[gravata]The secret is to maintain frequent communication with potential customers.[/gravata]

In each Refrigeration Club magazine, one of the team’s professionals will answer questions from readers on the subject in which he’s a specialist. In this edition, the professional Iago Muraro, from the marketing area, speaks on the importance of the contractor having  basic marketing knowledge so that the existing customer maintains a good image of his work and to obtain new customers by correctly disseminating his services: Whoever works providing services should pay a great deal of attention to how he deals with customers. In addition to servicing the equipment correctly, it’s necessary to have attitudes and behaviors that show professionalism and generate recognition of his work. The contracting parties want to have a service provider that they trust, for the quality of technical work and also for the way he attends and relates to the customer. It’s this trust that will ensure recommendations for new jobs – which is the cheapest and most efficient way to promote their services. In addition to word of mouth advertising, other actions with very low cost can be developed. One is to keep in touch with clients already serviced. A regular phone call to find out if the equipment is working well or if they need some support can help a lot. Another possibility is to register customers and send Christmas or birthday cards. Using creativity is essential. A good example is that of Jorge Junio Ramos, from São José do Rio Preto (SP). He created a sticker with his data, which has brought great results. “The difficulty is to be remembered. If the customer authorizes, I put the sticker on the equipment that I’ve repaired. If necessary, he knows how to find me, because the contact is there, visibly”, he explains. Today, the Internet is the medium most used to search for any information, including on where to find a contractor. So, having a website is also a good opportunity! It can be very simple, with only the contact information and the services you offer. Being present in social networks like Facebook is also useful because the number of users continues to grow and many people resort to friends when they need a recommendation for professionals. Other means can also be used depending on each contractor’s assessment: advertising in newspapers or on store bulletin boards, posters, leaflets etc. Even the well-known technique of putting your business card in the mailbox of local residents works well. The secret is to maintain the frequency of communication. That is, actions can’t be done all at once, because people pay attention to what they need at that moment. If your message arrived at the right time, it’ll be noticed. If not, it probably won’t be saved.