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!

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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!

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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!

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