Many security dealers and security sales reps operate under the assumption that because they sell or install a certain security product or brand, it is a sufficient way to differentiate themselves in the eyes of their potential customers. Wrong.
I can’t think of anything that is further from the truth; in fact, you are leaving huge dollars on the table with this line of thinking. Let me explain.
When you take a company service vehicle to one of those “big-name” oil, lube and filter quick-stops, do you honestly care if the grease monkey 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, what do you care?
Pretty much every oil filter manufacturer claims their filters operate at 99.9-percent efficiency. So, theoretically, 99.9 percent of all the contaminants that pass through the oil filter are captured in the filter, saving your engine from damage. All the oil filter manufacturers make this claim —this is a commodity item and there isn’t much to differentiate its image, considering the number of manufacturers selling the same widget.
The same can be said about security manufacturers. They all make similar claims about their products — like frames per second, or the “toast-proof” rating of a smoke detector or the response time of a motion detector.
In today’s economy, you are dead-wrong in thinking that your security equipment, standing by itself, will sell the job for you. I’ll make a confident bet that if that’s your strategy, you will be driving back to the office from a presentation without a signed contract. You need to differentiate your security company from your competitors — but don’t do it just by “name-dropping” your security equipment. You need to add a lot more value to the mix than just that.
13 Ways to Differentiate Your Security Business
The reality is, most security companies and their sales reps are perceived the same. If you want to set yourself apart from your competition, and start attracting more customers, the conceptual “first step” in differentiating yourself is moving away from thinking it depends on the security equipment you install.
From there, you differentiate your security company by…
1. ...being more prepared than any other security company out there.
2. ...the security marketing material you hand out when you arrive at your prospect’s home. Use handouts that prove you are a trusted, experienced security dealer, through items such as customer testimonials, company guarantee, consumer awareness guide, company newsletter, residential security tips, etc.
3. ...the quality of the questions you ask when doing a security evaluation of your prospect’s home and the quality of the answers you give. Q&As can show you are educated in the security field and prove you are a security expert.
4. ...the new security ideas you bring to the table and your effectiveness in communicating these ideas to your prospects.
5. ...listening to what your prospect needs and designing a system that addresses all of those needs, instead of just installing a cookie-cutter security system.
6. ...having more compelling customer testimonials and social proof than any other security company out there.
7. ...having a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that literally stumps the competition at the front door. Your USP is basically a very compelling reason that answers the question: “
8. ...doing what you said you were going to do in the first place. Whatever you promised, deliver!
9. ...becoming an education-based security entrepreneur, consistently educating your prospects and customers, even after the sale.
10. ...offering a risk-free, 100-percent money back guarantee. If customers are not happy with your security services, then you will kindly refund their money with a smile — because this is the right thing to do if you operate an ethical security installation business.
11. ...how you follow up with new security customers after the installation.
12. ...sending out a monthly security newsletter to all your customers, prospects and friends.
13. ...offering free security reports to pre-sell your security services before you even show up at the prospect’s door.
Bob Maunsell is the President of SecurityMarketingGuru.com. Over the past eight years, he has helped security dealers attract and retain clients that pay, stay and refer through his innovative Robotic Security Selling Systems™. If you are interested in learning more, please email [email protected] or call 508-835-1123.
