Five Tips for Powering Your Alarm Sales

In today’s economic climate, dealers are finding it challenging to power their sales and fill their pipeline with customers – especially customers who are loyal to their brand, pay on time, and refer you to other prospects.  Here are five tips that can make a big difference in your sales and your RMR.

1.      Engage with Your Customers and Prospects

Some marketing consultants suggest sending a small welcome gift to new customers or  “a little something” after a call or meeting with a hot prospect.  Another, more personal and cost-efficient approach is to send e-mails or short notes. Regular communications can turn prospects into customers, and customers into promoters. These communications are not sales pitches. They can be informative (keeping your audience up to date on news or developments), personal (recognizing a milestone or an achievement – either yours or your contacts), or customer-engagement oriented (an e-mail, note or call to check in on new and existing customers). The key is that they are regular points of contact with your customers and prospects, even with colleagues, relatives and friends, to keep you and your company top of mind.

2.      Empower Your Sales Managers

Sales managers typically spend only about 10 percent of their time coaching the sales team. Many marketing consultants think this number should be more like 50 percent. If sales managers empower their team and give them the skills to be more effective, then everyone benefits. Effective coaching methods may include:  handling joint sales calls and reviewing the “teachable moments” from that call, having and following a selling system, and setting accountability goals and getting commitment from team members (source: Gretchen Gordon, Braveheart Sales Performance). Sales managers must consistently – not sporadically – use these coaching methods, and incentivize the appropriate behavior!

3.       Embrace the “No”

Nobody likes rejection. Even seasoned salespeople can make the mistake of thinking that any rejection means no sale, and getting customers to like them is essential to close the deal. They are afraid that customers will get annoyed – or far worse, will say “no” to the pitch altogether – and they fail to ask questions that eventually might lead to a commitment. For instance, if a prospect says, “I need to think it over,” then the salesperson could follow with, “Tell me why you are hesitating, so I can address your concerns.”  Have the courage to use the “maybe” and the “no” as a process to getting to a “yes” (source: Gretchen Gordon, Braveheart Sales Performance).

4.       Knowledge is Power

In today’s technology-driven, 24/7 environment, many alarm sales professionals think that fast-and-furious (or quick-and-simple) pitches are the best way to bring in as much business as possible.  Yet, customers will balk at committing if they don’t feel like they know and understand what they are paying for.  A better approach is to help prospective customers feel comfortable that they have all of the information they need to make a good buying decision.  Explain and show new technology, demonstrate how the alarm technology would work in their home or business, and introduce them to the central station.  In short, use old-fashioned sales tactics: be friendly, knowledgeable, informative and helpful.

5.      Represent Your Brand – Consistently

No matter what selling methods you employ, whether through door-to-door selling or telemarketing, running ads on traditional media or marketing your business on social media, you and your sales team must represent your brand consistently.  For example, for door-to-door sales, your representatives should dress neatly, preferably in a company uniform, and bring proper identification.  Print, television and radio ads all should be consistent with your company’s brand messaging and targeted to your ideal customer base. On social media, your posts, tweets, and pictures must be professional, customer focused, and support your marketing and sales strategies.

To learn more about how ACA can be a valuable resource for your company’s sales, click here for details about our Independent Dealer Program.