Professionalism: Your First Marketing Priority

When ACME irrigation company was recently featured in the local paper, it got under the skin of their competition.

When the reporter asked how the home town boys were able to grow their business both fast - and profitably - a simple answer followed.

"We just take care of our customers."

Realizing that expensive newspaper and cable advertisements had stroked their egos, but was lousy for business, ACME resorted to basics. Concluding that most people's experience with contractors of all professions was negative, ACME's battle cry became courtesy, common respect and professionalism.

And good things started to happen.

Referrals started pouring in. Then ACME made another business decision - to service what they sold. The next time ACME opened their hometown paper, their business was the feature story in the business section.

ACME Irrigation discovered that marketing is more than television commercials, and big bucks direct mail. Marketing became how the business was run. Poor back office systems, meant poor marketing. New customer acquisition was less relevant than customer satisfaction. Every aspect of how the business was run became a marketing function.

Marketing effectiveness builds over time. Being in the market place with a consistent and dependable message, while delivering superior service and a dependable product will generate a new business referral for your company.

Today's successful irrigation contracting companies run the smallest yellow page advertisements, because their marketing plans revolve around customer referrals. Dramatically lower your advertising and marketing costs, raise your prices, and help your business grow, by building a successful word-of-mouth marketing program into your business.

To improve your company's word of mouth marketing program gain a stronger grasp on the transactional costs your business incurs to generate a referral. Review the hidden marketing costs your current accounting system might not be measuring. For example;

• The time spent patiently explaining to your customer how their new system works
• The time spent sweeping the walk, and leaving the job-site litter free, and cleaner than when
  you arrived
• The follow-up phone call a week later to ask the customer if their system is working to their
  satisfaction
• Revisiting the job site because your customer tinkered with a sprinkler head or controller
• Keeping in touch with your customers for start-ups and winterizations so they remember who
  you are
• Calling back three months later to insure customer satisfaction
• Having clean and well-kept trucks
• Sending thank you notes to customers
• Sending follow-up customer satisfaction surveys
• Making sure you and your crews wear professional apparel

Some of these costs you may be currently factoring as marketing and advertising expenditures, but many may be currently entered under the column of "hassles of doing business." Remember how many people first got into professional contracting. They put in a couple of jobs, and earned a referral for the next job.

Another vitally important aspect of your company's word of mouth marketing program must be your industry contacts. A growing and successful landscape lighting firm in Southwest Florida, got started after realizing that referrals came from not only their work (satisfied customers), but from their local architects. Now, contacts from within the architectural community are providing more and more referrals for this company's professional landscape lighting services.

If you were asked today to make a list of all the people you know who are actively referring you business, how long would your list be? The length of your list is a reliable measurement of the effectiveness of your word of mouth marketing program.

It's pretty basic stuff, and it's effective. Every customer of yours has a relative, a friend, a boss, and a colleague, who can share a positive story about your business. Sticking with a word of mouth marketing program pays dividends over the years. Demographic studies have shown that people will sell and upgrade their home five to seven years after moving in. If you're in the contracting business for 20 to 30 years, you may be able to sell the same customer three to five times! And that doesn't include all the referrals that may come from that one satisfied customer.

A key factor in building a strong foundation for a word-of-mouth marketing program begins with having a clear understanding of the expectation's between you and your customers. Consider putting together a list of quality objectives that both you and the project owner will agree upon before the job begins. Make sure that your final price is in line with your original estimate. A lot of misunderstandings occur when you underbid and overextend yourself and your resources on a job.

Improve your referral business by taking a routine customer transaction and following it from beginning to the end. Analyze every function involved in the process. Does every step concentrate on satisfying the needs of your customer?

Another worthwhile exercise is to pick three customers you recently lost, or who have become upset with your business. Spend time with them on the phone, and in person, and find out why they have become an account in jeopardy. The notes you take will help you improve your business after you make the necessary modifications.

As another season unfolds itself there will be plenty of discussions by neighbors over picket fences about work recently completed by contractors. Nothing's better than having that story be a positive one about your business. It's the best marketing there is.