A transparent look at the sales strategy, relationship building, and execution that turned into $250K in 2.5 months.

Passion. When it’s evident you truly believe in something, it’s an easy start. A good story doesn’t hurt either. You need to believe in what you sell, not only to be successful and close, but because your reputation is on the line. Client trust is the most valuable tool we have as integrators. Some of my closest friends started as clients. As an integrator and designer, you truly get to know the people you’re working for during the design process. You have to click with them and understand their needs. Sometimes that turns into a great friendship. But that’s a story for another time. Back to our Coastal Source journey.

For control over lighting and climate systems, home theater components, distributed audio, and more across a 10,000-square-foot home in Holmdel, N.J., a single cohesive control system with a minimalistic look was required. In addition, while the installation took place in New Jersey, integrator Petrone Technology Group’s offices are in Wellington, Fla. As service calls would be difficult, the system needed to be exceptionally reliable. To meet these needs, Petrone chose RTI solutions.

Watch our interview on CEPro Podcast.

Anthony Petrone knows his technology. He started Petrone Technology Group, specializing in sound, surveillance and security, as well as home theater installations, about a decade ago after spending years working in the security industry.

For Petrone, it all started in high school when he began working for an alarm company and excelled at the installation work.

“I want from a small alarm company to a bigger one, and a bigger one after that. Finally, I got bored with alarm systems, because at the end of the day, it’s a green light you could look at,” he said. “I started working for a company that did home audio and video.”

Throughout his tenure focusing on alarm systems, Petrone worked with companies such as Brinks and ADT. In his new job, Petrone was working at high-end Palm Beach homes. He quickly realized that he had found his niche.

Each week on “The Vanilla Ice Project,” the rapper-turned-home-renovation-expert, accompanied by a wacky crew, lots of puns and many raised-eyebrow references to his own lyrics, transforms a formerly drab home into a showplace. And during the last episode, Rob “Vanilla Ice” Van Winkle introduced the Wellington audio/video technology expert responsible for making the place sound so good.

“It’s a smart home,” confirmed Anthony Petrone, owner of the Petrone Technology Group, which installed a massive system in the western Lake Worth home currently being renovated, episode by episode, on the show.