Business resilience is a practical concept that is of increasing importance to businesses nowadays all across the spectrum because the Covid crisis has changed the dynamics of the market and caused many bankruptcies and business shutdowns. The plumbing business like any other needs to change its strategy and approach in order to survive and thrive in the new business climate.
Identify The Mole
Every business has certain weaknesses that can be compounded by environmental and market changes such as income and demand. A large part of damage control is identifying in detail the shortcomings of your business whether it is in pricing, marketing, employees, or general management. Even the most successful of businesses need to carry out periodic monitoring and evaluation to figure out which strategies work and which don’t.
One of the first places to spot decline can be by ascertaining which of the services you offer has decreased demand such as if your maintenance services have little demand. Leads signify client interest and potential new clients so make sure you are evaluating how many organic ones you are able to get and how many need to be paid for via online marketing or social media marketing. You might find restructuring is needed in your packages and rates in order to sustain demand.
Get In The Mind Of The Customer
Think the way the customer does. In today’s economy how much are customers generally investing in plumbing-related services (are new houses being built or remodeled? Do people look up the DIY route online?) On the other hand, since people are socially distancing or under lockdown, they are more likely to be surfing online much more than a year or two ago.
This is an incredible opportunity to revamp the social media marketing aspect of your plumbing business so make sure you have increased visibility and market penetration. Since people are spending more time online they may take it upon themselves to do the odd bits and bobs around the house including plumbing fixtures and replacing pipes that may have escaped their notice previously. Put out posts and ads on Facebook and Instagram or invest in a blog!
Show Them You Care
No business nowadays can hope to be successful without consideration for and investment in the customer base. Through your online and traditional marketing, you need to reassure the client of all the protocols you are following with regard to cleanliness. Investment in safety protective equipment like suits will also be needed for all employees along with a monitoring program to ascertain if anyone has been infected.
You can make promotional videos about all the hygiene protocols being implemented such as the use of liquid disinfectants, masks, and a general no-contact policy with homeowners or customers. Many plumbing companies have a preemptive consultation online with clients so that they can minimize contact in the actual location or home.
As discussed above you may need to revise your rates or offer easy installment packages. In the current economic situation with Covid, people have reduced income (especially disposable income) that negatively affects demand for plumbing services so lowering prices will generate more business and cut down on long-term loss.
For customer retention, personal touches like sending repeat clients plumbing Christmas cards or other holiday cards are a nice touch. For every job completed you can give a small token to each customer like a company pen or mug or other merchandise. It gives the impression you care about the customer and this way you are more likely to be recommended or rehired.
Brand Awareness and Strategic Marketing
While general online marketing for the whole scope of services you offer is useful, you would also be wise to ascertain the services that have the most demand such as HVAC services for example and concentrate the marketing on those services. Making posts and advertisements on those particular services means you would be extracting as much business as possible from a service that is already in demand. Certain areas might also have services that are ‘trending’ such as water purification systems, drain related services so make sure you have a marketing campaign focused on what’s trending at any one time.
Creating a brand image for your plumbing company using social media marketing as well as traditional marketing platforms such as billboards (if you are targeting a smaller area) can mean customers will remember you or save details for later as everyone requires a professional plumber from time to time. Having a distinguishable logo and brand philosophy also goes a long way in creating a name for you in the market.