HOW TO SELL YOUR SERVICE

Dec 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By RON HNILICA

To increase security awareness within the corporate structure, you should treat all employees as you would your best customer. When I was hired at Comcast Cable Communications, Midwest Division, there had never been a security director or any type of security position within the organization. The initial priority for creating the security director position was to reduce “theft-of-service” by non-employees.

However, I soon realized that I needed to sell my services to others within the organization, including Human Resources, Operations, Marketing, Sales and Technical/Engineering. My efforts have included internal investigations, workplace violence, loss prevention (physical assets and property damage), cash flow increases through combined efforts between security and marketing, theft-of-service, hostile termination events, emergency preparedness and a host of miscellaneous activities. In short, I have internal customers contacting me for assistance on a variety of issues. If I don't have the answer, I will seek the proper source to get an answer for an employee, whether it is the president of the division or a subordinate. When I have people coming to me and stating, “I don't know how we would get along without security,” then I know that security personnel are having a positive impact within the company.

Ron Hnilica is director of security at Comcast Cable Communications, Midwest Division, Southfield, Mich.

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