One of the most shared business leadership talks is Start With Why by Simon Sinek. It emphasizes the importance of purpose in a business and leadership’s ability to communicate that purpose to their employees to accomplish amazing things together. I believe it has been so popular because most business books emphasize what to do and/or […]
In AV, we are sometimes very product-focused. Manufacturers build best in class products and then engage a dealer channel to make sure those products have a solid strategy to get into the marketplace. Integrators get trained on how the product works, many times engaging with the manufacturers to become certified in the installation and/or programming […]
Just in case you were hiding under a rock this month, the big news in the business world was that Toys “R” Us will close or sell all of its 735 stores in the U.S., ending a 70 year legacy for the retailer and also putting 31,000 workers back in the market for a job. […]
Many times in AV we focus on our closest manufacturing or integration competitors when selling our products and services. However, in today’s environment, there is always a hidden competitor you should be watching out for. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
I was recently in Jacksonville for our annual sales meeting. One of the highlights of that meeting was when our guest presenter, Amahl Hazelton, director of communications for Destinations at Moment Factory, shared a plethora of interactive AV experiences they developed around specific public spaces. Now, I have heard the term “place-based entertainment” many times in my […]
Today we talk about three things successful comics do well that we should learn from in sales. Think of it as your 5 minute sales manager. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
In case you haven’t been paying attention, there is a mass migration going on in AV. AV manufacturers and integrators have been leaving their traditional farms and silos. Heck, even our trade association has made the move. Where are they all headed to? The fastest growing place in AV: Experienceville, USA. The move to experience […]
I woke up Sunday morning to some interesting Twitter conversation started by fellow AV professional Chris Neto about the subject of AV education. The question revolved around whether or not certifications or formal college education is more important in qualifying someone to be successful in the field of AV. To break down the responses in […]
As salespeople, we’re told persistence is a virtue. This week I share a sales call gone wrong to show why persistence may sometimes be a liability. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
If we’ve seen one trend over the last several years, it’s the customer’s increasing interest in using consumer and home technologies in their professional spaces. This week in Selling AV I talk about developing your strategy to address these questions in 2018. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
I want to start by saying that I am not one who writes blogs declaring the death of specific technologies or market segments. In fact, most of the time, I rush in to debunk these AV obituaries and defend the legacy technology being declared dead. I wrote pieces explaining why 4K WON’T kill movie theaters, […]
There seems to be a continuing debate out there on the demand for a true AV as a Service, (AVaaS) model. I have seen good points on both sides of the argument, each giving some logical reasons as to why a true AVaaS model is either the future of AV or an idealistic pipe-dream. There […]
This week is typically slow for most companies. In fact, many are closed until after the 1st of the year. However, if your job is selling AV, you should be spending 15 minutes a day this week prepping for 2018. Listen to this episode to find out why. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: […]
I went to an amazing conference put on by the TEA this year on Storytelling, Architecture, Technology and Experience. There were a number of great speakers and subject matter experts that took the stage, including a panel of folks that were discussing Westworld and how close we may be to a world where life-like robots […]
It’s the end of the year which means not only are you and your company trying to finish strong, but your customers may be trying to do the same. On this episode I talk about a couple things to consider when closing out the year. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
If you are a fan of comic book movies and you haven’t seen Thor Ragnarok yet… I really don’t know what’s wrong with you. In Norse mythology, Ragnarok, or the Doom of the Gods, represents the end of the mythical cycle and of the world as we know it. It’s an Armageddon of sorts. Funnily […]
In years past, whether for Commercial Integrator or for rAVe I have done my Thanksgiving posts in a sort of “Blessings and Turkeys” theme, relating what I felt were the best and worst things AV gave us over the past year. This year however, when faced with a blank screen and a keyboard, I am […]
When you go to a sales meeting you most likely bring your phone, your computer, product brochures, and maybe even some ideas about what products and services your client may need to buy. This week I cast all those aside to relay what I think is the most important tool. Are you bringing it to […]
When I was in residential AV, real estate agents were some of my best allies. I made alliances with agents who worked directly for the builder to assure that all the spec homes they started had security, home theater, and whole house audio pre-wires in place. I also relied on them to introduce me to […]
Having a potential client that is a friend seems like the perfect situation. Many times however we overestimate the impact that friendship will have on our business relationships. Tune in to hear how to make sure this doesn’t happen to you. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
Working for a manufacturer in commercial AV, it can seem like the whole year revolves around two trade shows, ISE and InfoComm. Considering the scale of these two events and the amount of new product introductions, it’s not surprising that it feels that way. Over the last few years however, I have started to appreciate […]
For anyone that follows my @avphenom handle on Twitter, you most likely saw a plethora of posts last Friday about the Themed Entertainment Association‘s (TEA) SATE conference. SATE stands for Storytelling. Architecture. Technology. Experience. It was a two day event that featured speakers who’s art was blending story with space with technology to create amazing, […]
It’s funny how ideas work. Two years ago, I started a draft of this blog about curve jumping. I wrote an opening paragraph and then stopped. It sat in the catacombs of the site, waiting to be dug up again or lost forever. If you’re not familiar with the term curve jumping you should be. […]
Communication is all about meeting people where they are at. This week I talk about why responding to customer communications in the way that’s best for you may be the wrong approach. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
Sometimes when we call a customer and get their voicemail we end up saying the wrong thing. This week I share one thing you should never do when you get voicemail. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
Well if you’re in commercial AV and you haven’t heard the news about InfoComm International’s name change to AVIXA yet, please stop reading this and go back under your rock. The association is now AVIXA, while the trade show is still InfoComm. The news is on every trade publication website and all over LinkedIn, Twitter […]
Many times we try to avoid facing our problems head on, instead choosing to take the path of least resistance. This week I talk about running toward conflict as a way to create opportunities. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
Just about every week I do a Selling AV podcast, (shameless plug) but I thought I’d turn my attention to Marketing AV for a moment. It’s no secret that there has been a large amount of evolution in the AV industry over the last several years. Of course, as with any industry steeped in technology, […]
Having trouble getting that certain someone to call you back? Listen in to this week’s Selling AV for a couple of tips on professional cold calling. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
If you’ve been paying attention to the chatter around CEDIA this year, you already know that there has been a lot of talk about the lack of women on the CEDIA Board of Directors. Several posts on LinkedIn and on rAVE have been critical of CEDIA as an organization for not having any women on the […]
In today’s world of free information, trying to sell ice to Eskimos is not a salesperson’s job. What is your job? Listen to this week’s Selling AV to find out. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
A couple months back I wrote a blog on AV as a Service, AVaaS. It primarily focused on if the “as a service” model could work in AV, and it gave three examples in which at least parts of the AV system are currently being turned toward an AVaaS model. As I always do with […]
