The addition of smart outdoor lighting and audio systems to a home can offer an outsized return on investment by transforming existing spaces so they can be utilized in new ways and expand the comforts of the indoors to patios, yards, and pool areas. However, it’s not always easy to imagine what an installation will deliver by looking at product catalogs or even visiting an indoor showroom.
Knowing this, Coastal Source reimagined the demo process in 2018 with the launch of our first Mobile Demo Van, which uses the client’s own property to showcase the full range of our products and capabilities and demonstrate how they can upgrade the aesthetics and experiences of their outdoor spaces.
Now, using a fleet of custom-built vans decked out with innovative outdoor lighting and audio products designed to defy the elements and enable resort-level outdoor entertainment spaces, we are helping integrators seal more deals by showing homeowners exactly how we can bring their outdoor dreams to life.
The Power of Presentation
When one of our Mobile Demo Vans shows up to a potential client’s home, it can be an exhilarating experience that leaves them saying “wow” out loud. By bringing the demo to them, including potentially mocking up a real installation in the actual space the homeowner intends to develop, we are able to go way beyond their expectations, build excitement, and even encourage them to consider grander designs to maximize their outdoor enjoyment. It also makes it easier and more convenient for the owners, so they don’t have to schedule time away from work, sit in traffic, or rearrange family obligations, ensuring they enter the demo free of stress.
Related: Weathering the Storms
While a quality showroom can illuminate how different light fixtures perform or how different speakers sound, only this kind of customized on-site showcase can provide a direct preview of the real-world results homeowners can expect. The convenience, emotional impact, and adaptability of this tactic effectively removes the pain from the sales process and has so far resulted in an astounding 98% closing rate. In the six years since we launched the program, we have expanded to 15 vans across the United States, ensuring access to our dealers and reps to help them land more contracts.
Designed For Success
Selling high-performance products like our premium outdoor light fixtures and speakers has always required a depth of knowledge and expertise that can impress the buyer. Because of this, we aim to provide a unique and intimate experience that is different for every home and homeowner. Rather than thumbing through a catalog or browsing options in a company-owned space, we can walk through their yard and show them exactly what their plans will produce, as well as introduce new ideas and possibilities. In the end, our customers’ satisfaction comes down to how well-designed the solution is.
Are the optimal light fixtures being used to accentuate shrubbery or brighten a walking path? Are speakers located in the right spot and facing the right direction to achieve the desired listening zones? Are the components appropriately hidden or located to add to the aesthetic without introducing obstructions? And is the system easy enough to control that the owners enjoy using it on a daily basis?
When the answer to all these questions is a resounding yes, customer satisfaction is virtually guaranteed. That’s why it’s so valuable that our Mobile Demo Vans provide the ability to preview final results with an on-site demo that helps ensure each design lives up to the space and the needs of the owners. Making the demo process a two-way conversation allows the professionals to more easily identify necessary design changes and opportunities, such as a hot tub needing its own lights and audio zone because that’s where the owners like to spend their nights. After all, no two people are alike, even if they live on very similar properties.
Outdoor AV Takes Center Stage
Twenty years ago the most exciting entertainment addition to homes was a flat screen TV, and ten years ago lots of people began using smart wireless speakers as smartphones became truly ubiquitous. With big, high-performance TVs and do-it-yourself wireless speakers now feeling like a standard inclusion, outdoor AV is coming into focus as the next major home zone that can benefit from new solutions and technologies.
Case Study: Adding Outdoor Audio to a Landscape Lighting Project
Lights can be automated to turn on and off based on sunlight or time of day while both lighting and audio systems can be used to create distinct entertainment zones for patios, pools, yards, walkways, and more. Homeowners considering these solutions for the first time need to be shown what they look like and how the resulting area will feel to truly understand what an expert-designed outdoor entertainment space can do for their home and family.
For professionals and homeowners alike, bringing outdoor tech experiences straight to the home before a dollar is spent is a powerfully effective way to envision the future they want and then make it a reality.
For more information, visit https://coastalsource.com.
