During the recent CEDIA EXPO in Atlanta, Control4 unveiled tools to help its dealer network with sales, marketing, installation, and business operations. From training and hardware tools to proposal management and marketing services, the Control4 Solution Provider Program recommends products and services to enhance business-management processes and increase sales for Control4 dealers.
The company also unveiled a new lead-generation service and a new dealer portal to provide easier access to tools, training, and account information.
“From initial customer awareness through post-sales support of their Control4 customer base, dealers will find a broad foundation of support for business management in the Solution Provider Program,” said Jim Arnold, VP of sales for Control4. “We want to arm our dealers not only the best product solution available, but with the tools and support they need to grow their Control4 business as well.”
The following companies have already signed on to the Solution Provider Program:
Training:
Bedrock Learning provides a comprehensive training solution designed for home technology installers, sales, customer support, and other residential technology professionals seeking to learn about this growing industry.
Hardware Tools:
CytexOne Atlas allows instant access to Control4 systems remotely from any web-enabled terminal in the world. The distributed platform enables additional levels of access for client premise devices. Dealers can initialize a service contract with the customer and earn recurring monthly revenues. The Atlas reduces ongoing appointment scheduling, on-site visits, and unbillable hours. A simple click of a button fixes many problems, cuts costs, and delivers a new level of customer satisfaction.
MetaGeek develops the award winning line of Wi-Spy spectrum analyzer tools that enable dealers to make Wi-Fi work the way it’s supposed to, taking the guesswork out of troubleshooting by graphically displaying the RF interference occurring in the airwaves.
Proposal & Project Management:
AbacusPrime SalezToolz offers sales, budgeting, and presentation software solutions that streamline business processes. Working with manufacturers, service providers and distributors, SalezToolz is able to help dealers create custom systems, packages, and single products to present to potential clients in real-time.
Simply Reliable offers a complete proposal creation, project management, design documentation and financial software for the custom integration industry. An intuitive interface leads the user through initial customer contact, the proposal process, designs and drawings, project management, labor integration and finally to accounting and billing. The Simply Reliable SmartOffice solution is the only software package to fully integrate with Control4 Composer software. This allows the dealer to create a Control4 project with one click and to automatically create a design portfolio, which includes all necessary drawings and documentation.
D-Tools offers custom installers a software package that creates fast, accurate sales proposals, and data-driven designs in either Visio or AutoCAD. In addition to plan and elevation views, line diagrams, and schematics, d-Tools helps installers with project scheduling and in tracking labor time and costs so they deliver the job on time and on budget.
Consulting Services:
BlackWire Designs is now expanding its services to include consultation, on-site training, and services, app development and driver creation. With years of experience in the custom install business and countless small, medium, and extremely large systems deployed with successful results, dealers can rely on BlackWire Designs’ expertise on everything from proper network configuration and deployment, system design review, and system design/floorplan layout to remote and on-site programming, all with 24-hour technical service and support. They offer easy-to-use plug-and-play network packages that take the guesswork out of networks, install accessories, HDMI over IP products and more.
Application Services:
Eragy’s initial services include home energy monitoring, intelligent home energy management, and smart-home system monitoring.
Control4 has also introduced a new direct-marketing program that dealers can leverage to generate leads for their businesses. The company will provide dealers with a secure data portal where they can upload contacts into a marketing database and leverage Control4 creative to email contacts and drive leads to a customized landing page. Leads are emailed directly to the dealer for follow-up, and dealers can log-in for real-time reports on their contacts and campaign results. Dealers can upload an unlimited number of contacts and subscribe to all available email programs for a $199 annual fee.
Finally, in an effort to provide comprehensive and streamlined dealer support, Control4 has also redesigned its dealer portal, making it easy to locate resources.
