Leads: Get More Work

1.17.2023 - Leads: Get More Work

Author: Philip J. Nichols

The key to getting good customers is the quality of the lead, and the speed of your response. Higher quality leads are most interested in having the problem solved as the goal. Low quality leads tend to make price the primary concern. When the sale is made, you go to work solving the problems caused by nuisance animals. These problems have many components. The animal itself is the primary, most obvious and concerning thing to the distraught homeowner. Smelling and seeing urine and poop, discovering damage to the home, and seeing an animal, will trigger a call for immediate help. And that help is YOU, identifying the problem, and using your skills to remove the animal. The animal that caused damage is gone, and you have the customer's attention…now what?.

Show the damage caused by the animal and what you would do to fix it. Use your camera to photograph the damage when it is in a place where the homeowner cannot see it. Customers prefer one stop shopping which makes selling repair work easier. Of course, you and/or your employees must have the skills and tools needed to make the repairs. If you lack these skills, sub out the work to a company that you have an arrangement with. Leveraging is the term used when an existing job leads to another, different job with the same customer.

Installing an animal exclusion barrier after an animal is removed is leveraging the animal job. It can be a complex task, depending on the specific type of barrier and the structure being protected. Here are some general steps to follow: Choose the right type of barrier: There are many different types of animal exclusion barriers, and it's important to choose one that is appropriate for the type of animal you are trying to keep out and the structure you are protecting. Consider factors such as the size of the animal, whether any waste (offal, feces etc.) needs removal, the type of structure, and the budget.

Take the example where you removed a groundhog that had burrowed under a deck. Leverage this into more profit by installing an exclusion barrier to prevent this from happening again. Here, the deck underside is protected with galvanized steel mesh which cannot be dug under or chewed through.

Wire mesh exclusion barrier installed at deck.

Other possible things to add-on to a job include:

Install new bird proof (dryer, kitchen, or bathroom) vent cover damaged by birds and clean or replace the connector tubing if it is damaged or contaminated. Remove all nesting material, eggs, and dead birds.

Repair raccoon damage to shingles and underlayment

Install chimney cap, clean the chimney, and sanitize the fire box.

Repair to holes made in rotted soffit wood – replace damaged wood,

Remove and replace attic insulation contaminated with urine and feces from raccoons, bats, squirrels, etc.

Remove contamination, mold/mildew, and encapsulate with paint (KillZ)

Odor abatement for skunk, urine, feces, dead animal, etc. - rent out HEPA unit , air purifier, or ozone air scrubber after source of odor is located and removed…

Birds nesting behind shutters on stone exterior: remove nests, clean up the droppings and stains on the stone, then install a barrier.

Power washing decks, siding, roof, and cleaning gutters are jobs that can be offered that will add to your profits.

Ways to get more work providing wildlife pest control services for your business:

When doing work in a development, golf community, retirement/over 55 community, etc., find the HOA contact and make your service company known as the “go to” for nuisance animals. Often, a problem on one property will be occurring on other properties. For example: in the spring where an animal has had a litter, is often duplicated by other animals of the same species in the community. You can spread the word with a listing on “NEXTDOOR” (a nationwide app that connects local neighbors looking for lost dogs, service recommendations, gossip, etc.)

Network: build relationships with other professionals in the industry, such as invertebrate pest control companies, domestic animal control agencies, wildlife rehabilitation centers, and county police dispatchers…all can help you get more work by increasing your visibility and credibility.

Build a reputation: by providing a high quality, professional service, and treating customers with courtesy and respect. you build a positive reputation, which leads to repeat business and word of mouth referrals.

Expand: Offering a wider range of services, such as damage repair, exclusion barrier installation, prevention services, and consultations can help you stand out from competitors and attract more work. Offer an extended service warranty which adds profit and keeps you in touch with your customer.

Stay up-to-date: Keeping up with industry trends and developments, by attending trade shows, and training seminars, and by earning certifications. New technologies, tools, and knowledge of changes to or new regulations, can help you stay competitive and increase your chances of getting more work.

Marketing: advertising your services through a website, social media, and local directories can help you reach more potential clients. Make sure your website is optimized for search engines. Consider offering discounts or special promotions to attract new business. Volunteer to speak at local club (Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions, etc.) functions. People love to hear lively animal stories and you get a free lunch! Make the most of (highly affordable) business cards. While it is easy to consider business cards old-fashioned, this simple marketing tool still generates results.

An exciting new development in artificial intelligence (AI) is here now in the open source program “chatGPT.” This is similar to the Google search engine in that you ask it a question. It differs from a Google response in that it mimics talking with a human being. Google provides a multitude of information to sort through while chatGPT gives just one answer. You can use it in your business to optimize your marketing campaign, or ask it to create a Chatbot that provides 24/7 customer service, answering “frequently asked questions,” and scheduling appointments. Chat GPT is free at the moment, but will be monetized in the future.

Businesses that embrace AI will be able to use predictive analytics to look at historical data to predict trends, identify target markets and optimize marketing. Your website content and social media channels will be SEO-friendly. Your messaging will be personalized based on your individual customers. Customer feedback, survey responses and online reviews will be analyzed to understand customer sentiment and identify areas for improvement.

Where is your business right now? Do you objectively know your subjective perspective? Perspective is relative to where you are and is correct for you. Are you situated in a valley looking up? Or are you on a plateau where you can see up and down? Or are you on the pinnacle? If you are content in the valley or on the plateau, just be aware of what the competition is doing.

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