By Michael Heiss May 23, 2013
With E3 less than a month away, both Sony and Microsoft have taken the
interesting stance of "pre-announcing" their next generation of console
gaming platforms. Sony previewed PS4 a while back and Microsoft teased
us this week with some top-level details on what we now know will be
called "Xbox One." We'll all know more at E3, but what is clear at this
point is that both of these new products will have significant impact on
how consumers access and manage content as well as what games they play
on them.
By Heather L. Sidorowicz May 23, 2013
You may know this already if you’re an avid reader of my articles, but I am a big fan of Apple. I own a few iPods, an iPhone, an iPad and both my desk top and laptop are Macs. I’ve even been eyeing a Macbook Air to write these tasty articles. I’m also not a huge fan of change. I think most people aren’t.
By Todd Anthony Puma May 21, 2013
One of the challenges of doing many, smaller projects is that service
calls can become a large drain on profitability. Even with fewer, larger
jobs, the more complex a job gets, the more visits are required to
service it.
By John Sciacca May 20, 2013
I had the unique, two-hours-only-a-parent-could-love, pleasure of attending my daughter’s ballet recital this past weekend. And if you’ve never had the opportunity, I can assure you that watching dozens of 4-12 year old girls dancing ballet and tap to covers of Michael Jackson hits is every bit as fun as it sounds. (Did I mention that there was no intermission? Or bar? And that it was two hours?)
By Gary Yacoubian May 20, 2013
Let’s call a truce. Direct-to-consumer AV brands are not the enemy of
brick-and-mortar AV dealers. Manufacturers that adhere to a strict,
Internet-only sales platform certainly don’t help the retail sales of
independent or locally owned businesses, but traditionally
consumer-direct companies pursuing a blended distribution strategy offer
plenty of compelling reasons why you should consider adding them to the
product line-up.
By Heather L. Sidorowicz May 16, 2013
You’ve met with the client. You’ve demonstrated the system for them. You’ve gone over the quote line by line, but they’re still on the fence. Mr. Ziglar, an American author, salesman, and motivational speaker, has simplified sales hiccups for us.
By Todd Anthony Puma May 15, 2013
Months ago, I wrote in this space about not judging a customer by how
they dress or what they drive. Last week, I described ways to build
partnerships with other firms in the industry. This week, I want to
bring it all together. The bottom line is focusing on customer service
as the priority. Make the customer happy, work with each other as peers,
and we will all not only grow the industry but make more money and be
more successful.
By John Sciacca May 13, 2013
Doing the right thing might not always be easy. And it might not always be the most profitable. But a large part of being successful as an integrator is developing a solid reputation for always doing the right thing, and it will almost definitely win out in the long run.
By Jeremy J. Glowacki May 09, 2013
Mitch Witten says that he’s been having “a blast” since Core Brands
hired him as brand manager for Niles and Sunfire. It was not only
refreshing to hear such enthusiasm about two iconic custom installation
brands, but it was comforting to hear it from someone who has just about
seen it all in this business.
By Heather L Sidorowicz May 09, 2013
There was a time that I looked for talent in my new employees without
worrying about them having a good attitude. I believed it was worth the
trade off. Work is work, right? It doesn’t have to be a happy place. It
is called work for a reason. The clients didn’t complain. The work got
finished.