San Diego – The
Home Technology Specialists Association (HTSA) is holding its first meeting
under managing director Bob Hana here, this week, under the theme “Focused
Energy.”
However, the
meeting could have been called “lead gen” or other catchphrases of online
integrated marketing that Hana used in his opening presentation, where he
stressed the need for such an effort by the group, in cooperation with its
vendors, to grow the group’s business.
HTSA, which has 63
members and about $400 million in annual sales, has several new vendors in its
fold: Key Digital, Lenbrook America (NAD and PSB brands), Leon Speakers,
Pakedge and Sunbrite TV.
Much of his
presentation, and a panel on market outreach that came after it, was less about
technology and brands and more about generated leads with strong marketing
programs and making sales.
“Membership has to
be serious about what the mission [of HTSA] is. We must support the vendors
that we work with … walk the talk. Marketing will be how we do it, how we can
make it happen,” he noted.
Hana said his goal
is to make HTSA “a fully integrated marketing group … one that is serious about
selling [upscale] goods and services that can only be sold by us.”
He said the only
way to do that is to get leads “from Facebook, from online, from other social
media, and do it effectively.”
One of the main
goals is to “lead the industry in selling technology for the connected home …
and must support those vendors who support our business model. We need to
support the guys that support us, give it our best shot and share our expertise
to our fellow members.”
Hana has
implemented quarterly business plan reviews with members to “stay focused” to
find out “which brands are selling … and to review sales performance goals.”
Newly hired
Kathleen Marini, HTSA’s marketing director, has been charged with developing a
group database to get “more eyeballs to our websites” and increase efficiency
online for lead generation, improving ROI to “acquire new clients.”
As part of the
plan there will be special “e-campaigns, negotiated specials from vendors,”
more SEO and paid search, greater use of HDLiving.com, social media, outreach,
traditional media and print. “I don’t care if it is e-marketing or sandwich
boards … if it works, we will use it.”
HTSA hopes to use
“pull” marketing tactics with a common database and basic web marketing, direct
mail, email, online ad campaigns and member Facebook campaigns to get more
leads.
HTSA.com will be completely
reworked by May 15 to make it a more informational site with minimal
navigation. “The key will be information,” Hana said. Also the group’s Intranet.htsa
will be upgraded with a target date of June 2012.
On HDLiving.com, Hana
said, “It is good, but its presence and ability to create demand and lead
generation has to be improved.” He urged vendors to help the group create new
searchable content, not just in text, but in audio and video demos instead of
just reading about it. “We need to provide the audio and video experience we
are selling,” Hana said.
HTSA members sites
will receive new SEO services and templates will be provided in a variety of
ways — with vendors or on their own — to send emails to existing clients and
potential new ones.
“Databases will be
refreshed and we will get the message to our members’ customers. We will be
able to do monthly newsletters and there is an opportunity for vendors to
provide content for them,” he noted.
Providing Facebook
timeline support, better ROI metrics on lines, improved creative services of
all types for both sales and marketing and training will be part of the effort.
And Hana said that
the “HTSA Style” outreach program will be developed by a committee of members
that will go to other trades — architects, designers and construction
companies — to again, find more sales leads.
The first HTSA Marketing
Summit will be held in Chicago June 11-13 with 15 to 20 vendors and an
equivalent number of members “who are marketing people. We don’t want sales VPs
or CEOs. We want people who speak the language of communications tools —
e-marketing, social networks, outreach, ROI — because we have to get serious
about this. All of us [vendors and members] are all in the same pond. HTSA
wants to sell the products from the vendors that support our business model.”
