Speco introduces firsthand training

AMITYVILLE, N.Y.--Speco Technologies believes hands-on training is the best way to get systems integrators to truly understand Speco's products and solutions. With that in mind, the company announced in late April new product training at trade shows and conferences that allows integrators to work one-on-one with the technology. The Long Island, N.Y.-based company offered a road class for systems integrators at Graybar's location in Las Vegas in April. Speco chose the road training venue after it listened to suggestions from both security professionals and distributors of their products, and took along about 12 of its new digital deterrent systems with DVRs, which alert potential criminals that cameras are monitoring them. Class sizes vary from 10 to 50 students. "Most trainings from manufacturers is one guy in a room, one system and they show everybody how it works," said T.J. Dickson, vice president of marketing and sales for Speco. "What we found is when we did our trainings you just put a DVR, for example, in front of every person and when you explain what it is and then you ask them to do it, they look at it in a totally different light." "It's the most important thing," said Gary Gray, western regional manager of Tri-Ed, a distributor of Speco's products. "Face-to-face relationships is what it's all about because there is a trust factor involved." Dickson also noted it was important for Speco to train from an IT standpoint to better educate the systems integrator who will sell and use its solutions. "There are people out there with different levels of [IT] knowledge and it's up to us to help them get to the next level," he said. "It's an obligation of the manufacturer."