Top 5 Water Dealer Frustrations – Number 1 – No Consistent, Affordable Lead Sources
(Video transcript included below.)

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT [EDITED]:

Mark Schabes: Welcome back. I’m Mark Schabes, General Sales Manager at The LeverEdge.

Matt Millar: My name is Matt Millar, Dealer Development at The LeverEdge.

Mark Schabes: We’ve been working to uncover the Top 5 Frustrations for dealers in the water business and we’ve made our way all the way to Number 1  – No Affordable, Consistent Lead Sources.

Matt Millar: The top dealer complaint by a wide margin has always been limited lead sourcing. Customer acquisition is top of mind for every business owner in any industry and ultimately it’s what separates the winners from the guys that just get the participation trophies.

Mark Schabes: And although we hear from dealers struggling with this issue, it’s amazing how often the dealers are restricted by their old processes and the old ways of doing things. Typically these guys who have been in business for decades say, “Hey, it only works this way… I’ve been doing it this way for so long… It works… It’s never failed me.” But it is failing them. Times are changing and they’re not keeping pace with the modern times.

Matt Millar: So, more than ever, consumers are aware of potential water challenges through an onslaught of news and information. I mean, every single day we hear about a new water quality issue throughout the states and it’s being disseminated mostly through digital means, digital sources. Right. And if you think about the way that the water industry historically, and even today, has gone to market, it hasn’t been through digital means. So, in that regard, it is an untapped industry.

Mark Schabes: If you think about it – and those of you who’ve been around for a while, this will make sense to you – cold calling died with the ‘Do Not Call’ list. Direct mail is tricky. It can be very expensive and usually, it doesn’t work unless you give some kind of a gimmicky offer or a gift card or something like that. It’s a very indirect way to get in front of a consumer. Some companies use retail partnerships. We’ve seen companies getting involved with the big box stores and things like that, which can generate a pretty regular stream of opportunities. But it’s also extraordinarily expensive and there are limitations to that partnership. There’s also a looming threat that that partnership could end at any time. So you’re propping up your business on another company or another retailer, and if that retailer has a change of heart about you or their direction, then what happens to your company?  So one thing that’s true, and Matt hit on it previously, is if you need more lead sourcing, you need to learn how to get after it a new way. And you’re going to have to make some changes.

Matt Millar: Many of you have tried internet options like pay-per-click, SEO, social media campaigns, and so on – sometimes with little benefit, unfortunately, because establishing a new marketing campaign requires lots of time, lots of energy, personnel, and money, of course. Furthermore, if you don’t really understand what you’re doing, you’re not getting a great return on that investment. So what’s the fix? How can you create a steady flow of prospects to start growing your business?

Mark Schabes: That’s a great question, Matt, and what we’ve learned through all of our interaction through the years with our dealers and through our investments in marketing more recently is that the answer is not WHERE you prospect; it’s really more about HOW you prospect. To understand that best, we start with the customer journey – looking at the customer’s perspective, what are they going to respond to? And then, what are their expectations from the very beginning,  the first marketing touch, through the first interaction with the water dealership, through the water testing experience, the sales experience, the installation, and beyond? You’ve got to build a marketing program with ALL of that in mind.

Matt Millar: That’s a great point. We’re super-excited to bring this to the industry and we have revolutionized that customer experience so that throughout the entire sales cycle we’re delivering exactly what the customer wants right. LeverEdge dealers have an expansive toolkit full of all the answers to these top challenges that we’ve been talking about, including customer acquisition. We’re passionate about helping water dealers succeed. It’s all we do.

Mark Schabes: And furthermore, I’d like to make one final point, Matt, and that is that, unlike other manufacturers that are out there, this is all that we do. We don’t service any other subsection of the water industry. We don’t get heavily involved in big commercial applications. We don’t sell our products through retail channels. We only work directly with the professional water treatment industry, direct to the dealer, and that’s it. So, if you can, go ahead and reach out to us, give us a contact, we’d love to help you if we can.

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Water dealers that partner with The LeverEdge receive unparalleled support for their equipment and marketing needs.
Need help with marketing and leads?  Contact Us today. Or call 800-929-3919 (option 3,2).