What do 4 out of 5 “new pool” web-shoppers really want?

And are you leveraging this info to your advantage?

By Brett Lloyd Abbott, MYM Austin Inc.

A few months ago, I gave you a very specific strategy to increase your search engine rankings, and get more people to visit your website, for FREE. I told you exactly how to “jump on board” with Facebook, and start using it to build customer loyalty and boost website traffic.

Do you remember? Here’s a quick refresher:

1. Get a personal page on Facebook.
2. Create a “fan page” for your company.
3. Start posting updates to your Facebook page every day.
4. Tell your customers to go see photos of their job on your Facebook page.

So – Did you do it? Are you posting at least three or four times a week on your company Facebook page? Or were you so busy doing “other stuff” that you didn’t have time to work on your search engine rankings?

Worse yet – Did you decide that “I don’t need to work on search engine rankings, because I’m doing a Pay-Per-Click program…“?

Uh oh. In my previous post, I guess I failed to mention that “Four out of five new pool shoppers don’t like pay per click ads.” Actually, the statistics will vary a little, depending on who you ask. but the most recent reports indicate that about 80% of website visitors will click on the organic listing, rather than one of the sponsored links.

This should come as no surprise. By now, most people have figured out that if you click a “paid” or “sponsored link,” the company is definitely going to try to sell you something. The organic links are much more likely to yield objective information, and skirt the usual sales pitches.

So if four out of five website visitors are ignoring all pay-per-click ads, and 72% of all Google searchers don’t go past the first page, then where do you suppose YOU want to be?

That’s Right: You want to be on Page 1 of Google’s organic listings.

So here’s the message for today – If you want more leads, and you want more people to come to your website, then make sure you’re not ignoring what four out of five new pool shoppers prefer in the first place. Get busy boosting your organic rankings, so that you show up on page 1 of Google. Use Facebook. Write a blog. Put good keywords and content on your website. Monitor and update frequently.

Now for those of you in who are in a hurry, and/or would rather build and service pools then launch a “do it yourself” SEO program, I just so happen to offer SEO services for pool companies.  And as a matter of fact, we’ve had rather impressive successes with all our clients, all in just a matter of months.

In fact, take a look at “Carefree Pools & Spas,” as seen in the “San Luis Obispo” search example above. Three months ago, before we started the program, they were nowhere to be found. Here’s the “baseline” report from mid-May, before we started:

And here, 90 days later, you can see that they’re not only on “page 1,” but actually “the first listing” in most cases:

Now admittedly, San Luis Obispo is not a very large market, so it was probably a little easier for us to show this rather phenomenal success. Nonetheless, we’re getting LOTS of great “page 1″ rankings with our clients, in larger and more competitive markets, such as:

Results in Dallas/Fort Worth:

Results in Orlando, FL:

A year from now, who knows what the latest, greatest SEO tactic is going to be. But right now, our program seems to be working quite well. So if “page 1 rankings” and “more Internet leads” is something that appeals to you, but you don’t feel like doing your SEO yourself, just give us a call.  Or check out the pricing of our programs right here.  Hey, we don’t have any secrets; You’ll find all our services and prices published clearly on our website.

To your success,

Brett

2010 Brett Lloyd Abbott / MYM Austin Inc. May not be used without permission.

______________________________________________

Check out the Pool Genius Academy…

This is great business education program designed specifically for pool builders, retailers and pool service companies.

Check it out at “The Pool Genius Academy.”

Workshops occur every Wednesday:

9:00am PT, 10:00am MT, 11:00am CT, 12:00pm ET

The Ugly Truth about This Pool Service Business…

(aka: “POOL SERVICE MARKETING 101“)

By Brett Lloyd Abbott, MYM Austin Inc.

Most of my newsletters focus on the “construction” side of the business.  But today, I’d like to talk about that other mainstay of our industry — Pool Service.  I’m being perfectly frank and honest when I say “There is an ugly truth….”  But I’m going to tell you how you can leverage this “ugly truth” to your benefit, at the expense of any sleaze-ball service providers who are giving your industry a bad name.

First, to put things in perspective let’s think about another “service” industry that most all of us can relate to -the moving industry.  When you think about hiring a moving company, do you feel joy, comfort and happiness? Or do you get a mental image of a smelly, sweaty guy with tattoos and bad breath, and a secret desire to cheat you out of your money?

Most of us think of the latter.  In fact, when hiring a moving company, most of us are expecting one or more of the following to occur:

• They will be scary-looking people.
• They will show up late.
• They will try to charge you more than they promised in the original bid.
• If they break something, (which they will) you’ll have to jump through hoops to get reimbursed.

This doesn’t mean that all moving company employees are scary-looking crooks. It just means that we humans tend to expect and fear the worst when it comes to “service.”  And here’s why — we’ve heard the horror stories. Besides, the moving industry is a “hands-on” human-driven activity that – like any human-based activity – will be 98% perfect, and 2% “oops.”

“But hey,” you might say, “if that’s what all homeowners are worried about, then the moving companies should just say ‘We won’t be late,’ and ‘We don’t use scary looking people.’” And you know, that’s actually pretty good advice.  But what do most moving companies actually say? Open any Yellow Pages book, and you will see the same thing, over and over again:

• “Local!”
• “Long Distance!”
• “Commercial!”
• “Residential!”
• “Free Estimates!”
• “Professional service!”

And then they’ll show you a picture of their truck, just in case you weren’t aware that they have a truck…. Nice. Meanwhile, has this done anything to boost your confidence, and allay your fears of an ugly, nasty experience with a moving company?

Nah, I didn’t think so.

And that brings us to the ugly truth about pool service.  This general attitude of “not trusting service people” is rampant throughout so-called “blue-collar” service industries. In fact, if you ask your local BBB, they’ll tell you that Movers, Roofers and Construction companies in particular are constantly vying for the top spot on the BBB’s list of “worst offenders” and “most complaints.”

And yes, these boys are dragging you down with them. Most homeowners that you hope to talk to have already decided they don’t trust you – long before they’ve ever met you.

So if you want to break free from this ugly “no trust” anchor, then you’ll have to stop ignoring “the elephant in the room.” Use this “ugly insight” to give yourself an advantage, and separate yourself from all your competition.  Here’s how:

(1) “Talk About The Elephant“ –  You know it’s there, and the homeowner knows it’s there – so why hide from it? Your conversations should start sounding more like this: “Hey, I know there are a lot of sleaze-ball service companies out there.  But we’re different, and let me tell you why…”

(2) “Set the Standard“ – Simply acknowledging the problems isn’t enough. You’ve got to talk about what you do differently, so that those problems are much less likely to occur.  For example, you might offer one or more of the following:

1. “On-Time Guarantee”
2. “Uniformed Technicians”
3. “Price Guarantee”
4. “No Hassle Satisfaction Guaranteed”

When you set the standard, suddenly, everyone else has to try to prove that they are as good as you.

(3) “Publish Your Standards“ – Talking about your standards is good, but it’s much more powerful when you put it in writing.  That’s why you need to publish your own “Code of  Ethics” and/or “Workmanship Standards” for all the world to see.  I recommend you to display them prominently in your office, on your website, on your invoices if possible, and even on the backs of your business cards.

(4) “Put Some Teeth into It“ – This is probably the hardest part to commit to, but if you want your standards to have impact, you’re going to have to prove to the public that you’re serious about it. And you do that with guarantees.  Now I don’t expect anyone to give away service for free, but that’s probably not necessary anyway.  It could be something as simple as a “10% discount if we miss our 2-hour window.”

By the way — If you happen to be a member of IPSSA, then you’ve already set yourself apart from most of your competition. Unlike most of your competition, you can proudly say:

• I’ve got a backup team to cover my route if I ever get sick or take a vacation.
• I’ve got liability insurance, so if I get hurt, you don’t have to worry about lawsuits.
• I go to advanced training every year, to make sure I can make repairs better, faster and cheaper than the next guy.  (In fact, I had to take a test just to get in to IPSSA!)
• And I have to comply with a strict code of ethics to stay a member of IPSSA.  If I get caught breaking the rules, I’m immediately expelled from the group

Now, suddenly, the “ugly truth” is pointing a crooked finger at the other guy, and you’re the guy everybody wants in their backyard.

To your success,

Brett

What to do when you’re too busy to do it all…

(How to “Git’r done”)

By Brett Lloyd Abbott, MYM Austin Inc.

Begging forgiveness from our friends “down under”; Today’s message is directed toward pool builders in the Northern Hemisphere.

Tell me if I’ve got this right: It’s June now, and you’re getting more calls and bidding more jobs than you’ve had in years. You’ve got less help than in the past, but cash flow has been so tight for so long that you don’t dare pass up a single opportunity.  Memorial Day weekend was “crazy-busy,” but deep-down, you hope that some of this “craziness” lasts for at least a few more months. You’re not yet “out of the woods,” but things finally seemed to be pointed in the right direction for a change.

Is that about right?

Here’s the irony of this situation – Right now, you’re out there busting your butt, while comparatively speaking, “consultant guys” like me have more time on our hands than ever. Then to further the irony, come November I’ll be swamped with a backlog, and you’ll be eager/anxious to “make those changes” you were thinking about last Spring.

Ahh, such a dilemma. Like Romeo and Juliet, we know we’re right for each other, and we want to be together, but circumstances just keep getting in our way.  Whatever shall we do?

Here’s one suggestion – We both know you’re already busy, so forget about investing an impossible 20 to 40+ hours trying to figure out “What’s the right marketing plan for me?“  Just remember that there are really only four basic “pool builder marketing” fundamentals you need to focus on. Then invest one hour (instead of 40) to get someone to tackle whichever of these needs help:

1. A well-articulated message.
2. A compelling & attractive website.
3. An enticing, low-risk offer.
4. An automated follow-up system.

Seriously, with as little as one hour of your own time, someone like MYM Austin* could step in and take care of any of the above items for you, while you stay out in the field, “making hay while the sun shines.” After all, when you stop and think about it – what better time to outsource to an expert than right now, when your cash flow can handle it?

But hey, you’ve probably got more jobs to bid on right now, so I’ll keep this short and to the point: Don’t let the “busy-ness” of the season stop you from doing what you know still needs to be done. Find an expert. Hand it off. Git’r Done.

To your success,

Brett

* Yes, I really do mean “Someone like MYM Austin.”  It doesn’t have to be me or my team; It can be anyone with experience in this industry. The point is: Get an expert to help you. You’re busy, so let somebody else “git’r done.”

But just in case you’re interested, our “Git’r Done” services are here.

Who’s Been Looking At Your Website?

And when & why did they leave?

By Brett Lloyd Abbott, MYM Austin Inc.

Your website is in a head-to-head contest with “referrals” as the best way for you to find new pool buyers.  No doubt, it would be great to thrive 100% on referrals. But most builders need an additional stream of leads, and your website is unquestionably the most cost-effective way to get them.  And since most of your referrals are going to want to have a look at your website anyway, it only makes sense to make sure your website is as powerful and compelling as can be.

But is it?  How do you know? 

What if half of your prospects are taking one look at your website, and then leaving, saying “No thanks”? Would you like to know that?  If you knew, what would you do about it?

What about the people who decide to stick around, and explore your website further?  Which pages do they go to?  How long do they stay? When, why, and where do they leave?  And when they leave, is it because they decided “to go buy”?  Or because they decided “to go bye-bye”?

Suppose you knew the answers to these questions? Do you think you might do a few things differently?  Maybe fine-tune your website, “plug the holes,” and funnel all those prospects right over to your “contact us” page instead?

Well, the good news is, those answers are readily available to you, and you can have them for free.

In fact, depending on who is hosting your website, that data may already be available to you. Call your web guy, and ask if your website has any “web analytics” built-in.  If not, don’t panic –You can start collecting that data immediately thanks to all the hard-working folks over there at Google.

The secret is “Google Analytics.” This amazing software package was built by the experts to track every move of your website visitors.  And it truly is totally free.  (Believe it or not, Google really wants your website to be successful. They figure the more money you make on your website, the more money you’ll have to spend on Google advertising.)

Check out this abbreviated list of statistics that are available to you when you install Google Analytics on your website:

• How did your visitors find you?
• What keywords did they use to find you?
• What percentage of your visitors “gave up” as soon as they saw your home page?
• What percentage of them explored further?
• What were their favorite pages?
• How many pages did they go to?
• How much time did they spend on each page?
• What page were they on when they left your site?
• Who is sending you the most leads?  Google?  AT&T?  Yellow book?  The BBB?

It’s all there, and much more. Here’s all you have to do to get it:

1. Go to the Google analytics website www.google.com/analytics
2. Open an account.  (If you’re already using Gmail or Google or AdWords, then you already have an account.)
3. They will give you some simple “JavaScript” webcode for you to copy and paste onto each page of your website. (You will probably want to ask your web person to do this for you.)

That’s it! This will begin tracking your web traffic, starting on the day you install it. You (and others in your company) can then access it anytime, anywhere.

Sound intimidating? It’s not.  Just check out this short and uncomplicated video from Google on the subject of Google Analytics: www.Google.com/analytics/tour.html

Here’s a quick sampling of a few statistics, and what you might glean from them:

These two summary charts above (call them “A” & “B”) from two different pool builders, with similar levels of traffic, tell us several things, including:

• Visitors to Website A are looking at more pages than website B.
• Website B is losing a lot of people on the home page.
• Website B is getting a higher percentage of new visitors, whereas Website A seems to be getting a surprisingly large amount of “repeat traffic.”

This pie chart below tells us that ~14% of the people are typing the website URL directly (or clicking a bookmark), while ~85% of the visitors are searching via Google (or other some other search engine) to find the site.

This detail shows you which search engines people are using to find you:

This chart, looking at the last 30 days, says that the investment in a Luxury Pools article may be paying off, as this builder has already received 29 visitors from the Luxury Pools magazine website in a month.

I could show you at least another 50 to 250 statistics, charts, goal-tracking and metrics that would continue to give you great insights for your website.  But in a newsletter like this, I would probably bore you to tears.  The point is this — with Google analytics installed on your website, you can dig as deep you want, and figure out what you need to do to make your website more powerful than the next guy’s. And since it’s free, and really not very difficult, you should do it right away.

Because even if referrals remain your number one source of leads, I’m sure you still want everyone to have a good experience when they visit your website. Am I right? So go get your FREE Google Analytics.

Best regards,

Brett

Why Some Pool Builders Grow in a Downturn…

..and what we can learn from them.

By Brett Lloyd Abbott, MYM Austin Inc.

The last two years have been tough for most pool builders. While a few builders saw growth, most continue to fall short of their sales for the previous year. And this year doesn’t promise to be much better. So let me take a moment to show you why “a lucky few” do well in a downturn, and what you might do to finish stronger this year.

I work closely with a lot of different pool builders all over the US and beyond, so I have a special perspective on “what works” and “what doesn’t.” I’ve found that amongst the pool builders who are still doing well, they all have at least one of these things in common:

• They’re still advertising
• They have a strong & compelling “story” in their marketing (especially their website)
• They’ve fine-tuned their selling skills & selling process
• They have a consistent follow-up system
• They’ve maintained a strong “referral channel”

Let me offer some ideas of how you can emulate their success without spending a ton of money….

ADVERTISING -In most cases, these guys don’t “advertise like crazy.” In fact, in most cases they’ve cut back on their ad spending. However, by testing all results, they were able to shift spending away from lousy performing media, and over to better performing lead sources. (I’ll share some results and suggestions in a future email.) BOTTOM LINE – If “advertising” (as opposed to “referrals” or “internet”) is a key source of leads for you, then it’s important to continue some level of advertising through the downturn.

A COMPELLING STORY – There are fewer buyers now than there were two years ago. And these buyers are generally more skeptical and reluctant than in the past. So each pool builder comes under much greater scrutiny in the buying process. Decisions aren’t being made solely on the performance of the sales rep. Your “believable story” (on your website and in your brochures) that proves why you’re a better choice will play a much greater role. Empty promises and meaningless platitudes score worse than zero . A clunky or under-compelling website has a similar effect. Have you updated your website lately? Have you developed and practiced your ” elevator pitch “?

SELLING SKILLS – As desperation seeps in, many builders are resorting to price cuts to steal the business from the competition. We call that a ” going out of business ” strategy. Much better to focus on giving the homeowner what she really wants, which is almost never “the cheapest pool I can buy.” Not an easy task, I’ll admit, so let me share with you one quick tip that’s worked well in 2008 – The owner will tag-along on the sales call. The sales rep still handles the call; the owner is just there for moral support. The homeowners told us that the presence of the business owner gave them the confidence they needed to go ahead and buy. If your business is down, consider taking a ride with your sales reps.

CONSISTENT FOLLOW-UP -Many a homeowner has decided “now is not the time,” and then a year or two later decided to proceed. They almost always zero-in on whoever has reached out to them most recently. (Which has absolutely nothing to do with the quality or value of the product they build.) Most sales reps are too busy chasing current leads to also continually reach out to past prospects that won’t return phone calls . And admittedly, the return rate on these prospects is generally low.

So the solution is not to beat up the sales reps. The solution is to set up a system that reaches out to “cold leads” automatically at least once, preferably twice a year, A postcard system is best, because if they’re still thinking about a pool, your postcard will get their attention. Custom greeting cards from www.SendOutCards.com/mymaustin are good too. A low-cost e-mail system such as Constant Contact or Vertical Response can work too, but only if you have their email addresses.

PROACTIVE REFERRALS – Nobody has to be talked into wanting or taking referrals. What I’ve found challenging is teaching builders and sales reps to take all the necessary “little steps” to win over the hearts of your customers, and generate referrals automatically . I’m not opposed to referral checks, but I consider it a secondary and inferior strategy to proactively converting your customers into “raving fans.”

If your customers love you, you won’t have to bribe them with a referral check . Some sales reps do this instinctively, and get all the referrals they can handle. Most do not. As a minimum, make sure your sales rep has a conversation with the homeowner several times throughout the construction process, and at least once after the pool is finished. Gifts can work well too; more about that later.

I hope you’ve picked up a few tips in here to help you through these challenging times. I’ll share more suggestions and ideas in future newsletters, as you remain subscribed.

Sincerely,

Brett Abbott

2010 Brett Lloyd Abbott / MYM Austin Inc.  May not be used without permission.

]]> http://www.mymaustin.com/pool-builder-secrets-from-the-lucky-few/feed/ 0 http://www.mymaustin.com/how-pool-builders-should-be-using-facebook-today/ http://www.mymaustin.com/how-pool-builders-should-be-using-facebook-today/#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:58:50 +0000 admin http://www.mymaustin.com/?page_id=1526

Trying to Keep Up with SEO…

(And why does it keep changing so flipping fast?!?)

By Brett Lloyd Abbott, MYM Austin Inc.

Early last year, I wrote an article about how Google was once again “changing the game” of search engine optimization. “In 2009, Video is King!” decried Google, and so I dutifully passed on the cutting-edge news to you.

That was the first major publicly announced shift in Google SEO strategy in nearly 2 years.  Prior to that, it was “keywords, content, and inbound links.” Go back a couple more years, and it was “keywords & content,” which replaced the original long-standing Google SEO strategy of simply “keywords.”

Why the constant changing?  Well, it’s because you are evil.

Actually, I don’t mean that you personally are evil. What I mean is that you, me, the populace, and all non-Google-employees are evil. Because we’re all trying to “crack the code” on search engine optimization, and find a way to gain an unfair advantage for ourselves.  (There’s a lot of money to be made by producing and achieving “first page of results” on Google, you know.)

So like “cops and robbers” and “Cowboys and Indians” (and maybe now it’s “Marines and Taliban”), the battle rages between the programmers at the giant Google search engine machine, and the thousands of SEO specialists who try to cheat the system. I guess we could call it “Programmers and SEO Specialists.” (Think that’ll catch on with our children and grandchildren?  Nah, me neither.)

Search engine optimization truly is little more than a game whereby SEO specialists try to figure out Google’s strategy, and then find ways to circumvent the system and put their clients on page 1. Meanwhile, poor Google just keeps trying to give the searching public what they really want: a relevant search result.

Google’s primary goal has driven all their major strategy changes since the beginning, including their latest strategy for 2010. Here’s a 20 second summary of the major strategy changes over the last 8 to 10-years of this game:

• When the evil specialists started using bogus keywords like “naked” and “Brittany Spears”, Google said “the content and the keywords have to match.”
• When the specialists started hiding the content in white text on a white background, Google said “Caught ya!  You are evil, and hereby banned from my rankings.”
• Then Google said “inbound links from other sites that point to you will prove that you are indeed relevant.” Then “blogs” were created, and life was good for a few months.
• Then Google took note of a strange new animal called “YouTube.” And as YouTube’s popularity grew by leaps and bounds (now ranked #4 busiest website in the world), Google said “Hey, people seem to like this YouTube thing. It must be honest and relevant. And entertaining too.  So we will use it to influence your search engine rankings.  We have decided that Video is King.”

Oh my, that is all so “last year.” Keywords, content, links and video are all still good.  But there’s another animal on the scene now that’s bigger and badder than YouTube. It’s that interesting new fellow down the street known as “Facebook.” And with a worldwide website popularity ranking of #2 , you can bet this new neighbor has Google’s attention. (Just imagine how the folks at Yahoo felt when they got bumped from their long-held #2 position by an upstart morph of that childish little “MySpace.” Probably a lot like the angry German and Japanese executives in last year’s hilarious Hyundai commercial. )

So as of a couple of months ago, Google is now actively monitoring all traffic and discussions on Facebook . That’s bad news and good news for you.

The bad news is that “the programmers” have “upped the ante,” which means “the SEO specialists” are having to work longer and harder than ever. What previously took an hour or two a month is now taking an hour or two a week — maybe more.  (And it’s only expected to get worse.) Whatever you’re currently paying for SEO services, I predict you are either going to see a price increase or a decline in results in the not-too-distant future.

This also means you’ll have to be extra careful about choosing an SEO company today.  Because some of those “specialists” are still playing by the old rules of “keywords and content” or “keywords, content and links.” Ask them about Facebook.  Their answer should tell you whether or not they’re on the cutting edge of SEO.

Now the good news — Google likes Facebook. And Facebook is free.  And it’s actually pretty easy if you’ll just give it a chance. So you now have a golden opportunity to boost your own search engine rankings for free with just a little bit of “playtime” on Facebook.

If you haven’t started doing this already (you’ve probably heard me make this recommendation several times already, right?), here’s what I recommend you do starting today:

1. Sign up for a personal page on Facebook .  And post a picture of yourself. (You won’t be taken seriously if you don’t have a profile photo.)
2. Now create a “fan page” for your company on Facebook.  Link your fan page to your website.  Then upload your logo as a photo.  (It will probably look goofy in a square format, but don’t worry about it.  Nobody cares anyway.)
3. Now start posting updates to your Facebook page every day. Have your supervisor take photographs of every job in progress, and post them daily by customer name.
4. Now tell your customers to go check out the latest photos of their job on your Facebook page.

Do you know what’s really cool about this strategy?  Not only is it free, but it’s actually relevant. People will be going to your Facebook page (and potentially your website) not because you’ve tricked them, but because they’re actually interested in seeing what you put in there.

And that’s all Google really wants anyway – is for people to be happy with the results they get when they search.  So let’s stop fighting Google, and start posting content that people want to see. It’s a popularity contest, and I really want you to win.

To your success,

Brett

2010 Brett Lloyd Abbott / MYM Austin Inc.  May not be used without permission.

]]> http://www.mymaustin.com/how-pool-builders-should-be-using-facebook-today/feed/ 0 http://www.mymaustin.com/for-builders-who-hate-home-shows/ http://www.mymaustin.com/for-builders-who-hate-home-shows/#comments Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:25:27 +0000 admin http://www.mymaustin.com/?page_id=1515

Special “Home Show” Training:

How to Turn a “Pain” into a “Payoff”

By Brett Lloyd Abbott, MYM Austin Inc.

On occasion, I give live webinar training on “How To Work a Home Show.” (aka “How to turn a PAIN into a PAYOFF.”)

So if you’re planning to participate in any home shows this year, I would strongly encourage you to get in on one of these classes.

I’ll be showing:

• The seven biggest mistakes most people make at a home show.
• How you can quadruple the number of leads you get.
• How you can quadruple the number of sales you get.
• How to create a beautiful, eye-catching booth for less than $1000.

I offer homeshow training for individual companies on a request basis, for $249. So if you want to train your team, you might consider calling us to schedule a training session just for you and your team. I absolutely 100% guarantee you will be glad you took the training, or I’ll give you all your money back.

The training normally takes 45 minutes to an hour, with additional time for any questions you may have.

With so many people doing home shows “wrong,” I want to do my part to make sure you get your money’s worth out of your next home show.

Best regards,

Brett

©2010 Brett Lloyd Abbott / MYM Austin Inc.  May not be used without permission.

In Search of Recognition…

Using Awards to Differentiate Yourself

By Brett Lloyd Abbott, MYM Austin Inc.

If you’ve listened to, followed or read materials from any decent marketing expert, you’ve surely heard that somehow, someway, you need to differentiate yourself from your competition. Some experts refer to it as your “Unique Value Proposition” or your “Unique Selling Proposition.”   I’ve often referred to it as your “Inside Reality.”  What it boils down to is this: “What’s so special about you?”

Unfortunately, this is the place where most business owners (in any industry) will fall into the trap of “platitudes” and “ad speak.” Rather than identify real, tangible, specific, unique bits of evidence that prove and demonstrate your unique advantages, we spew vague intangibles that we presume people really want to hear:

• “We serve our customers with pride and integrity.“
• “We’re dedicated to serving your needs.“
• “We’re the premier pool builder of <fill in the name of your city here>.”
• And my all time favorite: “We’ll go the extra mile for you.“

Why do we head down this empty path of “Well I would hope so!“, when deep down, we already know what people really want and need to hear about us?

1. How long have you been in business?
2. What sort of training and certification do you have?
3. What do you do differently than other pool builders?
4. What sort of industry recognition have you achieved?
5. Have you ever gone bankrupt, or not finished a job?
6. Have you ever won any awards?

I can assure you that the answers to any of these six questions are 100 times more powerful, compelling and interesting than any of the lame platitude statements shown further above. (Do you have any idea how much more interesting your website would be if you scrapped all the “ad speak” and talked honestly about the answers to these six questions instead?)

But let’s go a step further – Let’s back up your answers with evidence that proves our statements. For example, when it comes to training and certification, I like to show the certification logo and a photo of the certificate with your name on it. If we’re talking about awards, that’s very easy to prove too. Just show a photo of the award(s), like this:

And since we’re on the subject of awards, I’d like to tell you about the newest and perhaps most prestigious award in the history of the pool industry – the GAVA Awards. GAVA refers to “Global AquaTekture Visionary Awards™,” and is designed to recognize “the most innovative concepts, designs, materials and applications of water-inspired environments from across the globe.”

What I’ve found especially intriguing about this program is that:

1. It’s open to anyone in the world who creates any sort of “water inspired environments.”
2. It’s not judged by people in the swimming pool industry. The judges are artists, architects, and other specialists who can offer a unique and unbiased perspective on the creations.
3. The organization has a philanthropic bent, and goes out of its way to help nonprofit organizations participate in the program.

But perhaps what I like most about this program is that winning this award would be a major feather in your cap.  Tens of thousands of people have won “Awards of Excellence.” But only a few dozen experts in the world have ever won a GAVA award.  So if you want to talk about “differentiating yourself,” baby — this is it. And of course, it doesn’t hurt that the award itself looks pretty darn cool too:

Coincidentally, the awards submission program for 2010 just happens to be open right now. In fact, you have until the second week of April to submit your entries. But I wouldn’t waste time trying to enter with amateur photos.  Unless you’re exceptionally good at photography, and have an extremely tall ladder, I would encourage you to hire a professional photographer.

Besides, if your project is worthy of winning a GAVA award, then you should be using your photos of that project like crazy in all of your marketing and advertising – regardless of whether or not you win an award. Yes, it’s good to have honest, detailed and sincere answers to the questions above. But killer photos can be a pretty darn powerful and compelling bit of evidence too.

So please go get some photos, and win some awards. It makes my job so much easier….

Brett

2010 Brett Lloyd Abbott / MYM Austin Inc.  May not be used without permission.

“In Search of Twenty-Ten Vision”

Marketing Predictions for the year(s) ahead…

By Brett Lloyd Abbott, MYM Austin Inc.

I’m sure you recall that “20-20 vision” is how doctors refer to “normal vision” This means that what you see at 20 feet is the same as what a “normal” person sees at 20 feet. Well, I’m not into “being normal.” I want “20-10 vision.” I want to see at 20 feet what the normal or average person can’t see beyond 10 feet. And that’s where our focus (no pun intended) needs to be right now. In the year of Twenty-Ten, we should all be striving for 20-10 vision.

Naturally, with this new decade upon us, there are plenty of marketing pontificators and prognosticators telling us “what’s changing in 2010 and beyond.” You’re probably hearing about “social media” and “mobile apps” and “Google wave” and “multichannel reach” and the long predicted “demise of the Yellow Pages.” At the risk of sounding like another pontificating prognosticator, let me share with you my vision of 2010. (Again, no pun intended.)

First, let me describe what I see as four major overriding societal trends that are currently driving human attitudes and habits. Then we’ll talk about how your marketing strategies and tactics need to change to deal with these societal changes.

• “Sincerity & transparency is everything.” (Thank you Gen X & Gen Y)
• “Disdain shall not be quieted.” (Thank you Social Media)
• “Speed is getting faster.” (Thank you wireless, mobile and many other technologies)
• “The simple / complexity paradox.” (Actually, it’s complicated…)

SINCERITY: After 40 years of self-indulgent ad-speak, platitudes, hype and hyperbole, our younger generations (and older generations too) have figured out that when it comes to advertising, “It’s all a bunch of crap. You can’t trust the self promoters, so don’t even bother listening to them.” Would you care to take a wild guess as to why Facebook and the entire field of social networking is so wildly popular today? (If you guessed “Sincerity” and “No ad speak,” then congratulations.) Don’t be fake. People want to know the real you.

DISDAIN: With such a consummate desire and quest for sincerity, our new generations have developed a very low tolerance for B.S. They are highly connected, and when they get the sense they’re being lied to or ripped off, they strike back with a vengeance. On Facebook; on Skype; on Yelp.com; on Twitter; on Angie’s List; on Complaints.com, and about a thousand other places. And now, with the new ‘SideWiki’ from Google, your disillusioned prospects can share their derisive comments about you and your company directly on your own website.. Are we getting nervous yet?

SPEED: Forgive the trite sounding nature of this, but in truth, “everything is getting faster.” The new generation cell phones have brought a world of information and access to our fingertips, no matter where we are, or what time of day or night. These phones are not only faster and more powerful than desktop computers of a few years ago, but they’re also more intelligent. Right now, you can literally point your cell phone at the outside of a storefront, and instantly read on-line reviews of what other people think of that business. (Thank you Google street view.) Talk about instant decision-making ability!

“What’s hot” is changing fast too. MySpace — all the rage just three years ago, is all but dead. And now rumors abound that the demise of Twitter is imminent. (Yes, I know, you haven’t even signed up for your Twitter account yet. Like I said, things are moving fast.) The science and art of Search Engine Optimization is also moving at warp speed. Some of the stuff we were doing a year ago is already obsolete. And some of the stuff you learned in a seminar last month will be obsolete by Christmas. SEO is going to require a substantially larger investment of time and money in order to keep up the pace.

COMPLEXITY: The tragic paradox here is that all these tools and technology that make our life simpler are getting increasingly difficult to implement. Do you recall the pain you had the last time you upgraded your computer? (Perhaps that explains why two generations later, most PC users still prefer Windows XP.) Today, you’ll feel the simple-complexity paradox when you try to initiate your new super-simple Google-based Android smart phone. People are spending days, weeks and even months trying to figure out how to set up their e-mail, calendar and contacts. And there are so many applications available that they now have apps to control and manage your apps. (!!!)

So, with that insight of what’s happening with our society, what does our 20-10 vision tell us we should be doing in the year 2010? Without going into detail, let me share a few guidelines which should help you see the road ahead. (I’ll offer more insight on some of these in a future newsletter.)

Websites – It’s more important than ever. It continues to grow in importance as other media shrink. It’s also an ideal venue to offer simple solutions and demonstrate your sincerity.

Search Engine Optimization – It too is more important than ever. (People want easy successful searches.) And this too will leave you in the dust if you ignore it too long.

Value – As important as ever. No one wants to waste money, regardless of whether the recession is over or not.

Social media – Get on board. It’s changing fast, but the longer you wait, the harder it will be to catch up. Start by creating your own Facebook pages – one for you, and one for your company. Connect with some friends. Then get on Linked-In.

Mobile – People will increasingly communicate with you through their mobile phone, though not by voice. You’ll need to make sure your website and e-mail communications are mobile-phone-friendly.

“Branding” – This old marketing paradigm is not so much “a goal” anymore, as it is a result of the socially connected world around you. Here, the smartest thing you can do is pay close attention to your customers and prospects, and respond overwhelmingly in their favor when something goes wrong. (Otherwise, you will be “flamed.”)

Multi-channel Advertising – All of your advertising efforts should be driving people to your website, where they get all the answers and details they’re looking for, and more.

Direct mail – Still a good medium for reaching targeted prospects, but it needs to be part of a multichannel strategy.

Print advertising – Diminishing effectiveness, as Yellow Pages and even newspapers go the way of the dinosaur. EXCEPTION: Selected magazines such as “Luxury Pools” or “The Home Mag” can still be effective, provided you’re a good fit for that target market.

Ad speak / Platitudes – This is poison. Avoid it at all costs.

So again, if you want to have 20-10 vision for the year 2010, then pay close attention to these unstoppable trends, and let the recommendation above be your guide.

To your success,

Brett

2010 Brett Lloyd Abbott / MYM Austin Inc. May not be used without permission. ]]> http://www.mymaustin.com/the-pool-industry-in-2010-some-insights/feed/ 0 http://www.mymaustin.com/a-gift-from-scrooge/ http://www.mymaustin.com/a-gift-from-scrooge/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:02:17 +0000 admin http://www.mymaustin.com/more-info/newsletters/a-gift-from-scrooge/

It’s beginning to look a lot like…

By Brett Lloyd Abbott, MYM Austin Inc.

Just because I happen to look a little like the young Kris Kringle in “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” doesn’t mean I’m Santa Claus. In fact, when it comes to commercially-hyped gift-giving for Christmas, I’m probably a little closer on the bell curve to Mr. Scrooge.

But that doesn’t stop me from occasionally slipping in a free gift for my beloved readers. And that’s exactly what I intend to do now. This little gem is a no-brainer for anyone in the aquatics industry. I’m referring to the Pool Genius Network.

No, I’m not promoting my “Pool Genius Academy,” which actually costs money to join. I’m referring to the totally-free networking site designed specifically for all of us in the pool industry.

When I first heard about the Pool Genius Network, I was skeptical. It looked and felt like a self-serving enterprise; I figured surely at some point they were going to try to sell me something, or use my contact info for spamming purposes. I was wrong. This is a totally and 100% free website that exists purely as a venue for all of us in this industry to connect to each other and to valuable information.

The next question that popped in my mind was, “Okay, so why should I bother?” It took a little while for me to grasp the magnitude of the power of this site. Let me save you that time and summarize what I think you’ll get out of this site:

• Ready-access to literally thousands of experts in the industry.
• Ready-access to a huge library of aquatics industry information and ideas covering a wide range of topics including sales, marketing, design, construction, service, chemicals, business management, employee management, legal issues, government issues, etc.
• The ability to ask questions and start discussions on any subject directly or indirectly related to your business (or anything else).
• Quick access to breaking industry news, including weekly updates from Aqua Magazine, APSP (SmartBriefs) and other sources.
• Ability to post industry events on the community calendar, and track the RSVP’s.
• Access to cutting-edge thinking on such topics as the ultra-fresh and mind-boggling “Google Wave.”
• Links to all kinds of other resources, standards, organizations, etc.

Heck, there’s even a link that will help you translate text from one language to another.

The site has a little summary of what’s going on:

Interestingly, in the hour or so that it took me to write this newsletter, the network added three more members. (There are some other good pool-industry networking sites out there too, including MyAPSP, Pool & Spa News, and Aquatics International. But in my opinion, the PGN is the cutting-edge granddaddy of them all.)

So again, my cheap little Scrooge-esque gift for you is to offer you a free membership in the Pool Genius Network. (Yes, I know it’s already free. That’s why it’s “Scrooge-esque” to pretend it’s from me.) Just go to www.PoolGeniusNetwork.com and sign up. Then ask some questions of your fellow experts. You’ll be amazed at the talent and intelligence in the answers you’ll get.

Somewhere in that network, I’ll bet you’ll find an idea or two worth thousands of dollars. And then you can thank me.

Sincerely,
Kris Kringle (a.k.a Brett)

2009 Brett Lloyd Abbott / MYM Austin Inc. May not be used without permission. ]]> http://www.mymaustin.com/a-gift-from-scrooge/feed/ 0