I have Managerial Skills as well as Music Industry experience and need a new job due to cut backs even part time....
So, anyone know how much something like guitar center workers get as well as commisions and what would be the best department?
thanks
Guitar Center Jobs?
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
If you work as a salesman you'll be on commission, if GC hired you for a manager you would likely be on salary. However as far as commissions go there are somethings that you should know. The first being about draws. I'm not sure what the scale is these days at GC, but it's a common misconception that salesman gets commissions on every sale.
A draw is a set amount of profit margin you must reach in a month to get you commissions. Otherise you just get weekly (or whatever their pay period is) checks based on your hourly wage. The draw is not a small number, around 2000 I know that GC (it was across the street from where I worked at Mars) it was either 30,000 or 35,000 of profit...that is not not total sales, that is profit.
To put that in persctive if you sold 35, 1000 dollar guitars you would come up far short of yout draw and the end of the month when everyone is getting a commission check one would not have your name on it. However don't worry about that happening every month...if you go a couple months without making the draw they willlet you go anyhow
PK (product knowledge) is but one small part of selling gear. As for what department is best...well that's hard to say..what do you know best? Any biases you have towards companies has got to go...if you dislike the company and you want to make money you might find yourself selling gear you dont believe in.
Perhaps the hardest part is getting the ball rolling. When you first start every customer is spoken for, trust me when someone has a customer it's theirs...bottom line. Salesman have to keep cards on their customers..name, gear they have bought, what they play, what they might like, what they do, ect...once you have a good customer base you off to a good start, but if you don't maintain your customers, you'll lose em...if you mis-speak you'll lose them..if you steal a customer you're labeled, if you give up a customer you're labeled.
Music retail is great if you have what it takes, truthfully I have plenty of knowledge, but I didn't have that killer instinct. If a kid comes in with his dad and wants a guitar tricked out with a floyd rose for his first guitar a salesman who cares about the customers needs will suggest the he avoid the floyd rose for his first guitar...but there goes PM so you need to look at it from a "how do I keep my job?" attitude. The kid goes home and gets frustarted and gives up...mom and dad call and say why did the salesman sell him this guitar...on the otherhand if you sell them something more practical you might not reach your draw and you'll be gone, and someone else will get that customer that trusts you.
As much fun as a job as you think it is (and at times it is) there is a lot to learn, a lot to do and a high level of dog eat dog. Being on the 'inside' is cool, discounts are cool, prizes are cool. But be prepared to work for it and also forget about weekends off...those are your money days. However if you were to start a career in music retail this the best time of the year to start. You have time to get your feet wet, then xmas comes and things fly out the door (especially yamaha and casio keyboards).
Hope this helps in you decision, the worst that can happen is you try and it's not for you...don't worry about it, that's life many doors will open for you through out life and you never know until you try..I just figured I'd share what many people dont realize...
A draw is a set amount of profit margin you must reach in a month to get you commissions. Otherise you just get weekly (or whatever their pay period is) checks based on your hourly wage. The draw is not a small number, around 2000 I know that GC (it was across the street from where I worked at Mars) it was either 30,000 or 35,000 of profit...that is not not total sales, that is profit.
To put that in persctive if you sold 35, 1000 dollar guitars you would come up far short of yout draw and the end of the month when everyone is getting a commission check one would not have your name on it. However don't worry about that happening every month...if you go a couple months without making the draw they willlet you go anyhow
PK (product knowledge) is but one small part of selling gear. As for what department is best...well that's hard to say..what do you know best? Any biases you have towards companies has got to go...if you dislike the company and you want to make money you might find yourself selling gear you dont believe in.
Perhaps the hardest part is getting the ball rolling. When you first start every customer is spoken for, trust me when someone has a customer it's theirs...bottom line. Salesman have to keep cards on their customers..name, gear they have bought, what they play, what they might like, what they do, ect...once you have a good customer base you off to a good start, but if you don't maintain your customers, you'll lose em...if you mis-speak you'll lose them..if you steal a customer you're labeled, if you give up a customer you're labeled.
Music retail is great if you have what it takes, truthfully I have plenty of knowledge, but I didn't have that killer instinct. If a kid comes in with his dad and wants a guitar tricked out with a floyd rose for his first guitar a salesman who cares about the customers needs will suggest the he avoid the floyd rose for his first guitar...but there goes PM so you need to look at it from a "how do I keep my job?" attitude. The kid goes home and gets frustarted and gives up...mom and dad call and say why did the salesman sell him this guitar...on the otherhand if you sell them something more practical you might not reach your draw and you'll be gone, and someone else will get that customer that trusts you.
As much fun as a job as you think it is (and at times it is) there is a lot to learn, a lot to do and a high level of dog eat dog. Being on the 'inside' is cool, discounts are cool, prizes are cool. But be prepared to work for it and also forget about weekends off...those are your money days. However if you were to start a career in music retail this the best time of the year to start. You have time to get your feet wet, then xmas comes and things fly out the door (especially yamaha and casio keyboards).
Hope this helps in you decision, the worst that can happen is you try and it's not for you...don't worry about it, that's life many doors will open for you through out life and you never know until you try..I just figured I'd share what many people dont realize...
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
btw your nik suggests we are neighbors though as big a sox fan...thank god they blew it..they were little spoiled brats all season...
FWIW I worked at Mars in Natick when it was there, I worked for Daddy's Junky Music in Nashua (about five miles on the same street from my house) and for Action Music which is based in Acton but at the time they had four stores, one was in Davis square, where I worked.
If you go to work in the Boston area you'll likely run into a lot of people that know me...don't name drop. I know most of the local managers, and there are a few that are pond scum. GC in Natick took a good friend of mine and turned him into a total asshole who played me, a friend as a customer off the street. In fact I bought B4 from him, only because I was in the area and visiting. It wasn't in stock, but the was one in Boston and he could have it the next day..(famous last words). Remember I said I live five miles from Nashua, which means Natick is not even close to me.
Sevreal trips later and phone calls "John it's on the next truck" and finally I wrote GC and asked for my money back...5 weeks later I had B4 and an email from a once good friend saying he didn't want to be friends anymore...he was a great salesman, then he was breaking promises because he had the money already...yeah my B4 came in, I'm sure of it...and someone else was standing there with cash...so I waited again..why not sell it twice if you can...
In this guys eyes I went from a good worker, a good friend to a pain in the ass customer...we share many mutual friends..I'm now a little bitch, a jerk...everything you can think of..I miss my friend. EWhen I worked in Nashua if we didn't sell something I would call him (totally different chain) and send the customer to him. He never did the same...ever...likely I could walk into GC and walk out with a job...but no thanx.
FWIW I worked at Mars in Natick when it was there, I worked for Daddy's Junky Music in Nashua (about five miles on the same street from my house) and for Action Music which is based in Acton but at the time they had four stores, one was in Davis square, where I worked.
If you go to work in the Boston area you'll likely run into a lot of people that know me...don't name drop.
I know most of the local managers, and there are a few that are pond scum. GC in Natick took a good friend of mine and turned him into a total asshole who played me, a friend as a customer off the street. In fact I bought B4 from him, only because I was in the area and visiting. It wasn't in stock, but the was one in Boston and he could have it the next day..(famous last words). Remember I said I live five miles from Nashua, which means Natick is not even close to me.Sevreal trips later and phone calls "John it's on the next truck" and finally I wrote GC and asked for my money back...5 weeks later I had B4 and an email from a once good friend saying he didn't want to be friends anymore...he was a great salesman, then he was breaking promises because he had the money already...yeah my B4 came in, I'm sure of it...and someone else was standing there with cash...so I waited again..why not sell it twice if you can...
In this guys eyes I went from a good worker, a good friend to a pain in the ass customer...we share many mutual friends..I'm now a little bitch, a jerk...everything you can think of..I miss my friend. EWhen I worked in Nashua if we didn't sell something I would call him (totally different chain) and send the customer to him. He never did the same...ever...likely I could walk into GC and walk out with a job...but no thanx.
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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Stupid American Pig Stupid American Pig https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=4753 - KVRAF
- 7065 posts since 25 Nov, 2002 from not sure
retail SUCKS!
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
yeah that might of been easier to say...but discounts rule...Stupid American Pig wrote:retail SUCKS!
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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atomic_(no)afro atomic_(no)afro https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=5043
- KVRian
- 622 posts since 18 Dec, 2002
Something to considerDavid Mamet wrote:BLAKE: Let me have your attention for a moment. Put that coffee down. Coffee's for closers only. You think I'm fuсking with you? I am not fuсking with you. I'm here from downtown. I'm here from Mitch and Murray. And I'm here on a mission of mercy.
The good news is you're fired. The bad news is: you've got... all you've got, just one week to regain your jobs starting tonight. Starting with tonight's sit. Oh, have I got your attention now? Good. 'Cause were adding a little something to this month's sales contest. As you all know first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado. Anybody want to see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired.
Do you get the picture? You laughing now? You've got leads. Mitch and Murray paid good money. Get their names to sell them. You can't close the leads you're given, you can't close shit; you are shit. Hit the bricks pal and beat it cause you are going out! If you can't play in the man's game, you can't close them. You go home and tell your wife your troubles. Because only one thing counts in this life: get them to sign on the line which is dotted.
'A,' 'B,' 'C.' 'A,' always, 'B,' be, 'C,' closing Always be closing. Always be closing. Get out there. You got the prospects coming in. You think they came in to get out of the rain? A guy don't walk on the lot lest he wants to buy. They're sitting out there waiting to give you their money.
You see this watch? You see this watch? That watch cost more than your car. I made $970,000 last year, how much you make? You see pal, that's who I am and you're nothing. Nice guy; I don't give a shit. Good father; fuсk you, go home and play with your kids. You want to work here, close!
You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you cocksucker? You can't take this, how can you take the abuse you get on a sit? You don't like it? Leave.
I can go out there tonight, the materials you got, make myself $15,000. Tonight! In two hours! Can you? Can you? Go and do likewise. Get mad you son of a bitches, get mad!
You know what it takes to sell real estate? It takes brass balls to sell real estate. Go and do likewise gents. The money's out there, you pick it up it's yours; you don't, I got no sympathy for you. You want to go out on those sits tonight and close, close it's yours. If not you're going to be shinin' my shoes. And you know what you'll be saying, a bunch of losers sittin' around in a bar, "Oh yeah I used to be a salesman, it's a tough racket."
These are the new leads. These are the Glengarry leads. And to you they're gold, and you don't get them. Why? Because to give them to you is just throwing them away. They're for closers.
I'd wish you good luck but you wouldn't know what to do with it if you got it.
ATA
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- KVRAF
- 2565 posts since 30 Mar, 2004 from Phoenix AZ USA
Old but true:
Never do business with friends.
Never date your friends ex.
Never do business with friends.
Never date your friends ex.
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- KVRian
- 1161 posts since 22 Feb, 2004 from Seattle, WA
I sell IT for a living and while it can be a lot of fun, it's also really hard. I used to work in retail too.
Sales are not for everybody. Not only do you have to be knowledgeable and attentive but you have to be tenacious as all hell. You also can't get down on lost sales. Everyone is going to lose more sales than they get and everyone is going to lose regular customers. That's just the name of the game.
Sales are not for everybody. Not only do you have to be knowledgeable and attentive but you have to be tenacious as all hell. You also can't get down on lost sales. Everyone is going to lose more sales than they get and everyone is going to lose regular customers. That's just the name of the game.
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
well put, and exactly why I left retail...I have to say that to this day I still bump into kids who bought their first guitar, drums, keyboard from me...they remember me and they are still appreciative...that feeling is great, to start someone down a path that has given so much too me is quite rewarding for me...but the rest of the crap sux imo. It also had a negative impact on my music. After 45 hours a week in a music store I suffered terribly from ear fatigue...I found myself looking forward to my days off to be away from music...I prefered my days off to be about music.butter wrote:I sell IT for a living and while it can be a lot of fun, it's also really hard. I used to work in retail too.
Sales are not for everybody. Not only do you have to be knowledgeable and attentive but you have to be tenacious as all hell. You also can't get down on lost sales. Everyone is going to lose more sales than they get and everyone is going to lose regular customers. That's just the name of the game.
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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- KVRAF
- 1644 posts since 18 Mar, 2004 from Lincoln, CA
I did sales when my creative jobs wasn't paying enough. I sold electronics at the Good Guys, and I also worked at Guitar Center in San Francisco. Truth is, I have a persuasive personality, and I am articulate and intellegent--which should translate into lot of sales. However, my personal ethics prevents me from selling stuff to people that don't need it. I always pay attention to the needs of the customer, and I sell them what they need, regardless if it make me less money. I'm just not a shark, and I don't ever want to be. I did sales only because there was a down time in my creative jobs. The minute the creative jobs picked back up, I quit my sales job and never went back. I'm glad I've done it though, because now when I go shopping, I know all the little tricks and know exactly how to deal with sales people.
Working at GC certainly had its moments. I remember once, a guy came in to try out a mic--he was playing his harmonica into a guitar amp, and his friend played accompaniment on the guitar. It became obvious that his guitarist friend was selling him short by playing some really simple shit, so one of our guitar department sales guy, Tim, decided to join in. He started playing some really beautiful and melodic chord progressions, and BAM, it was like magic. The harmonica player caught the cue and played his heart out. The entire store stopped and just listened to them play--it was absolutely f**king magical. It's like watching two musicians that are strangers, but having a hot, sexy fling right in front of everyone. I also remember sometimes the guys in the drum department will get on multiple drumkits and start playing off of each other--it was like heaven for beat junkies.
The discount is nice thats for sure, and if your income level is that of an average sales person, then you definitely need the discount. Ever since I left sales and got into video games, I haven't missed the discount because I make far more money in the video game industry.
The politics between employees, managers..etc. really suck. I hate any kind of corporate politics, because it wears you out dealing with it day after day. Musicians can be some the biggest assholes and egomaniacs, and many of the people who work at music stores are musicians who feel like they're God's gift, and they're angry that they haven't been signed to a big label yet. That bitterness shows, especially when they look at customers who come in with money to buy instruments they can't afford, and they feel that they are 10X the musician the customer is. Nothing is more pathetic than watching a guitar sales person trying to sell a guitar to a customer by showing disrespect--grabing the guitar from the customer to tune if for him in a manner that's rude--as if saying "You're a tone-def idiot" then proceeds to wank away on the guitar to show off and intimidate the customer. Just f**king sad if you need to resort to that to feel good about yourself. Truth is, no one working in music stores wants to really be there--they'd rather be making and playing music as a successful musician.
Working at GC certainly had its moments. I remember once, a guy came in to try out a mic--he was playing his harmonica into a guitar amp, and his friend played accompaniment on the guitar. It became obvious that his guitarist friend was selling him short by playing some really simple shit, so one of our guitar department sales guy, Tim, decided to join in. He started playing some really beautiful and melodic chord progressions, and BAM, it was like magic. The harmonica player caught the cue and played his heart out. The entire store stopped and just listened to them play--it was absolutely f**king magical. It's like watching two musicians that are strangers, but having a hot, sexy fling right in front of everyone. I also remember sometimes the guys in the drum department will get on multiple drumkits and start playing off of each other--it was like heaven for beat junkies.
The discount is nice thats for sure, and if your income level is that of an average sales person, then you definitely need the discount. Ever since I left sales and got into video games, I haven't missed the discount because I make far more money in the video game industry.
The politics between employees, managers..etc. really suck. I hate any kind of corporate politics, because it wears you out dealing with it day after day. Musicians can be some the biggest assholes and egomaniacs, and many of the people who work at music stores are musicians who feel like they're God's gift, and they're angry that they haven't been signed to a big label yet. That bitterness shows, especially when they look at customers who come in with money to buy instruments they can't afford, and they feel that they are 10X the musician the customer is. Nothing is more pathetic than watching a guitar sales person trying to sell a guitar to a customer by showing disrespect--grabing the guitar from the customer to tune if for him in a manner that's rude--as if saying "You're a tone-def idiot" then proceeds to wank away on the guitar to show off and intimidate the customer. Just f**king sad if you need to resort to that to feel good about yourself. Truth is, no one working in music stores wants to really be there--they'd rather be making and playing music as a successful musician.
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
I disagree about your last statement....I know many guys in music stores who are happy where they are at...in fact some are egotistical about that...those assholes are the problem. I knew one guy who got off on selling gear that people didn't need...he was and probably is still Daddy's Junky Music stores best salesman...I know in 01 he made well over 40k...but he was one of those who would show off, and he wasn't that good. When it came to recording he didn't have a clue, but he could sell...but like you I can't sell someone something they dont need...I feel guilty.
Of course there are exceptions, at Mars this whiny brat teenage girl came in with her well known doctor father. She was so damn spoiled, and just so annoying (I feel so bad for the frat boy that marries her) throwing tantrums...she wanted the most expensive keyboard (but she couldn't play a note) daddy was buying her singing lessons, a body, looks...I figured if he was so stupid to let his kid wrap him around his finger why the hell should I care...so I sold her the 88 key Triton, a Shure wireless, DT770's and eons...made my day...
Of course there are exceptions, at Mars this whiny brat teenage girl came in with her well known doctor father. She was so damn spoiled, and just so annoying (I feel so bad for the frat boy that marries her) throwing tantrums...she wanted the most expensive keyboard (but she couldn't play a note) daddy was buying her singing lessons, a body, looks...I figured if he was so stupid to let his kid wrap him around his finger why the hell should I care...so I sold her the 88 key Triton, a Shure wireless, DT770's and eons...made my day...
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
btw another time I had a guy come in and say "pretend money is no object" I sold a rick guitar, Logic platinum (it was a couple years ago)...total about 6k worth of gear total...as was our tradition I helped him out to his car with his gear...a brand new Bentley. This guy was dressed in torn jeans and a t-shirt, showed no sign of being wealthy...turned out he won several million in the lottery...lesson to be learned...never judge a book by it's cover...he was ignored by several salesmen before he caught my attention...once I had a card on him he was mine..and he came in often...
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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Stupid American Pig Stupid American Pig https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=4753
- KVRAF
- 7065 posts since 25 Nov, 2002 from not sure
I hear you there Hink- I HATE going to guitar center, exactly for that reason. I cannot tell you how many times I have been browsing guitars when some punkass 15 year old kid grabs the first GOTH SG he can find and plugs in to the loudest mesa amp on the floor and starts RAWKING to the power chords at 130 DB.Hink wrote:well put, and exactly why I left retail...I have to say that to this day I still bump into kids who bought their first guitar, drums, keyboard from me...they remember me and they are still appreciative...that feeling is great, to start someone down a path that has given so much too me is quite rewarding for me...but the rest of the crap sux imo. It also had a negative impact on my music. After 45 hours a week in a music store I suffered terribly from ear fatigue...I found myself looking forward to my days off to be away from music...I prefered my days off to be about music.butter wrote:I sell IT for a living and while it can be a lot of fun, it's also really hard. I used to work in retail too.
Sales are not for everybody. Not only do you have to be knowledgeable and attentive but you have to be tenacious as all hell. You also can't get down on lost sales. Everyone is going to lose more sales than they get and everyone is going to lose regular customers. That's just the name of the game.
UGH its either that or Smoke on the water...
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
which maybe 1 in 1000 guitarists are even close to playing correctlyUGH its either that or Smoke on the water...
hint if your guitar is tuned eadgbe...guess what? The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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- KVRian
- 1161 posts since 22 Feb, 2004 from Seattle, WA
I have a lot of attractive female friends that are musicians and they can never seem to get any help at Guitar Center. That really pisses me off. If I go with them they get helped right away.
Just cause a girl is hot she doesn't know anything about playing an instrument or her money isn't any good? WTF is that all about? Guitar Center tends to me a male fraternity kind of place and that's not condusive to business.
Just cause a girl is hot she doesn't know anything about playing an instrument or her money isn't any good? WTF is that all about? Guitar Center tends to me a male fraternity kind of place and that's not condusive to business.