Selling Systems

In today's economy everything seems to be shrinking. Sales numbers are down, revenues are down and customers aren't spending anywhere near as much as they did just a couple of years ago.

As summertime draws to a close, so does the high season for door-to-door alarm system sales in the United States. Not soon to fade, however, is ...

Wholesale distributors have long provided value-add services and training to their dealer-integrator clientele, but nowadays the programs are more necessary than ever. With networked technologies perpetually shifting the electronic security landscape, a distribution partnership can mean the difference between thriving or not.

A long time ago — almost 50 years — as I was trying to learn the profession of selling, I sat down with a book that many people told me was the “bible of selling” ...

Success in the lucrative schools market requires a commitment to understanding their unique needs, challenges and, above all, funding processes. Helping K-12 schools address their security challenges today can keep your company in budget planning for years to come.

The electronic security industry has proven it is not entirely immune to the more than year-long recession. With good leads and ...

Even if a building owner had enough foresight to install an access control system during new construction, it would have been very difficult to predict the future and current demand of access control systems. Not only will the security objectives of the facility evolve with mature expansion not too far behind, but a host of outside issues created by standards and regulations will ...

Quickly and accurately finding and solving equipment or systems problems have always presented service and installation organizations with major technical and business challenges. This is even truer in today’s era of more sophisticated technology and sky-high fuel prices that eat into profit margins with ...

As I write this, the championship fate of the Los Angeles Lakers — the NBA team I have rooted for since boyhood — hangs in the balance against a tough Boston Celtics squad. Typically, when sports titles are on the line, the difference boils down to role players, or who has the strongest bench. No matter how great or talented he is, Kobe Bryant can’t ...

The SAMMY Awards were in full swing at the Venetian in Las Vegas this year with seven companies splitting the wares in a dozen categories. Those that clinched a trophy and earned bragging rights are at the forefront of a wave of marketing trends in which the focus is placed squarely on exceptional customer service, and the use of ...

The shift to digital technology and IP-based solutions is readily apparent, especially at the big trade shows. Jim Talbot, CEO of Chicago-based Ionit Technologies, a provider of advanced DVR systems, provides his perspective on what security contractors could be doing better to take advantage of sales opportunities beyond legacy infrastructure.

Manufacturers in recent years have opened clear lines of communication and even built close relationships with end users. Are some systems integrators in danger of being leapfrogged? Peter Boriskin, vice president of access control for Tyco Int’l, joins ...

Manufacturers, dealers and integrators probably locked down their 2008 budgets two or three months ago, and now we’re approaching the end of the first quarter.

This will reveal just how good each company’s market analyses was when they finalized their numbers late last year, and it will show what the early chances are of reaching the full 2008 ...

A case could be made that there is no industry that benefits society more than electronic security. There may be some that are its rival, but electronic security’s purpose of protecting and safeguarding people and property is about as noble as it gets. Just who are the individuals behind the industry championing that virtuousness? Who are the people with the business savvy, technical expertise and salesmanship that have built the industry up and ...

We’ve all been there. You need a new car. When you first start looking, it’s fun and exciting. Then you figure out what you want and compare it to what you can afford, and some of that excitement changes to nervousness and anticipation. By the time you get to the dealership and the lot vultures, er, auto sales professionals approach, your blood pressure has gone up ...

Everyone has a point of view about who’s going to win in the end. One of the big issues facing today’s security industry is the future impact the corporate information technology (IT) function will have on the physical security function. A few years ago the big challenge for security professionals was ...

Joe Freeman: Manufacturers identify IP video growth challenges.

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April 11, 2012
17th Annual SAMMY Awards
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April 10, 2012
2012 ISC West Show Highlights
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