This Unicorn Aims to Get Integrators Sales

By John Honovich, Published Sep 29, 2015, 12:00am EDT

Getting new customers is one of the hardest challenges for integrators as our sales leads survey results show.

Now, a billion dollar unicorn tech startup, Thumbtack, has just raised $125 million to help contractors, like security integrators, get new customers easily and cheaply.

In this note, we look at how this works for security integrators, sharing feedback from an integrator who is using Thumbtack, and provide guidance on its use.

How ** ***** *** ***********

*********** *** ** **** quotes to ********* *** ****** requests ** *********. *** security ********, *** **** is * ******* ** roughly $* *** ** only ******** ** *** customer **** *** **** it ****** ** *****.

*** ********* ***** *** integrators ******* ** **** portion ** ********* ***** to *** **** ****. For *******, ** *** send *** * ****** that *** ******** *** one **** **** ***, the **** ***** ** ~$**. Thumbtack ** *** ******** in ******* *** ******** for *** ******** *** does *** **** *** cut ** *** ******* fee, **** *** ******* spent ** **** ******.

*********** *** ** ********, can *** *******, **** to ***** ******** ****** * ********** ***** for $*.

Integrator *******

** ******** * ******** **** an ********** **** **** one **** ***** ********** our ******* *******. ** spoke **** *** *******,******** **** ********* **, ***** ***** **********.

****'* **** *** *******'* Thumbtack ******* ***** ****:

*** ****** **** *********:

  • ********* **** ** **** to *******, **** ***** sensitive *********** ** ***** business ********.
  • **** ********** ******* *** intergrator's ******** ** **** they *** ** ******.
  • *** * * ****** 720p ******, ***** ******* price ** $****, ********* product *** ************.
  • **** **** **** ***, Hikvision *** *** ****** end, ***-*** *** *** even **** ***** ********* customers. ** *******, **** Axis, *** ********* *** expensive ** ** *******.

Customer ********

** *** ******** ****, all *** ** ** answer * *** ********* and **** **** *****. Questions *** ****** ******** highlighted *****:

**** *** ******** **** emails **** * ********** responds.

Potential *****

********** *** ***** *********** that *** ******* ** work **** *** *** small ********, **** ** a *** ****, *************** way ** **** *** customers. ****** **** ******** a ********* ******** ** trying ** ****** *** local ****** ***, ***., they *** ****** *** when **** **** ** quote ** ******** **** appear ** *********.

Risks / *********** / ************

**** *** ******* ****** unicorns *****, *** ***** if **** **** ******* or ****** **** ******* a *** ** ***** and **** ****. *** they *** ********* *** the ***** ** **** company ****** ** ******* buyers *** *******. *******, Thumbtack **** ******* * very ****** ** *** system ** ** **.

** **********, ****** ****** * ****** installation ******* ****** **** ******** ********, cutting ** ******, *** making ** ***** ** product *****. ** ******, Amazon's ***** ***** ****** provides *** ********* *** large **** ****.

******** ******* **** *********, we ** ******* **** online '***********' ******** *** a ***** ****** ***** that **** **-***** ********** sales **** *** **** decade ** *** ***** cost ********* *** **** direct ***** ** ******* will ***** ********* ***** shows *** *********** *********** for *** **** ******.

Comments (4)

John Honovich

IPVM | 09/29/15 01:32pm

Just got another quote and this one is quite interesting.

The company is Bilco Electric and Datacom, and for $1600, they are offering to provide and install a 4 camera 1080p LTS (Hik) system. They have been hired 53 times already on Thumbtack. It appears that this is a nice setup for them.

Here is their quote / exchange with me:

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Brian Rhodes

IPVMU Certified | 09/29/15 01:52pm

I wonder if the requirement of paying to submit bids will keep the respondant pool low to begin with.

Most contractors realize charging for bids/designs is impractical, but how many are going to dole out $7 to engage in a buying decision they have very limited influence into?

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John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Brian Rhodes | 09/29/15 02:07pm

Manufacturers pay $4,000 for trade mag ads no one ever sees...

but integrators often don't like to spend on marketing.

At $7 a pop, seems worth trying it out. Spend $100, try it out with 12 or 13 quick quotes, see what happens. If you close at least 1 or 2, would strike me as being worth it, no?

But my main point is that it is a lot more straightforward (and for most probably cheaper) that going to an integrator and telling them to run google ads for "Oklahoma security integrator" at X dollars a click, then optimize a website to get leads, etc.

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Paul Boucherle CPP CSC

10/14/15 10:09pm

This approach eliminates the sales and sales management costs associated with selling to the SMB market opportunities a s well as the marketing costs already mentioned. If you are running a lean operational company this may make some sense but very little room for effor or assumptions. Interesting evolution. Angie's list for security?

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