EP 01: Philip ONeal On Earning Trust In High School Sales The AV-Tech Playbook podcast

EP 01: Philip ONeal on Earning Trust in High School Sales

10d ago 46:30

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In this inaugural episode of the AV Tech Playbook, we sit down with Philip ONeal—2024 Texas High School Athletic Director of the Year, Hall of Honor inductee, and former THSADA President. With over 30 years of experience managing athletics across multiple districts, Philip shares what vendors must know before entering the high school space. From confusing procurement paths to how trust actually gets built, this episode gives AV/IT professionals a front-row seat to the decision-making process behind tech upgrades in public school athletics. A must-watch for anyone selling into the K-12 market.

Resources:

Learn more about VenueTech Connect: https://venuetechconnect.com/
Connect with Greg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-stocker-42737a15/
Connect with Philip: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-oneal-7259047b/

Timecodes:

00:00 – Welcome and guest introduction
00:50 – High school vs. college procurement structure
02:17 – Who really makes decisions in school districts
05:07 – How vendors should approach new districts
06:58 – Life on the vendor side: what changed
08:07 – Do coaches influence tech decisions?
09:24 – Small vs. large district leadership dynamics
10:09 – Understanding buying co-ops and ByBoard
12:26 – Top technology pain points for ADs
13:34 – Who you're really selling to (hint: not the board)
15:11 – Vendor role in bond planning and sales
17:13 – The “keeping up with the Joneses” effect
18:47 – Why there’s rarely a tech replacement budget
21:19 – The need for better asset management tools
22:44 – What ADs wish they knew earlier about tech
25:55 – Are school tech budgets shrinking?
27:23 – Why this market is so hard to navigate
30:20 – The importance of vendor relationships
33:16 – Who hires consultants and why
36:13 – Vendors as consultants: how trust is built
38:08 – Case study: gear vendors as trusted advisors
40:10 – Would you ever buy from someone you didn’t know?
41:21 – THSADA’s role in facilitating vendor access
43:10 – Regional meetings and sponsorship opportunities
45:23 – Final thoughts and closing remarks