[Your Business] Off to Market

As a pest management professional, you’re out in the real world solving customer problems. Marketing may be the last thing on your mind, preferring instead to leave it to the Fortune 500 companies.

But with some realistic goals and cost-effective tactics, an investment in a marketing program can pay off with increased awareness, credibility and more importantly, new customers.

EACH SITUATION IS DIFFERENT. When performing structural pest control, you approach a house differently than you would a commercial property. At the same time, a rodent infestation requires the use of different products than a termite problem. So, it’s tough to say which marketing approach would work best because, like in pest control, each situation is a little bit different.

However, there are some general points to consider when using marketing to generate new business, including:

• Marketing objectives should coincide with your business plan. How many new prospect or repeat customer leads do you need to generate each month to meet your sales goals?

• Identify target customers. Are you looking to increase the number of residential accounts, or are you thinking more about commercial accounts? The more focused your targets, the better.

• Think about the amount of customers you can effectively service before you begin your new business process.

• Examine available funds. Marketing is an investment, so it’s important to determine how much you can comfortably allocate for your marketing tools.

KNOWING YOUR TOOLS. As a pest management professional, there are many different tools at your disposal to help you implement an Integrated Pest Management program. The same goes for a marketing program. It’s important to gain a familiarity with some current marketing techniques you can use to achieve your sales goals.

Direct mail. There are a number of companies that sell mailing lists for the sole purpose of direct mail. These lists can be customized to fit most budgets using a wide range of criteria such as:

• Location by county or ZIP code

• Business or residence

• Type of business

• Business title

• Income level

Tip to remember about direct mail — When designing a direct mail piece, it’s important to incite the target customer take some sort of action, i.e., call for a free quote or to receive 10 percent off your entire service call.

Public Relations. While out in the field have you noticed a particular infestation or service trend the media might be able to use? People trust their news sources and this type of credibility goes a long way with potential customers. Establish yourself as a local pest management expert with the editors of your local paper or the news directors of your local radio or television stations; become their go-to source for information regarding pest control.

• Send out news releases regarding new hires or promotions

• Arrange school visits to discuss the importance of pest control

• Host an open house and talk about exclusion techniques for home and business owners

Tip to remember about PR — Your story ideas must be newsworthy so try to think like a reporter, and determine what might be of interest to the members of your community. Unfortunately, the fifth anniversary of the business has been done by media outlets many times and often such an event fails to grab attention. And, when staging events for television media, make sure there’s a visual component to the story.

Web site. The Internet is a valuable tool customers use to obtain information. As a result, the Web site has become an important component to any marketing plan. The key to its success lies in the design and in getting people to return again and again.

• Provide valuable information and an easy way to contact you

• Make the site easy to navigate

• Use buttons and links to keep the pages well-organized and easy to read

• Design the site so it’s easy on the eyes and not harshly colored

Tip to remember for Web sites — Don’t just build a Web site and let it sit. Nothing turns people off quicker than a site that hasn’t been updated in months. Keep the content fresh and interesting. You can use your PR materials for this purpose, or simply stay timely in the delivery of localized information.

LITTLE THINGS ADD UP. Every time you get in your truck and drive to an account, you are generating awareness for your company. If you’re going to implement a marketing program, keep the little things in mind too.

• A company logo should be eye-catching, as well as functional for use on everything from T-shirts to billboards

• Name, address, phone number and Web site should be clearly visible on all vehicles and company marketing materials

• Staff members should have clothing with the company name and logo

• Use magnets, pads and pens with the company contact information as leave-behinds or possible direct mail pieces

CALLING IN A PRO. Those outside of the business may think pest control is easy. Put out a couple of traps, right? We all know that’s simply not the case. The same is true for marketing.

If you feel like you have little or no time to give your marketing efforts the time and planning they deserve, or this marketing stuff is beyond you, it might be time to place a phone call to someone trained in the profession.

There are any number of marketing communications agencies, consultants and freelancers available to help you prepare and implement one or more of your tactics. The trick is selecting a partner that best meets your needs.

When selecting your partner, you should have a clear understanding of who will be working on your business and whether or not they have relevant industry experience. In addition, make sure you check out the hourly rates and whether or not out-of-pocket costs are marked up. This is especially critical when every dollar counts.

EVALUATION. Tracking your results is an important part of any program. Although it can seem like a lot of additional work, when engaging new customers on the phone or in person, it’s important to ask where they heard about your business. This information will be extremely valuable in determining where to spend future marketing dollars.

The most important thing to remember is whatever marketing approach you decide to take, while certainly an expense, these marketing dollars are also an investment in the growth of your business. And, with a well-conceived plan and some sound tactics, you can market like a Fortune 500 company without having to spend like one.

The author is a principal owner of LePoidevin Rickinger Group, a marketing communications firm in Milwaukee. LRG is experienced in working with pest control manufacturers and distributors to communicate with PCOs. E-mail him at dlepoidevin@giemedia.com.

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WHAT’S A BLOG?
Another area of the Internet to explore is the world of blogs. Blogs have a funny name, but they can be a cost-effective means of communicating with others.

A Weblog, or “blog,” is an Internet journal covering a wide range of topics. Some blogs have large audiences, while others are just personal diaries designed to share with friends. A blogger makes an entry — called a “post” — and readers have the ability to respond to each post with a comment, making this a truly interactive experience.

Automated publishing systems located at a number of Web sites allow anyone to publish their own blog in minutes, and in many cases, free of charge.