Key Takeaways
- Foster Customer Loyalty: Build trust by prioritizing customers’ best interests over quick sales – they’ll keep calling when they know you have their back
- Visual Marketing Matters: Use clean, bright photos on social media to help customers visualize your services and create a personal connection
- Referrals Come From Connection: People refer businesses for unexpected reasons – from social media jokes to community involvement – so stay human and relatable
- Offer Technology Options: Proactively educate customers about modern solutions like touchless faucets and tankless water heaters – they can’t choose what they don’t know exists
- Promote the Industry: Never badmouth competitors and support trade organizations to strengthen the entire profession
There are competent plumbers everywhere. Don’t get me wrong, there are some bad apples too, but there are also a lot of great ones. Today we’re going to talk about some ways to stand out from the competition and build a thriving business that customers trust.
Foster Customer Loyalty Through Trust
Customers will keep calling once they figure out you have their back. A story about my friend Bob illustrates this perfectly.
Bob used to sell irrigation parts for one of the big irrigation supply companies. Due to some unusual circumstances, he ended up getting a job with a competitor. When he started the job, his new bosses were a bit apprehensive, since he’d taken a lot of their clients in years past when he was working for the other guys.
So they sent one of their other salesmen with him to see how he did it. Their first client of the day was the superintendent of a massive golf course who had always bought parts from the company where Bob used to work. Bob talked to him, showed him the merchandise, and the superintendent put in a large order for parts. The other salesman was astonished since that customer had never bought their parts before in spite of many attempts to win him.
“Do you wonder why I bought from you guys and not from Bob’s old company?” the superintendent asked.
The other salesman nodded.
“I buy from Bob because Bob never badmouthed your products, or you, when he worked for your competitors. He finds out what I need to solve my big problems and that’s what he recommends. If he tells me your parts are what I need, that’s what I want.”
The customer knew he could trust Bob because Bob’s strategy was to look out for his customers’ best interests and figure out ways to meet their needs. Finding ways to solve a customer’s immediate and long-term problems will foster loyalty that transcends company boundaries.
Show Them What They Need With Visual Content
Your website probably has a lot of useful information, and maybe even a blog. But there’s a reason advertisers don’t just fill up their space with words. We’re a visually-wired society, so if we want to sell potential clients on our services, great pictures on our social media accounts help tremendously.
When customers see a picture of us repairing a sink, they see us fixing their sink, the same way you visualize yourself driving an automobile promoted in a car ad. Social media has made relatability a huge part of marketing a small business, and pictures help them put a face to a name. When customers call us after seeing our pictures on social sites, it’s more like Tinder and less like a blind date.
As an aside to this, we try to make sure our photos are clean, bright, and attractive so our customers will ‘swipe right.’ Consider showcasing:
- Before and after transformations
- Your team in action
- Modern equipment installations
- Happy customer testimonials
Build Referrals Through Authentic Connection
People will refer us for the strangest reasons. A joke in our social media. A special offer. A toy drive for underprivileged children. Something they saw that we did or a blog post that helped them solve a problem. Most customers are looking for a connection with us, a reason to use us instead of another plumber.
They see we got a new truck or our new baby on Facebook and that keeps us from being a big, faceless corporation. It makes us human. This personal touch is especially important when building a strong reputation in the trades.
Don’t be shy about asking your employees to give a shout out on social media during a special event or offer, either. It’s been my experience that people would rather hire a company with whom they have a connection. Consider implementing:
- Employee spotlight posts
- Community involvement updates
- Behind-the-scenes content
- Customer success stories
Building a strong referral network goes beyond just satisfied customers. Property.com’s ‘Know Before You Go‘ tool helps you identify high-value opportunities and build trust before you even knock on the door. Their exclusive network connects top contractors with quality leads based on reputation and expertise. Learn how Property.com helps HVAC pros stand out with premium positioning and AI-powered reputation management.
Stay Smart With Technology Offerings
North American smartphone sales reached 84 billion dollars last year. Our customers are in love with technology, which means we need to not only keep up on the latest in technology and trends, but also remember to ask our customers if they want modern solutions when we make the call.
Consider offering:
- Touchless faucets for improved hygiene
- Tankless water heaters for energy efficiency
- Water-saving toilets for environmental consciousness
- Smart thermostats for HVAC systems
- Wi-Fi enabled leak detectors
Sometimes it’s hard to remember that customers may not know what kinds of options are open to them unless we offer them, or what the benefits of certain products might be. I try to tell people what is available when I notice they need a particular product because people like having options whether they exercise them or not. This proactive approach to using reputation marketing to grow your business sets you apart as a trusted advisor, not just a service provider.
Promote the Industry as a Whole
Remember my friend Bob? He never badmouthed his competitor, which brings up an interesting point: promotion of the HVAC and plumbing trade as a whole. We need to stick together as a group for other reasons as well.
Whether it’s a union, trade shows, or some other form of partnering, by promoting the industry, we increase our strength as a group. This has a positive impact on:
- Legislation affecting our trade
- Educational opportunities and certifications
- Industry standards and best practices
- Public perception of our profession
- Attracting new talent to the trades
When we elevate the entire industry, we all benefit. Customers gain more confidence in professional services, and we create a stronger foundation for factors to consider for career growth within our field.
Conclusion
Standing out from the competition isn’t about being the loudest or cheapest option in town. It’s about building genuine relationships, staying current with technology, maintaining professional integrity, and supporting our industry as a whole. When you focus on solving problems rather than just making sales, customers notice the difference.
Remember Bob’s approach: look out for your customers’ best interests, never compromise your integrity by badmouthing competitors, and always seek to understand the real problems your customers face. These principles, combined with smart use of social media and technology offerings, will help you build a business that stands the test of time.
The trades offer incredible opportunities for those willing to go beyond business as usual. By implementing these strategies and overcoming challenges in the HVAC trade, you’ll not only stand out from the competition but also contribute to elevating our entire profession.
