Growing beyond expectations Pest management is a family affair for Bobby Jenkins, president of ABC Home and Commercial Services in Austin, Texas. Growing up, he appeared with his brothers in print ads for their father’s com- pany, ABC Pest Control and, since taking the reins at ABC, Jenkins has greatly expanded the company. In addition to its core pest management services, the company now offers lawn care, lawn mowing, irrigation, handyman, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, tree services, and more recently, a pool and spa divi- sion, as well as remodeling services. “We had a big pest control company, but Austin is a mid-sized town, so we felt that if we were going to grow at the rate we’d grown for the last 25 years, we had to diversify,” said Jenkins. “Today, we look at each additional division as investing in the future, regardless of the economic cycle, and the rate of growth is paying off nicely in each of the divisions.” The company’s expansion has been so success-
ful that Jenkins doesn’t really look at the non-pest service offerings to be add-ons at all. “When we started out doing this a while back,
these were like add-ons, but they are definitely full-fledged businesses now,” he said. “At first, we went from pest control to pest and lawn, which was originally fertilization, insect, disease, and weed control. But so many people said, ‘Great, you’re in the lawn business, come mow my yard,’ so we finally said, ‘Well, I guess we’ll go into the lawn-mowing business, too.’” From there, the company’s diversification was or-
ganic, with one service bringing about another until about three years ago, Jenkins said they decided to change the name. “We went from ABC Pest Control to ABC Pest
and Lawn Services, and when we added the handy- man services, we said, ‘We’ve got to do something with our name, because we can’t be ABC Pest and Lawn and Handyman and all the other things we want to do.’” Eventually, the Jenkins brothers settled on ABC
Home and Commercial Services. The name change brought with it what he called “a complete mind- change” within the business. “We’re not just a pest control company now, we
are a service company,” he said. “Each of these lines of business is their own service division under ABC
www.npmapestworld.org
5 Ways to Make Cross-Selling Work for Your Company
C
ross-selling is the practice of promoting complimentary items related to the item being sold. For PMPs, this can be as simple as offering handyman service to a termite client who has experienced damage to their home’s foundation as a result of the pest invasion. Add-on services can be a straightforward method to increase a company’s bottom line and see it through seasonal slumps in demand, but for pest management providers to see measurable success in this arena, they need to plan ahead. There is more to add- ons than just inserting a new line item on your company’s services brochure—it takes careful planning and a savvy sales team, armed with the latest cross-selling techniques, to get the message out to the customer and create demand in the marketplace. Before you dive into cross-selling, consider these tips:
1. Train your sales team to service your customers, not to over-sell them. If you’re selling additional services or suggesting additional items simply for the sake of fattening up an invoice, you’ll be doing a disservice to your customer as well as your business. This violates the client’s trust and discredits your company’s reputation. Cross- selling should only be done when it truly benefits the client.
2. Listen to your customers. Is there a service they keep asking for, perhaps something that is not in your current repertoire? If so, con- sider if it is a service your company can effectively and affordably deliver. For example, lawn mowing services can be a reasonably easy start-up to add to your lawn care package. Carefully weigh the pros and cons, the costs and the staffing needs before you venture into a new business line.
3. Learn from history. Use your clients’ past purchase history to cre- ate cross-selling packages. Do customers who buy termite services typically purchase lawn care services several weeks later? Consider creating a package that consists of both products.
4. Focus on your strengths. When adding services it is critical to be wary of spreading your staff too thin. Don’t dilute your core service. If you can’t deliver a supplemental service as effectively as you deliver your pest management services, don’t offer them at all. You run the risk of alienating your core client base, and losing them for both product lines.
5. Tap into referrals to get the word out about your supplementary services. One of the most effective ways to facilitate cross-selling is to rely on personal recommendations from existing, satisfied clients who have purchased multiple services. Quote them in your sales materials, feature them in your print ads, post them on your web- site—the recommendation of a real client is worth more than any marketing jargon your sales team has in their arsenal.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 PESTWORLD 19
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