News Articles
November 3, 2020
The Connected Cloud -- November 2020

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September 5, 2020
The Connected Cloud -- September 2020

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August 6, 2020
The Connected Cloud -- August 2020

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June 4, 2020
The Connected Cloud -- June 2020

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April 7, 2020
The Connected Cloud -- April 2020

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March 10, 2020
The Connected Cloud -- March 2020

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February 4, 2020
The Connected Cloud -- February 2020

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December 10, 2019
The Connected Cloud -- December 2019

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November 5, 2019
The Connected Cloud -- November 2019

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November 1, 2019
How Sales Professionals Use the Cloud for Solution Selling [Hide]
How Sales Professionals Use the Cloud for Solution Selling
By Mike Simon, Managing Partner, Connected Technologies LLC
When you want to be remembered, this is a true differentiator
For those security dealers embracing the cloud—congratulations! You have the perfect security management platform to deliver the best and most varied array of services to your customers and gain monthly recurring revenue. You’re on your way to having a more profitable company, focusing on tangible and predictable revenue from managing security and other services for your customer. The way to seal the deal in offering cloud-hosted security is by changing your sales tactic—so you and your bid- spec are remembered and stand out from the competition.
First, the things you shouldn’t do. Don’t be an order taker and don’t just sell boxes of stuff. Instead, start by learning everything you can about your prospect and potential customer—their pain points, facility footprint and security issues and challenges. Think of yourself as an actor preparing for your next role.
Research by investigating crime reports, view Google maps, browse the company’s website so you know what they do, the customers they serve and their overall philosophy of doing business. Primed with as much information as possible you’re in the perfect position to design a cloud-hosted and managed service solution that very well could be the pathway to a long-term client.
Solutions selling makes your proposal memorable
The process of selling cloud services requires a totally different approach and needs to focus on providing solutions to the customer’s challenges or everyday needs in order to be successful. Unlike the residential market, where decisions are made almost immediately, in the commercial space vetting a security provider can take an inordinate amount of time and depending on the project, 30, 45, 60 days or even more. So once all the bids are in, you’ve pitched your plan and the decision makers are assembled to review the proposals and ideas that came in months ago, how do you get remembered over the competition? One way is to provide a presentation that focuses on solutions, a simplified approach that hits on the issues at that particular prospect’s facility and gives them a real-world, hands- on look at what they can expect and how their issues will be addressed by the system once it’s installed.
Today, it’s all about the customer experience—and the cloud provides the means to boost the level of engagement and satisfaction.
Give a real solution presentation and not something generic
We all know it rarely works to just plunk down a brochure on the equipment or a generic sales sheet on your company. That’s what many of the other companies bidding the job may do, so don’t go that route. Cloud-hosted security management platforms and interfaces may have virtual sales tools that allow the customer to use the interface and discover its potential during the sales presentation. These demonstration tools can illustrate actual deployments and often can be tailored to the specific vertical market of the prospect.
Instead of trying to close sales with static presentations and unrelated projects, security dealers can run these virtual demonstrations from smartphone, tablet or laptop. They can share market vertical specific video surveillance clips, for example and alerts to the prospect’s email during the demonstration, so they know they will have the capabilities they need. The customer can also work with the demo while you are preparing the proposal.
Be the salesperson and dealer who is remembered
Not only do these types of tools provide a unique selling advantage and the ability to provide a more personal and knowledgeable presentation, but it allows dealers to differentiate themselves from other firms and competitive bids. When the time comes to make a decision on who the security provider will be, there’s a good likelihood that the facility manager or CSO who participated in your sales pitch will remember your solution—and that it was intuitive and easy to use—and pass that along to other decision makers at the table. Let’s be honest. Most of the pricing for the systems in the bid process will pretty much be in the same ball park. But when the prospect remembers your solution and what it can do for their company, they are no longer looking at the bottom line but focused on the fact that you understand and can deliver on their specific needs.
What’s the difference between great sales people versus those with low closing ratios? One who is not
an order taker but who takes the time to sell solutions—and the best way to do that is through the
cloud.
Bio:
Mike Simon is the managing partner of Connected Technologies LLC, a company he started after selling
his long-running systems integration business in the Chicago area. Mike and his son Dan are the
originators of the patented, award-winning Connect ONE® cloud-hosted security management platform.
For more information visit www.simplifywithconnectone.com.
October 8, 2019
The Connected Cloud -- October 2019

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August 6, 2019
The Connected Cloud -- August 2019

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August 1, 2019
Everyone Has a First Day and a Last Day
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May 30, 2019
The Value of System Standardization and How it Can Help Your Company

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May 14, 2019
Simplifying Elevator Access Control

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April 4, 2019
The Connected Cloud -- April 2019

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March 18, 2019
The Connected Cloud -- March 2019

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February 7, 2019
The Connected Cloud -- February 2019

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December 4, 2018
The Connected Cloud -- December 2018

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October 9, 2018
The Connected Cloud -- October 2018

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August 7, 2018
The Connected Cloud -- August 2018

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July 2, 2018
The Connected Cloud -- July 2018

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June 5, 2018
The Connected Cloud -- June 2018

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May 2, 2018
The Connected Cloud -- May 2018

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April 3, 2018
The Connected Cloud -- April 2018

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March 6, 2018
The Connected Cloud -- March 2018

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February 8, 2018
The Connected Cloud -- February 2018

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November 16, 2017
The Connected Cloud -- November 2017

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September 6, 2017
The Connected Cloud -- September 2017

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June 8, 2017
The Connected Cloud -- June 2017

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May 8, 2017
The Connected Cloud -- May 2017

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April 21, 2017
Reason #11: It's All About ROI for Your Customer

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April 3, 2017
The Connected Cloud -- April 2017

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March 24, 2017
Reason #10: Designed for Customers with Multiple Sites

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March 9, 2017
Reason #9: Become a Provider of Critical Information

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March 7, 2017
The Connected Cloud -- March 2017

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February 24, 2017
Reason #8: More Opportunities to Expand Your Business

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February 14, 2017
The Connected Cloud -- February 2017

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February 10, 2017
Reason #7: Mix/Match Multiple Systems

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January 27, 2017
Reason #6: Make It Your Own

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January 17, 2017
The Connected Cloud -- January 2017

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January 13, 2017
Reason #5: Differentiate Your Company

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December 28, 2016
Reason #4: Garner Substantial RMR Growth

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December 16, 2016
Reason #3: Give Your Technicians Real-Time Control

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December 13, 2016
The Connected Cloud -- December 2016

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December 9, 2016
Reason #2: All Your Customers in One Place

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December 2, 2016
Reason #1: Helping You Close More Sales

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November 9, 2016
The Connected Cloud -- November 2016

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October 11, 2016
The Connected Cloud -- October 2016

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September 6, 2016
The Connected Cloud -- September 2016

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September 1, 2016
Locksmith Ledger - Septermber 2016 - How the Cloud Can Easily Provide a Monthly Revenue Stream
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August 23, 2016
Locksmith Ledger - August 2016 - Market Vertical Presentations Help Get the Sale
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June 8, 2016
The Connected Cloud -- June 2016

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May 11, 2016
The Connected Cloud -- May 2016

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March 7, 2016
The Connected Cloud -- March 2016

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January 7, 2016
The Connected Cloud -- January 2016

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March 3, 2015
Connect ONE®: Safeguard Systems from Malicious Hacking

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