10 Tips to Tip the IP Video Sales Scales
Learn 10 winning sales strategies to help convince analog video users to switch to IP video solutions.
Finding Network Video Prospects
So where do the opportunities lie? Seemingly everywhere. One of the most obvious opportunities for IP security technology comes from new construction. According to McGraw Hill Construction’s 2014 “Dodge Construction Outlook,” the U.S. commercial construction market is projected to rise 17% this year, where the bulk of the growth is coming from hospitality and industrial markets. This suggests there will be greater demand for IP security technology from businesses like hotels and warehouses.
These organizations that are building from the ground up will rarely consider analog technology since they are already incorporating the latest wiring backbone and network infrastructure. Budgets for their new IP security systems are also typically included in their construction costs, so their decision becomes less about whether to choose analog or IP, but more about which IP solutions will best meet their requirements.
Multisite installations should also be on an integrator’s radar. End users with large, distributed surveillance operations can significantly benefit from the centralized management features that advanced IP security platforms can provide. Helping these organizations see the value in standardizing on a single IP platform across their enterprise, both for greater operational and financial efficiency, is a key market opportunity for IP sales growth.
Then there are smaller deployments that have maintained existing analog equipment. For these customers, features alone may not be enough to convince them to go IP, simply because they do not see the need for them. Cost and familiarly with their analog systems are also major factors in their decision.
Today, there are a variety of low-cost, network-enabled security solutions available to these customers. Some such solutions include NVRs that can provide integrators and end users with a preloaded video surveillance solution that can be rapidly deployed at a small site.
More recently, cloud-based video surveillance as a service (VSaaS) options have generated another attractive solution for customers with fewer than a dozen cameras. VSaaS systems allow integrators to reduce installation time, configuration and maintenance of on-premises servers, while still providing the end users with powerful HD video monitoring at an affordable cost.
With plenty of opportunities for IP, most integrators realize that selling on benefits alone is not a viable strategy in today’s security industry. This is where sales strategies come in.
Applying 10 Strategies to Increase Sales
Even with very compelling reasons, selling new customers on IP video can be a challenge. Good sales representatives know that the selling process begins with understanding how the customer uses their system and what hurdles they face. Integrators are also applying sales strategies to convince customers that IP is the right long-term investment. Here are 10 selling strategies that can help win more retrofit or new IP installations:
1. Take a Holistic Approach to Selling: When going into a sale, consider the benefits of the IP solution for the organization as a whole. Instead of only sitting down with the security director, involve IT, senior level managers and any other prominent stakeholders in the meetings from the start. When applicable, also make sure to communicate the operational advantages of an IP video surveillance beyond security.
2. Offer Reference Sites and Try-Before-You-Buy Optio
ns: Talking about the benefits may not be as convincing as seeing them or hearing them advocated directly from another user. Consider taking your customers on site visits to meet with happy end users you have served in the past. This allows them to see how the IP security solution is functioning and help grasp how other organizations are using IP technology to their advantage. Offering to set up a pilot project so they can get a real feel for the proposed IP solution could also instill confidence in their choice to move forward with IP.
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