Having fun on a Facebook page. Twenty-six people liked this on the Morgan Miller Plumbing page.
Do you need to gain people’s trust to do business?
Is your business service-oriented, where people might hesitate before giving you access to their homes or personal information?
If so, Facebook may be the best way to break down barriers of ignorance.
At a recent Facebook conference in Chicago, Dan Levy, the company’s director of small business, explained how he deliberately picked a plumbing company to show how Facebook can work. He wanted to show how a “non-social” business could gain customers by using the social media giant.
The plumbing company’s biggest problem was building trust among customers who felt hesitant about letting a stranger into their homes.
A social problem
Morgan Miller Plumbing, of Grandview, MO decided they needed to allow the world to get to know them better. But the answer was not to put up pictures of toilets.
The company talked about their workers and their families and interests, and showcased photos of them. Mike likes to fish for bluegill, and Joe has three kids who play baseball. The plan worked. Business has been booming.
Like the plumbing company, the trick is to show others that you are ordinary, honest, real people who are interested in doing the job well. You can’t do this on Yellow Pages, or in the paper. Facebook is a two-way street, with businesses interacting with customers, and building their trust.
And oh, yes, Morgan Miller occasionally sports a picture of a toilet.
