When it comes to termites, you’ll find that just about all of your prospects and customers know the risks involved. Termites are infamous for their ability to infest an area, cause costly damage, or even destroy a home. When homeowners find out that they have termites, it doesn’t take much convincing to sell them on taking steps to eliminate the problem.
Making homeowners aware of the problem before it becomes a glaring issue though, can be a challenge. While termite swarms are often an indicator of a problem on the property that can quickly spread to the home itself, many homeowners may not even suspect that the cloud of flying insects they see is, in fact, a termite swarm. Sooner or later they’ll end up seeing a termite swarm in their house.
Alerting Homeowners to the Presence of Termite Swarms
Depending on their past experiences with termites—if they’ve had any—many homeowners may be entirely unaware of how to recognize termites on their own property. While your technicians can call a customer’s attention to signs of termites during a service visit and educate them on what you can do about the problem, many other homeowners are simply unaware that they have a problem.
By strategically using email marketing and social posting, you can inform prospects about what they should be on the lookout for when it comes to termites. Even better, you’ll also ensure that your pest control company is top of mind if they do discover that they have a problem or want a professional opinion. Here are some of the key identifiers that you’re already familiar with which your potential customers may not be.
Many customers may ask:
“What do I do about termite swarms?”
“How long do termite swarms last?”
“What do termite swarms look like?”
These questions and more can easily be addressed with email marketing and social posting.
Airborne Swarms
When the average homeowner thinks of termites, they likely jump to an unsettling image of a nondescript bug burrowing into the studs of their house. If they’ve never had a termite problem before, they may not even be aware that termites can fly.
By sharing posts or emails that focus on the idea of termite swarms—ideally with a photo or two—you can let your customers know that termites can appear similar to winged ants and are often airborne surrounding an area where the colony has taken up residence. Let them know that they should investigate these areas for decaying trees, roots, or other wooden materials. By helping homeowners to identify potential termite swarms, you afford them the opportunity to deal with the colony before it is well established or comes closer to their home.
Mud Tubes
While your team of pest control experts can spot termite mud tubes a mile away, the average homeowner may not think twice about them. Especially when the tubes only first start to appear, some homeowners may just think that they’re marks left by dripping water and hose them away.
By letting your customers and prospects know what mud tubes are, what they indicate, and where to look for them—again, sharing photos on social media can be both powerful and informative—you give them the knowledge they need to potentially identify a problem early on. This is not only a better situation for the homeowner but also creates the opportunity for you to offer your services, show them the quality of customer service you provide, and turn them into a return customer for all of their future pest control needs.
Present Options for Eliminating Termites
Once homeowners are aware of a termite problem, they tend to recognize that addressing it isn’t optional; it’s a matter of necessity. If your post or email helped them to recognize their termite issue, then you’ve already helped to ensure that your pest control company is top of mind for them. To help them commit to enlisting your services, it’s important to ensure they know exactly what their options are and how you can help.
Even before a homeowner requests a consultation or estimate, you can start selling your services by sharing some insight into how you can help with their problem. Posts or emails that emphasize your expertise, the different methods of treating termites, and anything that sets your pest control business apart from others can be key to bringing in that new business.
Consider putting together a post that details the differences between spot treatment and full treatment. Explain the time that each treatment takes to highlight the value of each, as well as how effective each method is. Don’t hesitate to point out any steps or details that are specific to your business, as this can help to emphasize how knowledgeable your team is and begin building trust with potential customers. For instance, does your pest control business offer any type of guarantee or follow-up visit with either approach? Pointing this out can help differentiate you from other companies.
This is also a great opportunity to highlight the importance of ongoing, preventative treatment methods like Sentricon integrated pest management. Highlighting the benefits of this system and the peace of mind that it provides can help you turn a homeowner with termites into a recurring customer who knows that they can count on your company to protect their home with long-term pest control solutions.
By making targeted efforts to use email and social media to educate your audience about identifying termite swarms, termite treatment costs, and other evidence of termites, you cultivate an environment in which your prospects and customers think of your company first if or when they encounter signs of termites. To learn more about how PestPac can help you get that information in front of more prospects, and also how it can help you provide outstanding service to customers with termites, reach out to us today to schedule a free demo.
