Select Security gears up for summer

LANCASTER, Pa.—Last summer, Select Security, a super-regional alarm company based here, successfully experimented with a summer model program to beat the big boys at their own game.

This summer, the company is going further: It is not only repeating its summer sales program but has hired sales representatives from some of the big companies to run it.

Company president Patrick Egan said door-knocking sales representatives should have an advantage working for a traditional security company like his, which does business throughout Pennsylvania.

“They're going into our markets,” he told Security Systems News. “They're going to be selling our name, they're not selling for an out-of-state company. It should be an easier sale and easier close.”

Also, he said, the company is not waiting for summer weather to get its program underway. Instead, it plans to have a small team of college students do some door knocking in March over spring break.

“They'll test the market,” Egan said. “They'll do a neighborhood  and see where there's good knocking and where not.”

Last year Egan went to Utah, home of the big summer model companies, and hired some college students to sell alarm systems for Select Security door to door in Pennsylvania.

This summer, Select Security plans to have three teams of college student summer sales staff instead of one—and has hired sales staff who formerly worked for big companies to run the program, Egan said.

Derek Taylor, who formerly worked for Pinnacle Security, recently joined Select Security as its high-volume residential program sales manager, the company said.

The company also hired Matthew Kemp as its high-volume residential program area sales manager. Kemp's door-to-door experience includes working for APX Alarm, now Vivint, according to Select Security. Kemp will report to Taylor and have primary responsibilities for the central Pennsylvania, Lancaster, York and Harrisburg regions, the company said.

“Our team is coming out really nicely,” Egan told SSN.

Taylor said, “I want to work with Patrick and the guys and take a residential program to new heights and to new levels.”

Select Security recently has been recruiting in states such as Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. “Recruiting is going very well,” Egan said in early February. “I'm pleased.”

He said that this summer he plans to have three offices in different locations throughout Pennsylvania with 15 to 20 sales representatives at each location going door to door.

Also, he said, “another thing Derek and Matt are going to do this year… they're going to bring half a dozen kids out and we'll do 100 to 150 systems, and we're going to that out of Lancaster over spring break.”

In addition, Egan said, if the summer program this year is successful, he may keep some students on to sell through the fall as late as November.