Hands up if it makes you hopping mad when scumbag Fire & Security installers rip off customers with poor quality workmanship!
This happens even though you work in an industry that has regulations and accreditations like NSI and SSAIB.
Now imagine what it’s like in an unregulated industry.
Like digital marketing or web design.
You may not know this, but there are a lot of marketing charlatans out there who talk a great talk.
But instead of walking the walk, they will take your money and run away.
And it’s really, really hard to spot the bad guys!
They could be:
- a solo designer working out of his back bedroom;
- a third world email marketer promising you quick results at discount prices; or even
- a pukka-looking British-based agency with retainer fees that make your eyes water!
Hiring the provider that is going to generate enough enquiries to help you grow your business is a big step. Like any investment, you need to do some due diligence – even if they come recommended.
How Not To Choose Your Fire & Security Systems Marketer
Here’s a couple of scenarios that we’ve heard about where savvy Fire & Security Directors just like you have had an unhappy experience.
The networking option
It’s important that you know, like and trust the people you are working with. And that you are confident in their loyalty to your company and its future success.
But that doesn’t mean you should hire the guy you met at networking – even if you see him for breakfast every week. Just because he is a reliable attendee doesn’t mean he has the skills to generate the leads your business needs to succeed! No matter what he may promise in his weekly 60 second pitch.
One of our clients had this experience prior to meeting Lollipop. The website he got from networking man did not produce one enquiry in three years. But he was always such good company over bacon rolls…
The referral/recommendation
“Oh, my new website looks fabulous, you should get my designer to do yours!”
Ask the same question again when the site has been live for six months. And dig into what your friend actually wanted from their website.
- Were they satisfied that the supplier hit the outcomes they agreed?
- What were those outcomes?
- Has it generated the traffic and enquiries this person was expecting…?
- Did any of those enquiries turn into customers?
Another client told us he had no idea that some people just wanted an online brochure they could physically send people to. He wanted a website that could do all that hard work for him. A tool that could get his business in front of people searching on the internet. And then get them to call him or complete a contact form. Once he could get in front of enough of these potential customers, he could persuade them to buy. He knew this was a sure-fire way of growing his business.
The cold caller/emailer when you were most vulnerable
You woke up with that cold feeling in the pit of your stomach again – you’re not getting the website enquiries that you need to generate the site surveys that you and your team can turn into customers.
Later that day, you get a call or email from a digital marketing agency. He is saying all the right things, he totally understands your pain and you really believe that he’s going to be able to provide the answers.
Happy ears can belong to buyers as well as sellers and it’s easy to hear what you want to hear – the magic bullet that will take all the pain away. Sadly, many people learn the hard way that digital marketers who have to cold call or send out email broadcasts, are not attracting any enquiries through their own websites.
Be aware that digital marketing charlatans don’t always drive expensive sports cars or wear shark-tooth necklaces! Some can seem very trustworthy and believable…
How to choose your digital marketing agency
So it all has to come down to provable, data-driven results.
Not impressions, views or reach but the metrics that reflect potential cold, hard cash – conversions! What you want to know is whether their digital marketing strategies resulted in an increase in revenue – that all-important bottom line!
Remember, the best agencies are keen to build lasting, mutually beneficial relationships that bring the results you desire.
They will want to have quarterly meetings to show you the exciting results they have achieved. And to discuss how to make things even better next quarter.
They will have tools that allow you to easily see the metrics that matter. Not massive documents with lots of squiggly lines and jargon.
Sounds like a no brainer… but can you find the right agency?
Ready to talk about how we’ve helped Fire & Security companies just like yours? Can Lollipop help your Fire & Security business to get more leads and sales?
There is an easier way to get The Right Message in front of The Right Person at The Right Time Click the link to answer a few questions so we can see how best Lollipop can help. And then book your call.