truckmount girl
1800greenglides
It seems to be on everyone's mind....how best to get the ladies to notice and be receptive to you and your business.
I've got a little insight on this topic, AND I don't have a marketing program to sell or work for a company that sells them...so here goes guys....BUT WARNING, many of you won't like what I have to say as it goes right in the face of a lot of "conventional" marketing legends and myths.
....secrets of the sisterhood.
Seriously, here are some do's and don'ts when marketing a service business to a largely female client base:
Cutesy is not cute, it's just lame:
1. Stupid, silly names for your company.
2. Pastel/floral equipment and company colors.
3. I know this one's popular, but sorry guys: Pictures of you and your family in your marketing. Unless they're on the truck working with you it looks like you're trying TOO hard to portray you're a family man, and not hard enough to convey you are competent.
4. Goofy cartoons - I'm not 6 years old.
5. Another popular one: BABY pictures, if you think women don't know that you are trying to appeal to their maternal instincts, then you don't know kaka (caca?) about women. We see through it.
Insulting:
1. Fear-based marketing with pictures of dust mites, mold spores, etc. Turns me off faster than ANYTHING! reminds me of those stupid ads for home security devices. This marketing is deceptive, overly-emotional and manipulative...DON'T EVER USE IT!!
2. "Don't call another cleaner....before you listen to my ten minute recorded sales pitch", "WARNING...", etc. any marketing that sounds like a used car salesman wrote it, or it came whith the Reader's Digest Sweepstakes packet. Do not use advertising that is negative to your competition...OR IS EXTREMELY DULL, FLAT AND WORDY. We weren't born yesterday and hate being manipulated....and boring and texty is boring and texty.
3. Free "carpet audits/inspections"...we know you just want to get your foot in the door. We'll look for the guy who gives phone estimates because we know it's easier to get you off the phone than out of the house if we don't want to use your service. We also know you're in business to make money, and you wouldn't do something for free unless you stood to make more money by baiting us with the "free" word.
4. Don't treat us like we don't know the difference between a socket and a screwdriver. Don't try to convince us that your porty is the same as a Vortex...we have eyes you know. We know you generally get what you pay for, and if they are the same EVERYONE would have the porty. Some set ups OBVIOUSLY cost more and are more industrial/professional than others...we are impressed by men with industrial size tools.....as long as they are skilled in the use of those tools and don't tear apart our house or damage things in the process, we want you to be careful with our stuff too.
JUST PLAIN WRONG:
1. Pictures of your crew if they look like you recruited them from skid row, the local prison, or your kid's high school.
2. Detailed schematics of your machine, even GUYS who aren't in the industry have little to no interest in how your machine is put together and what size blower you use. It's meaningless to all except those in the trade. but DO convey the quality, industrialness and power of your equipment. If You've got a Vortex, put a pic of that baby in the ad. if you've got a porty....get an RX20 or Rotovac and market that.
3. Door hangers - Annoying and make our house and neighborhood look trashy. But for some reason we LOVE fridge magnets, send those out along with a letter of introduction.
GOOD MARKETING:
1. Use HUMOR, not goofy humor, but dry, subtle humor. If you can make us laugh (not cringe) your 3/4 of the way there...this applies to dating too!
2. Simple, bold, LARGE graphics catch the eye and stay in the memory...but don't get hideous. Keep your graphics and color schemes consistent in all of your marketing.
3. Market your experience, education, quality equipment, reliability and specialties. DON'T EXAGGERATE!
4. Pics of professional, clean equipment and friendly-looking owner/techs. Uniforms aren't important, but just look decent. If everyone wears T-shirts with the company logo and jeans...that's fine, in fact it seems more friendly and open than a guy in an uncomfortable uniform or the ridiculous ties!
5. Stress the unique selling points of YOUR business without bashing anyone else or other methods.
6. Choose a name that is easy to remember, and pass out fridge magnets like candy. Most of us don't call the last guy back because we honestly don't remember who he was! But newsletters and reminders are on the pushy side.
7. BIG HINT: When seeking carpet cleaning women aren't approaching it like shoe shopping...they don't expect, nor want it geared for "femininity". The industry is overwhelmingly male/masculine and women feel somehow it's more like plumbing or electrical contractors, not maid service, so when we seek these service providers we look for companies and individuals with an image similar to what we would look for in a potential partner/husband. You don't go out on a date wearing pink suits, flowery perfume and carrying stuffed animals do you? You are appealing to women, but not imitating them! Appeal to them with your marketing and personal presence with traits and characteristics that women value:
1. An excellent sense of humor
2. Honesty
3. Relaxed, casual, open
4. Genuine, warm and friendly (don't go too far and get creepy!)
5. Reliable
6. Competent
7. Self-Assured
8. Respectful (that goes for not just how you treat her, but your techs, and others as well.
9. Exhibit pride, but not arrogance.
10. TRUSTWORTHY - Don't eye her daughter, talk to her boobs, ask how much something costs, check out the valuables, etc.
Do this and you will do well with the women in your market.
Now that I have shook up most of the marketing programs and "what women want" myths out there...don't blame the messenger boys.
Take it for what it's worth.
Take care,
Lisa
I've got a little insight on this topic, AND I don't have a marketing program to sell or work for a company that sells them...so here goes guys....BUT WARNING, many of you won't like what I have to say as it goes right in the face of a lot of "conventional" marketing legends and myths.
....secrets of the sisterhood.
Seriously, here are some do's and don'ts when marketing a service business to a largely female client base:
Cutesy is not cute, it's just lame:
1. Stupid, silly names for your company.
2. Pastel/floral equipment and company colors.
3. I know this one's popular, but sorry guys: Pictures of you and your family in your marketing. Unless they're on the truck working with you it looks like you're trying TOO hard to portray you're a family man, and not hard enough to convey you are competent.
4. Goofy cartoons - I'm not 6 years old.
5. Another popular one: BABY pictures, if you think women don't know that you are trying to appeal to their maternal instincts, then you don't know kaka (caca?) about women. We see through it.
Insulting:
1. Fear-based marketing with pictures of dust mites, mold spores, etc. Turns me off faster than ANYTHING! reminds me of those stupid ads for home security devices. This marketing is deceptive, overly-emotional and manipulative...DON'T EVER USE IT!!
2. "Don't call another cleaner....before you listen to my ten minute recorded sales pitch", "WARNING...", etc. any marketing that sounds like a used car salesman wrote it, or it came whith the Reader's Digest Sweepstakes packet. Do not use advertising that is negative to your competition...OR IS EXTREMELY DULL, FLAT AND WORDY. We weren't born yesterday and hate being manipulated....and boring and texty is boring and texty.
3. Free "carpet audits/inspections"...we know you just want to get your foot in the door. We'll look for the guy who gives phone estimates because we know it's easier to get you off the phone than out of the house if we don't want to use your service. We also know you're in business to make money, and you wouldn't do something for free unless you stood to make more money by baiting us with the "free" word.
4. Don't treat us like we don't know the difference between a socket and a screwdriver. Don't try to convince us that your porty is the same as a Vortex...we have eyes you know. We know you generally get what you pay for, and if they are the same EVERYONE would have the porty. Some set ups OBVIOUSLY cost more and are more industrial/professional than others...we are impressed by men with industrial size tools.....as long as they are skilled in the use of those tools and don't tear apart our house or damage things in the process, we want you to be careful with our stuff too.
JUST PLAIN WRONG:
1. Pictures of your crew if they look like you recruited them from skid row, the local prison, or your kid's high school.
2. Detailed schematics of your machine, even GUYS who aren't in the industry have little to no interest in how your machine is put together and what size blower you use. It's meaningless to all except those in the trade. but DO convey the quality, industrialness and power of your equipment. If You've got a Vortex, put a pic of that baby in the ad. if you've got a porty....get an RX20 or Rotovac and market that.
3. Door hangers - Annoying and make our house and neighborhood look trashy. But for some reason we LOVE fridge magnets, send those out along with a letter of introduction.
GOOD MARKETING:
1. Use HUMOR, not goofy humor, but dry, subtle humor. If you can make us laugh (not cringe) your 3/4 of the way there...this applies to dating too!
2. Simple, bold, LARGE graphics catch the eye and stay in the memory...but don't get hideous. Keep your graphics and color schemes consistent in all of your marketing.
3. Market your experience, education, quality equipment, reliability and specialties. DON'T EXAGGERATE!
4. Pics of professional, clean equipment and friendly-looking owner/techs. Uniforms aren't important, but just look decent. If everyone wears T-shirts with the company logo and jeans...that's fine, in fact it seems more friendly and open than a guy in an uncomfortable uniform or the ridiculous ties!
5. Stress the unique selling points of YOUR business without bashing anyone else or other methods.
6. Choose a name that is easy to remember, and pass out fridge magnets like candy. Most of us don't call the last guy back because we honestly don't remember who he was! But newsletters and reminders are on the pushy side.
7. BIG HINT: When seeking carpet cleaning women aren't approaching it like shoe shopping...they don't expect, nor want it geared for "femininity". The industry is overwhelmingly male/masculine and women feel somehow it's more like plumbing or electrical contractors, not maid service, so when we seek these service providers we look for companies and individuals with an image similar to what we would look for in a potential partner/husband. You don't go out on a date wearing pink suits, flowery perfume and carrying stuffed animals do you? You are appealing to women, but not imitating them! Appeal to them with your marketing and personal presence with traits and characteristics that women value:
1. An excellent sense of humor
2. Honesty
3. Relaxed, casual, open
4. Genuine, warm and friendly (don't go too far and get creepy!)
5. Reliable
6. Competent
7. Self-Assured
8. Respectful (that goes for not just how you treat her, but your techs, and others as well.
9. Exhibit pride, but not arrogance.
10. TRUSTWORTHY - Don't eye her daughter, talk to her boobs, ask how much something costs, check out the valuables, etc.
Do this and you will do well with the women in your market.
Now that I have shook up most of the marketing programs and "what women want" myths out there...don't blame the messenger boys.
Take it for what it's worth.
Take care,
Lisa
its worth 5 bucks
