5 Tips To Rock Christmas Like A Boss

The holidays are supposed to be all about rockin’ around the Christmas tree and walking in a winter wonderland. So why doesn’t it feel very fun at your office right about now?

Since you’re the head honcho and employee management starts at the top, it’ll fall on you to make the holidays go smoothly at your office.

You don’t have to be St. Nick — but hopefully, with a few key tips, you won’t have to be the Grinch, either.

Tip #1: Tackle Holiday Stress Head On

The number one cause of Christmas stress? Well, it hasn’t been scientifically verified, but we’re willing to bet it has something to do with putting off all of those responsibilities until the last minute.

Christmas shouldn’t feel like you’ve just been run over by a reindeer. They’re here for celebration and reflection. That’s why it’s important to get all of the stress out of the way as soon as possible.

Put an end to browsing for corporate gifts and finally click “buy now.” If you don’t know what to do for your employees, start emailing around for some ideas — right now. Whatever’s bugging you, now is the time to handle it.

If that means cramming a heck of a lot of party planning, gift giving, client relations, and new year planning all into the next coming week or so, so be it. Getting as much holiday stress out of the way will only save your sanity… and the sanity of the little elves around you.

Tip #2: Don’t Be the Office Scrooge

There may be no more infamous Christmastime employee-employer relationship than Bob Cratchit and Ebenezer Scrooge. Although Scrooge eventually learned his lesson about how to treat Bob, maybe it shouldn’t take you an overnight visit from three Christmas ghosts to learn the same?

If you’re a “Type A” personality (and if you’re in charge, chances are pretty good that you are) make a conscious effort to help out employees at this time of year.

Give them the gift of less stress from the higher-ups. As Tina Thygesen of Forbes writes, be flexible with working hours, especially since the holidays can always be a difficult balancing act of work and family life.

Unless your business is in some sort of end-of-year emergency crunch, there’s no reason you can’t take it easy on your employees and use the holidays to celebrate the accomplishments of the past year.

Tip #3: Set Clear Expectations

No matter what you expect from your employees during the holiday season, make sure they know and understand those expectations. When your plan for the season isn’t clear to everyone involved, you run the risk of either:

You being disappointed by a lack of productivity, or

Employees getting frustrated with the lack of flexibility.

In both situations, there’s a disconnect between you, the manager, and the employees you’re managing. Setting clear expectations and communicating them to your whole team will help everyone effectively plan their holiday and mitigate stress.

Tip #4: Gather Feedback — and Plenty of It

If this is your first holiday season managing employees, you still may have plenty to learn about office dynamics. So don’t be afraid to gather some feedback as you learn your way through your first end-of-the-year holiday blowout.

Even if you simply ask around for ideas on the Christmas party or how to handle scheduling, your employees are there for a reason. They’re there to help you out, and they want the holidays to go as smoothly as you do.

Tip #5: Don’t Pick Holiday Favorites

If you buy your employees Christmas presents, don’t play favorites. It might sound simple, but it bears repeating.

You should always buy everyone the same “office gift.” And if you don’t have the money to do that, don’t buy a gift at all. Every employee deserves to feel valued, after all. By picking out the winners and losers, you just give some employees the feeling that you’re playing favorites.

The same goes for granting holiday time off — everyone should have the same flexibility and freedom to ditch the office during the holidays.

Manage for a Holly Jolly Holiday

The holidays shouldn’t be rocket science. But that doesn’t mean you should expect the very best when it’s some employees’ natural tendency to be a little sluggish around the holidays. Let it slide and stick to the principles that got you where you are.

With any luck, you’ll be able to navigate the holiday season with plenty of good cheer. Merry Christmas from your friends at Ignite RMR!

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Fa-la-la-la la: 5 Ways To Power Through The Day On Little To No Sleep

Getting adequate sleep is essential, but happens all too rarely for many busy entrepreneurs – especially during busy times like the Christmas season. The side effects associated with poor sleep habits are many, and include irritability, anxiety, and low productivity, all of which can make being a business owner all the more challenging. However, the fact of the matter is that with all of the things you need to do, getting sleep often falls on the back burner. When this happens, you need to be able to find effective strategies for making it through the work day. The following are five such tips:

#1 Start the Day with a Cold Shower

Before heading to the office, get into the shower for a quick, cool rinse. Even a mere 30 seconds spent in a cold shower will increase your body’s release of adrenaline and get you revved up for the day.

#2 Don’t Overdo the Coffee

When tired, your first response may be to stumble toward the coffee maker and continually pump yourself full of caffeine from the second you walk in the door until you leave the office. This can be quite counterproductive, as large amounts of caffeine can make you even more anxious and unable to focus. Try to keep your caffeine consumption between 50mg and 100mg, as this is the amount recommended to keep you alert. Any more, and you could end up making your day even harder to get through.

#3 Enjoy a Caffeine Nap

While we’re talking about coffee and caffeine, it’s the perfect time to discuss the wonder of the coffee nap. This may sound odd, but studies show that consuming a caffeinated beverage, such as a shot of espresso, and then taking a brief nap can be quite an effective way to increase brain function. Why exactly is this the case? Caffeine takes approximately 45 minutes to start working, so drinking a coffee and then taking a nap will allow you to rest until the caffeine kicks in. This can help you to push through the rest of the day while on your caffeine high.

#4 Let the Light In

When you’re at the office, keep the lights bright and the curtains open to let the sunlight in. Being exposed to sunlight will not only make your workspace more cheery, but will also keep your body from releasing more melatonin, the hormone that is associated with sleepiness. When you’re able, go for a walk outside in the sunlight as well.

#5 Increase Your Protein Consumption

For starters, you’ll want to avoid larger meals when you’re running on very little sleep. Eating large amounts of food requires that your organs put forth more effort to digest the food, leading you to feel even more tired. Keep your meals smaller, and make sure to pack in as much healthy protein as possible. While carbs may seem tempting, these foods only give you a short burst of energy, while proteins will keep you satisfied and give you a more sustained energy boost. Skip the muffin, and instead go for some yogurt, eggs, and meats.

For more small business tips for security entrepreneurs, please subscribe to our blog, or email newsletter. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from your friends at Ignite RMR.

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5 Ways Security Dealers Can Save Money On Business Travel

With the new year around the corner, many alarm company execs are gearing up for travel in 2017. Whether they’re traveling to major trade shows like ISC, ESX or to branch offices for sales training, chances are the C-Level will want to get the best bang for their corporate buck. When it comes to business-travel though, many security companies tend to overlook the planning phase or leave decisions up to their employees, who may or may not have enough travel experience to make sound judgment.

According to reports, compaines spend nearly $112 billion per year in domestic travel. Meanwhile, their employees incur almost $1,000 worth of expenses on travel items and services. With this much money on the line, it is only wise to educate your employees and provide them with the tools needed to make savvy decisions.

Utilize Templates

Getting started is often the hard part when trying to construct your own business travel policy. Fortunately, there are various templates available online that are free to use. These templates can be used as a reference to start creating your own corporate policy when it comes to business travel. Your template can start off with details of the process which employees must follow to get approved.

Assign a Savvy Trip Manager

Companies with limited finances may find it difficult to hire a full-time travel manager who can ensure effective oversight of business-travel plans. Take advantage of freelancing portals that bridge employers with the manpower they need at a more economical price. Outsourcing your need for business-travel management to websites like Upwork can yield savings while giving you access to a broader range of talent from around the world.

Conduct Some Research

Housing your employees in 5-star hotel chains may seem like a good move as a manager or employer. However, the costs of staying at a hotel, such as room service or WiFi, can get out of hand very quickly. Doing some research regarding affordable business-travel lodging will bring you towards the doors of the hot startup, Airbnb. The rooms and houses you can find in Airbnb’s large listing are more affordable. Although, the trade-off is, sometimes you’ll be stuck in an apartment or house that has weak and unreliable WiFi.

Simplify the Process

Booking flights, lodging, and transportation through various service providers can be a more economical option, yet tends to be a stressful process due to the handful of things that need managing. Use travel apps like Concur to streamline all activities involved, from booking flights to getting your employees to wherever they need to go. These apps automate tracking of business-travel expenditures and allows you to save receipts and spreadsheets through an intuitive software platform.

Maximize Your Money’s Value

Capitalize on programs that accrue reward points every time you or your employees travel. Companies are often given special offers for frequently flying with a certain airline or staying at a specific hotel. These points should accumulate fairly quickly if you and your employees travel regularly. Take the time to compare different rewards programs and carefully read the fine print to get the best deal for your money.

Having a sound travel policy in place can protect your business from costly travel expenses while simultaneously streamlining the stressful process of traditional business, which ultimately increase your workforce’s efficiency and productivity.

Ignite RMR is a specialized agency that partners with SDM 100 corporations, and provides scalable BPO marketing solutions for small to medium dealers an integrators. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation.

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Creating the Perfect Voicemail Greeting For Your Security Company

Many dealers and integrators may be taking off for the long holiday weekend today or tomorrow. Before you leave for a few leisurely days of well deserved R&R, take a few minutes to review your voicemail greeting. It can make a big difference in giving the right first impression to your prospects and a professional image for your current subscribers.

Believe it or not, your voicemail greeting is a powerful tool in establishing a relationship with prospective customers. It probably has more influence than you, or even the listener may realize. A voicemail greeting tells the listener something very specific about your communication and sensitivity to the customer. The assumption is that your voicemail is your best effort to make a good impression— and it should be!

Are you using your voicemail to its full potential? If not, here are some ways to create a voicemail message that positively reflects your business and moves the listener from caller to customer.

Record the Message in a Quiet Place

Background noise in a recorded greeting is not only distracting to the caller, it also distracts from your professional image. A noisy background communicates to callers that you are too busy and may make them feel unimportant.

Here is the simple fix. Record your greeting in your office or another quiet place. Turn off anything that could be a distraction, such as other phones or devices.

Be Creative

Customers have choices so it is always important to stand out from among the throng. Generic greetings such as “I’m away from my desk right now but if you leave your name and number I will be happy to return your call,” are so common that it resonates about as well as the generic computer generated voicemail prompts. Your voicemail is one way to stand out and be memorable, and creating one does not have to be intimidating.

Try something that includes a few details of your business. Something like “Hi You have reached Blue Jean Security, we believe that customer service is the fabric of our business. Please leave us a message so we can help you leave the security blues behind.” 

Make it Fun

First impressions are everything, but even in business they do not always need to stiffly professional. Adding your own wit will help callers know you are human and makes you more relatable. You can even involve the caller in the fun. For example, you can ask the callers to leave their message “Mission Impossible” style. After all, the message could self-destruct if not answered promptly.

Engage the Caller

When you create a voicemail greeting, do it keeping in mind that you are really having a conversation. When you create the opportunity for dialogue you present the opportunity for the caller to be engaged with you and your brand.

The easiest way to engage the caller is by asking a question. For example, you could tell customers you will get back to them ASAP if they share their favorite movie explosion.

Smile!

Smiling is so powerful that it cannot help making an impression, even if it is over the phone. Think about it: you have probably have probably heard someone smiling through the phone and it made a lasting impression on you.

Let your smile help you create a positive and enthusiastic tone for your message that will resonate with the caller.

Write it Out and Rehearse

Not all of us excel at public speaking. In voicemail greetings, it is important to avoid pitfalls such as “like”, “um”, and “uh” so it helps to know what you will say prior to recording. Write it out and practice it aloud a few times until you are comfortable, but not over rehearsed. You’ll sound much more confident which will go a long way in projecting professionalism.

Identify Yourself and the Business

Unless you know the person well, when you call someone you do not have a way to know if you actually called the right number. Even worse, if you call a number and it is not identified as a business, you assume you’ve reached a wrong number. Take the pressure off the caller and identify yourself and the business immediately. Not only will this reduce the number of hang-ups, it will capture customers that could have been lost.

Give Your Callers a Checklist of Information to Provide

When you make and receive numerous calls in a day, it can get a little chaotic. If you want to streamline the calls let the caller know exactly what information you need from them, especially is you need more than a name and phone number. This will allow you to get back to each person more quickly which customers appreciate.

Update the Greeting Regularly

The very things that make your greeting interesting and timely also make them time sensitive. Update your voicemail frequently to include new information. The fact that your greeting is not evergreen and up-to-date means you are on top of your game and that will not be missed by the caller.

 Keep It Positive

Words are powerful and convey much more than the message itself. Avoiding negative words like sorry, can’t, and unfortunately will go a long way in keeping what you intend to be a positive message, positive.

For example, try “leave a message and I will get right back to you!” over, “I’m sorry, I can’t take your call right now.” The change is small but the impact is huge.

Now…take these tips and go craft the perfect voicemail greeting. We will be calling you!

Ignite RMR is a leading digital marketing resource for dealers and integrators nationwide. Contact us today for a complimentary 30 minute consultation on how to generate new leads for your security business.

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Why Dealers Struggle With Website Maintenance

Part 3 Of 3: Website Maintenance

Keeping your website updated is important but time consuming. Unlike the old days, website development is not a “one and done” deal. Websites, like alarm panels, need software updates to continue running smoothly, and error free.

Even if you’re not using the website to generate leads, you still need to consider software updates, website hosting, and finally…website maintenance. Updates to plugins and themes usually require manual updates once you’ve logged into your website dashboard. If you own multiple websites, running updates is even more time-consuming because you have to log in to each site. Running updates is often an overlooked task. Updates need to be performed as soon as updates are released, but you may not get notified when newer versions are released.

Your website maintenance impacts your website’s security. As mentioned in a previous article, keeping your website site updated – particularly with WordPress – has a big impact on the security of your site.

Running the latest version of WordPress core, as well as your plugins and themes, means your site is not at risk of known security vulnerabilities.

What You Can Do

The DIY approach: Learn the basics of updating your website on your own. Obviously, this is a time consuming task but it can be done. Once or twice per month, login to your website admin panel and check for new core or plugin software updates and apply them (after taking a backup of course!) Turn on any email notifications in your website dashboard to alert you of critical software patches that need to be applied right away. Hopefully, this doesn’t happen during an important installation.

Hire a CIO: A very expensive option and usually cost prohibitive  for smaller operations, when you consider salary and other compensation.

Hire a trusted web agency: By far the most cost effective for small and large operations. Most web firms will charge a flat monthly fee for website updates, backups and installing security protocols. Hourly fees run anywhere from $50/hr to $125/hr on the high end. Most web agencies fall somewhere in the middle. When you consider the time lost from your business for performing these tasks yourself, and the high cost of hiring an IT person – the choice to hire a web firm becomes obvious.

So Where Would You Find Such A Reliable, Trusted Web Firm?

Website developers can be found everywhere in your local community. Even though they are local, most web developers will not come to your office, and prefer to do business over email and the phone – especially for as-needed, small projects. Don’t take this personally – it’s like doing a truck roll to change a smoke detector.

If regular, in-person office visits are important to you then try to find a web developer from your local chamber of commerce. Look for an individual or small firm with good references, who will take the time to understand your security business, and can even possibly help you with adding new pages to the website as your business grows and products change. As always, if you have questions or need help, feel free to get in touch with Ignite RMR: (877) 655-3779 or Contact Us via our web form.

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The Best Keywords For Your Security Business Are…

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) sounds like something a bit unnerving – but the first step to SEO success does not involve your computer at all. You’re going to have to go out and talk to actual people in person.

SEO starts with choosing the right keywords. There’s no point in making sure you’re at the top of a search if no one uses your words to find a company like yours. So for example if your website ranks #1 for El Monte Home Security but no one is searching using that keyword, then what is the point? No searches = no website visits = zero leads.

And guess what, the words you think are obvious choices may not be. You know the security business too well, and you may be tempted to use industry jargon over words that an average potential client would use to look for you (like commercial security vs. business security, which gets 45% more searches).

Also, don’t think of keywords as individual words. Think about how you approach a search. Suppose you’re going out to dinner in Boston and want to find the right restaurant. Do you type in “restaurant” and sort through the hundreds of thousands of responses? No, you might type in “top-rated seafood restaurant in Boston area.” There will still be lots of choices, but you’ve eliminated all of the chains and restaurants not within driving distance. Your potential clients approach a search the same way.

List Your Potential Keywords

First – talk to your clients. Pick a couple you feel particularly comfortable asking, and find out what words they would use or did use to find your company. Ask friends and family members for ideas.

Next, survey your employees. What words or phrases do they use to describe your business to potential clients, friends and family members? What words have they heard from clients when they ask questions?

Check with your sales team. What makes your company special? What words do they use to separate you from the competition? Keywords are about more than definitions, they also represent what your potential clients want in a security company. Be sure those important adjectives are represented.

Which products or services do you want to sell the most? Take a look at your highest profit margin areas or those items that get you in the door with a new client. Add these to the list of potential keywords.

Sort Your List

Keep a running list: you’re looking for repetition. The more often a word or phrase crops up, the more likely people are to use it in a search.

Avoid words with more than one meaning. For example, siren can be a loud security option, a police or fire sound, or some mermaid-type with a harp and a very compelling voice. This makes it a bad choice. With limited keywords, don’t waste them on words or phrases that could be confusing.

Think about your perfect customers. Do your keywords appeal to them? It’s not just about what the keywords say about your company, it’s also about how they fit with the clients you want to reach.

Pick Your Top 15

This is too many keywords, but you can trim them using these tactics.

Check for redundancies. Are some of these keywords saying the same thing? Choose the best one by looking at the sorting suggestions above.

Make sure you’re covering the waterfront. Does the list include all critical aspects of your company? Think of your competitive advantages as well as all of your products and services. You don’t want to lose a potential client because you didn’t have a complete list.

Determine your reasoning behind each keyword. Why is a specific phrase on your list? If you don’t have an answer, maybe it doesn’t belong there.

Narrow Your List

Aim for a list of 9-12 keywords. Once again, you may want to go back to your best clients and see which choices they would be most likely to use. Then try those keywords in a search of your own. Who appears? Are your competitors there? Who else? Not to worry. Once you have your keywords in place, you can optimize everyone else right off the first page!

As always, Ignite RMR is here to help. Contact us today for a free marketing analysis to see which keywords your security business should be targeting.

 

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Protecting Your Alarm Website From Hacks

Part 2 Of 3: Website Security

Last week, we talked about the importance of regularly backing up your website so that you don’t lose it in the case of a hack, or server failure.  In this second article of a 3 part series, we explore what makes small business websites – even security websites –  so vulnerable to attack, and what you can do about it.

The Problem With Website Security…

Small business websites (particularly WordPress) have increasingly become a target for hackers and bots because vulnerabilities can be easily exploited. There is nothing inherently wrong with WordPress. Like the Windows OS, it is the most widely used CMS (content management system) in the world.

Windows OS releases hundreds of security of updates every month and if you don’t apply them automatically or at least often manually, your PC will end up getting infected. It works the same way with your website.

Common types of attacks include:

▪ Brute Force Attacks (hackers or programs rapidly hitting your login screen with random passwords and usernames in an attempt to login)
▪ SQL Injection (SQLi)
▪ Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
▪ Cross-site Request Forgery (CSRF)
▪ File Inclusion Vulnerabilities (LFI and FRI)
▪ Directory Traversal

If all of that is gibberish to you, don’t worry. Your website’s vulnerability can be minimized, but you must implement security best practices.

You Can Drastically Improve Your Website Security With These Tips:

▪ Choose a quality web hosting company. Pro tip: big brand names don’t necessarily mean better. As an alarm company – we know you get this! Do some research, ask for recommendations or partner with a reputable security marketing companywho can provide this service.
▪ Set proper permissions for each user.
▪ Use only quality and trusted software plugins that are updated regularly.
▪ Remove weak logins and enforce strong passwords.
▪ Enable two-factor authentication when practical.
▪ Keep the core software, plugins and themes updated to latest versions at all times.

Website Security Also Depends On Your Website Backup Strategy.

A crucial part of website security is having a solid backup strategy. If your website gets hacked or infected with malware, you need to be able to restore your site to a version before it was compromised.

Website Security Depends On Regular Maintenance.

Keeping the website core software updated, as well as your plugins and themes, is an important part of keeping your site safe. Why? The website core software team and authors of plugins and themes often push fixes to security vulnerabilities in new version releases, so running the latest version of anything installed on your site is extremely important.

At Ignite RMR, we take the security of our client websites extremely seriously. Our development team provides daily and weekly backups, software updates, and employs the best security software to keep your website running smooth, day in and day out. If you need help developing a new website, or just need some friendly advice, contact us today. We’re dedicated to the security industry and are here to help!

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A 3 Part Guide To Website Backups, Security & Maintenance

Part 1 Of 3: Website Backups

Your security company website is important and a strategy for protecting your online work is critical. That’s where backups, security & maintenance come in. By being proactive in each area, you can rest easy knowing your security website won’t be lost forever in the event of a server crash, a security breach or user error. Backups, security & maintenance work together to create a three pronged solution for keeping your alarm website safe and running smoothly. In this 3 part series, we’ll cover these areas in detail: Website backups, security, and maintenance. 

The Problem With Most Website Backups

Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla and Drupal are free and awesome, but they don’t do backups for you. So, it’s on you, the website owner, to make sure your site is backed up. The server that runs your site is just like your computer’s hard drive—if it crashes without a backup, your files will be unrecoverable and lost forever.

Backups need to happen frequently to capture the latest version of your site. Intervals between backups depend on how often you make changes and add new content to your site, and should run frequently enough to minimize any data loss.

Backups made through your host are frequently unreliable and may be difficult to access. Many hosts offer backup features with your hosting plan, but you may not have any control over how often backups run or be able to download your backup files. Also, if you need to restore your site from a backup, you’ll have to wait on hosting support to help complete the process, which could mean hours or days of downtime.

Backups need to be stored safely off-site, in a different location than the server running your site. An important component of a backup strategy is off-site storage of your backup files. If your backups are stored on the same server as your site, you’ll lose your backups along with your site if your server fails or if your site gets compromised.

A backup must include your website database and all the files in your installation. If you’re running a backup plugin, make sure the plugin can handle backing up your current version of the CMS, all the files in your media library, and your theme and plugin files. A database backup doesn’t cover these critical files.

A backup solution also needs to include the ability to restore. What good is a backup if you can’t do anything with it? A backup solution must include the ability to quickly and easily restore your files with little downtime.

Can You Or Your Website Agency Get Your Website Back Up In Minutes In The Event Of An Emergency?

Ignite RMR is a leading provider of digital marketing solutions for Dealers, Integrators, Alarm Companies & Tech Providers nationwide. Our hosted website clients include the SDM 100 as well as local & regional security companies. Our services include  daily and on demand backups of our client websites. Contact us today for a complimentary digital marketing consultation.

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How To Turn Your Business Dreams Into Reality

How many people go through life wondering why things didn’t turn out for them like they thought it would when they were young? It’s possible most people have made some money, accomplished some things, but are not where they want to be in life. This is a common story. Is this you? When someone hears your name what is the first thought that comes to them? Are you satisfied being known for this?

Intrinsic Value

It’s important for all people to believe they came into this world with intrinsic value. They were brought into this world with a higher purpose than just spending their time aimlessly. This could be building a business, socializing or being in a stagnate nine-to-five job they hate. The reality is it doesn’t matter where you happen to be in life. It’s important you know your ultimate goal. It’s the one thing that motivates what you do daily.

Mission

People need to define their mission, calling or purpose. It’s important they know if they are achieving it. There is a good chance they’re not. If you’re like them, you need to consider a simple piece of advice. It’s something that could change everything for you. It could be the way for you to live the life you’ve always desired.

Simple Truth

One of the simple truths when it comes to getting what you want in life is developing the right relationships. It’s important you have relationships with people who are living life the way you want to live your life. This may seem like a very simple truth. The reality is that understanding this truth is strong enough to change everything for you.

Find Out Where They Go

It is essential you be creative when it comes to finding places where high-profile people hang out. One you’ve determined such a place, it’s time to go there. It is important to just be yourself when at such spots. A possible place to check out are sites like Meetup or local groups like BNI (Business Networking International) or your local Chamber of Commerce. Make certain your main motivation is to make friends. If your attitude is to impress or drum up new business, you may appear fake. Just be real and have fun.

Be Active With Online Communities

A successful way to surround yourself with people who have a like mind is to join an online forum or Mastermind group. It’s important to select one that is an active community. There are forums where actual successful investors talk about the daily struggles of building wealth. The reality experienced from many of the people in online communities is comforting. It is much better than listening to a person try and sell a wealth building idea on television for a low price. It’s important to get involved and just let friendships occur naturally.

Start A Meeting Group

If you don’t have the time or finances, it may be beneficial to become a facilitator for the type of group you would like to join. This could be a Mastermind group, online community or even a Meetup group. Doing this could be a big help in meeting and building a relationship with successful individuals. When you start this type of group, people will view you as a leader. This makes it easier for friendships to occur.

Action

Now is the time to take action. If you aren’t satisfied with your life and desire to make it better, you have come to a fork in the road. The path on the left leads you to a life where you will continue to do what you’ve always been doing without change. You can continue to have ideas that never become reality. On the other path, you’ll go where you haven’t gone before. You will meet and build relationships with successful people. You will have a tremendous adventure. This path will require more work as well as courage and lots of determination.

Ignite RMR was founded in 2008 with a single owner and has grown to be one of the most sought after marketing companies for the alarm industry. Our desire is to help you grow your business through the power of digital marketing. For a complimentary consultation, please contact us today.

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CRM’s Don’t Have To Be Scary

As small business owner, you have to deal with a lot of challenges. Keeping track of your contacts and sales pipeline doesn’t have to be one of them. I am still surprised by how many seasoned security companies are still using spreadsheets to keep track of sales and customer communications. A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a software tool to help with this process. With advances in technology and new competition entering the market over the last couple of years, the cost of a CRM solution has become more affordable and easier to use than ever.

What are the benefits of a CRM for dealers / integrators?

A CRM can help you and your sales team:

  1. Keep track of contacts.
  2. Update contact records easily in real time via mobile apps.
  3. Track sales opportunities.
  4. Keep your staff accountable and managers in the loop by tracking and managing customer communications.

Names like Sedona, WeSuite, and of course Salesforce are well known in the industry and are utilized by SDM 100 and other large security companies.

Fortunately, SMB’s now have easy access to the same technology as enterprise companies but at a more affordable price point. There are a ton of CRM’s out there to choose from. In this article I’ve rounded up the top 3 that I am familiar with as an easy way to start you on your research.

Insightly CRM

insightly

Insightly is a simple, but feature-rich CRM software fits the bill for microbusinesses. It has all the basic capabilities that really small businesses need in a CRM software, but is also highly scalable as your business grows. Additionally, Insightly is one of the most affordable CRM solutions available; there’s a free version to help you get started, and paid plans start at a fraction of the price of comparable CRM software.

Pros: Works well and integrates with Integrates with Google Apps. Nice mobile app. 30 day free trial.

Cons: A little pricey at $39/mo. per user. Has some additional features like Project Management and Pipeline Stages which can be a little complicated to set up.
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Capsule CRM

capsule crm

Capsule aims to make CRM as simple as possible by offering six core capabilities to help you run your business: managing relationships, managing the sales pipeline, organizing emails, saving contact histories, performing task management and completing customization

Pros: Easy to use & set up. Great value starting at $12 per user per month.

Cons: None to speak of. Great little budget app for the small to medium business.
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Zoho CRM

zoho

Basically a Salesforce copycat, Zoho CRM is powerful CRM software that doesn’t compromise on capabilities just because you’re not paying for it. Unlike other free CRM, Zoho CRM offers all the core functionalities of CRM software and lets you onboard up to 10 users at no extra cost. You’ll also have access to your data anytime, anywhere using Zoho CRM’s mobile app, without having to purchase a plan.

Pros: Lots of integrations including Google Apps and a native webmail client. Free basic version version with 10 users included.

Cons: A lot of tools that you may not need, but pay for nonetheless. Could be a little cumbersome for the average user, resulting in above average onboarding time.
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So there you have it – a quick and easy reference to get you started down the path to more efficient sales pipelines, company organization and customer management. As you can see, CRM’s don’t have to be a scary endeavor. Happy Halloween to all of our dealer clients, partners and industry friends!

Are you a security dealer with a favorite CRM system? Are you still researching / considering a CRM? Share your comments below and tell us about it!

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