Most security integrators today agree that offering services to customers is more important than ever — both to create “stickiness” and the increase that all-important recurring revenue. But actually achieving it and being successful at selling services takes more than just deciding to do it. In many cases it is a whole new ballgame for salespeople, support staff and even customers. Service-based selling requires a different level of partnership, both between the integrator and vendor, and between the integrator and the customer.
At the recent Securing New Ground held in New York City in October, two interesting panels delved into some of these very topics. The first one, “Systems Integration Business Conditions,” featured Dee Ann Harn, CEO and president of RFI Enterprises, Jim Lantrip, senior vice president operations, Allied Universal Technology Services and John Palumbo, CEO of Unlimited Technology.