Ed Rep Radio

This is the 2nd episode with Andy Wilson, where we discuss the unique skills and mindset needed to lead a successful sales team. Andy has decades of experience as a sales rep, sales leader, and leader of leaders as a Vice President of Sales for a major manufacturer outside of the Music Industry. He is now a sales consultant and coach, and his ideas on leadership can truly transform your organization and sales team. 

Books mentioned in this episode:

Atomic habits by James Clear

The Go-Giver Leader by Bob Burg & John David Mann

Patrick Lencioni (The Table Group)

Ken Blanchard (The Blanchard Group)

About Andy Wilson:

Follow Andy on LinkedIn

Andy's Website

Andy's Mantras

Consistency of Intensity

Fundamentals over Fads

Process over Outcome

Proactive over Reactive

Join Maureen Wall and Joe Heffernan of Johnson String Instruments, one of the premier string instrument specialty shops in the country and a leader in the school orchestra business. 

Visit their website at: www.johnsonstring.com

Josh Whitehouse of Milano Music in Phoenix, AZ goes over all of the basics that Ed Reps need to know about the trumpet.

This was a special episode of Ed Rep Radio, recorded live at a session of the 2024 NASMD conference in beautiful Bonita Springs, Florida. Thank you to all who attended the live session, to our panelists, and to the companies and people that helped make this possible:

Panelists:

Ron Good - Meyer Music, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Tim Dawson - Paiges Music, Indianapolis, Indiana

Ron Kuykendall - Saied Music, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Companies/Organizations:

On Stage - Jeremy Payne

KMC Music - Terri Shaw

NASMD - CJ Averwater (Outgoing President) and Cris Behrens (Incoming President)

Links to programs mentioned in episode:

Microsoft One Note

Microsoft Sharepoint 

BaseCamp

Calendars, Planners and Organizer

LaDonna Gibson joins us from Amro Music in Memphis, with 25 years of experience as an Ed Rep, after 17 years in the band room. She works with many small, rural schools and offers some great advice on how best to work with them. 

Join experts Michelle Mills of Eckroth Music, Amy D of Ted Brown Music, and Paul Ramsaier of Quinlan and Fabish as they discuss how Ed Reps can play an integral role in the successful recruiting of beginnining band and orchestra students.

Life on the road as an Ed Rep can be tough on your physical, mental, and emotional health. We'll learn some important tips from music industry veteran, personal trainer and health coach Janelle Harlan, on how to take care of your health so that you can be your best self in your personal and professional life. 

Learn more about Janelle Harlan and her business: Website

Links mentioned in this episode:

Book: Off Balance, by Matthew Kelly

Suggested links from Janelle on fitness and nutrition:

Yoga and stretching

Hip flexor stretching

Weights

Stationary bike

Lacrosse ball for muscles

Nutrient dense eating

Healthy snacks on the road

Dennis Hallmeyer of Bertrand's Music provides valuable insight into the most useful technologies, programs, and apps for Ed Reps.

Links to programs and apps, in order of mention on this episode:

Hubspot Salesforce Microsoft Excel Google Sheets Google Calendar Apple Podcasts Spotify  Evernote Notion Trello  Open AI ChatGPT Google's Bard AI Canva  Microsoft PowerPoint Google Slides Blustream Grammarly Bitly Square Google Drive Microsoft One Drive Google Sites Microsoft Sharepoint

Note: these links are based on desktop links. You may find downloads for some of these programs/apps by also searching in the App Store on your phone

Rental nights are the most important events of the year for Ed Reps and music stores. Join Hank Rockwell of Playground Music, and Stewart Blatt of Buddy Rogers/Willis Music, and learn some great tips on how to run a successful rental event.

Join Cris Behrens (General Manager) and Jenifer Olson (Ed Rep Manager) of Summerhays Music in Salt Lake City, UT as they describe how the ed reps and in-store staff work together to create successful in-store step up events year after year.

Join Ryan Richman, saxophonist and Vice President of Eastman Music Company, to learn all about the history, design, manufacturing, and care/maintenance of saxophones.

Join Alex Beamer (West Music), Julie Wagnitz (Heid Music), and Tim Dawson (Paige's Music) as they share some important advice for Ed Reps new to the job. 

Links mentioned in this episode:

www.vidyard.com

High Trust Selling by Todd Duncan

For many Ed Reps who come from a band background, working with orchestra teachers can feel more challenging and less familiar than working with band directors. John Rihani of Paige's Music in Indianapolis will help us better understand string players and teachers, and how to build better relationships (and business) with this important group of customers.

Links mentioned in episode: 

The Strad Magazine: Click Here

American String Teachers Association: Click Here

This episode is based on a presentation at the 2022 NASMD conference in Tuscon, AZ by Scott Leamon and Shane Deuel. This episode will give Ed Reps some ideas on how to go beyond a "Milk Run" visit with teachers, and start to improve your route, strengthen your relationships, grow your business, and work on your personal goals and habits. We hope these ideas will help you knock your goals into outer space.

"From Milk Run to Milky Way" PowerPoint: Click Here

Scott Mandeville of Tim's Music in Sacramento goes over the most common repairs and their causes, tips on what you can do in the field, and how to best work with your teachers and repair shop. This might be one of the most important episodes on Ed Rep Radio.

Scott Mandeville’s list of repair must-haves on the road for Ed Reps:

Blue Painter’s tape

Multi-tip screw driver

Standard pliers

Rawhide mallet

Smooth jaw pliers

Spring hooks, large and small

Instrument specific screw drivers for hinge screws

Lubricants of all kinds and many brands (synthetic)

Peel-and-stick water key corks of many sizes

Saxophone guard screws of various sizes and threads

Mouthpiece puller

Literature on instrument care and maintenance

Tool box to carry everything

Morrie Backun, founder of Backun Musical Services, goes through an incredible amount of useful information on everything clarinet. From the design and manufacturing, differences between beginner and performance instruments, care and maintenance, and much more.

Websites referenced in this episode:

Backun factory tour: click here

Boveda humidity packs: click here

Legere reeds: click here

Rovner ligatures: click here

The sales training provided by Action Selling can change your life as a Sales Professional. Vice President of Sales Training at Action Selling, CJ Collins, will share the outline of this powerful system and inspire you to take your sales career to new levels.

Buy the Action Selling book: Click Here

Action Selling website: Click Here

Alexis Smith of the S.E. Shires Company provides all the information you need to understand various aspects and differences of the trombone.  

For more information on S.E. Shires visit their website:

www.seshires.com

With this pandemic finally showing signs of ending, Scott Lang will share how Covid has affected the world of music education, it's teachers and students, and what you can do as an Ed Rep to be a powerful force to shape the future of music programs around the country.

Program notes:

www.scottlang.net

www.bepartofthemusic.org

The supply chain crisis has impacted just about every business around the world, including those in the School Music Industry. Ralph Torres, Director of Operations for Eastman Music Company will help us understand how this problem started, what this means for Ed Reps, and how to help teachers navigate these challenges.

Show Notes: 

Book referenced in Podcast: Arriving Today by Christopher Mims - Buy on Amazon

Amro Music is regarded today as a model for how to best promote and move step ups in the schools, and their Ed Reps play a huge role in the process. Nick Averwater of Amro Music shares the system they use to be so successful in this important category.

The world of flutes can be more complicated than other instruments, and Korinne Smith of the Wm S. Haynes flute company will help us learn what we need to know to better work with flute customers out in the field

George Quinlan Jr. is well known to the industry as the owner of the highly successful Quinlan and Fabish Music store in the Chicagoland and surrounding area. He is also an active Ed Rep with a regular route, with decades of experience on the road. 

Chuck Kerrigan, tuba guru and Low Brass Product Manager of Eastman, shares some great practical tuba knowledge that every ed rep can use when working with band directors

Charlie Menghini, former band director, music ed professor, and college president, talks about what Ed Reps meant to him in the band room, and the difference Ed Reps can make in the life of a Band Director

An active professional violinst, clinician, and private teacher, Rachelle Puccini shares her candid thoughts on what is important to her and other private string teachers when working with music stores, and how influencial private teachers are in the purchase of new instruments for their students

Charles Laux, orchestra teachers at Alpharetta High School in Atlanta, has taught strings at every grade and skill level, and shares his experience working with music stores and ed reps. He also offers some tips on how to better service orchestra programs

Ralph Alcala, head luthier in the Eastman Strings workshop in Pomona, CA, shares his experience as a Luthier working on school instrument repairs over the years, and the causes of the most common issues

Adam Campgagna, band director in the Chehalis School District in Washington, shares a great idea an how to recruit beginners during the challenges of Covid

Steve Purcell, recently retired with decades of experience as an Ep Rep at Paiges Music in Indianapolis, looks back on his career and offers some great advice on how to build relationships with teachers and be the best Partner possible to your customers

Jason Heath, successful bassist, orchestra teacher, and Strings Product Manager for Eastman, talks about the sometimes confusing world of the string bass, and how to guide your teachers towards the right instruments

Before becoming Vice President of Eastman, Ryan Richman was a very successful Ed Rep and sought after by his customers for his knowledge in the world of musical products. We'll hear how he became the "Trusted Advisor" to his customers and the impact he made in his market

Anna Davis, middle school orchestra teacher in the Sylvania, OH school district, shares her life as busy orchestra teachers and how ed reps have supported her life as a teacher over the years

Phil Hopdapp, long time Ed Rep at Beacock Music in Vancouver, WA, shares his years of experience, successes, and challenges on the road working with band and orchestra teachers in his region

Jason Heath, Strings Product Manager for Eastman, goes over the basic parts of the string instrument

A description and what to expect from Ed Rep Radio - the first Podcast specifically for Ed Reps in the School Music Industry