Chapter 1 · The Case for Audio
Why Audio
Partners skip audio more often than any other topic, but customers notice it the most. A building can have perfect lighting, heating and shading and still feel empty without sound. When you include audio well, every project you sell becomes more complete, and you earn the margin that comes with it.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Respond to a customer who says they do not need audio
- Explain to a customer what a LOXONE audio system does beyond playing music
- Present audio as multi-room music first, with the doorbell and alarm as extra benefits
The situation
You are in a meeting with a customer. The LOXONE project is planned: lighting, shading and heating. You mention audio, and the customer says "no". They do not think they need it.
You accept this and move on. The project goes ahead without audio. A few months later, the customer has speakers in the living room. They bought them from an electronics shop, and someone else installed them. You miss out on the sale, and the customer misses out on the benefits of LOXONE audio.
The mistake was accepting the first "no" from the customer. The solution is learning how to sell LOXONE audio.
Audio is more than music
A LOXONE audio system does much more than play songs. It is part of the automation, so the same speakers do jobs that the customer would otherwise buy separate products for.
A LOXONE audio system can:
- Play different music in every room
- Sound the doorbell in the zones you choose
- Play the fire, water and burglary alarms so nobody misses them
- Make targeted announcements
- Speak with multilingual text to speech
- Play automatic event sounds
One simplified installation, one configuration, and only one bill. A LOXONE audio system delivering music, doorbell, alarm and announcements across a building.
The customer buys audio anyway
Think about what happens when audio is left out of a project. The customer still needs a solution for the doorbell and the alarm - these requirements do not go disappear. Sooner or later, they also want music. A basic setup can be a significant investment, and the customer spends this money either way.
The only question is who earns it. Either you earn it, inside a project you have already won, or a shop nearby earns it and you earn nothing.
How to position audio
There is one positioning mistake that quietly kills audio sales, and it is easy to make because it feels logical. If you present audio as a doorbell or an alarm, the customer sees it as a basic utility. They compare it with a cheap single device, and you lose the sale before you start.
Instead, present it as a multi-room music system that also covers the doorbell and the alarm. Lead with the music and the experience. The safety features then come as extra benefits, and the customer buys something they want rather than something they merely need.
| Lead with doorbell or alarm | Lead with multi-room music | |
|---|---|---|
| Customer sees | A utility | An experience |
| Customer imagines | A cheap single device | Something they want at home |
| Doorbell and alarm | The main product | Extra benefits |
| Likely result | Lost sale | Easy yes |