BLOG

Think Like a Salesman

As we grow closer and closer to living in a Jetsons-like world from the popular futuristic cartoon where almost any modern convenience is just a push of a button away, it’s easy to get swept up in every new device and gadget that hits the market. Maybe, just maybe, your wife or girlfriend has gotten so accustomed to your fleeting fascination with the latest “it” technology that they’ve been rolling their eyes at talk of opting in on a smart home system. But here’s the thing, home automation is here to stay and, as you’re already well aware, its benefits go far beyond impressing your friends or engaging a new trend.

So how do you convince your better half that transitioning your abode into a smart home is worthy of your financial investment? Practice this practical and impossible-to-dispute pitch.

Design Aesthetics

The pitch: Do you want to have a home that makes your friends jealous?

Nothing kills a well-conceived interior design more than a bunch of unsightly wires. They’re tricky to cover up and you could find yourself strategically arranging your floor plan and décor just to keep them hidden instead of creating the space you really desire. By integrating a smart home control system into your space, you can nix many of those bulky eyesores, and in turn gain the ability to control electronics and appliances from the convenience of a single touchpad.

Those catalog-worthy rooms in which wires and cords don’t seem to exist could potentially be recreated in your own home. Think of the possibilities! And with the smart home industry on a path to reach $71 billion in revenue by 2018 (according to a study by Juniper Research), you can feel comfortable knowing you’re not alone in jumping on the smart technology bandwagon.

Entertaining Made Easy

The pitch: With a home automation system, you’ll have less to do and worry about, and more time to just enjoy yourself.

When your’s is the house where everyone congregates for casual gatherings and special occasions, it creates a sense of warmth and happiness in your living environment. Entertaining is made easier when your home is designed to help do some of the work for you. Switch up the lighting, turn on the music, lower or raise window coverings, and adjust the climate to suit your needs and fit the mood with just a tap or two of an inconspicuous device. Turning on a movie for the kids in the den or regulating the temperature of the pool can be done without ever leaving the conversation in which you’re currently engaged. There’s a lot to be said for not having to run around the house to make these things happen, and having more quality time with your friends and family.

Bye, Bye Bulky Equipment

The pitch: Remember how good it felt when we upgraded the kitchen to stainless steel? Imagine upgrading our whole home.

If improved aesthetics is something your better half is bound to find attractive, you can also play up the fact that updated equipment is sleeker and more refined than previous incarnations of technology you may already own. Not only can you integrate smart devices that are smaller, more compact, and, quite frankly, better looking, they’re faster, more effective, and easier to design into a room (if you have to factor them in at all). When technology can seamlessly blend into a space to the point where it’s hardly noticed, you’ve reached a whole new level of smart home.

Smart Savings

The pitch: What would you say if I told you this getting this can actually save us money?

On any given day, you might find yourself faced with costs you just weren’t anticipating, which may make your significant other hesitant to devote any part of your savings toward upgrading to home automation. Her argument may even be that you’ve lived without smart appliances for decades; you can survive that way for a few more. But ask her to think about a time before smart phones. When the convenience of the internet and ability to do things like deposit a check from the palm of your hand wasn’t a possibility. That precious little phone saves you time, which in turn saves you money.

Now consider that with home automation technology you can control your appliances, lighting, and temperature from that same device remotely when you’re thousands of miles away. Ultimately, the savings here can be huge when you consider that you can minimize utility bills by ensuring the thermostat is turned down and all of the lights and electronics are turned off while you’re away. Then simply prep the home for your return with a single touch, so by the time you step inside everything is set to exactly how you like it.

Safe Space

The pitch: I just feel a lot better knowing you’re safe.

Some people have the ability to leave the house without a care in the world, confidence that everything that needed to be turned off has been, and that the last person out solidly locked up before they left. Then there is the rest of us. When you’re in a mad scramble for that morning school carpool or simply to get to work on time, things happen and everyday tasks get overlooked. But with a smart home, the peace of mind you’ll feel knowing that, if you have to, you can lock your doors from afar, is basically worth its weight in gold.

A home automation system not only provides the ability to make sure the doors are locked, the lights are off and the windows are closed from virtually anywhere at any time. It also offers the option of smart home surveillance for real time monitoring of everything from who is knocking on your front door to whether or not a package was left by a delivery person in your absence. Feeling safe in and outside of your home is important, and impossible to place with a price tag.

Remember…

While it isn’t discussed in detail here, it’s also important to note that creating a smart home isn’t nearly as costly or as difficult as it might initially seem. Installments and updates can be made fairly swiftly, and intuitive technology will actually make your house, condo or apartment feel more like home, no Rosie the Robot required.