INSTALLATION
Unlike a simple AV system,
Premier found it increasingly
difficult to explain to customers
the vast possibilities of the
smart home.
July/August 2019 | Residential Tech Today 57
what the system can do, we frame a more
engaging and educated conversation with the
customer, and that leads to the ability to upsell,
because right away they start asking for more.”
The showroom offers the same benefits to
Premier’s partners as it does to homeowners.
And being located in the Design Center allows
Premier easy access to invite interior designers,
architects, and builders into their space to
educate them on the benefits of the smart home
and to demonstrate what their clients will
experience.
“Showing them that their clients can
essentially test drive the technology before they
buy it is always well received,” Sanger added.
Being affiliated with the Indiana Design
Center also provides Premier with many
opportunities to piggyback on regular events
happening in the building, allowing for greater
exposure and occasions to educate influencers
and key potential customers that are unfamiliar
with smart technology.
Currently, The Premier Group employs 23
full-time staff, and does roughly $4 million in
business annually while completing several
hundred projects per year. In the past, their
business consisted primarily of large, high-end,
custom projects that required extreme attention
to detail and repeat touch points over an
extended period of time, which meant each job
was long, complex, and required multiple hands
on deck.
Since becoming a Control4 Certified
Showroom Dealer, however, they have leveraged
the demo vignettes to help build out packagebased
sales for a broader clientele.
“We have tweaked our demos to the point that
they are so tight and relevant, customers
immediately ask how much a particular demo
costs,” Sanger said. “We have built out different
package levels, from silver to gold right up to
fully custom and we quote off of a set of
worksheets with go-to smart lighting, locks,
shades, surveillance, and AV. Based on the size
of the home and technology asks, the