The copier industry is undergoing a profound shift as declining demand for traditional office equipment, supply chain challenges, and OEM consolidations push copier dealers to seek new revenue opportunities to remain competitive. One of the most promising pathways? Expanding into audiovisual (AV) technology solutions. As highlighted in the Imaging Channel’s April blog post, “Beyond the Box: Diversification Strategies for Office Technology Dealers,”this evolution offers a compelling avenue for growth. Read more here:
AV technology—like interactive displays, video conferencing, digital signage, and presentation tools—is a growing market with huge potential. With strong demand in business, education, and healthcare, AV solutions offer reliable recurring revenue through installation, maintenance, and service contracts.
While venturing into this technology may seem overwhelming, there are companies that offer “rental” AV services, allowing you to maintain healthy margins, generate recurring revenue and start selling the solutions FAST. Below, we’ve detailed five partnerships you can establish today to help your copier dealership start offering AV services in 12 weeks or less.
First, why Copier Dealers Should Invest in AV Technology
The office technology landscape is evolving quickly. While traditional printers and copiers remain essential, hybrid work models from the pandemic have reduced demand. Customers now expect integrated solutions that go beyond printing to include communication and collaboration tools.
Expanding into AV technology helps copier dealers:
- Generate recurring revenue with service and maintenance contracts.
- Build stronger customer relationships by offering more solutions.
- Adapt to changing workplace and education trends with flexible AV options.
- Stand out from competitors focused only on print.
- Target the same decision-makers purchasing AV and copiers.Tyler Ebnet, with Revenueify, helps Copier Dealers implement the 5 Steps for Copier Dealers to Jumpstart Their AV Business
Jump into the 5 Steps for Copier Dealers to Jumpstart Their AV Business
1. Start with Strategic Revenue Assessment to prepare your Copier Dealership
Jumping into AV without a clear strategy can lead to costly mistakes. Before venturing into this new market, it’s essential to evaluate your organization’s readiness. That’s where Revenueify’s AIM comes in.
Key benefits of the AIM Assessment:
- Identify capability gaps to determine your strengths and weaknesses in adopting AV sales.
- Align your go-to-market strategy with current AV market demands.
- Shift to consultative sales to focus on customer outcomes rather than transactional selling.
- Build a strategy for recurring revenue growth, ensuring predictable long-term profits.
This data-driven assessment provides a customized roadmap to guide copier dealers in making a seamless and profitable transition into the AV industry. The process delivers a clear, actionable plan to help you quickly get started with these solutions.
2. Join an Industry Organization
Entering the AV market requires in-depth knowledge, training, and industry connections. Partnering with the National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA) provides copier dealers with the necessary support and resources to succeed.
What NSCA offers:
- Access to AV-specific business and operational tools.
- Training programs and leadership development events tailored to AV businesses.
- Market intelligence reports and licensing guides to stay compliant and informed.
- A network of experienced AV professionals to learn from and lean on.
Joining NSCA allows copier dealers to quickly overcome the learning curve, build industry credibility, and set themselves up for success in the AV market. Moreover, numerous additional partners, beyond those mentioned here, are ready to help jump-start your AV business.
3. Partner with a Managed Services Provider
AV customers demand reliability and consistent support, and a managed services model enables you to provide lasting value without requiring extensive technical expertise. CXUnify offers an innovative solution to streamline this process. Copier dealers already understand the importance of recurring services—CXUnify helps you capture this revenue effortlessly, without the need to build or hire a new service team.
Key features of CXUnify:
- CXDetect enables remote monitoring and management of AV/UC devices.
- Teleportivity and CXSupport provide concierge-style support with in-room assistance and troubleshooting.
- CXLogistics streamlines staging and deployment for large AV setups.
With CXUnify, you can seamlessly jumpstart both project delivery and the AV service aspects of your business. Effortlessly scale your operations, provide exceptional support, and build lasting client relationships. Over time, this strategy also enables you to train copier service technicians to manage more onsite calls, creating an additinal level of value for your existing service teams.
4. Use Outsourced AV Design Partners
Designing and quoting AV systems can be technically complex and time-consuming. Fortunately, you don’t need to build an internal AV engineering team to get started. AV Design Labs offers outsourced solutions to help you confidently handle AV projects.
Services provided by AV Design Labs:
- Engineering Services to turn site surveys into fully developed AV system designs.
- Drafting Services for detailed project documentation such as rack elevations and conduit layouts.
- Programming Support to deliver pre-configured control system code for streamlined deployment.
This partnership enables copier dealers to prioritize sales and strengthen customer relationships while guaranteeing the seamless delivery of high-quality AV solutions on time and within budget. Additionally, it provides a streamlined, reliable process for designing and building standardized rooms for your existing clients—without the expense of hiring a dedicated design engineer.
5. Choose a Leasing Partner That Understands AV
Leasing has long been a core revenue driver for copier dealers, but the AV industry requires a tailored approach. By partnering with an experienced AV leasing provider like TAMCO, you’re better equipped to close deals and offer customers flexible payment options.
What TAMCO provides:
- AV-as-a-Service models, bundling hardware, maintenance, and support into a single monthly payment.
- Solution Replacement Guarantees, allowing customers to upgrade outdated AV systems mid-term without penalties.
- Disaster protection guarding customers financially against the risks of natural disasters.
- The ability to include multiyear support contracts for predictable revenue.
TAMCO’s tailored leasing solutions enable copier dealers to meet customer expectations while developing a scalable, recurring revenue stream. Multi-year contracts are a valuable asset, and TAMCO is here to help you navigate the AV side of the equation with ease and expertise.
Diversify and Future-Proof Your Business
The AV market presents an incredible opportunity for copier dealers to diversify their services, achieve steady revenue growth, and build stronger customer relationships. By leveraging these 5 Steps for Copier Dealers to Jumpstart Their AV Business strategies, you could see AV Revenue in as listtle as 12 weeks. The transition to AV may seem daunting at first, but with the right approach, you can position your dealership as a leader in this high-growth industry. Start by assessing your readiness with Revenueify’s AIM Assessment, build essential partnerships, and take advantage of tools like CXUnify, AV Design Labs, or TAMCO to ensure success.
Are you ready to make your move into the future of office technology? Take the first step today- Connect with revenueify and we would be happy to provide a free 30-minute consulting session to help your dealership in jumping into the AV business.
