Marketing to Canadian Snow Contractors
By Brian Birch


Over the years, SIMA has really taken a long look at the Canadian snow market. We've had a decent presence in Canada for years, but we only got serious about Canada in the last 4-5 years. Here is what we have learned:

• The Toronto market is a big deal: Its a no-brainer that the Toronto market is a bid dog in the Canadian market. We have doubled our membership numbers in that region through some strategic partnering. with key associations like Landscape Ontario, and we have gone to the annual Congress show every year for a long time. Consistently showing these folks that we are serious about snow in Toronto is very helpful in gaining their trust.
  
• Tailor your marketing: We have had our Certified Snow Professional program for years, and even had a few Canadians take it and get certified. However, a few years ago we strategically made a choice to tailor the program, and its marketing, to the Canadian market. We adapted portions of the test to be Canada-friendly (some differences in legal and measurements, for example). We branded it CSP-Canada and used the familiarity of the Canadian maple leaf (not the original one, as its strongly trademarked!) to get their attention. We have grown our Canadian CSP contingent strongly since.
  
• Understand the contracts: We've learned that at least in Ontario, most contractors sell seasonal-based contracts (if you need a recap of this, see my blog post earlier this year on bidding in snow and ice). This means that most of these folks receive a monthly payment each month from customers to manage snow, whether it snows 0 centimeters or 100. Understanding this, especially related to the strength/weakness of a season, can help you determine the best financing or payment options.
  
• Quebec is way different: We have not yet penetrated the Quebec market, nor have we made any strong attempts to do so. This market is completely differently linguistically, culturally, and even operationally; there are some interesting and innovative ideas related to managing snow and ice in Quebec, and as an association we have not yet mastered the knowledge level to approach it effectively, although I think we will be moving toward it in the future.
  
• Canadian Pride: In general, Canadians take a great deal of pride in their country, they are very patriotic. Some of them may be turned off by the classic American salesman approach, you may need to be a little more strategic in how you work with them, as they are maybe a little more laid back. They are hard-working and practical. Do you know when Canadian Thanksgiving is (hint: it just passed)? Do you actually know anything about Canadian history, or who they have on their money? Do you understand their political spectrum, and what they value?

Please, if you would like, share your thoughts and tips about selling snow products or services to Canadians!