Dec/Jan 2019 ertonline.co.uk


The main show apartment at AWE


Connectivity is happening


whether retailers come along for the ride or not


bar and just take their money – happy days. But every other business can also do this. You’re better off showing the customer the product, but also showing them something better that’s a higher quality.


The Music Room


a few. Taking the Foundation Workshop as an example, this is a


very hands-on combination of


practical elements and people walk away with a good grounding in the market and know how to succeed. CEDIA training is extensive as well and we also run this training at our Smart Home Academy.


Q: Why is this important? ST:


For example, if somebody walks in looking at Sonos systems and you sell them five boxes then you’re making Sonos margin. That would be fine for some, but if you show them an installed multi-room audio system that meets a better standard, with hidden speakers and so on, you’ve just given yourself the opportunity to be in the customer’s home, giving them more than they thought was possible, and that can lead to all sorts.


Say you sell somebody a sound


Q: What are the elements of a smart home exactly? ST: There are plenty of connected devices nowadays, but where things get ‘smart’ is when they’re connected in a way that the solution is helping the customer without them knowing it. Where they press a button and multiple things happen; this does cost a bit more money but a lot of customers are prepared for that. ‘Smart’ is when the products actually do things for them, or make decisions for them, depending on the time of day, who’s in the building, or what task is being carried out, and this can really enhance the user experience. Say someone comes into your shop for a TV, there’s the chance to sit them down in the demo area and introduce smart TV, where they press ‘watch Netflix’ and the amps come on, giving a much better sound, the lighting dims slightly, and the window blinds come down. This is one example of what the connected home is all about and this is very possible as a retail solution. It’s a very simple thing but it’s a huge benefit to the customer – to press one button


and then multiple things happen – it’s quite impressive and that’s what a retailer needs to be offering. For a company already going out and installing washing machines and TV’s, this isn’t a much bigger stretch on resources, but additional training will be required. In-store staff need to be confident enough to demo these products properly and in my opinion every store should have expert staff, who are comfortable with the operation of all these smart products, that’s how it should be. Being “too busy to be trained” does not work – this is a short-term view and these are bigger business decisions. If these solutions are not suitable for the customer, they may walk out with the product they previously intended to buy, but at the next dinner party or social gathering, it’s a possible topic of discussion and your shop will come up and that’s how your name becomes known.


Q: What are the next steps that people should take? ST: If you have not taken any steps towards offering smart home integrated solutions, the first thing is to make the commitment to actually do something about it. Investigate fully what the opportunities are and can pick up the phone to a company like us. You have to commit to dedicating a little bit of time to understanding this sector if this is going to fit for your business. There are so many companies that have heard the message but not taken any physical steps because of one reason or another, usually over concerns about it being complicated or too expensive. I’m not saying this is for everyone, but the smart home is coming anyway and indies must remain relevant.


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