In the Moment
Marketing SMACNA-SMART Expertise means being there, top of mind when owners realize their HVAC system needs work. Marketing is one of those ongoing commitments that is as important to an organization’s success as bookkeeping and recruitment, even though the benefits aren’t always immediately obvious. Building a reliable, recognizable brand is often the only way tradespersons can get the word out among the busyness of everyday operations, and this is especially important among residential service providers trying to stand out in the digital age. In this realm, hundreds of companies are just clicks away—how can SMACNA contractors stand out and reassure owners that their expertise and highly trained workforce is the best choice among hundreds? Brand builder, marketing expert, and author John Tyreman says the first step is understanding the customer’s process when engaging a service provider. He says there are events in our everyday lives that can trigger the need to purchase a home service, and while some of those are planned, a great many are not. “For example, when my basement flooded because of a busted hot water heater, there was an important and urgent need to get it fixed,” he writes in an article for HVAC Insider. “The only time I had to think of what kind of specialist to look for was while I was mopping up the mess. The first thing I did after mopping was go online and search for “plumbing companies near me.” Honestly, I just wanted it fixed. Fast.” These are the kinds of moments SMACNA contractors want to be top of mind. In the throes of crisis, homeowners and building owners need to know that experts are at the ready and they don’t want to think too deeply about it. So, how can SMACNA contractors make that happen? A new research report from Silverback Strategies shares research collected from 724 buyers of home services, and overviews how they approach finding a contractor. The study outlines key marketing actions service professionals should take, beginning with understanding a service buyer’s journey. The study distills the process into five stages: • Realization — the moment when customers recognize they have a problem to solve. • Education — how customers gather the information they need to make a decision. • Evaluation — the criteria customers use to see if a service provider is a good fit. • Decision — how customers decide on who to work with. • Advocacy — when customers feel compelled to leave a rating or review online. 8 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
