I hope you'll take the time to read this issue's column because it's about you! Yes, you personally, our valued customer. I'd be kidding myself if I thought that everyone read "Inside Sweetwater" in each issue of Sweet Notes, but as you'll see, there's a good reason for wanting you to read this one.
If you're in business - any kind of business, from retail sales to running a studio - you know how critical it is to really know your customers. Here at Sweetwater, we go to great lengths to find out what equipment you have, what kind of music you play, whether you're a professional or have a home project studio, etc. We spend a lot of time in getting to know you as a person. We also spend a lot of time trying to get up-to-date information in your hands about new products, special sales and so forth.
So here's the deal: Do we have your most current information? Do we have your present address? Do we have your name spelled correctly? Are you getting more than one copy of the newsletter? I would really appreciate it if each of you checks this copy of Sweet Notes and makes sure we have your name spelled correctly and the right street address, zip code, etc. If not, please call us and give us the correct information - it's a toll free number and the call will only take a minute or two. If it's more convenient, you can even e-mail us at "sales@sweetwater.com " the next time you're online and get us the information that way.
Now if you're still with us, I want to bring up a subject that I have talked about many times before, and one that I'm sure I'll discuss again. As you are probably aware by now, Sweetwater is growing at an unprecedented rate. As we grow, so too does our ability to negotiate great deals with manufacturers on their hottest products, meaning we pay less, then pass the savings along to you.
I'm the first to admit our great success has been because of two things: The basic Sweetwater philosophy and the quality of our Sales Engineers. You and I know that if you call up and get an indifferent person on the phone with little or no product knowledge, odds are slim that you'll be buying from that company, no matter how wonderful the rest of the people there might be. That's why we go to such extraordinary lengths to recruit the very best sales people (and Product Support, service, shipping, marketing, etc.) in the entire music industry. In fact, we have a full slate of interviews set up for the Summer NAMM Show. But even if we were to hire every single person we interview, we will still need additional people to join our team - that's how fast our company is growing.
Naturally, our main focus is on qualified sales people, but we also have openings in every department (just ask the graphics/marketing people how much they'd like another talented person or two to help out with the huge list of upcoming projects). For more specifics regarding our openings in the sales department, I suggest you check out Jeff Radke's column on Page 12. There you'll find the whole story on just how you can become a Sweetwater Sales Engineer. Or call (800) 222-4700 and ask for our Career Center. I know I tend to go a bit overboard on this subject, so I'll put on the brakes here and just have you read Jeff's column.
One final bit of news: Our Web site will be getting a complete redesign soon - actually, it will probably be up and running by the time you have this issue of Sweet Notes in your hands.
Keeping the site up-to-date and making it easy to find the information you're looking for is, naturally, a full time job. It's also a learning process for everyone, since the Web is still fairly new, particularly when you compare it to printed media. Many of you probably still remember when Sweet Notes was a 4-page black and white publication. Compare that with what you are holding in your hands right now! That same evolution is occurring all over the Web these days as companies learn how to take advantage of all the latest software available, as well as having talented people on staff who really know how to put together an effective electronic document.
Essentially, this Web site "facelift" will be geared to help our customers go more directly to the products and information they are interested in. It also builds a strong and flexible framework that will allow us to make many additional improvements in the coming months - and there will be lots of them, you can be sure!
We're always looking for ways to help you make informed decisions regarding your purchases. An enhanced Web site is just one way we can make sure you get the information you need in a timely manner.
Meanwhile, I think we have another terrific issue of Sweet Notes for you, so enjoy! And I'll see you here again next issue.