7 Video Surveillance Mistakes You Don't Know You're Making
By The Business Solutions Network
I just returned from ESX Nashville, a convention dedicated to video surveillance and access control technologies. Over the course of two days, I had many conversations with experts in the security field, giving me the opportunity to validate some of the information we hear from readers every week. After putting together all this information, I've arrived at 7 common mistakes many of today's IT integrators are making.
1. Thinking About IP Cameras Simply As Devices For Loss Prevention. As we've written about recently, there are many unique and compelling uses for today's cameras.
2. Focusing Your Sales & Marketing Efforts Solely On The Person In Charge Of Loss Prevention. Since cameras can be used to help solve business problems for many different departments within your customer's organization, you should expand your sales and marketing efforts to people within those other departments. Doing this can help get budget allocated for a camera system purchase and -- more importantly -- make your sale more sticky with those customers.
3. Overlooking Your Existing Customers. Many of our readers have large bases of existing customers. Rather than lament struggling sales within your core technology, try selling your existing customers on the exciting capabilities of these new technologies. If your customers already have an old video surveillance system, prepare to blow their minds with the possibilities of modern technology.
4. Rushing Into The Market. Ensure your networking skills are good enough to properly configure a network designed for video data. Know what cameras should be used in which situations. Also, build a solid understand of video surveillance technology (past and present) to arm yourself with enough compelling information to properly convey your value proposition to customers.
5. Selling Video Surveillance On Camera Features. This really applies to anything you sell. Selling on features makes you no better than a Web page. Sell solutions and how you can solve business problems and you build a compelling case for why a customer should buy from you.
6. Partnering With Security Dealers. You're most likely a pretty smart person. Or, you at least hire smart people to make you look smart. IP cameras do not require Ph.D.s to sell and install. You and your team are most likely very capable of installing and configuring these devices. Rather than partner with a security dealer and lose a chunk of revenue, keep that business for yourself.
7. Ignoring Customer Requests & Market Trends. Many of our readers explain that it was customer requests for video surveillance that pulled them into the market. At the same time, technology has advanced to where IP camera technology is firmly within the wheelhouse of network-savvy integrators. Don't ignore these signs and miss out on such a great revenue generator!