Maverick uses YouTube videos to train resellers

Distributor's uploads offer practical help on installing Vision AV range and dismiss need for call-outs

Jon Sidwick

Audiovisual (AV) specialist Maverick is stretching its reseller resources further with the help of its first foray into Web 2.0 service YouTube.

Jon Sidwick, managing director of the C2000 division, said the homegrown videos uploaded to YouTube offer resellers practical training on its Vision AV range.

“Each [video] is two to four minutes long, taking people through installation and how to use the products,” Sidwick said. “We are going to use [YouTube] more and more. We think it is a facility that a lot of vendors would like to use.”

The videos are aimed at providing help to both resellers and customers around installations. Set-up can be demonstrated on demand ­ rather than having to talk on the phone or send a technician out.

“We would like Vision expert Stuart Lockhart to visit thousands,” said Sidwick. “We are seeing more corporate activity on YouTube.”

Gartner predicts that 60 per cent of Fortune 1000 companies will use some form of online community for customer relationship purposes by 2010.