Projector-based home theater is making a comeback, but many integrators don’t have an effective sales methodology in place to capitalize on the trend.
Shawn Kelly, founder and CEO of anamorphic lens manufacturer Panamorph, has spoken with thousands of integrators over the past several decades and he has discovered several commonalities among dealers who have had success selling home theaters.
“Flat panels are getting larger, they are getting cheaper, and the margins are fading,” says Kelly. He notes that in past years, integrators could propose projection options to clients versus flat panels as a “larger image for less cost over flat panel.”
“Those days are coming to an end so we need to pivot and take a new angle, and that angle is movies,” he says. “We have sold thousands of lenses, so we know what works and what doesn’t work.”
QDEOC Sales Technique
To help integrators boost sales, Panamorph has developed an acronym to follow: QDEOC
Question – After a client has been prequalified, Kelly advises asking them this one simple question: “How important is the movie experience to you?” That question will help clients think about their own experiences of going to a commercial theater to watch movies, and Kelly says it is a good idea to let the drama of that commercial movie experience sink in with clients because it will help drive the sale.
Demo – This is simply a matter of “wowing” your clients with a great movie demo using the full A/V impact of UltraWide 4K cinema.
Educate – Kelly says it is vital to explain to customers that 80% of movies today are made in the UltraWide 2.4:1 ratio, noting that 2.35:1 ratio movies have not been made since 1972. It’s also important to point out that a 4K UltraWide home cinema actually uses almost 2 million more display pixels than what you can see in a commercial cinema.
Options – Kelly says dealers’ good/better/best UltraWide 4k theater options should always stay as projection system with projector/lens/screen models versus re-introducing a flat panel TV as a “good” option. If UltraWide 4K is the movie experience you’ve been talking about all along then make sure you’re delivering that expectation with all your options.
Close – Don’t let the client stray into thinking of a large 16:9 flat panel as an option. This is where an integrator should remind clients about how important the movie experience is to them, and why they can’t get that experience with a flat panel TV. Always come back to the movie experience since that’s what is motivating your client.
“It [QDEOC] works every time, but it is a lot different from selling big screen TV,” comments Kelly, who advises integrators to go the company’s website for more documentation that will help them show clients some of the advantages of of 4K UltraWide home theater projection.
