Welcome to The EDGE by TalkLPnews! This value-packed publication is for YOU – solution providers in the loss prevention and security industry!
We’re here to provide you monthly tips and strategies to truly assist you with connecting to loss prevention executives – REAL advice from REAL LP executives! Plus, some opportunities that truly provide real ROI – not BS stats. Hope you enjoy! (Send me feedback if you don’t!)
My best,
Amber
What LP Executives Wish Vendors Understood
We talk to LP and AP executives constantly - at APEX, on our podcast, through our editorial coverage. And certain frustrations come up over and over when the topic of vendor relationships comes up.
This is not a list of complaints. These are patterns worth knowing if you want to sell into this space and actually build something lasting.
1. The budgeting process is not what vendors assume
A lot of LP leaders don't control their own budgets outright. Major technology purchases get approved by a CFO, COO, or in some cases a CEO. That means your pitch has to work at two levels -- for the LP executive who wants your product, and for the finance leader who has to sign the check.
If you show up with a deck full of features and no ROI model, you've handed your contact a problem. They want your solution. You've just made it harder for them to sell it internally.
2. "Trust us" stopped working years ago
Every vendor says they reduce shrink. Every vendor has a great customer story. LP executives have heard all of it, and they've also seen implementations that didn't deliver what was promised.
What actually moves them: a reference call with someone they know, or at least a retailer they recognize. Real numbers from a real deployment. If you can name the account, name it. If you can't, describe it specifically -- store count, format, geography. Vague social proof doesn't help.
"Don't tell me you'll save me money. Show me the retailer you saved money for -- and let me call them." - LP Executive
3. Post-sale presence matters more than most vendors realize
LP is a small industry. People know each other and they talk. A vendor who goes quiet after the contract is signed gets noticed for the wrong reasons. The ones who show up at events year after year, contribute to industry conversations, and stay in touch between renewal cycles are the ones who keep accounts and get referrals. Promise one thing and deliver another? You won’t be around long.
This doesn't require a massive investment. Staying visible in the places where LP professionals gather -- newsletters, APEX, podcasts -- does a lot of the work.
4. Industry knowledge opens doors that a good pitch can't
LP executives can tell almost immediately whether a vendor has done real homework on the space or just prepared a deck. Knowing the players in the industry and sources of knowledge is very important such as who is LPRC, what do they do and how are they different from LPF for instance. Industry details like what is ORC and why it is (or isn’t) a priority right now, knowing what the APEX conference is and who attends -- these aren't trivial details. They're signals that you respect your buyer's world enough to learn about it before asking for their time.
The vendors who get the most meetings are usually the ones who lead with industry knowledge and let the product conversation follow naturally.
5. Make the internal approval easier, not harder
Even when an LP executive is genuinely sold on your solution, the deal can still fall apart in the internal approval process. Help them carry it. Provide a one-page summary written for a finance audience. Offer reference calls proactively. Anticipate the legal or compliance questions before they come up.
The vendors who win consistently in this space treat the sale as something they're doing together with their buyer, not something they're doing to them.
TalkLPnews connects solution providers with the LP and AP professionals who are actively evaluating products. Our audience is your pipeline.
Take Some Advice from LP Execs
Javier Leal | VP of LP
Vallarta Supermarkets
"I am not your customer. I am not your client. You are not my rep. We are partners. That's my advice. If you look at me as your customer, I don't want to be your customer. I am looking for partnerships — and if you become my partner, we both are gonna be very successful."
Brand 2 Demand Opportunities
TalkLPnews works with solution providers to create a comprehensive marketing strategy including multiple methods such as:
Digital publications (the daily Retail Rundown and weekly Executive Briefing and Restaurant Rundown)
Virtual events like webinars and executive-only forums
Podcasts with you and/or your customers
In-person events like APEX
Pre-conference promotions
What we don’t do is simply ask you for a digital ad and move on.
Isn’t it time someone cared about your marketing investment success?
Upcoming Opportunities:
RILA pre- conference promotion – want to make sure the right people know you’ll be attending RILA and WHERE you’ll be?
TalkLPnews has the people – the question is, are you telling them?
Contact Amber Bradley for more information on the TalkLPnews pre-RILA conference promotional package
The Asset Protection Executive Xchange (APEX) Conference – sponsorships are selling out fast!
Contact Amber today to lock in your participation. (all vendors must sponsor to attend APEX)
Study What They Are Studying
Artificial Intelligence is all the rage these days and Loss Prevention professionals are not immune to the hype (or realities). LP pros of all types are rapidly learning how AI can help them. At TalkLPnews, we create original content that helps LP professionals expand their skill set and question the status quo. To that end, we created an LP Pro’s AI Starter Kit. Solution providers who take the time to learn what and how LP people operate can relate to them and their goals better. Download and review the TalkLPnews LP Pro’s Starter Kit here.