Talk about thinking outside of the box! Orem, Utah-based Pinnacle Security has put together a 1,800-strong nationwide sales force in which about two-thirds are former Morman missionaries. And why not? They are polite, clean cut and are very experienced in dealing with the frequent rejection of cold-calling prospects door to door.
I suppose it can never hurt to have the Lord on your side (is that a bible or sales presentation book under your arm?), especially in these challenging economic times. And at its core, security and safety certainly is a noble pursuit. But I can't help but wonder though if some prospects might be put off by a "religious" type. An ever greater concern is how well trained these salespeople really are on the finer details of security system design and installation. I am a believer in the custom solution approach and that certainly requires some degree of expertise.
Have you heard about this sales strategy? What are your thoughts? Is security next to godliness? Should there be a separation of church and security? Have you seen any of these former missionaries in your area? Maybe there are other groups that could be successfully targeted as salespeople, maybe Iraqi war veterans (it is a battle out there).
You can read the complete New York Times article about Pinnacle's unique approach right here.
As always, thanks for reading ...
Scott Goldfine
Editor-in-Chief
SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION
posted @ Monday, June 15, 2009 9:58 AM