direction toward the goal of taking great photos using a DSLR. The topics I will cover in this article are just as applicable to those using a smartphone for photos, as someone shooting with a DSLR. I believe composition is one of the most important aspects of taking a great photograph. What I am referring to when I say composition is the way the elements are arranged in your photograph. Composition is about creating order in your photos. Our goal should be to arrange the elements in our photographs in a way that is pleasing to the eye. We all want to capture the attention of our clients, right?

Well, with good composition, you will.

Our eyes are drawn to order more than chaos.

Effective Patterns This theory is evident in some of the late World War I camouflage techniques used on ships. Some of you might have seen ships painted in some crazy geometric patterns before. The name given to this form of camouflage was “dazzle.” The idea behind this theory was not to camouflage the ship to make it invisible, but rather to confuse the eye. Back in World War I, the submarine captains would view the target ships through their periscopes. They used visual calculations to lead ships when firing torpedoes at them. The idea of the dazzle painting was to make the ship look confusing enough that targeting it would be difficult.

Focused Perspective

A great sample of some dazzle camouflage on the HMS Kilbride.

The lines break up the ship and make it difficult to tell whether the ship is coming or going.

In this picture of two sample ships as they would have been seen through a periscope, notice how the random lines direct your eye all over the place. It is very difficult to tell if the ship is coming or going. It is the same with our photos. If we take our photographs without first analyzing what is actually in the shot, we could end up camouflaging the important parts of the photo! Hopefully you can see that if you want to attract the attention of your clients, composition is important.

Set The Subject One of the first things you need to do when you are taking a photograph is determine what you want to take a photo of. You might need to incorporate more than just one point of interest. Or, maybe you are focusing on one particular part. In the context of a car audio build, one determining factor of the points of interest in the photographs might be how many photos of the build you plan

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 tech today

on taking. If it is a basic build and you are going to cover the whole build in four or five photographs, then you might have multiple points of interest in each photo. If you are doing some comprehensive documentation of the build, most of the shots might focus on one point of interest.

When you have determined the points or point of interest for the photo, then you can determine how to arrange them.

There are some guidelines that we can use to make sure our composition is as compelling as possible. The items we will be covering here should not be considered a comprehensive list, but rather just an introduction to composition. If you are interested, I encourage you to do more research on them yourself.

Out of the number of rules and theories on composition, I chose six of the things that I thought would have the most value for someone taking pictures of

probably the most well known rule for taking photos. The idea is the image is broken into nine different sections or three thirds. The main subject matter of your photo should be placed in one of the intersecting points. This one is very simple and it can yield results that can make a definite difference in the photos your facility takes. To make it even easier, most smartphones and cameras have the ability to overlay the rule of thirds grid on their screens. If you do nothing else, try to use this as a guideline.

I would say to use it in conjunction with your better judgment on what looks good. But the reality is, I think there are some people who just can’t see what looks good. Nothing personal against them, but I think all of us know someone who never takes a straight photo, always chops off someone’s head, always has blurry images. Right? This rule is perfect for them. If you have one of those people working for you, or you are one of

Loose Rules Keep in mind, some of the topics that will be discussed are called “rules.” That doesn’t mean, though, that they’re the be-all and end-all of photography. They are suggestions on composition based on analysis of how humans view things.

It is funny—as I was doing research on composition, almost everything I read talked about these “rules,” but then also talked about how rules were meant to be broken. When I am taking a photo, I keep these things in mind, but then also try to look at the photo outside of any rules, and I go with what I feel looks the best.

48 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

The concept behind the Rule of Thirds is to place the focal point of the image at the intersection of the lines. cars and car audio.

1. The Rule of Thirds If you have been around anything related to photography for any period of time, you have most likely read about or heard about the rule of thirds. This is

those people, use this rule. This gives you a fighting chance at getting at least one photo with some semblance of layout.

The Focal Point In this image, the eye is the focal point. It was placed in the upper left

is front and center in the image. In this photo, Matt did a great job of presenting his point of interest, the K40 controller.

If he had taken the image from a few feet back, imagine how the controller would have gotten lost in the rest of the interior parts. It might not have been noticed. If you are doing an extreme “fill the frame” photo in a build documentation, sometimes it’s also good to get a shot pulled away from the piece. The context of where the piece is in the vehicle can be important.

4. Simplification

The focal point for the Golden Ratio is a center box formed by the lines that are shown in this image. (photo credit Matt Schaeffer) intersection of lines. Then I balanced the spacing of the top and bottom of the open mouth. A quick side note: Notice how the dragon is skewed to the left? I chose to have him shifted to the left, so there is empty space in front of him. That gives the illusion that he is moving to the empty spot. In addition, he is at a bit of a diagonal angle. Diagonal lines denote action, so the angling makes the photo a little more lively. And another quick comment on depth of field: See the lamp to the right of the image? If I had taken a “normal” photo, that lamp would have interacted with the dragon’s head in a way that would have taken away from its impact. I used a larger aperture setting to reduce the depth of field so the lamp was slightly blurred out and the focus still stayed on the head. David will be going into detail in the next article about depth of field and using it to your benefit.

took, you can see he placed the radio in the center focal point. This is also another good example of using depth of field to reduce background distractions.

3. Fill The Frame This concept requires a little bit of thought when composing your photos. If the photo is focusing on a single point of interest, then make sure that single point

This concept is similar to the “fill the frame” concept. The idea is to focus on points of interest and make sure they are presented in the least distracting way possible. We all take photos of car interiors while the cars are in our bay. A typical bay setup would have a wall somewhere with dash kits on it. If you are taking a photo of a radio install and the dash kit wall is in the shot, do something about it. Try the shot from the other side of the car, or move a little closer. You can also try to position the radio at the top of the photo so the windows aren’t visible.

Another trick that we have touched on is, if you are using a DSLR, use a very shallow depth of field. This will result in a background that is slightly blurred and can end up being much less distracting.

2. The Golden Ratio This one is very similar to the concept of the rule of thirds. Mathematically it is different, though. The idea is that the center of the image is the focal point.

This rule dates back very far in time.

Many classical works of art follow this ratio. If we look at this photo that Matt

By filling the frame with the radar controller, the point of interest is easily discerned. (photo credit Matt Schaeffer) me-mag.com 49

 tech today

Once you get this concept in your head, it becomes very easy to execute and can make a huge difference in your photos.

5. Use of Lines Always try to be aware of the lines in your photos. When possible, position the lines so they lead toward the focal point of the photo. In this photo, the lines of the chrome trim lead to the focal point, the steering wheel. They provide a path for your eyes to follow on the journey to the focal point.

6. Viewpoint

This shot does a great job showing how controlling the depth of field can help reduce background distractions. (photo credit Matt Schaeffer)

50 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

This one is very straight forward. It is the view you will be giving the people looking at your photo. It could be higher or lower or angled. In this sample image, I had to back my truck up to the trunk of this car so I could get high enough to take a shot that would accurately document the build. Don’t be afraid to try different angles or heights to add a twist or simplify your photos even more.

The lines of the dash provide a path for your eyes to follow on the way to the focal point of the steering wheel.

Don’t be afraid to try different angles or heights to achieve the outcome that best tells a story for your photo.

(Trunk build by Bing Xu) Photographs of completed pieces before they are installed in the car are a great part of a build story. (photo credit Matt Schaeffer)

Subject Defined Finally, we are going to look at subjects to photograph. This isn’t a rule or a guideline, just some thoughts on what you should focus on when documenting car audio installations. The last time I was out working at Simplicity In Sound, I told Bing about this session and asked him if he had any input. Bing has built his entire business on posting pictures online. One of the things he mentioned was, if the installation doesn’t look good, don’t take pictures of it. At 1sixty8 media, I err on the side of caution for the client when I am selecting photos for their posts. There have been a number of times I have omitted a photo from a post because it contained a sub-standard

practice or was horribly blurry and didn’t tell a story. So, do yourself a favor and screen the photos you plan to use for marketing.

The next thing Bing mentioned was to be careful how much detail you show in your photographs. The idea is that we are just outlining the complexity and quality in the build. The goal shouldn’t be to show everyone how to exactly replicate an installation. Focus on the things that make the installation special. For Simplicity In Sound, one of the things we highlight is the wiring. We like to document that our behind-the-scenes work is just as good as our exposed work.

Another important thing to make sure you do is get photos before as well as

after the build. With the level of work some of you do, it is easy for a piece you spent three days fabricating to look just like a factory piece. If someone doesn’t have the original image to compare, they might miss out on some spectacular work!

Hopefully, that gave you a little bit of insight to get you thinking about your photos and composition especially. Make sure to check out the article next month to see what David and Matt have to share about photography basics and post-production editing. I guarantee that if you put the things you learn in these articles to use, you will have better photographs and the opportunity to make more money.

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 installs

Big Green Truck

SUBMITTED BY JON LACKEY, BLVD CUSTOMS, LAKELAND, FLA.

This 2005 GMC Duramax crew cab was a complete Phoenix Gold build. The goal of the build was for the client to be able to offer his own time and show up at different charity events to help raise money for the cause of that event. Products used for the build included Ohio Generator 300 amp alternators, custom rigid LED under-body accent lighting, 12 Phoenix Gold Elite 6 1/2-inch component speakers, 16 Phoenix Gold Elite 12-inch woofers (in a sealed v-wedge design), six Stinger SPP 2250 power cells, two Stinger 70 amp power supplies, eight Phoenix Gold Elite.1 amplifiers (3500 watts ea.) and three Phoenix Gold Elite.4 amplifiers (1000 watts each). The build cost $58,580 to complete, which is the biggest sale the history of the shop.

52 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

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 installs

Tripping On Sound SUBMITTED BY HIRAM MONTOYA, CLIENT OF SOUND INNOVATIONS, UNION CITY, CALIF.

Montoya, who hails from Monterrey, Mexico, is the owner of a 2012 V6 Mazda 6. Wanting to add a custom audio system, he visited Sound Innovations where installer Daniel Campos was ready. Parts installed included an Alpine INE-W957HD double-DIN head unit, a Mosconi DSP 6to8v8, three Mosconi amps, and Illusion Audio C3CX, C8 and C10XL speakers. A dash kit was used on to accommodate the head unit.

54 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

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 installs

Major League Upgrade SUBMITTED BY JHULIO TADEO, MC CUSTOMS, MIAMI, FLA.

Chicago Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman brought his 2016 Lamborghini Aventador SV to the shop to have another high-end build completed. The build included two JL Audio 10-inch TW3 subwoofer drivers, Focal Utopia three-way active highs, Focal sound dampener, one Mosconi 6 to 8 DSP processor, one Mosconi 100.4 amplifier and one Mosconi 200.4 amp. Materials used included RCAs, carbon fiber, fiberglass and fuses.

The tweeters were built into the lower section of the A pillars using carbon. A sub box and amp rack were made out of fiberglass and carbon with painted accents.

56 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

OFFER YOUR CUSTOMERS THE BRAND BOAT BUILDERS TRUST MOST Clarion Marine Systems Now Available to 12V Dealers through

Starting August 2016, 12-volt dealers across the U.S. will gain access to Clarion’s extensive and purpose-built marine product line, including industry benchmark source units, speakers, amplifiers, remotes, and accessories through Petra Industries.

Every Clarion marine system and accessory endures a battery of character defining tests. By replicating prolonged UV exposure, simulating the humid saltwater environment and rigorously testing for thermal shock to imitate quick changes in temperature, we ensure that Clarion products are built to withstand the harshest day on the water. Here is your chance to offer your customers the very best in marine audio and entertainment products.

For more information, contact a Petra representative at 800-443-6975 or visit clarionmarinesystems.com or petra.com/clarion-marine

     me-mag.com 57

Are you

Committed or Just Involved Being involved in your business is not enough to be considered successful. You must have a solid commitment to make a difference.

It’s Monday morning and you’re ready to get to it. Yet another week of what will hopefully be a productive and profitable experience. Whether you are in business for yourself, working for someone else or just searching for personal satisfaction in life, you are either devoted to your cause or just going through the everyday motions. This choice is yours. But, how do you really know what you have chosen? You may think you are committed to your cause while you are really just participating. To be involved in your business does not prove commitment. It only shows you are making an effort. So how do you know for sure?

How can you move from involvement to a true commitment that makes a difference? You and your business deserve your very best, every day. So let’s review a few examples to help find out your level of commitment.

You’re headed to work, enjoying your music and thinking about the great weekend you just had. You’re not the least bit enthused about getting started this morning nor have you even contemplated your day ahead. You arrive and make time for small talk with your co-workers, look for your morning brew and begin to put together a plan to face the day. Your plan starts with what you’re doing for lunch, what must be done before that time and in your mind you are already making plans for after-work activities. If this is you, then you are not committed, nor are you really participating. At this level you may feel you are getting the job done and should even be rewarded for your efforts. If this is you, it may be time to look for a new challenge or at the very least, re-evaluate your position to see if you’re able to make a commitment to your craft. If not, give your colleagues a break by allowing another more motivated individual to take your place. Now on to the next level, involvement.

You awake and are looking forward to your week at work.

While it may not be your love, it at least fulfills your needs and allows you some satisfaction. You stop on the way to pick up your breakfast and coffee then head to your workplace. You arrive a little early to eat, handle some light duty tasks and then start your work day. Your level of interaction with your colleagues is moderate and mostly focused on the day’s activities.

You’re not really planning out your day, just simply following a schedule that is familiar and productive. You consider yourself to be reactive to your business but stop short of doing anything outside of your direct responsibilities. Bottom line, you get the job done. You may feel you are an asset to your business and/ or employer and may even excel at some things, but this level of involvement rarely produces what is required for growth both personally and professionally. You may even be satisfied with your performance and the business may even benefit, but that is about it. Nothing that will make a real difference or produce

58 Mobile Electronics  October 2016

the success most desire. If this is you, you may not need to find another profession, but you should consider a change that will be more fulfilling for both you and/or your employer. So what does commitment look like?

Commitment to your craft requires a level of dedication that only comes when you truly love what you do. So let’s look at the example of this level. You’re enjoying your weekend but beginning to think about the week ahead. You are coming up with ideas that could make the week more productive and are excited about getting started. You are up early the next morning with an anticipation of having a great week. You look for factors that may influence your week both positively and negatively and think through ways to be innovative and overcome challenges.

You may exercise then enjoy a good breakfast and morning brew. You get in your vehicle, turn on what motivates you and head to work. You arrive early, review your day, look for opportunities, and prepare to make things happen. Your interaction with your team focuses on getting them motivated with great ideas, positive reinforcement and ways to be more productive.

You have a desire for excellence in everything you do regardless of the circumstance. This is some of what it takes to lead and not follow as leaders tend to be committed while followers are simply involved. If this is you, then you are of great benefit to your business and those around you.

You see, being involved in your business is not enough to be considered successful. You must have a solid commitment to make a difference. Martina Navratilova once said, “The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.” I am in no way telling you that you need to lay down your life for your craft or that participation won’t get you through. Just take a good look at what you are putting into your craft and ask yourself, “am I committed to being better than the day before?”

Review the examples, and if you’re not committed, then create a plan to move from involvement to a true commitment that makes a difference. To help you get started you should first get your priorities in order. Second, focus on your goal(s). And last but not least, execute your plan. With these three in place you are on your way to a true understanding a true commitment to excellence for your business.

TRANSFORM SELL HOW YOU

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