Most alarm systems still deliver the same thing they did decades ago: a binary signal from a door or motion sensor. But customers don’t buy “a signal”; they buy the belief that you’ll stop crime. In this episode, Jake sits down with Wes Usie (Founder/CEO, Guardian Alarm Systems and CHeKT) to unpack why traditional intrusion is hitting a ceiling and why proactive video monitoring is becoming the new standard.
Wes shares what he learned building an alarm company, running a monitoring center, and then building a platform to scale video monitoring. You’ll hear how to sell and price proactive video in the real world, how to reduce false alarms with smarter detection, and why SMB outdoor assets behind a fence might be the biggest untapped opportunity dealers have right now.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
✅ Why “binary door info” won’t meet customer expectations going forward
✅ The real business risk of the 99% false alarm rate
✅ How proactive video changes the game: deterrence before the crime
✅ Why a fence matters (and how it reduces events and improves monitoring outcomes)
✅ How to price video monitoring without getting wrecked by central station event costs
✅ A simple mental shift: stop selling “cameras”; start selling detection devices
✅ A practical on-ramp: self-monitoring + automated deterrence as a baby step into video
Coffee Break With Jake is recorded live every Friday at 11am ET. Join us live or register to attend at https://go.ssandsi.com/coffeebreak
