Are there any Sale Jobs in this Industry - My industry is dead and I need a new Career

[Danmac156]

I am a frequent visitor to this website as I love home theater, music and quality audio gear. I am in the dreaded 50's age bracket and have been in the store display and fixture industry fir 25 years. With all the store closings, consolidation of retailers my industry is down 40% since 2008 and I don't see it coming back.

i was laid off last October and now realize after many months of job searching that I have to find something else. Ideally I would love to see or somehow be involved in the audio - visual channel. Perhaps there is a niche someone can recommend. I am looking for ideas.

I just went to Best Buy and Frys to help out a friend who has a spinal cord injury buy a simple HT system. Frys could not even demonstrate speakers for me, could not turn on music, it was a disaster. Then I went to Best Buy and listened to the clerk tell customers that Klipsch are made in America, not anymore! No wonder people use websites like this one and order online with such terrible customer service at the few retailers who have not gone out of business, yet.

I did visit a nice McIntosh retailer in the Northwest. I am in San Diego. Perhaps there are some success stories out there.

Dan

 

[BMXTRIX]

There is very little in the residential side unless you own your own business. On the commercial side, there are a fair number of jobs which may be available, but it is more about knowing commercial gear and being able to get sales deals closed. The problem we definitely see in our business is that the sales leads are all out there, but our sales staff doesn't know how to put together a proper commercial system, and completely fails to talk to anyone about gear which sucks vs. gear which is good, so they just specify junk (at times) and leave it for a tech to deal with never knowing the problems.

You would want to look up, check out, and start calling commercial places, and expect a fair bit of being paid on commission to get things started. If you are good, it will all pay off, but you have to expect a lot of long work days to get to that point. Lots of homework.

 

[Adam]

Have you considered applying to places like Frys and Best Buy? I don't know what their policies are for age brackets and hiring, but I can tell you that I would much rather talk to (and buy from) someone with good knowledge of the products than someone who doesn't. I've met some really knowledgeable younger folks at those stores, but I've also met some utterly ignorant (but nice) ones, too. Being 40 myself, I might prefer to talk to someone your age than someone in their early 20's. I sure think that my parents would.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Then I went to Best Buy and listened to the clerk tell customers that Klipsch are made in America, not anymore!

What do you mean? I was told the Klipsch THX Ultra2 speakers and higher-end models are made in Arkansas.

Built in the US: The RF-7 II; RC-64 II; All Heritage; The THX Ultra2 system; The Palladium P-39F; Last version RC-64, RF-83 and RF-63

 

[Danmac156]

Anything by Klipsch at Best Buy is low end and from China. The own 27 Klipsch speakers. Yes a few of the high end speakers are still made in the US, but NOT the models being carried at best buy.

 

[Danmac156]

Have you considered applying to places like Frys and Best Buy? I don't know what their policies are for age brackets and hiring, but I can tell you that I would much rather talk to (and buy from) someone with good knowledge of the products than someone who doesn't. I've met some really knowledgeable younger folks at those stores, but I've also met some utterly ignorant (but nice) ones, too. Being 40 myself, I might prefer to talk to someone your age than someone in their early 20's. I sure think that my parents would.

i agree, it would be great to talk to someone knowledgeable a a big box store but the pay is dismal at these places, Best Buy has no real audio showrooms, Frys has let their listening rooms deteriorate and now look bare and awful.

 

[Danmac156]

There is very little in the residential side unless you own your own business. On the commercial side, there are a fair number of jobs which may be available, but it is more about knowing commercial gear and being able to get sales deals closed. The problem we definitely see in our business is that the sales leads are all out there, but our sales staff doesn't know how to put together a proper commercial system, and completely fails to talk to anyone about gear which sucks vs. gear which is good, so they just specify junk (at times) and leave it for a tech to deal with never knowing the problems.

You would want to look up, check out, and start calling commercial places, and expect a fair bit of being paid on commission to get things started. If you are good, it will all pay off, but you have to expect a lot of long work days to get to that point. Lots of homework.

Thanks for the words of wisdom. Sales and tech need to be working as a team, few companies get that which is a function of proper leadership. So question about starting your own business regarding residential, and that s is there a nice to be had between the big box crap offerings and McIntosh and above high cost side? What I would call Mid Range home theater / audio.