A Fly On The Wall I sat in a group discussion of integrators; it was interesting to be a fly on that wall. As various owner/operators shared about their business it struck me how often the priorities that were stated were conflicting and what it said about their company culture (even if they didn’t realize it). While it often takes ...

I have watched as integrators overcomplicate the process of creating a service plan. Answering a few key questions will help to define the framework of your offering and be better able to price it accurately. Keep it simple! Seriously, one page, plain English, one price point (% of System Price), and non-optional. General Timing: Days/Hours of Operation Response Times: Acknowledgement ...

Some companies don’t meet enough while others meet too much. Others meet an appropriate amount but don’t have a defined set of rules to make sure the time is well spent and effective. Now you do!   Should we meet at all? Info Pushed AT People = Don’t Meet = Memo! Reason: IDS: Identify/Discuss/Solve (EOS Traction) Need: Agenda, Shared Ahead, ...

Several years ago, as I began a more formal process of networking, I sat down to a coffee with a person who would quickly prove to be insufferable. In very short order it was clear to me that, for a variety of reasons, I would not be referring any business to this individual. But there I was, trapped. I sat, ...

What qualities would someone have to have for you to consider them a professional, or pro, in the consumer electronics industry? A quick Google search of “professional defined” reveals a very low bar: “Competent, Skillful, Assured ... Engaged in a specified activity as one’s main paid occupation rather than as a pastime.”  Really!? That’s all it takes?  As the former ...

What Gets Measured Gets Done! It would be comforting to believe that we, as business owners and employees, are trying to delight our customers. But are we? If I asked you to measure how delighted your customers actually are, how would you go about it? Do you know when things went well or, more importantly, when they didn’t? If you aren’t surveying ...

Who is your best hire? Have you ever made a bad hire? Have you repeated that mistake? More than once? Making hiring mistakes are costly to both your business and employees. It’s a time suck, money suck, the onboarding is painful, unemployment payout, the morale of your team, shaken confidence in leadership, retention of your existing staff, and all of ...

Wishful Thinking In my previous role as the CEO of an integration firm I tried my best to keep an eye on the fundamentals of the business. I tried to use “the numbers” to paint a picture and help guide decision making. I took to sharing our results with fellow integrators as a way of understanding our business within the ...