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Selling the Value: Part One

In recent articles, I’ve talked about not blowing your competitive advantage, facing change and why you need to value your company’s knowledge properly to make money in the new knowledge economy. Since writing that, I’ve heard from several quarters, “Well, that’s just great… HOW do I do that??” Like so many other things in our industry, the answer is, “It depends.”

Every company and every situation is different, so there will be some variation in what works for you and what doesn’t. However, there are some ways to up the value of your company’s services and turn that value into increased revenue. First, actually UP the value of your company to the customer by getting your staff educated and — more importantly — certified. Credentials like education and certification play a large role in establishing reputation and competence in the eyes of customers — the things that provide value.

This should not be news to you. I’ve preached the importance of education and certification for as long as I’ve been in the industry — but it is never truer than it is today. After all, how do you differentiate between two candidates for a job? By looking at their education, their credentials and their experience. The same is true of differentiating between two vendors that you hire to do a job, so your customers are already interested in this information. Plus, more and more, the people hiring us aren’t the contractors or the CEOs but rather the IT managers or CTOs. These are people who have “grown up” in the IT and computer science world — a world with a strong emphasis on credentialing, where everyone who knows their stuff has their name followed by an alphabet soup of certs.

These people want to see CTS, CTS-D, C-EST and CTP+ after your name and the names of your staff. They understand CCNA, MCSE, A+, RITP and even LEED-AP. And when they see those letters, they know that you and your staff have a minimum baseline of technical knowledge in a certain area that they can trust in.  That’s value. Now, can a person still have the knowledge without the alphabet soup? Of course. In some cases, those without credentials far exceed those with in sheer knowledge and experience… but that intangible, undefined knowledge isn’t easily shown on a resume, or an RFP response, or a marketing piece. In short, without the benefit of those letters to get your foot in the door, it doesn’t matter just how smart or experienced you are. Some integrators and manufacturers say they can’t afford the time or the fees associated with training/prep classes and the certification exams afterwards. But if you look at just how much work you are losing for not having them, you can’t afford NOT to pursue them… and you absolutely can’t sell your true value (by raising your rates to reflect your true skills and abilities) without them to back you up.

Once you have internally bolstered your own expertise and credentials by getting yourself and your staff certified in those areas most looked for by your clients, you need to make that expertise known. Yes, it may be an expense, but reprint business cards and marketing materials to highlight and emphasize your experience and certifications. Include the alphabet soup on your cards. If you have room, include the seals or logos for the credentials, perhaps on the back of your cards. Put out press releases in industry newsletters, local newspapers, and regional business papers when you or any of your staff earn a new credential. Let people know you have tangible proof of your company’s expertise. In short, you’ve earned the cred, now share it!

Continue sharing that expertise by becoming active in local tech councils and chamber of commerce or business networking groups. Offer to do a presentation on AV technology or a specific AV topic of interest to your average business owner as an Expert Speaker. Tailor your info to the audience and couch it in terms they will understand — like, “What Analog Sunset Is and Why It Will Impact YOUR Business.”  (Obviously, make sure YOU understand your topic thoroughly first — which is why we go back to that Infocomm or NSCA or manufacturer education first, THEN offer to educate your potential client pool!) Offer to write a white paper or article for their newsletter or for free distribution to their membership. Keep an eye out for speaking and interview opportunities in your area where you can position yourself and your company as the expert voice on AV and technology topics. It takes some effort, but in no time, you can establish yourself as an expert in your field and then leverage that expertise in marketing your company directly to customers for specific projects.

These are a few tips to get you started on the path of Selling Your Value.  Check back next time for more ways that you can turn your knowledge and expertise into more jobs, more opportunities and — everyone’s ultimate goal — more profit!

Dawn Meade, CTS — also known as AVDawn — is the marketing and media coordinator for Net-AV in Hampstead, Maryland. She is an industry veteran with experience in integration, AV sales and social media. You can find her on Twitter, on AVNation podcasts, on her AV tech blog, and of course, here at rAVe as a staff writer and as part of the rAVe BlogSquad. 

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