From Summer 2010 & CES/ISE 2011 Edition
Retailer Focus
Alan Parkyn: identifying customer needs
Martins Hifi, based in the heart of
Norwich in the East of England,
was founded by Ted Martin in
1968, and was one of the first
Meridian dealers in the UK . The
inspiration behind the business
was, simply, music: Ted loves
music, and reasons that most of
his customers do too.
Alan Parkyn is the Meridian
specialist at Martins. Interestingly,
his background is in information
technology. “I’m relatively new to the
hifi business, and I know I have a lot
to learn,” he admits. “But by focusing
on Meridian products first, I’ve been
able to reach a high level of comfort
and confidence much earlier in my
new career. I’m sure this is due in part
to the similarities Meridian has with
IT architecture and product design,
and the increasing crossover between
home entertainment and IT – music
streaming, media file storage/playback
and so on.”
Alan thinks of himself less as
a ‘salesman’ and more as “an
enthusiastic chap talking to other
like-minded individuals about products
and services we both have an
interest in.” It’s an approach that has
paid dividends. In fact, Alan has an
interesting perspective on the art of
selling at Martins. “We don’t actually
‘sell’ to anyone – our customers
buy from us”, he says. “We use a
technique called SPIN (Situation /
Problem / Implication / Need-payoff):
it’s less about selling to the customer
and focuses more on identifying the
customer’s needs, both now and in
the future. It’s a very gentle technique
that has worked successfully for us for
the last 40+ years. We aim to make
the buying experience as pleasant
an experience as possible.” SPIN is
an integral part of the new Meridian
Academy training programme being
instituted for retailers by Meridian’s
Training Manager, Graham Knowles.
Alan is a Meridian owner himself.
“First and foremost I like the sound
of Meridian,” he says. “Also, I like
the technical sophistication of the
products and feel this is where the
retailer can add a great deal of value.
I like the technical design principles
that underpin Meridian products and
performance.” He goes on, “and I
like – and am proud – that a British
company is at the cutting edge of
design and manufacture of high quality
products and services.
“Martins needs partnerships with
companies like Meridian”, Alan
continues, “because without the
specialist products and support we
couldn’t survive in the mainstream.”
Says Alan, “Meridian also has the
capability to deliver an exciting lifestyle
approach which integrates well with
the custom installation side of the
business. Meridian Sooloos is a good
example of a system that reflects this
concept.”
“Martins is successful”, Alan
feels, “because we supply the
very best brands and invest in
employing the best staff with
excellent technical expertise.” The
business is promoted via the web
site, personal recommendation and
manufacturer support. “I’d say 90%
of our business comes from personal
recommendation,” he notes.
“We target customers who appreciate
the finer things in life and demand
great customer service,” he concludes.
“We specialise in ‘toys for the boys’
that the whole family can appreciate.”
Academy names first
Meridian Specialist
The Meridian Academy is pleased
to announce confirmation of the first
partner staff member to achieve
Meridian Specialist status: Alan Parkyn
from Martins Hi-Fi, Norwich, UK.
The Meridian Academy is the new,
extensive training programme for our
retail partners and distributors, which
enables them to maximise sales by
enhancing their expertise in selling,
their understanding of Meridian
products, and other areas. For more
details on the Meridian Academy, see
the full article inside.
Alan Parkyn has attended multiple
Meridian Academy courses and
has accumulated sufficient units
to graduate through the ranks of
Sales Professional and Technology
Professional to achieve the
penultimate level of Technology
Specialist.
Alan and his employer, Martins Hi-Fi,
have demonstrated both substantial
commitment and enthusiasm,
embracing the training philosophy and
benefiting hugely from it. Alan aims to
achieve Master status – the ultimate
level – in 2011. Well done Alan and
Martins.
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