by tradesmeninsights | Aug 28, 2013 | Uncategorized
So October 4th is National Manufacturing Day and I ask the question, what are you going to do about it? The reason I ask is that I have yet to meet a manufacturer over the past several years who has not complained that there aren’t enough good people to hire for manufacturing jobs. Why not showcase in a positive light what you do?
Sometimes we can be our own worst enemies. Let’s face it, both we and the school system have downplayed the importance of technical jobs. Guidance counselors at the beginning of the year aren’t that busy, so take one to lunch. Have them tour your facility. Be prepared with stats on how many open positions there are in manufacturing that are currently not filled. We need to be our own Ambassadors!
So why don’t you get involved? The National Manufacturing Day has several ways for you to strut your stuff and get young people excited about manufacturing and the career options it offers. They give you helpful hints on what/how to do activities. There are several things you can do:
- Host an event. Put your best foot forward and give students a tour. Expose them to all facets of manufacturing, not just production. Have them talk to other young people who work for you so they can hear it from their peer group that there’s good paying jobs/careers in manufacturing. If your facility is in an industrial park, see if you can enlist other manufacturers to do the same and have tours of their facilities too.
- Attend an educational fair at one of your community colleges or tech schools. Take what you can so students can see what you do and more importantly, how you do it. Man the booth with some of your young stars that have come up through the system.
- Sponsorships – national events cost money. Help out financially when you can.
- Here is a link for the National Manufacturing Day Host Toolkit.
Now that school is going back in session, there’s no better time to get kids excited as the school year begins.
by tradesmeninsights | Aug 27, 2013 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
In my mind, not much. I think they both work together to move prospects through the sales funnel. Using a nurturing system, you can start to identify their needs. The key is to do follow-up in some manner.
Nurturing keeps you top of mind, builds credibility, solves prospect’s problems and positions you as an expert. Quality lead nurturing can lead to more sales.
Not all leads are ready to buy, and it’s important to have a process in place to sort them out. According to Russ Hill from Ultimate Lead Systems:
- 67% of all leads are legitimate prospects.
- 34% have a need that must be satisfied in the next 6 months.
- 70% of those prospects didn’t know you made that product.
- It takes on average 5-6 sales calls to close a sale.
- 80% give up after the first call and 90% plus give up after the second call.
It’s important to get the lead the information they requested. A CRM system would help in organizing and communicating with them. It’s also important to find out where they are in the buying cycle. Some cycles are longer than others, and it would be important to know where they are so you can get them the relevant info to get them to the next stage. Lots of this can be done via email or even snail mail depending on the preference of the prospect.
The key in my mind is not to call until they request. Once they do, then periodic calls are appropriate. Depending on your company, it might go to an outbound sales person or into the field for follow-up.
When do you take someone off your list? Unless you determine they will never buy the kinds of things you make, I’d say never. Start a database if you already haven’t. If you publish a newsletter, put them on the list. When introducing a new product, make sure they are copied on the promotion. The key is, even if they bought the competitor this time, it doesn’t mean they will the next time.
Whatever you do, have a process in place and use both lead nurturing and sales call follow-up together.
What are you doing to follow-up leads?
If you like this post, you might like:
What’s your Lead Nurturing Strategy?
Why Email Marketing is so Important in Lead Nurturing to the Professional Tradesman.
What’s Your Plan for Lead Nurturing?
by tradesmeninsights | Aug 22, 2013 | Uncategorized
Today we have a guest blog from Jennifer Murphy, the vice president and COO at NetPlus Alliance.
Two years ago at the Industrial Supply Association Product Show and Conference, I was fortunate to attend one of the educational tracks hosted by a former Navy SEAL, Eric Greitans. His presentation related his experiences as a SEAL to the challenges we face in life, both personally and professionally.
Greitans served abroad first as a humanitarian, and then on the front lines in Afghanistan post-9/11. His book, The Heart and Fist, has a permanent place on my nightstand and I reread the pages that I’ve dog-eared whenever I need a reminder to keep my head up and continue to move forward.
I have many years to go before I am a veteran of this industry. I’ve worked at NetPlus Alliance, a buying group for industrial and contractor supplies distributors, for only seven short years. This pales in comparison to my father, Dan Judge, who’s been around the industry for almost 50. I’ve learned from him, though, about the tough times that our family distribution business, Ward Beals & McCarthy, faced over the years, and how hard it was for him to sell the assets of that business to a bigger company back when I was in college. He kept the corporation intact, and now I am the fifth generation of an industrial business that was started by my great uncles in 1931.
During the recession in 2009, we also heard from many of our distributors about the challenges that they faced. Our members that survived fought hard to gain back the ground that was lost, but the road ahead is still uncertain. The challenges many of us face now, although different from what my great uncles faced, are no less frightening than the rapid-paced social and digital media environment that distributors compete in today.
In The Heart and the Fist, Greitans describes Navy SEAL training: marathon swims in freezing water, followed by miles of running in combat boots and countless other physical and mental challenges. All of this happening in a chaos-driven environment where you don’t know what is going to happen from one hour to the next. Sound familiar?
Throughout the training, they don’t call these exercises tests or challenges; they call them ‘evolutions.’ Because every time you make a decision to accept pain, take on a challenge, put someone else’s needs in front of your own, confront your fear or move through defeat, your character evolves. And eventually you get to a place where you lead.
He said, “Everyone has a front line in life and in business. You are not going to win everyday. You need to work through the challenges and find the people that will be a part of your own front line who will push you through the tough stuff.”
So on the days when I need a reminder to move toward my fears, I pick up that dog-eared book, and reread the words that Eric Greitans put down in his memoir.
Certainly, the economy is better now; its taken time and we’ve gained some of the ground that was lost. But the business environment is also evolving beyond my father’s generation of running a distribution business. The new digital playing field evolves at a rapid pace, and social has new meaning for an independent business owner.
by tradesmeninsights | Aug 21, 2013 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing
I guess we haven’t talked about this for some time, but I’m seeing more and marketers reverting back to selling on social media platforms and complaining that social isn’t working for them. Should that surprise them?
I recently read a post by Jason Falls in Social Media Explorer that outlined Why Marketers Get Social Media Wrong. I don’t know if their management is putting pressure on them to sell more or what the problem is.
Here are a few tips from Jason’s post:
- Understand your audience – this is social and they probably aren’t there to solve the problems of the world.
- The audience, contrary to some opinion, is not there to buy.
- Social should nurture your brand – talk about experiences or solution to things you’re doing and hope for engagement.
You need to understand why the audience is participating in these networks. Don’t try to measure/compare to traditional channels because they’re apples and oranges.
by tradesmeninsights | Aug 20, 2013 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Traditional Marketing
I have this running conversation with clients about which is better, a traditional direct mail program or an e-blast. It’s a tough question to answer and I’m not too sure there is only one answer.
There are challenges for using both methods and we have seen it become more and more difficult to get emails delivered even if we use opt-in lists from trade publications and have them send it out under their name.
I think that when reaching out to our target market, the professional tradesman, you have just as good if not better of a chance of reaching them with the traditional snail mail.
We recently did a sampling program for a client who wanted to focus more on the electronic side of things and wanted to use more, if not most, in this media. They assumed that direct mail was a thing of the past and was too costly (neither of which are true). We convinced them to give both a try and the results were surprising.
The DM portion of the program outperformed on average 3 to 1 over the e-blasts. We used the same criteria for both lists and did both within 2 weeks of each other. We’re doing a second test using the same message and list parameters and it will be interesting to see if it still holds true.
We’ve all used both of these marketing tools. My question to you is have you found one better than the other in reaching contractors or the professional tradesman?
by tradesmeninsights | Aug 15, 2013 | Uncategorized
Right now we’re in the middle of our annual Tool Drive supporting the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity. Since our efforts started in 2010, we’ve found amazing support from our clients, partners, friends and community members.
We talked with Frank Drahan with the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity to find out more about him, Habitat for Humanity and their ReStore. Here’s the conversation:
Q. What is your position at Habitat for Humanity?
A. I’m the ReStore Manager
Q. What is the Habitat for Humanity ReStore?
A. The ReStore is about the four Rs: Recycle! Reuse! Reduce! Rebuild!
Regarding “recycle,” the ReStore is operated by Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity as one of the largest reuse and recycle centers in Cuyahoga County.
For reuse, the ReStore recycles and resells salvaged and reclaimed building materials, fixtures and tools that are in good condition.
In order to reduce, the ReStore diverts thousands of tons of usable materials from local landfills.
And finally, rebuild: The community can purchase affordable home improvement items at a fraction of retail cost and proceeds from the ReStore support Habitat’s mission to eliminate poverty housing through home construction and rehabilitation.
Q. How long have you been there?
A. 9 years
Q. What are your responsibilities at Restore?
A. I schedule donations, do customer service, help and work with our great volunteers, coordinate projects around the store and much more that comes with the day-to-day operations at the ReStore.
Q. What’s your most memorable moment working for Habitat for Humanity?
A. It would have to be opening the new ReStore at the new facility, where it’s currently operating.
Q. What do people most commonly donate?
Cabinets are the most common donation but are also needed
A. Kitchen cabinets and appliances
Q. What’s the most unusual donation that you’ve seen come in?
A. The strangest item that has been donated was an embalming machine from a funeral home.
Q. What’s on the ReStore donation wish list?
A. We always have a wish list of items that people might or might not think to donate which includes: appliances, kitchen and bath cabinets, lighting fixtures, sinks, furniture, tubs and showers, architectural salvage items, tools hand/power/yard… any tools!
We also need lumber that’s six feet or longer so we can use it, landscaping equipment, flooring and so much more.
Q. What’s best about working for Habitat for Humanity?
A. Getting to know all of our wonderful volunteers. Also, working with our customers and donors.
Q. The Sonnhalter tagline is “Not Afraid to Get Our Hands Dirty.” What is your favorite way to get your hands dirty at Habitat for Humanity?
A. Picking up donations and meeting the donors around Cuyahoga County
Q. What’s your favorite way to get your hands dirty outside of work?
A. BBQing!
Q. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
A. Thank you so much for your awesome support for the ReStore. We really appreciate everything you have done for us!
If you’re interested in participating in the Sonnhalter Tool Drive, visit sonnhalter.com/tooldrive or contact us to find out more.
So October 4th is National Manufacturing Day and I ask the question, what are you going to do about it? The reason I ask is that I have yet to meet a manufacturer over the past several years who has not complained that there aren’t enough good people to hire for manufacturing jobs. Why not showcase in a positive light what you do?
