How Builders & Remodelers Can Market and Sell Home Technologies
by Dallas Daniels

One of the best ways a builder or remodeler can market and sell home technologies is to learn and educate oneself about the industry and the general concept of what “home technology” is all about. Most, if not all, custom installers will be happy to come by a contractor or architect’s office or job site to present on the latest technologies and integration possibilities.

Electronic systems contractors do specialize in different areas of home integration. CEDIA has a great resource available to locate nearby companies.

Look on the bright side, with today’s market and slower economy it’s a perfect time to catch up on all those sales meetings or sales calls you couldn’t have because you were too busy a couple of months ago.

Or you can adapt and move on - as many custom installers are doing. That said, the remodel market is still strong and the trend is leaning towards more and more people upgrading their current homes than building new ones. The opportunities in retro applications have exploded due to the maturity and ubiquitous use of wireless technology. Wireless applications range from wireless door contacts for security to wireless keypads and touch panels for home integration.

Once the builder has a good idea of the different options and technologies available in new building or retro installations he or she needs to make a decision as to what level they will offer home technologies and how to profit from them. The best way to do this is to engineer a list of custom “packages” that you can offer and repeat again and again.

Partnering with a proven ESC to execute the installation and programming of the custom package is crucial to system integrity and reliability. Once you have a good working relationship with an integrator it’s time to form a partnership that works for the builder and integrator as well as the end user.

This list of “custom” packages can be as extensive as you want but it is best kept simple; the more extensive lists and packages can be too confusing. The easiest way to sell home technology is to get the client excited about it and how much better their home will be with it. If you are lucky enough to have a showroom then you know how compelling it can be to be able to give a hands-on demonstration for the technology that you are discussing.

This visualization can also be done with simple poster board and pictures and a 3 ring notebook of ideas and product spec sheets. One of the best methods to show the client full integration is to build a sample wall board that would replicate a typical wall in a home with a t-stat, humidi-stat, security key, 5-8 gang wall switch, volume control knob, and have the other side be one simple and elegant 6” color touch panel that does the work of all devices at the touch of a button!

Other items that are easy to show value in a confined space or no showroom are lighting control and keypads or motorized window treatments.

With the right approach, lots of planning and forethought, and partnering with a knowledgeable ESC, this can be a profitable time for your company.

Happy Selling!

This article is provided by Custom Electronics Design & Installation Association.

Dallas Daniels has been in professional sales for over 18 years and has worked for both large corporations such as AT&T to running his own business. During his 18+ years in sales, Dallas has served as key account sales covering large government agencies to managing a small sales force as director of sales. Currently Dallas works for Paragon Technology Group in Aspen, Colorado in sales and has been involved in large MDU systems to custom million dollar home systems. He can be reached at ddaniels@paragon-usa.com.

 

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