Sustainable Project Growth Reinventing Your Customers

It’s a new reality that is already affecting every customer level within the construction industry—everyone from architects and design firms to contractors to construction material providers to every new equipment, component and technology supplier. And it’s global, expanding quickly and a boon for those who embrace it now.

Increasing demand by the government and private sectors for more sustainable projects is pushing companies throughout the construction industry supply chain to re-evaluate how they must supply and approach their customers. They either add value to a project owner’s quest for a specific level of sustainability or detract from it. Every level of the supply chain must contribute to the goal or risk jeopardizing their customer relationships. Supporting sustainability can also significantly attract new customers and business.

Vendors at all levels must also be willing to drive sustainability within their own companies. It is important to develop and adapt to new levels of transparency, specifications, technologies, products and construction practices driven by sustainable projects.

At CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011, it was quite evident which associations and manufacturers are on board and those that have yet to grasp the situation and opportunity. The good news is that many of the industry trade associations are out in front and contributing by helping to drive sustainable construction practices, rating systems and education for their members.

Reversing Pricing Slide

If not for the energy efficiency and environmental benefits alone, the growth in sustainable construction is quickly reversing the industry mentality of “lowest bid wins” throughout the entire supply chain. Driving pricing within this market is more based on who offers the most value and/or rating points toward the project through development and use of sustainable technologies, products and/or services. Caterpillar and Volvo, as well as many other premium equipment brands, recognize this and are light-years ahead of their lower priced competition.

BMG management saw this coming in 2009 and spent many months researching the potential and long-term impact within the North American and global construction market. BMG Green was launched in 2010 to offer a specific level of expertise and capabilities within the sustainable construction market that has not previously been available to manufacturers, associations and technology firms. Today, we are working with several BMG clients, as well as a handful of BMG Green clients, to help us all succeed in this vibrant and expanding marketplace within the construction industry.

Wish to learn more? Check out www.bmggreen.com and/or contact Brian Barlow or Troy Scroggins at 260-422-7100 or email bbarlow@growwithbmg.com or tscroggins@growwithbmg.com.

Local Marketing: Undeniably Generates Solid, Trackable Results

All too often, marketing tends to forget that sales are driven primarily by either direct field salespeople and/or independent dealer salespeople. Either way, they connect with customers and prospects daily and are the true face of the manufacturer and dealership.

BMG fosters this relationship by working with clients to develop and execute highly-customized local and regional direct marketing programs that frequently link manufacturer field salespeople and/or dealer salespeople together with their customers and prospects within their specific territories or expertise and focus.

Employing both printed customized postcards and electronic e-blasts on a frequent schedule builds a steady relationship with customers and prospects while educating and promoting equipment and services. Here’s the kicker: On each piece is a photo of the sales contact and his cell phone number, which results in direct immediate contact and dialogue results.

Win-Win For All

Customers and salespeople respond well because it connects them directly as soon as the prospect has interest. It helps salespeople stay in touch. Salespeople often become recognized at trade shows, in the field and when they visit customers and prospects for the first time. The targeted messages provide both parties with something to talk specifically about or at least opens up the conversation. Dealer salespeople typically spend more time selling your brands versus others without such support. Success is contagious—they talk about the program often and will tout specific sales from it.

To learn how you can use Customized Direct Marketing to communicate with customers, contact Eric Pulley at epulley@growwithbmg.com or call 260-422-7100. Your sales channel will thank you.

CONEXPO 2011...Wow!

What a great show for all of our clients and for BMG and BMG Green. Thanks in part to Caterpillar and Volvo and their long-term sustainability initiatives, BMG Green fielded a lot of interest. It was also the definitive event that clearly indicated that the U.S. market is returning.

We wish to thank all of our clients and the people we worked with in support of our clients and BMG. Lastly, it was great to see as many industry friends and colleagues as we did. We could not have asked for a better event to celebrate our 20th anniversary.

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