One of my more popular article topics is a list of my favorite business tools, so here is my 2013 list. Feel free to explore these, then let me know what you think.

1) Doodle.com. an easy way to schedule a meeting. No registration or download necessary. (FREE)
2) eFax.com. I gave up my fax machine long ago in favor of this cool fax program. Receive faxes into your email box; get your own fax number; search faxes; transfer large files. (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED)
3)  Irfanview.com. A photo viewer with limited editing capabilities. I like this because it's quick to load and flexible to view tons of photos. (FREE)
4) MailChimp.com. The FREE tool I use to produce and mail this e-mailed newsletter. It has great reporting so you can see who opened the email, percentages of opens, etc. (FREE)
5) Dropbox.com. A great way to share files and transfer files too large to email. (FREE)
6) FastStoneCapture.org. I couldn't do without this one! It's a flexible screen grab program with extensive features (FREE)
7) Carbonite.com. An always-on backup system that will rescue you if (when?) your computer crashes.
8) TraxTime. If you bill by the hour, this program is the best. Much like a time clock, it also produces reports. (SMALL FEE)
9) JoinMe.com. If you're looking for a way to share your screen while meeting on the phone, try join.me. (FREE)

What's your favorite tool? Email and let me know and I'll feature it next month.

Do you blog? If not, think about it as a way to 1) get information out to your prospects and 2) increase traffic on your web site with your blog.

Pest control owners often ask me about blogging, its value and its content. The usual question, however, is "What can I write about?" I've compiled this list of blog ideas just for pest control companies so pick one and write about it today!!

1. New services you offer (bed bug, termite, etc.).
   
2. Unusual service you offer (termite dog services).
3. Your pest control company’s contributions to the community
4. (including employees volunteering their time, fund raising activities, civic activities, sponsoring local programs, working with students).
5. Awards you give to your employees.
6. Awards your employees receive outside your company.
7. Seasonal insect problems (could include biology, habits, damage of specific insects).
8. Insect proofing a home from the outside in.
9. How weather affects insect problems.

Blogs for pest control companies can be extensions of your web site and serve to help people get to know you, your company and what you do.

Need help blogging? Call me today for your free 30-minute marketing consultation and learn more about how I can alleviate the burden of writing your blog posts. 800-779-0067. june@compelcom.com

I was stopped at a stop light beside a pest control truck recently and couldn’t take my eyes off it. It was 1) dirty; 2) dented; 3) had a dented hub cap; 4) the technician wore a dirty baseball cap and held his arm outside the window as he smoked.

As I review various pest control practices, I notice that the largest and most successful independent pest control companies have a squeaky clean image. They look successful!

The three image-makers or breakers for pest control companies include:

1)  Vehicles.Now, I ask you, would you hire a company whose trucks and employee looked like the one I described above? Obviously SOMEbody hired the company but they probably think that all pest control trucks look like that. It certainly doesn’t speak well of the company or of the pest control industry.
Be sure your vehicles are clean, dent-free and that your technicians are clean and neat.

2)      Uniforms. Maintaining a clean appearance while inspecting a crawl space and other dirty places is a challenge. The answer is to carry a couple of extra sets of clothes in the truck so the technician always looks clean and neat when meeting customers.  Uniforms don’t have to be expensive; a nice polo shirt sporting the company logo and khaki pants look professional.

3)      Marketing materials. Have you updated your marketing materials lately? If your address has changed, avoid writing or stickering over the old address. Printing is not that expensive now, so review the materials for other changes that need to be made and reprint the piece.
How’s your image? Here’s what you can do now. . . .do an image inventory! Need help? Email here for a free pest control image inventory sheet that can be duplicated and should be used at least monthly.

You’ve probably read or heard me talk about the importance of keeping in touch with your current customers to encourage referrals. Nearly all pest control companies that I speak with indicate that most of their new business comes from referrals but when I ask what they do to generate referrals intentionally, the answer is usually “We don’t. Referrals just happen.” The second question is “How do you keep in touch with your current customers?” to which I hear again, “We don’t.”

Let me ask you this. . . if most of your new customers come from referrals, why are you spending all that money mass marketing trying to get new customers? Why not focus on the source of your referrals – your customers! They are a gold mine!

What if you could increase the number of referrals you get each year with a simple keep-in-touch plan designed to keep you in your customers’ minds all the time, a plan that would remind your customers of the valuable service you provide – and incentivise referrals at the same time?

It’s really not that difficult. Here are few fundamental steps toward establishing your keep-in-touch program using an e-blast strategy.

1. Collect email addresses of all your customers.
2. If you provide quarterly service, plan to touch base with your customers in between quarters.
3. Create and email a short e-mail blast each quarter.
4. As far as content is concerned, include a short note from the President, an insect article and a humor article or recipe, an incentive for referrals and something of interest to homeowners. Remember, most of your decision makers for residential service are women!
5. Use a mailing service that manages your list like MailChimp or Constant Contact.
6. Note that you may not see the results after the first issue or even after the 3rd or 4th, but gradually, your referrals will pick up. I guarantee it!                       

-----------------OR--------------
to make keeping in touch really easy, contact me to learn more about my Pest E-Blast programs. Our E-Blasts are customizable and EASY!! We do all the work. All you do is read it over and give us your OK to send out.

Click on this link to find out about costs and other details.
If you’d like to see a sample of the e-blast I create and send out each month for All Pro Pest Services, email and request it.
(Remember, I’ll be gone Jan. 11 – 19th but I’ll send it as soon as I get back.)

If you are an editor or publisher of a publication and would like to use this article, please do so! Just be sure the following line goes with it and that you don’t edit the story in any way. (And it would be nice if you emailed a copy of the article in the publication once it’s created!)

June Van Klaveren, owner of Compelling Communications, helps her clients be known, be heard and be seen through dynamic marketing material creation

Most companies depend on referrals for new business and one of the best ways to generate referrals is to increase your network of contacts and develop relationships with them. If you live in an urban area as a business owner, you’re most likely aware of numerous networking events that you can attend to get to know other people with whom you can hopefully do future business.

 I’ve recently attended a couple of such events and collected cards from a few people that I intended to follow up with, i.e. dropping the "F-Bomb". One of my goals is to become better at follow-up and actually DO IT! As I contemplated the best way to do this, it occurred to me to make a list of ways to follow up and, of course, that list has become this article. So here are 12.5 things to do to follow up after a networking event (or any time you meet someone new).

1. At the meeting, mark the business cards of at least four people you want to get to know better.
2. After the meeting (the same day), write a “pleased to meet you” email inviting the person to meet for coffee or lunch to get to know each other better.
3. Schedule three (or more) appointments on the same day at the same location. Then as one appointment ends, introduce the next appointment to the one you’ve just finished.
4. Bring something to give each person. (I give a copy of the book I wrote.)
5. Bring a summary about you and your company explaining the kind of contacts you want to make.
6. Take notes throughout the meeting of things you want to remember about the person.
7. Ask the question, “How can I help your business?”
8. Focus on the other person and ask questions to learn more about them.
9. Avoid talking about yourself and your business.
10. Offer some information of value to the other person, i.e. a referral, offer to send links to web sites that would help them.
11. When you return to the office, write a personal, handwritten note thanking the contact for their time they spent with you.
12. Follow up after the coffee/lunch meeting with an email or phone call a few days later.
13. Add the person to your database to receive your e-letter. (You do have one, don’t you?)
14. Watch and listen for people who you can connect your contacts with and become a resource to your new contacts!
15. And finally. . .Pick up a copy of Michael Maher’s book “7 Levels of Communication” for more tips on improving your networking, follow up and become a member of the Generosity Generation! It’s all about helping the other person!

There are hundreds of other follow up tips. Feel free to email me with yours!
 
If you are an editor or publisher of a publication and would like to use this article, please do so! Just be sure the following line goes with it and that you don’t edit the story in any way. (And it would be nice if you emailed a copy of the article in the publication once it’s created!)

June Van Klaveren, owner of Compelling Communications, helps her clients be known, be heard and be seen through dynamic marketing material creation

At a networking event, a lady asked me who my ideal client is and I replied, “A small to medium sized pest control company.” To that, the lady replied, “We use a great pest control company. . . .though I don’t remember the name.”

Now, I ask you. If this person has a pest problem, will they go to the effort to look up the name of the company they used– or will they call the first company whose commercial they heard. This got me to thinking about why you may NOT be remembered and what it takes to BE remembered by your customers and prospects.

6 Reasons you may NOT be remembered:

1. The customer may not value your services/product enough to remember you. In their mind, your service is a commodity, i.e. pretty much the same as all other pest control companies.
2. The customer may not hear from you on a regular basis. Your technician performs service, leaves and that’s it! The customer receives no communication from you between services.
3. You haven’t made an impression (either positive or negative) with the customer. Nothing about your service stands out as special to the customer.
4. You have not made a connection with the customer. We remember people and companies who make a connection face to face or online .
5. You haven’t given the customer a REASON to remember you.
6. The name of your company doesn't tell what you do.

5 Ways to BE remembered:

1. COMMUNICATE/CONNECT. Use an integrated approach to communicate and connect with your clients. Social media, newsletter, blog, emails, web site and printed material are just some of the ways to do this.
2. At each service, leave behind a card that features ONE aspect of your service – such as ant control, bed bugs, etc. . . .something to educate the customer plus keep your name in their head.
3. Continually point out in each communication attempt how you are different from your competition. Let your customers know what makes your service special.
4. Do something unexpected each service call, i.e. sweeping down spider webs, carrying in a newspaper – then be sure the customer knows you did this!
5. Make a promise to your customers, fulfill that promise and let them know you have done this

So the bottom line is – COMMUNICATION. The technical aspects and day-to-day operations of a pest control company can easily overshadow this important aspect of growing your business. How do you communicate with your customers? Email and let me know and I’ll feature your answers in the next e-letter.

Need help communicating? Give me a call – 800-779-0067.

We're working to get our blog listed on Technorarti - quite a process but in the end should be worth it.  34S6WRF8FGQ3

Tips

1. Completely fill out your profile at whatever social media site you use. This will help brand you and will make your posts more searchable.
2. Post your photo. Nothing says newbie like the default graphic instead of your photo!
3. "Listen" for a while to understand what causes your contacts to engage with each other.
4. Don't sell!! Add value by offering information, hints & tips.
5. Post frequently so people know you're interacting.
6. Be nice. Answer questions, ask questions, give compliments.

Facts
There over 500 million Facebook users.
50% of active Facebook users log on every day.
App. 53% of the adult female population routinely participates in social media.
The average Facebook user:

• Has 130 friends.
• Clicks the like button 9 times per month.
• Posts 25 comments per month.
• Spends 55 minutes per day on Facebook.
• 35 million users update their status each day.

Have your social media activities enhanced or helped grow your business? Email & let me know..

If you are an editor or publisher of a publication and would like to use this article, please do so! Just be sure the following line goes with it and that you don’t edit the story in any way. (And it would be nice if you emailed a copy of the article in the publication once it’s created!)

June Van Klaveren, owner of Compelling Communications, helps her clients be known, be heard and be seen through dynamic marketing material creation.

Pinterest is quickly becoming the top social media site that is useful for business as well as personal "fun". Here are some tips you may not know!!

Deploying The Gift Feature To Get Listed Twice When you add the $ sign into the comments section of your pin, a snipe (or banner) appears across the top left hand corner with that price on the photo. So two things to keep in mind here: #1 don’t put any text on an image you’re going to include a price and #2 once you have put a price on something, that item shows up in the Gift Section, in addition to whichever board you pinned it on.

Customer research
Look up some of your customers on Pinterest and study what they pin to their boards, thus what their interests are. Then, using that as a guide, build Boards along those interests.

Add the "Pin It" widget to your site  like the one below this paragraph.
Just like you have the social network widgets on your website and blog, you can add the Pin It widget. This allows readers and visitors to automatically share something they like on your site with their networks.

Create infographics.
They get pinned—a lot. Here's a sample. If you need help creating your infographic, contact me!

Pinterest on Pinterest.
A collection of real-time examples from Pinterest of how businesses, organizations, universities, nonprofits and others are putting it to use as a communications and marketing tool. This board also will include tips on using Pinterest.

Try it out! By the way, the best time to post on Pinterest is a Saturday morning!

If you are an editor or publisher of a publication and would like to use this article, please do so! Just be sure the following line goes with it and that you don’t edit it in any way. (And it would be nice if you emailed a copy of the article in the publication once it’s created!)

June Van Klaveren, owner of Compelling Communications, helps her clients be known, be heard and be seen through dynamic marketing material creation. She can be reached at 800-779-0067 or through www.compelcom.com

“Our current pest control customers have always been responsible for our company’s growth because they refer us to their friends and relatives. We grow by referrals. It’s always worked in the past.”

While sitting back, waiting for those pest control customers to voluntarily refer your business may have worked in the past, it certainly isn’t a strategy that will exclusively make the phone ring today.

Here are 8 ideas to ramp up your marketing efforts and dispel this myth.
• Have a plan to generate more referrals.
• Study what successful pest control companies are doing to market.
• Stay positive. A positive attitude will spill over into all aspects of your pest control business.
• Refine your marketing message. Without a clear message, you’ll waste valuable time and miss opportunities to attract the kind of pest control clients you’re looking for.
• Improve your marketing materials including your web site. If you haven’t made any updates to your pest control web site in a year – shame on you! People return to sites that contain new, fresh material!
• Combine your services into “packages” so consumers have a choice, i.e. a gold, bronze and silver package.
• Get out there! Schedule networking at least one time a week. Then follow up with those you meet. BNI groups are especially beneficial for pest control companies.
• Keep in Touch. Most companies spend time and money trying to get new customers and forget about the goldmine hidden in their current customers. Create a Keep-in-Touch program for your pest control customers.

Here’s what you can do today!

Email me for your FREE report on what you can do to Keep-In-Touch with your current customers, then choose something off the list and do it TODAY! This list is full of web sites for more information on each tip. You won’t want to miss it!

If you need help creating a Keep-in-Touch program, let me know. We are working with several companies on their Keep-in-Touch programs. One of the hardest things to do is be consistent with keeping in touch so we help you do that!

If you are an editor or publisher of a publication and would like to use this article, please do so! Just be sure the following line goes with it and that you don’t edit it in any way. (And it would be nice if you emailed a copy of the article in the publication once it’s created!)

June Van Klaveren, owner of Compelling Communications, helps her clients be known, be heard and be seen through dynamic marketing material creation.