Smart technology has evolved at a progressive rate. Has your business followed the trend? When smart products first took off they were only found in high-end homes. Now, smart technology is part of Main Street America and lives in many of our everyday household products. Whether you serve the young professional, the two-kids-one-dog family, or the empty nesters, smart technology is becoming an integral part of the American home — and the HVAC community.
Most homeowners understand and enjoy the basics of smart technology — controlling their thermostat from their cell phone or automatically adjusting their home temperature based upon their proximity to their homes. These same people may not be ready to pay for the totally connected home yet. They want products that do a little more than previous generations, and they need help in finding those products that are smart and innovative, yet not overwhelming. This is the opportunity for the HVAC community.
There are tons of opportunities for smart HVAC products. Each of them offering a chance to add a little more “smartness” to the home. The challenge is in understanding the current “smart landscape” and learning how it can positively impact the HVAC professional’s business.
One way to navigate the path is to find a partner who not only offers the innovative products, but also has a firm grasp of the HVAC industry. To upsell products and services, education and training is required. A good partner will bear the brunt of this and ensure that the HVAC professional does not double as the household IT staff! The right partner will offer quick, easy training on products, video support and even live call center support to help sales pitches and installations, giving HVAC professionals the comfort level needed to be successful.
A good partner will provide smart products that deliver ease on the job. HVAC professionals want to work with smart products that are easy to install. For instance, a thermostat should still install like a thermostat, with or without a C-wire and smart or not. Taking advantage of the products’ smart features should be simple to explain and you want to avoid products with a steep learning curve resulting in multiple callbacks. HVAC professionals need to be confident in their knowledge of the connected home, solidify their value to the homeowner, and look for more opportunities to work with the homeowner.
As homeowners begin to explore smart products, they will have a lot of questions. Let’s make sure they turn to their trusted HVAC professional first. Simplifying the technology will open the door for long-term relationships, but not having a firm understanding of the technologies will quickly close them.
