Search Engines Join the Arsenal for Finding Customers

In a mature market, finding new customers can be difficult. Operators must invest more in maintaining and growing their customer base.

Most veterans agree the OCS industry is mature. To maintain profitability in a market with rising costs and fewer new customer prospects, operators find it pays to minimize account attrition, increase sales to existing accounts and continue finding new customers.

Finding new customers in a saturated market requires a commitment to both human resources and marketing. Because customer attrition is high in OCS compared to many other industries, operators need to continue finding new customers to compensate for those lost to attrition.

Fortunately, the Internet has provided OCS operators a new tool for finding leads and soliciting prospective accounts.

Where operators previously relied on phone directories, business directories or purchased lists for new leads, they can now add Internet search engines — such as Google, Yahoo, MSN and Ask.com — to their arsenal of tools. Operators can use the Internet to get names, addresses and phone numbers of prospective customers. They still need to do some additional research before qualifying a lead. However, assistance for qualifying leads is also available for those willing to pay for it.

"I think it's important to utilize a variety of methods today," said Bob Tullio, vice president of marketing at Gourmet Coffee Service Inc. in Van Nuys, Calif. "It's a little harder to knock on doors because of security issues. Today, you can't walk in the building without an appointment." Tullio's company utilizes telemarketing, direct mail and the Internet, in addition to relying heavily on referrals from existing customers.

Internet becomes a major source for service purchasers

Purchasers of business services are increasingly using the Internet to shop. Search engines are slowly replacing phone directories as the key source for finding business services such as OCS and vending.

There is a variety of services available to operators willing to pay for assistance. Operators can invest in "pay per click" services with Internet search engines that will help them.

Internet search engines are the newest but by no means the only useful tool available to operators that need a steady supply of new customers. The more traditional tools of telemarketing, direct mail, in-person soliciting and in-person networking all play a role in the ongoing quest for account acquisition.

Most critical tool remains salespeople

The most critical sales tool of all, most veterans agree, is the salesperson. Hence, attracting and motivating the best possible salesperson should receive top consideration.

A good salesperson not only converts a lead into a sale, but will also develop high-quality leads on his or her own.

This article will focus on ways an OCS operator can support sales by increasing the supply of prospective customers.

A major benefit that the Internet offers is not only as a forum for buyers and sellers to meet, but as one that allows sellers to gather information from a prospective buyer that enables them to qualify the lead. The Internet allows buyers to shop and provide information on their needs at their own convenience. Sellers can then review this information after it is sent to them via e-mail.

An online shopping forum eliminates much of the person-to-person communication required to qualify a lead.

Internet buying and selling forums emerge OfficeCoffee.com and BuyerZone.com are two Internet shopping forums that allow customers to solicit bids from OCS companies for free. (BuyerZone.com encompasses numerous industries whereas OfficeCoffee.com focuses on vending, OCS and water service.) These websites request information about the size of the work site, the type of service sought, whether or not they already have a service provider, the type of business they are (industrial, educational, professional, etc.,), the zip code, and how soon service is needed.