Virtual Sales Assistant Has “Perfect Pitch”

VIRTUAL SALES ASSISTANT HAS "PERFECT PITCH"

—Keyboard Display Talks to Customers, Sales Staff—

BUENA PARK, CA (September 21, 2001)—It talks. It plays. It trains. The Yamaha Portable Keyboard Virtual Sales Assistant is a talking portable keyboard display which, using the power of MIDI technology, can help a customer decide which keyboard to purchase, or help salespeople develop the perfect sales pitch.

Virtual Assistant: Show and Tell

At the heart of the Virtual Sales Assistant is a CD module, similar to those used on Yamaha Disklavier products. By inserting a demonstration CD, customers will hear an introduction of all the Yamaha portable keyboards in the display, which can accommodate eight at a time. The display provides a detailed, five-minute explanation of any keyboard selected. While the display is in operation, a light flashes to indicate the keyboard product being demonstrated, with musical selections accompanying the verbal sales pitch—all performed automatically. By inserting a sales training CD, dealers and their sales staff can learn the finer points of a sale, specific to Yamaha Portable Keyboard products and their features.

"This device is not meant to replace sales staff," states Jim Presley, marketing manager, Portable Keyboards. "Rather, it is designed to increase the dealer's efficiency, since you have the option of customer CDs or sales training CDs."

The Virtual Sales Assistant is not interactive, in that it will not respond to customer questions. "You still need a salesperson for that," notes Presley.

Although currently in the development stages, Presley believes that the Virtual Sales Assistant will eventually become a fixture in dealerships. "When [product manager] Mark Anderson put the display up at Summer NAMM, it became a major attraction," he adds. "Unlike traditional POPs or KISS displays, the 'virtual' aspect adds a new dimension to enhance the sales process."

For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro Audio & Combo Division, Portable Keyboard Products, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone 714-522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com or visit www.yamaha.com.

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