Commercial Integrator + Security Sales November/December 2024 - 50

BIG IDEA by Ron Davis
Winning by Learning From the Past
I STARTED TO THINK about this column almost two
months ago.
I had this a nagging uncertainty that everybody I knew in the
industry had either sold their business, retired, or really and
truly just didn't want to be interviewed.
Not being a quitter, I decided not to interview anyone from
this group. Instead, I chose to go back to my archives and review
what they'd said in articles that I wrote decades ago.
A Wealth of Good Ideas
As I started to read what contributors back then gave as their
best ideas, I found myself being astounded by how good some of
those ideas were, even by today's standards.
Let me give you an example: Back in August
2007, I asked John Lombardi, who was president
of CIA Security of New York and also a Central
Station Alarm Association executive committee
member when we talked, for his great idea.
Here it is: " In an informational technology
age, information and education are of utmost
importance. You can accomplish much of this
by joining an association that will provide
education, camaraderie and the combined experience
of members who can help educate you. "
Lombardi eventually sold his company to a
his great idea was simplicity itself: " Take care of the customer
all the time! We measure customer service across five disciplines
of the company. They are the sales team, the installation
team, the central station team, the billing group and the service
team. All those groups are responsible for some level of customer
service satisfaction. I review every complaint or customer
that comes under that grouping. "
We present
great ideas
from the
minds of great
thinkers.
larger firm but still preaches his great idea. Reach out and ask
someone in the industry a question you don't know the answer
to. Then, stand back!
The Golden Rule
Another great idea came from a close friend of mine, Rod
Garner. At the time, also in 2007, I interviewed him and got this:
" The best idea I have involves building relationships. In our
company, we set ourselves apart by the relationships we have
with our customers, our lenders and our vendors - everyone
with whom we try to build a relationship. We practice the
Golden Rule, building our company success in relationships,
friendships and honesty. In other words, we treat everyone we
come in contact with as we would like to be treated! "
Garner died a few years ago, but two of his sons have taken
over much of what he started. One ran a successful wholesale
monitoring company, whereas another son took over management
of the company Mountain Alarm in Ogden, Utah.
Both sons have proved worthy of their father. Eric's company
was acquired by Pye-Barker and grew so successful that, now, he
is the president of the alarm operations throughout the country.
Also in 2007, I interviewed Tim Whall, who at the time was
CEO of ADT. Whall went on to become the president of ADT, and
Become an Inquisitive Manager
Whall went on to say this: " You must become an inquisitive
manager, always asking questions. The answers to these
can help you run a more effective business. I am a frequent
speaker at regional, state and national association
meetings, and you can always tell which
participants are taking the greatest advantage
of gaining others' experience during the coffee
breaks, meal breaks and social time after the
events are over. "
I've known Whall since he was a boy, and he
hasn't changed one iota. He went on to become
CEO of several other large companies in the
industry, and, today, he is considered one of the
industry's most successful businessmen.
As I was thumbing through the pages of past
interviews, I came across one from Audrey
Pierson. She told me this: " It always has to be about the customer.
If you come at it from any other point of view, you will
not be as successful as you would otherwise be if you put the
customer first. "
Pierson is a first-class consultant, mostly working on the west
coast. My company handled the sale of her company when her
husband became ill, and it was sold successfully. Now, she's
helping other company owners by sharing her views of success.
And, judging from the comments I've heard, she's doing a great
job with a lot of companies that have used her services.
One Last Great Idea
The last great idea that I'll share with you this month comes
from another great industry leader who died a few years ago:
Mike Duffy. He was president and chief builder of Per Mar Security,
a large regional firm operating primarily in the Midwest.
His great idea was pithy and insightful: " Make sure you get your
people in the right seats on the bus! "
So there you have it: Great ideas from the minds of great
thinkers. Post a copy of these great ideas somewhere that you
will see it often.
I guess you could say that will be my great idea for this
month! SSI
RON DAVIS is an SSI Industry Hall of Fame inductee and president of Davis Mergers and Acquisitions Group Inc. Also known as The
Graybeards, the company is active in acquisitions and mergers exclusively in the alarm business. He can be reached at rdavis@graybeardsrus.com.
50 Commercial Integrator+Security Sales & Integration | November/December 2024

Commercial Integrator + Security Sales November/December 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Integrator + Security Sales November/December 2024