Attrition Busters’ Harris Says Differentiation Is What Makes the Difference
SSI Editorial Advisory Board Council member and well-known industry business expert addresses top integrator challenges.
Bob Harris
My April issue editorial discusses security integrators’ top 10 challenges as indicated in SSI‘s annual Systems Integration Study. I consulted with a handful of trusted colleagues and contributors to the publication for ways integrators can best overcome these challenges, perhaps even turning them to their full advantage. In the first of several posts, here are a couple of comments from Bob Harris of The Attrition Busters.
No. 3 Competition From Other Security Integration Companies
What makes you different? Does your team possess the ability to differentiate your company in ways that are meaningful to end users or are all security and integration providers the same? A lack of training causes lethargy when it comes to a failure to effectively compete against others outside of simply lowering the price. Why should anyone buy from you as opposed to anyone else? If your answer is price, product, technology, service or response, you will lose far more sales to competitors than you should.
Who are your employees? Are your employees local? Do you shop at the same stores and worship at the same churches? Do you invest in your community every day? What is specifically exceptional or unique about your team or the way you conduct business? There are so many ways to make your company so attractive and so compelling end users can go see five other competitors but still won’t be able to shake your employees and your company out of their heads. Shop your competitors and then shop your own company. Now ask yourself, are we capable of more?
RELATED: 2015 Systems Integration Study: 94% of Integrators Bare Their Teeth
No. 8 Current Economic Conditions
The economy is still not back to where it should be. That said, those who are serious about profitable business have found ways to create their own economy. This is perhaps the best time in history to be in the security business. Many have argued this point stating that the DIY systems, cables and even some of the large nationals are causing the monitoring bubble to eventually burst. Nonsense, I say! All of this speculation has not substantiated a single reason as to why this is not the best time to grow your business. Creating your own economy in terms of profitable sales, bundled services, added value recurring revenue opportunities inside as well as outside our core security offerings has proven to be of significant value to those who are serious about getting in the game to bring it.
Unlike before, there is now a litany of ways to keep your sales pipeline brimming over. At the same time, there are numerous exciting ways to upsell your existing customers. The security industry is exploding at the seams in spite of a less than favorable economy, and anyone, regardless of size, can get a big fat piece of it if they want to.
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About the Author
Scott Goldfine
Scott Goldfine is the marketing director for Elite Interactive Solutions. He is the former editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He can be reached at [email protected].
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