Bust customer service data out of the silo
Integration is a popular topic at ServiceTrade. More people are coming up with ways to integrate their customer service data with other operational programs – their website, CRM, accounting, or marketing programs. Once shared across applications, data becomes information that can be used by people throughout the company. Are you thinking about all the ways that […]
Best of 2016
As 2017 kicks 2016 to the curb, take a minute to revisit our most-loved blog posts of the year. Whether they’re new to you, or you need a review, check out these blog posts for inspiration to start the new year. The Google Lesson for Service Contractors Rise of the Machines in Service Industries Photo […]
Trouble selling? Be memorable.
Why is it so difficult to remember even a short speech, but so easy to remember an entire song? For example, what do these 7 digits do for you? 867-5309. Humming yet? Now that I’ve probably lost your attention to Tommy Tutone, I’ll try to make my point. We are creatures of rhyme, story, and […]
Beat your low price competitor, chuck.
You know “one-truck Chuck,” or “white-van Stan” as I’ve heard him called before. He’s the one undercutting you and stealing your customers. It’s because he’s well rounded, and by that I mean he’s cut all the corners clean off. He has no overhead and he only wants to make a little more than his old […]
Beat the technician labor crunch – sell a planned maintenance program
I saw statistics the other day that indicated the number of licensed electricians in NC over the age of 40 was 10X those that were younger than 40. Uh oh. If you thought the skilled labor shortage was already bad, it is going to get worse. So what can a service contractor do to avoid […]
Stop selling parts and labor! Sell the program!
In the first chapter of my book, The Digital Wrap, I quoted Marc Andreessen: “Software is eating the world.” It is not exactly a quote, but rather a reference to the editorial that Marc wrote for the Wall Street Journal back in 2011. Marc is like the godfather of the Internet as he was the […]
6 key metrics that boost repair revenue
Service contractors that work on complex equipment and systems all understand the importance and value of repair revenue for the overall success and profitability of their business. Most companies also recognize that the opportunity for repair work is often found while providing recurring services such as preventative maintenance work or system inspections. Unfortunately, most companies do not […]
Photo cliches drive sales and retention for service contractors
We’ve all heard, and likely loathe, the plethora of bad cliches about pictures. As overused and seemingly meaningless as these cliches are, they hold a literal wealth of knowledge for field service contractors. From new sales to retention, these sayings will drive growth in your field service company: The big picture. Why should service contractors […]
Modern tools for service contractors, part 3: Outbound sales and marketing
Both residential and commercial service contractors rely heavily on new sales for growth. Where residential contractors rely on converting inbound leads, commercial contractors lean on a mix of inbound and outbound tactics. This post lays out a handful of sales tools that are not only easy to use, but also extremely powerful across the entire lifecycle of new sales from […]
Modern tools for service contractors, part 3: Outbound sales and marketing
Unlike residential field service companies, commercial service contractors rely heavily on new sales for growth. For the residential contractors reading this post, please skip to the section below about MailChimp as it contains insights that apply to contractors on both ends of the spectrum. For commercial contractors, this post lays out a handful of sales tools that are not […]