In honor of SSI‘s annual November Residential Issue, my Between Us Pros column includes comments from four leading home controls and services market experts. In a series of four blogs, I share the complete Q&As. This installment features ADS Security‘s John Cerasuolo.

What do you believe is the greatest opportunity or opportunities presenting themselves to security dealers/integrators right now?

John Cerasuolo: No question the biggest opportunity we have is broadening the services we offer to new and existing customers to include convenience features like remote management of their system and home automation services.

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How can companies best take advantage of the above opportunity or opportunities? 

Cerasuolo: It is relatively straightforward for new customers by properly training sales folks to understand how to present these services and to get over the fear of proposing an appropriate price. It is much more difficult, though just as important, to progress in transitioning existing customers. That requires a consistent and effective outreach campaign so you get to your customers before your competitors do. 

What are the top barriers or challenges to succeeding in today’s residential security marketplace? 

Cerasuolo: Our greatest challenge has always been recruiting, hiring and training effective sales professionals. Selling residential systems is a difficult job and not necessarily one that attracts the right kind of talent. To do so requires that we sell prospects on why a career in our industry is something they should be excited about.

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Which is the better sales approach today, leading with security or with home automation-type convenience services? Why?

Cerasuolo: Leading with security and incorporating into the solution home automation convenience services. Having a customer understand the value of the security system is the first step. Then, demonstrating to them why integrating door locks and lights into their system makes sense is an easy sell. 

Should security dealers be concerned about telcos, cablecoms, DIY and all the rest that have jumped into residential security? Why or why not? 

Cerasuolo: Of course, dealers should be aware and recognize the challenges they will face competing against these new entrants. But that is the nature of our free market system. Profitable businesses invite innovators intent on capturing that profit, existing providers that want to stay in business have to keep up with these innovations and offer customers a greater value. I think the wrong approach is to try to erect barriers to these entrants. That just encourages the short-term success of stagnant business models and sets up the industry for a significant disruption. For an example of that danger you can look at taxi companies and how their protected cartel is being disrupted by ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. Let’s not allow our industry to make those same mistakes.

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