By Martin Tirado, CAE
This is the first of what SIMA hopes are many communications on the results of two important surveys conducted in the winter/spring of 2011. The two surveys were
- A needs assessment of SIMA members and non-members;
- An end-user/customer survey of property and facility managers and their perspectives on working with snow and ice contractors and information that SIMA can provide to them.
This blog deals with the results of a small section of the end-user, customers of snow contractors survey.
A few quick demographics: 150 responded to the survey with a geographic mix of the United States and Canada. Size of company ranged from 11% with $500,000 in annual sales to 11% with more than $1billion in sales with the largest percentage being $3million to $10million. The job title of over two-thirds of respondents was Property Manager or Facility/Grounds Manager.
Do you ask all of your customers for referrals? If not, here are a few reasons why you should. When asked this question, What are your usual methods for learning about a snow contractor to hire?, the highest percentage of respondents, 55%, answered Referral. So they are asking their colleagues and contacts for referrals. Why not be proactive and use their contacts to your advantage?
In a previous insurance and financial planning association I worked for, a sales rep told me he ends every meeting with a customer by asking, “can you provide me with three people you know who may have an interest in the services I can offer”. This was done at the conclusion of a successful customer meeting, with the confidence that the service he was providing was going to benefit the life of the customer. Is three a lot to ask? Maybe, then why not ask for at least one contact.
Another reason to ask for referrals, you probably are not the only grounds service provider they deal with. When asked, Do you use one contractor for all your grounds & maintenance needs (including snow management) or do you use multiple contractors?, 45% answered Multiple. Okay, so a customer is probably using more than just your company for some type of grounds maintenance. Then so is another property or facility manager that your customer can give you a referral to.
A customer asking for multiple bidders is also common. When asked, When putting out a bid for snow contractors, how important is it to have multiple contractors to bid?, 55% answered, Extremely important, with another 21% indicating this was Important.
Let’s sum this up. Property and facility managers are most likely to ask for referrals from their contacts for snow services, they typically use multiple contractors for grounds services, and they most commonly ask for multiple bids. This lends itself to the possibility of obtaining a great deal of solid leads for future work, but to get these leads your sales staff has to ask for them. Do not cross your fingers and hope you get a referral, ask for them and rehearse your ‘ask’ if needed. There are many tips from sales coaches on how to do your ask for referrals. A good place to start is with your best customers, the ones who also want to see you succeed. Just be sure to ask and obtain them, they may be some of the best leads you have.
Martin Tirado, CAE, is the Executive Director of SIMA. Contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
