Lead generation and appointment-setting campaigns are challenging enough when you’re targeting one specific set of customers. When you’re reaching out to multiple prospect bases, each requiring a different list and message, the task becomes even more daunting.
That was the directive for VSA’s partnership with Allergy Technologies LLC, a relationship that began last summer and remains strong nine months later.
Allergy Technologies has developed the next generation in pest control solutions. The company creates and provides innovative, effective, and consumer-friendly products designed to improve people’s quality of life through the control and prevention of bed bugs. The company is the creator of ActiveGuard® Mattress Liners, the only bed bug product that can prevent infestation 24/7 for two years, and the only EPA-registered product for sale labeled for the prevention of bed bugs.
Allergy Technologies asked VSA to reach out to prospects in three distinct silos: pest management professionals, the hospitality industry, and affordable housing. The latter campaign involved raising awareness of a comprehensive new program called ATHAC™, the first proven, cost-sustainable approach to control and prevent bed bugs in affordable housing.
ATHAC’s results speak for themselves. Two-year data from the program’s launch in Philadelphia reveals:
- 99% of units did not have an introduction or re-emergence of bed bugs
- An 81% reduction in the number of required treatments compared to historical frequency
- More than 40% operational savings to property management
- 40% reduction in technician onsite time
Such results could permanently alter the affordable housing environment for the better, but only if the message is received by the right people. Part of VSA’s job has been to initially convey the benefits of ATHAC to housing authorities and property management executives, as well as to help answer any questions about the program. As needed, we provide inbound services for Allergy Technologies, in addition to our ongoing outbound campaign.
We have continued to reach out to prospects in the pest management and hospitality industries, who regularly face bed bug challenges of their own. VSA always customizes programs to meet the needs of our clients—in the case of Allergy Technologies, we’ve built three different customized programs.
Though there is some overlap in the messaging for the three target audiences, each required their own phone scripts and email templates, with specific pain points addressed. VSA developed these three sets of scripts and emails in close collaboration with Allergy Technologies during the onboarding process last summer. Since then, we have tweaked the messaging several times to include additional examples of the company’s success. (Most notably, a five-year contract with the Philadelphia Housing Authority for ATHAC and, for the hospitality silo, a case study involving Cornell University’s iconic Statler Hotel that showed more than 530,000 consecutive room nights without a bed bug incident.)
In all three cases, our goal has been to schedule video or phone call appointments between interested prospects and Allergy Technologies President Joseph Latino, or one of his fellow sales/technical specialists. We have been successful in this goal, setting dozens of appointments since the launch of the program.
“VSA has become an early primary step in our sales funnel,” Mr. Latino says. “They have increased our customer bandwidth immensely with no sacrifice to detail or attention in the early recruitment phase of our business model.”
Mr. Latino added that VSA has enabled his company to connect with prospects they might not have been able to reach otherwise.
“Allergy Technologies’ robust relationship with VSA has opened far more ‘portals of opportunity’ for us to further discuss our product (ActiveGuard®) and programs (ATAHC™) with interested potential customers,” he says.
The “robust relationship” that Mr. Latino describes includes more than just a successful business partnership. Our work alongside Allergy Technologies has been a true collaboration, as is our goal with all our clients.
“Joseph and his team are very easy to work with,” says Lascelles Straker, the Program Manager for the campaign. “Our communication with them is very strong. If any issues arise, we come to a solution together very quickly and push forward.”
One of the challenges we have faced during the campaign is dropped appointments, which is common when you’re dealing with busy people on tight schedules. But we’ve been successful in rescheduling a significant number of these appointments.
We’ve also been able to schedule plenty of “high-value” appointments with the types of decision makers that are more likely to lead to closed deals for Allergy Technologies.
As with all programs, the success rate fluctuates from week to week, but overall, VSA’s partnership with Allergy Technologies has been truly a win-win, which is exactly the way we like it.
If you’re looking to grow your sales funnel the way Allergy Technologies has, give us a call. We’d love to see how we can work with you.