IMARK Plumbing conducted a survey of member sales and marketing executives in March to learn more about the “state of the art” of distributor marketing and customer engagement. A special thank you to the 142 member executives who completed the survey.
The results of the survey have been carefully reviewed by the IMARK Plumbing staff and we are committed to supporting IMARK members who want to improve their ability to market and sell products and service to a growing number of customers.
Background
1) Member Customer Mix
| Small Plumbing Contractors (1-9 Plumbers) |
32.56% |
| Medium-sized Plumbing Contractors (10-49 Plumbers) |
19.20% |
| Large Plumbing Contractors (50+ Plumbers) |
9.96% |
| Commercial / Institutional MRO Customers |
9.57% |
| Industrial PVF |
3.97% |
| Retail—from Plumbing Showroom |
9.16% |
| Utility/Water Works |
3.64% |
| Government / Military |
4.39% |
| Irrigation |
3.06% |
| Other |
4.49% |
2) Construction Project / Market Segments
| Residential (single family homes and/or Multi-dwelling units) |
54.62% |
| Commercial |
22.27% |
| Institutional (schools, hospitals, etc.) |
9.04% |
| Industrial/PVF |
4.62% |
| Government/Military |
3.42% |
| Water Works |
3.18% |
| Irrigation |
2.85% |
Customer Feedback
3) Does your company survey customers on a consistent and formal basis to identify wants, needs, likes, dislikes?
| No |
90.60% |
| Yes, quarterly |
2.20% |
| Yes, twice a year |
0.00% |
| Yes, once a year |
7.20% |
4) Does your company conduct in-person focus groups or advisory council to gather customer feedback and direction?
| No |
85.60% |
| Yes, we do this on a regular basis |
3.60% |
| Yes, we do this occasionally as we deem necessary |
10.80% |
New Customer Development
5) Does your company set specific goals relating to the addition of new customers over the course of the year?
Sales Lead Generation And Follow Up
6) Does your company capture sales leads which are generated from your communications activities?
7) Does your company have a process for evaluating the leads and assigning follow-up activities?
Communication Resources
8) Which of the following communication resources/methods are currently used by your company?
| Video on Corporate Capabilities |
4.30% |
| Brochure (Printed/PDF) on Company Capabilities |
36.90% |
| Newsletter (Paper) Mailed to Customers |
7.10% |
| E-Newsletter Emailed to Customers |
26.20% |
| E-mail Campaigns to Target Individuals with Customized Subject Matter Based on Your Knowledge of Customer's Interests, Wants, Needs |
34.80% |
| Segment-Specific Solutions offered by Your Company |
8.50% |
| Direct Mail (sent via USPS) Campaigns to Target Audience |
24.80% |
| Broadcast (or Blast) emails to Recipients that have 'Opted-In' to Receive Messages from Your Company |
23.40% |
| Broadcast Text Message |
15.60% |
| Video Library on Varied Aspects of Your Company Services and Capabilities |
5.70% |
| Webinars for Customers and Prospects on Topics of Interest and Relevance Offered |
5.70% |
| Case Studies or Success Stories Describing Featuring Solutions Provided by Your Company |
24.80% |
New Customer Development
9) Does your company develop and use a Communications Calendar to regulate the flow and frequency of outbound communications?
10) Is there a person at your company that is primarily responsible for overseeing outbound communications to customers and prospects?
11) Does your company utilize an outside ad agency in support of your market communications?
| Yes, almost always |
6.40% |
| Yes, occasionally |
17.90 |
| No, we develop and deploy our communications in-house |
75.70% |
12) Does your company have a separate budget for communications, promotions and training or are all these activities included in the cost of sales budget?
| Yes, our Company has a Separate Budget for Marketing Related Items |
20.00% |
| No, These Activities are Considered a Cost of Sales and Managed Accordingly |
80.00% |
13) Does your company account for and spend 100% of co-op or market development funds earned from suppliers each year?
| Yes |
32.40% |
| No |
54.20% |
| Not sure |
13.40% |
In-Person Training
14) Does your company have a stand-alone training room (on-site) for training of end customer personnel?