When it comes to telling the LEA story, no one does it better than our Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Scott Robbins. Whether he is pitching the company to a prospective partner or training our current lineup, Scott’s passion for audio and for LEA rings true every time he speaks.
Read on and you’ll quickly see for yourself.
Explain your position at LEA?
I am Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Most of my daily effort over the past months has been focused on building the LEA Sales Channel. We have 100% of our US rep network in place and about 75% of committed distribution partners in place globally. It’s been really gratifying to build up a path to market from scratch. It takes a lot of phone conversations where I spend time telling the LEA story.
That’s really one of my favorite things to do every day is till the LEA story. Our story is about the “LEA Who, LEA What, and LEA Way” which highlights our people, our products, and the way we do business. In addition to building the sales channel, I am working on setting up our after-sales support processes, dealer onboarding process and experience, managing our contracts, and working on training our new sales partners. My role, like others in our company, requires me to wear a lot of hats. I really enjoy that and am learning a lot along the way.
The most important part of my job so far has been building a path to market for our brand and our products. It takes really good and committed sales partners (US Sales Reps and International Distributors) to be successful…especially as a new company. I am really proud of the sales partners we have on board. Our partners are really excited about our company and have been helping us build momentum. This was evident at the Infocomm show last month. Our new sales reps brought in a constant stream of dealers and consultants into our to talk to them about our products and company.
What is your background in the industry?
I have an Associated Degree in Electronics Engineering and a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Management. While in college, I started working for a small audio systems integrator which leads me into the audio business. A short time later I started working at Crown as a bench technician repairing reel-to-reel tape recorders and power amplifiers. I eventually found myself in a sales role. Going into sales with a technical background helped me early on because I had a deep understanding of the products.
Then, I worked for Bose for a few years which was a great experience but eventually found my way back to Crown and was running global sales for Crown when the company was acquired by Harman in 2000. At Harman, I had the opportunity to work in several different roles including running global sales for Harman Pro.
It’s been really humbling and gratifying to work with some great companies, meet so many people around the world, and work in this great industry of ours. When the opportunity to work with LEA came up early this year, I could not pass it up. My learning continues!
How has your background prepared you to help LEA be successful?
It’s an overused phrase but it’s also very accurate. It’s a relationship business. The relationships I have formed over many years around the world have helped me open doors for LEA. I have certainly made a lot of mistakes over the years, but I have always tried to treat others with respect.
Working for so many years for Crown, Bose, and Harman has helped me as well. I tell people all the time that I have made a lot of mistakes over the years, and I have seen companies I work for making mistakes. On the other hand, I have also done a few things right and have seen companies I work for doing things right. This collective experience, both good and bad, is helping me as I try to build a better company at LEA.
I am not alone in this thought process. Our entire team at LEA feels the same way. We want to build a better amplifier, but we also want to use our collective experience to build a better company.
What do you like about audio technology?
I am not a musician or an artistic person. For me, it’s always been about the gear, the technology, and the experience that technology creates for the customer. When a musician performs well through a quality sound system there is nothing more gratifying…especially when it’s my equipment that is helping to create the experience. I also like being at the front when it comes to new technology. LEA Amplifiers are leading the industry in terms of new technology. It’s hard but a lot of fun. I like the challenge.
What is the most exciting thing about joining LEA?
First, the team of people I work with is incredible. We all share a common vision to do something different and innovative. I really respect the team I work with. It’s also very exciting to bring a new brand to market. It’s something I have never done before, so I am learning a lot along the way but having a lot of fun as well. We are all rigorous about goal setting here at LEA. As we look back, it’s very exciting to see how far we have come and it’s equally exciting as we look forward to where we are going. I think people wonder sometimes how we can all be so excited about a small amplifier company…but we are!
What are your personal hobbies?
Almost all my downtime is spent with my wife and family. I have adult-age children now, but we are all close friends, including their spouses. We spend as much time as we can together at the lake, out to dinner, or just hanging out at each other’s homes. My older son and his wife live in Denver and we enjoy visiting them there. I have grandkids as well and they are a lot of fun to have around. I also really enjoy live music – I can’t play anything, but I really enjoy a good band.
What’s your vision for the future of LEA?
Blake Augsburger, LEA Founder, has created a vision for LEA to be a leader in technical innovation and a leader in how a business should be operated. That’s the future I see for LEA. A company that leads the industry in terms of technology but also a leader in how we treat our partners, our customers, and our employees. It’s the LEA WAY!
Why is audio tech so important?
Audio is everywhere. When you hear anything through a speaker, big or small, there is an amplifier behind it. Improving audio technology makes our daily experiences better.
Leave a comment below to say hi or connect with Scott on LinkedIn.
HI SCOUT, so glad you are enjoying your new job & maintaining your home life at home. YOU are a fine young man & aunt Donna & I are praying for you & your company to have many,many years of successes. “GOD BLESS” young man. YOUR FRIEND AS WELL AS YOUR UNCLE BILL.