SMART MARKETING: “80/20 Rule” In Effect With PPMA

A huge number of businesses in our industry can be classified in one simple word: small. Whenever I have the opportunity to speak to either non-operator industry leaders or to individual operators, I have this fact reinforced to me. The good old “80/20” rule is definitely in place — 80 percent of the customers to whom we, as an industry, provide service get that service from perhaps fewer than 20 percent of the businesses. This particular column is for the other eighty percent who are attempting to scratch out a livelihood from the remaining 20 percent of available customers.

OUR CUSTOMERS. Since its inception, I either directly or indirectly have been involved in the activities of the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA).  The PPMA has essentially two missions. The first is to augment work being done by NPMA in terms of industry advocacy. PPMA is another voice, if you will, shouting out the accomplishments of the worthwhile work we do for people and businesses. We matter, folks, and if you don’t believe that you ought to get to work in some other industry. People need to know that we protect health, food, property and the quality of our environment and our industry should take pride in that.

The second plank of the PPMA mission is to grow the base of our industry. Right now, on the residential side, it is estimated that our industry provides services to about one-third of the market available to us. By “market available to us,” I mean the households in our nation that have income more than $30,000 and can afford our services. Don’t get caught up in the numbers. I don’t care if you’re in the “Sunbelt” where pest pressures are highest, or in the North — there are millions of families who (for whatever reasons) do not to purchase our pest and termite services. PPMA hopes to move the needle so that, instead of doing it themselves or, worse, not doing it at all, more people choose to use the services of a pest management professional.

SUPPORT NEEDED. PPMA will accomplish its goals only if the industry supports PPMA, and that means donating to something larger than just what’s in your own interest. I’ve heard all of the objections and what they add up to is simply self-interest vs. the collective good of the industry. Ask yourself one simple question: Is it not in everyone’s interest for the pest management industry to be well regarded and growing? PPMA is the single entity devoted to making these things happen. PPMA is already receiving support from the bigger manufacturers, distributors and operators in our industry. Where PPMA has yet to make its case is with the smaller- and medium-sized organizations.

I’ve seen estimates indicating that about 25,000 businesses are in the “structural pest control” industry. This estimate doesn’t factor in lawn care and it doesn’t include the operators who are strictly on the agricultural side of the industry. About 6,500 pay dues to NPMA and about 1,500 contribute directly to PPMA. Maybe not that “80-20” rule to perfection, but close enough to make the point.

So why am I devoting a “Smart Marketing” column to this? Simple. All of us, from the small, single-route pest business to the multi-billion dollar multi-national corporation have a stake in the health of our industry. A healthy industry, on solid footing, means all of its parts are healthy and that includes even the small- and medium-sized operator, distributor or manufacturer. All of us stand to benefit if we “move the needle” from one-third of the available market to one-half using professional services. And all of us stand to benefit if we’re seen as a valuable, contributing force in peoples’ lives instead of just some necessary evil.

In short, a healthy, growing, positively perceived industry is a marketing asset for each and all of us!

The PPMA infrastructure and approach, from a fundamental marketing point of view, is sound and sensible. If we get behind it, fund it and give it time to work, it will work. Our company is investing in it. Yours should too.

The author is vice president of marketing/public relations for Massey Services Inc., Maitland, Fla. He can be reached at bbrewer@pctonline.com or at 407/645-2500.