I don’t have an issue with a publication requiring a manufacturer advertise with them before agreeing to review a product. The "audio community" is essential for the survival of the industry and the manufacturer would be making a good faith commitment to sustain a viable means of communication -- the publication. The publication is, undoubtedly, providing a service that will have a financial impact (positive OR negative) on the manufacturer, and they should be willing to invest in that ":strategy" and not be a free-loader. That being said, the reviewer needs reveal to the manufacturer upfront that the reviewer’s personal and professional integrity is on the line, and they are not going to say good things about a company that just copied the Titanic, complete with hole already in it, and heading out to sea. There is a real risk to the manufacturer of stripping down in front of a reviewer and showing what they got. They should know that upfront.
One statement that really bugs me is: "non commissioned salespeople." The greatest level of service you’d expect from an establishment would be from the owner(s). This is the definition of "financial interests" in that no one in the company has a greater incentive to "make a sale that day" than the owners. The assumption here is that the owners have the highest level of knowledge, integrity and place customer service as a high priority. Yes, a commission salesperson certainly wants to "make a sale that day" because they have bills to pay. That’s a given. But a professional salesperson is also looking down the road for add ons, repeat business, referrals, etc. Customer loyalty is a strong motivator because their very existence as an individual compensated by the success of their company depends on it. As someone said: "a 5% increase in customer loyality doubles the lifetime return on investment." So, it MUST be a win, win, win. A win for the salesperson (they sell stuff). A win for the company they work for (they sell stuff -- preferably at a price above what the dealer paid for it), and a win for the customer (receives excellent service and a fair exchange for monies spent).