Brian Smith spied an opportunity and believed direct mail was the best way he could reach new prospects for his high tech digital surveillance systems.
Having worked for several years in companies that market videotape-based systems to retail stores to use to keep an eye on possible pilferers, Smith saw a “huge demand” for such set-ups. In 2004, he founded Digital Surveillance Consultants in Windham, NH.
“Most surveillance systems are based on videotape and are hard to use,” he says. “Digital systems are more user-friendly.”
Thinking that direct mail would be “the best way to get in front of a lot of people,” Smith ran his company’s first postcard campaign last year to 250 convenience stores in the Greater Boston area as well as to prospects in New Hampshire, Maine and Connecticut. VistaPrint USA, Lexington, MA, assisted Smith in this effort.
He had no prior background in direct mail per se. But in his role as sales director for a large New England-based graphic arts and pre-press company, Smith had worked with many graphic artists who designed direct mail pieces.
For this effort, Smith compiled his own list using names from online yellow pages directory Switchboard.com. They consisted of franchised convenience stores such as 7-11 and Store 24, says Smith.
The effort paid off. Smith was able to sell four systems and was out only $102 for the mailing.
For this year, Smith is hoping Digital Survey Consultants will pull in as much as $1.5 million in revenue. He plans to make two or three more mailings this year.
Of course, part of the reason costs were so low is that Smith designed his own mailing pieces.
“I have a little graphic arts background [from] before the days of desktop publishing,” he says. Digital Surveillance hopes the mailings will help it get a foothold in a market with such major competitors as ADT Security Services Inc. and smaller players like Freedom Systems.
The business is online at http://www.digitalsurveillanceconsultants.com. Smith is considering using e-mail for things like periodically updating his customers on new software as a retention tool. But, he’s quite averse to mass e-mails.
“I sometimes get a little irritated by e-mail blasts,” he says. “I pay very little attention to them.”
All the company’s systems are custom built to individual customer’s specifications using Dell Hardware and Microsoft Windows XP professional operating system software.
Prices start at $3,800 for a four-channel system with four dome cameras installed. The company also offers leasing starting at $86.45 per month. Higher end systems are also available.
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