Top 9 Takeaways from MN Propane Association Retreat
If your business is not growing, it’s dying. With 5+ million new businesses starting every year and 600,000 small businesses failing annually, your brand determines whether customers choose you. Steve and Beth Gasser presented at the MN Propane Association Summer Retreat on building your personal and company brand.
“It was an honor to be asked to present to the Minnesota Propane Association and connect with such passionate, dedicated professionals in the industry. The camaraderie and engagement Steve and I experienced reinforced to us why the propane community is so special.” ~ Beth
Here are nine things you can take action on right away!
1. Speed = Respect & Sales
Your response time isn’t just efficiency; it’s respect. Every quick response tells customers their time matters. Set clear response time standards for all communications. Speed, flexibility, and familiar names and faces are your competitive edge over large competitors.
Action: Commit to responding to all customer contact, including phone calls, emails, and social media messages, as quickly as possible so your company brand builds a reputation for responsiveness.
2. Remember: Branding = Reach + Reputation
Your brand consists of two things: the people you connect with (reach) and the trust you build with them (reputation). Every marketing effort should expand your audience while deepening relationships with existing customers.
Action: Audit your current efforts. What are you doing to reach customer and prospects? Are you building deeper trust through reviews, customer stories, and other social proof?
3. Leverage Your Propane Industry Edge
You have advantages large competitors can’t match: genuine passion for propane, treating employees like family, and deep community engagement. Use these differentiators in all you do.
Action: Write down what you are known for. Now write down what you WANT to be known for and focus future efforts on building your brand to support that goal.
4. Make Every Employee a Brand Ambassador
Your delivery drivers, service techs, and office staff ARE your brand to customers, especially in the moments they take to answer a question, wish someone a happy birthday, or go the extra mile. Ensure everyone understands company values and knows about all promotions and marketing efforts so everyone can feel prepared and confident if asked questions about communications a prospect or customer has received.
Action: Review everything leaving your office and posted on social media in team meetings so all staff know about promotions, contract deadlines, and communications when customers ask questions.
5. Photos of Familiar Faces is Your Advantage
People connect with people, and photos deepen relationships. Use current photos of yourself and your team on your website, marketing materials, and social media. When you build your personal brand, credibility in your industry, and become a familiar face to many, people will reach out to you, so make your contact information easy to find.
Action: Schedule a professional headshot session this month and update all your profiles.
6. Choose Your Channels and Stay Consistent
Focus on channels where your customers are: Google Business Profile, Facebook (B2C), LinkedIn (B2B), local chamber, and email newsletters. Consistency across all channels builds trust and recognition, making you the obvious choice when customers need propane services.
Action: Pick 3 channels and commit to posting consistently and responding promptly to messages and comments.
7. Turn Customers Into External Ambassadors
Your best marketing comes from customers who share stories, leave reviews, and make recommendations. Google also serves as an external ambassador by showing your business in search results.
Action: Ask satisfied customers for reviews and create a system to request testimonials after successful service calls.
8. Go Beyond Your Logo
Your brand is made up of many things, like your logo, colors, and messaging, but also the reputation you build through word-of-mouth, reviews, customer stories, and social media posts showing your work. Yes, put your professional logo on everything: trucks, invoices, sponsorships. But go beyond your logo to focus on the experiences that build lasting reputations.
Action: Share one customer success story or behind-the-scenes video this week that showcases what you do to others.
9. Leverage Your Hidden Assets
Many propane businesses underutilize valuable assets: community involvement, employee expertise, long-term customer relationships, and industry knowledge that positions you as the local expert.
Action: Humility is great, but it’s okay to highlight when your team is involved in the community, staff are doing great things, or customers love you. Share these stories on social media or in a customer email today.
Your Business is What Customers Say It Is
Remember, people can’t know, like, trust, recommend, or do business with you if they don’t know about you. Your brand, built through reach and reputation, determines success. You’re already building relationships in person. Extend your relationship-building online and ensure every interaction reinforces the reputation you want.
In propane, trust and reliability are everything. Make your brand reflect the passion, community engagement, and family culture that sets you apart.
Beth & Steve Gasser, VividPropaneMarketing; Nancy Mathison, RCC
