There’s no question that word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most powerful tools for irrigation professionals trying to build their business. When it works well, a satisfied customer shares their positive experience with your company with a neighbor or friend and the reach of your market share expands out like ripples from a stone thrown in a pond.
I’d like to challenge this idea that just having a happy customer talking about your company is the best-case scenario. It’s fine that they’re saying anything about your work, but have you thought about the actual content of what they’re sharing? What if they were talking about the value of what your dedication to efficient water use does for them?
The theme of this year’s Smart Irrigation Month is “What’s the value of smart irrigation?” This July, I’d encourage you to think about that question in earnest and about how you share that value with your clients. Do they know what effective irrigation practices look like? Have they seen how much you’re able to save them thanks to your expertise?
This July, celebrate Smart Irrigation Month by taking the time to help your clients see the same value in effective water management that you do.
Many of your clients probably have not thought about the power of irrigation for even a minute outside of your time spent with them. For most outside the industry, it’s just the familiar kick of a sprinkler whirring in the morning as they pull out of the driveway and a regular bill they receive both from you and the water provider.
What if, instead, they also thought about it when they head out into the backyard of healthy, green grass to play with their kids after work? Or while sitting on the deck with their partner late into the evening while looking over a vibrant landscape? What if they saw the value of smart irrigation in money saved every month, which can then be used to help fund that family vacation they’ve been planning? Or recognized it in the responsible use of a limited resource, giving them the ability to impact their community in a positive way?
You see all of these benefits because you can’t help it. You think about irrigation every day. This July, celebrate Smart Irrigation Month by taking the time to help your clients see the same value in effective water management that you do.
One easy way to do that is by participating in Technology Tuesday on July 11 when industry professionals wear blue to raise awareness for smart irrigation and share selfies of you and your crew on social media using the #SmartIrrigationMonth hashtag. Visit smartirrigationmonth.org to find irrigation facts and materials that can be shared with clients along with downloadable social media graphics and templates. Finally, make sure to share your story and photos about the value of smart irrigation through the short questionnaire. Some of those responses will be shared online, giving you the chance to publicly show how important efficient irrigation is to you.
Together, let’s get people talking about the value of smart irrigation.
Kyle Brown is editor-in-chief of Irrigation & Lighting magazine and can be reached via email.