One idea a week for dealers who still do every part of the job.
What this blog is for, and why it sticks to one idea a week instead of a roundup of industry news.
ReadA new midyear report shows integrators splitting into winners and losers. Here is what that gap means for a small Control4 shop.
ReadA simple room by room checklist catches the surprises during the walkthrough, so your quote holds up and your install day stays calm.
ReadA large security trade show is heading to Atlanta. Here is what it actually means for a small Control4 dealer running real jobs.
ReadA calm answer to the Amazon question that respects the client and protects your install. It is about what happens after the box arrives, not the box itself.
ReadA phone camera is the cheapest tool on the truck. Here is the short list of shots I take before the drywall crew covers my work.
ReadA keypad with too many buttons stops being a light switch and becomes a puzzle. Here is how I decide what stays and what goes.
ReadMost callbacks are small things we could have caught before we drove away. This is the short lap I take through every house before I pack the truck.
ReadBuilders do not want a system diagram. They want a handful of decisions in writing, early enough to act on. Here is what to hand them.
ReadClients do not hate paying for changes. They hate being surprised. Here is how I write a change order that stays friendly.
ReadA scene name is the only instruction manual most clients will ever read. Use their words, not ours.
ReadA keypad in the wrong spot is worse than no keypad. Walk the house the way the family will, then put it where their hand already goes.
ReadLabels are a note to a stranger, and half the time that stranger is you. Here is what gets labeled on my jobs and how.
ReadEvery shop has one job a year that eats the whole year. Here is how I spot them early and turn them down without burning the bridge.
ReadSlow Wi-Fi is almost never the internet plan. Here is what it usually is, and how I explain it without making the client feel dumb.
ReadHalf the rooms in a new house change purpose before move-in. Here is the small package of wire I put in every undecided room.
ReadClients are not comparing prices as much as we think. They are trying to figure out who understood the job. Write the proposal that shows it.
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