If you’re a movie fan, you’re well aware of the ongoing conflict often portrayed between humans and machines in a dystopian future. Think “West World,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Terminator,” “I, Robot” and “The Matrix.” I can’t help but wonder if these movies are so popular because they reflect our own personal experiences of the […]
If you’ve been reading my blogs lately, you already know I’m a huge proponent of escalating the rate of evolution in our industry in order to best meet the needs of our customers and continue to be relevant. I’ve been promoting developing better business acumen and having earlier conversations with our customers on a deeper […]
AV is an industry built around communication, but often times we fail to communicate or even understand our true value proposition. Listen to this episode to find out what we should be communicating to our clients. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS
It’s July 16th, the end of another Prime Day where Amazon, the online behemoth, is slated to do nearly $6 billion dollars in sales in just two days. Estimates show that Amazon accounts for anywhere from 38 to 49% of US eCommerce which gives them a commanding lead over second place eBay, which accounts for […]
This week’s Selling AV comes from a post I did on Linked In stating that I no longer want to have technology conversations. How do you have deeper conversations? Take a step back. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS
A major reason industries get commoditized is that they fall into selling products. This week I talk about asking a single question that helps you sell impact instead, which is something worth paying for. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS
For those of you who don’t know me well, I am pretty active in networking with other AV professionals, technology managers, designers, content producers, etc If there is one thing most of them agree on, it’s that doing a proper needs analysis is the only way to assure that our systems meet all of our […]
No other AV publication or agency produced as much content around InfoComm19 as rAVe. I mean, it wasn’t even close. Gary did a ton of pre-show interviews and previews, Johnny and Victoria ran the podcast booth on the show floor at the Peerless-AV booth and were booked day in and day out, and an army […]
As AV professionals, sometimes we get caught up in how cool technology is and talk a lot about “how” we do things. This week in Selling AV I share how to pivot and make those conversations count. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS
5/30/2019 Rancho Santa Margarita, CA Every year, Phenomenal Industries introduces at least one new GAMECHANGING product before InfoComm, AV’s premier commercial trade show. Last year, there was an explosion of activity around ShareChair, the revolutionary huddle room collaboration product that blurred the lines between technology and furniture to change the way we share information. It […]
How do you escape some of your insecurities and give yourself permission to be the best version of yourself? Create a personal brand. Find out what I’m talking about on this episode of Selling AV. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS
A few weeks ago, I sat in on a meeting with the head of global real estate for an innovative company here in California. He was amazingly generous in sharing his strategy on how he approached developing properties for his company, and I took three pages of notes over that 20 minute period. I think […]
In the last month, I’ve had the opportunity to listen and learn a lot about the modern workplace and the principles behind its design. The philosophy goes well beyond the phrase “open” and really capitalizes on the idea of activity based working and creating spaces that allow for independent work, team collaboration, large team meetings, […]
Many times we have our clients compare the cost of our services to those provided by other trades like electricians. It’s tempting to match pricing to gain a client relationship, but in this week’s Selling AV, I talk about why this may be a very bad idea. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS
Sometimes, even after creating alignment and demonstrating value, a sale can get stuck. This week I talk about two ways to move things forward that may just mean checking your ego at the door. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS
Right now, a part of each of my day has been dedicated to developing my class for InfoComm 2019. I am giving a talk on “Using AV Technology to Trigger Customers’ Biological Responses” or as I refer to it, “Triggered!” Any time that you are giving a presentation, it’s extremely important to consider the audience […]
Sometimes the answer to a better sale may not be in trying to force a close, but in walking away and leaving a trail. Find out how in my latest Selling AV. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS
Last month I wrote a blog about Mad Systems new Quicksilver AV distribution system and I ended that piece with a teaser about their new facial recognition software. If we know anything about content, we know that the context of that content is extremely important. Delivering content is one thing, but delivering customized content to […]
When I first joined the ranks of Milestone one of my coworkers told me that “Every integrator wants to work for a manufacturer when they grow up.” It was funny, and at the time I identified with that statement on some level. Working for a manufacturer offered a few advantages for sure. From a sales perspective, […]
What do you do when you’re in Atlanta? You hang out at Good Word Brewing & Public House with Jarrett Jones, Director of Commercial Engineering at Baker Audio Visual. We talk about bourbon and pick-up trucks as well as how we inspire and train the next generation of AV professionals. (There may be an Easter […]
The latest question from the AV Industry Professionals Group asks how we tackle the challenge of the consumerization of our industry. Here is a great way to start that conversation. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS
I had the pleasure of visiting my friends at Mad Systems last week. It is a company I know quite a bit about, (in large part because I worked there for 4 years), and I was invited to come and take a look at what they’ve been up to lately. They have a history of designing […]
Have a drink with me and my guest Steffan Crowley at Left Coast Brewing. We’ll learn a little about how to take the CCNA as well as Steffan’s Meme Theory (and we might just sneak some AV in there too.) Check out Left Coast Brewing at https://www.leftcoastbrewing.com Find Steffan’s company Rosendin here: https://www.rosendin.com
I received quite a few suggestions from other AV Pros for this year’s episodes of Selling AV. This week I talk about knowing your enemy because it just might not be who you think it is. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS
Welcome to Technologist In Bars Talking AV! Come hang out with me and my guest Joe Way at GameCraft Brewing. We’ll have a drink, eat some spicy chicken, play Jenga… and if there’s still time left, maybe we’ll talk about Joe’s role in AV as well as his new book Producing Worship. Check out GameCraft […]
The first Selling AV topic of 2019 comes to us from an integrator in Australia. How do integrators better work with consultants to deliver value? Tune in to find out! Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS
I have tried to avoid writing one of these blogs. I resisted the temptation to wrap up my top moments of 2018. I stayed clear of making tech predictions for 2019. I even managed not to comment on others’ top moment lists and predictions. All in all, I was doing pretty well… until yesterday. Yesterday I […]
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: RSS
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: RSS
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
