Running a pest control business efficiently isn’t always easy. There are the day-to-day challenges, like optimizing your technicians’ workloads and managing customer calls.
But you also have to master all those big-picture strategies necessary to sustain success. Things like:
- Balancing resources with seasonal demand
- Implementing the right tools and processes to stay competitive
- Building customer relationships and an unbreakable brand reputation
It’s a lot to manage. And the reality is, if you make a few mistakes, another company, with its operational processes, scheduling, marketing, and everything else figured out, will come out ahead in your market.
So, how can you free up time and resources for meaningful projects that promote growth? How do you know what strategies to prioritize?
This article shares seven tried-and-true tips that will streamline everyday operations and drive serious business growth. Read on if you’re looking for tips to help you run your pest control business like a well-oiled machine.
Staying Ahead in a Competitive Pest Control Landscape
So, just how competitive is the pest control industry?
In 2023, there were 34,000 pest control businesses in the U.S., generating a combined USD 17.4 billion in revenue. The top three brands make up over one-third of the market. The leading 20 brands have about 55% of the U.S. market.
By nature, pest control services will always be in demand. You don’t have to worry about mosquitos, cockroaches, mice, and all the other critters you help your customers get rid of disappearing anytime soon.
However, you can’t count on that level of certainty when it comes to competition. From small local businesses to well-known national brands, you have to stay ahead in every aspect of running your business to offer the best service and keep your customers.
The way to do that is to be strategic. Use tools, processes, and tips to help your business run more efficiently while offering the best possible value to your customers.
FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS: 5 Strategic Insights for Pest Control Companies
4 Effective Business Strategies for Running Your Pest Control Business
There are dozens of ways to improve your pest control business operations. But not all of them are worth your time.
Here are four strategies that will make a big impact:
1. Create Consistent Customer Experiences.
Effective marketing and branding are essential for the following:
- Reaching potential customers
- Building brand awareness
- Generating leads
One of the cornerstones of effective marketing is consistency. Why?
Inconsistent experiences dilute your marketing efforts.
Let’s say customers get the impression that your pest control business is extremely efficient from your social media posts. Your brand projects promptness and fast, affordable solutions.
But then they get a different impression during the appointment booking process.
They try to schedule a service call, but they don’t get a call back from a representative right away. Also, your services are more expensive than those of your competitors.
As a result of this disconnect, their trust in your company will drop before your technician even gets to their door.
But being consistent across all your channels will put more power behind all your marketing efforts.
A potential customer might meet your brand for the first time on your website, a Google Ad, or a phone call. It doesn’t matter what channel, where, or how. Wherever they meet your company, online or offline, they should get the same experience.
Here’s what you can do to create consistent customer experiences:
- Develop a brand style guide. Use this as your north star for decisions related to design and copy, style, and tone.
- Identify your values, mission, and purpose. These elements are your brand story and should be the thread that weaves through all your marketing messages—ads, emails, blog posts, and business cards. Everything should align with your story.
- Build templates to guide your marketing. Make them for frequently used assets like location and services pages, marketing emails, and digital ads.
- Ensure continuity online and offline. This goes for everything. Company uniforms should have the same color palette as your website. The words your customer hears when someone answers the phone should match the values you express on your “about us” page.
Over time, this consistency will help forge stronger customer relationships and trust.
FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS: How to Grow a Pest Control Business
2. Automate Scheduling and Field Service Management.
Scheduling and field service management are two of the most challenging aspects of running a pest control business.
Unless, of course, you have a good system.
With flexible service scheduling software, you can:
- Customize the details of visits necessary for each pest control service, simplifying scheduling.
- Tailor the details of your service reminders.
- Send automated appointment reminders by phone, text, or email.
- Generate detailed service reports in minutes.
A full-featured pest control scheduling and field management solution also makes life easier for your technicians. Help your technicians work efficiently with the ability to:
- Optimize routes to save time and fuel costs.
- See where your technicians are in real-time.
- Communicate about service calls on the go with a mobile app.
3. Invest in Training and Certification.
Want to offer more value to your customers? Increase your profit margins? Help your pest control company stand out as a leader in your market?
Make sure your technicians are well-trained.
Offer your techs pest control training, certification, and recertification opportunities.
Industry organizations are an excellent resource for both technical education and business management. Here are three organizations you can use to find training courses for you and your pest control employees:
4. Build a Cycle of Feedback.
Being customer-centric can help your pest control business sustain long-term success. Employees at customer-centric companies view their employers as financially stable and competitive.
Sixty-one percent view their company as growing, and 37% believe their company is ahead of the competition.
One of the best ways to better serve your customers is to ask them what they want.
After every service call, request feedback via email, text messages, or even a personal phone call. You can ask questions like:
- What did they like about your services?
- What could your company do better?
- What types of pest control services or offers are they most interested in?
You should also ask for reviews. Share a link to your Google reviews. Google will generate one for you that directs customers to your Google Business Profile. You can also encourage them to visit local review sites like Yelp or Angi.
Create a system for capturing feedback from customer surveys, reviews, and any other channels you have for gathering this info.
You can also store this information in your pest control customer relationship management (CRM) software. That way, you can not only learn about customer sentiment but also have data to help you better target your existing customers and encourage repeat business.
RELATED ARTICLE: 7 Steps to Improve Your Pest Control Business
3 More Tips for Financial Management and Growth
Financial management is another integral part of running a pest control business effectively.
Responsible money management frees up resources to invest in growth. It also helps your business avoid cash flow challenges and maintain good credit. All of this leads to access to better financing opportunities and less stress.
Here are three tips that can help unlock your company’s financial potential:
1. Create Regular Budgets.
A lot of pest control companies follow a yearly or quarterly budget. If you want to gain more control over costs, follow a monthly budget, too. That way, you’ll be able to spot opportunities or problems — and address them — faster.
2. Automate Expense and Invoice Tracking.
Reduce errors and gain clarity on your accounts with software that tracks and generates reports for business expenses, job bids, and invoices. Streamlining financial tracking with software will also save time.
3. Expand Your Services.
Branching out into specialist pest control services can increase revenue. It also gives your business a competitive edge.
Assess the market. Are there any specialist services your competitors aren’t offering, like bat exclusion, squirrel removal, or termite control? If you’re the go-to pest control business for a specialist service, you can attract more customers for your core services as well.
FROM ONE OF OUR PARTNERS: A 5-Step Guide to Annual Planning for Your Business
Start Now: Ideas You Can Implement Today to Run Your Pest Control Business More Efficiently
Running your business more efficiently opens the door to great flexibility, higher revenue, and happier customers. So, what are you waiting for? Get started with simple steps that will put you on track for growth. Here are three you can implement today:
Audit Your Online Marketing Assets.
Review your website’s pages, social profiles, and Google Business Profile. Make a list of inconsistencies you need to address.
Draft a Customer Feedback Email.
Write out three questions requesting feedback from your customers. You can send these via email after service.
Evaluate Your Tech Stack.
Do you have the right software for your pest control business? Could you save time and streamline with an all-in-one solution?
If you don’t already have a CRM, sales, accounting, scheduling, and bidding solution, now’s the time to upgrade your technology. Ensure you have the tools to run a wildly successful pest control business.
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