Tony Soprano As Your Security Marketing Coach

I've been watching some re-runs of The Sopranos on the in-demand channel from our cable provider. I found this one episode titled “Kennedy & Heidi” and it's the one where Christopher Moltisanti gets “whacked” by Tony.  This is probably one of my favorite episodes. They’re both driving down the highway in Chrissie’s Escalade and he's high on drugs and Chrissie’s cranking up the tune “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd. All of a sudden Christopher drives over the white lines and has to swerve back and the car ends up going over the banking. Then Tony does what he does best and “whacks” ...

Top of the Mountain…

Yippee Ki-Yay! It's Friday I posted this over 2 years ago (!) but a few readers asked for an encore.  So here it is! “Top of the Mountain” I have had this list of 10 commandments, if you will, thumb-tacked to my office wall since October 27, 1996. That’s almost 14 years ago!  I don’t remember where, when or how I came up with these 10 commandments (must be old age setting in!) that teach you how to climb to the “Top of the Mountain.”   If I were writing this piece today, I would titled it “How to Become a World Famous Security ...

How To Build Trust To Create More Sales

I have never shared this concept with anyone before. The ‘Trust Tunnel’ is a secret communication protocol for  cementing trust, fostering long term relationships, and building a fan base that few can rival, and all the while magnetically attracting the cream of the crop clientele. It takes a heck of a lot of proof and convincing, (besides, the convincing business really sucks!) to coax new prospects into opening their wallets, today, hence, the need for building a “Trust Tunnel. National Security Agency Here is a thumb-nail version of the Trust Tunnel. This communication protocol that I’ve created is so powerful that your competition ...

How To Get New Homeowner Security Installs, Fast

Dear Bob I wanted to thank you for your efforts in educating us on how to grow our security businesses and if I had an existing client base, then your teachings would've been invaluable. But here is my problem. I'm a brand new business, no existing clients what so ever, as much as want to implement your strategies, it is way to early in the game to be asking for referrals from the customers that don't exist yet. It just so happen that new start-ups, like me, need your professional advice more then anyone else on your list to help us hit ...

Do You Have A “Snow Shoveling” or “Snow Blowing” Mentality to Selling?

I just got back from my parents house.  I stopped by because, over the last week, they've both been "under the weather" with a cold and I wanted to check on them and see if they needed anything. My folks are getting a little "long in the tooth." My Dad (a.k.a. Paude) is 80 years old and my mom (a.k.a. Maude) is 82 years old. She hooked herself a nice, young, handsome, strapping Irishman at a dance in Tralee, Ireland almost 50 years ago. My Dad and I were talking about how extremely cold it has been the past few days in ...

The Ballsiest Ad I’ve Ever Seen…

Hey guys, Rob here and I'm running the show here today. Just working on my lunch, an awesome grilled chicken salad from Uncle Sam's Pizza here in Worcester, and I came across this crazy ad that 3M did with their "money security glass." I figured Bob would love to write about this and how it would be an amazing ad for any security dealer, so allow me to do it for him... What I've learned most here in my first few months is that to be successful in the Security business, you need to put yourself out there and be a ...

ADT Buys Broadview – 13 Ways To Take Down The Establishment!

I'm just sitting down on Tuesday night to write this Friday's security marketing email for my audience - who are some of the brightest, smartest, and  most creative minds in the security and low voltage industry. Two major forces are happening in our universe right now that could effect your business. First off, several of my Security Mavericks and Smokin' Newsletter members sent me an update through Facebook, informing me that ADT just bought Brinks/Broadview for a crazy amount of money - somethin' like $2 Bill-Yun and change. This is great! With all the confusion in the marketplace over who's in bed with who....it ...

Insurgents Hack into Video Feeds…Who’s Hacking Into Your Feeds?

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that insurgents in Afghanistan and  Iraq are using off the shelf commercial software programs such as "SkyGrabber" (which is a satellite internet software down-loader program that can capture free to air (FTA) transmissions of video, music, and pictures.) This product is available only on the internet for the ridiculously low price of $29.95. Utilizing SkyGrabber, the insurgents are able to tap into the live video feeds of the U.S. Predator drones and get the exact same video intelligence that our military is getting! The intelligence community has compared this problem to street criminals and ...

Merry Christmas from Bob Maunsell!

Happy Holidays! From my family to yours, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Bob Maunsell & Family Hilldene Estate Manchester, Vermont Bob Maunsell Former Sgt U.S. Air Force Have an E.S.P style day, Easy, Successful, Profitable. Now Go Smoke Your Competition! Want $2,649,594 worth of FREE Security Marketing Advice? Check out my Blog! http://securitymarketingguru.com/category/bobs-security-marketing-blog/ My Free Gift To You! http://securitymarketingguru.com/bobs-free-gift/free-gift-from-bob-maunsell/ Got A Difficult Question? Just Ask Me! http://securitymarketingguru.com/ask-bob/askbob Join My Security Marketing Group On Facebook http://securitymarketingguru.com/bobs-facebook/facebook/ Follow Me On twitter http://www.twitter.com/bobmaunsell **Hey, Do you want to post my articles up on your blog? Go right ahead! Just kindly cite your source and give a link back to my page.Thanks!**

It’s Been Confirmed: Tiger Woods Is Getting a “Little Something” On The Side…Shouldn’t Your Clients?

Can ya believe all the talk about Tiger Woods' car accident and, at last count, the thirteen (13)  extra-marital flings he's had.  The number keeps going up,up,and up. We can all laugh and joke about Tiger's personal misfortune which, BTW, he brought upon himself. But, what about the people in your own life that have been cheating on you? Now, I'm not suggesting that your wife or girlfriend is having a fling.  What I'm talking about here is your client base.  How many of your clients have been real "naughty" and have shopped out their security projects behind your back? Think about it....think how ...

Small Planet Marketing For Security Integrators

This is the final frontier...where no security direct marketer has gone before.  It's the place where you can send a Star Ship (aka a Direct Response Sales Letter) that will go at warp speed passed the "gate keeper" (aka the secretary/receptionist) and arrive on a high-level security manager's desk who has the purchasing and decision making power and oversees the enterprise-wide security system in a multitude of diverse galaxies, such as, airports, seaports, college campuses, universities, healthcare facilities, hospitals, and nuclear power plants. This is a $400 billion dollar security universe that the Starship Federation (aka you, the security installer) has ...

Paranormal Activity of A Struggling Security Dealer

Hope you and your family had a good, long rest over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  One of the things I was able to do was check out a movie with my brother, Gerald, who came home from the "Big Apple" for the holidays. We  both wanted to see a movie that would scare the bejeezus outta of us and I heard of this new flick, Paranormal Activity, that might do the trick. Paranormal Activity has generated a ton of internet buzz (been widely promoted with SMM Social Media Marketing) and has generated the same buzz that The Blair Witch Project did a ...

How to Get Bulletproof, Fast!

Bob, Thanks so much for the ad makeover. Apologies for the delay in getting back to you; we have been slammin' busy. It all makes sense from a customer's perspective to educate and offer. My wife looked at the ad without me saying a word. She said there was too much text. I then told her to look at it again as though she had just been burglarized. It all makes sense. We compete against a company whose sole strategy is the low, low price ($17 a month monitoring w/ service plan and no contract) so we have to be different. I'll close ...

Smart Bomb Security Selling

As you probably know by now, I was a Sgt. in the U.S. Air Force back in the day, and for part of my enlistment, I was stationed at Ramstein Air Base in West Germany.  To give you a time-frame, I was stationed in Germany when U2 had just released "The Unforgettable Fire" album and I was sporting a full head of black hair...hahahaha...Yes, so you do remember the Regan 80's. Back then, I  was in charge of  installing and maintaining high tech electronic security systems at Ramstein. When we weren't doing our Air Force specialty jobs, we would don heavy, ...

Top Secret Clearance – Street Fighting Man

Top Secret Clearance… I just got off the phone with a gentleman that recently signed up for my security marketing coaching program.  For simplicity sake, and to protect his privacy, let’s call him “Agent X”.  He’s only been in the security industry for a short period of time (4 months to be exact) and has decided to join my Security Maverick Coaching program to give himself a short-cut to success. On the 1-on-1 personal interview that I conduct with every security dealer that joins my program, I like to find out a little bit about every new member’s background story and their ...

Simon Cowell’s $1 Million Security System Install For His Home!

Hey, Happy Friday! I have a really cool blog post for you about American Idol judge Simon Cowell. He recently had installed a  $1mill-yun dollar security system in his new Southern California home. Check out the picture of his 24.3 million dollar crib, it’s insane! Simon Cowell's got security... worth $1m By Mail On Sunday Reporter Simon Cowell has spent $1million on a state-of-the-art security system for his new Beverly Hills mansion. The Britain’s Got Talent supremo, who moves into his £15million home this weekend, hired a firm used by Presidents and Nasa that specialises in fingerprint and retina scanners. Simon Cowell has finally finished his multi-million ...

Swiss Army Knife of Increasing Your Security Sales

Do you remember your 1st money making job as a kid? I sure do and it taught me a few real good life lessons that are instilled in me this very day. Back when I was in Cub Scouts I always wanted a Swiss Army Knife (nowadays all kids are looking for an X-Box 360). A couple of my good friends had a Swiss Army Knife, and naturally, I wanted one, too. At the time, my folks didn’t have the money to get me one…with having to raise five (5) kids and my dad working two jobs just to make ends meet…my ...

The Feeding Frenzy: And Don’t Be a Bait Ball…

The Agulhas Current Between May and July the Agulhas current off the southeastern coast of Africa displays one of nature’s miracles. It occurs without warning: suddenly the current shines silvery and bright. The silver comes from a vast mass of Pacific sardines using the cool seasonal water as a conveyor belt to carry them from their native waters just south of South Africa into the Indian Ocean north of Madagascar. This is one of the largest school of fish in the world, and it can extend for miles both length and width. Schooling... Schooling is “ONE” of the defensive techniques that fish  use ...

Acres of Diamonds…

The Two Biggest Mistakes That Will Drive Every Security Business into the Poor House… Understanding these two (2) mistakes and fixing them will allow you to raise your rates, and your installation price by hundreds to thousand of dineros. The first biggie mistake is not recognizing the value in your client mailing list (i.e. all your leads and security clients.) There is a wonderful old story, “Acres of Diamonds”, that brilliantly hammers this point home. It’s a pretty long story and you should get a copy of the book and read it this weekend. But, I’m gonna tell yah the ending and ruin ...

Retail Theft Skyrockets…Cracking the Code to Security System Sales…

Here is an interesting article I came across in the Phoenix Business Journal, there a lot of bad apples out there that are ripping off business owners and costing companies a boatload of profit. Your job as a “Security System Super Hero” is to stop these bad apples dead in they’re tracks. That’s where we make our name, reducing shrinkage, and stopping internal and external theft, kipsch… Read the whole article and I’ll catch up with you on the other side! Twenty-two major retailers lost more than $6 billion to shoplifters and dishonest employees in 2008, according to a new survey. On ...

Free Gift From Bob Maunsell

A Little Something! One of the nicest things you can do is to send your wife a “Little Something” every now and again to show how her much you appreciate her for putting up with you for all the long hours that you put into your business, and for keeping the house and the kids in tip top shape. When you do a “Little Something” extra for you spouse the  unexpected gift will create that micro moment of happiness for her. Studies have shown that little moments of positive emotion can add up, helping us to "rebound better from adversity and ...

Winner of the 2009 Security Marketing Yellow Page Ad Contest!

Check out the Video for the winner of our Yellow Page Ad Contest. Fred, To help you celebrate your new SMOKIN HOTT Ad, a little number from Pink Floyd...  ttys -Bob Attention Smokin' Newsletter Subscribers! Listen to this month's audio success CD interview with my Video Analytics wizard, and you will discover over 7 different strategies on how to sell Video Analytics Surveillance Systems. Here's just three of the things you will learn from listening to this interview. *How to Increase Your RMR with digital guard (ie a video camera). *Why the "Technology Refresh Cycle" is where the big money is in electronic security. *How to be a ...

Increase Your Residential Alarm Sales With A Killer New, Free Yellow Page Ad!

National Yellow Page Ad Makeover Week is August 10-14, 2009. To celebrate we are giving away a free Yellow Page Ad design. How to get a free complete Yellow Page Ad Makeover: If you feel your YP ad could be better, then fax or email it to us, by August 14th. We will choose one ad for a complete free makeover. You’ll get a totally redesigned ad from Bob Maunsell the “Security Marketing Guru” at no charge whatsoever. You can use it for way more than just the Yellow Pages! How to Enter: Fax your yellow page ad to (508) 425-7242 or ...

The Closing Cowboy…Cage Fighting…The Power of a Guarantee

The Closing Cowboy… A couple of years back you could just “pony-up” to a prospect’s home or business, get off your horse, half in the bag, utter no more then two words to the prospect and the security project was yours for the taking. Then you could hop back on your horse and ride off to meet your next prospect and close that deal by sundown. You could have pretty much just named your price and the prospect would have signed the dotted line and said “I want it all and when can yah start?” Boy, life was good… Everybody was telling yah how ...

Don’t Be a Security Dealer Cover Band…

Just me here with my writing machine. I have the Red Sox game on the telly, and earlier this morning I kissed my wife and kids good-bye as they headed down to the Cape for the week. I’ll be heading down to the Cape later in the week to catch up with the wife and kiddos. But before I do my good friend Rich D. are going to see AC/DC perform Tuesday at Gillette Stadium (aka “The Razor”), where it’s sure to be a blowout show. This will be AC/DC’s first world tour in 8 years. I checked out the AC/DC ...

Burglary Alert: Potted Plants Used To Case Homes

I was just reading an interesting article about how burglar’s (these guy’s keep us in business), have been placing flower pots in the driveway and in the front of the door of homes when they are casing in a neighborhood, they usually set up four to five potted plants at traps at a time for unsuspecting homeowners. The theory is that the burglars are  testing to see if the residents were in town or outta town, and if the home owners moved the potted plants then they would moved it would prove that someone was home and they would move on ...

I’m Sorry Your Boring?

I’m Sorry You’re Boring…? Gothchaya didn’t I… Today I want you to consider what will happen to your security company if, shall we shall say, it becomes ho-hum – yah know, kinda boring…trust me, it happens to the best of ‘em! I didn’t mean to offend you (if I did), but… I just wanted to get your attention! To remind you that if your security marketing becomes boring nobody will give yah a lick of attention - and mind you - you  need all the *attention* you can get nowadays for your security business. Who wants to get stuck standing next to the boring dolt ...

To Catch More Fish, Use More Poles!

Hey Everyone, Just chilling out in the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport waiting for my 12:30 flight back to Boston. Great blog post for you guys today, check it out! Multiple Fishing Poles In The Water… This past weekend for the first time in about five weeks it actually felt like summertime. I took my little girls down to the reservoir to do a little fishing with me, so we kicked back for a few hours and I had some Q.T. with my girls. Now is as good a time as ever to talk about catching more fish (security prospects) so let’s get going Before I ...

I Spy With My Little Eye – Serious Security Marketing Opportunities

You can learn so much from your children about marketing your Security Business and/or Low Voltage Installation Company if you sit back and watch your children play and are observant of human nature on their minute level. The “I Spy with My Little Eyes” game plays into basic human psychology. You choose to notice things in your daily environment, what you want to notice and no more. My little girl Kiera looves to play this game with her class mates, the game goes something like this “I Spy with My Little Eye’s” something that is red, and you have to look for ...

The Million Dollar Question You Should Ask Yourself – Before Starting A Security Business

Hey we received a great question this week from Anthony down in the Bayou State....... Bob, Within the next several months, I would like to start my own part-time Security Consulting/Inspection business. I have extensive Federal, Military, Law Enforcement and private sector experience. Numerous commendation for superior performance of duty. I possess a wide variety of legitimate degrees, and professional certifications. I do not intent to be a "jack of all trades" in the security field as it were; but to confine my services to Residential, Commercial, Hotel-Hospitality and industrial physical security surveys/inspections/penetration testing - personnel security consulting/inspections. Also Emergency Planning. I would ...

Cut-Back Customers May Not Come Back

You probably won’t be surprised to hear that customers change their buying behavior during a recession. They get their hair dyed less, go a few extra weeks between having the oil changed in their cars, they give up their mocha-chino lattes, they disconnect their alarm monitoring services and cancel their service maintenance agreements.  They are doing without. What is most shocking is that these changes in *behavior* will continue into the good times. If you assume that your customer is coming back to the normal state of affairs once the economy gets better, then you will be widely mistaken. A family that ...

Door To Door as Missionaries, Then as Security Salesmen

Hey everyone, check out this pretty interesting article I found in the NY Times Friday. June 12, 2009 Door to Door as Missionaries, Then as Salesmen New York Times By Kirk Johnson OAK BROOK, Ill. — Six days a week, in fair weather and foul, two-dozen door-to-door salesmen, all of whom live clustered together in an apartment complex in this suburb west of Chicago, pile into S.U.V.’s and cars and head into the big city, bent on sales of home security systems. And on Sunday, their one day off, they drive together to the nearest house of worship of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

FBI Press Release For Your Security Business Website – Newsletter

TGI FRIDAY everybody. Check out this great article a good friend of mine, Kathleen Baty, forwarded to me this morning. I'm sure some of you have heard of her a.k.a "The Safety Chick," she has been featured on America's Most Wanted, The John Walsh Show and The Morning Show.  I had the opportunity to interview her this morning and my Newsletter subscribers will have the pleasure of listening in on that killer interview on June's Smokin' Security Newsletter audio success CD. Check out this press release on crime statistics by the FBI for 2008. Feel free to swipe and post on ...

Attention Security Business Owners, Add A Turbo Shot To Your Security Services

"The Great One" - 24oz Of Coffee Pleasure With A Turbo Shot of Espresso! Sorry for the blury pic,(my BlackBerry has  2Meg)  I snapped it early this morning while running out of my local D&D (dunkin donuts for those not on the east coast) trying to balance two strawberry frosted dounts and a large 'pina coffee coolata' that my girls just had to have before school.  A delicious, sugar packed, frozen concoction that I enjoy so much . Anyways, as I stepped up to the counter and placed my order this sign greeted me and conjured up the popular commercial ...

Security Dealers, Please Don’t make These Mistakes When Selling To The Affluent…

In the May issue of the Smokin’ Security Newsletter, I wrote about the Hastens bed ‘cuz I was so amazed that there are people (markets) out there who wouldn’t think twice about dropping $65K large on this pretty little bed from Sweden. I was so interested that I actually went online to request the info-kit, and to see how they would follow up on a lead. Because I’m currently creating a lead generation package for a private client who sells and install security system to very wealthy home owners.  One thing you need to do before you go after ...

Security Marketing Formula For ‘Riches in Niches’

Commodity versus Service

Smoke Your Competition, By Focusing On Service... The Merriam - Webster Dictionary’s definition for the word Commodity is: a mass-produced unspecialized product. This means that you can be bought and sold like white rice… Yikes, not a position of strength if your selling big ticket security items. The Merriam - Webster Dictionary’s definition for the word Service is: Work done by one person or group that benefits another; an act of aid or assistance. Compare this to the definition of a Commodity: "a mass-produced unspecialized product.”  Which would you rather be selling? That’s what I call settling for less; when you’re perceived as a commodity, ...

Securty Marketing Idea of The Day – “Selling The Visible”

The whole family taking a break at Plaza de Armas in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico I know one of the easiest ways to make an impact in your security marketing campaign, is to SELL the visible aspect of your security company or low voltage installation company, this is what I call “onstage” when your out in the public eyes and your techs are on display for the whole world to see. Here are 6 quick ways to sell the visible of security business (your retirement assets!) 1-First and foremost, clean service vehicles and equipment. Make sure you wash your trucks ...