Chris Loveridge, Specialist Security Sales Consultant at Hays, shares his thoughts on the current situation in the security market. An expert in all aspects of the Security, Lighting and Electrical markets, he would be happy to hear from anyone interested in this post by email or on LinkedIn.  
While it feels like there is a lot of bad news around right now, there is one industry that continues to boom: security. There is still plenty of scope for new technology to be developed and customer demand remains high, as criminals found ways around existing solutions. Furthermore, it is not an area that any company should cut costs on, as this could lead to much greater losses in future.
The CCTV industry in particular is seeing large growth at the moment. While it has been affected by the recession, with many companies going into administration or no longer willing to spend money upgrading their systems, there are signs that this is about to change.  A recent Key Note report forecast that the UK CCTV market will rise in value by 30.1% between 2012 and 2016.
There has been a surge in demand recently due to technological advances. In particular, the surge of IP-based systems have helped to improve sales, as companies are keen to upgrade from analogue and take advantage of the flexibility and deeper integration offered by digital systems. For example, an integrated locking solution has recently been launched, which connects to both the access control and video surveillance devices, meaning that a business can be protected more efficiently.
Ongoing threats from terrorism and anti-social behaviour also mean that the security industry will continue to be required. For example, CCTV cameras received a huge boost in the aftermath of the London riots as they helped to play a role in a number of arrests. It is hoped that this success will mean that CCTV is now seen as a deterrent to potential criminals. Ensuring the safety and security of the country becomes even more important with the London Olympics this year.
Are there any other factors that you think are helping to grow the security industry?


The image of the pushy salesperson can be extremely damaging, as customers will often remember negative experiences and assume all salespeople are the same. Nobody likes being put in a high pressure environment, meaning that the pushy approach is not necessarily conducive to sales. But from the salesperson’s perspective, they know that they need to be persuasive to ensure that they are hitting or exceeding targets. Can pushiness be effective in sales?
A key part of selling is to show how your product or service will help the customer. A shift in mindset from ‘I need to make a sale’ to ‘I need to show this customer how my product will make their life easier’ can help a salesperson to reduce the perception of pushiness. By asking the potential customer questions and establishing what problems they may have, it makes it easier to sell the benefits of a product or service in a way that is more appealing to the customer.
However, within the helpful benefits-led approach, there is space for salespeople to start pushing their customer towards the product once they have demonstrated its benefits. People are naturally hesitant to part with their money, even if it will benefit them in the long run. Salespeople need to have faith in what they are selling and ensure they can convince others. This does not mean being aggressive or harassing the customer, as this will definitely ensure they never buy from you. It means being persistent, ensuring the customer does not get distracted, forget about your pitch or make a decision that could harm them in the long run. This is part of being a helpful salesperson.
Where do you think the line is between helpful and pushy? How far is it acceptable to pursue a customer for a sale?


Adam Horne, Specialist in IT Sales within Managed Services and Outsourcing at Hays, discusses what IT outsourcing clients are looking for. An expert in all aspects of the IT Outsourcing and Managed Services, he would be happy to hear from anyone interested in this post by email or on LinkedIn
In the past, the main reason to outsource IT services was to cut costs. However, a recent survey by both InfoSecurity Europe 2011 in London and RSA Conference 2011 in San Francisco found that IT service contracts were costing more than expected for 62% of businesses, with 27% saying costs were significantly higher. However, while outsourcing may not always be the cost-cutting solution that clients want it to be, there are other ways it can benefit the clients.
A recent survey by CRN provides some interesting insight into other factors that clients consider. While reducing IT spend was the highest priority with 27.2% of respondents describing it as very important, there was also an interest in sophisticated security threats, increased demands for storage, reducing power consumption and moving towards cloud storage systems. Furthermore, while cost/value is rated as the most important attribute, clients also value responsivess, technical expertise, personal relationships and familiarity with emerging technologies. These figures both show that, while keeping costs down is very important, clients are aware that there are other benefits to outsourcing services.
A common theme throughout the survey results was proactiveness, responsiveness and building familiarity with the supplier, all of which are areas that salespeople can help with. Clients want their suppliers to get to know the business and show an understanding of their problems, which a good salesperson would always take the time to do.
This is a rapidly changing market and clients are demanding more from their suppliers. What else can IT outsourcing companies do to keep their clients happy?


Salesforce.com has had a troubled past. It used to be costly, disruptive and not very user-friendly. But with the introduction of cloud technology and a revised user interface, this has all changed. Salesforce.com is now accessible on the move, making it easier for salespeople to update it, and some companies have even resorted to providing their sales team with iPads to make it as easy as possible for them to update their information.
However, while the above issues have been resolved, with 61% of users polled saying they were either satisfied or very satisfied, Salesforce.com still has a bad reputation among some salespeople. It is still often perceived as a waste of time and an intrusive form of micro-management. Salespeople often feel their time is better used on actually making sales or that this type of admin work is below them.
It may be worth pointing out to salespeople with this mindset that Salesforce.com can help them. Current users say that it helps them keep track of potential leads and keep track of the proposals and quotes they have sent to clients. It is particularly helpful for pulling up data while out at meetings or identifying clients who they have not contacted for a while. It can help them to be more organised, develop better relationships with clients and ultimately make more sales.
Do you use Salesforce.com? Has it helped you organise your work?


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