One of the things that baffles is friends and acquaintances who buy gear from Full Compass or even B and H (whom I love) instead of getting a competitive bid. I’m not sure how, but I learned early in my career that all prices in entertainment gear are negotiable. Speaking from both my own experience and an interview I did with a sales friend or two- I’d like to demystify some the process and some factors. You should get the most out of your hard earned money while perhaps even getting to support a local vendor.
The Prices are All the Same
If you look a piece of gear up online and see mostly the same price across many vendors- there is a reason for that. It’s called the MAP and it stands for Minimum Advertised Price. Every agreement to become a vendor of a manufacturer’s product line includes specific language that forbids vendors from advertising below a certain price point. But the key word is ADVERTISING below a certain price point, not SELLING below that price point. If you take nothing away from this post, remember that almost any “lowest price” you see on line can be had for at least 5% less, or even lower. Just by asking for a competitive bid from a sales person.
Relationship
Smart sales people realize every contact is a relationship. Entertainment is very much a relationship business. Offering you even a 5% discount is something they don’t have to do, and they hope you will notice and remember them when it’s time for the next piece of gear. But like most relationships, they have layers. Some vendors are sales only, so the company makes their whole profit based off of items. They usually make their money off of volume of sales- meaning, selling LOTS of gear. Other companies are a vendor/rental and/or production model. So if you buy some gear and they do right by you, they may get you to start using their rental gear or even their production service (meaning- labor/design). These layers are not only opportunities for the vendor, but also for you. If you need to make a purchase and you are about to bid a show- try to do them through the same company. Often the profit on the rental will allow a deeper discount on the sale. Or vice versa.
Cold Call- Make Yourself Known
When you reach out for a bid, tell the sales person a little bit about your professional self. “I’m a lighting person new to the area and want a bid on X” isn’t as good as “I’m a new lighting tech working at Warner Brothers/The Greek/One of the Two Venues in This Town and I’m looking for a bid on X”. Don’t invent anything– it’s WAY too easy to verify claims in this business- but don’t shy away from mentioning your connections. Sales people know that having one positive voice in the room when it’s time to buy something (or many things) can win them the sale.
Get An Intro
Even better than reaching out on your own- get a friend to introduce you to their favorite sales person. That potential 5% discount can easily become a 10% discount from this. This works because sales people always need more contacts. If your friend is a good client (reasonable and easy to deal with), they will assume you are too. I do this for friends all the time, and it has always worked out in their favor, plus my sales person thanks me for the new relationship. Obviously, the more respected and known your friend is, the better.
Bigger the Better
One of the counterintuitive things about sales is sometimes vendors can offer a deeper discount on a purchase they will actually spend more time on. For instance- if I want an EN4 from Netron and I call up my sales friend- he puts the order in, Elation drop ships it to me. He gets paid for a minute or two of paperwork. But if you are buying several of something (and not as many as you might think), the manufacturer might be able to offer your sales person a Project Registration deal. This is something the manufacturers support that will automatically unlock deeper discounts for the sales person to use. This deeper discount then gets shared with you- the purchaser. So don’t be pound-foolish and try to do separate bids for each piece of gear you need on a project. Bundling can be very beneficial.
Support After the Sale
A good company will offer service after the sale. Obviously, a malfunctioning piece of gear or gear that got broken in transit is one such support. But offering advice on configuring or getting the most out of your new gear is another. If you know you are going to need such support (or are known to need such support), your discount may never get as deep as others. And that’s a good and fair thing. Support people deserve to earn a living, and no company can keep qualified support folks without charging at the sale for anticipated needs. Rather than being frustrated by that, be happy that you’ll have people available to you when/if you need help.
Who Do I Go To?
Start local. Contact all your local vendors and try to get a relationship going with them. I’m big on local buying power being a great thing for your whole community. But maybe you don’t have an ETC, ACT Lighting, Hog, Elation or other dealer in your community. If you don’t know who to go to, and you are purchasing in North America, I’ll tell you I’ve had years and years of great service and sales with Outlaw Lighting in Portland, OR. I still use them for everything I can even though I no longer live in Portland. Several friends of mine have also had great dealings with Chalk Cine Ctrl in LA. The two owners are both personal friends of mine and if I didn’t already have a great relationship with Outlaw, I’d totally go to them for Obsidian/Netron sales. I can tell you honestly that I wasn’t asked to do this promotion and I expect to get nothing in return. I just think both of these companies are worth mentioning.
Value Your Relationship
We all start out somewhere and hopefully work our way up. Don’t forget your sales person as you climb your career ladder. If they offered you discounts when you were new, at least give them the chance to bid against others when you are “getting somewhere” in your career. Maybe you’ll get to be in the amazing position to uplift a company that has treated you well over the years.
Who are your preferred sales people? Mention any company and/or sales person you’ve had good dealings with in the comments.
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Mark LaPierre is a programmer in film and television based out of Albuquerque. He grew up in live entertainment and has been a designer/programmer for musicals, concert dance, live music, circus and corporate. Mark is a proud member of IATSE and an ETC Eos trainer. If you enjoy his content, please consider commenting on his posts on the website to appease the Algorithm.
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