Why are your snow customers stressed right now?

by Brian K. Birch

Its that time of year again, one of the most stressful times of year for snow management professionals. These folks  are swamped right now, as many of them are gearing up for the fall cleanup season, closing out the summer business, and to add to all of that, trying to sell snow and plan for it. Sounds easy, right?


Imagine the challenge they face; most of their clients have not made a final decision on who they will work with in snow, so our snow contractor friends are focused on forecasting as close as they can how the season will turn out (actually this might sound familiar to you). Many of them have already committed to purchasing deicing products and equipment, and many are busy signing subcontractor agreements if they use subs. Overall, they are allocating a great deal of time and company assets to something that hasn't happened yet, and something they can't quite predict with any high degree of certainty.


As you market and sell to snow folks over the next month, keep these things in mind:

• Your sales cycle should match theirs to some degree. Many contractors won't fully commit on some items until they nail down some contracts, and when they do, they'll want a fast turnaround
• They are estimating their equipment and product capacity/needs, and the best ones are keeping some capacity in reserve. Make sure you understand what they are investing in, and why they are purchasing
• They will also soon begin prepping their shops and equipment for the season, how are you helping them get ready? They'll need strong communication from dealers and distributors. Calling in to their offices and asking 'how can we help?' is a powerful tool
• Providing information about how your products will not only help them, but help their customers, is paramount. Will your equipment create efficiency for the consumer? Will it improve the reliability of the contractor servicing the account? Will it help reduce slip and fall liability? Helping your customers sell to their prospects is a great advantage!

We've touched on many of the business elements, but let's not forget that these folks are people too. They have family and personal commitments, many of which get sacrificed for the sake of their businesses. Sending a nice reminder or card, a small gift, or something else that reminds them that not only do you have a product or service that can help, but that you actually care about them, could be a powerful marketing concept during this highly stressful time of the year. Either way, snow professionals are taking the needed steps right now to ensure that all of us in snow/ice regions can go about our daily lives this winter, I am thankful for them!