Most service businesses think marketing means a logo on a truck and a magnet with a phone number. That mindset leaves money on the table. After watching Kipp Bodnar and Kieran Flanagan talk through a simple pool-cleaning tactic, my view is clear: the trades win big with tiny creative moves. Not flashy. Not expensive. Just smart, human, and fun.
Why does this matter now? Because customers judge every touchpoint. Even the boring ones. Especially the boring ones. When the bar is low, small changes create an unfair edge. That’s how you turn a routine service visit into repeat business and word of mouth.
The Simple Idea That Changes Everything
The hosts shared a story that nails it. A pool cleaning company used dull leave-behind cards to show service details. You know the type—corporate clip art, bland stats, trash can material. So they flipped it with humor and style.
“We invested in a pool cleaning company.”
“Instead, we turned the card into a series of funny little postcards.”
“In the trades, I think it’s so easy to have amazing marketing moments because the bar is so very low.”
One postcard featured a lounging pool boy with a wink and the line, “Yeah, I was here.” Same service stats. Totally different reaction. The card becomes a smile. Then a share. Then a story told to a neighbor.
This is the play: upgrade the forgettable moment. The leave-behind becomes a brand moment. The job feels personal, not generic.
Why It Works
Humor sticks. People keep and talk about things that make them laugh. In a sea of sameness, personality is a moat. The service did not change. But the customer’s memory of it did. That is what drives referrals and reviews.
I’ve built companies on simple touches like this—fun packaging, quirky microcopy, a surprise bonus. It works in crypto, SaaS, and consumer products. The trades have an even bigger upside because so few competitors try. Outcomes improve when you stop looking like a template.
Some will argue this is unprofessional. I disagree. Professionalism is doing the job right and communicating clearly. Personality does not replace quality; it highlights it. The postcard still lists the pH and service details. It just does it in a way that feels human.
Turn Every Touchpoint Into A Win
Use this mindset across your service business. You don’t need a rebrand. You need a few sharper edges where customers make quick judgments.
- Audit your touchpoints: invoices, receipts, cards, emails, texts, uniforms.
- Pick one to upgrade this week with humor or a story.
- Use a clear, simple voice that matches your crew.
- Add leave-behind items people want to keep or share.
- Rotate a set of cards or stickers so customers look forward to the next one.
- Measure impact: photo shares, reviews, repeat bookings, referrals.
Start small, then build a system around what gets a reaction. You’ll learn fast what your customers love.
My Playbook For Service Brands
Here’s how I would apply the lesson from Kipp and Kieran’s chat to a local service business tomorrow.
- Write three versions of your leave-behind: funny, clever, heartfelt. Test all three.
- Add a QR code that opens a “service selfie” page with today’s job photo and a review link.
- Include a rotating perk: a seasonal tip, a discount for neighbors, or a giveaway entry.
- Train techs to drop a one-liner that matches the card. Consistency makes it stick.
- Collect the best customer photos and feature them in the next run of cards.
This is low cost and high impact. You’re not buying ads. You’re fixing the moment right in front of the customer.
The Bigger Takeaway
Marketing Against the Grain thrives on spotting overlooked wins. This one is plain. The best growth hack in the trades is taste. Not fancy taste. Just a sense of what makes someone smile and remember you.
Kipp Bodnar and Kieran Flanagan are right: competing with flashy startups is hard. Competing with boring is easy. Pick the easy fight.
My stance is simple: if your customer touches it, it’s marketing. Dress it up. Give it life. Make it worth keeping.
Final Word
Stop mailing it in. Turn your next service visit into a small story people want to retell. Test one creative touchpoint this week, then another next week. Keep what works. Drop what doesn’t. Your brand will start to feel alive, and your bookings will follow.
Try the postcard play. Then raise the bar again.
