marketing toolbox


How To Pick The Right Marketing Plan
Read about 7 marketing sources – Good, bad, and indifferent (Including us!) Whether you choose us or not doesn’t matter. Getting the right marketing for you does...  

Contracting is full of decisions: You get to run the business, hire the employees, train them, balance the books, and make sure you have some profit left over. Yet if you don’t get leads, you’re going out of business. Leads come from ads and marketing. But how do you choose the right methods of getting the most powerful marketing?

Here’s the truth as I’ve seen it from interviewing and speaking with over 700 contractors. Many have shared their beliefs, experiences on what worked, what didn’t, and most importantly, how they chose the right marketing plan and tools for their company. Here are 7 marketing sources plus some common marketing misconceptions…

  1. Your Newspaper ad rep, YP rep, Radio ad salesperson, TV ad salesperson must know advertising or they wouldn’t be in this field.” Please understand this: Their primary reason for doing their job is to sell. They are salespeople. This does not make them evil, but neither does it make them copywriters, graphic designers, direct response experts, or marketing authorities. Did the guy who sold you a pair of shoes build the shoes? Did the guy who sold you a car design, build, or engineer the car? Same thing here. Just because a person “works in advertising” it doesn’t mean they’re experts in ad creation. If you want an ad designed or created, hire a person whose skills are in that area.
     
  2. “Your manufacturer ads are all you need for marketing.” This is true if and only if they accurately reflect and promote your company’s message. Manufacturers are experts at designing and building systems. As a result, they supply you with ways of getting those systems sold and often their “brand” is the feature of the ad. (Can you really blame them?) If their ads fit your entire company message, then use them. However, I often recommend a “blend” of branding, image, and direct response ads to create an overall marketing assault. I don’t mean to be critical, but most of what I see manufacturers call “Response” ads quite simply are not. They are occasionally slanted toward response, but the true response triggers are not used effectively or at all.

    Side Note: Co-op is not the only measure of an ad’s validity. Look, if “their” ad can be run and save you $400 on ad costs, but it produces say, just 3 fewer leads than a powerful response ad and but 1 of those sells, you just lost $1100! (System mark-up of $1500, minus the $400 additional you paid to run the non co-op ad.) Plus, you lost that customer and those 3 leads forever. Every under-performing ad costs you far more than the ad cost. Many ads in my PowerPack can comply with co-op, so they’re a double bonus!

  3. “You can create your own direct response and image ads that will perform well.” This is the most common error I hear, and here’s the plain awful truth: Most HVAC owners were once technicians or are extremely competent, mechanically-inclined people. This particular trait means you’ll try to “fix” things that seem “broken” and you tend to be a bit critical; maintaining that you are right, regardless. (Just ask your wife.) On the positive side, these traits are great since you do want to improve certain things that other people would consider “just fine.” You strive to repair. But all things cannot be fixed in the same way…

    Here comes the hard part – you are not as persuasive in the emotional realm as you are gifted in the mechanical realm. (Don’t feel bad, only 5% of the population is.) To persuade a prospect to call takes a totally emotionally driven course. Convincing a prospect to pick up the phone is not about logos, technical specs, jumbled ads, or unclear benefits. It’s about human persuasion laid out in an appealing emotionally powerful way.

  4. “Any one ad agency or person who writes ads, can write ads for your business.” Yes and no. Make sure the ‘expert’ has done it for your industry. Some ad agencies do a great job, but they’re usually more inclined to create ads for “image campaigns” and not for “direct response”. (Hudson, Ink does both, but puts sales messages in the Image portion to create a hybrid type of ad. No one we’re aware of does this.) I’d be hesitant to pay $220 per hour for creative and production to a company who has little or no experience in the Home Services field. Look for samples. Talk to customers. I’ve written about 800 pages of ads and marketing material for this industry. I haven’t learned it all yet… but I think we’re considerably ahead of the pack. No matter who you choose, check ‘em out! (Us included!)
     
  5. “The “Best Practices” groups, Franchises, and Consolidators have the best marketing.” Hard to say. A lot of this comes down to you, your preference, your budget and your expectations. Review what you need out of your marketing “System”, and then see how much you want to spend on it. Next, review their marketing to see if it is more for Response, Image, Retention or whatever. (Our PowerPack uses a specific, balanced and effective combination of all.) I’d ask who created their marketing and what type of “new” material they supply. All of this helps you in your expectation of their material…

    If you expect a bunch of cheap-looking books chunked in a box with nothing else, that’s fine. Yet if you pay for support, exclusivity, and regularly-delivered new material but don’t get it, that’s not fine. Some “Best Practices” groups do a fantastic job, even at the high prices they may charge. In fact, you may get more than you can use. Regardless, you’ll pay for it. A call to current users of their material will help.

    Let’s be fair: Each group has its strengths. You’d be far better off determining if you’re a “match” for these before you try and hold them accountable for something they simply don’t supply. A $10K up front fee and $500 a month may well be worth it. Yet, even if our marketing material isn’t what you need, it’s not going to satisfy you, even at a fraction of that price. Just do a little homework. I don’t mind sharing what I know about others if you care to call.

  6. “Exclusive territories are the main thing to look for in choosing a marketing program or system.” This can be an advantage, but how you use the exclusivity and your results are far more important.

    Here’s a truth you don’t often read about: There are about 270 “dominant” markets in the U.S. Ask your group how saturated they are in these markets. Some have 20 members, some have over 300 (they divide markets differently), but many hover in the 250-275 range for the above reason. There are 49,758 licensed contractors and about 6-8 “Best Practices” groups, and about as many consolidators.

    No matter how you look at it, even some of the companies that belong to more than one of these groups doesn’t use even a fraction of the material they have, they’re only keeping “others” from using it! This is either wasteful or very shrewd.

    Another important point: Look for updates, new material, support. Marketing is the last thing you ever want to look stale, tired, or “old”. This cannot be overstressed. Prospects are not impressed by ads you ran 5, 3, or even 1 year ago: If it is overused, it’s overused and that’s all there is to it. You start to look cheap or hopelessly out of touch if your ad messages don’t change. Make sure your marketing package is fresh – at least to your market.
  7. “Okay, hit me. How do the PowerPacks compare with other sources?” The PowerPacks are for contractors who want to improve their marketing. It’s ready to plug in to your company regardless of size, or whose marketing you’re currently using. In fact, I strongly recommend that you compare the results of a PowerPack versus whatever you’re using now. Let the market decide. Your winner will be made on sound business principles, not guesswork.

    Our MegaMarketer Members get on-going regular marketing updates, new ads, professional critiques, and “on call” help plus exclusivity in the market. Just decide what works best for you.

    Summary: Your marketing is your company to your market. Cheap ads equal a cheap company. Amateur ads speak “amateur” to your market. Pure Direct Response equals a credibility drop. Pure Image equals a nice image, but no reason to call. You must balance out your message to achieve the greatest marketing result.

    Check different sources to be sure. Follow the tips we’ve given here. And remember, The Marketing PowerPacks are fantastic, “turn-key” Marketing systems. They’re proven and easy-to-use. You’ll have dozens of ads at your fingertips whenever you need them. However, they will not work if you don’t use them.

    When you get yours for your Risk-Free Trial, I encourage you to read and listen to the info to see how marketing can honestly change your business beyond your dreams. (Then you’ll be motivated to use the ads!) Plus, even if you send it back, you’ll have learned a tremendous amount about how to market better.

    The MegaMarketer Club is an exclusive option to the PowerPack. It’s for people who want exclusive, on-going help with their marketing. They want a “designated doer” for their marketing strategy. Joining the Mega-Marketer Club is a wonderful option that can pay you back many times. It’s like having an on-call marketing expert for a few dollars a day.