-In Memoriam- Merrill Smith

I have recently learned about the death of a dear friend and personal mentor, Merrill Smith. Formerly a prominent executive in our industry, Merrill passed away late last year in Orange, California. He was a unique and savvy leader who touched many lives by helping them navigate the vicissitudes of business and life’s daily challenges. He will be missed by all those who knew him best.

Learn more about the life of Merrill Smith

Merrill Wayne Smith was born on November 27, 1951 in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania to Wayne and Olive Smith. He spent many of his formative years growing up in Alabama.

Always high energy (some would say intense) and ambitious, Merrill pursued his interests with an uncommon amount of passion. If you knew Merrill then you likely knew that he was an animal lover and almost always raised dogs. During the time I knew him, he actually had two well-trained German Shepherds that he cared for like they were his children.

A Wildlife Enthusiast, Both Animal…and Electronics Salespeople

But beyond loving animals, Merrill was fascinated by wildlife as well. For some time after college, he lived in Michigan, a good place to live if you are a wildlife enthusiast. As an example of how he pursues his interests, for quite some time Merrill had assembled a large collection of reptiles contained in many terrariums at his home, including several poisonous species of snakes. As I said, he pursued his interests with a high level of passion. Fun fact: reptiles are smart and occasionally escape their cages for a fun (for Merrill) game of hide-and-seek.

Merrill attended Michigan State University (like me) and he was an incredibly proud alumnus. He also loved cars – particularly American muscle cars – and he expressed his intense devotion to both by buying a brand new Corvette that featured a white exterior with a Spartan green interior…a custom order. There was not a single MSU homecoming that didn’t find multiple alumni approaching him, asking to buy that car. That…was Merrill.

It Was a Zoo There

It was during this time of his life that I first met him, as he hired me to work at the specialty audio store he managed called The Stereo Shoppe in East Lansing, MI. It was right across Grand River Avenue from Michigan State University with its 40,000+ students, most of whom wanted a stereo system in their dorm room. With two other stereo stores within a block or two on the same street, it was a vigorous retail environment with lots of activity. Merrill loved the challenge of the competition.

Remember I mentioned his love of wildlife? We on the sales team at Stereo Shoppe always joked that Merrill was the perfect person to manage our gooney sales squad at The Stereo Shoppe because his degree was in zoology. (For real!)

Presenting a Professional Image

Merrill’s expertise was not in technology per se…rather, he was a consummate sales and business professional. He was a passionate advocate of the theory of professional and ethical sales. The focus was always on the customer and how to improve the customer experience. He studied the profession of sales and had a deep understanding of the human condition. He convinced the owner of The Stereo Shoppe to invest in an expensive high-quality sales training system and all salespeople were required to take the course during their off-the-floor hours. The lessons I learned in that program have continued to guide me throughout my entire career.

Always well-dressed and well-coiffed, with expensive shirts featuring French cuffs and nice cuff links – you could think he was vain. But I think this was less about personal vanity and more about presenting a professional image for the customer, to help gain their comfort and trust.

Smart and Strategic; Always Teaching and Mentoring

Perhaps one of the smartest and most strategic executives I’ve ever had the privilege of working with, Merrill cared about those on his team. He was always teaching, suggesting, and mentoring those around him. Running a commission sales floor can be tricky – conflicts can arise between salesmen competing to earn the most money. If you’re not careful, that competition can become parasitic, raising temperatures that eat away at the harmony, with salespeople at odds with each other…placing themselves and their concerns above the customer.

But Merrill understood the value of building a strong, mutually supportive team of professionals. Not only does this yield a more harmonious store environment, but customers are better served and supported so that no matter whose customer came in – say on your day off – the team on duty will take care of them and see that the originating salesperson gets proper credit. That favor will be returned to their benefit one day. This, Merrill would likely tell you, is how the Stereo Shoppe will outperform the other stereo stores on Grand River Avenue – we’ll have a better-trained, more deeply informed, and more professional sales staff. It’s genius… It’s Merrill…

From Michigan to California to New Jersey

He eventually had the opportunity to move to California and join JBL’s Southern California audio team. Here he learned all about sales and marketing on a regional and national level. It is a very different type of organization and style of selling, and Merrill applied himself like never before. From this experience, he ended up as the National Sales Manager of Adcom – a specialty manufacturer of audio components, especially amplifiers and preamplifiers, based in East Brunswick, New Jersey.

I had the great fortune of working with Merrill at Adcom as well…and ever the mentor he was, he shared his masterclass on how to be effective in selling a secondary brand like Adcom in an industry of electronics giants. He taught me how to respect the sales rep who is the critical juncture between the manufacturer and the dealer.

An Interesting Technique with Maximum Impact

One example of how he looked at things differently and how he differentiated himself and the companies he represented was an interesting technique he employed. Whenever Merrill met someone, he took great pains to remember their name and use it throughout the conversation. It was all to show greater respect for that person. He then took this concept and applied it to much greater, and more impactful, degree.

Whenever he was to conduct sales training for a dealer’s sales staff he would make sure that as the attendees began to arrive, he would personally greet each one, making sure to get their names. There could be twenty or so attendees, and he would start each session by asking what topics attendees would like to have him discuss in today’s meeting. Merrill would then list those topics on a large whiteboard.

Referring to Attendees by Name

Then, during his presentation, as he got to one of those topics, he would point to it on the board and look at and mention the name of the person who brought that up. This would always blow the attendees’ minds. Why did he do this? Was it some kind of parlor trick to make himself look good? Some way to say I’m better than you?

Not at all. This was done to show attendees that he respected them enough to learn their names, and he wanted to give them credit for the questions they raised. That made many salespeople feel important and respected. Many dealers told me years later how much of an impression this made on the team.

Enjoying the Pursuit of Many Passions

Don’t get me wrong, Merrill’s passion could get intense at times. And he didn’t suffer fools gladly. He wasn’t afraid to stand up for what he believed in. Those closest to him, however, always understood that his motive was for the greater good. Unlike many other top company managers, his motivation was not what was best for him, but rather what was best for the customer and the company. He was at Adcom for several years through the 1980s and into the 1990s.

Business was but one of Merrill’s passions…he enjoyed the pursuit of many. Gambling was a big favorite of his – especially Blackjack and Poker. He was a regular player in Las Vegas and often got rooms and meals comp’d by the top casinos in the city as he was a regular customer.

Grilling in the Winter

Another great passion of Merrill’s was outdoor grilling. He was a true grill master. I remember visiting him at his spectacular home in Upper Montclair, NJ late one year. He had invited me to dinner. What was on the menu? Swordfish…cooked on the grill. I was shocked…you see, it was in the middle of the winter! The swordfish, by the way, was spectacular.

Another favorite indulgence was wine, as Merrill was a bit of a wine connoisseur and had a special affinity for California wines. This is probably from his days with JBL, I presume.

Above All was Family

However, the zeal he felt for all of these pursuits clearly paled in comparison to how much family meant to him. Merrill was always regaling me with stories about the accomplishments of his daughter Cassandra Smith, as well as those of his step-son and step-daughter with Joanne Knoblock, his partner of 30 years. Merrill is also survived by his sister and four step-grandchildren.

Merrill met Joanne Knoblock in New Jersey and in 1994 they moved to Orange, California. He launched his own embroidery and promotional products business that included many electronics industry dealers, reps, distributors, manufacturers, and integrators – as well as police, fire, and medical first responders – among his customers.

He eventually went on to acquire a gun shop that directly served the law enforcement community in Southern California.

Joanne was retired from the Department of Homeland Security as a TSA agent. She preceded Merrill in death on December 24, 2022. Merrill died on September 29, 2023.

Colleagues Remember Merrill Smith

Rob Ain, former VP of Sales and Marketing for Adcom

When I heard of Merrill’s passing, it just broke my heart… Working with him for so many years at ADCOM was an experience in seeing a truly spectacular salesperson and individual work with dealers and salespeople.

He had this way of being in a sales meeting and remembering the names of all the people attending.  

His demeanor and dress, especially the French cuff shirts, always presented him as a class act.

But it was more than just his salesmen’s skills, his desire to always be fair and equally straightforward with all his dealers. He set a truly high standard.  His love of dogs was very special and they were always welcome in the workplace. 

His mentoring of others and his concern for them allowed him to be viewed as a special person. His love of Michigan State, his alma mater, the Indy 500 race in May, and I could go on and on with all the interests that he had and the cars he loved. I should not forget his knowledge of wine and his introduction to me of great California Cabs…especially Silver Oak.

I know I have to end this reflection at some point, but his memory will be a blessing to me forever…

Mike Kavanaugh, Sonance Vice President of International Sales and Former Western Regional Sales Manager of ADCOM  

When I first met Merrill Smith, he was the National Sales Manager for a small family-owned, industry-respected consumer electronics company called Adcom. Adcom manufactured and sold amplifiers, pre-amplifiers, and preamp processors. While I had no experience in working for a manufacturer, Merrill hired me as Western Regional Sales Manager for Adcom, mentoring me for the next 3 years, and then encouraging me to start my own rep firm, MK Marketing, with Adcom as my first manufacturer partner.  

Merrill had a strong sense of right and wrong and as a result, people either loved him and respected him or just respected him. He did not always take the common path, he was a smart, out-of-the-box thinker.  

As someone always looking to improve, Merrill set his goals high, not only for himself but for the benefit of others.

I was always impressed when he was getting ready to conduct a product or sales training, (yes training on the craft of sales was a thing back then) and as people were entering the room, Merrill would introduce himself to each of the 30 or so attendees, while each would say their name back to him. During every class, Merrill was able to address each person by name as though he had known them forever.

Through the years, Merrill was not only my mentor but my friend. We shared visits to New York and the Napa wine country. He showed my wife and me, back in the 80s, that there was wine beyond Sutter Home White Zinfandel. As time passed and Merrill and my paths took different directions, I lost touch. But never did I lose the memories and lessons he gifted my family.

Merrill was a sensitive, kind human and he will not be forgotten.

Feel Free to Share Your Thoughts and Memories of Merrill Smith

I want to thank Rob and Mike for sharing their thoughtful stories and perspectives on Merrill. If any reader would like to share a story or other thoughts about Merrill, feel free to leave a comment below.

Farewell, my friend…I will miss you but will never forget you…

Ted