Dear Readers:
In reader survey after reader survey, always among the top concerns of security dealers is training. The good news is that the industry is listening and training is readily available. Manufacturers, industry associations and other organizations are all offering programs today.
Now the problem is, how do you keep track of them all? That is where Security Dealer comes in. This month we are introducing “The Training Center,” a service we hope to build on as a reference to the training programs available.
Recently, I attended The NBFAA Business Focus, a training event that presented a series of interactive workshops designed to deliver business solutions that address the challenges of operating and growing your business in this fast paced security industry. While each presenter did a great job and offered valuable information, the techniques given in the first day's sales and marketing sessions, if implemented, could immediately have an impact on your business's revenue and profits.
You may think you have satisfied customers but Bob Harris, founder of The Attrition Busters, says they need to be delighted ones. Harris' interactive session on raising the bar in terms of serving the customer gave attendees ways to differentiate themselves from the competition.
As he puts it, you need to have Added Value Perception. “Projecting your company's image properly can make the perceived value of the service you provide far more indispensable than a similar service offered by your competitors,” Harris comments. “Service and relationships are the differentiator.”
Another way to increase revenue and profits is utilizing marketing that works. “Marketing is communication from your company to the customer. Sales is a component of marketing,” says Cathy Rempel, founder and CEO of the Summit Group.
Your communication to new and existing clients needs to be concise, compelling, clear and consistent. “You have to provide an easy to understand and compelling reason for wanting to have further conversations and to do business with you,” explains Rempel.
After defining your company focus—what you and your company are trying to achieve—and determining the relevance of the level of service you provide, she suggests you develop a Value Proposition. “This is a WOW statement,” says Rempel, “what others want.”
Through a hands-on exercise attendees learned how to draft a value proposition that they could use with potential and existing clients which: pinpointed the key services they provide; the unique and positive differences these services make; and included facts/testimonials and/or industry stats to support the importance of these services. It was a compelling exercise that when followed, packages your communication into a very powerful message.
