Re: autodialer with no land line

["Robert L Bass" <robertbass1@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> No you're not missing anything. The guy has
> no problem spending money for internet, the
> computer he uses to access it, and the cell
> phone he wants to use to send signals, but
> he can't see the value of a land line for the
> alarm. He can't even see the value of having
> an emergency situation handled by anyone
> other than him and his trusty voicemail.
> People like this are selfish egomaniacs...

More likely he's just someone who has not been convinced of the value of professional monitoring.  There will always be a percentage
of alarm users who for one reason or another don't want their systems monitored.  For example, we installed a system in a "social
club" in th South End of Hartford some years ago.  The club was a hang-out for a certain group of people from Sicily.  They told us
that if the alarm went off we should just call them -- no police.  "We go take care of it."  :^)

All kidding aside, many DIYers choose that route simply because they don't want to make a multi-year comittment to a monitoring
contract.  Since monitoring is the primary revenue stream for many alarm companies, those clients are not often serviced by
traditional alarm dealers.

> They know better than to use a monitored system.
> They know they can do it better than the pros...

Depending on which "pros" we're talking about, they might be right.  Most are prompt, responsible and accurate, but we both know
that some central stations do a poor job.  Your job is to convince this gentleman that your company will do a good job at a fair and
reasonable price and that the service itself is worth paying for.  That is the essence of salesmanship -- convincing the client that
what you offer is worth your price and that it is something he should choose to purchase.  If he goes away unconvinced, it's not
because he's a bad person.  It's just that whoever he spoke with was unable to convince him to make that decision.  That's no ill
reflection on you.  No one bats a thousand all the time.

This is analogous to the "lady in a bar" situation.  If a guy approaches a girl in a bar and she turns him away, it's usually
because she found him unattractive or uninteresting or because she already had someone else.  The smart guy fine tunes his skills
and tries again (though not necessarily with the same young lady).  The dimwit calls her a "lesbo" and tries the same ineffective
approach on the next girl.

My suggestion to the salesman would be to listen carefully to the prospective client's objections, consider appropriate responses
(fine tune your presentation) and try again (though not necessarily with the same prospective client).  My suggestion to the guy in
the bar would be to ask Tom.  He's probably better at that than me anyway.  :^)

> This is a prime example of why I am glad the
> DIY websites are still around...

Me, too.  As long as most professional installers are not interested in doing "local" alarms (and why should they be?), there will
always be lots of clients for DIY.  The reality is that there are plenty of customers out there for everyone in the trade (except
the MM, of course).

> It spares us from having to field their calls.
> Their excuse is always poverty but they
> never think of cutting down the cable package
> or maybe saying adios to the internet and
> reallocating those funds to securing their
> loved ones.

They may say that their excuse is poverty but you're right.  That's hardly ever the real issue.  We get DIYers from all economic
strata.  I recently sold $12,000 worth CCTV equipment to a DIY homeowner.  He bought six Extreme CCTV "Reg" series cameras, a high
end DVR plus some inexpensive indoor cameras.  He told me that this was part of a $40,000 electronics upgrade to his home.  I'd love
to see the place when it's finished.  He didn't choose DIY only to save money.  He just wanted it done his way and the local dealers
failed to convince him that they would give him what he wanted at a price he thought was reasonable.  In this business the majority
of these big projects still go to professional installers.  That is at least partly because most of the time some professional
salesman does an effective job of convincing the client.  When they fail to do so or when the installer doesn't give them what they
want/need/expect a DIYer is born.

The fact that only a small percentage of customers choose DIY speaks well of the trade at large.  Fortunately for folks like me, it
only takes that small percentage to generate enough revenue to make a good DIY store successful.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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Bass Home Electronics
941-866-1100
4883 Fallcrest Circle
Sarasota · Florida · 34233
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
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