1C. Selling the System
Selling Automated Home Theater Systems
In the past, selling a home theater system has always involved system design trade-offs.
With every profitable upgrade you sell to your customer there is a “hidden” cost to you
after the installation, which is your time.
Along with selling and installing the system, you must assume the responsibility for training
the customer to actually use the new features or enjoy the enhanced performance. The
frustration many consumers feel, even after repeated training sessions, certainly limits
referrals and sometimes leads to refunds. In any event, the time required to drill customers
so that they can reliably turn on and operate the system can be ridiculously expensive for
you and tedious for your customer. The IntelliControl enables you, the salesperson, to
design and sell absolutely automated home theater systems (systems that require minimal
training to operate and which generate repeated referrals).
In order to successfully sell the IntelliControl to consumers, you should be able to
effectively present what “Home Theater Automation” means, in terms the consumer will
understand. The following sections elaborate how the IntelliControl’s automation differs
from anything that has ever been sold and installed into a home theater at this price point.
Solving The Problems of Conventional Home Theater Operation
The IntelliControl uses a unique approach to solve the classic problems of operating a
home theater. In this section, we will take a closer look at what those problems are, and
how the IntelliControl solves them.
Problem One: Turning the System On
In a conventional system, turning on a home theater with a remote control can be so
difficult, that most people simply walk up to the equipment where they can see each
component and try to remember what needs to be done. Since most components feature
“toggle” power commands (one button which turns the component both “On” and “Off”),
you cannot simply press the power button on each of your remotes in turn or issue a
macro of many power commands from a sequencing remote or touchscreen. For
example: If you put the videotape into your VCR, it would automatically turn on, and the
act of pressing the power button on each of your remotes (or pressing the macro button on
your touchscreen) would turn on the rest of your system, but would turn off the VCR).
The IntelliControl Solution: Syncronization (Sync)
The IntelliControl’s Main System Unit is connected to all of the home theater components.
Its unique video and 12V sensing circuits enable it to actually “know” whether each
component is on or off.
When the user presses any Master Key, the IntelliControl’s microprocessor checks the
power status of each component and synchronizes the system to the end user’s desires
by issuing only the necessary power commands. No matter what their previous on or off
states, the IntelliControl will know exactly which components need to be powered up.
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