Azione Unlimited · The Perspicacious Phoenix · April 2026

AI for
Integrators.

A guided intro to artificial intelligence for the custom integration industry. No jargon, no hype — just the stuff that actually works for businesses like yours.

01 — THE CASE FOR AI

Why AI? Why Now?

The CI industry is at an inflection point. Integrators who adopt AI now will outpace those who wait — not because AI replaces people, but because it makes every person on your team dramatically more productive.

65%
of small businesses will use AI workflow tools by 2027
10x
faster proposal writing with AI assistance
2026
the year AI moves from experiment to essential
02 — THE 2-MINUTE EXPLAINER

What Is AI?

Think of it as a really smart intern. It's read billions of pages of text and learned patterns from all of it. It doesn't think — it predicts. And it's shockingly good at it.

It Can

  • Write emails, proposals, and follow-ups
  • Brainstorm strategies and ideas
  • Analyze documents and data
  • Help build business processes
  • Create marketing content and social posts
  • Draft contracts and client guides

It Can't (Yet)

  • Pull wire or mount a TV
  • Replace your judgment or taste
  • Know your specific clients
  • Run your company for you
  • Be 100% accurate every time
  • Program a Crestron or Savant system
03 — THE SKILL THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING

The Art of the Prompt

The difference between "meh" AI output and "how did it know that?" comes down to one thing: what you type in. Here's the formula.

Role + Context + Task + Format
Example: Post-Consultation Follow-Up

"You are a high-end home technology consultant. I just met with the Johnsons about a $120K project in their new 6,000 sq ft home. They want Lutron lighting, Sonance speakers in every room, and a Savant system. They were most excited about the automated shades in the master suite. Write a warm, professional follow-up email — 3 paragraphs max."

03b — AI AS YOUR BUSINESS COACH

The AI Sales Process Coach

Don't just ask AI to write things — give it a role and let it coach you. Tell AI to be your Sales Process Coach and it will walk you through mapping, diagnosing, and rebuilding your entire sales workflow.

How It Works

"You are my blunt-but-supportive Sales Process Coach. Walk me step-by-step through mapping my current sales process, comparing it to a smarter model, and designing a clear, repeatable process I can document and train my team on. Ask me questions one section at a time. Don't skip ahead. Push me with tough, practical questions."

AI will guide you through understanding the buyer's journey, identifying where you lose deals, defining your Suspect → Prospect → Client pipeline, and building a repeatable system — from first conversation to signed contract.

Map Your Current Process Diagnose Pipeline Leaks Qualify Smarter Build a Repeatable System Create a 30-Day Action Plan Sales Meeting Checklists
04 — YOUR TOOLKIT

The Tools That Actually Matter

We've tried dozens. These are the ones we actually use every day in our businesses.

Top Pick

Claude

claude.ai

Best for writing, analysis, and complex reasoning. Cowork automates desktop tasks — this entire presentation was built with it.

Top Pick

ChatGPT

chat.openai.com

Most popular AI tool. Great all-rounder. Custom GPTs let you build specialized assistants.

AI Assistant

Gemini

gemini.google.com

Deep Google Workspace integration. Perfect if you live in Gmail and Docs.

Build Apps

Lovable

lovable.dev

Describe what you want in English and it builds a real web app. No coding. Adam has built 25+ apps here.

Build Apps

Replit

replit.com

Build, test, and deploy apps in the browser. Great for calculators, trackers, and quick internal tools.

Voice & Audio

ElevenLabs

elevenlabs.io

AI voice generation. Create voiceovers for walkthroughs and training content.

Design

Canva AI

canva.com

AI-powered design for social media, marketing graphics, and presentations.

Meetings

Otter.ai

otter.ai

Record client meetings, get transcripts, summaries, and action items automatically.

Research

Perplexity

perplexity.ai

AI research with sources. Great for product specs, competitor analysis, and market intel.

Automation

Zapier AI

zapier.com

Connect your tools with AI-powered workflows. Auto-send follow-ups, sync CRM, trigger actions.

05 — WHERE ARE YOU?

The AI Maturity Ladder

Most people in this room start at Level 1 or 2. By the end of the week, you'll be at Level 3.

1

Curious

You've heard about AI but haven't tried it yet. That changes today.

Sign up for Claude or ChatGPT
2

Experimenting

You've tried AI for a few tasks. Emails, brainstorming, maybe a draft or two.

Learn the Prompt Formula
3

Integrating

AI is part of your daily workflow. You have Custom GPTs or Skills for repeating tasks.

Build Custom GPTs & Skills
4

Building

You're creating apps, automations, and tools. AI is core to how you operate.

Build with Lovable & Replit
You can reach Level 3 in one week.
06 — YOUR ACTION PLAN

7 Days to AI Confidence

One small action per day. That's it. By Day 7, you'll wonder how you ever worked without this.

1

Sign up for Claude or ChatGPT

Both are free. Create an account and ask it one question about your business.

2

Write your first client email with AI

Use the prompt formula: Role + Context + Task + Format. You'll be amazed at the output.

3

Try the AI Sales Process Coach

Tell AI to be your Sales Process Coach. Let it interview you about your business and help you build a repeatable sales system.

4

Draft a proposal or SOW

Give AI the project details. Let it generate the first draft for you to polish.

5

Create your first Custom GPT or Skill

Start with your email voice or a proposal template. Train it once, use it forever.

6

Explore one new AI tool

Try Otter.ai for meeting notes, Canva AI for social posts, or Perplexity for product research.

7

Visit Lovable.dev and describe a tool

Describe something you wish existed for your business and watch AI build it. No coding required.

YOUR GUIDES

Meet the Presenters

Two integrators who went from zero AI experience to building their businesses around it.

AZ

Adam Zell

Founder & CEO
Boston Automations

Full-service smart home & business technology in New England. 15+ years in enterprise software before CI. Built 25+ AI-powered applications with zero coding experience.

KS

Kyle Steele

Founder & President
Global Wave Integration

Award-winning international CI firm in Los Angeles. 20+ years in CI — started as an installer & Crestron programmer. Team of 25+ across multiple states.