Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM MARCH 2021 52 T his fall, when Apple unveils its 2021 version of the iPhone, the company could also decide to celebrate the 10th birthday of its beloved but vastly under-appreciated digital voice assistant, Siri. In some ways, it's hard to believe that Siri has only been around for 10 years. But in the decade since voice control technology went mainstream with Apple, the space has exploded and improved unlike anything we could have imagined in October 2011. Today, voice commands allow us not only to execute basic smartphone functions, but they've given us simple control over some very complex smart home systems. Between Apple, Google and Amazon there are some 100,000 devices available today that are supported by digital voice assistants, with more being manufactured and launched every day. A lesser-known company in the voice assistant space is Josh.ai. If you're a member of Home Technology Specialists Nationwide (HTSN) or familiar with CEDIA Expo, you've surely heard of Josh. Where the Big Three excel in basic smart home voice commands, Josh is like a PhD student sitting in a high school Algebra 1 class. It's capable of handling complex requests with some of the higher-end consumer electronics independent retailers sell – massive OLED TVs, motorized shading, integrated lighting systems, security devices and so on. Josh recently published their list of the top 10 most-used voice commands of 2020. There are quite a few learnings for the retail community in there, because it gives smart home dealers an idea of the types of connected products they can package together and the types of demos they can show customers that have a better chance of resonating. Here's a quick rundown of the most-used voice commands, according to Josh: 1. "OK Josh, Good Night." A simple command that executes a total shutdown of all connected devices. 2. "Turn off the TV" (closely followed by "Turn on the TV"). 3. "Turn off the Lights" (closely followed by "Turn on the Lights"). 4. "Good Morning." A simple command that triggers devices to turn on, shades to open, music to start playing, etc. 5. "What Time Is It? " 6. "Close the Shades" (closely followed by "Open the Shades"). 7. "Goodbye." Similar to Good Night, this alerts the smart home system you're leaving, so the home shuts down and security systems arm. 8. "I'm Home." The opposite of #7, this gets the home ready for your arrival by raising the thermostat, turning lights on and more. 9. "What's the weather? " A staple in the voice command space. 10. "Watch Netflix." Yup, 2020. But this shows where the streaming wars stand. What stands out is that 40% are complex requests – simple phrases that cause multiple things to happen. These represent a major opportunity. If you show a customer how a simple phrase can invoke multiple actions, you're increasing the odds that they'll want to add smart shades, smart lighting, etc. Bottom line, it creates a Wow factor that helps to sell these products and systems. Creating that successful demo or pitch will increase your average ticket and help create a long-lasting relationship. The list should put a huge smile on the face of consumer tech dealers and custom integrators. Eight of the 10 commands are dedicated to audio/video products and other connected devices, meaning more opportunity for CE/CI dealers to sell, install and set up these products. The abundance of technology on the list also shows an increase in consumers' familiarity and comfort with smart home technology. Voice commands are going to control things in the consumer tech space, but two major hurdles with smart home technology are education and awareness. Consumers are far less likely to adopt a technology that aren't familiar with or perceive as something that will break or be difficult to use. This market can be intimidating to the average consumer. But the list shows that consumers are moving beyond mere informational requests (sports scores, etc.) to more control-based requests. There will always be a need for education with technology, but the top-10 shows the industry is improving in that area. And that's a great thing, because the smart home continues to represent a major, half-trillion dollar opportunity for independent retailers. Rob Stott SMART HOME Trends Rob Stott is corporate communications manager for Nationwide Marketing Group RO WHAT THE TOP VOICE COMMANDS OF 2020 TELL US ABOUT THE GROWTH OF THE SMART HOME

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