According to the U.S Small Business Administration, 50% of the small businesses fail in the first 5 years and only 25% survive for 15 years or more. “But hey”, you might say, “these are just statistics. We are more than numbers, right?” Yes, for sure, but we live in the real world and the only thing we can control is our reaction to it. Then what should you do as a field service business owner so that in 2030 you will be in the surviving (and hopefully thriving) 25%?

My advice? Focus on branding!

No, I’m not telling you to throw money on things you can not measure, on the contrary!

Reading further you’ll discover how your brand is, in fact, your reputation. I will also reveal a few secrets about how you can influence what others are saying about your company and how that can contribute to repeated high-paying customers. There is also a bonus video at the end of the article

But let’s start with what a brand isn’t, first.

 

What is not a brand

 

A brand is not a logo

Contrary to what your logo designer said (or your nephew)  the logo he made for your HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical or the other service business you own, that is not your Brand. Yes, it is a symbol of your brand, it is one of the things you can do regarding branding your business but it does not equate to your brand.

A brand is not a product or a service

You might say you bought a Lennox, a Trane, VetoProPac, Milwaukee or Exmark, but what you actually say is that you bought their products. Yes, there is a reason why you buy them, but you don’t pay for the reason, you pay for the product. It’s mind-stretching, I know, but it’s important to draw the line between what is and what’s not a brand so you invest your time and resources in the right direction.

A brand is not a promise

I am going to make a confession to you: I used to think that. And there’s some truth in it. People might choose to buy from a specific company because of their promise, but what the brand of that company really is is what that person thinks of that company after he bought the product and experienced the whole process. In Marty Neumeier’s words (renowned author and speaker who writes on the topics of brand, design, innovation, and creativity): “Your brand isn’t what you say it is. It’s what they say it is.” This partially answers to the next question:

 

What is a brand?

 

Your brand is your reputation.

Yep. In short, that’s it! Your brand is a result of everything you do for your customers and your community. When people say: “I heard you’re doing this/you are the best at” – that is your true brand! Word of mouth is and will be the best marketing channel for any kind of business, and especially for field service companies, like yours. And that’s because, in essence, this is what branding really is.

Your brand is what your customers feel about you

“A brand is a customer’s gut feeling about a product, service or company.” says the same Marty Neumeier

Your brand is the customer’s experience, from his point of view, not yours.

This is why branding and marketing for contractors, in general, is so hard. You deal with a lot of subjectivity, to the point where you are forced to personalize everything. But isn’t this what powers businesses? Isn’t the true care for the customers and the ability to respond timely, accurate and professional to their needs what makes a field service company successful?

Related: The Best Scheduling App for Field Service Professionals

 

What can you do to influence your reputation?

 

Knowing that, let’s say, your HVAC brand is not what you do (the input) but what people say it is (the output), are there any ways to have control over your brand? In short, no! There are no sustainable ways to control what people think about you or your service company, BUT there are a lot of ways in which you can INFLUENCE how your customers or anybody else perceives your brand.

Consider these 2 big areas of influence:

1. Everybody in your field services company is contributing to your business reputation. Make sure your partners and employees know that. Consider implementing a reputation-based paying scheme or bonus program that rewards the most 5 stars rated technicians that you have.

2. Everything you do is an opportunity to influence what people are thinking about your business. Even the small things matter. Remember, small things might seem unnecessary at first, but they can have a great impact on public opinion regarding your service company.

If your brand is not a logo it doesn’t mean that you should not invest in designing a good-looking, memorable logo. Just make sure you don’t make it for you but FOR THE CLIENT. They are the ones that should get it, that should easily recognize it and respond to it.

Pro tip: Hire a professional to do that. It’s more expensive, I know, but it’s your reputation at stake. Just for inspiration, look at what the team at KickCharge Creative is doing and how they help HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Lawn Care and other field service companies like yours influence the perception of their clients towards their brand. (We do not have any affiliation whatsoever with KickCharge)

If your brand is not your services it doesn’t mean that you should not make sure that what you do is top-in-class. Just make sure you communicate that to your clients, as simple and descriptive as possible. This way the customer understands the value of your work and you increase the chances that he will continue to be your client in the future. Not only that, but you also increase the chance that he will refer you back to his neighbors, friends, and family.

Pro tip: Make it easier for your customers to promote you:

• You can leave a flyer or a brochure that explains how you can help people from the same demographic
• You can send a text message or an email that asks for feedback and if the feedback is positive you send another text or email where you invite people to give you a 5-star rating on your Yelp profile, Facebook page, Google My Business or other listings.

These days word of mouth is not traveling only at the speed of sound but also, and more common, at the speed of light. Take advantage of it!

If your brand is not the promise you make to your prospects it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t promise anything at all. You have to tell people what you are doing and by doing that you are automatically setting expectations. Just make sure you deliver on your promises and be careful of setting the wrong expectations.

Pro tip: Make sure you stick out of the crowd by putting out what differentiates you from everybody else. This way you avoid making false claims or setting the wrong expectations. To do that I encourage you to take the Onlyness Test, developed by the same Marty Neumeier. Take a few hours and think about what makes you the “only” in your market.

You don’t really have to put it in this format. Look at how Goettle differentiate themselves

We do things the right way, not the easy way.®

Or how we at FieldVibe communicate our value and differentiator to you

The best scheduling app for field service professionals!

In conclusion, your brand is not what you want to show, but what people say about your company. Even though you can’t control it, you can influence what people are saying about your business.

Branding is not about being smart or throwing a lot of money in the marketing machine, it’s about consistently showing that you truly care for your clients. Do that and you’ll see your company thrive not only for the next decade but for the next generations!

And now, the bonus video. Enjoy!