Need lowvolt demonstration display kit

[Bryan Deal]

I am looking for any information where to purchase a low voltage outdoor lighting demonstration field kit to be able to set up a field demonstration for a prospective customer. Cast lighting offers a demo kit but it is franchise oriented. I am a private installer who would like to purchase a demonstration kit without any franchise involvement. Any ideas ?

[sitelights]

It is my opinion that demonstrations are not very productive; perhaps some other forum members have had success with this approach. There is a wide spectrum of opinion about demonstrations as a sales tool though it is not a hot topic on the site.

Demo kits are (or were) available from Nightscaping, Hadco, Vista and others including Cast. I suggest you make your own kit.

A typical manufacturer's demo kit, in this instance Vista, contains a 250w low voltage transformer, six spotlights, stakes and connectors and 10' (!) of 12/2 cable. Their kit is housed in a fitted ABS case. Purchased individually the kit costs about twice as much as the components; it must be the ABS fitted case.

The skimpy quantity of 12/2 is a mystery to me since the fixtures could be a maximum of 2' apart; I think a minimum of 50' would be more useful especially if it is 10/2. Two lengths of 25' attached to the centrally placed transformer terminals allow for maximum flexibility of fixture placement in two directions.

If 20w MR lamps are used (strongly recommended) they should be in the widest beam pattern available and purchased separately. A demonstration could then include up to 10 fixtures and present a more interesting scene.

There should be more responses to your post since you introduce an interesting topic.

[JC Lighting]

I purchased most of my demo equipment from FX Luminaire. They have a program where you can buy any fixture direct from the factory for 65% off list price if it is intended for use in a demo kit. They sell small kits in carry bags etc also.

I use the demo almost exclusively for all new clients. I have had what I consider significant success with the demo or "Mock up & Interactive Design Session" approach. I have a saying..."You sell what you demo." I did a test case a few years ago where I talked with a potential client and verbalized how I would light her yard. The response was cool. I then proposed a free no obligation lighting demonstration and lit about half the back yard. The lady was very happy with what she saw and wanted to buy it. I indicated that we should continue the same type lighting for the other half of the yard. Her response was that she didn't want it. I later called and asked if I could perform a second demo. This time I lit the entire back yard. I sold all the lights.

One method I use is to perform repair work on other contractors installation. (Most contractors here won't even respond to a service call for their own system let alone address someone else’s installation.) I use it as a loss leader. Many times I have gone out to people's houses to work on their system and suggested a free no obligation demo and ended up selling thousands of dollars of lights.

I have an extensive demo kit that contains close to 100 fixtures, several transformers and hundreds of feet of wire in 50 foot lengths. All on quick disconnect. I have specialty down lights on telescoping poles, under water lights, and a Unique transformer I outfit with a dimmer. Using all this I temporarily install about 30 to 40 fixtures in the afternoon well before dark. I then leave the site and come back just as the sky is turning dark blue. I fine tune the lighting for anywhere from a minute or two to sometimes an hour. I look for "good" not "perfect". When the lighting is ready, and the sky is black, I turn it off with an x10 RF transmitter and call the client out to observe the lights. I take them to the primary viewing location and once I have their attention I turn on the lights and wait for the wow factor. I explain the overall design concept and point out the primary focal point, secondary focal points, sub-scenes, and other points of interest. I also explain fill light and any other reason for each fixture as appropriate. I always have a reason for every fixture in the overall scene so I don't appear as just loading up the yard with a bunch of fixtures. At anytime when I get to YES from the customer I shut up and accept the job. My experience is that continuing to talk after I got the response I want can only make a good situation turn bad. The key is to stay in tune with the customer and provide only the information they need to make an informed decision. I never try to sell the client more fixtures than they want. I then flag the location of each fixture and pick up my demo materials. The whole process, which is a labor of love, takes me the better part of 8 hours. A large up front commitment on my part but it saves me time and effort and concern during the installation since the client knows exactly what he/she's getting. Most of my clients come from Landscape Designers so they have been prescreened. Consequently, my hit rate is very high, over 90%. A big benefit is that the client is looking at the lighting when I tell them the cost. The perceived value is much higher at that point. I've never had a client seek a comparative bid.

[sitelights]

J C Lighting provided a very comprehensive reply to Bryan Deal's question. It is clear that a discussion based on professional interests follows. It is obvious that I am not a "demonstrator" (for reasons stated on the site) but there are many who are.

Long time members will groan but I always refer to the "search engine" on this site followed by a disclaimer that posts prior to mid-April 2005 don't show up in a search. However all of the posts (1,162 to date) are still in the archive and easily accessable...but it takes time and interest.

Most visitors to lowvolt.org are looking for DIY information; they have always been welcome and have been the genesis of some very interesting posts. These DIY posts are generally narrowly focused.

Professional landscape designer/installers benefit from the wealth of posts that relate to a whole range of topics by searching the site manually. According to the site stats most visitors spend less than a minute on the site but a few are on site an hour or more.

Since the logged in time lines of longer duration are mostly professionals actively in the business it can be argued that the DIYs are wading in the shallows; the professionals are ready to dive in.

A manual search of the forums by threads can be quite interesting. The sales aspects of Bryan's post and J C Lighting's response are elaborated upon, to give one example, in the posts in the "comments & suggestions" forum related to "business" particularly if one scrolls to the 02.10.02 posts and beyond. As it happens, some posts segue from one topic to another and my example shows this.

While most visitors (or even members) have only a passing interest in low voltage landscape lighting it is worth a professional's time to dig into the archive. Casual visitors merely look at the most recent posts in their area of interest and ignore the searchable information on the site. The site is really about professional lighting designer/installers and the roughly 500 posts by one member alone (this happens to be me) hint at the depth and breadth of the site.

[rick]

I have successfully used the Cast Demo kit and I highly recommend it, but you can easily make your own. Cast appears to be using an inexpensive Kichler #15309 accent light. I have (20), most labeled with 20 watt/60 degree and other fixtures available for different lamps. I have (2) 75'/10 ga, (1) 50'/10 ga, (2) 25' 12ga color coded main wires & (20) 25'/ 16ga wires. I also have (5) connectors that allow me to connect (1) main wire to five fixtures. All wires are loaded on a lazy- susan type spool (very quick to set up and take down). I also carry quick connects to demonstrate a tree downlight on a pole, pathlight, and underwater if needed. I would also recommend a 600 watt multitap transformer with color coded quick disconnects coming from different voltages. Throw in a mechanical timer and your in business. You still need a carrying container. I do like the one made by Cast because it holds everything and has wheels. I have seen the Unique demo kit and it appears useless and outdated.

The demo kit has been very successful and it has helped me sell more on every project that I have used it on. It was worth every cent I paid for it. There is however one caveat. I do not advertise that I do "Free Lighting Demos". If a have a client on the fence about doing a job, I offer a lighting demo. It "closes" on almost all deals. Doing demos for the client is also a mock-up for me. Sometimes you look at your demo and realize that you may need more or less fixtures, This can be a great help to ensure profitable quotes and great lighting designs.

[sitelights]

Our landscape demo kit consists of 2 dogwood trees, 2 japanese holly bushes, 2 white pines and 4 boxwoods. The holes are sourced on site via a shovel and mattock plus a sledge hammer to secure the pegs for the guy wires. On small jobs we use a military surplus folding trench shovel which clips to a tool belt.

The demo kit container is a 2002 Ford F-150 pickup with a bedliner and numerous bungee cords and tie downs. A locking ABS tool cover keeps things tidy for the trip to the client's property. Larger trees, etc. are simply dragged behind the truck. An extended cab model is not needed since all of the demo setup and takedown is done by a single technician working triple time.

To enhance the "Oh-my-god!" factor the installation is done at night thus first seen by the client at dawn. The demo usually clinches the job especially when it is explained that the demo plant materials are removed and replaced with new items of a similar caliper for the final install.

We are developing a hardscaping demo kit consisting of 150 sq ft of pavers and the base materials: gravel, sand and stone dust. As soon as we have closed 99% of the landscape sales we will invest in a truck large enough to accomodate the demo materials. We will carry at least 200 sq ft of sod for those few clients disdaining our pricing.

A good secondary (or tertiary depending on the "Sacre Bleu!" response of the client) sales demo kit is our "instant water feature" (patent pending) but first we will have to solve the problem of compressing the water to a more manageable volume.

Our acquisition costs usually exceed the final invoice amount but we have been making quite a name in our sales area.

[rick]

"Now I don't care what you say.....That's funny! aka:Larry the Cable Guy.

[Mike & Lucia]

Best laugh I've had all day!! Thanks, Joe.

Mike

[Paul]

That's right on target!! I knew you had a sense of humor.

[Eden Lights]

While I already knew Sitelites was great for technical knowledge, but now he is even good for a laugh. (As I wipe the tea from my laptop).

All jokes aside, I think it works for some and some it doesn't. I did a few demos and stopped after those three. I decided to spend my time learning my client, researching their property, and designing a ultimate lighting system. Yes I have been burned this way a few times also, but I just felt better losing that way than the former. When customers ask for a demo in my market they are shopping, because most other companies do demos. I tell them this: I could never properly demo the true final effects of a typical Eden Lights design. I tell them that if they are shopping based on price alone they will be disappointed. I tell them that while demos are a powerful sales tool, they are a awful design tool and the final results will be unacceptable. I tell them that no demo could ever replace the benefit of a properly researched, calculated, designed, executed, and edited Landscape Lighting System by Eden Lights and that it will be the most cost effective solution over the test of time.

[glight]

Bryan,
My name is Paul Rizzo and work for a manufacture of Landscape Lighting called Garden Light. We are a factory direct manufacture so we can give you any light you want from our catalog at a deal. Give me a call at 800-511-2099. I would love to go over our product with you and show you the quality, warrenty, and price you are looking for. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,
Paul Rizzo
Account Manager
Garden Light Sales

[LowVoltPro]

Why leave out Unique guys. Unique makes the best Demo Kit out there!! They were the originators of the demo kit and make in my opinion the best one available for demoing actual lighting desings. It comes with about 16 lights total that are all pre wired for ease of hook up to an actual multi tap tf that is also pre wired and color coded so you can wire the lights up in a matter of minutes and give the homeowner a really good idea of what you are capable of design wise. I know this is an old topic but I felt compelled to mention the originator of the demo kit!

[sitelights]

It is always a plus to find a new member interested in adding information to multiple topics. The broadest range of opinion serves both members and guests since there are few definitive answers that all can agree upon. I have expressed myself fully on most of the topics and rest my case.

Unique's Nate Mullen sells a good demo kit but he was probably still a schoolboy when Bill Locklin of Nightscaping introduced the concept in the early 1980s. I have a pristine Nightscaping demo kit with, in effect, less than 10 miles on it. It has been gathering dust in my personal low voltage lighting museum for over 20 years.

The kit is a shallow, rectangular open-topped wooden box; the ends are made in the shape of home base and have a hole at each apex that is fitted with a dowel that acts as a handle joining the end pieces. The appearance is similar to a a kit that holds carpentry tools; a real last century artifact: very basic and low tech. The box painted light grey-green like the old Nightscaping transformers has a stenciled "Nightscaping" logotype in red on each long side. "Nightscaping" I hasten to add is a service mark of Locklin Industries.

It was equiped with the old syle sheet steel fixtures with a uniform garage-made appearance; not so much designed as improvised and of a cobbled-together appearance. Nightscaping invented the "rust never sleeps" melting fixture and few exist from that era. The transformer is/was the old "slo-blo" screw-in fuse type; a limitation disguised as a feature. My kit is pristine and always good for a laugh when I drag it out for an antique show-and-tell with my fellow lighting wizards.

Bill Locklin's stuff has come a long way and Bill, who must be in his late 80s by now, considers himself to be the "originator" of 12v outdoor lighting. Bill, by the way, is a member of this forum. When I spoke to him last, perhaps five years ago, he was very cordial: a real gentleman, who I believe understood that my criticisms of the industry were/are constructive and well-meant.

I haven't spoken to Nate in a long time (2 or 3 years) but my opinions of his system and components are detailed in the reviews of his books on the forum. Nate is a smart guy who did well and he knows that my remarks based on his books and his system and are not personal but rather serve, I hope, to advance the business.

It has been interesting to observe the maturation of the low voltage outdoor lighting business which has taken too long and has generated too much junk. After all these years the growing pains are still much in evidence...

[Paul]

Bill is now a young 85 years of age and works just as hard as ever. He has a new book out and I look forward to reading it.

I last talked to Nate in February and he hasn't changed at all.

As I have stated in numerous posts, if a lighting pro has an established reputation, there is no need in having a demo kit unless it's in your personal museum.

[LowVoltPro]

You guys are correct, but nobody in the industry has pushed a demo kit quite like Nate and Unique. And Paul you are correct to a degree but I know people who do lots of lighting myself included, and when I say lots I mean thousands of lights every year and they still use Demo kits. Not becuase they need them to sell the job, most of the jobs are refferal anyway, but they use them to upsell. The demo could take a homeowner from only wanting say 50 lights to now understanding what the designer is talking about and now he is willing to buy the 80 lights the job takes to look complete. But I hear what you guys are saying, everyone in this industry has to recognize Bill Locklin as the pioneer of this industry, that is one thing that cannot be denied.

I did not mean to come off as confrentational, I have discovered this website and feel like I have been missing out for years so now I am anxious to get involved. I only want to participate,and from what I see no one here is afraid to state their personal opinons and experiences!

[Paul]

Welcome aboard lowvoltpro. I'm sure that everyone would agree that new pros are always nice to see on the forum.