Manufacturer v. Manufacturer
- Scott Oliver
- Apr 19
- 6 min read
Who's the clear winner?
Scott Oliver - Centerline Acoustics
There’s a sad phenomenon in the world of manufacturing that I see on a daily basis. Folks that work in these companies in general LOVE for you to support them but won’t utter a single word of encouragement to support your efforts if you’re in the same business. On social media if you're in the same business as someone one else, it's highly likely you won't get single “like” click, or a word of encouragement for your efforts. Reminds me of the Gibson v. Fender kind of thing, or the old Mac v. PC thing. Ford v. Chevy, Church v. Church, and on and on and on. I even see it with a friend of mine who owns a local restaurant, and he will often make a very slight, yet cutting remark about seeing a picture posted on Facebook of my wife and I at another restaurant down the street. I for one am glad we all have a lot of options in choosing products that fit our needs best! What if there was no Android, and only the iPhone?
Oh, and the independent sales reps, that's where it really gets funny. One day they're out there peddling "Acme" (#looneytunes) and then the next they're banging on your door wanting to show you the newest and shiniest trinkets from "Initech". (#officespace). To make it even worse, the face that you first see with Acme will in a year or so be the same face you'll see with Initech...and vice-versa. Thousand-yard stare.
I say all of this because I used to be this way, and there was always a spiritual discomfort that accompanied it. It never felt right, and I learned to hate that in myself.
What these folks don’t realize is encouragement is like the tide that raises all ships. Encouragement is a human element and is vital to any organization’s vibrancy. Be it in a band, a marriage, a friendship, in a church, or in manufacturing, encouragement helps all of us get through our toughest of days. Sometimes, a "nice work", or an "atta boy" from a valued colleague or friend might be all that's needed to lift someone's spirit in what might be an otherwise horrible day. These manufacturers and the people that work in them often see what someone else is doing and calls them “competitors” (which often translates to mean enemies) when they should be calling them “colleagues”, and even “friends”. There's this unwritten rule that states they don't dare say something nice about what someone else is doing in the same industry. A rule that is silly, its selfish and prideful. We're all humans, and at the end of the day, success or failure, we all have feelings. There's nothing worse than feeling alone.
In the summer of 2006, I had the honor of hanging out with Pat Quilter of QSC . Pat and I were playing on the same show in Laguna Beach where I was on guitar and he was on lap steel. He would always arrive with one of his prototype amps for which would later become Quilter Labs. I was playing through a LIne-6 modeling amp and of course we would discuss amps and innovation quite a lot. He then invited me to come hang out with him at his lab in the QSC facility. That's where it got really interesting. One day we were sitting there at his work bench and a phone call came in from one of the engineers at Carvin. The guy who called was at a speed bump in his design and called Pat to ask for advice. Pat not only indulged him, but carried on the conversation for a good 15 minutes explaining how to solve the problem. That is professionalism at its finest. These two men obviously did not see each other as competitors, but as colleagues and friends in the pursuit of a common goal. I must say I was blown away by Pat's grace and willingness, and selflessness, in helping someone from which he would receive no monetary benefit whatsoever. That attitude of willingness to help is not only a credit to the audio industry, but to mankind as well.
Another time in my life that stands out was when I was a student at Musicians Institue in Hollywood. If there ever was a place where egos and competition could easily have taken root and crawled up the walls, it was there. But that was simply not the case. It could have easily been called the "Encouragement Institute". Yes, at times the instructors were hard on us, but it was never meant to bring us down. Not only did they weave encouragement in with their criticism, but encouragement also found its way into and amongst all of us who were students. Everyone one of us were fans of each other. We lifted each other up because we were taught to do that. To this day there is comradery amongst us MI alumni that still binds us all together. I love those guys.
There's a quote that floats around Hollywood that says "Be Nice to People on Your Way Up. You’ll Meet Them On Your Way Down". Have truer words ever been spoken?
Why is encouragement so important in life and in business? There's a lot of reasons, but two stick at the top of the list for me.
1: There’s room enough for all of us. Again, variety is the spice of life. Each and every one of us has a built-in desire to create that was endowed by our "creator". Whether its writing music, painting, cooking, or making speakers, creating something is woven into the fabric of our DNA. We need to create like we need air. If someone's creativity is threat to you, take it up with God, because he's the one that gave them the creativity to begin with. Good luck with that one.
2: Encouragement makes the world a better place. We now live in a world of hyper-criticalness and competitiveness. My car is faster than your car, my guitar is better than your guitar, my dog is smarter than your dog, and my dad can beat up your dad kind of thing. Total 100% hogwash thinking.
On February 14th, 1990 a photograph taken by the space probe Voyager-1 from 3.7 billion miles away and was transmitted back to earth of our home floating in the vastness of space on Valentine's Day. Go figure. The photo was named by Carl Sagan as "The Pale Blue Dot". This photo not only shows the vastness of space, but also shows just how small our planet is, and how even smaller we are. Stare at the picture and consider what it means for a bit.
Carl Sagan had a few things to say about this photo that are eerily true. "Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another."
"Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."
"Look again at that dot. That’s here. The Earth. That’s home. That’s us."
"The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena."
"If we crave some cosmic purpose, then let us find ourselves a worthy goal."
In my opinion our worthy goal should be encouragement. Encouragement: the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope. If we need anything at all on this pale blue dot in this day and age, it's hope. We need it like we need water.
And to all the audio equipment manufacturers out there, just remember this. We're not solving the world's problems. We're not eliminating world hunger, ending wars, or curing cancer. Not a single person on this planet "needs" what we make or sell...not in terms of the human experience. Be thankful we all get to do what we do and make your goal to make the world a better place.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. Philippians 2:3
So who is the winner? The ENCOURAGER! Let go of the ego, the selfishness, and the insecurity, and become an instrument of building others up. Nothing you do, make, or sell, is more important than another human being. How you impact the lives of others will become your legacy. How will others remember you once you've exited this Pale Blue Dot?
Be Blessed...
Scott
Comments