Today’s entry in the Best Advice Q&A series comes from John Szczygiel, chief operating officer at Brivo. He shares the best advice he’s ever heard, gives pointers to security industry up-and-comers and singles out the voice to whom all others should listen.
Security Sales & Integration: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
John Szczygiel: Early in my career as a new salesperson, I was often more excited to tell prospects everything I knew about securing buildings than to discover their needs. One of my very wise mentors, Ray Donohue, gave me the best advice I’ve ever received: “God gave you two ears and one mouth; use them in proportion.”
This is a golden piece of advice for any salesperson who sometimes forgets that success isn’t about the solution you have; it’s about the solution the customer truly needs.
SSI: What advice would you give to those looking to achieve success in the security industry?
Szczygiel: Always be curious, always be learning, always be open to new ways of thinking and doing things. I love the line from the song “It’s Alright” by the Indigo Girls: “And for everything I learn, there are two I don’t understand.”
That’s not a problem, it’s very a beautiful thing for a curious person to have a vast untapped pool of things to learn, if you will simply apply yourself to do so.
SSI: If you could point to one person in the security industry and tell up-and-comers, “Make sure to listen to what they have to say,” whom would you pick, and why?
Szczygiel: I think a good choice is Lee Odess. Lee always asks intriguing questions, challenges the status quo and questions the herd mentality that can sometimes afflict the security industry. He interviews many interesting people on the Access Control Executive Brief podcast, which is great place to learn about the broader industry.
Click here to check out all entries in SSI’s Best Advice series!
