Volume 7, Issue 8 — August 20, 2013
|
|
The Art of the Killer Demo
By Joel Rollins rAVe Columnist
In last month’s Crew Call, I cataloged (from first-hand experience) the many things that we do to shoot ourselves in the foot when we demonstrate technology. Bill Sharer and I have also spent the last two weeks on our podcast, THE WEEK, discussing first what we do wrong and second, how to do it right. You can check our musings out on the rAVe website, or on iTunes.
Anyhow, last month’s column, “The Jawbone of an Ass,” provoked its fair share of comments, including war stories and thoughtful suggestions, some of which appear in the following. Since we spent last month discussing the ways we do it wrong, let’s spend this month talking about doing it right.
1. Practice, practice, practice.
I’ll admit to the bad habit of reading a manual the night before a demo, and going straight into the event. It’s a bad habit because once in a while, you’re going to find out mid-event that there was a critical step missing from the manual. So there’s just no excuse for not having a dry run, and hopefully in front of somebody who doesn’t know the material and therefore will ask questions similar to those a client will ask. I try to make it a point to have a session with some of my office folks with any new piece of gear before I even offer to demonstrate it to a client, so I’ll have an idea of what the “gotchas” are going to be.
2. Never assume.
The second mistake I try to avoid (even though its against my nature) is to assume that I know the things the client would be interested in seeing. I have been known to prepare extensive demonstrations and presentations that took the client down the wrong road, and opened up an entirely new line of questions and sometimes objections. So the most critical step in avoiding this is to ask a simple question, as suggested by Bill Sharer: “What key items would you like to see in operation, and if the demonstration answers your questions, are you prepared to move ahead?” It’s the fastest way to get your route to the order mapped out, and it helps with the next item on our list:
3. Keep It Simple, Stupid.
KISS is one of the most important principles in our business, and it’s also the one we violate most frequently. We build up a presentation in our minds, and then begin to answer our own questions instead of the client’s. Most of us in the business function well with technical complexity, in fact we seem to gravitate to it, which is why my office has often been known to my colleagues as Rube Goldberg Manor. But for an end user, we need to simplify, producing the effect we are all looking for to close a deal: making it seem simple. The final step in presentation preparation, for me, is to cut out sections that I felt the need to explain but that the client isn’t asking about. As Stephen King points out in his excellent book “On Writing,” you should go through anything you produce being prepared to “kill your darlings.”
4. Hey, Einstein — don’t get carried away.
Experts agree that all it takes to be an expert is to know five percent more about the subject than the person you are talking to. Usually, this margin is just fine for a demo, especially if you understand what the customer wants to see. You know how to demo those items, and the customer stays within the scope of his or her original questions. When any one of these conditions change, your demo is headed for quicksand. It’s tempting to try and accommodate a customer who responds to your presentation, and grows more enthusiastic as the demo progresses. It’s tempting to satisfy your own curiosity when you have such a receptive audience.
But fumbling with the technology will shave your five percent margin down to nada. Never demonstrate something that you don’t actually know. Pulling out a manual during a demonstration to answer customer questions is an awkward moment, and one that will take you down a notch in the eyes of the customer.
5. Don’t fake it, or you may not make it.
Related to the item above, but worse. When you don’t know the answer to a question, say so. Don’t guess. You might get lucky, but then again, your customer might have done his homework this time around. Don’t get creative. Say you’ll get back to them, then do — within 24 hours.
6. Let the customer be hands-on.
You’ve qualified the customer, you’ve read the manual and you’ve rehearsed the demonstration. Set the technology up, observing all safeguards, and let the customer try it out, while you provide guidance. This approach will satisfy the techie customer, and instill trust in the skeptic. You’ll gather some valuable business intelligence, as well. What customers try hands-on may tell you more about the purchase they have in mind than they’ve shared so far. They’ll ask questions about current use and scalability for the future. And they’ll relax — always a plus for a demo.
Are you ready? Well, then, as they said on Lil’ Rascals: “Hey, Kids — let’s put on a show!” Leave a Comment
Share Article
Back to Top |
Click above to learn more
|
|
Perfecting the AV Rental Balancing Act
By Wayne Wagner and Scott Stremple
Running a successful AV rental business has as many challenges as opportunities, from managing inventories to maximizing revenues. Fortunately, many of today’s projector manufacturers are focused on helping their customers achieve the right balance to keep them on the road to profitability.
Wayne Wagner, president and owner of Wagner Media and Scott Stremple, vice president sales – venues & hospitality, projection division, for Barco North America, discuss the critical success factors for today’s AV rental companies.
Flexibility Creates New Business
Wayne: Right now, we’re really excited about some of the new projectors featuring flexible light output. These offer a great way to extend our product line without stocking multiple models. As we all know, most jobs that call for projectors include a precise spec for lumens. If you don’t have a model that fits the requirement, then you’re out of the running. However, with the flex models, rental companies can customize the lumen output to meet the exact spec. For example, I can stock one of Barco’s 20K large venue projectors, which is great for the big, bright jobs — then dial down the light output for smaller projects and still be cost competitive with those offering straight 14K projectors. Next week, if that same or a new customer wants something else, I can adjust the light output anywhere from 10-20K. It’s like having six projectors in one!
Bottom line, we are bidding on more jobs now since we can meet the spec on a wider variety of projects and with fewer projectors on the shelf. As a result, we have the opportunity to price by the lumen instead of the projector when it makes sense.
Scott: Flexibility is the key to cost-effectively managing inventory over the long term. For example, most rental companies are built upon a grocery store model: Only so much shelf space is available and someone like Wayne needs to maximize the value of his inventory. With flexible light output projectors, a rental company can meet a wide variety of projection and lumens needs with fewer units. Less gear to stock, yet more options for customers — it’s a win-win.
Projector manufacturers have access to a host of new technologies like this which can make their products more versatile and economical for rental customers. Everyone is under margin challenges, and companies that help their customers become more profitable, will be the most successful over the long run.
At Barco, that’s our chief objective — to help our customers achieve the highest ROI possible on their projector investment. From “light on demand” capabilities to GSM functionality — which allows you to talk to your projector from any location in the world — it’s all about maximizing flexibility to increase not only revenues, but real profits.
Could Less Really be More?
Scott: One might argue that if a manufacturer increases the utility of its projectors, they will sell fewer projectors. Since we’re focused on helping our customers grow their businesses, we’re ok with that. It’s about creating opportunities for our partners to maintain a better cost structure, so they’re more profitable. They can also count on our products going the distance — we won’t sell you a model that you’ll have to replace in a year or two with a new and improved version. We’re investing in a technology platform that our customers can rely on for the long term. In turn, we would expect other forward-looking companies to follow suit and essentially level the playing field.
Wayne: A company like Barco is more likely to sell me an upgrade rather than a new projector and that’s great for keeping my total cost of ownership low. While a company like Barco may initially sell fewer projectors as the market transitions to this new “flex” concept, it makes sense for their customers’ long-term financial stability. The fact is, if I’m more profitable, I have more money to spend on projectors as I grow. And I’m more likely to buy from a manufacturer that has my best interests at heart.
Modularity Lowers Total Cost of Ownership
Scott: Typically, to meet the wide range of lumens needs of customers, rental companies would need to stock anywhere from 8-10 types of projectors. This can be headache for a rental company in terms of the extensive employee training, dozens of spare parts to inventory, and a myriad of lenses they need to stock. With a common projector platform, inventory and maintenance is greatly simplified. And, the commonality of parts and software, ease of use, and reduced training requirements all add up to a greater economies of scale.
Wayne: Anything I can do to simplify the operation and maintenance of the projectors is going to lower my total cost of ownership. Absolutely, modularity is paramount — in so many ways! It means I can employ a smaller staff who can become proficient on a few projectors instead of having to learn several models. With just a few spare parts, I can keep more of my stock operational and ready to rent at any given time, keeping inventory low and uptime high.
More Bang for the Buck
Wayne: When it comes to profitability, we’re finding that pricing “by the lumen” instead of “by the projector” can enhance our profitability. The benefit to the customer is they get a high-end projector at the lower lumen range, which means they get more bang for their buck. For example, when we customize the light output of our top-quality 20K projector to meet a 14K lumens requirement, our customer receives superior image quality, consistent lamp output and sophisticated image processing – things you don’t find in many other off-the-shelf 14K projectors. So they’re getting the light output they want and a whole lot more!
Scott: In certain circumstances, customers can enjoy the benefits of a technologically superior projector for a relatively low rental rate when choosing a flexible lumen model. The advantage to rental companies is that they have a more versatile and robust product line upon which to build an effective business model that works for them. It’s about achieving the right balance – leveraging your inventory to fulfill the widest array of customer needs while maximizing revenues.
Recapturing Lost Revenues
Wayne: One of the biggest benefits of some of the new smart projectors is the information they provide on usage. Projectors that log time and date of usage give me the information I need to invoice precisely according to actual usage. So there’s no guesswork or concern about letting out the unit early for an event. In the past, some customers would use it for extra hours if I did that and not report it – but now, I can bill for every hour used, which really means I’m capturing revenues which otherwise would have been lost.
Scott: Projectors like our flexible light output model give rental companies the data they need to stay on top of their inventory, ensure customer accountability, and effectively manage their rental fleet.
New Opportunities and Applications
Wayne: One of the good things about our industry is that the application “pie” continues to get bigger. 3D projection mapping is one of the new trends, but it’s not just outdoors any more. Churches are getting into the game, and theaters are using it for set design. We’ve been involved in a 3D projection mapping project for the Alley Theater in Houston, putting moving images on the floor and right on top of actors. There are so many creative possibilities beyond what can be accomplished with fabricated backdrops, like distorting and moving images to create a dream-like sequence, for example.
Scott: Yes, it’s no secret that 3D projection mapping is a huge growth area. It can provide a substantial cost savings in materials, labor, and time versus what it would take to create the hard sets for a movie set or play – and you can really look at different approaches to scene changes. The possibilities are only limited by the ability to imagine!
The Do’s and Don’ts of AV Rental
Wayne: When you look at the big picture and what it takes to be profitable as an AV rental company, there are a few basic things:
The Do’s
- Maintain positive cash flow. This is one of the toughest things in our business, but such an obvious one. We need to do a better job of collecting money. There’s a saying in our industry – “net never” terms – but we are starting to change this by being more focused on payment. At Wagner, we give very aggressive quick-pay discounts to incent our customers to pay quickly – 10/10 net 30. The newest projectors with built-in usage monitoring really go a long way toward improving accountability and accounts receivable.
- Get the best software. With the latest software, we now have the ability to do business via smartphones which really opens up opportunities for closing sales faster. Right now, I can send contracts to a customer’s cell phone and he can accept immediately – it’s completely legal and binding. With predictive software, we can also keep better control of inventory availability, accurately forecasting stock levels based on orders in all of our warehouses. The latest versions have better inventory tracking, which reduces the need to ship warehouse to warehouse, decreasing freight costs. With freight costs being one of the biggest obstacles to profitability, this is a tremendous benefit!
- Invest in modularity. Buy equipment that is modular with common parts so you can re-use components and accessories among models. It keeps both part costs and repair expenses low. And make sure to buy equipment with an upgrade path, which typically requires less investment over the long run.
The Don’ts
- Don’t have too many vendors. For the last 20 years, we’ve maintained a philosophy of having only a few vendors offering similar products. It pays to narrow your list and spend as much money as you can with one vendor for as many items as possible. You’ll become a valued dealer and get better pricing and availability with every order. Plus, you’ll know the products better – and if the manufacturer is smart, they’ll offer a product line with no gaps so you can buy everything you need from them.
- Don’t have too many employees. There are two parts to this: don’t have too many employees trying to learn too many projectors. It doesn’t behoove a rental company to hire all kinds of guys and then try to train them on a dozen different models. Like the sole source approach, you should have a few good employees who are really well trained on a few models. Then, they really know the gear instead of having to know too many models. In other words, keep it simple.
- Don’t turn away customers. Now, that seems obvious, but the opposite of this caveat is what you should strive for: always have a fast response time for both rental orders and service questions. With Barco’s “flex” line of projectors, we never have to say “we don’t have that,” or “I’ll get back to you.” Our answer needs to be “We have that, no problem,” and the light on demand capabilities of these projectors allow us to do just that, with the ability to tune the light output up or down to meet a customer’s needs.
Again, fewer projectors, more functionality equals happy customers (and more profits). It’s the perfect balance! Leave a Comment
Share Article
Back to Top |
Click above to learn more
|
2013 Best of InfoComm AwardsWelcome to rAVe’s annual Best of InfoComm Awards! This year’s InfoComm show, held last month in Orlando, Florida, was one of the best — or, actually, the best if you’re measurement is attendance. But, attendance aside, the amount of new technology and product innovation was more than the past three or four years, combined. It’s clear that most manufacturers see the next few years as promising and growth oriented.
But, because there were so many new products and technologies shown at the 2013 version of InfoComm, it made our job harder. There were more products to consider than in recent memory. Considering all this, those that did win should be proud of their accomplishment as they, obviously, represent the best-of-the-best. So, congratulations!
Click each link below to see the winner and read about the product.
Leave a Comment
Share Article
Back to Top |
Click above to learn more
|
Kramer Adds Two New DisplayPort Distribution Amplifiers
Kramer Electronics introduced today the VM-2DP and the VM-4DP DisplayPort Distribution Amplifiers.
The VM-2DP 1:2 DisplayPort Distribution Amplifier accepts a DisplayPort (DP) input signal and distributes it to two DisplayPort (DP) outputs, while the 1:4 VM-4DP distributes a DP signal to four DP outputs. Both offer a maximum data rate of 10.8Gbps (2.7Gbps per graphic channel) and a maximum resolution capability of 2560×1600 @ 60 Hz. They are also HDTV compatible and HDCP compliant.
The VM-2DP and the VM-4DP feature Kramer’s I-EDIDPro Intelligent EDID Processing technology, in which an Intelligent EDID handling and processing algorithm ensures Plug and Play operation for DisplayPort systems. The VM-2DP and the VM-4DP also feature Kramer’s Equalization and re-Klocking Technology, which rebuilds the digital signal to travel longer distances.
The VM-2DP is a compact DigiTOOLS — three units can be rack mounted side-by-side in a 1U rack space, whereas the VM-4DP is a standard 19” rack mount 1U size. Rack ears are included.
Both the VM-2DP and VM-4DP are shipping now. For more information about the VM-2DP, click here and for more information about the VM-4DP, click here. Leave a Comment
Share Article
Back to Top |
PreSonos Ships CoActual Monitor Speakers
PreSonus is now shipping the Sceptre-series CoActual studio reference monitors. Featuring a coaxial design that works integrally with a 32-bit, 48 kHz processor using Fulcrum Acoustic’s TQ Temporal Equalization technology, Sceptre CoActual monitors deliver clarity and coherence that has previously only been available in ultra-high-end systems.
The series includes two models. The Sceptre S8 CoActual Studio Monitor combines an 8-inch low/mid-frequency driver and a 1-inch (25 mm), horn-loaded, high-frequency transducer into a single coaxial unit with aligned voice coils and the Sceptre S6 CoActual Studio Monitor’s coaxial speaker integrates a 6.5-inch low/mid-frequency driver and a 1-inch (25 mm), horn-loaded, high-frequency transducer. Both models have acoustic ports.
Sceptre monitors include controls that enable full integration into any studio environment. A four-position Acoustic Space switch controls a second-order shelving filter centered at 100 Hz, with four attenuation settings (no attenuation, -1.5 dB, -3 dB, and -6 dB) so that you can account for the bass response relative to room dimensions and speaker placement. A High Pass switch sets the 12 dB/octave filter’s low-frequency cutoff to linear, 60 Hz, 80 Hz, or 100 Hz. A High-Frequency Driver Adjust switch adjusts the tweeter’s overall level to linear (0 dB), +1 dB, -1.5 dB, or -4 dB. The Sensitivity control ranges from +4 dBu to -10 dBV.
The systems are biamplified: Each transducer is powered by a 90W RMS, Class D power amp with an internal heat sink. All Sceptre-series monitors have a balanced XLR and ¼-inch TRS line-level inputs with A-taper level control.
PreSonus Sceptre CoActual-series list for $749.95 each for the S8 and $649.95 each for the S6. More information is here. Leave a Comment
Share Article
Back to Top |
Click above to learn more
|
PSAV Up for Sale
PSAV, the hotel and event AV integrator, is up for sale, according to a Reuters article published last month, and could sell for $900 million to $1 billion. Current owner and private equity firm Kelso & Company (who acquired PSAV in 2007 for $413.4 million) has hired Barclays and Macquarie Group to find a buyer.
The Long Beach, Calif.-based company has earnings (EBITDA) of between $130 million and $140 million. It acquired competitor Swank Audio Visuals last year for $270 million.
See the Reuters article here. PSAV’s website is here. Leave a Comment
Share Article
Back to Top |
Barco Adds 16:9 LED Video Wall Displays to Economical OverView M Series
Barco has just released two new rear-projection video wall cubes in the OverView M series. The OverView MVL-621 and OverView MVL-721 are industry-standard modules with full HD resolution and screen diameters of 60” and 70”, respectively. These 16:9 models complete the OverView M series, which already features three 4:3 models.
Barco’s OverView M series is designed to fit the requirements of medium-sized industry-standard control rooms. Using six-fold redundant LEDs as a light source, Barco says the OverView M series offers long lifetime, low maintenance due to the absence of consumable components, reduced power consumption and long uptime. The company also says that power consumption is 30 percent lower than that of comparable products. And the Sense5 automatic white-point and full-color calibration system ensures uniform color and brightness levels over the entire video wall.
The M Series is designed to be a less expensive alternative to Barco’s OverView O Series, which offers active liquid cooling, fully featured redundancy and full-spectrum calibration.
Learn more about the OverView M series here.Leave a Comment
Share Article
Back to Top |
Sharp Ships Commercial 90″ Display
Sharp’s PN-R903 is now shipping with no delay on orders. The 90″ display can be displayed in both portrait and landscape modes and uses an LED-lit 1920×1080 LCD panel that’s specified to output 700 cd/m2 of brightness.
Specifically designed for commercial AV applications, the PN-R903 is designed for 24/7/365 use so it’s ideal for both digital signage and rental applications. It’s less than 5″ deep and has a 176-degree viewing angle. Inputs include VGA, HDMI, DVI and DisplayPort and it can be controlled via LAN or RS232.
Full specs are here. Leave a Comment
Share Article
Back to Top |
Anchor Ships Go Getter Portable Sound System
Anchor Audio’s newest portable sound system, the Go Getter, will begin shipping on Sept. 1, 2013 and like all Anchor products, it’s built and shipped same-day. The Go Getter includes customizable options available on the speaker, including wireless capability and the addition of an MP3/CD player. The Go Getter is battery powered and easy to set up.
Anchor Audio will be releasing the Go Getter Portable Sound System with various package options that will start at $995 (with one wireless receiver, a built-in MP3/CD player, choice of wireless microphone and a stand).
The Go Getter is specified at 109dB of sound and is designed for both voice and playing music. It can be used indoors or outdoors, and reaches crowds of up to 500+ people. Weighing in at just 23 pounds, the Go Getter is lightweight, easy to transport and set up on a speaker stand.
The Go Getter options include a built-in MP3/CD player, and single or dual UHF wireless receivers – each with 16 user-selectable channels. It is comprised of a 6.5″ woven fiber woofer, and a high-output horn tweeter. The back panel features two universal microphone inputs, and an LED battery display that indicates charging and low battery. Additionally, there is a line out that can power an optional companion speaker to double your crowd coverage.
You can see all the Go Getter details here. Leave a Comment
Share Article
Back to Top |
Lab.gruppen Intros New LUCIA Decentralized Installation Amplifier
The two-channel LUCIA (Localized Utility Compact Intelligent Amplification) from Lab.gruppen is a compact Energy Star compliant Class D amplifier platform with DSP in the smallest amplifier the company has ever produced. LUCIA is designed for small AV applications that don’t need a distributed system with centralized rack-mounted amplification, matrixing and processing.
The LUCIA is four models across two power configurations — 2x60W and 2x120W – each available with either four-in, four-out matrix-mixer and configurable DSP features (LUCIA 120/2M, LUCIA 240/2M) or in a basic two-in, two-out configuration (LUCIA 120/2 and LUCIA 240/2). While all models are equipped with DSP pre-configured ‘out of the box’ for operation in typical applications, the matrix also allows for USB connection (with Windows and Mac LUCIA configuration software) to unlock the full potential of the processing and mix-matrix to meet specific system requirements.
Conceivably, each LUCIA model could drive up to 16 speakers on a localized low-impedance system (eight per channel — if the loudspeakers were 16 ohms).
All the detailed specs are here. Leave a Comment
Share Article
Back to Top |
|
For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe Rental [and Staging] Edition out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue!
For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read how we are — we are 100 percent opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the ProAV industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that’s why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad).
Don’t like us, then go away — unsubscribe! Just use the link below.
To send me feedback, don’t reply to this newsletter. Instead, write directly to me at gary@ravepubs.com or for editorial ideas, Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com
A little about me: I graduated from Journalism School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where I am adjunct faculty). I’ve been in the AV-industry since 1987 where I started with Extron and eventually moved to AMX. So, I guess I am an industry veteran (although I don’t think I am that old). I have been an opinionated columnist for a number of industry publications and in the late 1990s I started the widely read KNews eNewsletter (the first in the AV market) and also created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue, which is now known as InfoComm IQ. rAVe [Publications] has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition.
Everything we publish is Opt-in — we spam NO ONE! rAVe ProAV Edition is our flagship ePublication with what we believe is a reach of virtually everyone in the ProAV market. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA and launched in February 2004, is, by far, the largest ePub in the HomeAV market. We added rAVe Rental [and Staging] in November 2007, rAVe ED [Education] in May 2008 and then rAVe DS [Digital Signage] in January 2009. We added rAVe GHGav [Green, Healthcare & Government AV] in August 2010 and rAVe HOW [House of Worship] in July 2012. You can subscribe to any of those publication or see ALL our archives by going to: https://www.ravepubs.com
To read more about my background, our team and what we do, go to https://www.ravepubs.com Back to Top |
Copyright 2013 – rAVe [Publications] – All rights reserved – All rights reserved. For reprint policies, contact rAVe [Publications], 210 Old Barn Ln., Chapel Hill, NC 27517 – (919) 969-7501. Email: sara@ravepubs.com
rAVe Rental [and Staging] contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors. |
|
|
|