Dealer and installer program marketing is the work of persuading contractors to join, use and stay active in a manufacturer's or distributor's channel program. That includes the locator on your website, the program pages that explain tiers and benefits, co-op marketing support, and the routing that sends homeowner inquiries to the right installer. We are a marketing and advisory service, not a contractor; we never install or service your products, and we don't compete with the dealers you support.
What it is
Most manufacturer programs have the same parts: an application, tiers with requirements, a set of benefits (rebates, leads, warranty extensions, training, co-op funds) and a public "find an installer" tool. The parts are rarely the problem. The problem is that contractors don't understand the value, don't keep their profiles current, and stop paying attention after joining.
Our work focuses on four things:
- The locator. Search that works on a phone, listings with real service areas, profile fields dealers will actually fill in, and leads that reach a named person.
- Program pages. Plain explanations of each tier: what it costs the contractor in effort, what they get, and how quickly.
- Co-op and marketing kits. Ready-to-use ads, page copy, photos and rebate explainers dealers can put on their own sites and social accounts.
- Activation and re-engagement. Messages to opted-in dealers when something changes: a new product, a rebate, a training date, a lapsed profile.
Our dealer locator playbook covers the locator side in step-by-step detail.
Who it's for
Manufacturers of equipment and building products sold through installers, master distributors running dealer networks, and buying groups that market on behalf of members. It suits programs with at least a few dozen active dealers; below that, direct relationship management usually works better than marketing.
What's included
- Program audit. Locator data quality, lead routing, page clarity and co-op usage, compared against what dealers tell your reps.
- Dealer interviews. Short calls with a sample of active and lapsed dealers about what they value and what annoys them.
- Locator and page rebuild. New structure, copy and lead routing, tested on mobile.
- Dealer marketing kit. Seasonal campaigns, product pages and rebate explainers in English and, where needed, French.
- Activation sequence. Consent-based follow-up for new and lapsed dealers.
- Quarterly reporting. Active dealer count, profile completeness, locator searches, leads routed and dealer response rates.
Timeline
An audit and dealer interviews take four to six weeks. A locator and program page rebuild usually takes another six to ten weeks, depending on how your dealer data is stored. Kits and activation run ongoing, ideally timed to the heating and cooling seasons or your own launch calendar.
How results are measured
The core measures are active dealers as a share of all enrolled dealers, locator profile completeness, homeowner leads routed per month, and the share of those leads that dealers acknowledge. Where dealers report back, we also track quotes and installs credited to the program. Co-op fund usage is a useful secondary signal.
Proof from our HVAC work
GasBoilers.ca is a gas-boiler division built for CANRO Heat that serves 26+ BC communities and holds 5.0★ from 76+ Google reviews. It is a result from our HVAC work on the installer side, and it shows what a well-marketed installer business looks like: the kind of partner a manufacturer program wants on its locator. See the results page for more.
Mistakes to avoid
- Listing every account that ever bought once. Dead numbers on a locator damage your brand with homeowners.
- Routing leads to the closest dealer only. Capacity, specialty and response history matter. Two-dealer routing with a response window often works better.
- Writing program pages for head office. Contractors want to know what they get, what it takes and when. Skip the mission statement.
- Forgetting the counter. Distributor staff recommend installers constantly. Give them the same information the locator has.
To talk through your program, call, text or email. You can also compare this with launch and rebate campaigns, which often run alongside it, or see pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Our locator gets traffic but dealers say it sends them nothing. Why?
Usually the listings are stale, the search radius is wrong, or the lead goes to a generic address nobody watches. Fixing data quality and lead routing often matters more than adding traffic.
How do we get dealers to use co-op funds?
Make claiming simple and give them ready-made assets. Most unused co-op money comes from confusing rules and paperwork, not from lack of interest.
Should every installer appear on the locator?
Most manufacturers do better with a minimum standard, such as completed training, an active account and a current profile. A shorter, reliable list builds more trust with homeowners than a long one full of dead numbers.
Can you help us set tier requirements?
We can advise on how tiers are marketed and what contractors respond to. Commercial terms such as rebates, pricing and warranty conditions stay your decision.