Arecont Sales Strategy Case Study

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Brian Karas
•Published Mar 10, 2016 05:00 AM

How does Arecont overcome their poor reputation and win deals?

Arecont does a series of "How I Shot the Bear" presentations where they showcase how they win larger deals. 

Inside, we break down the 3 key lessons we took away from their approach and our recommendations on how to counter Arecont.

Key *******

*******'* **** ******** ***** ******* ****:

  • ********** ***** *****-*******/*****
  • ***** *********** ** *** ***** *******
  • **** ** *** *** ********

***** **** ** ****** '**** ********' video ** * **** ***********, [**** no ****** *********] ***** ******* *** ********* ********, **** *** **** *********** ******** about **% ** ** *** *****.

Leveraging *****-****** / *****

*** ******** ****** ** ******* *** *****-*******, *** Arecont ********* **** ******.  ******* **** ******* tactics ** *** **** ****, *** their ********* *** ******* ** *****-****** cameras *** ****** *** **** *********** edge. *** ******* ** ******* ******* ****.

***** ****** **** ********** *** ******* lots *** ******* **** *****-****** *******.  Single-lens ********* ******* *** ***** **** flexibility *** **** ***** ****** **** a *****-****** *****, *** **** ** an **** ***** ******* *** **** particularly ******, ** ***** ** ****-****** if ***************.

******* ********* **** *** *****-******* **** **** overt **** ***** ******** *******.  **** is * ******* ***** ***** *****, customers **** *** ****** ****** ** provide **** ******** ***** *** ********* overly *******.  ************** ******** ******** ****** do *** **** ***** ******* ******* on *** **** ** **** *** ceiling.  

*******'* ********* *** **** ** *** interior ***** ** ******** *** ********** of *** *******.

Heavy *********** ** ***** *******

**** ******** *** **** ******* ************ with *** ************ *** ****** **** involvement ** **** ********* ** **** is ***** ** *****.

******* ******* ******** *** ******** ********, taking * ****** ******** ** *** sales ******* ** *** *****.  ***** this ******** *** ******* * *** of ********* ** *** **** ** sales ******* **** *** ****** ******, it **** ***** **** ***** ** status *** *********** ****** ********** ** react ** **** **** *** ******** is ******* ** * ********* *********.

*******’********* ****** ******** **************** ****** ********* *** ***********. ****** ****** all ***** *************, ******* ******* **** register ** ******* ******** **** **** a ******** ********. ** ***** ** ******* can ****** ******* ***** *** ******** reps ** *** ****.

********* ** ** *** ********* ***** were ******** (*:**). ************* **** ****** the **** ** *** * **** like **** ******* ***-** ***** ***** the ******* ********** *** ***** ******.  In *** **** ***** ***** **** is ********* ** *:**, ***** *** customer *** ********* ** ****** *** system, *** ***** ********** ********** *** not ******* *** **** ***** ** pre-sales **** *** ****** ** *** initial ***.

**-**** ****

******* ***** ** **-**** **** ** one ** *** ***** ****** **** present. Performing ** **-**** ***-***** **** *** a *** *** **********:

  • *** *** ****** ******** *****-**** ***** solving ****** ** ******* ******** ****** than blueprints ** ****** ****.
  • ***** ******** ************ ******** ***** *********** *** ******** ******.
  • *** ************ ***** *** ********** ** what *** ***** **** **** ****, including ******** ******, ******* ****-******* ******.

**-**** ***** *** ****-*********, *** *** be ** *** ********* ** ********* with ****** ***** ******** **** ********** ** high ***** *****. ******* ********* *** not **** *** ********* *** ******** on-site *****. ** ********, *** ****** competitor *** *** *** ********’* ************ high, *** ****** ******* ***** ***** premium.

********** **** **********

******* ***********, **** *** ******* * personal ************ **** *** ************, ******* to ***** ********** *** ******** *******’* poor **********.

********* ***-***** *******

** ******** ** *** **-**** ****, we ***** **** **** *** * "fully **********" ******** ****** *** * minute ****. ******** *** ********** ******* in *** *****, *** *** *** understanding **** *** ******* ***(*) *** the ********** ****** ******** ** *** out * ************* ****** *** *** customer.  *** *** **** ***'* ********* in **** **** *****, *** **'* reasonable ** ****** *** *** ******* worked **** **** ***-***** ****** **** as ****.

Made ** *** ***

******* *********** ********* ***** ** *******'* Made ** *** ** *****, ********* at *:**.  ***** ** **** *** seem **** *** ******** ******** * Made ** *** ** *******, **** was * **** ********* **** ***** have ***** ******* ** ********* **** a ********** ** ** ***-*****-******-*****-***** *********.  

********* ** *** ********** ** *********, especially ***** ************* ** *** *** case *** **** ***, *** **** Arecont ** **** **** *** ******** of ***** *********** *** *** ******* imported *******.

Countering *******

******* ********** ********** **** ** **** deal, *** **** ***** **** **** challenged, **** ** *** * ** their ****** ***** **** ********** *** same ****

****:

**** ***** ** *** ** ** deeply ******* ** ********** *****, *** can ***** * *****-****** *** **** factor ******* ***** **** ******* **** whichever *** *** ******** *********.  ***** system ****** ***** ****** ** ****** with ****, *** **** ***** ******* this ******** ** ****** ***** ****** product ******* *** *********** ******* ***** quality ** ********** *******.  

********:

* *** ******** ** ******** ***** be ***** ***-**-*** ********, **** *** cameras *** *** ****** **** *** same ******* *** ********* * ***** integration.  ********* ** *** *** *** customer *** ********* **, ******** ***** offer * **** ********* **** *** lack ** ****** *********** ****, ****** the ******* ***** ***** ** ******** higher.  ******** ***** **** **** ****** sales ******** *** ******* **-**** *****.

**** *** *** ************* ******** ** Texas, ******** *** **** ***** **** in *** ** *******.

*********:

*** ********* ******** ***** **** **** with ********* ***** ******* *** ******* intense ***** *******. *********’* ******* ***** easily **** ** **** *** **** of *******’*, **** ** ********* ******** 4 ******  ** ******* **** ****. That *********** ******* **** ********** ********* ***** sales *** ** *************** ***** **** a **** ********** ******* ** * user ******* *** ******** ******* *** with **** ***** ******* *******.

Tell ** **** ******** 

** *** ***** ******* ***** **** lost **** ****?

*** ***** *** ******* *******'* ******** in **** *******?

 

 

Comments (8)
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #1
•Mar 11, 2016

I recall, a number of years ago, doing a co-demo with an Arecont RSM. I was providing the VMS solution and he, providing the cameras.

Demo starts with the following...

Arecont: "Good afternoon. Let me ask you a question, do you have a camera in your phone"?

Everyone: *staring back not knowing what to say

Arecont: *sits back, crosses arms and stairs everyone down

Customer: ...Umm, yes?

Arecont: Your welcome! We invented the CCD.

Me: (in my head) Then why do you use Sony imagers?

True story, no embellishment. Craziest demo to date.

(1)
(6)
U
Undisclosed #3
•Mar 11, 2016
IPVMU Certified
In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #1

Arecont: Do you have a camera in your phone? We invented the CCD.

Me: (in my head) Cell phone cameras use CMOS.

(2)
JH
John Honovich
•Mar 11, 2016
IPVM

I got an Arecont sales story.

Guy emails me, out of the blue, a year or two ago, says he has read our Arecont coverage, wants to know if we should go with him. I recapped the concerns from the integrator surveys and told him to beware.

Guy emails me back, says the Arecont rep tells him the problems were way overblown and that any are solved know. I repeat what I said in the previous email, noting that the Arecont rep is paid to say this.

Guy emails me back, again and again, stressing that the Arecont rep tells him everything is ok. Ultimately, the guy is frustrated that I will not agree. I do not know what happened but I suspect he did go with Arecont.

Lesson learned: sales is expensive but there is real power in getting a guy face to face with a prospect vs someone online.

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #2
•Mar 11, 2016

So they tout their technology (and it works), get as close to the guy with the checkbook as possible, and lean on their differentiating factors. I'm pretty sure this is textbook for any upmarket offering. If you can get the first two of these down, you can be successful selling just about anything.

U
Undisclosed #3
•Mar 11, 2016
IPVMU Certified

This is slide 2 of an Arecont PowerPoint of a webinar in 2012:

Anyone staying on the webinar after this is considered a "qualified" prospect.

(1)
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #1
•Mar 12, 2016
In reply to Undisclosed #3

If you say something loud enough and long enough, eventually it will be believed.

U
Undisclosed
•Mar 16, 2016

The multi-images fail. It's pretty easy to suggest people try other cameras if that's their selling point.

(1)
JH
John Honovich
•May 26, 2016
IPVM

Another Arecont case study focused on using their multi-imagers: