Hello All,

I don't normally do this, but I am posting my regular magazine editorial prior to its printing. This will appear in the next issue of Mobile Electornics, but I felt it was a message that many of us could use a little earlier; a message that could help some of our retailers make a very significant decision about their futures in this industry. Please feel free to forward this link to anyone you feel could benefit from it. 

The Forest for the Trees

Don’t get caught up in the day-to-day “little picture” when a small sacrifice can give you a better future.

When people ask me about Mobile Electronics magazine, I often tell them it’s a niche publication that caters to a group of passionate people; many of whom are considered “uneducated” by societal standards, yet possess a skill and love for a profession that pushes them to make it a career. I tell them that this passion and skill will only take them so far, and so they look for resources to fill in the missing part that is knowledge of the business of mobile electronics. And that is where the magazine comes in.

I can describe it this way because it’s, in fact, how I started. As a passionate installer who went from high school to working at McDonald's to crawling under dashes, I knew at some point I had to learn the business, and instead of becoming a store owner, I went in a different direction. And if you’re reading this, congratulations – there aren't too many people on this earth who can claim they are making a living doing what they love.

MERA, the Mobile Electronics Retailers Association, has the same mission as the magazine. It’s why hundreds of retailers and installers attend KnowledgeFest every year: to get concentrated access to professionals who can help them get that needed business expertise. Yet, in a recent survey of industry people who hadn’t planned on attending, we asked under what conditions they would attend. The obstacles to attending the event were mainly centered on the inability to close the shop, the distance to the event, and the cost of the event.

So let me get this straight: We are BLESSED to work in an industry we love, and we have committed to it as a means to sustain ourselves and our families as well as to provide a roadmap to whatever quality of life we desire in our future. But when given the opportunity to make ourselves even more prepared, educated, armed and ready to achieve our goals, we turn it down because of distance, or the cost of a hotel room, or the fear that we might lose a few hundred dollars in sales.

Is our future worth so little?

We often talk about the “four walls” epidemic that has plagued our industry for years: the refusal to evaluate the larger business landscape outside our shops. As long as customers are coming in, there’s no reason to change. But my experience has been that these are the same retailers who predict the doom of the industry when that influx turns into a trickle.

These are retailers who have not prepared themselves to be proactive and have become complacent. They’ve forgotten how to go and get customers. They don’t know how to convince that 16-year-old “gamer” who’s looking for the new Xbox One to instead make his car audio system something that will make him a “player” with the girls. They have trouble selling to women or reconfiguring their business approach to make women more comfortable in their stores. They use the same sales gimmicks that worked in better days and wonder why they’re not working now. They don’t seek the advice of others because, well, they’ve been doing this for 20 years or more. And finally, they say they they’ve tried everything and don’t know what else to do.

And then there’s KnowledgeFest: the one event every year that addresses all of these issues and answers all of these questions.

Guys, you know I love you. But I’m going to say it like it is: There is NO excuse not to attend an event of this caliber if you want to make a living as a mobile electronics professional. The potential to learn from business experts, network with peers, get new ideas and simply “be” in a charged environment full of energetic entrepreneurs – you can’t put a value on that. You can learn one idea that’s worked for another retailer and make 10 times the few hundred dollars lost from closing your shop for a few days. And this is knowledge and connections you will keep forever.

For the last 20 years, 100 percent of the income I’ve earned--income that has put one daughter through college and is supporting the dreams of another--has come from this industry. Many of you are the same. It stands to reason I have a vested interest in doing everything possible to make sure this industry sustains itself and grows, and that growth is in your hands as retailers, sales people and installation professionals.

You deserve to be the best you can be at the career you’ve chosen. Your families and loved ones deserve your best. Forget about all of the little "today" excuses. Don't miss the forest because you're staring at the trees. It’s really a simple question: Will attending KnowledgeFest give you the best opportunity to succeed?

If so, I’ll see you there.