Editorial
Riding the Rails
by Jeremy J.Glowacki,
11.07.2008
During the Great Depression in 1930s America,it was not uncommon for a down-and-out person to hop on a freight train and travel from town to town in search of a day’s labor to fee himself,
IMAGE HERE and perhaps a family back at More...
CEDIA Subtleties
by Jeremy J. Glowacki,
10.01.2008
Here's a quick look at what I observed at EXPO 2008. More...
Flock Together
by Jeremy J. Glowacki,
8.27.2008
During my recent tour of the always-popular coal mine exhibit at
Chicagos Museum of Science and Industry, I was reminded of the canary
in a coal mine metaphor.
Before it became part of an idiomatic phrase, the caged canary More...
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Employee Architecture
The Transformation Model
by Keith Cottrell,
8.27.2008
All too often, aggressive new plans for change fail to come to fruition
because organizations do not adequately understand their current
problems and capabilities. Because market demands pressure leaders to
move quickly, some More...
Learning to Thrive in Chaos
by Keith Cottrell,
5.27.2008
Of all the things
Ive done, the most vital is coordinating the talents of those who work
for us and pointing them toward a certain goal.Walt Disney
In 1903 Frederick Taylor coined the phrase Scientific Management to
describe what More...
Emotional Intelligence
by Keith Cottrell,
3.06.2008
With the Blackberry permanently on and the work week growing ever
longer, its little wonder that so many men define themselves by their
job. The guys who typically have a midlife crisis seem to have given
way to men who suffer More...
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Home Theater
Doing Your Part To Retain A Sound Designer’s Phantom Imaging
by Anthony Grimani,
11.07.2008
DOING YOUR PART TO RETAIN A SOUND DESIGNER’S PHANTOM IMAGINGWhat are the most important attributes for a speaker system? Smooth frequency response and even tonal balance? Definitely.
High output capability and expansive dynamic More...
Upgrades Made Simple
by Tony Grimani,
8.27.2008
Tell me if the following scenario sounds familiar. A client asks you to
design an amazing home theater or media room. You dutifully draw up
plans, specify gear, and incorporate it all into a streamlined proposal
that your client More...
AV Controller Evolution
by Tony Grimani,
7.31.2008
If you were to vote on a piece of home theater equipment that has
evolved more than any other, the AV controller would have to be on the
ballot. Not only has its functions increased over the years, but its
physical chassis has More...
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Inside Sales
Harnessing Rep Power
by Buzz Delano,
10.14.2008
"The best reps know what their CUSTOMERS EXPECT and because of this, can afford to take the time to work on their business" More...
Luxury is Always in Style
by Buzz Delano,
7.01.2008
Creating a memorable experience for a client is an awesome
accomplishment whether its through individual efforts or the outcome
of many people in a business. Thats what I think of when I say luxury
sale. A memorable experience is, More...
Working with Inspiration
by Buzz Delano,
4.01.2008
Selling inspires. It inspires sales people who revel in the close and
take satisfaction in fulfilling the needs of their customer. It
inspires the customer who has a desire for something to seek it, engage
in the cat-and-mouse More...
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InterNETworking
Is DVD Ripping Legal?11.07.2008
REAL NETWORKS ENGAGES IN ROUND TWO OF THE ‘FAIR USE’ FIGHTEditor’s Note: At press time,RealNetworks failed to convince a district judge to lift its restraining order and allow it to start selling RealDVD again until the judge More...
Apple Adds Juice to AV Controls
by Gordon van Zuiden,
10.01.2008
THE IPOD AND ITOUCH DEVICES STORM CEDIA EXPO Each year that I travel to CEDIA EXPO I’m always looking for trends in our industry that help to s More...
Another Green Solution
by Gordon van Zuiden,
8.27.2008
In the residential custom installation business we typically think of
ourselves as experts in audio/video, lighting, computer, and home
control systems. Now many of our clients are beginning to ask how much
electricity, gas, More...
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Management
Speaking with One Voice
by Andrew Ard,
7.31.2008
This year, IPRO is celebrating 20 years as an organization, while next
year, CEDIA will be celebrating its 20-year mark as well. Isnt it
interesting that these two organizations found their beginnings at
virtually the same moment More...
Why Were Not Done Yet
by Andrew Ard,
4.28.2008
In our industry, its easy to miss something. However, one thing Im
noticing is that the best people, organizations, and companies among us
are growing despite the economy and other problems that they might be
facing. They are More...
A Look in the Mirror
by Andrew Ard,
2.05.2008
Several years ago I read a book on diet and exercise that recommended placing a bag with eyeholes over ones head and standing in front of the mirror. The idea was that we all possess such powerful filters in our mind in how we More...
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Marketing
The Discounting Myth
by Mike Detmer,
8.27.2008
If you are a custom installer who feels like our business is becoming
commoditized, you are probably not alone. Mainly because of increased
competition, its easy to get painted into a corner where price becomes
the gating factor More...
Prying Away Sticky Fingers
by Mike Detmer,
7.01.2008
My job as vice president of sales and marketing is to preserve Niles
brand integrity. One way that I accomplish this is by identifying
unauthorized Internet resellers and shutting down their source of
supply. So, when I saw one of More...
Telephone Etiquette Essentials
by Mike Detmer,
4.28.2008
Those of you who live in Florida or visit here know that Floridians
love their driveways. Weve got all kindsfrom stone to concrete to
blacktop. I remember visiting the client of a Niles dealer in Naples
who had custom-made pavers More...
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The Last Word
Riding Out the Storm
by Rich Riehl,
11.07.2008
Wall Street is in the midst of a Category 5 financial hurricane, and it’s time to hunker down. The storm’s damage is already in the trillions, and the impact has sent a shock wave throughout the world. Be forewarned: this tempest More...
Moving Up-Market
by Rich Riehl,
10.14.2008
Every year there is a consistent flow of new companies jumping into the custom installation business. Unfortunately, most make the same initial mistakes. If your business is going to succeed in this co More...
Surviving Tough Times
by Rich Riehl,
8.27.2008
Our economic crisis has grown to immense portions. More than 250 home
mortgage companies have gone out of business or have entirely left the
industry. Housing prices have plunged, foreclosure rates have soared,
banks have been More...
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