by Jim Hinshaw
Thinking about how to get more traction in the crowded marketplace, when some companies have really deep pockets, spending in a month what you are spending in a year.
Here is an idea: connect with your consumers where they live and play, in the community. Here are 13 ideas our Service Nation members are using successfully to market to their communities.
- Adopt a no-kill shelter. When someone adopts a dog or cat from the shelter, give them a lease and collar. I would have those items branded with name and colors. You could do this on a regular basis, or maybe just when the shelter is at the local mall for an adoption day.
- Buy coffee for a bunch of commuters. Approach a locally owned coffee shop, not a chain. You want the owner to know that you are supporting his business. Give him $250 for 50 coffee drinks, or whatever the number is that makes sense to your budget. Ask him to give them out any way he wants, with a card that says “your coffee is on the house, paid for by Jim’s Heat and Air/plumbing/electrical. On that card is a coupon for $25 off on the first service call. What if a regular customer of yours gets the card. Honor it. No expiration date, make it easy to use. May and I just had lunch at a popular restaurant today, used a card that gave us $10 off, we got it when we visited there for Mother’s Day. They honored it and then the young lady waiting on us told us that she re-instated it for $10 next time. Felt good, and we will come back.
- Similar idea with an ice cream parlor. Buy $250 worth of ice cream cones, let the owner give them out 1 at a time, his call. This is a positive thing for all concerned, the owner of the shop gets paid in advance for his cones, the customer gets a free cone (or $5 off, which will buy you probably half a cone), and you get some great marketing exposure. Turns out when you have an emotional event, people remember who you are, that you were involved in that event. Optional idea: create a 12 month card that gets stamped each month, so they get a year of refreshing treats for buying a system from your company.
- Job Site sign drawing: every service call, every install gets a sign in the yard. Ask them if they want to be in the yard sign contest. Have a drawing each month of the people who agreed, give out a $100 card, Yeti cooler, or something fun for the family. Video the drawing, excellent FB and Instagram material.
- Adopt the widows in town. Tom P adapted the widows in Granbury (population 12,940), giving them a free maintenance, sometimes free service. Ended up last year before he sold, he had a Thanksgiving luncheon for the widows, had over 150 attend, made up a calendar with service techs dressed up as movie stars (Indy Jones, Superman, James Bond, etc). catered at hall they rented. Was an amazing luncheon, Thanksgiving can be lonely for a widow.
- Sponsor holiday parade: Tom again, did a 4th of July float each year in the parade in Granbury. First year, had a 5-ton ss on the float. Then they had a 5-ton ss with generator, blowing cold air as they drove past. Sixth year, he rented a 20-ton rooftop with generator, cooled down a block at a time, rental was a few hundred. Sun Belt rentals rents units on a flat bed, approx. $1000/day. Rates are negotiated!
- Veterans/first responders’ discount. Visit Fire dept, VFW hall, Police station in your area, offer a discount. They have the tough job, running into buildings and situations we run away from.
- Give away the gift or heat or cool. Give a new heating or cooling system. Get nominations from your customers, have Fire dept make final decision, form partnership with distributor, maybe other home improvement companies, even grocery store (stock the frig, cool the home). Hobaica Home Services has done this for years.
- Annual Blemish sale. Mike Ritter does this each year, opens up the office on Sat, has units with cosmetic damage or installed then taken out, marked way down. Lunch served, special on maintenance at same time.
- Free furnace/ac promo. Slow time of year, purchase ac system, get free furnace (still pay for labor and materials for the install, etc.) get with distributor, part of your marketing plan.
- Trade in sale: give trade in if your old unit is running, may be used as loaner for new system install.
- Back to No-Kill shelter. Donate % of each sale to shelter (or any non-profit). John Wilcox has local church he donates jackets to each winter, last year he collected 50. I helped.
- Adopt any non-profit. Samatha Pushor (Indianapolis) is now collecting life jackets for young kids, had a child drown in lake near their business. She is collecting 35 life jackets.
So there are 13 ideas that our members are using today to connect with customers in their community. Thanks for being involved, we’ll talk later.