Using Lunch & Learns to Generate Leads pt. 1

Trackforce

July 6, 2015 · 11 min read

Using lunch and learns to generate security leads, part 1

Using Lunch & Learns to Generate Leads pt. 1

In this article, adapted from an earlier episode of our podcast, we talk about one of my favorite topics: using lunch and learns to generate leads. By offering to take prospects out to lunch, or catering lunch at their office, you can get face time in a non-invasive, casual setting. This is part 1 of our series and focuses on the benefits and preparation of a lunch and learn. Part 2 of the series covers how to actually conduct a lunch and learn that generates leads (and closes deals).

Key takeaways

Lunch cuts through the noise.
Prospects hear pitches from every security company. A relaxed lunch gets you real face time without the guarded, formal presentation.
Invite the right people.
Regional property managers, HOA and community managers and facility managers can each open the door to several sites.
Preparation wins the commitment.
Research the account, host at their office when you can, collect lunch orders early and bring an agenda built around their properties.
Bring proof, not promises.
Sample reports, patrol data and a look at a client portal show prospects exactly what working with you will be like.
Test it with three events.
Track every lead and follow up quickly. With TrackTik, the reports and data you show at lunch are the same ones clients get every day after you win the contract.

Benefits Of A Lunch And Learn

There’s a lot of noise in the security industry, and you can be sure that property managers and other potential customers have received calls and pitches from other competitors. Offering to buy or cater lunch seems like a little thing, but it helps cut through the noise and show that you’re willing to make a tangible commitment to them.

Plus, everybody has to eat lunch. Even if they’ve got a loaded schedule for the rest of the day, they can find time to eat and talk. You immediately get them outside of the formal “pitch” context, where they’ve got their guard up, and can establish more of a connection.

“It’s a great way to build that relationship with that client,” I tell Johnny. “It beats the normal presentations that are out there today.”

You also have a better chance to build a connection since lunch will usually go longer than a normal presentation. That means more time for Q&A, less pressure, and the opportunity to learn more about their business. Plus, who’s going to cancel on a free lunch?

Who to Invite to a Security Lunch and Learn

The best lunch and learns are built around people who can say yes, or who can get you in front of someone who can. Focus your invitations on decision makers who manage several properties or own the security budget.

Prospect	Why they are worth the lunch	What they care about most
Regional property managers	One relationship can open contracts across several properties	Consistent service at every site and simple, reliable reporting
HOA and community managers	They answer to boards that want visible, documented results	Clear reports they can share with the board and residents
Facility and operations managers	They manage day-to-day risk at commercial and industrial sites	Fast response, thorough incident documentation and fewer surprises
Corporate security directors	They own security programs across multiple locations	Data, compliance and a provider that meets their standards

Priority invitees for a security company lunch and learn.

Before you invite anyone, understand what motivates a property manager to change security providers. If you are targeting community associations, these tips on winning your next HOA security proposal will help you shape the conversation.

How To Prepare And Get A Commitment

Offering a lunch and learn gives you a better chance of getting a commitment than a traditional presentation, but you still need to come in prepared. Ideally, don’t just call up a potential lead. Research them ahead of time, come in, ask for a specific person, and come in with menus in hand. Try to collect orders ahead of time to lock down attendance.

If at all possible, aim to host it at their office. That will be more convenient for them, everyone will be more comfortable, and you’re more likely to get the attendance of key decision makers. Have a hotel conference room or restaurant with a private room prepared as a backup.

Finally, have an agenda prepared. Again, this means researching ahead of time to find out what kind of properties they manage and what specific needs they might have. I would often target regional managers representing multiple properties, which meant a lot of opportunities, but also lots of preparation.

A Lunch and Learn Planning Timeline

Use this timeline to keep each lunch and learn organized, from the first invitation to the moment you leave the room with a next step on the calendar.

When	What to do	Why it matters
3 to 4 weeks before	Choose target accounts, research their properties and current provider, and identify the decision makers	Your agenda and examples depend on knowing their sites
2 to 3 weeks before	Send the invitation, propose two dates and offer to host at their office	Specific dates and a convenient location make it easy to say yes
1 week before	Confirm attendees, collect lunch orders and tailor your examples to their properties	Orders lock in attendance and show you did your homework
Day before	Confirm the count with the caterer, test your laptop or tablet and pack your proof materials	Technical problems and missing food undermine credibility
Day of	Arrive early, keep to the agreed time and book the next step before you leave	A scheduled follow-up turns a good lunch into a real lead

A sample planning timeline for a security company lunch and learn.

Need help with the invitation itself? These security email templates are a good starting point for outreach that gets a reply.

What to Bring: Your Proof Kit

Every security company says it delivers great service. A lunch and learn is your chance to show it. Bring materials that let prospects see the work for themselves:

Sample reports from a similar site. Anonymized daily activity and incident reports with photos and timestamps show the level of detail clients receive. Here is how to turn your reports into a contract closing tool.
A look at the client portal. The client portal in TrackTik Security Operations gives clients real-time access to reports and operational overviews, which is far more convincing than a slide.
Patrol and checkpoint data. A TrackTik security guard tour system records every checkpoint visit, so you can show prospects exactly how coverage is verified.
A relevant success story. A short example from a similar property or industry builds credibility quickly.
Your value proposition in one sentence. Be ready to explain what sets your security company apart in plain language.

Try It Out

If you’re not sure whether this marketing strategy is right for you, try a test. Do three lunch and learns. If you don’t close any deals, you don’t have to try it again, but closing just one will more than pay for all three.

“I’d venture to say you’re going to walk away with some deals after putting on three lunch and learns,” says Johnny.

Is a Lunch and Learn Worth It? Run the Numbers

The math behind the three-event test is simple. Add up what three lunch and learns cost you, including catering, materials and the hours your team spends preparing and attending. Then compare that total with the value of a single new contract over its full term. For most security companies, one contract won is worth far more than three lunches.

Track the results so you know for sure. For each event, record who attended, which leads moved forward, which proposals you sent and which contracts you closed. After three events, you will know whether lunch and learns belong in your regular sales plan.

Follow Up While the Conversation Is Fresh

Send a thank-you within 24 hours. Include anything you promised, such as a sample report or pricing outline.
Offer a property walk. A walkthrough of their site is a natural next step. Learn how to use property walks to win security contracts.
Log every contact. Record attendees, pain points and next steps in your CRM so no lead goes cold.
Stay useful. Share a relevant article or local security update between conversations so you stay top of mind.

How TrackTik Helps You Win the Contracts Your Lunch and Learns Start

A lunch and learn opens the door. The service you can prove is what wins and keeps the contract. TrackTik, the security workforce management platform from Trackforce, gives security companies the proof prospects want to see.

Reports that hold up. TrackTik security incident reporting adds time-stamped photo, video, audio and GPS evidence to every report, and scheduled reports reach clients automatically.
Patrol proof for every client. TrackTik Mobile Patrol gives you live visibility into patrol progress and creates detailed, customer-ready reports.
Polished reports and summaries. ReportPro AI turns rough officer notes into clear, compliance-ready reports and generates executive summaries in seconds.
Transparency clients can check. The TrackTik client portal lets clients review reports and operational overviews on their own schedule.

Want to show prospects what TrackTik reporting looks like? Book a TrackTik demo and see the tools your next client will love.

Frequently Asked Questions

A lunch and learn is a short, informal meeting where a security company provides lunch for a prospect and their team, learns about their properties and explains how it would improve their security. The relaxed setting gives you more time for questions and a better chance to build a relationship than a formal pitch.

They cut through the noise of cold calls and emailed pitches, fit into a busy schedule and usually run longer than a standard presentation. Prospects are more relaxed, key decision makers are more likely to attend, and you leave with a much clearer picture of their needs.

Focus on decision makers who manage several sites or own the security budget, such as regional property managers, HOA and community managers, facility and operations managers and corporate security directors.

Research their properties and current provider, ask for a specific decision maker, propose a date at their office, collect lunch orders ahead of time and build an agenda around their sites. Bring sample reports from TrackTik security incident reporting so they can see the detail they would receive.

Show real evidence: anonymized reports with photos and timestamps, checkpoint data from a TrackTik security guard tour system and the client portal in TrackTik Security Operations, which gives clients real-time access to reports and operational overviews.

Try three. Track who attended, which leads moved forward and which contracts you closed. In most cases, winning a single contract more than covers the cost of all three events.

TrackTik gives you proof that sets you apart. TrackTik Mobile Patrol creates detailed, customer-ready patrol reports, and ReportPro AI turns officer notes into clear, compliance-ready reports with executive summaries clients can read in seconds.

Send a thank-you within 24 hours with anything you promised, offer a property walk and log every contact in your CRM. Part 2 of this series covers how to run the lunch and learn itself, from the agenda to leaving a lasting impression.