Selling AV — Episode 88: New Year, New Format
I want to make Selling AV a collaborative effort in 2019, so here’s how I propose we do that with a new format in the New Year. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
Selling AV — Episode 87: Start 2019 with…
2018 is all but gone and it’s time to focus on success in the New Year. The best thing to do this week is to focus on how to do that. Learn how in this episode of Selling AV. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
New Year, New Format
For 2019 I thought I’d flip the script on my Selling AV podcast by introducing a new format. In 2019, I’ll be crowdsourcing your AV sales questions and asking what your biggest challenges are. Then I’ll take those questions and answer them Selling AV style via audio in under five minutes. Once the podcast is […]
Is the AV Industry Getting Soft? Part 2: Hiring in 2019
Last month I asked if the AV Industry was getting soft. I hope that it is… because it should be. In a time when technology is advancing at an alarming rate and becoming more and more advanced, it may seem counterintuitive to tell companies that they should hire less technically minded people, but that is […]
AVPhenom launches Electronic Gift Giving Service
December 24th, 2018 Orange County, CA Just in time for Christmas, AV innovator and inventor, Mark Coxon, AKA @AVPhenom, has introduced a disruptive new electronic gift-giving service. “I saw two trends converging in the marketplace”, says Phenom. “First, young people are consuming a large amount of YouTube content and Twitch content. Secondly, there has been an […]
Selling AV — Episode 86: Always Be C……
Old school sales knowledge says to Always Be Closing. In today’s world that just doesn’t work. In this week’s Selling AV, I update the methodology to help you better serve your clients. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
My Most Popular Tweet of the Year (And What It Says About Our Industry)
For those of you that aren’t on Twitter or don’t follow me there, I am pretty active on that platform as @avphenom. Most of my tweets deal with AV in some capacity, whether I’m participating in an online chat session, playing an industry hashtag game, or sharing a blog, podcast, or perhaps general business intel that […]
Selling AV — Episode 85: Finding the Fire
Even in an industry as exciting as AV, it can be hard to be excited about the product or service you represent day-in and day-out. In this week’s Selling AV, I talk about a couple ways to rekindle that passion. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
Is the AV Industry Getting Soft?
Technology is an ever-changing environment, and the world of AV technology is no different. Change allows technology industries to thrive, given that the people working in the industry see it for the opportunity it represents and embrace their new futures to pursue it. Many times embracing change means that it’s time to retool our businesses and part […]
Selling AV — Episode 84: 4th Quarter Advice
It’s the end of the year and you’re trying to hit that next level in your sales number. There’s only one sure way to fail. Find out what that is in this episode of selling AV. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
Selling Soft Serv(ices) — Hurdle Three: Liabilities
Back in the spring, I launched a series of blogs on The Hard Truth about Selling Soft Service(ices) focusing on why AV has had a hard time turning the corner to managed services, software, video over IP and AV as a Service (AVaaS). I wrote about the first two hurdles in separate posts dealing with […]
Selling AV — Episode 83: Overcoming the Obsolescence Objection
This week’s Selling AV was inspired by a question I saw on Twitter. How do you overcome the objection that a client doesn’t want to invest in technology that will become obsolete in a few years? Take 4 minutes to hear my thoughts. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
The Death of the AV Generalist- Part Two
About a week ago, I wrote about the death of what I referred to as the “Generalist” AV firm. In case you missed it, you can read it here. As you may imagine, I received a lot of commentary on this blog through the comments, through Linked In, and through Twitter. Based on those comments, I […]
The Death of the AV Generalist
If you’ve read my posts before, you’ll notice that I have rarely predicted the death of any particular technology or business model. Sure, I have my ideas on where the industry is heading or which technologies may ultimately win out in the end, but I never go so far as to say this is the […]
Selling AV — Episode 82: Learn Someone Else’s Job
Most of my sales advice is aimed at helping you develop skills for your own job. This week, I am encouraging you to learn someone else’s job instead. Find out why by listening to this week’s Selling AV. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
Selling AV — Episode 81: Developing Coaches
Large organizations are often difficult to navigate, and if you’re selling AV, you want all the advantages that you can get. This week, I talk a little about developing coaches to help you close more deals. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
The Art of Hacking AV Systems
There are quite a few conferences that focus on AV equipment. On the consumer side, there is CES, on the broadcast side there is NAB, then for residential AV there is CEDIA Expo and for commercial AV, we have InfoComm. The latest conference to focus on AV equipment, however, happened Friday, August 10th. The conference? DEFCON. […]
The NEW Electronic Lite Board
Keeping with the precedents set by other innovative AV companies, AV Phenom typically releases new products around InfoComm and ISE each year. Phenom has successfully developed and released several products over the last few years including the Smart HUBby, the VoiceSaver Remote, the world’s first 4K Speakers, and most recently the ShareChair TM. It’s hard […]
Selling AV — Episode 80: Diplomacy Goes Awry
As salespeople, we want to be sensitive to not stepping on any toes, and as such, sometimes our diplomacy can go awry. This week, I share a meeting that I had last week where this exact thing happened to me. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
InfoComm’s Most Wanted
InfoComm 2018 is a month behind us, and over the last few weeks, people have been writing about the trends they saw at the show. We’ve seen blogs discussing increasing end-user attendance as well as several people’s lists of their favorite products or the ones they saw to be the most innovative or disruptive. There […]
Selling AV — Episode 79: Listen with a Blank Mind
It’s great to have knowledge of your potential client’s business, that is unless that knowledge becomes baggage. This week, learn how to listen with a blank mind to better serve your customers. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
The Rising Tide of Tech Users at InfoComm
Imagine you were walking the floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center at InfoComm 2018. You walk up to a random person without looking at their badge and shake their hand. What are the odds you just shook hands with an integrator? A. 50 percent B. 40 percent C. 30 percent D. 20 percent If […]
Selling AV — Episode 78: The Technology Test
If you’re in residential integration, it’s hard to get a quick read on how technical your homeowner is. In this week’s Selling AV, I share a little trick I used to use to steer my technology conversations. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
Selling AV — Episode 77: Post InfoComm for Integrators
InfoComm 2018 is behind us and we’re back to work, trying to close out the last half of the year. This week, find out how integrators can use InfoComm to boost sales over the next few months. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
InfoComm from the Booth
I have been reading some people’s reviews of InfoComm and I have to admit, I’m a little jealous that I no longer get much time to walk the floor while I’m at the show. Being a bit of an AV Geek, I miss seeing new products, looking for new trends, and connecting dots in a […]
Why AVaaS is not just a Glorified Lease
I was participating in a social media chat the other day when the subject of AV as a Service (AVaaS) came up. For those not familiar with the subject, I’ve written a little about it in the past, and if you’d like a little background feel free to click here or here. During the chat, someone […]
Selling Soft Serve(ices)- Hurdle Two: Sales Compensation Plans
If you haven’t already been following the conversation about selling AV software and services, I encourage you to catch up on my last couple blogs where I lay out the three main issues that I believe are stalling the transition from hardware-based businesses, as well as some specifics on business models that may play a […]
Selling AV — Episode 76: Emailing Proposals?
The inspiration for this week’s Selling AV came from a friend who asked me what I thought of emailing proposals. Listen to hear a couple of my thoughts on the matter. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
Selling Soft Serve(ices)- Hurdle One: Business Models
Earlier this week I posted The Hard Truth about Soft Serve(ices). (Feel free to read that first if you missed it.) However, in summary, I asserted that the hurdles we face as an industry today regarding selling software, services, and IT-centric AV may be less technical and more business related. My thought is that revenue models, […]
Selling AV — Episode 75: Minimum Commitments
Many times we bend over backward trying to win that big client, doing everything they ask without ever getting anything in return. This week we talk about how to reverse that tide and get something we need as well. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
The Hard Truth about Soft Serve (Ices)
Unless you’ve been in a hole the last few years, you most likely have noticed the increasing conversation in AV about software, managed services, and IP based signal distribution. Given all of the buzz and apparent end-user demand for all of the above, surprisingly, only a select few AV companies have turned the corner on […]
Selling AV — Episode 74: Advice to My Younger Self
This weekend in a Twitter chat, someone asked what career advice you’d give your younger self. Two main themes emerged. Listen in to hear what they were. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
