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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 […]
