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 […]
How do you follow up with someone who wasn’t even at the InfoComm show? Listen to this week’s Selling AV to get some tips. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
InfoComm is always a great place to meet potential new clients and this year the show touted more end users than ever. How do you combine these two facts to create great InfoComm follow-up? Tune in and find out. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
I was talking to a friend and industry colleague the other day who was a little frustrated with the way a recent project had gone. The AV design included a large 1.9 mm dot pitch direct view LED screen in a large presentation space. Based on viewing distances from the seated positions in the room, […]
In the spirit of the 4th, I submit the AV Declaration of Independence from the Tyranny of … HDMI. Enjoy:) When in the course of industry events it becomes necessary for AV people to dissolve the political bands which have restricted their devices from being connected to one another and to assume among the powers […]
Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start when you return from a large show like InfoComm. This week, I talk about how to approach existing clients you met at the show. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
June 8th, 2017 Rancho Santa Margarita, CA On the heels of Apple’s HomePod release, Phenomenal Industries has announced that they will debut their new wireless home automation hub at InfoComm 2017 in Orlando. AVPhenom is well known for his innovative product releases each year, with his latest successes being the World’s First! 4K Speakers and more […]
Earlier this month, SoftBank acquired a portion of NVIDIA for 4 Billion dollars, making it the 4th largest stakeholder in the company. How much of NVIDIA did SoftBank acquire for that amount? About 4.9%. It’s a deal that illustrates how large the tech world outside of commercial AV is. Samsung bought ALL of Harman for […]
AV systems are used everyday to help give company presentations to potential clients. How many of you are positioning the AV systems you design and install as marketing tools? Listen to this week’s Selling AV to learn why you should. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
It is InfoComm season and the new products and their associated press releases are flooding the AV airwaves. With the plethora of information circulating, it is hard just to keep track of what’s new, let alone wrap your head around what it may take to actually integrate it into your next project. One category of […]
A couple weeks ago I wrote a blog that relayed the top 5 reasons that you, as an AV professional, should go to NAB. The first of those five reasons was end user attendance. In case you missed that piece and didn’t feel like clicking the link above, in 2016 the NAB Show had over 102,000 […]
Sometimes the difference between being dismissive or accepting of new ideas is not being so sure of ourselves. Listen to this week’s Selling AV to learn why. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
Many times as AV sales people we are asked to itemize pricing on our bids. In this week’s show, I give a couple strategies on how to handle that request. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
Next week in Las Vegas, the National Association of Broadcasters holds their annual trade show in Las Vegas. The NAB Show doesn’t seem to generate the same amount of buzz in the integration circles as shows like CEDIA and InfoComm and I’m not quite sure why. There’s a tremendous amount of value in going to NAB, […]
Bidding open RFPs can be tedious and your chances to win the work can be slim. This week I tell you how to multiply your odds. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS
If you are an AV industry professional in the commercial AV space, odds are you are familiar with InfoComm’s CTS certifications. There are 3 varieties currently, being the CTS General, the CTS-D for Design, and the CTS-I for installation. Many times a consultant or an end user may require that the integrator working on their […]
If you have gone to any AV leadership event over the last several years, ranging from the Commercial Integrator Summit to InfoComm’s AVEC to NSCA’s Business and Leadership Conference, you know that developing a revenue stream based on service has been at the forefront of the conversation. Many integrators have started offering managed services to their […]
There has been a lot of discussion lately about the use of Virtual Realty (VR) technology. One of the applications being touted as ripe for VR is virtual meetings — a Virtual Reality Telconference (VRTC) if you will. But will VRTC be the next big leap in meeting technology? Imagine getting ready for your next […]
I’ve been around AV for the last 15 years and have worked for residential and commercial integrators as well as AV manufacturers. There has been a lot of change in that time, and most agree that the days of selling little black mystery boxes for 60 points margin are all but gone. In fact, many […]
