Lighting fixtures and lighting control can be used in a variety of ways, and savvy CE Pros can discuss benefits such as comfort, safety and security, convenience, curb appeal, energy efficiency and more.
As Adam Domurad, VP of sales for integration firm Smart Home & HiFi by Mirarchi Electric, outlines in this week’s CE Pro Podcast episode, those benefits can be addressed through outdoor lighting just as much as indoor lighting.
The Hatfield, Pa.-based integrator discusses how Coastal Source outdoor lighting – along with its outdoor audio – has been a boon to Smart Home & HiFi, especially when it comes to presenting prospects with peace of mind as a way to bolster their home’s security.
Plus, particularly in often-dark rural areas of suburban Philadelphia and surrounding Mid-Atlantic region in which Smart Home & HiFi works, being able to program landscape lighting fixtures gives customers a way to always come home to a well-lit abode.
“The first thing I like to do is I’ll find a window that’s maybe looking into their backyard. You’re bound to see something that’s just beautiful whether it’s a tree, a statue – something,” Domurad explains of the Coastal Source outdoor lighting demo process that’s worked well for the 2-year-old company.
“I’ll stand their with the client and say, ‘Man, that would look awesome if it was lit up – you know, I can light that up for you?’ Start there, and that’s what’s going to get you outside. I truly believe that the outdoor space is untapped by a lot of people, they think of it as an afterthought.”
But because of the myriad ways clients’ home investments can be served by the combination of exterior lighting and audio, for which Coastal Source specializes in, Smart Home & HiFi by Mirarchi Electric has done well to tap into the outdoors.
For outdoor lighting, the variety of Coastal Source fixtures enables the integrator to cover the home, pathways, driveways, steps, landscape features and more. Domurad finds the safety and security message particularly compelling for customers.
“Knowing that your house is illuminated front to back, on all sides, there’s no dark spots anywhere just makes people feel comfortable about being out there,” he says. “And it will help your surveillance system as well because if you throw some light out there, now the camera images look better too, so there’s a lot of benefits to doing it from a security standpoint.”
When it comes to adding outdoor audio, Domurad notes that he’ll have customers think back to their memorable music experiences and that feeling of attending outdoor concerts resonates, and Coastal Source’s bollard speakers offer an ideal solution. “It’s some version of that [concert going] story. If you can deliver and turn somebody’s backyard into that experience, you’ve just opened the door so [customers] have another place to go … going outside, it’s something special,” he says.
Domurad also talks about how the integration company has been able to successfully connect with potential customers, relying heavily on word-of-mouth referrals and engaging in social media to show what’s possible in an outdoor lighting and audio project today.
“[With our videos it’s] people seeing them and saying, ‘Wow, that is beautiful, I want that too,’ so that is very helpful. Dealers, promote on social media, get your pictures, your jobs out there,” he advises. “Customer testimonials – always important.”
Watch or download the podcast episode above to hear much more from Domurad including utilizing Coastal Source’s Lookbook, its van full of demo goodies, best practices for system design and installation techniques, and other support services in place for dealers using Coastal Source, plus other words of wisdom for integrators who may be just starting out in the fast-growing categories of outdoor lighting and audio.
Find past episodes of the CE Pro Podcast by subscribing to the CE Pro YouTube channel or our Apple and Spotify podcast feeds.