Only the Best

A lot of people don’t understand the security industry and that may be a good thing.

Remember the 80s when mass-marketed systems first hit the streets with free equipment and installation? Kind of ruined the good thing many dealers had going and certainly changed the course of the industry.  Or,  around the same time frame or later when outside investors from industries-- names the likes of the car rental czar (you know who I mean) snatched up some of the finest alarm companies from our ranks?

Then, and now, a security dealer and integrator knows how to reinvent themselves and their companies.

In the above examples there were truly inventive security dealers and integrators who knew exactly what to do. Faced with harsh competition from mass marketers, they set their sights on providing a professional turnkey solution that included sales, service, maintenance and training, offering top in its class installations. Many wisely decided not to compete with mass-marketed alarms and refused to cut their prices. They focused not on a bare-bones system but a custom one with convenience factors and other functions such as lighting and automation built in. Masters of their own domain, security dealers and integrators who want to succeed know that today the biggest competition they face is not knowing enough about remote technologies, computers and Internet protocols and networking. And they’re doing something about it.

The sec urity business isn’t for everyone.  It’s for dealers and integrators who want to continue to improve their companies, provide the best professional service and do all they can to make a name for themselves in the industry.

What do you think? How have you responded to the downturn in residential construction? Have you found some profitable vertical markets and how have you made them work for you? I’d love to hear from you. E-mail me at [email protected]. Deborah O’Mara, editor, Security Dealer magazine