The best sales strategy might not come from your sales team. It might come from your service department.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down the playbook Alarm Masters uses to turn routine service calls into major commercial projects. They explain why leading with exceptional service builds trust faster than a sales pitch, how their teams work together to create new opportunities, and what it takes operationally to make the strategy successful. 

In this episode:
→ Why service is Alarm Masters' biggest sales advantage
→ The playbook for turning service calls into major projects
→ Why the first dollar from a customer is the hardest to earn
→ Building enough service capacity to support growth
→ How sales and service teams work together to create opportunities
→ Using service history to uncover replacement projects
→ Why face-to-face prospecting still works in an AI-driven world
→ The operational mistakes that can derail this strategy

Connect:

Stephen Olmon — https://x.com/stephenolmon

Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

Owned and Operated

New Episodes Every Wednesday!

Subscribe For More

Building a great service business requires more than hiring great technicians. It requires building the right leadership team.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble share how they've approached key leadership hires at Alarm Masters. They discuss when to hire directors, why operations is often the first bottleneck, and how to know when your business is ready for executive-level talent.

They also cover hiring ahead of growth, budgeting for A-players, lessons from promoting internally, and the framework they use to build a leadership team that can scale.

In this episode:

•  When to make your first executive hire 
•  Why operations becomes the biggest bottleneck 
•  Hiring ahead of growth 
•  Budgeting for A-player talent 
•  Internal promotions vs. outside hires 
•  Building your leadership team in the right order 

Connect:

Stephen Olmon — https://x.com/stephenolmon

Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

Owned and Operated

New Episodes Every Wednesday!

Subscribe For More

Difficult customers are inevitable. Losing great customers because you handled the situation poorly doesn't have to be.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down the systems they use to handle customer complaints, payment disputes, and difficult conversations without letting emotions get in the way. They discuss why the best operators separate business from personal feelings, how customer history should influence your decisions, and when it actually makes sense to fire a customer.

They also share the internal standards they've built at Alarm Masters, from eliminating gossip about customers to owning mistakes without throwing employees under the bus. If your business depends on recurring revenue and long-term customer relationships, these principles can help you protect both your reputation and your bottom line.

In this episode:
→ Why you should never take customer conflict personally
→ How to prepare before every difficult customer call
→ When to refund, compromise, or hold your ground
→ Why long-term customers deserve a different approach
→ The danger of gossip inside your company
→ How to own mistakes without blaming your team
→ Creating internal standards for handling conflict
→ Protecting recurring revenue through better customer relationships

Connect:

Stephen Olmon — https://x.com/stephenolmon

Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

Owned and Operated

New Episodes Every Wednesday!

Subscribe For More

Paying your sales team more sounds risky, until you realize it can actually make your business more profitable.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down the compensation strategies that attract top-performing salespeople, drive better results, and help security companies scale. They discuss why most operators underpay their sales teams, the dangers of commission caps, how to structure base salary vs. variable compensation, and why trust and transparency are critical to retaining great reps.

They also share lessons from building Alarm Masters' sales organization, including how they handle quotas, clawbacks, commission timing, and incentive structures that keep salespeople motivated without creating desperation.

In this episode:
→ Why paying salespeople more can increase profitability
→ The ideal base salary vs. commission split
→ Why commission caps destroy motivation and growth
→ Common compensation mistakes security operators make
→ How to structure quotas, accelerators, and clawbacks
→ Why salespeople need a clear path to wealth
→ Creating compensation plans that scale with your business
→ The importance of transparency and predictable commission payouts

Connect:
Stephen Olmon — https://x.com/stephenolmon
Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

Owned and Operated

New Episodes Every Wednesday!

Subscribe For More

Paid ads can be one of the fastest ways to grow a security company—or one of the fastest ways to waste money.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down the paid advertising channels security operators should actually be paying attention to. From Google PPC and Meta ads to LinkedIn campaigns and competitive intelligence, they discuss where they're investing marketing dollars, what surprised them most about B2B lead generation, and why Facebook and Instagram may be outperforming traditional search for commercial security companies. 

They also share how they're building new Meta campaigns, the importance of creative and messaging, how sales teams can improve marketing performance, and why most operators should avoid managing ad platforms on their own.

In this episode:

→ Google PPC vs. Meta Ads for security companies
 → Why Meta is outperforming expectations in B2B security marketing
 → The biggest mistakes operators make with paid advertising
 → How Facebook and Instagram find commercial buyers
 → Using the Meta Ads Library for competitive intelligence
 → What makes a high-performing security ad
 → Why creative matters more than most operators think

Connect:

Stephen Olmon — https://x.com/stephenolmon
Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

Owned and Operated

New Episodes Every Wednesday!

Subscribe For More

IT Is Taking Over Security and Most Integrators Aren’t Ready.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble discuss one of the biggest shifts happening in the security industry: the rise of IT as the primary decision-maker. What used to be a facilities-driven purchase is rapidly becoming a technology conversation centered around APIs, cybersecurity, data ownership, interoperability, and AI.

They break down why open APIs are becoming table stakes, how enterprise buyers are evaluating security vendors differently, and why security professionals who can't speak the language of technology risk being left behind. The conversation also explores cybersecurity vulnerabilities, penetration testing, AI's impact on enterprise security, and practical ways integrators can future-proof their businesses.

In this episode:

→ Why IT is becoming the economic buyer in security projects
 → The growing importance of APIs, integrations, and data ownership
 → Why open platforms are winning over closed systems
 → How AI is accelerating change across the security industry
 → Cybersecurity risks every integrator should understand
 → Why penetration testing is becoming more common
 → The future of custom-built security software stacks

Connect:

Stephen Olmon — https://x.com/stephenolmon
Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

Owned and Operated

New Episodes Every Wednesday!

Subscribe For More

Technology is changing fast, and the security industry is being forced to keep up.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble recap ESX and share their biggest takeaways from the conference floor. They discuss the growing interest in automation, the rise of new software providers, the importance of open APIs, and why some operators are moving faster than the rest of the industry.

They also break down what stood out from conversations with vendors, manufacturers, and fellow operators, plus where they see the industry heading over the next few years.

In this episode:

→ Key takeaways from ESX 2026
→ How the conference compares to ISC West
→ Why open APIs are becoming more important
→ The rise of new software providers in security
→ A business idea for a unified security platform

Connect:

Stephen Olmon — https://x.com/stephenolmon

Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

Owned and Operated

New Episodes Every Wednesday!

Subscribe For More

Your technicians don't need to sell more, they need to collect better information.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble share how they're using AI to improve service operations at Alarm Masters. From automated technician workflows and smarter scheduling to uncovering new sales opportunities, they break down practical ways operators can increase efficiency and profitability.

In this episode:
→ Capturing better field data with AI
→ Automating technician notes and workflows
→ Improving scheduling density and utilization
→ Predicting job duration with historical data
→ Turning service calls into future sales opportunities
→ Why technician selling is the wrong goal

Connect:
Stephen Olmon — https://x.com/stephenolmon
Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

Owned and Operated

New Episodes Every Wednesday!

Subscribe For More

Your sales team shouldn't be spending their time updating CRMs, building quotes, or chasing down information.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down the AI tools they're using at Alarm Masters to help their sales team do more with less. From automated quoting and proposal generation to meeting transcription, sales coaching, and CRM automation, they share practical ways operators can eliminate busywork and give salespeople more time to sell.

In this episode:

→ Building AI-powered quoting and proposal workflows
→ Using Claude and custom GPTs to save hours on estimates
→ Recording meetings and capturing action items automatically
→ Creating sales playbooks with Notion AI
→ AI-powered onboarding and training opportunities
→ Real-time sales coaching with Dialpad
→ Automating CRM updates and reducing admin work
→ How operators can improve sales productivity today

Connect:

Stephen Olmon — https://x.com/stephenolmon

Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

Owned and Operated

New Episodes Every Wednesday!

Subscribe For More

Everyone is talking about AI sales agents—but most of the hype doesn't match reality.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble share how they're actually using AI at Alarm Masters to find buying signals, generate leads, and automate parts of their outbound sales process. They break down the tools, workflows, and lessons they've learned while building AI-powered systems that create real sales opportunities.

In this episode:

→ Why most AI SDR claims are overhyped
→ Finding buying signals with public data
→ Building AI-powered lead generation workflows
→ Automating prospecting and outreach
→ Tools and tactics operators can use today

Connect:

Stephen Olmon — https://x.com/stephenolmon

Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

Owned and Operated

New Episodes Every Wednesday!

Subscribe For More