Questions to sell automation

[LightenUP]

I will say that most people now are becomming familiar with automation in their homes. However some still are a bit resistant to the concept.
What types of questions do you all use to get the interest level to rise when it comes to someone that maybe isn't sure if they really need it?
With some they may only need a few things controlled but there's so much more. How do you find their pain?
What are the hot topics for controls?
Who is mostly excited by the capabilities, husband or wife? I guess that depends on the question, safety versus esthetics.
I hope you don't mind sharing this stuff with me.

Thanks

 

[AnthonyZ]

LightenUp, I know you have UPB experience. Do you also own an HA rig that's installed and running in either your own home or your showroom? Without question, I have found that the ULTIMATE means of selling HA is by OWNING HA. If you live with it, you WILL sell it. Period. It also is a major rep saver when someone asks, "can it do _______?" By having the gear, I can bench test and avoid painful and expensive experimentation on my clients. Just my $.02 but, in all fairness, I've been making a living in the industry for about 8 years. Trust me, it works...

 

[LightenUP]

You are exactly right that I use UPB and not the rack mount whole home things that I see here. With that said the UPB system does enough for the limited installations we are into. Typically our systems are only a few devices for lighting control. The idea of increasing UPB use is why I'm trying to formulate a questionnaire for bullet point applications.
I've noticed alot of folks reading this with very little reply, I appreciate what AnthonyZ has said with living with units in operation. I do run a few things at my house but I'm small time and wouldn't benefit from a rack mount HA system.
Though if you were cold calling or were approaching someone on the topic, what type of questions do you ask to judge their interest?

 

[htsource]

I think most of the conerns around realibility. I know when I was using PC based automation, to get all zillion plugins to work, it's not an easy task and definitely not easily transferrable to customers and actually have good sleep and not worry about customers calling for support.

Now we moved and I've been using HAI, I think it has a lot of potentials and with UPB based lighting control, it should be a pretty good solution.

I know when I was showing what my system could do in the old house, everyone was amazed but I think for a lot of them, it's more of a luxury item for them. Maybe I don't have the right people But now with HAI, I have HVAC, Security and Lighting all tightly integrated, I think I can demostrate a lot easier. WebLink is nice too so I can show other people how to control the house from my PocketPC phone, as well as showing the live frontdoor camera via PPC phone. But I guess as soon as I tell them how much the system would cost, I think most of them will say "No thanks".

I really like HAI so far, I was going for ELK, but I couldn't find an installer to install the system for me. Their support is second to none - very responsive even to end customers. Just wish I can afford everything I wanted to install But it's getting there slowly.....

 

[htsource]

To answer your question directly, I guess the most pain is $$$. I guess what people needs to realize is that once the system is working well, it will do the work, not YOU!

These days, cameras seem very popular even for residential, so having a camera system integreated into the system is good. Things like a screen will automatically switch over to the doorcam whenever someone rings the doorbell. Or have easy access to retreive recorded data.

Maybe one way to sell is to start basic, once they get into it, they can't get out of it!

 

[garylm]

I think your Average Joe would be interested in knowing that he can dim the lights in his TV room or bedroom without getting out of his chair or out of bed. Show him how that can be done for less than a hundred bucks and without tearing up the house. Once he's hooked on that idea you can show him how to make his house appear lived-in while he's away for less than a hundred bucks. Give him or her a chance to get the spouse hooked on having an EASY button. Then dangle the security system, video surveillance system, and whole home integration carrots.

 

[opie]

A few questions I use in the context of a conversation:

Do you frequently have to run all over turning off lights?

Would you like to be able to turn all house lights off with one button or have it done when you set the alarm?

Is is "Green" to Heat/Cool the house when the house is empty?

Would you like to heat/cool the house before you arrive home? (A little contrary to the prior question)

Would you like to be able to adjust temperature from the comfort of your couch? (great for lazy people like me)

Wouldn't it be nice to know when your kids arrive home from school?

These are a few, just think about what you would really miss if someone took all your gadgets tomorrow. For me, I would really miss lighting control and my wife feels the same.

Also to second HTSource, cameras are a cool wow factor. I like to show clients what's going on in my front yard from my phone.

 

[Herdfan]

Husbands love the bells and whistles, but you need to convince the wives and the way to do that is SECURITY.

Show them that will never have to enter a dark house again or that a single button press can turn on all the lights in the house or turn off that one light in the basement that was left on so they don't have to go down there alone to turn it off.

 

[Ranger Digital]

Promote that its about convienience, security and lifestyle and forego pumping the coolness, trendy, jones ideas. IMO

 

[AnthonyZ]

Promote that its about convienience, security and lifestyle and forego pumping the coolness, trendy, jones ideas. IMO

No offense, Tuck but I disagree. The bulk of my referal base revolves around AV so most of my clients are all about the "cool" (ie: King Kong in the theater, whole house Zappa, etc.) I am often "in the door" with a theater or media room and adding HA on top of the sale. Just my experience...

 

[twilo123]

i have to agree with anthony, most of my interest is shown through some a/v setup where basic wireless lighting control is introduced. from there the pieces tend to be added as the customer begins to use the product and finds that they enjoy using it. kind of like going from dial up to cable or fios. once they are there they typically never want to go back.

 

[TLCNORM]

I think the approach is all in the client. Higher end homes want the WOW factor. They want to have it all and impress their friends. They just want it to work though. They are not so much into the geeky aspect of it. The people with the tighter budgets usually are more concerned with the security issues and can deal with getting off the couch to turn off the lights.

 

[Ranger Digital]

anthony no offense taken, at all. Interesting words though from you an twilo. I have just been reading too many trade rags and how often are they right? Less than half. lol. We are too new to really have a true assertion. For me, i want the WOW cool (even if no one ever sees it)

 

[AnthonyZ]

Yeah, Tuck, the trade rags have a purpose but they certainly aren't gospel. The funny thing about 'wow' and not seeing it is that the less you see, the greater the 'wow'. In other words, hide the rack, the client doesn't need to understand a matrix switch, RF remote, relay logic, etc. They just want to poop a little bit when their own home suprises them...

 

[nightwalker]

I run into two types mostly. Either the new home just being built that is easier to sell Security, maybe a couple of convenience lighting scenes or the older home where the client is looking for more of a wow factor and it does usually, like others have said, start with A/V of some sort and go from there.

The initial install must work and work really well or you will never hear from that client again for future add-ons. This not the place or time to experiment with new technologies, go with tried and true rock solid proven systems.

As much as i like the computer based automation, personally, i can't install it in a client home, it just needs to much tinkering to keep everything working all the time. Call backs to fix things will not get you referrals.