You lucky devils! In the previous articles, you’ve already seen:
- Online/offline marketing mix that brings attention, educates and communicates value
- How to quickly generate leads
- The “2-step process” that uses the lead to introduce Home Performance
We advise the 2-step because Home Performance is too costly to market broadly until it becomes “known” in the marketplace. It requires too much “real estate” (meaning time, space, dollars) to educate the world, as nearly all concept marketing does.
So, you make specific offers to generate “low resistance” leads that – once in the home with ample opportunity – you convert to Home Performance customers. And for those who see the incredible value and completeness of this solution, they buy. Just like that.
But What If The Sale Doesn’t Close?
Before we look at this, please know that I am a capitalist.
I don’t think your customers stay up at night wondering what they could buy from you. That’s why you must tell them. I don’t think they say, “Let me think about it” and then actually think about it. And I am positive they have the short-term memory of a sand crab, so they must be reminded, prodded, and moved along. I also do not – repeat “do not” – think leads are something you just throw away, ignore, or “hope” they’ll call back.
You take all leads, and you put them into your Sales Funnel. (Our clients are sick of hearing me talk about the Sales Funnel, but it is critical to maximizing marketing value.)
It’s all about the green. “Green” as in Home Performance solution. The same color applies to the high-transaction dollars that can result. And if they don’t, they’re enrolled in “evergreen” continuing education in the Sales Funnel. This merely means creating marketing and sales pieces that do not change.
The Evergreen Marketing Message
Why must we educate? From the customer’s point of view, Home Performance seems broad and vague. It takes time to convert and close. The “Whole House Diagnostic” – lovely as that may sound to you – could be so confusing to customers and that they think it’s part of Obamacare.
So, use your current marketing tools – website, newsletter, on-hold messages, bill stuffers, emails – which cost you nothing “extra” to communicate (we consider these your media) and constantly educate customers.
This is easily done in every media listed above, with the primary real-estate being your website or newsletter (but do NOT overlook the others, as they are essential to the Sales Funnel).
Let’s start with the messaging for the Whole House Diagnostic. You must make not having this done “short-sighted” and that it “overlooks” the true path to total home comfort and energy savings. Those are bulleted points, with clear value.
Make it Hurt! (Then feel much better.)
The pain your prospects are experiencing is going to fall generally in these areas: rising energy costs, inconsistent comfort, indoor air concerns, or health issues. Make them specific.
Two examples from our material:
- “Natural gas prices in <CITY> are expected to rise 24% this year. Here are some ways to fight back…”
- “Nearly 50% of Your Electricity Bill is Consumed by this One Item – It’s amazing to think that one component in your home is so costly to run, but…”
- “Allergy Effects Are 2 to 5 Times Higher Than A Generation Ago – A national survey shows that more than half of Americans are sensitive to at least one allergy-inducing substance – which is about 2-5 times higher than 20 years ago. So, how’s the air inside your home affecting this trend in your family? Take a look…”
In each of the above, a specific “pain” is referenced, one per appropriate month, to move your customers along the path.
Follow the pain with its natural complement: gain. Illustrate results and benefits, not features.
- “We use a high-tech system to assess the energy efficiency of every room in your house”
- “An Infrared thermography scan reveals where air is leaking in or out of your home.”
- “Fewer sick days can mean thousands more dollars – and less suffering! – which could pay for a family vacation. Pretty good outcome from a simple, no-cost test.”
Make Your Own Pain/Gain List:
- In one column, list every action your specialists will take in the home and identify any special equipment/tools they will use.
- In a second column, identify why this action/feature is useful, or why it’s included in the service.
- In a third column, connect the dots – how does this solve your customer’s problem?
Creating Your Evergreen Tools
Attention spans today don’t allow you to linger on each point. On a website, you have about 9 seconds to get their attention. And you must make a “point” every 9 or so seconds thereafter or they’re gone.
In direct mail, you get about 50% longer (plus you can target) which is why that media is coming back so strongly. Older, more educated clients give you even more time.
Online, your hope is to keep their attention for a minute, which means they tend to stick around and possibly give you a try. If they click off in 15 seconds, you need better copy.
- Each bullet point is clearly valuable, none longer than 3 lines, 10 words per line.
- Use photos, always with captions.
- Add testimonials, with attribution, and photo of giver if possible.
- Add “Before and After” Case study results of comfort, energy savings, humidity measurements, heat heating or cooling loss. It all adds up to irrefutable value.
- Want much longer web visits? Try this…
Video Victory
Since people today would rather watch than read, this medium has been incredible. You can add video to your website, post for free on YouTube, link these directly from your Social sites, or to your Local Listing, or attach them to QR codes in your print pieces.
Where Television ads of just 30-60 seconds can cost you thousands to run, you can have short format ‘Infomercials’ for far less.
We crafted videos of 4-7 minutes (the ideal length) to tell of the benefits of Home Performance. Basically, use your bullet points as the scripting source. Warning: Make sure these are professionally done or you risk credibility damage.
Solution –
In all the Evergreen Marketing, your solution is your Call to Action. That is: something must happen.
- Call now
- Download the free report
- Click the video
- Request our free home energy survey
- Call or email today to schedule your appointment
You must have a clear call to action. Make sure it stands out – so that your prospects know what to do and that it’s easy to do. And that is how you constantly “feed the need for leads” in your marketing… even while you sleep.
Because your Home Performance message should never sleep.
- The Greatest Marketing Myth In All of Contracting - September 18, 2019
- The 3 Marketing Shifts No One Wants to Talk About - April 26, 2019
- Were You Looking for This? - November 5, 2018