The best service industry companies tend to adapt their marketing campaigns to meet demographic needs instead of terminating them to start fresh, so infusing your current campaign with one of these ideas could help breathe new life into your revenue streams. You don’t have to spend a lot to make a lot, but some of these ideas may require a little sweat equity on your part to make them happen. If you’re ready to achieve your full potential, then read on for a fresh perspective.
It all begins with your ability to embrace your customer base. Your profits tend to come from loyal, repetitive customers more than new customers, so make sure you’ve got a good portion of your marketing efforts focused there. Return customers know you, have seen the value you can provide, and may have even recommended you to others. Provide encouragement there and you may see your profits continue to expand.
Service Industry Marketing Ideas that Work
1. Be Authentic
When customers know you, then they’ll be willing to purchase from you. Be authentic with your approach and as transparent as possible so that people will want to choose you because you’ve shown up front that they can trust you. When you’ve got nothing to hide, not even the appearance of it, you’ll gain respect.
2. Be Real
Having awards is nice, but bragging about them isn’t nice at all. It’s fine to be proud of a prestigious award, but communicate to your prospects what this recognition means for them. Can you save them time? Money? Maybe both? If your service provides the best job, tell them why you’re so great and then be prepared to walk the talk.
3. Be Compassionate
There are a lot of people going through a tough time today. Actively listening to a prospect’s needs means engaging with them, hearing what they’re really saying, and making sure that you’re on the same page as they are. Sometimes that means a sale. Sometimes that just means providing a compassionate sounding board for a frustrated soul. Either way, your efforts will work to build up a relationship and that’s never a bad thing.
4. Be Valuable
Know what sets you apart so that you can begin the process of communicating this to everyone. It’s all about value and cost to your customer. If they get more value from a slightly more expensive end product, the ratio will work in your favor. If you provide the same service and have a lower cost than everyone else, you’ll improve the customer’s perception of your value ratio and likely get their business too.
5. Be Competitive
Bundling your services enhances your value and allows you to compete with those who might try to undercut your prices. This is all about value ratio as well. By including more services at a better overall rate than can be offered independently, you’ll stay competitive even in the most difficult of markets.
6. Be Tempting
A good incentive is always tempting to a potential customer or an existing client. A special offer is designed to help someone want to try your business for the first time. One that targets existing clients looks to increase the loyalty levels that your relationship has already formed.
7. Be In Their Hands
Marriage mail is the direct mail option that many small service industry providers prefer. By including your coupons or discounts with others in your community, you can target specific zip codes and be included in a bulk value pack that has a better home acceptance rate than a stand-alone postcard or mailing insert.
8. Be Willing to Share
A referral network is a great way to provide value to your customer base. Even though you might be awesome at your own service, sometimes customers head your way and you can’t serve them. By having a referral network at your disposal, you can instantly point people in the right direction and the value of the job that gets done will transfer to you because you made the recommendation. You’ll also benefit from referrals from within the network at some point as well.
9. Be In Touch
A relationship cannot grow unless it is cultivated. How you cultivate it can take a number of forms. Holiday cards, handwritten notes, personalized discounts by email, a friendly handshake when you encounter someone in public… what each of these have in common is that they take less than 180 seconds to complete. In return, you may get 180 days of being at the top of that person’s mind for local service needs.
10. Be the Expert
More than anything, people today want to be served by the very best. Your expertise must be proven before your value ratio will be considered. To prove your knowledge, there are a few pathways you can walk. Blogging is a common method of proving expertise, but so can a free online slideshow or webinar that is designed around your particular methods. Showing off your skills at a trade show can also accomplish the necessary effect.
11. Be Mining For Data
Previous purchases have a lot of information that should be mined for key data. Look for patterns in purchases that customers make so you can tailor your pitch, add new skills to your service, or provide a better value ratio in some way. The more data you have, the better chance you have to reach people in a way that will hit them on a personal level.
12. Be Helpful
It’s easy for any customer base to become fatigued with constant sales and marketing efforts. You don’t need to promote yourself every day to be effective. Even once per week is enough to stay at the top of the mind. Sometimes even less than that is effective too. Focus more on the value, not on the hard sell, and you’ll create a better opportunity for success.
13. Be Content
Upsells are good, but any sale is better. Don’t be afraid of an upsell opportunity, but don’t push it onto people. Customize your response so it makes sense and be content if you get refused. If you push harder, you could lose an entire sale.
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