Marketing Commercial AV Through Business Transitions
By Katharine Wheeler
In residential AV, we’ve long recognized that life events drive purchasing decisions. First home? Time for a security system. New baby? Let’s talk about motion-activated lighting. These emotional moments create urgency—and open the door to lasting partnerships. But in commercial AV, we tend to skip the story and go straight to the specs. There are some powerful AV solutions for business transitions. They go beyond pixels, wattage, system integration. We talk like everyone else speaks fluent AV. Spoiler alert: they don’t.
Smart AV marketing isn’t just about what you sell—it’s about when you show up.
What if we treated business milestones like life events? Because just like people, companies grow, shift, stumble, and reinvent themselves. And at every transition—whether it’s a move, a merger, or a rebrand—there’s a moment of vulnerability and opportunity. One where businesses are reevaluating needs, setting new budgets, and looking for the right partners to support their next chapter.
This is where commercial AV pros can do more than sell. We can guide, support, and grow with them.
AV solutions for business transitions: A Goldmine of Opportunity
Think of a business like a living thing. It starts small, builds momentum, and experiences growing pains, reinvention, and transformation. At each stage, AV solutions for business transitions can help. And best of all? These moments are often predictable. That means if you’re paying attention, you can offer the right solution at the right time—or jump in mid-stream and become the partner they didn’t know they needed.
It starts in the startup phase, where a few scrappy employees are operating from a coworking space or someone’s living room. They’re not ready for a full-scale integration, but portable conferencing kits or mobile AV setups can help them collaborate from anywhere. Even better? These early conversations build trust and set you up to grow alongside them.
Eventually, they land funding or outgrow their shared desks. Enter: the first office setup. Think foundational needs—conference rooms, access control, digital signage. This is your chance to help them look and operate like a real company on day one.
Then comes hiring. And with new employees come new requirements: training rooms, huddle spaces, better acoustics, and wireless collaboration tools. These aren’t just upgrades—they’re investments in productivity, retention, and culture.
A product launch or press event follows. They need to look good—fast. Livestreaming kits, portable AV, or pop-up demo setups can help them impress investors or customers. If you’re the one who made it happen, they won’t forget it.
Growth often brings an office expansion or new department—maybe marketing wants a podcast studio, or HR needs a training hub. These departmental transitions are perfect for tailored solutions that prove your value beyond the basics.
As they scale and open new locations, they’ll crave standardization. This is your moment to pitch AV solutions for business transitions across all offices, with remote monitoring, centralized control, and scalable support.
Then comes the inevitable shift to hybrid work. Every meeting space becomes a video room. Every desk a collaboration opportunity. AV solutions are now workplace essentials.
Larger transitions—like mergers or acquisitions—demand tech unification. Legacy systems must play nice. Communication needs to scale. Be the one who builds that bridge.
As companies rebrand or design a flagship space, AV takes center stage. Immersive lobby displays, interactive signage, experiential conference rooms—these are moments to shine, not just serve.
Even leadership transitions create AV opportunities. A new CEO wants secure video conferencing. A reorg calls for flexible meeting spaces. Each shift opens a door.
And finally, mature optimization. This is the long game—maintenance contracts, proactive refreshes, and ensuring your clients stay ahead of the curve.
The best part? You don’t have to be there from day one. Whether you enter in year one or year ten, every milestone is a chance to build trust and prove your value.
From Specs to Strategy: Telling Better Stories
Let’s be honest: we love our specs. But your clients? They don’t want to hear about lumens and wattage. They want to know how AV will make their work smoother, faster, safer, or more impressive.
Take this example: a manufacturer releases a new, streamlined meeting room scheduling panel. The tech sheet says:
“Now featuring capacitive touch, native calendar integration, and real-time occupancy updates.”
Yawn.
Now imagine telling the story like this:
“As your team grows, so does the daily chaos of shared space. This scheduling panel system eliminates meeting room mix-ups, shows room status at a glance, and helps your teams collaborate better—without ever interrupting IT.”
Suddenly, the solution feels personal—and scalable. A startup might need one. A regional HQ? Twenty. A COO hears that and thinks, “Finally—something that’ll stop the 10 a.m. conference room turf war.”
That’s the ripple effect of storytelling. It solves problems people actually have. It inspires creative use cases. And it positions AV as essential, not extra.
From Move-In to Merger: Using Transitions to Get in the Door
Some of your best projects will start with a small ask during a big change.
A new office move-in? Offer a starter tech package—basic VC, a digital welcome sign, and acoustics that keep the space productive from day one. From there, it’s a short hop to upgrades and expansions.
A hiring surge? Propose AV tools that make onboarding smoother: training room setups, wayfinding screens, or mobile carts for remote collaboration.
Hybrid shift? Help them reimagine spaces: smart booking panels, camera-enabled huddle rooms, plug-and-play meeting kits.
Merger or acquisition? You’re not just an installer—you’re the unifier. Assess both systems, recommend a path forward, and help streamline operations across the new org.
Rebrand? Pitch immersive displays, touchscreen experiences, or an executive briefing center. AV becomes the face of the brand—visible, impactful, memorable.
The message in every case: “We understand what your business is going through—and we’re here to help you thrive through it.”
Be the Trusted Partner, Not Just the Tech Vendor
AV pros thrive when they collaborate. So don’t go it alone—build referral relationships with the people already guiding your ideal clients.
- Architects planning modern office builds
- IT consultants mapping out infrastructure
- Designers creating aesthetic, tech-friendly spaces
- Commercial realtors—pitch a “pre-move AV audit” to help buyers see the tech potential before they sign
Get in early. Stay in often. Be part of the plan.
Turn Insight Into Action
Want to market around business transitions? Start here:
- Organic Content: Write blogs like “AV Must-Haves for Fast-Growing Startups” or “How to Future-Proof Your Office Tech.”
- Targeted Ads: Run LinkedIn campaigns aimed at operations managers, HR leads, and IT decision-makers.
- Partnerships: Host lunch-and-learns with architects or coworking spaces. Offer mini tech audits to get your foot in the door.
- Monitor the Local Business Scene: Who’s hiring? Who just leased a new space? Who made the news for a rebrand? Follow the clues—and reach out.
Think Beyond the Sale—Build the Relationship
AV isn’t just about gear. It’s about guidance. When you show up at the moments that matter—during growth, change, or reinvention—you become more than a vendor.
You become the partner that helps businesses evolve, adapt, and thrive.
Let the big moves, bold rebrands, and breakout moments lead you to bigger opportunities. Because when transitions happen, trust is up for grabs—and if you’re ready with the right story and strategy, you’re already ahead of the game.
Kat Wheeler
Kat Wheeler is an Account Executive at One Firefly, a role that allows her to combine her sales expertise and passion for marketing to help AV integrators grow. With 22 years in the AV industry, she has a successful track record of growing businesses, managing teams, boosting revenue, and creating marketing strategies across various sectors. Her love for technology began with her first computer, a Commodore64.
Currently based in Columbus, OH, Kat's career has given her the opportunity to live in seven states and visit 46. Not just about business; she’s authored two modern murder mysteries that creatively weave in technology, where the murders are both committed and solved using AV and you might see some familiar characters….
In her free time, you’ll find Kat practicing yoga, playing poker, and exploring new places. She dreams of one day owning a dog and making history as the first woman to win the World Series of Poker Main Event.
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