Top 3 Reasons to Be Thankful You’re a Security Sales Pro

In the United States, this week is all about gratitude and giving thanks. While most of our appreciation will be pulled to the most important entities in our lives like health, family and friends, I want to remind you about the awesome position you have as a salesperson in the security industry. Below are the top three reasons you should be thankful the you’re a security sales professional.

Reason #1

I go skiing every year with a group of college friends. It’s a trip we all look forward to all year. Besides email, we don’t really communicate much the other 51 weeks, so we’re very interested in catching up with each other’s lives during that week. Two years ago, I wanted to understand one of the guy’s jobs more thoroughly. I knew he did a lot of global travel and would spend weeks in China. I also knew that he was in the paper business. What I didn’t realize was that he was in the pulp side of the business (actually, I knew that but I didn’t know what it meant). After he described that he was in charge of driving business of the pulp division to other paper manufacturers, I inquired: “You don’t even sell paper… you sell the stuff that makes paper?” After he agreed, I asked: “How do you differentiate yourself? Why does someone buy from you vs. your competition?” He had a great explanation about delivery guarantees, price, service, etc. I also know my friend—I’m sure he has a lot to do with it. He’s a pro. But really, how dull is that?
If you ever get bored selling security systems, think about the technology we have today, and where innovation is taking us. Then, think about my buddy that sells paper pulp. The first reason for being thankful you’re a sales professional in the security industry is because of the cool technology we get to sell and talk about every day.

Reason #2

I do a lot of public speaking—it’s becoming a significant part of my business. Following many sessions, I have people approach me and make a comment like: “I’m so glad you focus on sales and the security industry. We really need this.”

They’re right. Our industry needs sales training. That’s the reason I started my business in 2010. My mission is to bring sales excellence to the security industry. In other industries, you have sales professionals adapting their sales skills to their industry. The security industry seems to be the opposite: we have security professionals trying to adapt their trade expertise to the craft of selling.

So, why should you be thankful for this? Because there is a huge opportunity for you to develop your sales skills and dominate your competition. Think about it… you’re competing against other salespeople who probably are not participating in continuing sales development. If you dedicate only two hours per week of quality sales training, you’ll be heads and shoulders above your competitors.

So, the second reason you should be thankful that you’re a sales professional in the security industry is because of the opportunity to dominate your market by simply devoting a couple hours per week to sales training.

Reason #3

I spent my 20s and the first few years of my 30s in two different industries, so my perception of the security industry has been developed from my time here, and from my time elsewhere. I think I have an accurate perspective. Also, I have dozens of friends from dozens of industries, and I love picking their brains about their businesses and how they approach their markets. These discussions help me hone my understanding of security and the state of the industry. I’m happy to proclaim that we’ve got a heck of an industry full of incredible people; which leads me to Reason #3 that you should be grateful you’re a security sales professional…

The security industry is full of amazing people trying to protect people and assets first, and make a profit second. Combined with Reason , it might sound like we’re an industry full of misfits that can’t balance a checkbook. That’s not what I mean at all. For the most part, leaders in security care about their mission more than they care about profits, and that desire to do the right thing leads to successful and profitable businesses. The industry is composed of good people who want to make sure their customers are safe… period. This doesn’t happen in many other industries—it’s about profits first, and the customer second. There are exceptions, but for the most part this is true.

So, the third reason to be thankful you’re a security sales professional is because the people in this industry sincerely care about doing the right thing for their customers. How much easier is it to represent an organization in an industry that isn’t known to be unethical? How great is it to look yourself in the mirror every day and know you can compete and win while holding to your integrity? We take this concept for granted because it may be all we know. However, life is dramatically more difficult for sales professionals forced to get past the “snake oil” perception before having the first conversation. Trust me on this one, and be grateful that we’re sales professionals in such an honorable industry.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! Enjoy and hug your loved ones, but take a minute and smile about your job, too.

Chris Peterson is principal and consultant at Vector Firm. He can be reached at cpeterson@vectorfirm.com. For more information, visit his website at http://www.vectorfirm.com.

The views and opinions expressed in guest posts and/or profiles are those of the authors or sources and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Security Industry Association (SIA).