Relocating Business and Sales Copy for New Store Front Sign

Bob, I’m re-locating my business after 16 years in the same location. I’m adding outdoor illuminated signage at the new location located on an extremely busy street. What’s the minimum wording I need on my sign to promote burglar alarm systems and other recurring revenue installations and services?

Ray Maloney
Home of Peyton Manning and the Colts.

Howdy Ray,

Congrats on being in the security trenches for 16 years and good luck with your new store front location. That’s great news and something you must feel mighty proud of! With regards to your new store front sign, here’s how I would go about creating a killer security marketing message that would have prospects slamming their brakes in front of your new store. Here are the four (4) questions that I ask myself every time I write copy for a Y.P. ad, multi page sales letter or for a postcard.

The same rule would also apply to what you write on your sign.

1- Here’s what I got.

2- Here’s what it will do for you.

3- Here’s why I’m offering it.

4- Here’s what I want you to do next.

When you can create a compelling security marketing message and weave all four (4) of these elements into your local marketing, no competitor is safe!

Best of luck with your new move!

Chow!

Bob

Locksmith Needs to Create a Marketing Plan…

Bob,
I recently merged my small commercial locksmith company with a larger access control/alarm company that mainly services the banking industry. The plan is to offer these new services to my commercial client base. It has been left up to me how to create and implement the plan. I am not a true salesman and did no advertising for my locksmith business the last 5 years, mainly relying on word of mouth and attending local Chamber of Commerce events. I need to hit the ground running. What advice do you have?

Thanks Jon
The UCONN Huskies State

What’s up Jon,

Congrats on your new merger! This merger, my friend, is an excellent opportunity for you and your new company because it’s an easy way to sell additional electronic security services by using “OPC” Other Peoples Customers (assets) and “OPL” Other Peoples Lists (mailing list). In other words, Jon, you and your new company have assets between you that you can market each others services to. It’s a win-win situation for both parties – pretty exciting, huh…

Jon I see that you’ve recently become a Smokin’ Security Newsletter member…that’s a right smart investment in your future and yourself. In the July Smokin’ Security Newsletter you’ll see on display a gang-buster referral generator that you can use immediately to start sending out to your current clients and to your new security company “house list” to get the word out to stimulate [more] referrals.

Also, starting this fall, we will start inserting a quarterly (four (4) times a year) wicked cool security newsletter template for all Smokin’ Newsletter members for distribution to their client base. This is a new style newsletter that I created, for the security and low voltage industries, which has never been seen before! You can mail this newsletter out quarterly, to your clients and prospects, to soft-sell your security services, educate your clients and gain more referrals. The great thing about this is that the four (4) newsletter templates won’t cost yah a red dime – just another one of the amazing perks you get when you’re a Smokin’ Security Newsletter member. How cool is that!

Jon, when you get your bonus certificates for coaching calls, just fax them in and my staff will setup a time that’s convenient for the both of us to map out a game plan using some dirt cheap security marketing strategies that are highly effective for commercial security sales and wowing clients.

I know that I said this a thousand times but it’s way more important to upgrade your SMOS “Security Marketing Operating System” hardware in your brain, I know that you know everything about Schalge, HESS, and Locknetics and you’ve stood in plenty of freezing cold doorways cutting in a door strike in the dead of winter.

But at this point in your career the most valuable use of your time is learning how to acquire new clients that pay, stay, and refer.

You say that your not a true sales guy…I challenge you to become the “The Greatest Sales Person in the world” the technical sales reps that has super marketing powers that can pull new clients in like a 2 ton magnet. When you have super human powers like this your recession-proof. The only way you can acquire this power is by immersing yourself in the sales marketing field.

Becoming a top security sales rep is a skilled that can be acquired and learned, and you’ve arrived at “Planet Bob”- the right place for unconventional security marketing philosophies and killer strategies that you can’t find anywhere else!

Adios Amigo

Bob

SparkyMan Wants To Become a Security Dealer…

My name is Steve G. I’m from Lincoln, Nebraska. My history is some what like yours, I was in the military for 9 years, got out became an electrical contractor and have been doing that for about 20 years. Recently, I became a authorized ADT dealer and I think it’s going to be pretty awesome. Here is my problem; I’ve never installed a security system. I recently went thru the ADT dealer orientation for 4 days and it was mostly about admin responsibilities and door knocking. Don’t get me wrong, I think it was a great learning experience and all, but again there was no technical training at all. So my first question is, do you have any info on sources I could use to educate myself? And secondly do you have any low cost sales or marketing tips,ideas ect. that a “nonsales” person like myself could start out with?
Any help you could pass on would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Bob, Have a great day!
Steve G.
Home of the Huskers, State

Dude,

Congrats on hitting the 20 year mark as an electrical contractor, and now you wanna be a security dealer rock star. The first thing I would do, if I was you, to accelerate the installation training curve is to install a security system at your own home and business, then one at your parents house, and one at grandma’s house, then your sister’s and/or brother’s house, and if you have a neighbor that you owe a big favor, then install a system at their house.

The fastest way to learn is by doing and what you need to do right now is *invest* some time, and resources into learning the security installation biz. Even if you don’t make that much money (or any money at all) doing these security system installs, I would rather cut my teeth in front of someone that I know than if front of a total stranger. Then I would expand your installations off of this group of people by using my referral generator that is in this months Smokin’ Security Newsletter. As The Jackson 5 would sing, “it’s as easy as ABC, as 1,2,3…” especially once you get you confidence up in doing these security installs. Also, if you install say 5 security systems, at cost or for free, for your friends and family (kinda sounds like a T-Mobile commercial) then you’ll have 5 systems out there that you can monitor and learn how to program the system and learn the proper motion detector placements and what’s the best side of the door to mount a door contact….ect

Steve you definitely want to get yourself a monthly subscription to SDM Security Distributing & Marketing. Another magazine that you should add to the list is SSI Security Sales & Integration. Also, attend the local trade shows that are in your area for some of the latest and greatest techniques/equipment for doing alarm installs.

The electronic security industry is night and day different then the electrical contracting industry – where you can win an electrical project and camp out that construction site for months on end because electrical projects are more labor intense. When an electrical contractor is busy for the next 2 months, he’s happy as a pig in….you know what.

But in the security industry you have to be a sales and marketing machine because, for the most part, security installs don’t have the long life cycle as an electrical project, unless it’s a huge commercial security project. So, in the low voltage business you’ll always be hunting for new jobs and a non-salesperson won’t cut the mustard unless he’s a salesperson.

It’s very important to become a “SALESPERSON” if you want to be a success.

I have a couple of low cost marketing programs that I will be releasing in August and September so keep your eye out for the notice.

Steve, honestly the best program for you is my Smokin’ Security Newsletter, because there is a killer security marketing ad in every issue that you can S&D (swipe & deploy) for your own business. There are hundreds of security marketing strategies included inside of every issue.

Also, once you develop a marketing mindset you’ll see how easy it is for you to leverage your existing electrical contracting business to maximize your new security business – to the Nth degree!

Included with your membership, is the opportunity to talk with me four times a year (which ain’t a bad thing!) I can steer you in the right direction on how to get your residential security business off the ground. Plus, inside each Smokin’ Security Newsletter is an audio success CD. This month’s audio success CD is a killer interview that I did on “how to protect your home against harden criminals”. Just go to the Smokin’ Security Newsletter link on my website and check out all the bonuses I smother you with once you become a member!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Bob

Do You Have an Affiliate Program…

Bob, Do you offer an affiliate program?
Thanks!
Alan

Hi Alan,

As of this writing I do not have an affiliate program, but it is something we have on the back burner. When we get it up and running we’ll have a generous affiliate dealer program!

Thanks for asking!

Hope all is well!

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/

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http://www.securitymarketingguru.com/ask-bob

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Tags: Access Control, Banking Industry, Burglar Alarm Systems, Busy Street, Chow, Commerce Events, Competitor, Great News, Hartford Ct, Local Chamber, Local Marketing, Locksmith Business, Locksmith Company, Marketing Plan, New Location, Postcard, Signage, Trenches, What Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas, Word Of Mouth

To Catch More Fish, Use More Poles!

July 7, 2009 by Bob Maunsell
Filed under Bob's Security Marketing Blog!

1 Comment

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…

fishing poles copy 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 let anyone in to my security mavericks coaching program that must complete an in-depth questionnaire that asks for specific statistics, I personally review each and every one of them.

Here is what I’ve uncovered:

•   73% – This is the percentage that admits to doing only ONE marketing activity per month.
•   84% is the percentage of security dealers with NO structured referral system in place.
•   98% – is the percentage of security dealers who are just winging it with no formalized marketing plan.

Sadly Only One Fishing Pole…

I once consulted with a security dealer who had been in business for about 15 years who was very lucky: he started his business in a small town with a huge manufacturing plant he was busy doing security installs at the plant and he would also grab quite a bit of business from the workers in the plant installing residential alarm systems.

He was able to do this with out doing any alarm promotions or any marketing for his security company. He was fat and happy until the day the plant closed down and shipped over to South East Asia.

That’s when he called my office in a complete state of terror, and said Bob I just lost 85% of my revenue base, not only with the plant closing and losing the commercial security side of the business did he take a direct hit, but his residential security business took another direct hit when his clients were no longer able to pay the monthly monitoring because they just lost their jobs! (btw his residential monitoring was only $15 per month, pretty cheap).

Bob, what are my options… My oldest daughter is going to college in two years, and my whole world was just flipped upside down?

Up to this point this dealer wasn’t doing a stitch of security marketing to promote his business, and I mean nothing, nada, zilch to acquire more clients or to expand his reach.

Here is what I instructed him to do, and he was able to turn his security business around within 12 months.

Massive Action – Adding More Fishing Poles…

blog~magicpill Phase # 1 for this dealer was to understand that you need multiple baited fishing poles in the water to attract and reel in enough “fish” into your business. With a dozen, two dozen poles in the water you will create a hornet’s nest of lures and hooks to attract and catch enough “fish” into your business. With a dozen, two dozen poles you will generate a huge buzz of activity, what I find is that success and energy feed off themselves, and the new prospect flow picks up just because you have so much going on!

The feeding frenzy effect is the same in security marketing as it is in fishing. So the # 1 job for this dealer was to add more fishing poles, as fast as humanly possible (website, monthly client newsletter, Free Recorded messages, postcard system, referral generator, etc) .

He wanted me to give him a “magic pill” (that one ad that would make it all come back) that would solve all his problems, I told him to keep dreaming and to stop thinking about being a one-hit wonder, to tell you the truth there is no such thing as a “magic pill” to instantly increase your revenues or sales by 50% or 100%. It takes a willingness to implement new strategies and build a killer security marketing system that will turn you into a ROCKSTAR and not a one hit wonder.

I said if there was such a thing as a “magic pill” ad or marketing piece, everyone would be using it, and pretty much render it useless anyway. The “magic pill” approach is just a immature view of the reality of effectively marketing your security business.

Babe Ruth…

Chasing marketing home runs is like gambling at the roulette wheel “hoping and a praying” for that big score. It (almost) never happens my friend. Baseball games are won by consistent base hits, smart base running, and quality pitching, not homers. I educated this babe ruth security dealer that rather chasing the pipe dream, instead construct and organize a formal security marketing plan. No single pole will replace the 20 he is missing, however I promised him that the dozen or so poles we could implement right away would average him about 24 new pre-qualified prospects per month.

His Results:

I’ll give this dealer credit. Within 120 days he went from zero marketing poles to adding the 12 marketing poles (i.e. security marketing systems) to his business I had recommended. In six months he was averaging almost 22 new installs (almost back to pre-plant closing levels)! In 12 months he was able to double the number of new installs to 40 a month. He said that having a formalized marketing plan actually took less time and was less stressful then relying on that one large plant to feed his business.

Happily Ever After…

Thanks to the vital concept of marketing poles, he saved his security business in the short term, and doubled his income in the long term. The lesson is very clear, “diversity equals stability”, don’t rely on home runs *cough* NY Yankees *cough* or just one fishing pole to have a successful security business!

Want $2,649,594 worth of FREE Security Marketing Advice? Check out my Blog!
http://securitymarketingguru.com/category/bobs-security-marketing-blog/

Got A Difficult Question? Just Ask Me!
http://www.securitymarketingguru.com/ask-bob

Join My Security Marketing Group On Facebook
http://www.securitymarketingguru.com/category/bobs-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!**

Tags: Commercial Security, Direct Hit, Doing Security, Fishing Pole, Fishing Poles, Hey Everyone, Little Girls, Manufacturing Plant, Marketing Plan, Mavericks, Referral System, Residential Alarm Systems, Residential Security, Security Business, Security Company, Security Dealer, Security Dealers, Security Side, South East Asia, Summertime