NAMM U - All

Teacher retention can be as important to a lessons business as keeping your students and customers. Parents are more likely to stay with you for the long-term when teachers demonstrate you have a program designed for longevity in education. If your instructional staff has a high turnover rate, it can signal instability to families looking for consistent instruction. Consider the following example. The Problem Recently, a piano instructor left my store to teach at a competing music school a few miles away. It shocked me—I thought he was happy and we had a good relationship. During

At The 2018 NAMM Show, music industry accountants Alan Friedman, CPA, and Daniel Jobe of Friedman, Kannenberg & Co. discussed recent trends that affect all music retail and lesson studio owners who employ staff. Friedman and Jobe advised everyone to understand the pros and cons of classifying staff as employees versus independent contractors, so you clearly know which way to lean. (Note: This article and video do not constitute legal advice. Please read NAMM U’s legal disclaimer.) According to Friedman and Jobe, there’s been a movement for states to audit music retailers for w

At 2018 Summer NAMM, industry veterans Bob Popyk, Music Trades Magazine columnist, and Alan Friedman, a partner at Friedman, Kannenberg & Co., brought their combined wisdom, experience and passion for the music industry to offer music retailers tips to get through the slow times. Popyk and Friedman encouraged retailers to turn the potential negatives into positives and stay inspired through tough months. Friedman noted that even though we’ve been experiencing upticks in the economy since the last recession, things will cycle down, and you’ll want to be prepared. 1. Set goals.

At 2018 Summer NAMM, industry veterans Bob Popyk, Music Trades Magazine columnist, and Alan Friedman, a partner at Friedman, Kannenberg & Co., brought their combined wisdom, experience and passion for the music industry to offer music retailers tips to get through the slow times. Popyk and Friedman encouraged retailers to turn the potential negatives into positives and stay inspired through tough months. Friedman noted that even though we’ve been experiencing upticks in the economy since the last recession, things will cycle down, and you’ll want to be prepared. 1. Set goals.

NAMM Top 100 Dealers took the stage at 2018 Summer NAMM to share their lesson program success stories. Each retailer’s program is influenced by its location and unique business model. The panel included: • Cindy and Rand Cook of The Candyman Strings & Things (Moderators) • Mike and Miriam Risko of Mike Risko Music • Robin Sassi and Kimberly Deverell of San Diego Music Studio Cook posed the same questions to each panelist to paint a picture of how successful lesson programs can be tailored and different from one another. Here are highlights. (Watch the video for the full sessio

We live in an age of disruption. Every week, it seems there’s a new strategy, technology or social media that’s a “must use” or game-changer for your music retail business or brand. But in this endless quest for the next big bright, shiny business object, it’s easy to forget that while everything has changed, nothing is different. Trust, connection, consistency and service will always trump the next app to hit the market. And at The 2019 NAMM Show, Scott Stratten hosted an inspiring NAMM U Breakfast Session to help NAMM members navigate this age of disruption. A marketing rebel an

The 2019 NAMM Show closed out with "Best in Show" on Sunday, January 27. This NAMM U Breakfast Session featured a fast-moving roundup of the biggest products, services and technologies on the exhibit floor. Moderator Frank Alkyer, publisher of Music Inc. and UpBeat Daily magazines, led a panel of music retail gear experts, who scoured the far corners of the show floor to bring you their favorites. They presented 24-plus picks that are sure to be a big deal in 2019, and beyond. 2019 NAMM Show – Winner List Round 1: Best Add-Ons and Accessories Chase Bliss Pre-amp MKII - Booth #3744

Video is critical to marketing your business, but every social media platform calls for a different strategy. Whether it’s YouTube, Instagram or Facebook, you’ll want to know about the ins and outs, do’s and don’ts, and latest updates on video for each platform. In this session from The 2019 NAMM Show, Tim Spicer of Spicer’s Music moderated a panel of rock-star marketers in the music business, who revealed their video success secrets for YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. They covered how they use different social platforms for video, why they might abstain from a particular platfor

We live in an age of disruption. Every week, it seems there’s a new strategy, technology or social media that’s a “must use” or game-changer for your music retail business or brand. But in this endless quest for the next big bright, shiny business object, it’s easy to forget that while everything has changed, nothing is different. Trust, connection, consistency and service will always trump the next app to hit the market. And at The 2019 NAMM Show, Scott Stratten hosted an inspiring NAMM U Breakfast Session to help NAMM members navigate this age of disruption. A marketing rebel an

At 2018 Summer NAMM, Peter Sides, president of Robert M. Sides Family Music, shared five key tips to build your online rental business. Sides remarked that his company jumped into the online rental business 10 years ago—when very few were doing it. That first year, Sides did 2 percent of his rental business online; today, it’s 31 percent. According to Sides, his core approach is to make rentals easy for customers. He started his company’s program with “3 Easy Steps to Rent Online Tonight”: choose your school/district, choose your instrument and complete the online paperwork. Side

At 2018 Summer NAMM, Melissa Loggins of Music Authority shared her strategies for lesson program growth. Music Authority grew from 475 students in 2016 to 578 students in two years. Coupled with her mantra, “Let’s find a way,” these creative strategies keep her lesson program full and continuing to expand. Here’s how she did it. (Watch the full video for details). 1. Build Relationships Your customers want a friend in the music business—that’s you. They’re more likely to buy from someone they trust and have a relationship with. They will come to you with questions and concerns,

At 2018 Summer NAMM, Dan Abel, director of marketing for Reverb.com and former marketing manager at YouTube, looked at five successful YouTube case studies that apply to the music products business. He outlined their different strategies and even some missed opportunities in their video marketing. Abel also remarked that each user is effective at engaging its audience. Here are highlights from the session. (Watch the video to view the full presentation.) Andrew Huang (Artist) Huang got his start creating one type of video, the song challenge, and it turned into an episodic serie