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Issue link: https://securitysales.epubxp.com/i/141570
Convergence Channel DON'T LET COMMUNICATION BE YOUR FAILING by Paul Boucherle Paul Boucherle, Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and Certified Sherpa Coach (CSC), is principal of Canfield, Ohio-based Matterhorn Consulting (matterhornconsulting.com). He has more than 30 years of diverse security and safety industry experience, and can be followed on Twitter at swissherpa@twitter.com. paul@matterhornconsulting.com The skill and will to communicate more effectively separates the great systems integrators from those that are merely good. Learn problem warning signs and corrective measures. I Clear communication is vital to all things that touch your security systems business, and is especially important when you deliver network-centric solutions. recently had an opportunity to work with 25 technicians and installers on a program titled "Effective Communication Skills for Technicians and Installers" at a tech show in May. We spent 100 minutes together to explore the ways poor communication can disrupt a business operation internally and customer service externally. They worked in teams and an amazing thing happened after they shared some experiences. They started to communicate actively and energetically with each other! You may be thinking, "What do good communication skills have to do with the convergence market?" Everything, if you are building a competitive advantage for systems integration in your chosen markets. Your customers listen to your frontline troops very carefully. Teir words, body language and communications carry quite a bit of weight. Tey can have a signifcant impact on the perception of how your customers view the value of your services. And we all know frst impressions can be lasting and difcult to alter in the future. DEALING WITH DIFFICULTIES IN THE FIELD See if any of the following scenarios are familiar to you or your team: 1) Your customer was "confused or mistaken" about what the system they bought can actually do (perception vs. reality) and they took it out on the technician or you, as the manager. 2) A manufacturer provided less than stellar training for your technicians and they found themselves on the front- 18 / SECURITYSALES.COM / JULY 2013 lines with customers fguring it out as they went. Just how does this build confdence in your company? 3) Te salesperson "forgot" to mention a little "something special" that was not included in the original paperwork, leaving the technician or installer in a very awkward position. 4) Te customer was not properly trained on how to use the intrusion, access control or video surveillance system (their side of the story) and now blames your company for the malfunctioning system. 5) Your dedicated and skilled installers fnished a beautiful installation and when it came time to train the customer, only the janitor showed up. Nothing against janitors; I pushed a broom and mop around for two years to pay for my Catholic high school education. If confused, refer to No. 4 above. Tese scenarios all exemplify SOCP (Suboptimal Communication Protocol); keep reading this column and you will eventually build up an impressive library of nonsensical acronyms. Actually, this one is pretty darn important as the impact of SOCP can be crucial to your company's reputation, word-of-mouth referrals and, ultimately, operational budgets. Since early prevention of SOCP is recommended, let me give you some examples of the telltale symptoms to diagnose this dreaded disease. Tese are often directed at the technicians and installers who deal with unsatisfed customers: • "I thought I told you about … " • "You should have known better … " • "Why didn't you just call me … ?" • "Te customer said what to you … " • "You said what back to the customer …!"