CE Pro July 2023 - 27

remember the amazing discount but will
quickly trash your name or leave a negative
review if something isn't 100% to their liking.
Once I stopped discounting and started
to focus on the quality of installations, my
business began growing 20%-50% yearly. "
Presentation matters. " As a small business
owner, you are judged from the second
the client receives your business card or
views your website/social media. Your timeliness,
how fast you deliver your quote, how
your quote looks and how professional it is
all matter. Your hygiene matters, wearing a
polo shirt or branded t-shirt and clean shoes
matter, and the cleanliness of your office
and prompt communication matter. Do you
want to stick out in their mind as the person
who had their stuff together as professionally
as possible, or the guy who said he was
really good at doing AV but showed up 15
minutes late? "
Certifications, product knowledge, and
Let's Start with Lessons
Learned for Success
After nearly 20 years owning an integration
business and his prior experience
at hybrid retailer/integration companies
Ultimate Electronics and Tweeter, Dohman
offered several pieces of advice when
asked to provide CE Pro's standard " FYI
(One piece of advice to another dealer) "
in our CE Profile " At a Glance " box. The
salient suggestions include:
The bitterness of poor quality remains
long after the sweetness of low price is
forgotten. " Everyone wants the cheapest
price with the best service, but the two
cannot go hand in hand. Do not allow your
quality to dip because a customer talked
you into a cheaper price. They will never
cepro.com
industry networking are vital. " If you get
too caught up on turning a screwdriver and
can never take days to train or sharpen the
saw, you will never be viewed as an industry
expert. You can learn one thing from even
the smallest amount of training, and if you
can apply that to every day of work for years
then it is worth it. Do not be afraid to make
friends in the industry, 'but keep your cards
close to the chest.' You never know what future
employees you may meet at a training
or long-term friends you will make who you
can ask for help or advice. "
Toward that latter point's end, Elite AV &
Lighting's certifications include: CEDIA Certified
Designer, CEDIA Electronic Systems
Designer 2, THX Home Theater Installer
Level 2, FOA (Fiber Optic Association), and
Control4 Programmer and Installation.
The fruits of following his own advice
can be seen in abundance if you peruse
Dohman's Facebook account, where he
frequently posts before, during and after
photos and videos of the company's projects,
which highlight Elite AVL's professionalism,
planning and creativity. Additionally,
logging all the details and media assets of
the company's work makes him well-prepared
when it's time to submit entries into
industry awards (see sidebar).
" In my head it all makes sense. There's a
Justin Dohman launched
his integration company
in 2006 as Elite Audio
Video, serving the Dallas
market. In recent years,
the company has become
so entrenched in LED
lighting that it changed
the name to Elite AV &
Lighting earlier in 2023.
Quick Stats
Company: Elite AV
& Lighting
Location: Southlake, Texas
Website: eliteavi.com
2022 Revenues: $2,072,241
Years in Business: 18
Number of Employees: 8
Key Brands: Control4,
American Lighting, Sony,
Samsung, Snap One, JL Audio,
KEF, Paradigm, Anthem,
Screen Innovations
FYI (One piece of advice
to another dealer): " The
little details are your first
impression to your potential
client. It's what sets you
apart from other contractors
that are also bidding
for the same project. "
July 2023 CE Pro | 27
STEVE McALISTER
http://www.eliteavi.com http://www.cepro.com
CE Pro July 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CE Pro July 2023
