You Didn’t Know We Offered That Service?

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One day this spring, a customer asked me if I could recommend a reliable pest control company. I was shocked. I guess she didn’t see the massive marketing and sales campaign a few years ago touting our company’s indoor and outdoor pest control services. This included marketing to them via the phone, email, traditional mail (including inserts within their monthly billing statements) and displaying special promotions on our website encouraging our customers and prospects to sign up for one free perimeter or interior pest control application with the purchase of our annual pest prevention program.

Every single client of ours was marketed and communicated to by our company about our pest prevention service at least five to six times per year since we launched the new service several years ago. One would think this would be enough effort to raise awareness about our new service. But I have learned that the world does not revolve around my lawn care company, and my customers don’t eagerly wait by their inboxes or postal boxes for news about my company’s new service. Customers are busy and inundated by marketing messages all day long. In other words, nine out of 10 efforts made by most companies to raise awareness about their services or products go unnoticed or ignored by the majority of consumers.

I learned a valuable lesson: I need to advertise to my customers even more, and I need to do so with creative, attention-grabbing content.

Despite your best efforts to get the word out about your new services, your customers need consistent reminders. Here are some quick tips on how to get your message out there and make an impact.

Never assume

No matter how many different types of marketing and sales initiatives you have implemented to make your customers aware of new or existing services, never assume that every one of your clients is aware of every service you offer. Promoting new or existing services is a process and it takes time and patience in order to follow through.

Remind your customers

Constantly remind your customers of all the services you offer, whether it be when you are selling to them, speaking on the phone regarding a customer service issue or when you are meeting with a customer on their property. Whether you are the designated salesperson for your company or you have an entire sales department, take every opportunity to sell your company’s new service. For example, if your company currently provides property maintenance for a customer and you also offer irrigation but they are not signed up for this service, give them a friendly reminder by saying, “Did you know that we have a full-service irrigation division? Would you like a complimentary estimate?”

Market new services

If you want to introduce a new service to your customers, you have to constantly market through as many channels as possible. You can never communicate enough to your customers about new services your company offers. These marketing channels should include email blasts, billing statement inserts, postcards that can be sent out periodically, on-hold recordings that play when a customer calls into your office, marketing pieces that accompany your customers’ renewal contracts and, of course, your company website. The more that you can market this message to your customers, the more likely they are to buy from you.

Incentivize your customers

Everyone likes to get a deal on products and services that they buy. If you are looking to increase sales of a particular service that your company is now offering, give your customers motivation to buy it from you versus your competitors. For example, if you run a lawn care company and you are looking to expand your services with tree and shrub care, start by selling this new service to your existing lawn care customer base. Offer them a complimentary tree and shrub analysis of their landscape or offer them one free treatment with the purchase of an entire tree and shrub care program. If you accompany this offer with a deadline, this will also add some urgency to the sales process to motivate your customers to buy today.