Using the appropriate documentation during the installation process can lead to many up-selling opportunities, writes Ron Callis, Jr.

Every project can be broken up into two phases: The sales phase and the construction phase. There are best practice forms of documentation that you should be using during these two phases that offer you and your client many benefits, including a higher close rate and a significant increase in customer satisfaction.

In this first article of two I will go into detail regarding sales phase documentation.

Discovery report
Definition: The discovery report summarises your understanding of the client’s needs and the expected project cost, given the project’s functional requirements and the customer’s quality preferences.

It is typical to provide the description of system functionality with a breakdown by subsystems (i.e. audio distribution, lighting control, etc.). The estimated construction cost range should represent the “all in” price.
[Common Software: Salez Toolz, Word, Excel]

Why you should use it: This is a great way to make sure that you and your client are on the same page, prior to starting the design. After the first or second meeting, you can present them with the report and review it item by item.

If there are discrepancies, you discover them earlier; rather than later. If the client feels the scope is not correct, now is the time go over those subjects again. If they feel the budget is too high, now is the time to modify scope without offering discounts. Implementing this step into your sales process will significantly increase your close rate and level of client satisfaction.

Detailed proposal
Definition: Now that you have a clear understanding of the client’s project goals, it is necessary to process that information into an output format that includes all of the cost requirements to execute the work.

The detailed proposal should have a room by room breakdown of all hardware and their associated accessories. You should also write a room functionality statement for every room, as your client will most likely not be able to interpret the hardware you have specified and infer functionality from that raw information.

The final page of the proposal should provide a summarised breakdown of all hardware cost, associated taxes, miscellaneous fees, labour fees by category: rough-in, trim, final, engineering, programming, etc. The total system price should represent all numbers added together and the client’s total commitment to purchase the system you have designed.

Why you should use it: This will save you time and money. By documenting every piece of hardware and their associated labour factors you are presenting your client with a clear and easily understood format.

Your client is not the expert, which is why they hired you, the ESC, to design and install their system. For this same reason, hardware in the proposal should not be line item priced. Your client is buying an installed and working system, not pieces and parts.

Here is an analogy that I like, “Your client is buying a meal at a restaurant, not shopping at the grocery story.” By having your client agree to system scope and an installed price, you protect yourself when the client changes their mind. When the client changes their mind or simply adds to the system, the scope has now been modified and allows for fees to cover this new work.

Device Location Drawing
Definition: This is a drawing that shows where everything is located in relation to floor plan. Take the client’s floor plan which is typically available in either PDF or DWG format and place icons on the plan that represent hardware from your design.

Go through your proposal and plan to feature all significant gear such as touch panels, keypads, TV locations, local hardware such as receivers, iPod docking stations, etc. The drawings should be formatted for large scale printing, such as Architectural D-size, so they are large and easy to see during your sales presentation to the client.
[Common Software: D-Tools, AutoCAD, Visio]

Why you should use it: These drawings are fun and make it easy for the homeowner to understand the ESC’s design approach. The sales person should roll out the page on the boardroom table or, better yet, go to their local print shop and have the drawings mounted on foam board and place them on an easel.

Using a laser pointer, the sales person can take the client room by room through the design criteria and requirements discussed during the discovery phase that were factored into each space and resulting in the design shown.

The Device Location Drawing is a more personal way to present your design and should result in an interactive dialogue rather than a one-way intimidating restatement of every line item in the proposal. The result will be better informed clients and a higher close rate.

Lighting Control Load Identification Drawing
Definition: A lighting control system drawing illustrates the load control method, load #’s and keypad locations. Every load in the project needs to be properly accounted for in terms of whether it is on the system or off the system. There are two primary control methods for controlling lights in a lighting control system: centralised or localised.

Centralised loads have all of the wiring heading back to a dimming panel location and localised loads are controlled by replacing the “dumb” switch with a “smart” dimmer or switch. It is also important to illustrate which loads are not on the system so as to provide the client with a complete view of their system.

Why you should use it: This drawing makes it easy to convey to a client what you have designed for their project based on the design criteria provided during the discovery phase. Rather than sifting through a detailed proposal with part numbers that they may not understand, a client can easily understand the lighting control system by reviewing this drawing.

The final version of this plan then gets handed to the project electrician along with additional system documentation so that he can perform his work with precision.