This post was sparked by something I saw recently: yet another confident voice in marketing, projecting authority and making big promises.
But this time it was in my own back yard… Fire & Security. So obviously I checked out what they had to say.
And, behind the performance? No proof. No real results. Just high-level theory dressed up as expertise — the kind grifter gurus sell with a smile and a sales funnel.
It sounded smart. Until you actually try to follow it. Then the cracks show.
Because when someone’s too thick-skinned to question themselves, they stop refining the work. They stop learning. They stop delivering. And they’re too busy playing the part to realise: it’s not the theory that gets results… it’s the detail. The messy, specific, done-properly kind of work that’s easy to skip, but impossible to fake.
When bad marketing mirrors bad installs
Following through to look at the websites and marketing performance of their customers? It made me want to cry at all the mistakes I could see.
Because I’ve seen it before. The kind of “marketing” that Fire & Security businesses pay for… only to be left with a generic site template, stuffed with irrelevant keywords, riddled with technical errors and no real leads to show for it.
And it reminded me of what I hear all the time from the good guys in Fire & Security: the engineers, the ops managers, the business owners who’ve been burned before. Their frustration with industry colleagues. So-called experts who talked a good game but delivered a half-finished install. Or left a site so far from spec it was downright dangerous.
Why it still gets to me
And that’s what stuck with me: because when I hear that kind of story, I feel it.
Just like the good guys in Fire & Security feel it. The ones who care about doing the job properly. We’re shocked and embarrassed that anyone in our industry could be happy to deliver that kind of work.
It cuts us to our core.
Why I’m “too thin-skinned” — and proud of it
I’ve been told before that I’m too “thin-skinned” to be in marketing and sales. That if I want to succeed in this world, I need to toughen up. Be more detached. Stop taking things personally.
But what if that’s exactly why I should be doing this work? Especially for Fire & Security businesses. Because when it comes to fire and security marketing advice, too many are still getting theory over substance.
I’m too thin-skinned not to care about results.
When a Fire & Security business trusts me with their marketing, I don’t just want it to look good.
I want it to work.
I worry about the detail. About missing something small that could cost a lead, a client, or someone’s trust.
When a campaign underperforms, I don’t shrug and move on.
I care too much. Because someone’s business – and reputation – is on the line.
I’m too thin-skinned to fake it ‘til I make it.
I won’t give you jargon with no substance. Or pretend to know everything when I don’t.
If a client isn’t ready for marketing? I’ll say so.
If your money is better spent somewhere else? Like getting your NSI/SSAIB/BAFE certifications. I’ll tell you.
Because in Fire & Security, shortcuts don’t just cost you leads. They can cost you trust.
And too many wannabe marketers are risking both.
I’m too thin-skinned to pretend imposter syndrome isn’t real.
I still doubt myself sometimes.
And that voice… the one that whispers, “Who do you think you are?”. It doesn’t go away.
But it keeps me sharp. It makes me do the work. It pushes me to stay honest, stay grounded… and actually earn the trust I’m asking for.
Why this kind of fire and security marketing advice matters
So no, I’m not too thin-skinned for Fire & Security marketing.
I’m just thin-skinned enough to:
- Care too much to cut corners
- Say no when no is what’s right
- Treat your budget like it’s my own money
- Obsess over every word, every link, every result
If you’re a Fire & Security business that wants marketing rooted in integrity, not inflated theory… let’s talk.
Because in this industry? Trust is everything.
Want to see what Fire & Security marketing looks like when it’s done properly? Explore our full service Digital Marketing for Fire & Security companies here — no fluff, no theory, just real results.
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