went over and spoke with her for about 20 minutes, and she then walked over to our com- petitor across the room. After a few minutes, she came back and said she’d like to buy the trumpet I showed her. My associate looked at me with his mouth wide open and said, ‘She didn’t even know what a trumpet was.’ I said, ‘No, but if your heart stopped working, she could take it out and put a new one in. You never bothered to find out about her. She’s a heart transplant surgeon, for goodness sake.’ To this day, I still use that story to encour- age our sales associates to get to know the customer they’re selling to.” Pratt also said asking questions and invok- ing the golden rule should be second nature for all sales associates. “How do you plan on qualifying the sale if you don’t ask questions?” he asked. “And, of course, listen to the answers so you un- derstand the customer. I think if you do that, then people genuinely feel comfortable in your store, and you’ve earned their respect. It’s very much the golden rule. I would want somebody to actually find out what I wanted when I’m shopping, rather than just stick me with whatever they think I should have.” TO 100 MORE! Looking ahead, Pratt said he hopes to see the business continue under the Dietze Music name. “It’s a Nebraska music icon,” he said, adding that he would also like to take bet- ter advantage of CRM tools to facilitate a stronger footprint. “We’re a local business, so we want to take care of the local business, but we’re interested in reaching outside of this direct area.” Whether it’s four stores or eight stores, Pratt said he also wants to make sure the Dietze Music team takes care of the locations it has. “One of the reasons we haven’t bitten off more than we can chew is because we believe it’s not good to be ‘too big,’” he said. “The control is gone, and you won’t be doing anyone any good.” When asked if he still enjoys running the dealership 34 years later, Pratt said he can’t imagine doing anything else. “I remember when I was a performer, I had the opportunity to play with some really cool people,” he said. “And now, as the owner of Dietze Music, I can still live vicariously and watch my people grow. It’s our job to give them every tool that we can so they succeed. Even though I set out to be one of them, I’m still playing a role in others’ success. I can’t imagine life not doing what I do. My team and I get to come to work every day and just enjoy what we do.” MI
Despite its deep roots in the school music market, Dietze Music is a full-line retailer that stocks leading industry brands, including Fender, Martin, Taylor, Shure, Roland, Yamaha and more. “You can’t just say we have the right price or the right personality or the right service — that doesn’t matter. You really have to have all three.”
partnership with our teachers, that helps us to grow sales because they bring students in, and we carry what they encourage us to carry. If there’s something that they want to see or a certain string set or reed they suggest, we’re going have it in stock.” A CENTURY OF ‘THE GOLDEN RULE’ For Pratt, a Nebraskan native, the 100th anniversary of Dietze Music is more than a business milestone. “I started coming to Dietze Music to shop when I was 12 years old,” he said. “So, I’ve been a part of the Dietze Music story for 51 years. I’ve worked here 34 years now and to see it evolve is huge.” Making it to the 100-year mark is no accident, and Pratt said price, personality and service have all been key factors of the retailer’s longevity. “There are a lot of things that can set you apart as a brick-and-mortar retailer,” Pratt explained. “For one, you have to stock all the right stuff. You can’t just say we have the right price or the right personality or the right service — that doesn’t matter. You
really have to have all three.” As a member of the local Lincoln Sym- phony Orchestra board of directors — as well as a current NAMM and NASMD board member — Pratt said being involved in his local community is crucial. “We have fingers from our store running throughout our community — whether that be our local symphony orchestra or our sales staff out playing in clubs or on tour — we’re entrenched,” Pratt said. “And then you have to be able to fix problems. You have to want to help your customers.” One additional factor that has kept Di- etze Music on the map for 100 years? Its dedication to getting to know its customers. “One thing that I always tell associates is, even if you know the customer, you don’t really know them,” Pratt said. “You don’t know what kind of day they’re having. One example I always use is from a rental night years ago. This woman was curious about renting a trumpet for her son. She was asking crazy questions like if the trumpet folded up to fit in her son’s backpack, and our older sales associate was becoming frustrated. I
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