“These are points that at the end of the day, make that sale and retailers’ side of the sale sustainable and enable them to go ahead and say, ‘Look, this is something that I’m not sure if another company is going to be around for that long. But from Waves, we know they support their clients for many years.’” CUSTOMER CURATION In an era where digital transforma- tion is reshaping industries, the music retail sector is no exception. The XCHANGE Mar- ket Platform is at
choices that empowers them to find the products that best suit their needs. This customer-centric approach can lead to higher engagement. “The model now is there’s no in- ventory, so the best thing to do is not curate,” Williams said. “If you have access to a software brand and a bunch of titles in that brand, since you’re not stocking them, you don’t have to buy them to put them on a shelf. There’s no reason not to include every single product you have access to. So, we say don’t look for special qualities, un- less of course you’re aware of
SELLING SOFTWARE 101 Experts share tips for promoting the software selection at a music store. “Foster a community. Offer tips and ways of using the software. Host events that cater to the software community and build yourself and project yourself into this marketplace. Do a little bit more, like add a little icing on that cake by having events, add a little bit of tutorial and how-to on problem-solving. Get some people in your community who know software and employ them in some capacity to add a little bit of value. By establishing yourself as an expert in this field and within that community, the rewards are going to be exponential.” — Ray Williams, EXCHANGE Music Platform “We’re always honest with our customers, es - pecially when it comes to upgrades. I always tell customers to learn how to work with the software and then slowly start upgrading. Then you build that trust, and I think it’s important to build trust with customers so they think you’re not trying to upsell them, and you’re
the forefront of this change that empowers music retailers by
some flaw in that particular product that’s well-known. Of course nobody wants to sell that product. Be- cause there’s no stock- ing requirement, there is no reason to be selective when offering software to the customers. Let the cus- tomers curate, don’t curate
offering seam- less access and distribution of a wide range of music software and hardware. By integrating this platform, retailers can
for them.” One of the standout features of the XCHANGE Music Platform is its ability to provide continuous, 24/7 ac- cess to music software. Customers who want a specific software title can simply visit the retailer’s website and make a purchase at any time, day or night. “The number one thing that we pro- vide is instant 24/7 delivery so it means that a customer who wants a certain piece of software can go to your store’s website, order the product and get it delivered in seconds,” Williams said. “There is no waiting, no shipping, no delays and no damage. All those things are eliminated. It’s a very high-profit segment of the musical instrument busi- ness for that reason. It’s almost pure profit. It’s taking a code for one place and you sending it to another place digitally. The advantage really is speed. You can deliver these products quickly and you can deliver them when your stores are closed, so people can go into your store at 3 a.m. and get the product that they want.” SOFTWARE SAVVY SALES For years, Alto Music, headquartered in Middletown, New York, has been at the forefront of selling music software, starting from the days when custom- ers purchased boxed copies. Anthony Thompson, pro-audio sales manager
expand their product range and offer some of the most sought-after music production tools in the industry, such as Avid’s Pro Tools, Celemony’s Melodyne, FabFilter and FL Studio. Ray Williams, president of XCHANGE, said that music retailers should prioritize the power of localiza- tion. As digital transformation reshapes the industry, Williams advocates for a strategic focus on local engagement and the power of social media to connect with customers. “The best thing a retailer could do is get a social media footprint because social media has become a very reli- able way to reach customers,” Williams said. “You have to stress the locality and the localized nature of who they are. For example, if you’re in the North- east United States, you probably want to buy it from a dealer close to you in your town or in your region rather than buy from out of state. The resellers make sure that the people in their local community, their walk-in customers, the people who are taking lessons from them and who have been buying from them for years, let them know that the software is available.” Williams also highlighted the shift in the software model and advises retailers to allow customers to curate their own
here to help them long-term.” — Serj Kirsanov, Ted Brown Music
“I tend to look through music producer forums and take note of software that gets a lot of mentions and praise and make sure we’re carrying the products that are popular and/ or lauded by users.” — Anthony Thompson, Alto Music
46 I MUSIC INC. I AUGUST 2024
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