Platinum Protection is one Americas fastest growing Home Security Sales Companies. Security System News reports that has sold 55,000 accounts in the second summer with an additional 25,000 in its first summer. Platinum Protection plans on continuing this trend year over year. below is the story as reported on Security System News:

PROVO, Utah–Platinum Protection, one of the summer sales model companies based here, reported selling 55,000 accounts in its second summer, 25,000 more accounts than last summer. The company plans to get bigger and sell more accounts each year, but this year it’s “dialing in on quality,” said Jake Nielson, head of corporate communications for Platinum.

In addition to its charitable efforts (see accompanying story this page), “our goal is to continue to improve the customer experience and we start with the sales rep; we spend a lot of time with the guys teaching them how to sell ethically,” said Jared Hallows, CEO of Platinum.

Platinum became a GE dealer this year and is also partnered with alarm.com and Monitronics. Those partnerships “added new features and flexibility to our offerings.” One of GE’s largest dealers, Platinum in October received a “Homeland Security Award” from GE Security.

The company is developing new internal programs including a new service scheduling system “that allows us to get technicians out to a customer’s house quickly using GPS coordinates,” Hallows said. “We’re also developing a license and permitting database to help customers get permits in a timely manner.” This program, which will include data from all the cities, counties and municipalities in which Platinum does business, is expected to be in place by the summer of 2009.

“We’re looking at our back-end support-breaking down the processes and figuring out what worked and what didn’t and we work on improving the process,” Hallows said.

Hallows said he didn’t have an account volume sales goal for 2009. “What we’re going to do is improve quality, have qualified sales reps who make money [and] make sure our customers are taken care of, and we have every thing in place to support them.”

Click here for the story on SecuritySystemNews.com

Platinum Protection took their door to door sales team and spent an entire day to gather food for the local food bank. They were able to break a record with the amount food gathered. Platinum Protection was able to collect over 34,00 pounds of food. Platinum Protection is concerned about the community and continues to show it through projects like this. Below is the actual story from Security Systems News:

Those summer model alarm companies are sure competitive. The photo above is a moving van full of donated non-perishable food items that Platinum Protection donated to the Community Action Food Bank in Utah County and the Utah Food Bank in Salt Lake County last weekend.
Platinum had 400 employees hit the streets on Dec. 12 for a food drive, and their efforts “broke the record for the largest one-day, door-to-door corporate food drive, bringing in a grand total of 34,000 pounds of food,” according to this press release that they sent me this morning.

From the release: “ We have broken the record the last two years as the fastest growing alarm company in the history of our industry by knocking doors,” said Jeremy Pixton, a co-owner of Platinum Protection. “This time the record we wanted to break was giving back to those that are in need and doing it by knocking doors. We felt this was a good opportunity to teach our employees the value of giving back.”

A few weeks ago, I wrote a story about summer-model companies expanding their philanthropic deeds and public relations efforts. In that story I reported that Apx Alarm “had made the largest donation in history to the Utah Community Action Service Services Food Bank.”

This is the kind of competition I can appreciate, and I’m pretty sure that Apx will up the ante again. I’m thinking Josh Houser’s going to call me this afternoon to let me know what Apx is doing next.

How about you non-summer sales model companies? Let me know what you’re doing along these lines as well.

Click here for the story on Security SystemNews

On Security Systems News, ADT chief legal officer David Bleisch presented a challenge to eztablish a “Door Knocking Code of Ethics“. Jeremy Pixton of Platinum Protection says that a code of ethics is “long overdue”. A code of ethics would makes sure that the numerous Home Security companies would follow rules and regulations to ensure customers get professional and honest service from Home Security sales personel. Below is the actual story from Security Systems News:

NEWSWIRE
Fans abound for ‘Door-knocking Code of Ethics’
By Martha Entwistle

IRVING, Texas—ADT chief legal officer David Bleisch’s call last week for a ‘door-knocking code of ethics’ struck a chord with some who believe a code would be beneficial.

Jeremy Pixton, owner of Platinum Protection, one of the larger summer-model security companies called the idea “long overdue.”

“Ultimately every company in our industry has the same goal to satisfy our customers while protecting their homes and families. But unfortunately the door-to-door industry is riddled with stories about sales reps who don’t share the same goal,” Pixton said. “Even though Platinum has focused on training our sales reps to sell ethically, adopting an industry-wide code of ethics can only help us achieve more, and we would love to help however we can.”

The NBFAA last April updated its code of ethics (find it here), which addresses sales presentations and employee training in a general way, but does not talk specifically about door-to-door sales. NBFAA president Mike Miller called Bleisch’s idea “a powerful suggestion.” He added: “the NBFAA would like to help where it can … to help bring a solution [to the problems associated with door-to-door sales] to the industry,” said Mike Miller, president of the NBFAA.

Miller said that enforcement of a code of ethics is not something within the purview of the NBFAA, but said another entity, such as a coalition of companies, may be able to address compliance with a code of ethics.

Bleish’s suggestion came about as the ADT chief legal officer David Bleisch has filed against several door-to-door salespeople who ADT says used deceptive sales tactics. See the full story here.  Monitronics, which is also suing several door-to-door sales people, also indicated its support for a code of ethics.

Link to story on securitysystemsnews.com

Platinum Protection is one of the fastest growing home security companies in America. In 2009 sales increased over 20% in pre-season sales and expected the summer sales to be the show the same trends. Security Systems News on their site discuss Platinum Protection’s progress. Below is the actual story from SecuritySystemNews.com.

Platinum Pumped for 2009
Pre-season numbers, customer survey bode well for summer
By Martha Entwistle, managing editor

representatives,” according to Allred, asked customers to rate Platinum employees on several categories, including their professionalism and knowledge.

Click here for the story on securitysystemnews.com

Security Systems News discusses the first year projections of Platinum Protection. Chance Allred is quoted as forecasting 20,000 accounts sold in the first summer. Below is the actual article from Security Systems News:

Platinum Hits the Ground Running
By Martha Entwistle, managing editor

OREM, Utah–A newcomer to the summer model alarm companies, Platinum Protection opened its doors in October 2006 and turned heads this fall after generating 30,000 accounts in its first year in business.

According to Chance Allred, one of the six principals in the company, this number is record-breaking for a first-year company. The company had set its sights on selling 20,000 accounts in its first year, with 16 offices across the country. Allred said Platinum produced an office average of “1,900 accounts in just over four months. The Houston office installed the most systems, generating 4,263 accounts over the summer. Monitronics provides third-party monitoring and has purchased a portion of the accounts.

So how’d they do it? Although the company is new, the six principals are experienced veterans, and, according to Allred, represent some of the top performers to have worked at other summer model alarm companies. Allred, Jared Hallows, Jeremy Pixton, and Keith Dyer all came from ApxAlarm, the largest summer-model company. Jacob Pruitt and Derrick Schutz were at Utah-based Pinnacle Protection.

Allred said the principals have taken what they’ve learned in terms of training and management and structuring a pay scale elsewhere and improved on it when they founded Platinum Protection. They’ve also integrated the IT systems with Monitronics’ billing and payroll system.

Mike Haislip, president and CEO of Monitronics, said in an email interview that his company has “worked with many of the major summer dealers since 2003. Platinum pulled off a major feat this year by going from zero units last year to having by far the most productive first year in the history of summer programs.” More importantly, he said, “they did it with class and integrity. They were great to work with and we expect even bigger things from them in the future.”

Next summer, Allred expects “to do over 60,000 accounts at a minimum because we have the most talented people in the industry.” A total of 307 reps and 16 managers finished the season.

The average rep pulled down $32,000 for the summer, while a manager made about $200,000. Three reps who sold 300 accounts over the 100 days of the summer made $170,000 for the summer.

With those kinds of results, “Many college students start out doing this as a summer job and then decide to turn it into a career,” Allred said.

Preparing for next summer, Allred said, “we’re beefing up our call center, our IT, customer service and all other operations by hiring, training and improving each department to provide customers and other employees with a first-class experience.”

Click Here for the story on Security Systems News