by KMB Communications | Apr 1, 2021 | Home Technology Association
HTA delivers valuable sales, operations, product, and networking advice from the top minds in the custom home technology industry.
Santa Monica, CA (April 1, 2021) – The Home Technology Association (HTA), the first and only third-party certification for home technology installation companies, announced today its new ‘Mind Share’ series of webinars, designed to grow and hone the integrator’s skills with carefully chosen topics that maximize business opportunities and help ensure future success.
The HTA had its first dealer webinar last August in lieu of the planned in-person dealer event that was canceled due to the pandemic. “The feedback we received from both our certified integrators and supporting brands was extremely positive, with many asking for the HTA to create more leadership webinars. This led to two more in the last quarter of 2020, and our March 3rd, 2021 webinar “Pay Yourself What You’re Worth” was another hit,” says Josh Christian, CEO of HTA. “We are excited to help our members prosper with the topics we will consider this year. These are all topics of interest to our members and reflect the HTA’s push for integrators to work more cohesively with the architect, builder, and interior design trades.”
The Mind Share series will kick off on April 21, 2021, at 2:00 PM EST with a webinar titled “You Don’t Need Leads…You Need CLOSES, Dummy!” Moderated by Jason Knott of CE Pro, this session will turn the conversation about lead growth on its head and will be the first HTA-hosted webinar that is open to all integrators.
The “You Don’t Need Leads…You Need CLOSES, Dummy!” webinar will explore the fact that many integrators are focused on getting more leads as a catalyst for growth when in reality they need to focus on their closing ratio. The discussion will include a panel of top sales closers that will share ways integrators can work smarter, not harder. HTA Certified panelists include: Ed Gilmore of Gilmore’s Sound Advice, NY; Mark Ontiveros of Audio Images, CA; Barry Schurr of Osbee Industries, NY; and Eric Thies of DSI Luxury Technology, CA. Learn more and register here.
Upcoming HTA Mind Share webinars will explore topics such as:
- April 21: “You Don’t Need Leads…You Need CLOSES Dummy!”
- May 19: “D-Cinema: The Ultimate Frontier for High-Performance Cinema”
- June 23: “Cracking the Code on How to Sell Lighting Fixtures”
- July 21: “Tips & Tricks to Make Architects Your Best Friend”
- August 18: “Tips & Tricks to Make Interior Designers Your Best Friend”
- September 15: “Tips & Tricks to Make Builders Your Best Friend”
- October 27: “How Do You Stack Up?”
HTA’s Mind Share webinar series is open to HTA Certified dealers and supporting brand members only. To become an HTA Certified dealer, apply at: htacertified.org/apply.
About the Home Technology Association
The Home Technology Association (HTA) created the first and only standard of excellence for home technology integration firms. The HTA gives the best-qualified technology integrators a prestigious certification and endorsement developed to differentiate these exceptional firms. HTA Certification is a badge of quality, designed to help homeowners get consistently first-rate technology experiences. Homeowners, builders, architects, and interior designers that hire HTA Certified integrators have peace of mind knowing they are working with truly professional firms that have passed the HTA’s rigorous, 60-point HTA certification process, which focuses on technical competency, first-rate customer service, aftercare support, and a positive business reputation. These stringent criteria were developed by industry veterans and HTA’s Board of Advisors, including top executives from Lutron, Crestron, Control4, Savant, and others. Additionally, HTA’s Supporting Brands program enables expanded outreach to architects, designers, builders, and related trade associations from leading manufacturers and service providers who support HTA’s mission of delivering exemplary technology experiences. Learn more by visiting HTACertified.org and by following the Home Technology Association (HTA) on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube & Pinterest.
All products, product names, trademarks, and registrations mentioned are the property of their respective owners, all rights reserved.
by KMB Communications | Aug 28, 2019 | Home Technology Association
Summit delivers sophisticated content to help HTA Certified technology designers from best-in-class integration firms supercharge the customer experience.
LOS ANGELES, CA and NEW YORK, NEW YORK (August 27, 2019) – The Home Technology Association (HTA), the first and only third-party certification for home technology installation companies, has put the cap on another successful ‘Best of the Best’ Customer Experience Summit this month, with bi-coastal events held in Los Angeles and more recently in New York. The Summit offers unparalleled opportunities for comprehensive next-level education for technology design firms to supercharge their customer experiences.
“The content we offered our HTA Certified members at these exclusive and carefully designed Summits is unlike anything else available at other conventions and industry events. It is for experienced integrators operating at a very high-level, designed for making seasoned veterans better at what they do,” says Josh Christian, director of certification for HTA. “It’s a fast-paced, fun event, with great takeaways to bolster our certified members’ businesses, along with extensive networking opportunities.”
Stamp of HTA Approval Drives Business
Based on comments from technology integrators attending the Summit, being an HTA Certified integrator is invaluable to their businesses. “HTA Certification is like having a stamp-of-approval that appeals to our high end clientele,” said an integrator from New Jersey.
“The Summit provides yet another benefit of being a member of HTA—quality education designed to help integrators achieve high levels of service to differentiate themselves from other integrators in the industry. The information shared by the presenters and opportunities to collaborate and network at the Summit will help us refine our business to provide our clients with an even higher level of service,” added Nick DeClemente of Elevated Integration, Armonk, N.Y.
Hosted by HTA Certified dealer Ed Gilmore of Gilmore’s Sound Advice, at his showroom in the heart of New York City, the Summit offered integrators a chance to collaborate with peers in a relaxed, comfortable environment. During breaks in the presentations, attendees were invited to experience a custom Kaleidescape demo in the private theater.
Key Takeaways from HTA’s ‘Best of the Best’ Customer Experience Summit Sessions:
Packed into the day were several informative presentations from several customer service experts. They shared with Summit attendees proven tactics to develop deeper connections and better business with their high-end clientele and subcontractors.
Building Customer Confidence
Integrator Eric Thies of DSI talked to the crowd about how clients want to trust the person they hire, and HTA certification is a trust builder that give clients confidence. “Your HTA Certification should be mentioned in every single first meeting with a client,” he advised. “It’s an amazingly effective tipping point. It changes the conversation from price to competence.”
Becoming Your Clients’ Electronics Concierge
There’s a big difference between functioning as your clients’ electronics advisor and their home electronics “concierge.” Ben Pearson, owner of BMP Lifestyle, LLC, shared with Summit attendees his experiences providing private lifestyle services to luxury homeowners. “I’m there to serve my clients in any way possible; it’s akin to having a luxury hotel experience, but in a home,” he said. “When clients return to their primary home or vacation residence, it should be as trouble-free as checking in and out of a high-end hotel.” High-end technology integrators, he advised, should provide this same level of white glove service when working with their clients. From the company uniforms to the method of communication with clients, there are a number of small refinements that can be implemented to develop greater customer service and loyalty.
Project Consultation: A Money-Making Opportunity
Dealers so often get mired in the work of designing and installing gear that they forget about the consultative part of the equation. Customers want and need your advice. In a panel discussion led by Josh Christian HTA director of certification, Scott Marchand and Andrew Southern shared their success stories as home technology consultants. “We don’t even mention product names during our discussion with clients,” offered Marchand. “We are brand agnostic and instead focus on collaborating with other trades and the customer to ensure that the end result is exactly what they envisioned.” He and Southern agreed that luxury clients find value in having a technology consultant guide them through the design and integration process. Integrators were encouraged to promote their technology design services to trade partners so they can be part of the conversation early in the project. “This is a profit center too many integrators do not take advantage of,” added Christian.
Personality Traits: Understanding Them Helps Close the Deal
Drawing from his experiences in the military and as an entrepreneur, Dan Caulfield, an executive, sales, and growth coach, described four key personality types that integrators commonly encounter and how to best communicate with each of them. It’s not just customers who integrators should strive to understand. Architects, interior designers and builders also fall into one the four personality categories: Driver, Analytic, Expressive or Amiable. Depending on who you are dealing with, modeling your mode of communication for that particular personality style will cause less friction and better outcomes, Caulfield said.
Service: Don’t Give it Away
“Service has evolved into a modern operation of a dealer’s business,” remarked Joey Kolchinsky, founder and CEO of OneVision Resources. During his presentation, which focused on delivering and charging a fair rate to clients for post-installation services, Kolchinsky shared OneVision’s business model and advice on selling service contracts to luxury homeowners. OneVision divides service into several tiers, which provides clients with options and integrators with a path for upselling customers who start with basic service plans to more comprehensive coverage. He advised integrators interested in implementing a similar plan develop a dedicated, fully trained service department to offer the type of customer service clients want. Kolchinsky also established the importance of creating boundaries for clients so the integrator stays in charge of setting his client expectations instead of losing control of his business by having to manage several different client requests.
A Word from the Sponsors
Shorter presentations from some of the Summit sponsors were also on the agenda. Sharing news about their businesses were Access Networks, Kaleidescape, Sonance, Crestron, AudioControl, Savant, and OneVision Resources. Other sponsors of the event included CINEAK and One Firefly.
HTA Certified residential technology design and integration pros are a highly differentiated group of firms who have been rigorously vetted to ensure the best possible experience for homeowners and the trade partners who support and serve them. To highlight the work done by these firms, a new hashtag and related social media campaign are launching in conjunction with the HTA Best of the Best Customer Experience Summit. #HireHTA will showcase, celebrate, and illustrate HTA Certified technology design firms and give trades and consumers a better way to recognize the benefits of hiring an HTA Certified firm.
Learn more about the HTA and the HTA Best of the Best Customer Experience Summit by visiting HTACertified.org and by following the Home Technology Association (HTA) on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, Instagram, Houzz and Pinterest. As of Aug. 23, 2019, there are 189 HTA-Certified firms in the U.S. and Canada. A list of certified companies can be viewed by clicking here.
About the Home Technology Association
The Home Technology Association (HTA) was formed to create a preeminent standard of excellence for the Custom Installation (CI) industry. HTA Certification is a rigorous-to-achieve standard that homeowners, builders, architects, and interior designers can rely on to find the very best residential technology integrators for their projects. Technology integrators who have passed the demanding 60+ point vetting process that focuses on exemplary customer service and aftercare support and a positive business reputation will be HTA Certified and recognized as part of an elite group of dedicated, highly skilled firms. The stringent criteria were developed by industry veterans, which were refined by the HTA Board of Advisors, which includes top executives from Sony, Lutron, Crestron, Control4, Savant, and more.
The mission of the Home Technology Association is to raise the bar in the CI industry by giving exceptional integrators a prestigious third-party endorsement they can use to differentiate their offering and ultimately, win more projects. Not only does this drive more business to the integration community, it also helps ensure consumers have consistently great technology experiences. The result will be a dramatic transformation of the reputation and overall presence of the integration community and those who serve it. Learn more by visiting HTACertified.org and by following the Home Technology Association (HTA) on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Houzz and Pinterest.
All products, product names, trademarks and registrations mentioned are the property of their respective owners, all rights reserved.
Media Contact
For interviews or media tours please contact Katye (McGregor) Bennett of KMB Communications by phoning (425) 328-8640 or emailing [email protected].
by KMB Communications | Aug 5, 2019 | Home Technology Association
Summit delivers sophisticated content to help best-in-class integration firms supercharge the customer experience
Santa Monica, CA (Aug 2, 2019) – The Home Technology Association (HTA), the first and only third-party certification for home technology installation companies, will be conducting its ‘Best of the Best’ Client Experience Summit this month, with bi-coastal events in Los Angeles and New York. The summit offers unparalleled opportunities for sophisticated next-level education that allow technology design firms to supercharge their customer experiences. The events will be held August 8th in Los Angeles and August 14th in New York City.
“The content that we are offering our HTA Certified members at this exclusive and carefully designed Summit is unlike anything else available at other conventions and industry events. It is for experienced integrators operating at a very high-level, designed for making seasoned veterans better at what they do,” says Josh Christian, director of certification for HTA. “This will be a fast-paced, fun event, with great takeaways to bolster our certified members’ businesses, along with extensive networking opportunities.”
HTA’s ‘Best of the Best’ Client Experience Summit Sessions include:
How the Montage Does It – Ben Pearson
A trainer for the Montage, an amazing luxury hospitality brand with a loyal client base, will teach HTA Certified members how to get their staff to deliver the ultimate concierge customer experience and deliver high-touch customer service to inspire client loyalty.
Delivering a Luxury Experience to Trade Partners to Inspire Loyalty – Josh Christian
Find out what trade partners really think of our industry. In this no-holds-barred panel, technology design firms will discover what their shortcomings are as an industry and how to create loyal industry partners through amazing customer experiences. This session will not be for the faint-hearted.
Understanding the Client’s Point Of View
Learn from a top-tier estate manager / owners’ rep what clients really want, what their fears are and how you can change your process—from first meeting to move-in—to win more projects through better client experiences.
Fine-Tuning Your Customer Experience – Ben Pearson
Your clients have been spoiled by amazing luxury brands with deep pockets and innovative brands like Amazon that create great customer experiences. How do you think out of the box to deliver the best customer experience possible from initial meeting to after-sale support? How can you leverage a superior client experience to win more projects and charge more than your competitors?
What Your Clients Expect After the Sale – Joey Kolchinsky
What experiences do your clients get from other luxury brands? What are their minimum expectations? How do you meet and exceed their expectations for after-sale service and support?
HTA Success Stories
Find out how the best dealers are getting incredible ROI from their certification and how to best leverage your elite standing to close more projects and win over more industry partners.
HTA Certified residential technology design and integration pros are a highly differentiated group of firms who have been rigorously vetted to ensure the best possible experience for homeowners and the trade partners who support and serve them. To highlight the work done by these firms, a new hashtag and related social media campaign are launching in conjunction with the HTA Best of the Best Client Experience Summit. #HireHTA will showcase, celebrate, and illustrate HTA Certified technology design firms and give trades and consumers a better way to recognize the benefits of hiring an HTA Certified firm.
Learn more about the HTA and the HTA Best of the Best Client Experience Summit by visiting HTACertified.org and by following the Home Technology Association (HTA) on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
About the Home Technology Association
The Home Technology Association (HTA) was formed to create a preeminent standard of excellence for the Custom Installation (CI) industry. HTA Certification is a rigorous-to-achieve standard that homeowners, builders, architects, and interior designers can rely on to find the very best residential technology integrators for their projects. Technology integrators who have passed the demanding 60+ point vetting process that focuses on exemplary customer service and aftercare support and a positive business reputation will be HTA Certified and recognized as part of an elite group of dedicated, highly skilled firms. The stringent criteria were developed by industry veterans, which were refined by the HTA Board of Advisors, which includes top executives from Sony, Lutron, Crestron, Control4, Savant, and more.
The mission of the Home Technology Association is to raise the bar in the CI industry by giving exceptional integrators a prestigious third-party endorsement they can use to differentiate their offering and ultimately, win more projects. Not only does this drive more business to the integration community, but it also ensures consumers have consistently great technology experiences. The result will be a dramatic transformation of the reputation and overall presence of the integration community and those who serve it. Learn more by visiting HTACertified.org and by following the Home Technology Association (HTA) on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
All products, product names, trademarks and registrations mentioned are the property of their respective owners, all rights reserved.
Media Contact
For interviews or media tours please contact Katye (McGregor) Bennett of KMB Communications by phoning (425) 328-8640 or emailing [email protected].
by KMB Communications | Apr 30, 2018 | AV Industry News
Savant has launched a new Ambassador Program, designed to identify and recognize integration firms for their knowledge and proficiency across key Savant product categories. Savant Ambassadors are also recognized for their supportive role leading to product design enhancements and evaluating new technologies, including participation in Savant’s extensive beta program.
The Savant Ambassador Program officially kicks off this month with a redesign of savant.com, where homeowners and building professionals can search for a Savant Ambassador near them.
Along with Savant’s renowned control platform, integrators have been adopting solutions from Savant such as audio and video distribution, high-performance Artison loudspeakers, remotes and user interfaces such as TrueImage, lighting, shades, climate control and energy management. In addition to being highlighted on savant.com for their depth of experience across these categories, Savant Ambassadors will also receive the highest level of support from Savant, including early access to new products and software as well as priority technical assistance.
Additionally, Savant Ambassadors will receive one year of HTA certification dues. Integrators can apply for HTA Certification at https://htacertified.org/apply.
“HTA Certification provides a much needed independent vehicle for custom integrators to distinguish themselves from the competition,” stated Savant EVP JC Murphy. “We are pleased to offer this benefit to Savant integrators that have committed to demonstrating the full spectrum of Savant technologies to their clients.”
“We are excited that Savant is offering one year of certification fees to HTA Certified Savant dealers as a benefit to their Ambassadors,” stated Josh Christian, director of certification for the Home Technology Association. “It is a clear display of confidence that their top-tier integrators meet the gold standard of HTA Certification. This investment that Savant is making in their dealer’s success is a win-win for the entire channel.”
Ed Gilmore, principal at Gilmore’s Sound Advice, added, “As long-time evangelists for the Savant brand, it is particularly rewarding to know that Savant is leading the charge with innovative, best-in-class hardware and software solutions as well as encouraging HTA certification for integrators. We believe the relationship with our most important vendor should be a two-way street and we salute Savant in rewarding top dealers with the Ambassador program.”
Matt Milstein of M2 Multimedia Inc. said that he’s excited to be among the first selected to participate in the Savant Ambassador program. “Savant has always taken the lead with best-in-class products and software, and the Ambassador program is clearly a preeminent dealer support initiative.”
Articles also appears on Residential Systems
by KMB Communications | Jan 31, 2018 | Home Technology Association
Home Technology Association Certification Badges Help D-Tools Users Win Business
D-Tools users can now add HTA Certification badges to bids and other documentation in D-Tools’ System Integrator software to help their integration firms stand out from the competition
Santa Monica, CA (January 30, 2018) – The Home Technology Association (HTA)—the first independent organization to empower homeowners in technology purchases, recognize exceptional businesses, and offer a rigorous third-party certification process— today announced the new partnership with D-Tools, Inc., the worldwide leader in data-driven system integration software. The partnership between the two companies adds HTA Certification badges to documentation produced via the D-Tools System Integrator (SI) platform, helping integration firms stand out from the completion and increase profitability.
D-Tools users will now be able to add HTA Certification badges showing their certification level on proposals and other documentation generated in D-Tools. This adds credibility to HTA-Certified integration firms’ bids, helping them stand out from the crowd and win more bids. Prospects will be reminded, right at the crucial time they are making their buying decision, that a home technology firm has been vetted by industry experts and peers and is well-qualified to handle the proposed project.
“We support HTA’s effort to raise the bar for industry standards through its’ certification program,” said Randy Stearns, CEO of D-Tools. “Recognizing HTA Certification through branded documentation helps communicate a high level of proficiency and professionalism to partners and clients.”
All three certification level badges—Estate, Luxury, and Foundation—are available to display on documentation using the D-Tools System Integrator software. These badges indicate that technology integrators have passed HTA’s demanding 60+ point vetting process that focuses on an integrator’s technical ability, solid customer service and aftercare support, and positive business reputation.
“This is a great alliance for HTA as D-Tools has more than 5,000 customers using the software,” says HTA Director of Certification Josh Christian. “Consumers, architects, builders, and interior designers love what the Home Technology Association stands for. Having the HTA Certified logo on D-Tools documentation reminds these folks that they are dealing with an elite firm…a company that has a proven history of giving clients excellent technology experiences. HTA Certification has teeth, and certified firms are gaining the respect they deserve. Having the HTA Certified logo on such key documents is sure to help certified integrators win more projects.”
About the Home Technology Association
The Home Technology Association (HTA) was formed to create a preeminent standard of excellence for the Custom Installation (CI) industry. HTA Certification is a rigorous to achieve standard that homeowners, builders, architects, and interior designers can rely on to find the very best residential technology integrators for their projects. Technology integrators who have passed a demanding 60+ point vetting process that focuses on solid customer service and aftercare support, and a positive business reputation will be HTA Certified and part of an elite group of dedicated, highly skilled firms. This stringent criteria was developed by industry veterans and refined by the HTA Board of Advisors, which includes top executives from Sony, Lutron, Crestron, Control4, Savant, and more.
The mission of the Home Technology Association is to raise the bar in the CI industry by giving exceptional integrators a prestigious third-party endorsement they can use to differentiate their offering and ultimately, win more projects. Not only does this drive more business to the integration community, but it also ensures consumers have consistently great technology experiences. The result will be a dramatic transformation of the reputation and overall presence of the integration community and those who serve it. Learn more by visiting HTACertified.org and by following the Home Technology Association (HTA) on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
About D-Tools, Inc.
D-Tools, founded in 1998 and based in Concord, California, is a worldwide leader in accessible, highly accurate system design and documentation software platform. The company’s flagship product, System Integrator™ (SI), is a robust solution that utilizes Autodesk® AutoCAD and Microsoft® Visio to facilitate comprehensive system design, documentation and project management. D-Tools enables residential and commercial integrators to streamline business processes and increase revenues while reducing the time and cost associated with the installation and integration of low voltage electronic systems. More than 5,500 leading companies in 87 countries currently use the award-winning D-Tools platform to reduce time, costs and to streamline the system integration process. Product updates and related information can be obtained by following D-Tools on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
All products, product names, trademarks and registrations mentioned are the property of their respective owners, all rights reserved.
Media Contact
For interviews, please contact Katye (McGregor) Bennett of KMB Communications, Inc. by phoning (425) 328-8640 or emailing [email protected].
D-Tools Media Contact
D-Tools: Tim Bigoness, D-Tools, Inc., (925) 270-4102, [email protected]
