Aaron J. Crowley

Stone Industry Consultant

All right, it’s confession time…I did not watch the Super Bowl when it aired Sunday, February 1.    

Apparently it was a great one: the last minute touchdown before half-time, the crazy catch that put the Seahawks back in the game on the last drive, and the supposedly horrible play that then cost them the win on the one yard line.

The commercials were apparently great too…all except one.

Tuning into the radio on my way to work and on my many errands the following Monday, no matter the channel, no matter the program, no matter the right wing talk show host, everyone seemed to be talking about “that depressing insurance commercial” with varying degrees of shock and confusion.

The reaction to the Nationwide Insurance add was so strong and universal that my Slippery Rock Radar For Relevant Stories and Corresponding Business Principles went off and I decided to look into it.

A quick Google search resulted in the YouTube version of the ad with almost 4 million views and pages of negative headlines that read “depressing,” “upsetting,” and “shocking.”

Now, it is said that any publicity is good publicity and that even bad publicity is still publicity. But my guess is that Nationwide’s goal was publicity that would result in goodwill among viewers and ultimately an increase in sales, not the nomination for “worst super bowl ad of all time.”

And therein lies the lesson for fabrication companies who are working to increase sales and keep more customers: everything we say and everything we do is in essence a commercial for our companies. 

With that being said, consider what kind of commercials your company is running in each of the following areas and how viewers might be reacting:

  1. Web Site – The information we make available online is consumed by an ever more savvy and sophisticated consumer. Websites must first contain accurate and up to date contact information and equally important it must be reasonably fresh, clean, and trendy. An old design, address, phone # or email is a turn-off for a new customer. 
  2. Answering the phone – The first call is where the first real impression is made.  Anyone answering the phone MUST convey the sense that they are sincerely happy to take the call. Even the slightest hint of exasperation will advertise a lack of appreciation that may result in a lack of a sale.  
  3. Quotes – Customers must know what it costs before they can buy, so that information must be supplied in a manner that is timely, simple, and readable. If customers are calling back frequently asking for an explanation on their quote, the “commercial” should be redesigned.
  4. Physical Appearance – Style should not trump substance, but neither should it lag. The appearance of our facility and the attire of our staff must be reflective of the nature of our craft…the most luxurious and expensive counter tops money can buy. A tidy parking lot, a clean showroom, and professional attire bearing the company’s logo advertises seriousness and stability and a sense of security for the buyer.

The Super Bowl is only played once a year and the players get paid whether they win or loose, but our companies must play that high stakes game every day with no guarantees.

As such, our Super Bowl “commercials” must always endear and never offend our fans so our goal of goodwill and increased sales is accomplished. 

Aaron Crowley is a stone shop owner, author, speaker, and consultant to mid-size stone companies. Contact him at aaron@fabricatorsfriend.com.