How Can I Differentiate My Security Company from the other 20,000 Security Dealers out There…?
I just sat down to write this weeks “Smack Down” and I caught myself looking out the window at the major Nor’easter that’s moving in over Central Massachusetts. It’s predicted to drop about 13” of white fluffy snow on my front lawn…just as I could start to see my lawn again after the 68” we had dumped on it this winter!
I like that quote the weather persons always say, “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” I’m gonna give you some lion advice, so you can be King of the Security Jungle, and you won’t be perceived as a little old lamb in your security sales presentations.
Seeing as though we’re gonna get pounded with 13” of snow, I’m going to give you 13 sure-fire ways to differentiate yourself from your competition (that are not product dependent). This is the type of information the security trade magazines won’t dare talk about. Because what do they care as long as your buying thee products they advertise!
Most security dealers and security sales reps operate under the assumption that because they sell or install a certain security product/brand it is a sufficient way to differentiate themselves in the eyes of their potential clients. I can’t think of anything the further from the truth and you’re leaving HUGE $$$’s on the table thinking this way! Let me explain this to you…
When you take one of your company service vehicles to one of those “Big Name” oil, lube and filter quick stops, do you honestly care if the grease monkey who’s doing the oil change on your vehicle installs a FRAM, ACDelco, WIX, NAPA or Purolator oil filter as long as the product performs its job for your engine? Honestly, are you going to loose sleep over which filter the grease monkey installs? I would bet your going to forget all about it within 12-36 hours after he installs it.
Pretty much every oil filter manufacturer claims their filters operate at 99.9% efficiency mean. So theoretically 99.9% of all the contaminants that pass through the oil filter are captured in the media, saving your engine from damage. All the oil filter manufactures make this claim. This is a COMMODITY item and there isn’t much to differentiate its image considering the amount of manufactures selling the same widget.
The same can be said about security manufactures. They all make the same claims about their products. Like images per second (IPS) of the DVR, or the “toast proof” rating of a smoke detector. How about the response time of a motion detector?
In today’s economy, you’re dead wrong in thinking that your security equipment standing by itself will sell the job by itself. I’ll make a confident bet that you’ll be driving back to the office from a presentation without a signed contract for the job, it that is your strategy.
Here we go…I’m going to give you 13 ways to differentiate yourself from your competition. The conceptual first step in differentiating yourself is moving away from thinking it depends on the security equipment you install.
1- You differentiate your security company or low voltage installation business by the security marketing material you hand out when you arrive at your new security prospect’s home or office.
2- You differentiate your security company or low voltage installation business by the quality of the questions you ask when doing your security audit.
3- You differentiate your security company or low voltage installation business by the new security ideas you bring to the table and your effectiveness in communicating these ideas to your new security prospect.
4-You differentiate your security company or low voltage installation business by being more prepared than any other security company.
5-You differentiate your security company or low voltage installation business by applying new exciting and exotic ideas for securing their home or office.
6-You differentiate your security company or low voltage installation business by having more killer testimonials than any other security or low-voltage guy.
7-You differentiate your security company or low voltage installation business by having a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) that literally stumps the competition at the front door.
8-You differentiate your security company or low voltage installation business by doing what you said you were going to do in the first place.
9-You differentiate your security company or low voltage installation business by becoming an education-based security entrepreneur, consistently educating your client base.
10-You differentiate your security company or low voltage installation business by having a risk free 100% money back gua-ran-tee, if they’re not happy with your security services, and you will kindly refund the money with a smile.
11-You differentiate your security company or low voltage installation business by how you follow up with your new security clients after the installation.
12-You differentiate your security company or low voltage installation business by sending out a monthly security newsletter to all your clients, prospects and friends.
13-You differentiate your security company or low voltage installation business by having free reports to pre-sell your security services before you even show up!
The reality is all security products are essentially the same.
The reality is most security companies are perceived the same.
And, last but not least, most security sales reps are perceived as the same.
If you want to be perceived as different then just another ham and egger, you might want to start thinking about implementing these 13 strategies ASAP!
Hey, I gotta go…time to take the kids sledding!
Bob Maunsell
Security Marketing Guru
P.S Follow me on Facebook and Twitter
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
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