Business of Security Podcast – Give People What They Want for Free

In this podcast, I’ll share my feedback on the ASIS expo, from which I just returned, and a pretty hard-hitting, tough-love business talk on giving people what they want for free.

ASIS, or A-S-I-S, stands for the American Society for Industrial Security, and for the last 60 years, the society has held an Expo. This year, I was in Atlanta; this is my second ASIS in Atlanta. The first was a couple of months after the Summer Olympics in 1996. Over the last 20 years, I’ve attended probably about 6 ASIS expos, and as technology has grown in our personal lives, so has it in the products and tools for security. The last ASIS expo I went to, which was previously this one, was in 2011 in Florida, and this one seemed a bit smaller in attendance and the number of booths. Most of the expo was made up of cameras and mobility of those cameras. The next most significant section was gates – for people and vehicles. The rest was a hodge-podge of companies ranging from EP services and training to 5.11 tactical clothing. Insurance companies and universities like AMU, Texas A&M, and Brandeis. But despite all the technology, data, and apps, it all comes down to handshakes, introductions, and exchanging business cards to network, tell your story, and share information.

A bit of advice for any conference: Before you even set foot into the hall, especially one the size of ASIS, do your homework on what businesses are going to be there and what value you can bring to them and vice versa. ASIS had an app just for the expo, so it made it easier to plan your route and write in some notes. Make sure you know what you’re going to say before you meet folks who represent that business.

The most important takeaway from any expo, convention, conference, etc., is to follow up with those you met. Send them a simple email. In that email, remind them who you are and what you talked about. Give them your contact information. When should you follow up? As soon as possible.

There is much more that goes on at ASIS than the expo. Check out asisonline.org for more information. The next expo will be in Anaheim, CA.

On to the main topic of today – Giving people what they want

Of course, by people, I mean your market – clients, colleagues, potential clients.

How do you know what they want? You ask!

Ask by communicating with them via email, social media, newsletters, and magazines. Use a feedback form or a small survey online, or print it and mail it back to you. Hearing from your customers supplies you with what they need and what their issues are, along with other demographics like business type, line of work, and location.

Organize this data and find commonalities. Based on your knowledge and experience, find ways to create content that will help solve your clients’ current and potential problems and other issues.

Then, share this valuable, useful content with your market freely and without any expectations to get in return. Sharing your knowledge on relevant subjects does 4 things: keeps your business top of mind, builds trust with your market, grows your business as the content is shared through word of mouth on social media networks, and separates you from your competitors.

What kind of content is considered valuable? Guy Kawasaki, a former evangelist at Apple, shared that there are three forms of value:

• information,
• analysis, and
• assistance.

Information is defined as what just happened. It’s the essential things you should know about. The analysis explains the information. Assistance explains how your company can help clients avoid dangerous situations. These types of value should be unique to you and your brand and should have a positive influence.

Value might include industry news, how you solved a problem, your perspectives on a particular product or service, a safety checklist, or a how-to on a new product or service.

Stand out as a real human being who has faced and overcome challenges. Tell a real story from your heart and gut, a life lesson.

How do you share it? Through social media, email newsletters, white papers, blog posts, videos, podcasts, interviews, and more. Some of you reading this will think that you are not a writer. You don’t have to be Ernest Hemingway – try it. A typical article on the Web is roughly 500-800 words. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Although I have talked mostly about sharing content for free – you can also share your time and resources. Take time to talk to your clients, potential clients, and colleagues – whether through email, on the phone, or in person. Be accessible and available for questions and feedback, and give honest answers. Make connections even with your competitors. For example, a competitor has assembled a small seminar and asked you if you’d like to...