Sonance offers a way to demonstrate
the power of discreet design and up-sell in the process. Habitech’s Timmi F. explains
the whys and the wows…
It’s no coincidence that Sonance is the
biggest selling brand of premium CI speakers in the US. Neither is it a fluke
that experienced custom installers on this side of the Atlantic are switching
to Sonance. The brand’s been canny in evolving its proposition from pure sound
quality to performance of a different kind – one which is dedicated to
preserving the integrity of room design.
The new approach, dubbed ‘Degrees of
Invisibility’ (DOI), has proved to be highly motivational for installers and
their customers, because very coherently it helps to demonstrate the art of
custom installation. By degrees, from smaller high performance models, through
narrow-bezel speakers and completely flush trim-less designs, to the eponymous
‘Invisible’ speaker range, Sonance provides a structured upgrade path to
complete concealment. Four simple steps: four convincing arguments for upgrade
and up-selling. If you’re custom installer, Degrees of Invisibility gives you a
way to explain the value of your work to interior designers and home owners,
and most importantly, a means to generate more margin from any job.
Sonance
offers a way to demonstrate the power of discreet design
Cereal Thrillers
We took the idea to Cornflake’s Gary Lewis.
Over the last year Cornflake has been using Sonance in more installations
because of the brand’s wide product portfolio which offers ideal speakers for a
range of indoor and outdoor challenges high build and sound quality, no
internet sales and good margins. But what really made the difference to
Cornflake was the Degrees of Invisibility philosophy. “We’re speaking their
language when we can engage clients with a brand that takes design seriously”
said Gary; “If we ask the same questions about the choice of speakers as we
would about a kitchen design, then we get a much better response. Sonance’s
Degrees of Invisibility idea is an imaginative re-working trusted script, but
rather uniquely, it does give us the platform to demonstrate what we mean”.
We
get clients to the show room and have some music playing in the background on
the IS speakers
Gary has taken advantage of the demo deal
offered by Habitech, which includes the Invisible Series speakers. “We get
clients to the show room and have some music playing in the background on the
IS speakers. They’re really amazed when the sound springs magically from the
wall and immediately we’re talking about different design solutions and not
just normal ceiling speakers. IS gives them the ‘wow’ experience, which they
remember”.
By leading with the design angle,
demonstrated by Sonance, Cornflake can present a compelling argument for
up-sales, and also be rewarded for their time. As Gary says: We don’t install
Invisibles everywhere, but with a single pair, we grow the bottom line as much
as we would selling five pairs of normal speakers”.
Degrees of Ingenuity
Cornflake is using a Degrees of
Invisibility panel, which works as a great visual tool to highlight the design
options available and their effect in-wall and in-ceiling. Starting with the
conventional but versatile Original Series with its standard bezel, the viewer
moves to Sonance’s Visual Performance Series speaker, which, with only 5mm of
trim, offers a clean, sleek appearance that integrates seamlessly with any
designed space. Next comes the vanishingly subtle Architectural Series speaker:
completely flush, zero bezel, providing the perfect complement to flush
lighting schemes; and finally the ultimate in wow-generating technology, the
Invisible Series: a totally concealed speaker design, which delivers
astonishing sound from walls and ceilings – at once everywhere and nowhere.
Sonance’s
Visual Performance Series speaker
The panel is completely portable and
supplied with its own carry-case, so custom installers are able to take it to
clients to talk through the concept. Recently, Cornflake took the DOI board to
a client meeting and finalized a plan for all the speakers in a large
installation at one sitting, providing a mix of designs including Invisibles in
the pool area and dining room and Architectural Series Z4s in other areas. The
interior designer wasn’t happy with standard flush speakers because they could
not be reconciled with his vision for the space. He needed a consistently high
standard of concealment in every room. Cornflake recommended the easy-fit
4-inch Z4s for their totally flush, trim-free design in a choice round or
square grilles, their close match with the light fittings and their excellent
audio performance (yes 4-inch speakers can sound great, especially when used in
multiples).
Invisible Touch
Cornflake’s experience with Sonance shows
that high performance combined with exceptional qualities of concealment is the
perfect formula for successful up-sales and contented customers. It confirms
what anyone in CI should know already: our customers desire innovation and
simplicity, and will pay more when they see it in action. The beauty of
Sonance’s DOI approach is that it brings design ‘wow’ to the table more
convincingly than any other.
