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Michael Cathrea opened Resonate Music School & Studio in 2012 and has since grown the music lesson program to 1,200 students. His strategy was to embrace changing consumer habits and adapt music lessons to this new reality. During “Retail Disruptors” at 2019 Summer NAMM, he shared his business model with NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond. (Watch the video for the full interview.) For starters, Cathrea did away with the notion that music lesson programs are tied to the school year, September through June. “With us, it’s month to month,” he said. “It’s a membership-based system.

In the past year, new online sales tax laws have become a big disruptor for retail—and not just for web-based sellers. During “Retail Disruptors” at 2019 Summer NAMM, music retail financial expert Alan Friedman of Friedman, Kannenberg & Co. sat down with NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond to discuss the impact of the Wayfair decision. Watch the video of the full interview to find out what it means to your business.

On the heels of a popular Breakfast Session at January’s NAMM Show, Scott Stratten made a surprise appearance at 2019 Summer NAMM, during “Retail Disruptors.” The customer-experience and branding expert explained how turning to our own employees can oftentimes be the answer to combatting disruption. (Watch the video for the full segment.) “The longer you are at a company, the more your ideas held weight,” Stratten said. “It’s actually one of the things that makes no sense. Ideas aren’t valid because they’re historical. Ideas aren’t valid because you’ve thought them a long time.” H

At 2019 Summer NAMM, customer service expert Shep Hyken hosted a popular NAMM U Breakfast Session, “The Customer Experience Revolution.” After the session, he received several common questions from attendees. He created this exclusive video for you, the NAMM member, so you could hear his responses. Check out the video and hear Shep address the following topics: • How do we compete with large online retailers? • How do I get my employees to deliver a better customer-service experience? • How do I best handle tough customers, especially when they’re wrong? • How should I handle nega

At 2019 Summer NAMM, customer service expert Shep Hyken hosted a popular NAMM U Breakfast Session, “The Customer Experience Revolution.” After the session, he received several common questions from attendees. He created this exclusive video for you, the NAMM member, so you could hear his responses. Check out the video and hear Shep address the following topics: • How do we compete with large online retailers? • How do I get my employees to deliver a better customer-service experience? • How do I best handle tough customers, especially when they’re wrong? • How should I handle nega

At The 2019 NAMM Show, leading social media consultant Jenn Herman led a fast-paced session on Instagram for business. She covered how to use Instagram to increase sales, get new customers and connect with fans. She also discussed new Instagram updates for music businesses. Here are session highlights. (Watch the video for the full session.) Use the power of Instagram. Herman noted that Instagram has some of the highest engagement rates of all the social media platforms, averaging 3 percent. (Facebook is less than 1 percent, and Twitter is less than a quarter of a percent.)She dec

At The 2019 NAMM Show, Richard Berkman of Big Music in Sydney, Australia, shared a surprising transformation: In two years, his company’s music lesson program went from being a marginal and dwindling enterprise to the most profitable part of his business. Berkman described Big Music’s vision to provide a place to buy an instrument, learn how to play it and have opportunities to play. He and his team designed the organization to reflect that. Berkman noted that their first-floor retail shop has always been a strong source of referrals for the lesson business. They make sure to ask

At The 2019 NAMM Show, Tim Pratt of Dietze Music revealed the dangers of getting complacent with customers—and simple fixes for this issue. Social media and online review apps, such as Yelp, have changed how customers view businesses, and their perception that businesses don’t care can be a serious problem, especially if customers leave and never come back. Many times, retailers don’t even know this is happening because unhappy customers never complain. According to Pratt, there are numerous reasons why people don’t shop with you, but he identified 10 classic examples of poor cus

At The 2019 NAMM Show, Tim Pratt of Dietze Music revealed the dangers of getting complacent with customers—and simple fixes for this issue. Social media and online review apps, such as Yelp, have changed how customers view businesses, and their perception that businesses don’t care can be a serious problem, especially if customers leave and never come back. Many times, retailers don’t even know this is happening because unhappy customers never complain. According to Pratt, there are numerous reasons why people don’t shop with you, but he identified 10 classic examples of poor cus

At The 2019 NAMM Show, Michael Cathrea, co-founder and president of Resonate Music School & Studio, invited music retailers to think outside the box about their lesson programs. Cathrea cited his own journey as proof that it’s possible to start from scratch in a competitive market and build a thriving lesson program in just six years. He now offers 1,000 lessons per week in an 18-room facility, plus a recording studio that operates 24 hours a day, a small retail business, a staff of 40 and growing, and a second location opening soon. Cathrea suggested reflecting on the state

At The 2019 NAMM Show, digital marketing expert and CEO of Digitopia Frank Cowell shared how to transform strangers into raving fans in the digital age. According to Cowell, you’re ultimately trying to build a brand for your business in today’s crowded marketplace. Cowell remarked that there are no tricks, shortcuts or overnight results to make this happen. Once you build an online marketing strategy, it requires a long-term commitment and effort to get results and a brand that lasts. (Watch the session video to get the free one-page Digitopia Utopia Methodology download.) The Cha

Discover the hottest trends in the guitar, straight from the experts. In this dynamic conversation at 2019 Summer NAMM (presented by Guitar World magazine), journalist and marketer Laura B. Whitmore sat down with top builders and manufacturers to find out what big developments they see happening now, and in the near future. They discussed new gear, trending market segments, what’s happening with the guitar in today’s popular music and much more. * PowerPoint slides not available for this session