One of the most important things to any security salesperson is customer acquisition. Here are three of my favorite ways to find new prospects. They aren’t for the weak at heart, but they sure do produce results.
Public Speaking
Although it’s been said that most people fear public speaking more than death, if you like having lots of leads and sales, try public speaking.
I like public speaking to generate sales leads for two reasons. First, I get to interact with large groups of people at once. And second, other people do all the work to assemble the audience. When I speak at an ISC event, for example, the folks at ISC do all the work to form the audience that will hear my speech. All I need to do is show up and deliver great content.
Public speaking helps establish you as
an expert. It allows you to inform people about your business and services. It helps you to network and generate more sales leads.
Most community groups and trade associations hold events that need speakers. Your local Rotary Club needs speakers. The Home Builders Association needs speakers. Your state’s Restaurant Association needs speakers.
Put together a presentation that solves problems or addresses topically relevant issues. Home builders may be interested in the latest trends in home automation. Restaurant owners would love to cut employee theft. Electricians want to know the latest codes and technologies.
Give a solid one hour informative presentation that educates people about a problem they face. Offer it to relevant groups in your market, and watch your leads go through the roof.
Webinars
A webinar is an online presentation held via the Internet, usually in real time. Best of all, anyone can do them.
Webinars allow you to present from the comfort of your home or office. They allow you to present to many people at one time, and they are easy to do. Also, the software is inexpensive and simple to use. Some webinar software you could try includes Go to Webinar, Zoom and ReadyTalk.
The concept behind webinars is the same as public speaking: develop a presentation that educates people about a problem they face in such a way that they become a qualified sales lead.
You can drive qualified attendees to your webinar by emailing your customer list, creating social ads on platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn and teaming up with other non-competitors that serve your target audience (like a trade association).
Business Networking & Referral Organizations
Almost every community has a Business Network International (BNI) chapter. I suggest you join an aggressive one for more leads and sales.
BNI is a business networking organization that allows only one member from a professional industry classification to join each chapter. The sole purpose of the chapter is to generate more business for its members. Members are required to exchange leads with one another, and each member serves as a lead generation source for other members.
Since the majority of leads come from highly credible sources, the amount of sold business from the right BNI group can be huge.
My friend who sells and leases commercial real estate earns more than $100K per year in commissions from his BNI group. And the sad thing is that of the more than 55 professions represented in his BNI group, not one is a security company. Waste no time, and Google search to find a local BNI chapter in your community today.
Finding enough qualified prospects to speak with is vital to any security company. Try these methods and I’m confident you’ll be pleased with the results.
