Mark Coxon

Mark Coxon

Mark Coxon is an AV industry native and blogger for the rAVe BlogSquad. You can reach him directly at mark@marketexplosion.me.

Selling AV — Cold Calling Episode 2 — Your First Ally

If you want to be successful in navigating a new organization, you need an ally. In this episode, I tell you what phrase you need to eliminate from your vocabulary and who that first ally may be. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

Selling AV —  Cold Calling Episode 2 — Your First Ally

Adaptive Forgetfulness

As human beings we have a positive association with memory. We view those with good memories as intelligent and reinforce the idea that remembering mistakes of the past assures we won’t repeat them in the future. I don’t discount the value of memory on the whole. However — is there an advantage to being forgetful? […]

Adaptive Forgetfulness

Selling AV — Episode 115: Cold Calling Episode 1 — Do Your Homework!

In today’s world, we have access to all sorts of information about our prospective clients. As professionals, we need to be diligent about doing our homework before we make that first call. This episode talks about what that homework should include. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

Selling AV — Episode 115: Cold Calling Episode 1 — Do Your Homework!

IT or X? It’s BOTH!

Suppose you’re active in social media at all. In that case, you may have noticed that quite a few strong opinions are resurfacing about AV’s “Experience” movement that has been happening since InfoComm became AVIXA. I believe the sudden rise of cloud-based conferencing, AV-over-IP and the retraction of hospitality, live and experiential events due to […]

IT or X? It’s BOTH!

Selling AV — Episode 114: Considering Environmental Factors in Your AV Designs

The look, feel, and workflow a space needs to provide are not always easily found on the floor plan. This week, I answer a question from Graham Kirkpatrick on how to better align our systems with furniture, fixtures, and equipment  to create efficient and cohesive designs. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

Selling AV — Episode 114: Considering Environmental Factors in Your AV Designs

Selling AV — Episode 113: Building Video into your post COVID routine

Everyone is using video right now to communicate and webinars and Zoom calls abound. However, is there a better way to build video into your long term meeting strategy, even for in person meetings? Thanks to Chris Neto for this week’s question. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

Selling AV — Episode 113:  Building Video into your post COVID routine

The Four Rs — Survive to Thrive

I think I can confidently say that we’re tired of hearing about “Unprecedented Times” and “The New Normal.” The truth is that things are always in flux, and there are always businesses that are making money hand over fist while others are struggling to get by. Sure, a global pandemic and economic meltdown has caused […]

The Four Rs — Survive to Thrive

AVPhenom Releases New TalkBox VTC for Teams and Zoom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Phenomenal Industries has released the new TalkBox VTC UCC collaboration device for Teams and Zoom Meetings. We are living in a new normal where virtual meetings have exploded due to the inability of people to gather safely in a single, physical space. The prevalence of these virtual meetings has created a plethora […]

AVPhenom Releases New TalkBox VTC for Teams and Zoom

Selling AV — Episode 112: Selling Suites of Services

This week’s question came from Lance Feldenkreiss via Twitter: How do you sell a suite of services like integration, managed services, staffing, etc., under one account manager? Listen in to hear a few tips on how to make this happen. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

Selling AV — Episode 112:  Selling Suites of Services

The New Corporate Events Center

Team-building. It’s one of the main purposes of bringing people together in one space, and even though there may be a shift in where work gets done, one thing is pretty clear, people still want to gather together physically in a common space to work together. If you haven’t seen Gensler’s new U.S. Work From […]

The New Corporate Events Center

The Great AVoIP Debate

I spend some time on Twitter, and yesterday I noticed a lot of online chatter happening around a panel rAVe put together for LAVNCH WEEK 2.0. Kudos to the staff at rAVe for curating the speakers, because to my knowledge, the people on the panel and the groups they represent had never been assembled together […]

The Great AVoIP Debate

Selling AV — Episode 111: Hosting a DYNAMIC Sales Presentation Online

This week’s selling AV topic came from Chris Neto on Twitter who asked “How do you host a dynamic sales presentation online?” Tune in to hear 3 quick and easy ways to make sure you engage your audience in a way that makes sure the most relevant content is what they remember. Podcast: Play in […]

Selling AV — Episode 111: Hosting a DYNAMIC Sales Presentation Online

Why Content Marketing just became EXPONENTIALLY Important to AV

Last week was InfoComm week, one of the most anticipated events each year for the ProAV market. After purchasing floor space, building exhibits, flying in staff, and entertaining customers, many companies spend 6 or even 7 figures showcasing their products and services at InfoComm. Based on the enormous outlay, these companies naturally look to maximize […]

Why Content Marketing just became EXPONENTIALLY Important to AV

The Good (and Bad) of Virtual Events

2020 is the year of remote everything. It has been a work from home, webinar heavy, travel light year for the whole country and, of course, for us in the AV industry as well. As such, our biggest events of the year have all been canceled or shifted into the ether. Many have been clamoring […]

The Good (and Bad) of Virtual Events

Selling AV — Episode 110: How to Set Yourself Apart

This Selling AV question came from Brad Orme at Cinemassive: “How do you set yourself apart from the competition during the sales process?” Absorb these 4 tips in 5 minutes to learn how. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

Selling AV — Episode 110: How to Set Yourself Apart

Selling AV — Episode 109: Tag Teams the Budget Question with Jarrod Hillman

This Selling AV topic came from Patty Wanzer through Twitter. “How do you determine the client’s budget?” I invited Jarrod Hillman of Hillman AV to help me tag team this in a special Selling AV. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

Selling AV — Episode 109:  Tag Teams the Budget Question with Jarrod Hillman

How to Build Trust and Value (and How NOT To)

In 1966, architect Cedric Price famously said, “Technology is the answer, but what was the question?” Could we be living in a time where this statement was ever more true than today? Take a stroll through LinkedIn and you will see a plethora of technology posts, all proclaiming that the solution to your problems is […]

How to Build Trust and Value (and How NOT To)

There Is No ProAV Pivot

If you’re reading anything online about business right now, it is likely pontificating about what businesses will look like when the world goes back to work. It’s all about the new normal, the post-COVID-19 workplace shuffle and the pandemic pivot — all of which sound like they could be performed on “Dancing with the Stars,” […]

There Is No ProAV Pivot

Technologists in Bars Talking AV – Episode 5: Phantom Carriage Brewery with Paul Chavez of Arup

Join me and my guest Paul Chavez from Arup Consulting at Phantom Carriage Brewery in Gardena, CA  We talk about sours, about Arup, and all things AV.  Pull up a chair, grab a beer, and hang out with us!  

Technologists in Bars Talking AV – Episode 5: Phantom Carriage Brewery with Paul Chavez of Arup

Selling AV — Episode 108: How to Qualify an Opportunity

This Selling AV question came from Lance Feldenkress on Twitter, “How do you best qualify an opportunity?” I initially look for these three things. Tune in to find out what they are. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

Selling AV — Episode 108: How to Qualify an Opportunity

Co.Lore (Company Lore) Stories Through Space: Episode 4: Are You Experienced with Meg Sciarini Smith

On this episode, I talk to Meg Sciarini Smith about experiential design, defining outcomes, and directing a successful place based experience.

Co.Lore (Company Lore) Stories Through Space: Episode 4: Are You Experienced with Meg Sciarini Smith

Flipping Training — Ideas for Better Adoption

My oldest daughter is extremely smart.  She is artistic, creative and is an amazing writer. She does very well in school; however, her one challenge has always been math. She usually starts slow and then builds steam toward the end of the year. As parents, we always reinforce that the thing that matters most is […]

Flipping Training — Ideas for Better Adoption

Low Touch Tech

I did something today that I have never done before.  I Googled the words Alexa and Crestron together. This may not seem like a big deal, but for me it was.  In commercial systems, unlike their residential counterparts, there has not been a huge push towards voice control yet. The office is not an intimate […]

Low Touch Tech

Nature, Nurture and Legacy Spaces: The Problem with Design

So, unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ve seen hundreds of posts about remote work, video conferencing and collaboration in the last few days. The craziness of today’s events has forced companies to adopt video conferencing and remote collaboration solutions on a scale that we haven’t seen. Some think that this bodes well for the […]

Nature, Nurture and Legacy Spaces: The Problem with Design

Five Ways to Keep Your Integration Business on Track

If you’re like me, you’ve seen a slew of articles about “opportunities” for the AV industry during the current pandemic.  Most of these are marketing pieces, meant to promote a manufacturer’s products or to promote services by addressing the fear, uncertainty and doubt that is part of the current Zeitgeist. Work form home solutions and […]

Five Ways to Keep Your Integration Business on Track

Selling AV — Episode 107: Selling AV in a time of COVID 19

In this time of increased demand for remote work solutions, we need to make sure we’re adding value and easing fears, as opposed to opportunistically capitalizing on them. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

Selling AV — Episode 107: Selling AV in a time of COVID 19

Mergers, Acquisitions and the AV Ecology

I remember reading a book back in the late ’90s called “Why Big Fierce Animals Are Rare” by Paul Colvinaux. It was one of the first ecology books I read, and although the science was still evolving itself, there are a couple points in the book that have stuck with me over time and that […]

Mergers, Acquisitions and the AV Ecology

Co.Lore (Company Lore) Stories Through Space: Episode 3: David Dewane and the Fun Palace

Sometimes you read an article that makes you say “I need to interview that person!”  Well this was that article and David Dewane was that person. Tune in to hear some amazing thoughts and ideas on people, space, and today’s modern workplace. Cedric Price’s Fun Palace concept is here as well- http://www.interactivearchitecture.org/fun-palace-cedric-price.html

Co.Lore (Company Lore) Stories Through Space: Episode 3: David Dewane and the Fun Palace

Selling AV — Episode 106: Let’s Talk Social

Are you a brand trying to reap the benefits of Social Media without actually putting in the work to be social? Find out why that’s a bad strategy on this Selling AV. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

Selling AV — Episode 106: Let’s Talk Social

Selling AV — Episode 105: How Fancy Are You?

There’s a tendency to over-complicate the simple and over-simplify the complicated. How fancy should you be with your designs? Find out here. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

Selling AV — Episode 105: How Fancy Are You?

Wireless USB and My Take on the HRT Huddle Hub

A couple months ago, I saw a post from Liberty AV on social media. It showed a picture of a device that seemed to wirelessly share a laptop to a larger display. There are a lot of devices that allow someone to share their screen wirelessly to a display — Barco ClickShare, Crestron Air Media, […]

Wireless USB and My Take on the HRT Huddle Hub

Why No One Is Using That Collaboration System

Collaboration had to be one of the most-used buzzwords of the last half decade. It’s been used to describe everything from wireless screen sharing to interactive flat panels to teleconferencing to cloud-based file sharing apps. Marketers LOVE to slap “collaboration” on their boxes and press releases. I even heard a story about a sales rep slapping […]

Why No One Is Using That Collaboration System