Unlike any other Vertical
Like All Pro Sound’s Jochum, Jeff McLeod, managing director at Church Audio-Video in Grand Prairie, Texas, agrees that success in the HOW markets requires that you “speak the language” of your customer. As the firm’s name suggests, Church Audio-Video is certainly fluent; HOW has been its sole focus for over 41 years.
“We really understand churches and, as devoted followers of Christ, we have an instant rapport with our customers throughout our team,” says McLeod. Like most successful firms in any industry, he says a key contributor to their success is their people. “We believe it’s critical to hire the best and brightest people you can, and focus on their success,” he says. And, Christian principles guide their business practices. “Always do the right thing, and live by a code of conduct reflective of the Golden Rule,” advises McLeod.
Camron Ware, owner and lead designer for Visual Worshiper, a one-man consulting and live event design group, says his company is “the originator and leader in environmental projection.” He started using this approach to worship in 2005 when he was a board member at Irving Bible Church and has turned that into a lucrative business that last year saw more than 200 installations.
“It’s not a fad,” Ware says regarding environmental projection, a method by which churchgoers are surrounded by visual stimulation at their services. “It’s exploding right now.”
Things Leaders Have in Common
- Mega church technology may be a new phenomenon, but these integrators aren’t newcomers; they have been in business an average of 28 years
- Those who provided information range in revenue from $12M to $28M
- They offer wider than average ranges of technical skills
While environmental projection is most popular at Baptist churches, many of which feature blank white walls that serve as ideal canvases on which Ware can design an eye-popping show, there are no real limits.
“We made it obtainable and scalable,” Ware says. “After people saw what we were doing at my church, other churches started to come to us and ask how they could do it too. I started the company to respond to the need.” Environmental projection is increasing in popularity across the country, he says, and it’s even begun popping up overseas.
Visual Worshiper stands out from the ever-growing crowd of companies involved in visual worship because of its willingness to train church leaders why and how environmental projection and lighting can help their services, Ware says. On his website, Ware says, “We are visual creatures, and God made us that way! I believe that we have a responsibility to use visual in a God-honoring way and to help people use their gifts to glorify God.
Lessons from Leaders
- There needs to be a strong focus on and commitment to HOW market (one firm is exclusively focused on HOW)
- Some emphasis “understanding the customer,” and that canmean being able to relate to them on a spiritual level
- Two of them have profitable online retail sales operations
“We’re not trying to show off ,” he says. “We’re trying to envelop people in visual worship.”
Having expertise in other vertical markets can also help you succeed in the HOW market, says Stephanie Bluhm, president of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Clark Powell. Since broadcast is such a large part of many ministries, it helps to have expertise in broadcast and recording technologies, she contends. “Our company roots were in designing and installing broadcast systems, and church installations are, for the most part, broadcast studios on some level. We have a great depth and breadth of knowledge in this area,” she says.
But beyond just providing expertise in other than the usual A/V technologies, it’s also important to remember how important the physical building is to the church community. It’s a well-known fact that houses of worship present many unique system
design and installation challenges, especially with regard to ambient lighting and acoustics. Many older churches were never designed for electronic audio or video systems, and altering any part of the interior décor is often met with significant resistance from church members. Bluhm suggests, “Be prepared to deal with the uniqueness of each facility in regards to structural, acoustical and aesthetic challenges.”
