Why we are who we are

Often, vendors and manufacturers will offer technical consulting services whereby they will design an audio- visual system for you – often at little or no apparent charge. These designs, of course, always incorporate only products they sell.

Under these circumstances, the vendor or manufacturer has a clear conflict of interest. We contend that your interests are better served by hiring an independent A/V design consultant to design and specify a system to give you the best possible results, the greatest flexibility, and the best value for your money.

We also contend that your interests are better served by having an independent audio-visual consultant on your side during the installation to ensure that the documentation is complete, and that the installed system meets both the specifications and your needs.

Introduction

Audio-visual consulting is typically provided by:

1. An independent Audio-Visual Design Consultant,
2. Or an installation contractor,
3. Or an agent of a hardware manufacturer, vendor, or systems contractor/integrator.

There are very important differences between the first option and the last two – you should consider your choice carefully:

An independent design consultant has no ties or allegiances to any manufacturer or contractor. They are employed by you, and the advice they give is entirely in your best interest.

Any vendor, manufacturer, installer, or contractor that also provides “consulting” services has a clear conflict of interest.

Salespeople as Technical Consultants

Anyone who sells a product, is paid to sell that particular product – that is how they earn their living. Do you honestly think that a salesperson will recommend products they do not sell? Which of two apparently similar items in a vendor’s stable of products do you think a salesperson is most likely to recommend – the best product or the product with the highest commission (usually the most profitable product)? Calling a salesman by a different name such as a "sales engineer" or "sales consultant" does not change their function or goals – they are ultimately driven by the profit motive.

Whenever a vendor or manufacturer offers “free” technical consulting, consider the possibility that these services may not really be free (i.e.: the cost is buried elsewhere). Remember the old axiom, “you never get something for nothing.”   Worse still, consider the vendor that charges you a fee to design a system on which they will also receive the sales or installation profits – talk about a “win-win” situation for the contractor.

The bottom line is that whoever designs your system will be paid for this service, and they will be paid by you - one way or another. You should ensure that you (and only you) are paying the design consultant, thus ensuring that their design is driven by your best interests.