Hal's Asymmetrical Keys to Success and Failure in the Security World, Part One

I wanted this article to be symmetrical, I really did. There is something inherently satisfying about symmetrical pattern. From architecture to art to "Vitruvian Man" to the faces most people will find attractive, symmetry plays an overwhelming role in our lives. It's arguable that several dominant world religions are based on a desire to find symmetry in daily events, but that discussion will inevitably take me well beyond my limit for flaming email.

As I was saying, I wanted this article to be symmetrical. I wanted to have X number of "Keys to Success", and X number of "Keys to Failure". Unfortunately, I find myself with "Keys to Success = X" and "Keys to Failure =X+1". Se la vie.

I've spent the last decade or so in the Security and Technology world. Through the dot com boom, the dot com bust, the post-9/11 security boom, and the convergent contraction that we are now seeing, several practices have floated to the surface of the successful and not so successful security companies out there. I'm going to talk specifically about the physical security arena right now, but these concepts are equally applicable across many disciplines.

Since I'm in a positive state of mind today, we'll start off by talking a bit about Hal's Keys for Success.

Hal's Key to Success #1: Take Care of your Customers.

You would think that this one is fairly self explanatory. You would think that, by now, people would understand that you need to take care of your customers if you expect them to take care of you. You would think that Security professionals would understand that most of their customers would rather not be beat about the head and neck with a blunt object. You may think all of this and more, but you would be wrong.

If you've been around the security industry for any amount of time, you already know the organizations who have built their reputations on good customer service. These are the people who go the extra mile. Companies who shoot for 100% accuracy, but are willing to take responsibility when they miss that target. Integrators who properly spec a solution based on what is best for the customer, even if it doesn't bring a 74% margin.

You also know the companies who have continued to drag along despite of, or ceased to exist because of, their bad customer service. We've heard the horror stories. Companies who have installed motion sensors overlooking outdoor swimming pools, a constant source of motion, and then just turn the sensitivity down to zero, and still charge the customer. Manufacturers who develop solutions that force customers to only buy their product, and then sell it as an Open Platform. Integrators who offer multi-year service contracts with 4 hour turn around, but only use subcontractors who work 8-5, Monday through Friday.

Like just about every other industry, the success of Security entities hinges on the quality of their customer service. It doesn't matter how good your gear is, or how reasonable your pricing, or how skilled your staff is if all of your customers hate you. These are basics, folks, I'm not telling you anything new. Yet, security companies are failing at customer service every day! They'll blame it on the down economy forcing them to be more protectionist of their interests, but I'm just not buying it. I think many companies are using a down economy as an excuse to revert to bad habits in the way they handle their relationships.

I challenge you to at least try to be customer focused for three months, and see if it changes the dynamic of your business and your day to day life. When a customer asks you for a little more, assume that your answer will be an enthusiastic "Yes!" If you lost 2 points of margin, and gain a solid relationship with a long term customer, is it not worth it? Only you can answer that.

Now, I'm not saying you should give your company away. I'm just saying that I think that too many security companies have taken Sun Tzu a little too seriously. Remember, your goal isn't to pillage your customers, or at least it shouldn't be. You are here to serve your customers, not the other way around!

Hal's Key to Success #2: Pay Attention to the Big Customers, Even When They Aren't in a Purchasing Cycle.

Let's say you work for a large Access Control company. You're in sales, and you have a territory to grow and a number to meet. In your territory is a large prospect company: Joe Bob's House of Really Expensive Thingamajigs. Joe Bob owns and operates a huge Thingamajig Plant, a mammoth Thingamajig Warehouse, and an almost imponderable network of Thingamajig Retailers. He has thousands of employees, and has a capability to spend hundreds of millions of dollars if he can be shown ROI. Internal theft is low, quality control is exemplary, and the whole operation runs like a well oiled machine. Joe Bob uses an aging access control solution, designed and installed by a now defunct company. The problem, at least for you, is that this ancient access control system just refuses to die. The thing just keeps kicking! You've met with Joe Bob a few times, sent him a modest gift at Christmas, had lunch once or twice, and you've built solid rapport. Since he has such massive buying power, you choose to stay close to Joe Bob, even though he doesn't have any sort of access control project in the pipeline. You make sure to always bring your product into the conversations, but Joe Bob just has no reason to buy. You stop by once a month, maybe grab a sandwich, bring a couple dozen donuts in for the office. This goes on for several months, maybe a year. Then you get the call from the boss. He wants to know why you've spent valuable time and money on this chump Joe Bob when he never buys anything. You explain the situation, and the fact that Joe Bob's old system is going to need to be replaced eventually, and you'll probably make half of your yearly number when it does. Your boss's reply? If it ain't happening this quarter, he doesn't care.

So, you take Joe Bob off your calender, maybe cut it down to two or three times a year. You stop in a few months later, and Joe Bob's secretary asks if you have an appointment. She used to just wave you right in. Four months after this, you see eight of your competitor's installer vans in Joe Bob's parking lot. Joe Bob's old system finally gave up the ghost, but you weren't around to help. You leave voice mails for Joe Bob, but he never calls you back, and your emails remain unanswered. You hear through the grapevine that Joe Bob paid your competitor more than you would have charged him, and that he didn't call you because he thought you would be too busy to help him.

This may seem outlandish to you, but I've seen it happen. Millions or dollars of business are thrown away for the price of a couple of taco platters and 2 hours a month. Of course, your boss blames you for losing the business, even though he barred you from maintaining the relationship! Let's remember to invest in the future. If you want to see huge purchase orders, you're going to need to invest in the people who can send you those purchase orders!

Hal's Key to Success #3: Carefully Consider Your Market Approach, and Give it Time to Succeed.

Mad Scientist Management. We've all seen it, and we may have even experienced it first hand: upper management that just can't leave well enough alone. The Pointy Haired Boss saw an article about Security and IT convergence, so he fires the sales staff and hires only people with an IT background. Hilarity ensues. Six months later, when the pipeline is at $0, he fires all the IT folks and starts looking for Security folks. Unfortunately, the company already has a reputation for being bi-polar and everyone knows that they're broke. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

So what's the solution? Try this on for size. The Point Haired Boss sees an article about Security and IT Convergence. He evaluates the sales staff and determines that they are great at their jobs, but they are not up to speed on IP, and they don't know the first thing about IT standards. Pointy decides to beef up the sales engineering team, and host bi-weekly web conferences for the field sales to get them acclimated to the new direction. The reps are able to maintain their current pipeline, and enhance it with their new knowledge and tools. In six months, the pipe has grown, and new opportunities are flowing in.

Everyone knows that "change is the only constant". We must be able to adjust and adapt to our environment. We must also have a patience and courage to stand my our decisions long enough to see them through. I wonder if Mad Science Managers are really just acting out of fear and lack of information, going where the wind blows them.

Hal's Key to Success #4: Let's Not Ignore the Big Opportunities Just Because They Start Small.

How many times have you seen someone throw away a lead just because it didn't have an immediate payoff? "I'm not going to drive to the other side of town during rush hour for a $800 sale. Ignore it."

I personally know a gentleman who sold over 6000 channels of video into a large school system. The first phase of the project was two cameras watching some vending machines that were being vandalized. This school system didn't purchase anything beyond these two cameras for over two years, but he stayed close and maintained that relationship. He won millions of dollars of business because he looked at the big picture.

I'm not asking you to ignore reality. You need to concentrate on the business that keeps the doors open and the lights on. Just don't forget to till the soil a little bit in your long term projects.

Hal's Key to Success #5: Make Sure You've Got the Show and the Go.

It's going to be hard to convince people that your video management system is any good if the GUI looks like Windows 3.1. If your installers show up wearing flip flops and stained t-shirts, it's going to be hard to convince anyone that they know what they're doing. You may build the most bespoken camera on the market, a true work of art, but it better have good image quality and stand up to the test of time. Remember, the luxury car that the CEO you're meeting with is probably just a dressed up version of a cheaper car, but that executive paid twice as much because it looked better.

On the other hand, no security company survives on looks alone. You've got to have the foundation in place. With the almost explosive expansion of the security market in the last 10 years, numerous security companies have shown up on the scene with glossy cut sheets and snappy websites, but a horrible product. They got a couple of quick hits based on slick marketing, but they couldn't deliver. The unlucky disappeared, and the lucky got bought for $60 million plus by huge IT companies hoping to cash in on the security boom.

The security industry is not unique. You need to provide a quality product or service, and you need to communicate your value effectively. You need to keep up with the market as it evolves, and you need to take care of your customers.

Next time around, let's talk about keys to failure - those dirty little practices that may be tempting, but are going to come back and bite you in the end.