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How You Market, Not How Much

The goal of any small-business marketing plan is getting the phone to ring. But getting new customers on the phone doesn’t mean your marketing plan should be left to a Yellow Pages ad. Target marketing can put your company’s name and services in front of the most profitable clients, those who are most likely to call again and again.

Jeff Meyers, the former owner of his own electrical service and repair company in the San Francisco Bay area, now advises small-business owners for Mr. Electric Corp., a home and business electrical repair and service franchise company. Meyers stresses the need to understand your target market and use marketing dollars wisely.

“You don’t need to advertise to your entire market,” Meyers says. “With the average cost of attracting new customers reaching as much as $150, you need to identify your most profitable customer base and make every dollar count.”

The most profitable customers are those who seek more than the cheapest price. Profitable customers are willing to pay for quality work and expert service.

“You are definitely going after the quality and the service customer. The customer that just wants a low price is not our customer,” says Cary Hooper, owner of a Glass Doctor franchise, an auto, home, and glass repair and replacement company in Boise, Idaho. “Most of my competition is over price. But if it’s over quality and service, we have the customer.”

Knowing Your Demographic
Do you know the demographic breakdown of those who seek your services? The electrical service and repair industry is one of many home categories that can benefit from marketing plans that are targeted to specific genders and age groups. Mr. Electric Corp., a nationwide electrical service and repair company, uses a proven system of marketing that targets the most profitable customer bases.

Most of Mr. Electric’s marketing system is targeted to females ages 25 to 60. Research has shown that while the husband may recognize a home’s electrical need or problem, females of both single- and double-income households are frequently left with the decision of which company to call for service.

This target demographic isn’t limited to electrical service needs. Females ages 25 to 60 also generally make the decision about which companies will provide their home’s carpet cleaning, appliance, heating and air conditioning, and plumbing service and repairs.

Zero In
Females ages 25 to 60 living in the most affluent neighborhoods are an excellent target, but even this seemingly narrow demographic can be further broken down. Because surveys reveal that the majority of any home’s electrical installation, service, and repairs are required during existing ownership, Mr. Electric’s marketing system directs a portion of their budget to identifying and advertising to homes of a certain age and those recently sold.

Marketing on the Job
Savvy home service contractors can inexpensively spread one customer’s satisfaction throughout an entire neighborhood and stimulate new business before finishing the first service call.

Mr. Electric franchise technicians make a positive impression at the beginning of each visit by using surgical shoe covers over their work shoes and placing a doormat outside each customer’s door. When a customer answers the door, he or she immediately receives a message: We respect you and your home, and we will treat both with care.

Technicians for Mr. Electric franchisees also finish each service call with a quick marketing effort. Door hangers are left at the nine homes adjacent to the customer’s (two homes on either side of the customer plus five across the street). The door hangers identify the company that provided excellent work across the street and also provide contact information and a coupon for initial service or repair calls. These few minutes and simple steps can get the attention of potential customers in your company’s target group and make a neighborhood your own.

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