Volume 11, Issue 14 — July 29, 2019

rAVeDS — Volume 11, Issue 14 — July 29, 2019

July 29, 2019 | Volume: 11 | Issue: 14

Do certifications matter? Some say yes, some say no.

In his most recent column, Scott Tiner analyzes why and how certifications — and which certifications specifically — matter. A suite of certifications he places at the top of the list: the CTS certifications. Certifications also show a certain level of dedication — it takes a lot to study for, take the exam for and maintain a certification.

I also see value in the CTS certification. In fact, I am currently studying for the exam and hope to be “Jacob Blount, CTS” by the end of the year. Any tips for success? Send them my way!

You can find product news from Leyard and Planar, Peerless-AV and Sharp in this action-packed issue of rAVe DS. We also recently covered DSS Europe, and you can see all the coverage here.

Have a great week, #AVtweeps!

-Jacob Blount

COLUMNS

+ Five Questions Every Integrator Should Be Asking [Mark Coxon]

Here's a secret. No one buys technology. They buy the benefit of what technology can do for them. Given that, here are five major questions I think every Integrator should be asking early on in the discovery phase, as well as a quick reason that each one is important.

+ AV’s Headlines Suck. Here’s How to Fix That. [Anthony Coppedge]

After looking at the dozens of videos and hundreds of photos taken at these tradeshows and reviewing the video interviews with AV spokespeople, the patterns are almost universal: a laser-focus on the tremendous technology instead of the fantastic advantages for the end-user. How does this happen? Because engineers are incredible at developing a product, but are lousy marketers. Instead of presenting the value for end-users, the text descriptions and droning demos on the show floor regurgitate specs and technical minutiae. The result, unfortunately, is lackluster ads, product webpages, product PDFs and even social media promotions, which fail to deliver because they're either overhyped or underwhelming headlines.

+ Does Certification Matter? [Scott Tiner]

As a manager, I'm often faced with the question of what requirements we should put into a job description when we are ready to hire a person. Experience is always the easiest one to figure out. You think about how senior the position is and then you base years of experience or type of experiences on that. Education and industry certifications are different and always cause a lively discussion. Do people really need them? Do they matter?