Lowering Your Cost of Marketing with Tom Peregrino

For this session we met with Tom Peregrino, President of Service Nation, who shared insights from his own personal experience on reducing marketing spend and maximizing ROI. 

Check the recap below!

Watch the webinar recording here.

About the hosts

Hatch

Hatch is an AI-powered CSR platform designed for contact centers to streamline customer communication. It enables businesses to scale revenue-driving conversations through AI-driven automation, text, email, and calling capabilities. Hatch’s AI CSRs can be trained to handle inquiries, qualify leads, and schedule appointments, ultimately improving conversion rates and lowering overhead.

Service Nation

Service Nation, established in 2002 as the Service Roundtable, is a leading membership organization dedicated to providing comprehensive solutions for contractors in the HVAC, plumbing, and electrical industries. It offers resources such as coaching, training, and events, along with exclusive rebates from over 100 preferred partners, to enhance business efficiency and profitability.

Tom Peregrino

Prior to Service Nation, Tom was a contractor himself, starting as an HVAC installer and working his way up to being an owner and eventually selling the company. He attributes his success in growing his company to the guidance of Service Nation, where he is now president and enjoys helping others achieve similar success.
 

Key takeaways

1. Mastering the marketing mindset

• Contractors often delegate marketing without truly understanding it. This can lead to wasted spend and ineffective strategies.
• Business owners should approach marketing with the same mindset as learning a trade: develop expertise before outsourcing.
• Once mastered, marketing knowledge enables better decision-making, tracking ROI, and targeted branding efforts.
• Many contractors mistakenly believe that spending 10% of revenue on marketing automatically leads to success. Without the right foundation, the spend does not guarantee returns.

2. The importance of branding before PPC & SEO

• Branding should be the foundation of marketing efforts. Without a strong brand, paid advertising efforts will not be as effective.
• A strong brand creates a ‘word-of-mouth machine,’ which leads to organic growth and customer loyalty.
• Contractors should focus on storytelling, building a unique identity, and creating trust with their ideal customer.
• The best customers are referred customers – they come in pre-qualified and cost less to acquire.

3. Creating a memorable customer experience

• Branding extends beyond logos and colors; it encompasses the entire customer journey.
• The best contractors map out their customer experience, ensuring every touchpoint builds trust and encourages referrals.
• Surprising and delighting customers with unexpected extras (e.g., small discounts, gifts, premium customer service) helps create raving fans.
• Branding should make the contractor’s business ‘dateable’ – making customers feel safe and valued from the first interaction.

4. Optimizing lead management & follow-up

• Leads are valuable assets. Not following up properly means losing money.
• The best companies treat lead follow-up as a non-negotiable part of their business.
• Follow-up automation (e.g., Hatch) helps ensure that every lead is nurtured and responded to in a timely manner.
• Personalization in follow-ups (acknowledging past interactions, referencing interests, etc.) increases conversion rates.
• The best practices for follow-up include:
  1. Immediate response: Reach out as soon as a lead is captured.
  2. Multiple touchpoints: Continue following up even if they don’t respond initially.
  3. Value-driven outreach: Instead of just asking for the sale, provide helpful information.
  4. Long-term engagement: Reconnect with old leads to revive potential business opportunities.

5. Steps to implement an effective follow-up strategy

For follow-up and marketing strategies to work, businesses must implement a structured process:

1. Planning: Develop a clear strategy and document standard operating procedures (SOPs).
2. Communication: Ensure everyone in the organization understands the new process.
3. Buy-In: Get team members on board by showing how the strategy benefits them (e.g., increased commissions, fewer missed opportunities).
4. Execution: Roll out the plan in a structured manner, ensuring proper training and adoption.
5. Accountability: Track results, review reports, and refine processes to maximize success.

Final thoughts

Tom emphasized the importance of contractors taking ownership of their marketing and brand identity. A well-documented customer journey, a solid follow-up process, and strong branding will drive high-quality leads at a lower cost.

Attendees were encouraged to:

• Assess their current marketing efforts and identify areas for improvement.
• Develop a clear branding strategy and document their customer journey.
• Implement structured lead management and follow-up using automation tools like Hatch.
• Consider joining Service Nation for expert guidance and mentorship.

Watch the webinar recording here.

Want to learn more?

• Learn more about Service Nation here.
• Hatch customers, reach out to your Account Manager here.
• Non-Hatch customers, you can book a demo with us here.

For past and upcoming Hatch webinars, check out our webinar page!