Let me start by stating the obvious, being quarantined to our homes with next to no human interaction is hard. Even for someone like me who has spent the past 15 years of his career working remotely, it is difficult. I enjoy being able to grab lunch during the day or running errands on the weekend. Just the other day my wife convinced me that buying fertilizer for our lawn was not “essential” so I ordered online and paid extra for shipping instead.
One aspect that I do not mind, however, is having my wife and two daughters Samantha and Sydney (ages 12 and 8) home with me every day. They allow me to close my office doors and focus on the work I have but it is also nice to get a break and watch them play outside for a little as well.
The most interesting part of being home with my family is watching them adapt to remote learning/teaching and how technology, specifically video conferencing, has helped them remain connected.
The day was March 18, 2020. Our house had been under a quarantine since Saturday the 14th and my wife and daughters were learning a “new normal” of home schooling. My youngest, Sydney, was having the hardest time because frankly she is a social explosion waiting to happen! She has so many close friends, classmates, cheer teammates, girl scouts, and cousins that you could see the smoke coming from her ears when she realized she could not see any of them. That is, until I introduced her to the world of Zoom. Watching her eyes light up like Christmas morning the second she saw her friends Talia, Lianna, and Reilly on the screen was worth more than gold at that moment. That is when it dawned on me that something I have always taken for granted, Zoom, was now viewed as the “recreation of the wheel” by those that have never experienced it. Sure, we have FaceTime, Skype, and a number of other video-calling platforms to choose from, but the ease of “zooming” your friends, colleagues, family, and customers takes it to another level.
Zoom’s platform is the perfect teleconferencing tool for a multitude of uses and as each day goes by, we are finding new ways of creativity on how to use it: happy hours, school assemblies, birthday parties, even quick check- ins with a customer. We have certainly done it all. Almo Professional A/V is certainly no stranger to Zoom, having utilized it for 4 years now. What started as a necessity for our organization to remain connected to our customers has expanded into the 2019 introduction of Zoom Certified Hardware Bundles and the April 2020 announcement that we are now an Authorized Zoom Solution Provider which means our customers (and their customers) can source a full solution from us; Certified Hardware Bundles and the necessary Zoom License to make it all work as desired. One of the best features of the Almo/Zoom relationship is that it requires little to no extra work from our valued resellers. For every opportunity that is brought to us, it is assigned a Zoom Account Executive to help see through the sales process.
“What’s the job of the reseller?” you might ask. It’s to send the initial referral and then collect the recurring commission that is paid out on every job. The ability to collect recurring revenue in these times of uncertainty can certainly be a valuable proposition.
In closing, I hope we can all find creative ways to use Zoom as a bridge during these interesting days and weeks ahead. While most of us might not have the same bright-eyed look that my daughter Sydney had, I know we all appreciate the ability to connect with the outside world while being told to “not go outside.” I would love to have future discussions with all of you on how Zoom and Almo Professional A/V can help you stay connected and make your business, schooling, family get-togethers, or happy hours even better!
It is that time of year again. When every gym across the country is busier than usual and banks see an uptick in people who want to “finally” start saving money. It also happens to be nearly 3 years to the day that I was first interviewed and then hired for the role of Business Development Manager at Almo Professional A/V! So, while I have a great deal of respect for anyone who takes steps to better themselves, I also have become adversely against making New Year’s Resolutions. Let me explain why.
Simply put the idea of delaying something until January 1 baffles me, but especially when that something involves making better choices to positively affect ourselves. Our happiness and overall growth should have no “launch date” and whether it be personal or professional goals we have, the sooner we take action the sooner we see results. Just this past year I experienced one of my biggest victories as I finally obtained my CTS Certification. This achievement was significant to me for many reasons.
First, I started 2019 by taking and NOT passing the CTS on January 6. Talk about a lousy way to start a new year! Next, in February I began reporting to a new boss who promptly asked me what my goals were for the year. Almost immediately, I blurted out “I want to have my CTS by end of 2019.” This was substantial to me because I have now vocalized my goal to my boss who I know will rightfully hold me to it and not accept anything less.
For the remainder of 2019 I made it a focus to constantly be preparing in some form or facet for the exam as well as continue to discuss it with others. The more you say it, the more you “will” it into existence. Having been the BDM for our Harman since 2018, I found that my audio and control systems knowledge had increased and I began feeling more comfortable than I did in January when I first took the exam. Not to mention one of the most helpful tools, Harman University, is an extensive online library of courses, both web based and live, where the content is very easy to comprehend even if you are 1 day old to the industry. Since I have never been the greatest “book learner,” the courses through Harman were really the cherry on top of my preparations.
While I had hoped to take the CTS Exam in October, life struck a different cord and my father was suddenly hospitalized at the end of September. While I am overjoyed to say he is doing much better now, it was quite the rollercoaster for 30+days, least of which involved me delaying the CTS because family will always come first. While I continued to receive the support of my management and colleagues, I worked even more behind the scenes to do whatever I could to prepare for the exam, which was now on December 5. The day finally rolled around and as I previously mentioned, I passed! The mental “high” from passing this exam led me to complete more Harman University courses and complete the DSCE certification for digital signage because I simply wanted to continue my growth. That is the lesson to be learned- Never delay your own development, start TODAY! If you want to get healthy and feel better, join the gym today and do not procrastinate. Start putting a few extra dollars away TODAY rather than next month. Lastly, if you truly want to be happy in your career start taking steps TODAY whether it be signing up for Harman University, registering for your CTS, or applying for that promotion you did not think you were qualified for. Here is to 2020 and NOT setting a New Years Resolution because you have been taking steps to improve all along.
The JBL name carries a lot of weight in the A/V world. Quality, craftsmanship, and powerful are just some of the adjectives that can be used to describe the JBL product lineup. So it should come as no surprise that an event hosted by JBL and Harman would be any less than amazing. Welcome to the 2019 JBL FEST.
Starting in 2017, JBL and Harman have assembled some of the best musical acts, most popular audio equipment, celebrities, and forums into one location – LAS VEGAS! The 2019 edition was no different and Almo Professional A/V was proud to send Josh Taylor, Mac McKay, and Leo Merizalde to experience the sights and sounds. From the moment you arrived to the Aria Hotel you will notice that an entire wing of the hotel was decorated top to bottom with JBL graphics and promotional marketing.
You are truly “living” the brand at that moment. You have options to experience an oxygen bar, some of the best food you can imagine, and possible celebrity sightings and then you remind yourself that the party hasn’t even really started! The day ended with a special performance by Run DMC and hosted by Shaquille O’Neil, which was made all the more special considering the group only does 2 concerts per year now and this was held at an exclusive outdoor venue.
On the 2nd day of JBL Fest there was a Tech Forum in which the keynote speakers were Paul Zikopoulos, VP of Big Data Cognitive Systems at IBM and Robert Herjavec, Founder of Herjavec Group and star of Shark Tank. The discussion of the forum centered around the topic of “Is the World Ready for Intelligent Technology?” and how collaboration amongst partners and even competitors will unlock the full value of data in the business world. Definitely a thought-provoking discussion to kick off the day! After the Tech Forum concluded we were surprised to be able to attend the “gifting station.” As if the opportunity to be in Las Vegas with JBL wasn’t enough we were able to design custom backpacks and received Maui Jim glasses and JBL Bluetooth headphones! WOW to say the least. The fun didn’t stop there as we next went on the e-sports arena tour that was held at the Luxor. For anyone who is even remotely into gaming this is a bucket list item! Being able to experience the behind the scenes action and what makes the arena function was definitely an eye-opener. The evening was capped off with an event at Club JBL at the Jewel Nightclub where Bebe Rexha and Armin Van Buuren kept the energy at a peak. The final day of the event was no different. Although a bit more relaxed, there were various game stations set up where you could win prizes, a DJ Masterclass with Armin Van Buuren in which he showed you how he mixes and creates some of his greatest hits and a private concert area set up where JBL Brand Ambassador, KHALID, closed out the week.
There aren’t many opportunities where you can experience a true “once in a lifetime” event but I would place JBL Fest in that grouping. Throughout my time working with Harman I have come to expect the best of the best and it is safe to say that they extend that mantra to their events. I cannot wait to see what the 2020 version has in store. Whether you are a JBL fan such as myself or you simply love A/V of all kinds, put JBL Fest on your list for next year and experience the sounds and sights of one of the top audio manufacturers in the world!
Thank you to our contributing co-author, Mac McKay, ALMO National Business Team, for sharing his perspective from the event.
Over the past 2+ years of my employment as Business Development Manager with Almo Professional A/V, I have heard countless “reasons” on why someone cannot sell Business Communications: “my current team doesn’t have a telecom background”, “we are maxed out with jobs right now” or my personal favorite “I’m a pro a/v integrator and that’s not what we do.” Now I’m not saying these are bad “reasons”, however, for all of those out there who recognize declining margins on hardware and the increased need to show double the value on each and every job, you should definitely keep your ears open when an industry leader such as Almo Professional A/V jumps into a new category.
During a recent stop of the E4 Experience, respected A/V evangelist Gary Kayye presented on the buzz surrounding AV-Over-IP and at one point states “everything requires bandwidth.” That one sentence could be your entire sales pitch to a customer on why they should look at their services. Customers get excited over technology and the more they add the more bandwidth that technology eats up. Think about it… if you have a simple 100×10 cable internet circuit in your home but you have a family of 4 with 3 smart TVs, 3 iPhones, 2 tablets, 2 laptops, a security system, and 2 nest thermostats all of that is connected to your network – those devices eat up your bandwidth and drastically slows down technology performance.
It’s one of the main reasons why NOBODY seems happy with their internet provider these days. In the Pro A/V industry it works no different. Digital Signage, security cameras, control systems,audio, and more all require that same bandwidth. Thus, the birth of Almo Business Communications. We have strategic suppliers throughout the country, 170 of them to be exact that all specialize in essential services such as Internet bandwidth, voice services, Live TV, commercial security, mobility services, and even essential business needs like cyber security and multi-location management (SD-WAN). We have also had the privilege of working with a “who’s who” of suppliers such as Comcast, Spectrum, DIRECTV, Verizon, New Horizon Communication Group, Nextiva, Nitel, Entelegant, and Viasat to name a few.
To be perfectly transparent with you, the concept of selling these services and partnering with a master agent is certainly not new, but what is new is the way Almo has approached the concept by formulating a service offering that literally has NO RISK. Through our program, 98% of the carriers above pay a LIFETIME RECURRING COMMISSION on every sale so there are no commission chargebacks, no sales quotas, no costs to you or your customer, no lengthy application process, and no need for you to hire trained employees to manage the new business. Thus, NO RISK. To continue with my transparency, I tell every new partner that I speak with that 1 sale will seldom make you rich. However by doing a minimum of $1,000 in new billing each month you will see an additional $57k a year onto your bottom line! When you think back to those shrinking hardware margins, $57k is a pretty nice chunk of change to add back into the business in a given year and will certainly set the tone for the future of your company. For most, that is an extra employee salary or a new company work truck. We have current partners doing double-triple that amount in a month so once the momentum builds, so will those residual checks!
In the world of recurring revenue, even by closing 1 sale per month, you will never start each month at ZERO again. You will always have “something” coming in, so why not maximize that “something” by checking off the following boxes TODAY:
-Work with a distributor who is a multiple “Favorite A/V Distributor” winner
-Earn lifetime recurring commissions on every sale
-Have a dedicated sales team do 95% of the work for me- that’s right! We will do the work for you!
-Provide more value to my clients which will lead to more work and help win more jobs over competitors.
-Make up for the lost margin on hardware and add $$$ to my earnings.
I hope that I have helped open your eyes and minds a little regarding Business Communication Services and how there is a very large need in the industry for these services. As technology continues to advance, so must our services that make that technology what it is!
I will challenge each of you to take a look at your OWN services today and can promise you that there are annual savings to be realized! Please contact me to examine further and even earn lifetime commissions on your own sale which will help set you up for the months and years to come.
Get a behind-the-scenes tour of Harman’s Experience Center
In my last blog I chose to discuss how you can improve your knowledge of audio solutions simply by knowing the different support channels and asking the right questions. One facet I did not discuss was the need to have a desire to learn. Simply put- you will make every opportunity that much harder if you refuse to grow independently. I am no exception to this rule. As I admitted previously, I came into my new role “not knowing audio” but thanks to the plethora of support channels and various opportunities that exist, gaining this new knowledge is quite easy, all thanks to the team at Harman Professional Solutions.
While attending the most recent stop on the Almo E4 Experience tour in sunny California, I was afforded the opportunity to visit the team at Harman and their new Harman Experience Center which is located at 8500 Balboa Blvd. in Los Angeles. Pardon the pun, but WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! The moment you walk in the front door you are greeted by a light show through the winding hallway which works in step with the images on the large video wall further down the hall. Thanks to my unofficial “tour guides”
Mark Wilson and David Tewksbury, I was able to really entrench myself in all of the technology that surrounded me! A few steps further we were greeted by a row of actual Grammy Awards presented to Harman for their JBL and Lexicon lines amongst others. Truly innovators in the professional technology space! Coming from a retail background, I really focused in on their Connected Retail Experience display. As a business owner, imagine being able to KNOW who your customers truly are and then cater to those specific customers. From displaying male/female centric marketing to displaying specific content when a customer picks up a certain item, it’s all tied to improving the overall experience at a given store. It was very intriguing to see where we are headed in terms of custom shopping experiences.
The next steps on our tour was really the “heart of the Experience Center where I was able to learn about the Connected Huddle Space featuring the AMX Acendo Vibe speaker (which happens to be an Almo Best Seller!), an actual recording booth where we could test out all different models of AKG microphones (if you are lucky, David might sing for you!), and several Martin Lighting displays which were absolutely breathtaking! Martin Lighting has been used in Las Vegas, London, and so many more of the world’s biggest attractions so to EXPERIENCE that up close was amazing. One of the final stops of our tour was a large room where Harman has hosted several gatherings such as corporate events and parties. The room is set up to resemble part club, part concert hall, part Broadway stage. Directly in the middle of the room was a Soundcraft Vi3000 Digital Live Sound Console and boy was that impressive. It is the only console in its class that can be used by two engineers at the same time and despite all of the added features and functionality it also retains all of the features that have made its series the preferred choice for sound engineers. I had commented to Dave how many times I had seen similar models at concerts and various shows and how it only further demonstrated the theme of the day which was “EXPERIENCE”. This room allows you to demonstrate how Harman products function in certain environments. Listening to Phantom of the Opera on Broadway vs a lecture in a college auditorium vs smoke machines and disco lighting in a dance club….awe-inspiring! Out of this entire room, one of the final yet coolest experiences was the live concert demo complete with drum kit, lighting, smoke, and some of the loudest yet clearest speakers I’ve ever heard! The JBL VTX A12W is a dual 12” line array loudspeaker. The kind you would see at the largest world tours from some of the most popular music acts. Various Harman resellers have said “this might be the single best speaker that JBL has ever made” and after seeing/hearing it live I would have to agree! Starting with the simple installation to the crisp/clear vocals you hear it’s clearly a step above most. At one point, David told me to stand in a specific area and I found myself directly under this massive speaker. David walked over to join me and we had a typical conversation. He then looks over and says “pretty cool huh”….we were standing directly under this line array loudspeaker and I could hear him clear as day. When was the last time anyone went to a concert and didn’t have to shout all night to friends just to be heard? That is what clear/powerful sound will do for you!
It is always a pleasure in my line of work to spend time with our vendor partners. It provides an opportunity to learn more about the people and products that make the machine run smoothly. However, getting to spend time with Mark and Dave at the Harman Experience Center was unlike any previous meeting I’ve ever had. It was all part of the learning EXPERIENCE that I talked about previously. While you can certainly learn from online materials, various books, etc, there is something to be said about good old fashioned hands on learning and experiencing for yourself! I challenge each of you to experience all that Harman has to offer by visiting them in Los Angeles at 8500 Balboa Blvd. I know they would be more than happy to host you and your teams much like they did for me! Remember, this is all part of the desired end goal — to learn more about audio and better position your respective companies in the eyes of your customers. Thanks to Harman’s support system, educational opportunities, and unparalleled approach to technology and innovation, they should be the first stop along the way!
If you’d like information on Harman products, please feel free to contact me.
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