In this space, I often write about relationships – relationships with our customers, relationships between departments, and relationships with our manufacturers. So I thought it might be helpful to get a manufacturer’s take on what goes on “Inside Sweetwater.” I’ve asked Roland’s David Holloway (Director of Sales, National Accounts & New Business Development) for his perspective. Here it is:
The year 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of Sweetwater and Roland’s relationship. It is amazing how much Sweetwater has grown during that time, all the while remaining true to Chuck’s original vision: treat customers as he would want to be treated.
There are Sales Engineers who have been at Sweetwater the entire 20 years Sweetwater and Roland have been partnering together. This is truly amazing, but understandable once you deal with Sweetwater.
Part of the Sweetwater Difference is the knowledge their Sales Engineers possess. Roland spends a tremendous amount of time preparing and writing curriculum for training, to ensure that Sales Engineers know the history of each product. They know not only a product’s specs, but also why it was designed and brought to market. Their training process is unheard of in this industry. When a Sales Engineer starts, they go through a 13-week training course before being rolled out onto the sales floor. We are fortunate to teach several of these classes. It’s a lot of work, but knowing that almost everyone who goes through the training will still be at Sweetwater in five years makes it more than worth the time invested.
It is also amazing that Sweetwater has their own in-house service department that can help you out on all brands you purchased. Sometimes it is difficult to know every aspect of our competition’s equipment. If you buy a Roland keyboard and an audio interface with a computer and software, Sweetwater can help with every aspect of support, even if Roland doesn’t make all the computer hardware or software.
One phrase you hear at Roland is “Better Life with Music.” All of us have a better life by playing music and staying involved with music. Sweetwater is in tune with this philosophy. The Sweetwater Academy of Music is a huge lesson complex at Sweetwater. They have over 300 students enrolled in this relatively new arm of the company. They also have a very strong music-education sales department at Sweetwater, with decades of experience. They know more about using technology than just about anyone. And whether students are taking in-store lessons or enrolling in music courses at schools, they experience a Better Life with Music.
At Roland we always look forward to unveiling our latest products and technologies at Sweetwater. Their Performance Theatre, which they use for training, is simply the best place I have ever come across to hear our products. It shows the product for exactly what it is. The Sales Engineers hear almost all of our products in this environment. When they advise customers on a product, they know from experience how it really sounds – for better or worse. Some of our latest technologies have received an even more extensive evaluation. SuperNATURAL is a breakthrough technology that finally gets beyond the limitations of sample-based instruments. SuperNATURAL sounds are simply stunning. They have to be heard to be believed. We were honored when Sweetwater evaluated our new RD-700NX SuperNATURAL piano in their world-class studio – and kept it! It is now a fixture in their state-of-the-art studio.
It’s been a great 20 years, and we are looking forward to another 20 years! Chuck’s original vision of treating customers the way he would like to be treated works. By training expert Sales Engineers, providing world-class technical support, and enabling students all over the country to become musicians, Sweetwater personifies Better Life with Music.
Thanks to David for providing his perspective; I hope you find it useful. I’ll be asking several other vendors for their insights on Sweetwater in future issues.