CE Profile of Excellence: Jon Lancaster, Smarthomes Chattanooga

Each week, we aim to provide an informative - yet colorful - profile of one of your fellow CE pros.

If you had to use Twitter to describe what your company does (140 character limit), what would you write?
We get technology to work together in dynamic and easy-to-use solutions, enhancing our clients' lives. Audio, Video, Simplified.

After you complete a project, what do you think your typical client tells his friend about the experience?
We thrive off of referral business, and we find that many of our clients tell their friends that we were easy to work with, highly knowledgeable, and extremely reliable. We'd like to think that when they chose us, they made the best decision regarding their home since they chose to buy it!

What can CE pros learn from your company that might help run their business better?
We feel we have reached the modest levels of success that we have due to our processes. We have sales processes, installation processes, and business processes that we follow, day in and day out, that help us stay on top of our work. We do not deviate from the processes that we have developed, and this helps us to find issues with installations faster and more efficiently.

In addition, by following our processes, we find inefficiencies in those processes over the course of time, allowing us to gradually modify them to be as efficient as they can be. By selling in a certain way each time, it sets the stage for our success on the install. By installing a certain way each time, it sets the stage for our success for legacy and follow ups. And by doing business a certain way, it sets the stage for our continued profitability and longevity.

What trade tip (installation or business) can you offer your fellow CE pros?
I would encourage fellow CE members to potentially limit their brand offering, and stick to a core group of brands that you do know very well. By choosing a great brand and sticking with it on our entire installation, we only have to tell one story to the client. It shows a commitment to quality, and it allows us to get better when it comes to installing that brand. If you bounce all over the market with all manner of different brands, you will never become a true expert.

What's the wildest request you've ever had for an installation?
I had a client ask me to try and design some way for him to remotely monitor a water meter that was malfunctioning. It was reporting wrong to the neighborhood, and it was almost a mile from his house. That was pretty wild. We also have a client with 32 zones of HD video distribution, all controlled by Control4, all sharing all sources. Not terribly wild, but a huge system, and one that we reliably installed, despite its size.

What is your 3D strategy and do you think it will live up to the hype?
Our 3D strategy will follow the gaming aspects of the technology at first. The home video aspects are cool, to be sure, but there is just not enough material for customers to get excited about at the moment. 3D gaming, however, is coming at a much rapider pace, and delivers a real 'wow' experience, even for non-gamers. Gaming is a $10 billion a year industry, and we realize that it is a large portion of our clients who enjoy it. We already have a Game Room in our showroom, and the PS3 is already 3D-capable.

What is your absolute favorite piece of audio demo material?
I find I do very little music-based demonstrations these days, and typically, my demos end with an exciting passage in my showroom's theater. If someone wants a music demo, I will usually queue up the DTS CDs of Dark Side of the Moon or Herbie Hancock's Headhunters. But when I want to get a 'wow' from my clients, I turn to some of these movies:

Heat: Bank Heist/Shootout: This track has incredible dynamics and space. The gunshots sound incredibly real, and are accentuated by real echoes from the buildings. There is no music at first, and the new Blu-ray really shines as the one to have and use. Dynamic punch, hard hitting bass, huge use of surrounds, and a flawless mix make this one to have.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World: First Attack: In my opinion, this is one of the finest 'sounding' films ever created. From the subtle water lapping the hull of the ship during quiet passages, to the cannonballs from the French ship tearing through the decks of the British vessel, this film is incredibly immersive. And I have seen more than one person look above and behind them when the footsteps of the sailors are pounding around on the above decks.

What is your absolute favorite piece of video demo material?
I am a huge movie buff, and this makes it hard to decide on one specific piece of everything I use. Some great favorites, all Blu-ray:

Avatar: This film has pretty much redefined (in my mind) what color and detail can be on a Blu-ray. Amazing color depth, amazing definition, and a nearly flawless transfer.

The Dark Knight: The chase sequence in the underground tunnel, which was filmed in IMAX, is an amazing piece of film. It has dark inky blacks, and tons of detail. Great, powerful soundtrack to boot.

Super Speedway: The racing sequence when Michael Andretti joins his father Mario out on the track in the Indy car. It is a breathtaking scene, and brings someone into the car, even without 3D. The movie was originally IMAX, and the detail really shines.

What is something about you that most people don't know?
I played ice hockey for much of my life, I went to Space Camp, I play the drums, and I own three pugs – Emma, Marcus, and Jake.