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How Field Service Companies Can Build Brand Position

Why should homeowners call your company rather than your competitors? And you can’t say great service or high-quality work. Every business makes the same claim. The reality is people have more choices than ever when searching for field service companies.  

Search engines like Google have given homeowners a fast and reliable way to research their options. Anytime a new lead finds your business, they’re likely to compare it against multiple competitors. So, the question is how do you distinguish your company from its competitors? For a start, strong online customer reviews —But that’s a topic for another day.   

Set your business apart from its competitors with brand position. This is the idea of creating a unique place for your brand within the marketplace that distinguishes it from other companies. There are a wide variety of ways to accomplish this, but most importantly, your brand position should be clear and unique.  

This article outlines six proven strategies for creating a winning brand position.  

Alleviating Customer Pain in the Field Service Industry

A strong way to build a brand position is to identify a common pain point or myth around your industry and counter it in your marketing. Ask, what scares homeowners most about your field service business

Is it a fear that technicians will track dirt into the house? Position your company around your thorough cleaning protocols. Is it that a homeowner’s lack of mechanical knowledge will be used to overcharge them for non-essential services? Collect customer reviews that emphasize your fair and honest approach. Is it homeowners’ belief that open-ended pricing leads to surprise fees and upcharges? Promote your flat rate pricing model that provides transparency into the final invoice amount.   

Don’t assume you know what scares people in your market. Ask people. Lots of people. Ask homeowners when they call. Ask your friends. Ask people at church. Ask people at networking meetings. Once you know what scares people, create a position around addressing the problem. 

Supporting Social Good with Your Field Service Company

Create a brand position by associating your company with a social cause. An example is TOMS Shoes, which donate a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair of shoes they sell. Similarly, a Texas contractor operates a pink truck that features the Susan G. Komen logo and donates a percentage of his net profit for that truck to the Komen foundation. This positions his company as the contractor that supports breast cancer research

By connecting your company to social good, not only do you distinguish your brand from your competitors, but you make the buying decision a little easier for potential clients. Knowing a percentage of their money is going to a good cause can push the sale over the finish line.  

Showcasing Company Credentials to Homeowners

When homeowners hunt for a field service contractor, they are looking for expertise. They need a company with the know-how to get the job done right the first time. Positioning your business around its credentials is a strong tactic to build customer trust. 

A Dallas foundation repair company proclaims that they “wrote the book on foundation repair.” Indeed, the founder of the company did write a textbook on the field. By using this credential, the company was able to build a clearly differentiated position others couldn’t match.

What awards has your company won? What training have your people received? How have you been recognized by experts (or as experts)? What publications have you written for or been featured in? Compile a list of all relevant credentials, then leverage them across your platforms. This could be creating social media posts around your technician’s expertise, listing awards on your website’s homepage, or including Better Business Bureau awards in your company email signatures.  

Positioning Yourself as an Expert in Field Service

Ever been to a restaurant with a sprawling menu that features enchiladas, cheeseburgers, and pasta primavera? Doesn’t it make you wonder how good the food can be if they’re attempting to master every international cuisine? 

Instead of being a jack-of-all-trades, create a position by declaring yourself a leader in the industry. You could be a geographic expert, focusing on one suburb rather than the entire metro area. You could be a product expert who knows the ins and outs of a high-demand product. Or declare yourself to be the field service company for the affluent, “Who deserve a higher level of service.” 

Offering a Guarantee to Homeowners

Let’s face it, few jobs in the field service industry are inexpensive. The higher the cost, the more reassurance customers need. That’s where positioning your brand around a guarantee comes in. 

Priceline, the popular travel comparison website, offers a “lowest price guarantee”. If a traveler finds lower rates on the flights or hotel they booked with Priceline, they can send proof within 24 hours and receive a refund for the price difference.  

This is an effective branding position because Priceline exists in a crowded market. There are countless travel websites for comparing prices. This guarantee gives travelers confidence to book with Priceline even if they plan to continue shopping options. More importantly, Priceline is making a realistic guarantee rather than an outlandish claim like “guaranteed to have the best vacation of your life!” 

What is a realistic guarantee you can make? Arrival time? Water temperature? Two-year free warranties? No questions asked, money back? Most energy-efficient HVAC systems?  

Emphasizing a Distinction from Your Competitors  

Do you have points of distinction you could build a position around? In Dallas, Ahron Katz positioned his company as the company with the little red trucks. Another plumbing company in the Dallas area calls itself “the pink plumbers.” Of course, they drive pink trucks. 

Are you the oldest field service company in your area? That’s a position. Are you the biggest company? That’s a position. Are you not the oldest or biggest? Maybe you’re the oldest or biggest “familyowned” company. 

Promoting Your Company Culture 

Maybe what distinguishes you is the collective “feel” of your business. The culture you and your employees have created that’s unique in the industry.  

Texarkana contractor John Price had a revelation after his Hawaiian vacation. Hawaii is fun. People love being a part of the Hawaiian lifestyle. So, he renamed his company from the Price Service Company to Aloha Air. He played Hawaiian music on hold and decked out his employees in logoed Hawaii shirts. Suddenly, his business had a unique company culture compared to most traditional contractors. Business has been booming ever since. 

How Brand Position Amplifies Your Marketplace Visibility 

Brand position is a powerful marketing tool because it elevates your visibility in the marketplace. You’re no longer one of the dozens of contractors in your service area, you’re the guy with the lime green truck. Or you’re the plumbers who donate to clean water projects in developing nations. Brand position sets you apart from competitors and keeps your business at the front of mind for homeowners.  

Need help creating a brand position? Consider flat rate pricing. The simple and transparent pricing model is preferred by homeowners and nets your business more profits. Watch our demo to see how Profit Rhino simplifies flat rate pricing for field service businesses.  

Profit Rhino, a provider of the leading flat rate price books and pricing technology, was built to help home services contractors use flat rate pricing successfully. To learn more about Profit Rhino, watch a demo to see their products in action!

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