Q. I own a small pest control company in a highly competitive market. I continually lose potential customers to low-ballers. Any suggestions?
A. Price is rarely the sole reason for missing sales opportunities. Focus on selling value (Editor’s Note: For more, see the Added Value column). You become vulnerable when customers can’t see the difference between you and your competitors. Create a list of differentiation points that make your company stand apart and drum those points into your staff. If you or your employees don’t see the difference, why would potential customers?
Q. I’ve been in business for more than 20 years, but for the past couple years, my company’s growth has been flat. It seems like I can’t get over that growth wall. Any ideas?
A. There are many reasons why small companies stay small and have difficulty climbing over growth walls. Examples include an inadequate advertising budget, a lack of adequate capital to invest in the tools and people needed to facilitate growth, high employee turnover and customer cancellation rates, and an unwillingness to hire the professional help needed to take you to the next level. The responsibility for the lack of growth lies squarely on the shoulders of the owner. Look inward, then take action.
Q. I designed my own website using a template, and it looks great. However, when I type my company name into a search engine, I’m listed on the third page of the results. What can I do to move my listing to the first page?
A. 1. Check your ratings on HubSpot’s Marketing Grader and FreeGrader, and correct any noted deficiencies.
2. Hire a company that specializes in search engine optimization (SEO) for the pest management industry.
3. Invest in guaranteed position ranking by participating in a Google AdWords/Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ad campaign.
You can reach Harvey Goldglantz, president of Pest Control Marketing Co. and author of Marketing Matters, at hgpcmcinc@aol.com. His book, Marketing Matters, is available from the PMP bookstore.
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