Capitol Sales Offers Dealers a “Differentiator”

Distributor offers more classes on consumer and commercial AV business practices to help dealers and custom installers improve sales

May 2008 By Jeff O’Heir

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While manufacturers were well represented at Capitol Sales’ 13th annual Dealer and Technology Showcase this week, the St. Paul, Minn.-based distributor put a stronger focus than in the past on education to help its dealers improve business and increase their competitive edge in a tough economic environment.

“Product is essentially product, but business always evolves,” said Curt Hayes, Capitol Sales’ president and chief financial officer, referring to the nine or so different classes featured at the showcase. “We asked ourselves, ‘What can we do to help our dealers with their businesses?’ The education and training is our differentiator.”

The 75 different education tracts included classes on “Who’s Running Your Business?” Win Customers With a Superior Marketing Plan,” “Introduction to Small Business Accounting Software: Quickbooks,” and “Retirement Plan Solutions to Retain Employees.” (Go to our photo gallery for a slide show from the event.)

Hayes expected more than 325 dealers from roughly 20 states to attend the two-day event. This is the first time about half of them have attended, something Hayes attributes to their hunger for education.

John Scott, owner of JES the Details, a custom installer in Burnsville, Minn., was one of them. He said he learned a lot from the marketing class taught by Leslie Stevens of Eclipse Marketing.

“I need to get more marketing information so I can use it to drive more business,” Scott said, as he waited outside a class on how to enter the commercial audio market. “I have to improve my Website with more professional-quality photos and develop a more direct plan on the types of markets I want to serve, and stick to that plan. When I get back I’m also going to start calling customers I did installs for four and five years ago to show them all the new products and solutions that are on the market.”

About 125 manufacturers exhibited products aimed at the custom installation and specialty retail markets, including the latest phone systems from NEC Unified Solutions, Inter-Tel and Panasonic; OmniMount, Peerless, Chief and SanusSytems mounts; A/V remote control solutions from Monster Central and Universal Remote; flat-panel TVs and displays from Panasonic, Toshiba, Westinghouse and Audiovox; Optoma and Panasonic projectors; and a slew of consumer and commercial audio gear from Harman/Kardon, Musica, MTX, Pinnacle, JBL, Russound, JobSite, Canton, Onkyo, AudioAccess, Crown and Monster.

Hayes and dealers at the show said many installers are turning to the commercial A/V market – houses of worship, boardrooms and small business – to offset flagging sales in new home construction. IP-based surveillance solutions are beginning to take off in those markets, Hayes and others said.