Posts by Scott MacDougal
The Impact of Customer Service on Your Business
Creating and managing a first-rate customer management system begins with the mindset of the owner and employees and their dedication to exceeding customer expectations. The payoff for these companies is huge: lower attrition, more referrals to new customers, more cross-sales and a longer average customer life. These all add up to faster growth, higher profits, and…
Read MoreZip Line Networking
When you’re having a blast zip lining down a gorgeous mountain, the LAST thing you want to think about is networking, right? Wrong. And I have quite a story to prove it. Our family spent a week vacationing in Costa Rica last winter, and we booked a zip line experience for one afternoon. A zip…
Read MoreIs the Internet of Things Changing the World?
The Internet of Things (IoT) has had a profound impact on the security industry. However, this slide presentation demonstrates how it is changing the world as we know it. Security dealers have an opportunity to embrace this technological trend and help their customers with customized choices that meet their individual needs. As IoT grows, so too…
Read MoreWhy Security Dealers Should Pay Attention to Local SEO
As a security dealer, you want to make sure that when prospective customers in your market are looking for a service, they can find you online. The process of getting traffic to your website is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Local SEO, the process of driving traffic from your local market, is especially important to alarm…
Read MoreInternet Trends Report: 5 Key Takeaways for Security Alarm Dealers
Mary Meeker’s annual Internet Trends Report was recently released. We combed through the 200+ slide deck to spotlight 5 trends that are important to security alarm dealers and central stations. Trend #1: The combination of slower economic growth, higher debt and aging populations creates rising risks. However, it also creates opportunities for businesses that can…
Read More7 Tips for Choosing a Cloud Provider
Cloud-based software and services have made enterprise level services accessible to security alarm dealers of all sizes. In the past, companies had the choice of doing without, or setting up their own in-house cloud platform. Building an in-house cloud system was, and continues to be, too expensive for most small and mid-sized dealers. The costs…
Read MoreWhy Our Software Isn’t Prettier
Because I’m so proud of our software, I’m definitely too sensitive to criticism about it. Recently, during our first session to train her, a new user had the nerve to say the software looked dated. She – a very young person – said it didn’t have the cool graphics, mouseovers, and ample white space that…
Read MoreManaging and Tracking Security Alarm Dealer Inventory
Inventory is an integral part of proposals, quotes, installation and service functions for any security alarm dealer. Having your inventory integrated with how you manage the other parts of your business can save you time and money. When inventory is not integrated with your workflow, you can lose time and money to inefficiency. For example:…
Read MoreWhat You Don’t Know about the Internet of Things [Infographic]
This infographic from Luckyposting shows how the Internet of Thing (IoT) is impacting various industries and companies. IoT is more than a home security trend but factors into every facet of life.
Read MoreNational Small Business Week
This week the nation celebrates small businesses. In his 2016 National Small Business Week proclamation, President Obama says, “Our Nation’s small businesses play a critical role in generating economic prosperity, and the effort poured into them by ordinary citizens across our country reflects the hard work and determination inherent to who we are as a people.”…
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