A camera strategy is a method of bringing in more profitable dollars with your new equipment. There aren't too many people out there who can show you the ropes in the camera biz; the technology is too new. I'd like to share with you what I learned by performing a minimum of three camera inspections daily for five straight years. Everybody out there is talking about sewer repairs. True—selling sewer repairs and replacements are the primary uses for today's' new video units, but that's only the beginning! I'm going to let you in on a few secrets on how to generate more business—a lot more. I've seen literally millions of dollars generated with cameras, locators and jetters. My telephone rings daily with requests for training seminars and advice in this area. There is such a tremendous interest in learning the how-tos that I'm going to write a short book on the subject. Equipment manufacturers can provide all of the tools, but not the marketing techniques contractors need to be successful. I don't care how much equipment you own; if you can't close the deal, nothing happens. You'll learn from my mistakes and you won't have to re-invent the wheel. You see, I don't think of a camera as a piece of video equipment. Rather, I think of it as my eyes and more importantly as my customers' eyes. With a camera, I can show clients problem areas in their own homes that they would never see otherwise. Closing the sale with a customer's signature on the dotted line is a different matter entirely. Plumbers must learn how to effectively integrate today's technologies into their daily regimen and not let their cameras and locators just sit on their trucks or in their shops—that's my next book. Here's a small sample of innovative video camera applications you might want to try.
Sell a re-pipe
The next time you're under a house or in an attic with rusty pipe-connections or other difficulties try to get your customer to crawl under the house with you to take a look at it. They almost never will. Therein lies the problem—that's why re-pipes are a tough sell. Suppose we took the customer under the house with us without him even realizing it. Next time—try this...leave the camera and monitor outside the house while your customer watches the screen. You stay with him. Let your helper do the crawling with the camera head in tow as you uncoil the reel. Have your helper bring the camera to the problem area as you and the customer watch the monitor. Demonstrate corroded connections, leak-clamps from previous repair work, dripping pipes and any other concerns. Don't forget—seeing is believing and that's half the battle, isn't it? The camera leaves no doubt that the work needs to be done. All you have to do is emphasize the urgency of the work needed and show the customer that you're the man for the task. After all, you’re already on the job. You will inevitably be asked "How much"? Ahhhh...music to my ears.
Inspect a chimney flue
 Inspecting a chimney flue is exactly the same as an eight-inch vertical pipe. Look for creosote build-up and offset connections. Chimneys are inspected from the top. Tie a long string to the camera head. Hold the other end of the string as you drop the camera down the flue. If you see a problem area, stop the camera and gently pull on the string and flex the camera cable to look around the pipe. You now get a better head-on view of any problems instead of using the camera's peripheral vision. Inspecting a flue on a single story house brings you an easy $300-$500. Align yourself with a chimney cleaning and repair company to sub-contract out any specialized work you're not inclined to do. You can make some money there as well.
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