Win more contracts, stand out from the crowd, and be the go-to security firm in your region by understanding the market, and following these tips.
We’ve all been there before. The schedule is starting to thin out, and you’re wondering how to secure more security contracts for your firm. You might be searching online for things like “How to get more contracts for security guard services” while you begin to sweat about making payroll two months from now. This guide will show you how to win security contracts and expand your business presence.
1. Know Your Competition
The first step in growing the success of your security firm is to know and understand your competition. How do you find out who your competitors are? Start by using your state’s business license database to find out how many other firms operate on the same market you are in.
Most states host this info on their respective Secretary of State website, and it should be free to use. This will allow you to find out not only the name and location of your professional peers, but also valuable contact info of who is in charge.
After you gather that data, start contacting these firms to ask about things like base pricing, number of employees, and the availability of those firms to get guards on site. If most of them are booked solid, that means there is a high demand for the service in your area, meaning plenty of room for you to grow.
Another important piece of info to have is how much they are paying their employees. Understanding the pay rates in your area can give your company the advantage. You might be on the low side of competitive pay for your market, or you could offer their staff more to come work for your firm. Check out this resource to learn about pay rates in your area.
2. Understand Your Market
Start by finding out how many businesses exist in the area you want to grow into that use contract security services, and who they currently use. Since you already have the data from the first step about existing security contractors, you can easily track down who has contracts with the clients you want to capture.
Using the same state business database you obtained competitor info from, you can also get the same info on potential clients looking for security services. Also, scour your local and regional news outlets for upcoming events that you could bid on for more security contracts in the short term. This will be invaluable as you gather the details on how to get more security contracts for your firm.
3. Make Your Firm Stand Out
What special security services can you offer? What security guard management technology can you use? How well are your employees trained?
These are the questions you should be answering to win more contracts, and have your firm be ahead of the curve. Employee management is another critical component of success, and the latest tools will greatly assist you in that task.
4. Make The Investment
Your employees should be your top investment priority when looking at training, management, and equipment expenditures.
If you are not taking care of the people who represent your firm to clients, how do you expect them to take care of your firm? Competitive pay is only one aspect of maintaining a strong workforce, another is what you invest in your team.
Can your team manage their shifts, communicate with other team members, request time off and review their benefits with ease? Investing in how you manage your team (Human Capital Management) can save guard managers time managing HR tasks and improve your employees’ experience. It’s important to learn more about time management for yourself and your people.
5. Your Marketing Message
When you are putting your firm out into the digital jungle, effectively communicating the message you are trying to convey is paramount to getting more security contracts. Working with a marketing team can ease this burden and show potential clients that your security firm is ready for any task.
It’s also important to show potential clients how you effectively use technology to enhance the scope and efficiency of your private security company. Another trick of the trade is to showcase your team and share their specialized training and some brief personal details to help clients learn about your firm and its talent.
6. Building Professional Relationships
We’re all trying to accomplish the same task: win security contracts and provide the best service to our clients. Often, we might want to cast our competition in a negative light to win a new security contract, but cooperation will get you much further.
By building up positive and helpful relationships with your competitors, you might find them sending potential clients your way, or referring your firm directly for a new security contract bid.
A great starting point is to find info for your local chamber of commerce and see what networking events they have scheduled. Some other great ways to build professional contacts is to attend trade events, get registered and certified training from ASIS, and invite your competitors to professional outings like lunch or charity events to build those relationships.
Winning More Security Contracts is Essential
Your security firm’s success depends on beating the competition and winning security contracts. Positioning your company to best respond and meet the needs of each potential client is key to landing more contracts.
By following these steps, you are well on your way to cementing your firm as the best choice for clients looking to address their physical security needs into 2023 and beyond.
