Good Marketing Means Strong Local Presence

June, 2011

“My goal is to arm our people with the tools they need to not only represent our company properly, but also support our customers in the field.”
Joe Survance, newly appointed Senior Vice President of Marketing for Amano McGann, talks with Parking Today about his new position.
“My staff will prepare our more than 130 sales professionals, both direct and in our distribution network, to work with the different supply channels and the myriad of customer types,” Survance said. “We will do whatever makes sense in each demographic and geographic area.
“We will take our products to market by whatever method makes the most sense.” Survance smiled as he said: “Don’t worry, we will be advertising. But we will also participate in exhibitions, direct marketing and email campaigns, and use more cutting-edge approaches such as the social media networks.”
Survance, who returned to Amano McGann after a decade with other parking suppliers, said the new position is one that was perfect for him. He will be dividing time between his home in the Atlanta area and company headquarters in Minneapolis.
“The most important factor that revenue control manufacturers should bring to the market? Easy: strong local presence,” said Survance. “That’s followed closely by having products that bring operational efficiencies and new revenue streams to the customer.
“The successful companies today will be looking into intelligent transportation systems and its ramifications for parking,” he said. “Parking guidance, for instance, is a hot topic. Different payment options that come through cutting-edge technology, including credit cards, pay-by-cell phone. And AVI-based systems.
“You need to be able to pay for your parking not only by cellphone on-street, but in off-street locations at pay-on-foot machines, or at exit terminals as you leave.
“Of course, having equipment that fits in a sustainable program goes without saying. Many customers, including universities, airports, other public agencies, as well as shopping centers and office complexes have ‘green’ parking programs.
“Amano is a Platinum Launch Partner of the Green Parking Council and strives to improve sustainability as well as assist in parking vehicles more quickly and efficiently.”
Each customer is different, Survance went on. “We are fortunate to have over 300 professionals dedicated to finding a solution to fit each requirement. It’s all a question of how you take care of a customer.
“Although all of our products are built in the U.S., all software is created here and all support is home-grown, Amano McGann has the luxury of being able to implement parking ideas and concepts that have been tried and proven in our sister companies around the globe.
“In the end, a successful marketing program has to do with the ability of a customer to find solutions locally and not have to rely on a ‘factory’ somewhere across the country or in other parts of the world.
“The local staff, whether a distributor or a direct employee, represents not only the factory to the customer, but also the customer to the factory.
“If we can achieve that, then we have done what it takes to be a successful company,” Survance said.