Clay – Howard – Digital Marketing Strategy

GRIT Newspaper.  

I know I’m dating myself, especially since most reading this have probably never even HEARD of GRIT!!  Once touted as “America’s Greatest Family Newspaper”, I actually sold GRIT door-to-door as a kid.  Throw in knocking on doors to pitch my lawn mowing skills, as well as speaking to strangers about my faith…..it could easily be said that from a very young age, I’ve always had a knack for talking to complete strangers about services or topics that are close to my heart, things that I believe in.  

That’s probably why I’ve been in sales my entire adult career.  From being a personal shopper for the rich and famous at Bloomingdales in NY, selling automotive repairs at a Cadillac dealership, or assisting online businesses and 5-star restaurants with automating their payment processes, I’ve always enjoyed filling my head and heart with the knowledge needed to effectively present a variety of options that will help the end-user not only succeed but excel.  No high-pressure sales tactics, just honest conversation and reasoning so an educated, well-informed decision can be made.

In 2016, I started working with HVAC contractors, providing them with a variety of financing options.  I traveled the country each week, working with various HVAC Manufacturer and Distributor sales teams and their dealers.  There was a learning curve, being able to understand the lingo and nuances of the HVAC contractor and hvac digital marketing industry, but I enjoyed it. I was amazed at how many dealers had been in business for decades but only accepted cash or checks as payment.  Many struggled with seeing the need to accept credit cards as payment or to offer both first and second-look financing as options. I realized that the reluctance was primarily due to fear of the unknown, especially as it relates to financing.  The rules and regulations of financing, as well as the entire process of applying, approval, and funding, were seemingly too cumbersome. The online, mobile-friendly tool we offered for financing, however, was so simple, even dealers that still had flip-phones were able to learn and master it.  Watching dealers I worked with go from selling 2-3 furnaces a month to 6-10 a month, simply because they started offering to finance to every customer, was both rewarding and fulfilling. Their lives and the lives of their families were changing right before their eyes, all because of a simple, effective presentation I had the privilege of sharing with them.

And that’s what I love about being a part of the CI Web Group Inc. team.  The online marketing tools we provide are fact-based and provide indisputable results.  Regardless of the size of the business or the budget of the client, we’re able to tailor a strategy that will bring continuous results over time.  Simple. Effective. Results. And now, in my relatively short tenure at CI Web Group Inc., I’ve been privileged once again to start creating a portfolio of clients whose lives and businesses are changing because of the 21st-century tools and resources we’re able to provide for them.  I have several clients who had been in business for decades but never had an online presence. They saw the need to have a website, but were either too busy to figure out how to make it happen, were reluctant because of past experiences, felt they didn’t have the required budget, or again, fear of the unknown:

“How can I get a new website?”

“Who can I trust to build it for me?”

“How much will it cost?”

“How long will it take?”

“Will it work and will I get more business?”

Because of the excellent Manufacturer and Distributor partnerships, CI Web Group Inc. has in place, I’ve been able to confidently provide solutions that are bringing positive results for the dealers and territories I work with, month after month. Our smaller dealers are going from “zero” to “hero”, and our larger dealers have been able to more effectively streamline their processes and resources and see the positive time-saving and monetary benefits as a result.

I’m at a time and place in both my personal life as well as a career where I find that I’m very conscious of time.  Each moment spent with family and each hour spent on work endeavors has to count for something, it can’t be wasted.  I feel very fortunate that the management team at CI Web Group Inc. has created a work environment that feels like family and work that gives me purpose.  Each day, every call, every contact with our clients and vendors is meaningful.

If you’re a vendor or part of a sales team, I look forward to meeting you, working to contemplate how we can work together to change the lives of some of your dealers.  If you’re an hvac marketing company contractor, call us so that we can create an online strategy for you, one that WORKS!