Building a Snow & Ice Marketing Plan

By Brian K. Birch

Okay, so generally in this industry we sort of just put together some materials and throw them at contractors starting in September, and carry through until winter hits...cuz that's when we see a lot of web traffic and sales, right?

This strategy is pretty effective and has some value; getting to the snow professional when they have their own sales in mind is a good thing; as they put out bids, they will naturally be thinking about what equipment, services, and materials they need to purchase in order to actually perform the work...scarily enough, some of them will have to move very quickly on purchases and rentals if they get some of the bigger jobs they are bidding on.

The big challenge at this time of year, however, is that it is an extremely busy, stressful, and chaotic time for a snow contractor. They are constantly bidding properties and running numbers, with a customer base that historically likes to get bids and then wait until the last minute to make a decision on a contractor. In turn, this stresses the suppliers to the snow contractor market, as they won't purchase until they know what accounts they will actually be servicing.

So how do you edge out a strategy in this challenging seasonal business? Here are some things I have seen work for SIMA and for other suppliers over the past 5 years:

• Stay in front of snow contractors more often than just in the fall and early winter. If they don't hear about you until October, or you don't remind them that you exist, they are just as likely to purchase from a competitor
• Form long term relationships and check in frequently...touching base with a snow contractor in the summer is a good idea, you want to plant the seed BEFORE the chaos hits, and definitely before the snow flies!
• Segment the market: There are many types of snow contractors, a small landscape contractor with just a few trucks for plowing in winter, a small staff broker who subs out all the work but owns little to no equipment, and everything in between. Who are the key snow contractors who represent your ideal customer? Who are your best customers, and how do you find companies like them?
• Make it snow-specific if you can; don't try and co-op your landscape ads or materials for snow people, the feedback I've heard is they want to know that you are an expert in snow, not just landscaping
• Structure marketing and sales offers to help alleviate the pain of cash flow; help them manage cash by working with them on financing or payments...there is a huge risk for them to take on new work (which they must do to purchase anything from you), purchase materials and equipment and manpower for readiness, and then sit for 60-90 days before any payments come in the door...how can you help them manage this challenge, while generating an ROI with your products or services?
• Understand them: They provide an emergency service that entails crappy weather, long hours, and tons of headaches...do you appreciate them? Does that appreciation shine through in your marketing and sales efforts?

These are just a few thoughts, feel free to share any other ideas that work below!