Retail Truths: The Unconventional Wisdom of Retailing is a collection of more than 400 street-smart lessons on retailing that Chip Averwater has gathered from his own experience in business; as well as from his mentors and retailer friends.

Chip Averwater is chairman of Amro Music Stores in Memphis; TN; one of the largest musical instrument retailers in the U.S. He is a third-generation retailer and has spent nearly four decades building his own stores and working with other retailers on theirs. Chip has an MBA; has written for national retailing magazines; and has been a featured speaker on retailing at meetings and conventions in the U.S.; Europe; Australia; and Asia. He served for 14 years as a board member and officer of NAMM; and served as its chairman from 2007-2009. Chip currently serves on the boards of several retailers and charities; is often called on as a retail advisor; and enjoys talking with fellow retailers about common problems and solutions.

“Retail Truths should become a dog-eared companion to anyone who hopes to succeed in retail. It's packed with honest; straight-up assessments of successful retailing – from selling to profits; from hiring and training to operating multiple stores. This is a book you'll be reading and adapting to your business for years.”

– Music Inc Magazine

“Based on long personal experience; Averwater concludes that a good salesperson can easily be five times as productive as a laggard; and says high-priced salespeople 'are an expense we want.' In a lengthy segment devoted to personnel; he offers a blueprint for hiring and retaining those top performers – from how to screen out undesirables in the hiring process ('Less than one in 20 job applicants is a suitable candidate') to maintaining high morale ('A manager's words resonate for a while then fade. Incentives speak with every paycheck.')”

– Music Trades

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