Steven Lester Co.         Established in January 2006

In 1976 Steven Lester was 19, the youngest assistant store manager in the Stereo West HiFi chain in Northern California. Since then, he has been lucky enough to work for and with some of the most talented folks in the AV industry. Twenty-two years of audio/video high end custom and retail, field and floor experience brings an empathy for dealers that is increasingly rare in the AV rep world. This experience is balanced by nine years as a partner with Mike Avilla at Sonic Marketing where sales growth was outstanding, awards were common, and practical rep skills were honed.  Always a bit unconventional, or ahead of the curve, there are many accolades from respected professionals to suggest that there may be a “method to this madness.”  Steven Lester is a serious high end audio guy and formidable projector set up tweak with substantial sales successes.  There are many areas where Steven Lester's creativity and input for dealers can result in better presentation, set up and sales.

This "unconventional" approach is come by honestly:

Steven up in Petaluma, a farm town in the San Francisco bay area and was thrust into ballet and classical musical training as a young boy by forward thinking parents seeking broad early development for their kids.  This was significant in building a foundation most never experience, with exposure to many kinds of crafts requiring years of training and pure hard work.  This instilled the view that success takes effort, and that the real work is not often as glamorous as popular perception or final result. This is a work ethic that is unique in many ways, and is applied to many aspects of the AV practice. Work, vetting of ideas, and continued perseverance are the backbone of Steven Lester Co.  Live music exposure n the home, in performance, from on and off stage pays dividends in an industry where surprisingly few, know what acoustic instruments sound like.

Brand Selection and distribution model.

Harder than it sounds, brand selection takes considerable time and care. The product must have pedigree, a realistic future strategy and staying power. It must also be reliable and produce an above average return on investment for the dealer. Naturally, benchmark products are the first choice.

As building correct distribution in a territory takes tremendous time and resources, the potential for long term is a primary concern. Likewise, dealers place themselves on the line each time they place a product into service so product selection cannot be taken lightly.

The goal for each brand is to reach a kind of critical mass. Too little exposure and the dealers find themselves alone telling a story, too much, and the brand runs the risk of becoming a commodity.

Mentoring:

The most common “missing link” at many A/V companies has become the role of the mentor. In the past, the most talented person in the company was often the owner, or other senior individual. By working with and learning everyday from this person, a great number of new talent emerged, progressed and flourished. Today, increasingly, companies have fragmented, leaving many new folks on their own, while the founder and senior employees work in the field, or some other location. This has left a huge hole in the learning system and has resulted in fewer and fewer really capable practitioners in the industry. It’s not a case of the “pool” for new talent drying up. There is simply nowhere for new folks to go to learn from a master, practice and grow.

At Steven Lester Co., mentoring is something that is encouraged and supported in the field everyday. Creative tools, and resources are always available to increase the depth of the talent pool on the front lines.

We need more mentors, and protégés and an "enthusiasm for work" ethic.