Justifying Premium Fees Through Guard Excellence

The security guard business is highly competitive and dominated by a handful of large national companies. For smaller security firms, differentiation is the key to setting yourself apart. But while raising the bar doesn’t come cheaply, it’s well worth the effort as it puts you in an entirely different category, helping you establish yourself as an elite service provider.

Investing in guard training has several advantages, not the least being that you can charge premium fees. Clients reap the benefits of your commitment in reduced risk, fewer incidents, and happier people.

While you may initially feel hesitancy from potential customers because you charge above-market fees, there is measurable value to consider. While the average guard firm may come in much lower, they won’t have the benefit of your team’s training, experience, and safety record, and that’s how you justify your rates.

So today, we’ll address the challenge of justifying premium fees in a competitive market. We argue that better-trained guards provide measurable value that justifies higher costs and establishes a strong selling point that most clients will appreciate.

The Cost-Benefit Analysis: How Premium Services Save Clients Money in the Long Term

It’s an age-old adage—when you spend more for quality, it actually saves you money in the long run. It’s true for shoes, suits, and precision equipment, and it’s also true for premium guard services.

The cost-benefit is a compelling selling point that your potential clients will likely understand.

Well-trained guards reduce security incidents because they know how to de-escalate conflict. They remain calm and focused during altercations, preventing unnecessary physical and verbal confrontations and helping to minimize the potential for lawsuits.

Well-trained guards can also recognize developing situations and prevent them from happening, mitigating injury, loss, and operational disruptions.

The client’s employees and the public will feel better knowing an elite guard oversees the property. At residential properties, tenants appreciate the commitment and consistency their security guards offer in protecting their homes and common areas.

Property and business owners can also reap measurable savings in several areas, including reduced property damage, lower insurance premiums, and improved business continuity. Secure residential communities are more desirable to tenants, which may reduce vacancies and result in longer tenancies.

Additionally, owners can expect to spend less time, effort, and resources on finding new tenants simply because people don’t want to leave. Condo owners will enjoy higher property values, and the entire community will benefit from improved safety and a higher standard of living.

Considering the above cost-benefits, your pitch would be hard for a client to deny. Unless they can’t see beyond tomorrow or are on a ridiculously tight budget, your fees should be remarkably easy to justify.

Using Client Testimonials and Success Stories to Validate Pricing

Of course, any good salesperson can make the case. Providing proof will drive the message home.

Second only to your stellar track record, your satisfied clients are the best people to substantiate your claims.

Fortunately, if you’ve been in business for a while, you won’t have to look far for the social proof you need. Online reviews and testimonials do an excellent job singing your high notes, so encourage your clients to use platforms like Yelp and Google and leave reviews on your social media pages.

Clients who have experienced measurable improvements directly related to your guards’ training can be featured in video testimonials, which you can use in presentations or post on your website, blogs, and socials.

Case studies are also a viable way to demonstrate value. Structure your case studies around specific value points and clients, showing the problem they needed to solve, your challenges in solving it, and the result. Wrap up the study with a few words from the client to reflect their honest sentiment about the engagement and what they loved about working with you.

Case studies can be posted on your website or offered as a downloadable resource to boost lead generation. Identify key areas of concern for your clients and shape your case studies around those pain points. The better you can align your value with a client’s needs, the easier it will be for them to see themselves in your example.

Addressing Objections: Overcoming Price-Sensitive Clients

Today’s economy has every business and property owner looking for ways to cut costs. Some may hesitate to commit to a guard service with higher fees because it will increase their day-to-day expenses. By framing your premium fees as an investment rather than a cost, it will be much easier for the prospective client to justify as they will reap long-term benefits that translate to cost savings.

Highlight the risks of choosing lower-cost, undertrained security services, using real-world cautionary tales. There may be local examples you could mention, such as litigation cases resulting from guard altercations or serious injuries or death ensuing because an on-site guard lacked the proper training to respond appropriately.

When you’re confident in your team’s training, experience, and capabilities, you’ll know what you can realistically promise in terms of performance. Consider offering performance guarantees or flexible contracts to ease concerns about initial pricing.

Your prospective client will appreciate your confidence and feel good about accepting your offer if you are willing to reduce their risk to prove your claims.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, a strong focus on guard training is a justifiable basis for charging premium fees. You don’t always get what you pay for in this world, but elite security training is a notable exception.

Better-trained guards represent higher value to the client, as reflected in reduced risk, fewer security incidents, lower insurance premiums, and higher property values. Additionally, well-trained guards are personable and can put people at ease, ensuring anyone on your property—residents, employees, vendors, or the public—feels safe and secure at all times.

You’ve put a lot of effort and resources into your training program. You can confidently justify your pricing by communicating the value, favorable outcomes, and long-range cost benefits, backing up your claims with real-world examples, client testimonials, and case studies that position you as an elite provider.

Explore Defencify Academy’s security guard training programs today, or reach out to us directly to find out how we can help.